If someone opened a window of opportunity for you, would you slam it shut?
You’re shaking your head no. But are you sure? I see agents make this mistake every single day.
Yes, EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
It happens every day because this window of opportunity is without a doubt the most-asked question you receive.
It’s something you probably hear every time you’re out in public.
Yet if you don’t know how to answer this often-asked question correctly, you’re effectively slamming that window of opportunity shut right in front of the person who opened it for you.
Now that’s not a very nice thing to do, is it?
And it’s definitely not helping your bottom line.
Have You Guessed the Question?
Here’s that question: “How’s the market?”
Sound familiar?
It’s almost a cliché — Somebody meets a Realtor, and that’s the first thing that blurts out of their mouth.
Here’s the key: Your response cannot also be a cliché.
In fact, it has to be anything but.
Far too many agents simply reply, “It’s great!” or “I’m busy” or “Well, the high end is slow” and leave it at that.
What a monumental mistake! What a missed opportunity! It’s actually painful to watch this happen.
By far one of the best and most effective scripts I’ve ever written is a straightforward reply that goes like this:
“How’s the market? Well, it really depends. Are you interested in buying, selling, investing, or renting? They’re all very different. Which part of the market are you curious about?”
It’s that simple. Suddenly, you’ve engaged the prospect.
You’re already providing value by helping them narrow their focus and get more specific, so you can help them solve whatever specific real estate need they’re facing.
By opening them up to thinking about their own situation, you’ve begun a meaningful dialogue that can lead somewhere productive — for them and for you.
Once they identify their needs, you know where to take the conversation from there.
