5 better ways to say, “Are you thinking of selling your home?”

Want to discourage a prospect from ever listing with you? That’s easy. Simply contact them repeatedly and ask, “Are you thinking of selling your home?” Do that over and over again, and it’s a virtual certainty any prospect — or resident of your real estate geographic farm — will not want to hear from you again.

Why is that?

When your real estate marketing focuses on spouting variations on “Want to sell your home?” the prospect sees you as merely an agent who wants the listing and is willing to be a pest to get it.

Who would want to work with an agent like that?

Yet, you do need to occasionally assess whether or not a prospect is planning to sell. After all, if something has changed in their situation and they’re planning to list next month, you don’t want to miss that opportunity.

So, with that in mind, here are five ways to make that assessment without being a pest.

1. The advice question Ask the prospect if they would like your advice. For example, “Jim, as you may have heard, homes sell for more when effectively staged. Would you like some tips on how to stage your home, specifically?”
2. The “fit” question Ask the prospect about how well their current home is meeting their needs. For example, “Ena, homes are like cars. The time comes when you need to trade in the subcompact for a mini-van. Do you feel that way sometimes about your current property?”
3. The lifestyle question Ask the prospect how well their current home is supporting their lifestyle. For example, “Ripjit, that must be a challenging commute to work at times. Do you ever wish you lived closer?”
4. The market question Ask the prospect if they have questions about the local market. For example, “Phil, there’s a lot happening in the market right now. Do you have any questions about it that I can help you with?”
5. The assessment question Ask the prospect if they’re interested in a market assessment of their property. “Diane, are you curious about what your home would sell for if it were listed today?”

These questions help reveal the prospect’s intentions regarding selling while positioning you as the caring and helpful agent.

By the way, did you notice how focused these approaches are on building the relationship? That’s key. When your real estate marketing (including real estate geographic farming) builds the “know, like and trust” factor with prospects, the walls go down. Prospects increasingly see you as the go-to agent — their agent — who they feel comfortable talking to because they know you have their best interests in mind.

Want to turbocharge your relationship marketing? Our automated real estate marketing systems for client referrals and real estate geo farming can help you generate more leads and referrals from prospects who see you as the agent-of-choice. Questions? Ask us.

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P.S. Want more scripts? Check out these articles:

Sales Scripts for Canvassing a Neighbourhood

3 Sales Pitches for Overcoming Objections

Getting Prospects to Say YES to Your Email Campaigns

How to Ask for Real Estate Referrals with Confidence and Professionalism