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REALTOR® Emeritus |  | GOING FOR THE CLOSE | | ||
|  Keep the Transaction on Track Advanced Tip Advanced Tip Advanced Tip Broker Tip Getting to Close Advanced Tip Mortgage Basics Advanced Tip Advanced Tip Advanced Tip Inspections and Repairs Broker tip Closing Countdown Advanced Tip Going for the Close Advanced Tip Advanced Tip Advanced Tip Commission Disbursements Broker Tips Broker Tip Post-Closing Strategies Quiz: Contract to Close Bright Ideas: Contract to Close Code of Ethics: Contract to Close More Resources: Contract to Close | Playing Closing Psychologist Closings may be commonplace to you, but to most buyers and sellers, they are unfamiliar and stressful situations. Try putting yourself in the clients’ shoes and working to counteract some of their understandable fears. Fear: Buying a home is the biggest financial transaction of many people’s lives. Response: Reassure buyers that they’re making a great investment; cite a statistic on home price appreciation versus the Dow. Fear: Documents may be intimidating and unnerving. Response: Slow down the process to give the attorney time to explain any clause to the clients’ satisfaction. Don’t get rushed by the closer or the other party. Fear: Buyers are likely exhausted by the process that came before the closing—revealing private financial information, packing, and seeing to all the details associated with moving. Response: Bring snacks to the closing to give everyone a break; have a funny story or commentary on a new movie or book to keep the conversation light. Fear: There might be fears about last-minute pullouts by the other party. Response: Obtain the phone and cell phone numbers of the parties and their attorneys so you can contact them if they are delayed or if they are not attending the closing. . Fear: People might feel sentimental and emotional about leaving their home. Response: Buy an inexpensive frame and present the listing photo of their former home to the sellers at closing. TIP: Watch for body language and verbal cues that indicate someone is overwrought. Simply asking, “It looks like you’re having difficulty. Is there anything I can do to help?” can lighten a client’s mood. “What they see is that someone cares,” comments Jupiter, Fla., psychotherapist Arlene Alpert, author of Moving Without Madness: A Guide to Handling the Stresses and Emotions of Moving. Closing Documents Buyers Need to Know > | |