I COULD COACH THE REDSKINS...

The phone rang, it was an unknown number.  I usually don’t answer unless I know the number. I just let it go to voicemail and if it is important they will leave a message.  However, this time I answered.  The voice on the other end was familiar.  “Hey, this is Mary (name changed) you have helped many of my friends and co-workers sell their home.  It is time for me and my ex-husband to sell our home and I know that you will take care of me!”

Fortunately, for us, this is how many new ‘client’ relationships start.

If you take care of your clients/friends – let me just say that our clients become friends, if they were already friends or not they become friends, so they are really one in the same – then your friends take care of you.

A LOT of real estate agents care, A LOT are good people, A LOT do a GREAT job taking care of their clients… But then they forget to forge the relationship through the 3 C’s that are paramount in getting people to refer people to you.  The Consistent, Compelling, Communication is harder than being a ‘Good’ real estate agent. 

Writing about your beliefs, your struggles, who you are and what you stand for is tough.

But it is through these communications, through Impact Maryland Monthly newsletter that I share these stories each month. 

When Mary is having lunch with co-workers and she talks about selling her home and then Kim, and Kelly, and John all say you need to call Eric and then they give examples and they share stories that I have written about in the newsletter what choice does Mary have?

Mary already has a trust factor and specific examples of how we helped her friends.  When Mary calls there is pressure to make everything as smooth as possible in helping her and her ex-husband sell. 

If we let Mary down, then we let those that referred us down too!

The phone conversation with Mary goes like it does with those we help sell.  We need to schedule a time to come see your house so we can figure out the best game-plan.  See when we help sellers we don’t go with a cookie cutter approach, we don’t come with a ‘listing presentation’, we don’t try to sell ourselves.  We have a Documented Approach and although each house and each client gets a specific gameplan within the framework of our Approach.

Its kinda like an NFL team’s offensive gameplan and playbook.

The have 200 plays in their playbook that they could use, that they have practiced, but once they study their opponent that week, they pick out the 40 best plays that they think they will work that week vs the team they are playing.

Our Documented Approach, as outlined in The Psychological Approach to Sell Real Estate is that playbook.  Then each home is like that week’s opponent, although we might have 200 plays we might only use 40 on each home.

In Mary’s place as soon as I walked through the front door, I view her house as I know buyers would.  I ‘feel’ the home.  I ‘smell’ the home.  I ‘touch’ the home.  I ‘see’ the home.  When you are evaluating homes, you need to use your senses… Then you look at potential obstacles that a buyer might find.  Mary’s house is a GREAT rancher on nearly an acre in a great part of the county.  Mary’s kitchen had been updated, she had a great ‘addition’, but she had nice and clean baths although they were dated.  They had the blue toilet, the 80s tile, but they were solid.  This wouldn’t be a deal killer. 

Walking on the first level, I’m thinking ok, we have some obstacles, but nothing we can’t overcome.  It’s a high $300k home.  Then I make my way downstairs.  Drywall not finished.  Carpet partially torn up.  One room had old green carpet.  There was stale air. 

So, I tell Mary thoughts… If the basement is finished you are going to invest in the process and finish the basement, then you are looking around $375k-$380k.  If you don’t do anything you will sell as-is for about $340-$350k.

Mary spoke to her ex and they didn’t have the money to finish the basement.

We tried selling ‘as-is’… And 70 showings and 2 offers, 1 contract that fell-through later it was time to re-evaluate the ‘game-plan.’

NFL teams, the truly great ones with the best coaches… The Redskins (Joe Gibbs) of the 80s.  The 49ers (Bill Walsh) of the 90s.  The Patriots (Bill Belichick) the last 15 years… are the one’s that have the best halftime adjustments.  They analyze what went right in the first half, what went wrong and then they adjust their gameplan – if needed – for the 2nd half.

Well that’s what we had to do with Mary.

Fortunately, we have GREAT contractors that we work with.  We were able to come up with a solution for the payment because of our relationship, because of our ‘team.’  John and his crew finished the basement that included painting, carpet, drywall work, trim work, installing a Humidex, installing proper drainage in the sink, painting foundation in less than a week.

Then when we went back on the market guess what happened?

Within 2 weeks we had an over full price offer!

Our halftime adjustment changed the final score of the game and just like Bill Belichick and the Patriots are client/friend ended up with a W on the scoreboard.  Now Mary has a Story to tell when one of her friends talks about selling.  She will gladly say, “You have to call…  because” and she will share her experience.