BUSINESS TIPS
5 WAYS TO MAKE SURE PROSPECTS CHOOSE YOU
Here’s what the experts say to focus on to win the listing or buyer agreement.
Rapport Before Resume. Sure, experience counts. But if prospects don’t like you or trust you then you won’t get the business. Sellers and buyers want someone they can connect with, who listens and has their best interests at heart. The goal is to make a connection. Ask the right questions. Why are they selling or buying? What is their dream result? Folks want to be understood, not sold. When they feel you get what they’re after, they begin to trust you, and the decision to hire you becomes natural.
Reach for Referrals. Today, your resume is made up of your Google reviews, website pages, and social media posts. Make sure these include written and video testimonials, photos, case studies, and relevant stats about your work. Both sellers and buyers want to see that you get results.
Max Out Your Marketing. Sellers want an agent who will market their property professionally. So, make sure your marketing plan includes elements such as high-quality photos, videos showcasing the property, beautiful print collateral, social media ads, traditional media ads, email blasts, etc. And great marketing is also important for presenting any of your own listings to your buyer clients.
Have a knockout negotiation strategy. Sellers want an agent who can get them the highest offer. Buyers want an agent who can get them the home they want at a reasonable price. That’s why both sellers and buyers want to know about your negotiation strategy. Be prepared to share that strategy with them, including some examples of what you’ve accomplished for your clients.
Be Very Visible. Focus your efforts on showing up consistently in the community, on social media, in traditional media, and in newsletters. Familiarity generates trust. Consistency builds an equity of trust in people who haven’t met you. Keep creating content; it’s what makes you more visible to sellers and buyers alike.
Prospective home sellers and buyers choose the agent they believe will get them the best outcome. Use these tips to position yourself as the obvious choice.
TECHNOLOGY
THE MASTER PROMPT: THE KEY TO AI SUCCESS
Success using artificial intelligence depends on getting an AI tool to give you more than generic, robotic outputs that sound nothing like you and do nothing to promote your brand. Whether you prompt an AI tool such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to write a listing description, a follow-up email to an open house, or a script to pitch expired listings, you want the AI tool to create a customized result that no competitor could replicate.
The Master Prompt Method, developed by tech exec Michael Fielden, is a way to accomplish this. The Master Prompt is a “master” document that gives the AI tool a detailed profile of your business. The goal is to give all your regular prompts more context to allow the AI tool to build its results based on the additional data you provide. Without this information, the AI tool’s output sounds generic and robotic, and you waste time rewriting the results.
How to Proceed. Fielden suggests starting with the basics on two or three pages, with the goal of building your Master Prompt to 10 to 20 pages or more, with as much detail as possible.
Go to your website, LinkedIn or other social media pages, and copy as much content as you can such as profile info, client reviews, testimonials, sales figures, FAQs, blogs, social media posts. Here are some more things your Master Prompt could include:
- Your name, tone of voice, and the markets you target
- The types of clients you serve
- Your business structure and team setup
- The kinds of listings and types of buyers you specialize in
- Your brand personality and marketing style such as direct, conversational, witty
- The steps in your processes for tasks, such as taking listings, conducting showings, writing offers, and staying in touch with all parties while the property is under contract
After you write your Master Prompt, here’s how to load it into three popular AI tools:
- ChatGPT: Paste the doc where it instructs you and tell it: “Use this as my Master Prompt.” It will then tell you: “I’ll store it in our context. From then on, I’ll write in your voice and remember your workflows.”
- Claude (Anthropic): Go to your Claude Profile setting and upload your Master Prompt document to preferences, and it will apply it to every future chat.
- Gemini (Google): Use Gemini Advanced and upload your Master Prompt file into memory when available.
You then can use prompts with phrases like “based on my brand tone and target audience”; “make it buyer-focused, warm and concise”; “use my preferred voice”; and “incorporate my staging checklist and style,” and the AI tool will know what to do.
Be sure to update your Master Prompt every month, or at least quarterly, based on things like market shifts, mortgage rate changes, or new team members. The more data the AI tool has, the more customized its outputs will be.
MARKET TIP
SALES TIPS FOR TODAY
Double down on efforts to drive traffic.
- Pitch Realtors. Do at least one broker presentation at each listing and follow up on social media to thank them. Do a targeted individual outreach, using emails and social media, to all the top agents in your market.
- Get More Referrals. When you close a sale, ask the client for three names you can reach out to about listing or buying a home. Happy clients deliver referrals who are preconditioned to think positively about you.
- Host Community Events. Educate buyers and sellers about interesting topics: the state of the local real estate market; down payment assistance programs; the amenities in various neighborhoods. Invite a mortgage loan officer to talk about financing options. We’re happy to help with that if you like.
Stress Buyer Benefits. When showing buyers a home, focus on its benefits for them. Don’t be pushy, but do keep an ABC (always be closing) mindset.
Persist. Leads you’ve had for three or four years can still turn into sales. People used to move every 6-7 years. Today, it’s almost 12. So, persist in following up every lead in your database.
Know the Numbers. People talk about home prices and mortgage rates, but most buyers care more about the monthly payment. If they aren’t ready to meet with a loan officer, contact us for some information that can help.
Don’t overspend on ads. Most agents don’t have an awareness problem; they have a conversion problem ads can’t fix. If your unique website visitor count has doubled the last few years, but your appointments and sales haven’t increased, you’re spending money for attention that’s not helping your bottom line. Use those resources in other ways to help your business.
