SALES CLINIC
A plan of action
How to Get Your Sellers to Work for You
Creating a partnership with your clients will help you fetch top dollar, faster sales.
BY WALTER SANFORD
What do you say to a client who asks, “What are you going to do to sell my home?” I always respond to this question by first introducing my team of professionals. I have a resume on my assistant, office manager, and broker, as well as the lender, title insurer, home warranty rep, home inspection individual, attorney, handyman, and title agent I regularly work with to get the job done. I explain, “Mr. Johnson, all of these people are my team members, because they pledge to the goal of helping me obtain top dollar for your property with the fewest problems in the shortest amount of time. I’m only missing one team member—you!”
Instead of reading a list of the services I provide, I get the sellers involved. I take the list of “to-do” items off my shoulders and place it firmly on the shoulders of the sellers.
I say, “Mr. Johnson, I’d like you to become a member of our team, and here are the things you can do to help us achieve our goal of top dollar, least time, least hassle. I call it my ‘Seller’s Plan of Action.’ ; This action plan shows you what your responsibilities will be when you join our team to sell your home.”
I share with sellers the form we use at my company that asks them to sign on to become an active part of the selling team. This form should be used as part of the listing presentation, so that you are reviewing every item with the sellers to make sure they understand their responsibilities. A modified version of this form may suit your company’s needs.
SELLER’S PLAN OF ACTION
For the Sale of (SUBJECT PROPERTY)
**************************************************************
Dear ______________,
Since any real estate transaction is based on the mutual cooperation of the real estate associate and the client, we at Sanford Systems believe that to achieve the highest price in the shortest amount of time, the seller must be held responsible for the following items.
We believe this list will help you better understand the process of selling your property and make you feel confident that everything possible is being done to get your sale to close.
1. The seller will maintain the property in the best condition possible. The seller has been counseled on what it means to have a "show ready" property. This responsibility continues all the way until the transaction closes.
2. The seller will make the property available for showing at all reasonably requested times. The seller understands a lockbox will increase showings by more than 30 percent.
3. The seller will always provide easy access to the property. (Sanford Systems will always have keys, tenant names, and numbers.)
4. The seller will remove all four-legged pets from the premises during the listing period.
5. The seller agrees to work with the listing agent’s assistant on all non-emergency requests so that the agent may spend a maximum amount of time in field, soliciting buyers.
6. The seller will obtain business cards from all cooperating salespeople who show the property and return them in the provided self-addressed stamped envelope.
7. The seller will notify the listing agent’s assistant immediately if any sales material becomes depleted or damaged.
8. The seller agrees that if the property doesn’t sell within 40 days, and Sanford Systems’ marketing efforts have been fulfilled, there will be staged price reductions thereafter.
9. The seller agrees to speak with the listing agent or his assistant the moment a concern arises. The seller will not let disappointments, if any, build to the point of distress.
10. The seller agrees to market the property to all friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances. If any interest is developed through these contacts, the seller will notify the listing agent immediately.
11. The seller agrees not to question Sanford Systems’ advertising/direct mail/telemarketing sequence. After 30 years of experience, Sanford Systems knows the best return for the dollar spent.
12. The seller agrees that an assistant-, listing agent-, or client-initiated contact every 10 working days is enough to keep the seller informed.
13. The seller will notify the listing agent immediately if any circumstances such as liens, lawsuits, refinances or changes in marital status have occurred since the ratification of the listing contract.
14. The seller agrees to contact the listing agent if another licensee solicits the listing at anytime.
15. The seller agrees to contact the listing agent if a change in motivation occurs.
16. The seller agrees to contact the listing agent should the seller want to view or purchase any properties in any areas or locations in North America.
17. The seller agrees to inform the listing agent of any violations in city, county, state, building, fire, or health codes.
18. The seller agrees to inform the listing agent of any building permit inadequacies.
19. The seller will keep the listing agent informed of seller’s itinerary when traveling.
20. The seller agrees not to rent the property unless the tenant is aware of all showing and sale procedures and has agreed to same.
21. The seller agrees to promptly provide any operating, utility, or loan statements upon request.
22. The seller agrees to inform the listing agent of any unusual Internet sites that may be beneficial to the marketing of the property.
23. The seller agrees not to talk to the buyer. A real estate salesperson is trained to handle the tough questions, so let the listing agent do his or her job.
24. The seller agrees not to negotiate without the listing agent present.
25. The seller agrees to return phone calls immediately.
26. The seller agrees to keep the listing agent informed of any adverse financial problems
that affect the property.
27. The seller agrees to keep the listing agent aware of all physical changes to the property during the listing.
28. The seller agrees to pay for home inspection and termite reports prior to the sale of the property.
29. The seller agrees not to remove real property from the premises. (The seller understands the difference between real property and personal property.)
30. The seller agrees to notify the listing agent of other owners who have any interest in the property.
31. The seller agrees to leave Power of Attorney with a trusted representative upon leaving town.
32. The seller agrees to vacate the premises on the agreed-upon time.
33. The seller will have a voice-recording answering machine/voice mail to take messages.
It’s our desire to form a partnership for profit. Profit is defined as sellers closing the transaction with a smile on their face and a check representing top market value--all accomplished in record time.
Sincerely,
Walter S. Sanford
Sanford Systems and Strategies
As you can see, I am getting the seller on board to help me with the sale. Sellers love to be part of the action. They perceive that if I’m asking so much of them, then I must have my own “plan of action.” The best outcome is when I ask them to acknowledge my marketing agreement with a signature (press hard, three copies) and they don’t ask any more questions for fear of getting another list of things to do!
Using a plan of action such as this can make a world of difference in how quickly—and at what price—you can sell your client’s home. Don’t do all the work of selling a home yourself when you can make your client a part of the selling team.
How To Reach Walter:
Walter Sanford is an international speaker and author of 14 books for real estate salespeople, including The Book of Real Estate Checklists. You can reach him at walter@waltersanford.com or at Sanford Systems & Strategies, 800/792-5837.
Previously by Walter Sanford:
Build and Keep Your Leads
Overcome Commission Objections
The Vacation Presentation
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