“Come Into the Office” (“CITO**”) and Other Realtor Lines
‘Cause if you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it
If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it
Don’t be mad once you see that he want it
If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh”
–Beyoncé, “Single Lady” lyrics
Sure, sure, on very rare occasions( 🙂 ), clients can test their Realtors (specifically, their patience).
But, what clients may not realize is that agents are constantly testing them, just in a different way (the technique is also known as “closing” or “trial closing”).
In fact, there are two, specific ways agents test current and prospective clients.
Test #1. Seriousness/Commitment to the Process (also known as “Motivation”).
People serious about buying a home — and hiring an agent to help them do it — will agree to meet a prospective candidate, at their office, for a 60-90 minute initial consultation.
That gets the ball rolling, and allows the agent to discuss the various steps, financial considerations, etc. that are involved.
It also lets prospective clients see their agent’s workplace and professionalism, and lets agents show off their office’s cutting edge technology (Edina Realty passes that test with flying colors).
Someone who won’t (or can’t) make time for that is hardly ready for the rigors of a serious home search (Note: Realtors typically meet would-be Sellers in their homes; agents call that a “listing presentation”).
Pre-Approval Letter
Once the process is under way, serious Buyers also get financially qualified — or, if their lender referred them to an agent — arrive that way.
It’s vital for prospective Buyers to obtain a Pre-Approval Letter from a qualified lender not just to rule out any financial hurdles, but to lock in a budget (or at least, a maximum) for their home search.
Buyer’s agents may handle this differently, but personally I won’t show a client homes till they’ve gotten their financial ducks in a row.
Of course, plenty of people are serious about buying or selling a home; the key question — assuming they’re not in the 10% or so who go it alone — is, who are they going to hire?
Who’ll Be the Lucky Winner Agent??
Which brings up Test #2, what I’ll call “Commitment to a Specific Agent.”
In a robo-calling, tele-marketing saturated world, it’s undeniably a leap of faith to give a stranger your email address (the real one, not a fake), cell phone number, or home address.
But, it’s going to be hard for a Realtor to help you buy and/or sell a home without that info.
A good agent will procure personal info incrementally, as they develop trust, and won’t misuse it or turn it into Spam-fodder (drip email campaign, anyone?).
Of course, eventually, it’s appropriate to commemorate that trust contractually.
In a good, reciprocal relationship, that will feel like an evolutionary step, not abrupt — and never come across as an ultimatum or ambush (cue Beyoncé).
**Yes, that’s a real acronym in real estate sales. It can even be a verb, as in, “step #1 is to CITO the client.”
See also, “A-B-C?” More Like “A-B-Q.”
