Agents shouldn’t be using scripts and prepared dialogues, according to one agent who believes sincere conversation is the key to success.
Speaking last week at the Real Estate Panel, hosted by Cooley Auctions, managing director and agent at Gibson Partners Ivan Lampret claimed that too many agents are fixated on having a set script.
“I prefer to keep things natural,” he told the crowd. “I’m not a fan of everything being regimented by the book and that you need to say this or that. Everyone is an individual, so you need to treat everyone differently.”
According to Mr Lampret, your language needs to change from buyer to buyer.
“If I start speaking to someone, you need to bounce off them and relate to them. Other people may like to be spoken to in a different way, and so you can pick up on that and design your dialogue around that," he said.
“It’s about adapting to different personalities.”
With 20 years’ experience under his belt and over 100 properties sold in the Sutherland Shire of Sydney last year, Mr Lampret shared the secrets to his success.
“Competition in my area is fierce, and a lot of competitors try to undermine each other in appraisal and listing presentations," he said.
“Whether it’s by saying that I’m too busy or cutting fees, it’s something I have to deal with every week.”
Mr Lampret suggests vendors who are fixated on commission percentages need to be reined in before talking fees.
“I normally want the client to choose me before we talk about commission," he said. "If they say ‘We want to go with you, what are your costs?’ I know then that I can justify my service.
“If they want to know about rates up front, and are telling me what other agents are offering, then I’ll suggest doing an incentive-based agreement.
“I’ll say, ‘I think I’m going to get $1 million in this certain amount of time, if I don’t I’ll match the other agent’.”
Being confident in your fee is a must, according to Mr Lampret.
“You’ve got to show people that you can sell your fee to them; that way they know you can sell their property,” he said.