Script For Approaching For Sale by Owners I
Gauging and Increasing Motivation
Hi, this is Joe Smith. I’m calling about your home you have advertised; is it still for sale?
Do not immediately identify yourself as an agent. A FSBO prospect will often respond that they have sold their house and look for a quick out if they think you are an agent looking to list their property.
Are you cooperating with agents to get your home sold for the most money?
Start with a persistent theme that pertains to the prospect getting the ‘most money’ for their house.
My first name is Joe; may I ask your name?
By offering your first name and asking theirs, you are personalizing the discussion and leading the dialogue.
(Prospect first name), I’m calling to let you know that if and when you decide to list your home, I would like to be one of the agents you interview for consideration.
It is important to be honest at the beginning. Let the prospect know that you respect their desire to sell their home by themselves, but that you would like the opportunity to list them should it become a reality.
I’m curious, what do you see as the advantage to selling your home on your own, without the assistance of an agent?
Invariably the answer will be about cutting out the middle man and trying to save money and hassle.
Interesting, so you think by selling the house yourself you will be able to cut out the middle man and save yourself some money? Is that your main reasoning?
Answer the question about the prospect’s reasoning yourself. They will most likely be selling on their own to save money, so immediately attempt to address that thought process.
Let me ask you a question from the point of view of a buyer. Why do you think a qualified buyer, someone with good credit and plenty of cash to purchase a home, would see an advantage in buying from a For Sale by Owner?
This is a natural follow-up and forces the prospect to think of their decisions based on the mindset of their potential buyers.
As an example, let’s say you are selling your home for $400,000. Wouldn’t it make sense that somebody who can afford this home also realizes they can walk into any real estate office and hire a professional buyer’s agent for free?
Make sure that your tone is not confrontational. Your point is to get them to think about their decision, not feel stupid about it.
Furthermore, it’s important that you realize that as a FSBO, you will have extremely limited exposure to the most qualified buyers. And, obviously, the more buyers you have interested in your property, the greater the demand will be. The greater the demand, the more money you stand to make on your home sale. Do you realize that attracting these best qualified buyers will be significantly more difficult working by yourself than it would be if you had the services of a professional agent?
The advantages of using an agent to help you sell are numerous: As the agent for prospective buyers, I take my customers on extensive home tours and negotiate deals on their behalf, arrange financing, and manage the tedious details. With all of these services at no charge to the buyer, it is obvious that they make the best decision when they employ an agent.
These details should open the eyes of the motivated buyers and open a dialogue about what you can bring to the table. You are attempting to express your value to the FSBO and hopefully set an appointment.
FSBO Scirpt II Motivation>>>
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