Life is sometimes about opposites…it can be counter-intuitive and in my opinion, the field of sales and selling is one example which is why I believe that the best training in real estate sales, is the training that teaches you specifically not to sell!
That’s precisely what I teach in my brokerage, The Amazing Real Estate Brokerage, and what I advocate for all Real Estate agents and all salespeople for that matter.
Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but please stay with me on this and I am going to walk you through an overview of my process that trains real estate agents from scratch and with no previous real estate experience, which, believe it or not, can prove to be a huge advantage.
Many people are considering a career in real estate and despite the global pandemic where much of the economy has suffered, the housing sector has been one of the few bright spots, according to Lawrence Yun, the National Association of Realtors chief economist.
He goes on to explain:
“Home sales continue to ascend in the first month of the year, as buyers quickly snatched up virtually every new listing coming on the market.”
And further explains:
“Sales easily could have been even 20% higher if there had been more inventory and more choices.”
You can check out the full article here.
A career in real estate is exciting and one where you can fully integrate your passions into the process, which I will explain a little later, and if you are considering such a career, then we should talk.
Check out what I am looking for at the Amazing Brokerage here and get in touch with me if you feel you could be a fit.
Table of Contents
Sales training: Time for a change
The Internet has changed the way we work, live, play…and sell.
The sheer amount of information available at the touch of a few buttons is mind-blowing and one of the outcomes of that luxury is that consumers are far more informed than ever before.
Having the ability to be able to access and review information from the comfort of your armchair gives you a distinct advantage over anyone who is trying to sell you anything.
You are more informed and far more careful when it comes to parting with your money.
In the real estate industry, you can find out all sorts of information concerning the various markets — residential, commercial, investment, not just in your home country, but around the globe. You can therefore more easily “set the scene” for what may well be the most significant decisions you will make in your entire lifetime.
Sleazy salespeople
You know the type of people that I am talking about…they are the very people that are so hell-bent on getting their commission check…and they will do almost anything to make sure they get it.
The customer seems to get in the way
If you have ever been subjected to a salesperson of this nature, then you may have the feeling that you are simply in the way of the process which begins with the usual pleasantries, involves some form of “pitch” and ends with what the industry terms as some form of a “close,” which means that you have agreed to part with your money.
Your needs have not really been listened to, the salesperson is not trying to give you precisely what you want…but is intent on getting what they want.
It’s definitely time for a change and let me tell you I have never tried to sell in this manner, despite many people trying to teach me that this is the “way” and that all salespeople must learn the art of “closing the deal.”
To me, selling is all about giving the customer exactly what they want…or as close as possible to it.
It is about presenting a value proposition that compels the customer to buy, which is why I advocate not trying to sell anything and to anyone.
And I urge you to do the same.
Become an influencer
The definition of an “influencer,” and according to the Cambridge dictionary is:
“Someone who affects or changes the way that other people behave.”
Just take a look at the ever-growing number of social media influencers and you will see that they appeal to large audiences, have established a degree of credibility, and most importantly a degree of trust.
Trust is one of the most important components of sales and selling and once you have established trust with someone, you are much more likely to have an influence on their buying decisions…if you are a salesperson that is!
I am all about building trust and it is one of 3 components that I strive to achieve at all times:
Honesty, integrity, and trust are 3 components we should all strive for and of course, we are not perfect…we are human and that means that we make mistakes…but it is the intention that is key and when you start with the right intention, then follow with the right components, you are in the right place to become an influencer.
Check out this article to go deeper into the subject and one that is specific to sales:
“Sales Training: The Ultimate Guide To Help You Become A Key Influencer.”
Compelling value proposition
Let’s get to the core of being able to influence someone in the world of sales and specifically real estate selling…the value proposition and what the customer is really going to buy from you.
Customers only buy the value they perceive and they don’t buy on price.
Just look at your own buying decisions and patterns…there are times when a simple burger and fries make up the perfect meal and you will go out of your way to find the right store to buy it from.
There are other times when only fine-dining will do…you get the idea and while everyone would love to live a life surrounded by luxury goods, services, and of course houses, buying decisions are based on getting the absolute best value that you can get and at the best price, relative to your circumstances.
Real estate is no different and whether the buyer is looking for their first apartment rental, or a luxury vacation home, and anything in between, they will have to convince themselves that they have achieved the best value for their purchase.
Your job as a realtor is to help and influence them along their path.
Creating the proposition
Many salespeople fail here because they obsess with the features and benefits of the product and services they sell, rather than focussing on the outcome and impact they have on their customers.
In real estate, you may well think that the outcome of your service is the right property for the buyer, or whatever side of the deal you are working on…but it goes much deeper.
Take the purchase of a house as an example…are you really just selling the features and benefits of the house that you are going to show your customer around and probably for the eighth time?
Or are you going to sell “optimal living” and look at the deeper aspects of the community, the people that live in it, the schools, medical facilities, the convenience factors?
Think about it and take a look at what you are really selling.
I use the focus of our customer services charter to power everything and of course, having the market and local area knowledge is a given.
Knowledge and passion
I’ve talked about building trust and gaining credibility as an influencer and this can only come when you have the right knowledge and getting that knowledge is a lot easier if you are passionate about the subject in the first place.
In my opinion, many people come to the real estate world for the wrong reasons…they are lured by the income potential and some believe that they can work it as a side-hustle, which of course is possible, but for me, it all starts with having a passion for the industry and using that passion to become as knowledgeable as possible.
I fell into the real estate industry by accident…I started my working life by following a corporate career in the footsteps of my father, but I could never settle into the corporate world.
I was far too entrepreneurial.
I then threw myself into the Internet world and started to learn web design, online marketing, and sales, which I saw as the future for everything.
My next step took into the world of luxury event marketing and it was in this field that I met someone who told me to look at the real estate industry, which I did and never looked back.
I believe that sometimes passions find you…this was exactly the case with me regarding real estate and now I have a huge hunger and thirst for gaining as much knowledge as I can about the industry and its dynamics as a whole.
Now, I am going to get to the next phase and outline a real estate sales training plan.
Training in real estate: Your sales training plan
Let’s take a look at some of the components of real estate sales training and I’m going to assume that you have understood the state licensing and education requirements and are in the process of getting a license or have already been licensed and broadly speaking, they fall into the following categories:
- Market and local area knowledge
- Excellent presentation and communication skills
- The ability to handle customer questions, objections, and different personalities
- The ability to negotiate
Now, the first two points are fairly self-explanatory and I will go into more detail in future articles concerning them, but the last two points are where things can and do go very wrong and this is where you have to move away from the traditional sales training process and unlearn!
Handling objections is an area that sales trainers thrive in…they come up with all sorts of strategies and phrases that are designed to teach the salesperson how to overcome the objection and then complete or close the deal.
The problem is that they have allowed the objection to occur in the first place.
Let the market make the decisions.
If you have done your homework and really learned your trade, you will be overcoming the objections before they arise, because they are a logical part of the buying process.
The art of negotiation is handled the same way…it all comes down to having the right knowledge of local prices, market trends and being able to communicate them effectively to the customer.
There is really no “negotiation” if you have prepared yourself correctly and if you take the stance of an influencer that has created a compelling value proposition, your customer will be ready to buy.
My prescription for real estate sales success
I am going to be specific here and talk about increasing your chances of real estate sales success by following the formula that I prescribe if you should joining the Amazing Real Estate Brokerage.
You can apply these principles to any brokerage and they are:
- Absolutely no “selling.”
- Be yourself…because you cannot be anyone else.
- Communicate and live by our customer services charter.
- Never stop improving.
I would say they are fairly easy steps to follow and there is absolutely no reason why anyone cannot succeed in the highly-competitive world of real estate if they follow the same.
I’ve already covered the part about not trying to sell to anyone, so I will not go any further on that subject.
You have to master the art of “being yourself” and as I say, it’s because you simply cannot be anyone else…and if you persist in trying, you will certainly be found out and people will lose their trust in you.
You are, “what you are” and you should be proud of that statement alone, so by all means, let your sales guru, mentor, or Hollywood star influence you, but please don’t try to be them.
It is not possible.
Having a customer services charter holds both me and my brokerage accountable and that is something you should relish.
Self-improvement runs hand-in-hand with self-awareness and it’s an ongoing process that you must accept is not only part of your professional development, but life in general.
These 4 pillars of what I believe will help you be successful are extremely easy to achieve…if you allow them.
Many salespeople are married to their own ideas and reality, which will only serve them to ignore the real teacher of sales success and in any industry…the customer.
Conclusion
When I tell people to stop selling to master sales success, they look at me with amazement and not always in the good sense!
I opened with the statement that life is sometimes one of “opposites” and it can be counter-intuitive…I hope this article has at least got you thinking and opened up the questions in your mind about how to become successful in real estate selling.
Once you learn to stop selling and start influencing, I believe you will open the doors to a totally different experience of sales and selling.
Wouldn’t you wish to have customers that want to buy from you, rather than having to “sell” to them?
And wouldn’t you like to stop the play-acting and the pretense that so many salespeople feel they have to embrace, to become the definition of what most people would regard as a salesperson?
Well, you have the chance and the opportunity.
Learn to “unlearn” and you will certainly open up the doors to the right path and if you are considering a career in real estate, I would love to hear from you, so please get in touch.
To your real estate sales success!
Danny Kelman.
Founder and CEO