Special Report - Eight Tips on How NOT to Sell a House

By Mark Neighbor

NEVER PRE-QUALIFY YOUR BUYERS. If you want to ensure that you don't make the sale, do not pre-qualify your buyers. Showing anything to anyone who asks is a time waster. Don't set them up for failure by showing them things they cannot afford or do not want.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE TIME. Watching their face for buying signs is ok but their total body language is more important; check to see if they are ready to buy or just shopping with your time. Time is money and if they are just looking let them look and then come to you when they are ready to buy. Some people will never be able to commit and others might have to look at fifty houses before they buy, so spend your time carefully.
TALK QUICKLY AND USE SALES LINGO. If you have to get through some script as its written and the prospect knows it, then you have lost them. Do not overload people with too much information so that they are overwhelmed or confused. You don't need to use lots of fancy words and sales jargon. Don't throw out tons of numbers without explanation. Don't put words in the buyer's mouth. You can use leading questions but not to get the answers you want. People do not want to be talked into a house.
BUILDING RAPPORT IS NOT IMPORTANT. People want to buy from people that they like. If you want to lose a sale, don't spend time building rapport. Interrupt conversation, stick to a script, don't smile, don't show much interest and rush through the presentation are all sure ways to flub it. Relationships take effort. People buy from those they feel comfortable with and around. One call, one post card, one letter or meeting is usually not enough.
DON'T LET THEM DISCUSS IT AMONGST THEMSELVES. Big purchases are big decisions involving lots of money and Real Estate purchases are stressful. There are a number of reason to allow people time alone to discuss the purchase. Suggest they step out and discuss it among themselves. If they do they may buy quicker or be more confident in their decision. Do not stay in their face. Don't monopolize their space.
HANG AROUND AND LISTEN IN. If you have a representative or advocate showing your house and you walk with them to learn and answer questions, you crowd the setting and destroy the opportunity to move the house. Too many people equals too much pressure.
SHOW IT YOURSELF. You can show it but the potential client knows you have strong feelings for the place how honest will you be? Can you not be offended if they hate the carpet or stove?
PRESSURE FOR A DECISION NOW. What's the decision? I need to know today. What do you think right now? Yes or no? You can afford it. You can only buy it today at this price. Pressure a decision. Make it sound desperate. It will be gone tomorrow. You need to act right now. In this market, people won't believe you and this talk is guaranteed to drive people away.