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Buyer Mastery Guides

Step 1: Leads to Appointments

Make Every Contact Count!

Julie Fantechi

Buyer Mastery Guides

Notices
While Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (KWRI) has taken due care in the preparation
of all course materials, we cannot guarantee their accuracy. KWRI makes no
warranties either expressed or implied with regard to the information and programs
presented in the course or in this manual.
Material excerpted from The Millionaire Real Estate Agent and SHIFT: How Top Real
Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times appear courtesy of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent is copyright 20032004 Rellek Publishing
Partners LTD. SHIFT: How Top Real Estate Agents Tackle Tough Times is copyright
2008 Rellek Publishing Partners LTD. All rights reserved.
Copyright notice
All other materials are copyright 2008 Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Printed October 2008.
No part of this publication and its associated materials may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Table of Contents
WHERE YOU ARE TODAY .......................................................................................1
THE BUYER SERVICE CYCLE ...................................................................................3
LEAD CONVERSIONTHE BUYER SERVICE CYCLE STARTS HERE ................................4
The Lead Conversion Process ...........................................................................5
Converting Buyers............................................................................................6
Moment of Truth .............................................................................................6
CAPTURE.............................................................................................................7
Making Contact on the Phone .........................................................................7
Making Contact Online ...................................................................................9
Making Contact in Person .............................................................................12
CONNECT..........................................................................................................14
Connect Through Consultation ....................................................................14
Connect With PurposeUse Your Lead Sheets ..............................................16
Connect With the DISC ................................................................................18
Connect With FlexibilityUse Dierent Approaches With Dierent Buyers
.......................................................................................................................22
Six Connecting Tactics ..................................................................................29
CLOSE TO APPOINTMENT ....................................................................................33
Eight Closing Tactics ......................................................................................33
Close Any Which Way You Can .....................................................................37
Leads to Appointments Ratios ........................................................................38
Criteria for the Appointment ........................................................................39
OBJECTIONS ......................................................................................................40
How to Handle Objections ............................................................................40
Common Objections to the Buyer Consultation ............................................41

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CULTIVATE ........................................................................................................ 43
BINSYour Cultivation Autopilot ................................................................ 44
Set up an 8 x 8 Action Plan ............................................................................ 44
MY ACTION PLAN .............................................................................................. 50
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................... 52
Further Reading ............................................................................................. 52
Accountability Tools ....................................................................................... 52
NEXT UP .......................................................................................................... 53
APPENDIX ......................................................................................................... 54

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Where You Are Today


A goal of this course is to encourage you to absorb and internalize key information
in the course guides. The path to skill is made up of just four simple steps:
1. Memorize The material and the ideas
2. Internalize Make them something you know without having to think
3. Customize Adapt them to your personality, business practice, and
business plan
4. Capitalize Take full advantage of their power
You can think of this another way. One big key to success is to study. Keep in mind
the acronym AIR which stands for
Attention
Intention
Repetition
The quiz you will nd on the next page and at the beginning of each guide is
designed to help you memorize and internalize the key concepts in Buyer Mastery
as you work your way to customization and capitalization. Use it to test your
progress!

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Before we get started on Step 1: Leads to Appointments, test your knowledge on what
you read in the Introduction.
1. Draw a line from the ve myths of agents to the truths.
1. Buyers are looking for
a real estate agent.
2. Buyers dont know
what they want.
3. I have no control over
a buyers decision to
purchase.
4. Buyers will walk away
if I ask them to sign a
buyer representation
agreement.
5. Inquiries on the
Internet are no good.

a. Buyers will sign a representation


agreement if the benet to them
is clear.
b. Buyers havent been asked good
questions to help them discover
what they really want.
c. Buyers are looking for houses;
they are not looking for you.
d. Internet inquiries are good if
you understand how to cultivate
them.
e. There are ways to help buyers
decide to purchase.

2. Draw a line from the ve myths of home buyers to the truths.

Answers:

1.

2.

3.

1, c ; 2, b; 3, e; 4, a; 5, d

1, b ; 2, d; 3, e; 4, c; 5, a

2 is FALSE. Your job is to sell homes, not show homes.

1. Buyers think theyll get a


better deal if they work
without a buyers agent.
2. Buyers think that agents
can only sell their own
listings.
3. Buyers are going to nd a
perfect house.

a. The buyers agent provides


many valuable services.

4. Buyers think they have to


pay a fee to their real estate
agent.
5. Buyers think that all a
buyers agent does is nd a
house.

d. Real estate agents can sell


buyers any house.

b. Buyers almost always get a


better deal if they work with a
buyers agent.
c. The buyers agent commission is
paid by the seller.

e. There is no such thing as a


perfect house.

3. Circle the statement that is FALSE.


1. I am a decision facilitator.
2. My job is to show homes, not sell homes.
3. Working with buyers is a numbers game.
4. Sales success is about prioritizing and managing leads.

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The Buyer Service Cycle


1. Leads to
Appointments

7. Postclose
Systems
Followup for
Referrals
Maintain Contact

Convert Leads
-Capture
-Connect
-Close
-Cultivate

6. Contract to Close
Track and Monitor
Preclosing Tasks
Bulletproof the
Trasaction
Attend Closing

Buyer
Service Cycle

5. Offer and Negotiate


the Contract

2. Prepare For
the Buyer
Consultation
Create Your Unique
Value Proposition
Follow Up With Prospect

3. Buyer Consultation
Conduct Consultation

Prepare Offer

Follow Up with Buyer

Deliver Offer
Negotiate

You Are
Here

4. Finding a Home
Prepare for Tour
Tour Homes
Follow Up With Client

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Lead Conversion
The Buyer Service Cycle
Starts Here
The battle is not
winning buyers
over, the battle
is getting the
appointment.
Dick Dillingham
International Master
Faculty
Plano, Texas

Whether your intention is to work with buyers or sellers, you wont have anyone
to work with at all unless you can convert the leads you have generated into
appointments.
Gary Keller hammers this point home in SHIFT: How Top Agents Tackle Tough
Times. Describing an obstacle many agents face when trying to increase their
business, Gary observes, Doing lead generating activity is one thing. Getting an
active lead from it is another. Without the ability to turn activities into leads and
leads into appointments, any lead generating activities you do become a futile waste
of your time. In other words, conversion matters.
Getting the appointment is your rst hurdle, and remember, once you have it, you
have a good chance of getting the buyers businessif you want it. According to
The 2007 NAR Prole of Home Buyers and Sellers, 85 percent of all home buyers
report interviewing only one, or at most, two real estate agents.
Number of Real Estate Agents Interviewed by Buyers

Four
2%

Five or more
3%

Three
10%
Two
20%

One
65%

As Gary states in SHIFT, Getting to the table rst or second is what matters. And
this makes conversion more important than presentation. The competitive battle is
almost single-handedly won simply by getting an appointment before someone else
does.

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The Lead Conversion Process


In this step, well focus on the three steps of the conversion process:

The effort you


give to converting
leads must match
the effort you
give to generating
them.
Gary Keller
SHIFT

This process can happen very quickly with all three events occurring during the
initial contactor it can be drawn out over months. Where the prospect is in the
home-buying process, and how successfully you can build your relationship with
them, plays a large role in determining how fast you can move from rst contact to
closing for an appointment.
In this step, well start with capture and look at the variety of ways you will make
contact with your buyer prospects.
In connect, youll learn how your lead sheet and behavioral styles can help you
gather important information and consult with your customers. By the end of this
consultation, you will have determined their level of motivation and can decide
whether or not to pursue the appointment.
In close, well look at dierent techniques for setting the appointment. There are
two outcomes to that conversation: you will either get an appointment or you will
not. At that point we will discuss how to classify the buyers who did not set an
appointment and how to cultivate them into future business.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Converting Buyers
Be it a lead from the Internet, a prospect from an open house, or an inquiry o a
yard sign, more often than not your opportunity to convert a buyer lead will be
because the buyer is interested in a property, rather than your services. They may
not be far enough alongor know enough about the home buying process to think
they need an agent. But regardless of the source of their call or where they are in the
process, your goals remain constant.

Your goals:
1. Get valid contact information: at least a name and phone number.
2. Get a home and/or email address if possible.
3. Determine motivation.
4. Set an appointment for the buyer consultation.
What some real estate agents dont realize is that people calling from a yard sign or
from an ad have a very dierent agenda.

The callers goal:

Determine if the property is a good t for them.

So remember you only have a minute or two to make a positive impression. While
you are answering their questions about the property, be asking questions of your
own. You want to know who they are and, if possible, how motivated they are to
buy. Your challenge is that all callers are dierent. What is successful with one caller
might not work well with another. Because of the range of people youll talk to, you
cant have a rigid way of dealing with every caller. You have to be exible, gather as
much information as you can, and demonstrate that you can provide value.

Moment of Truth
A moment
of truth is an
opportunity to win
or lose big.
Michael Leboeuf
Author and Speaker

This is the rst of three moments of truth in the process of working with buyers
your initial conversion with the prospect.

Moment of Truth #1
What constitutes a win at this moment of truth?
Getting an appointment for the buyer consultation.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Capture
Your methods of response will vary according to your sources of contact. Since in
all likelihood you will be talking to your buyers in response to an inquiry they have
made regarding a property, there are three main sources of contact.
1. On the phone from a sign call, a just listed notication, or an Interactive
Voice Response (IVR).
2. Online through registration on your website or by direct email.
3. In person while you are talking face-to-face at an open house or through
your sphere.
According to SHIFT, your capturing should always focus on getting enough
information from someone so you can contact them. The best scripts to use are the
most straightforward ones.
Thanks for calling. Im Gary Keller. May I ask your name? and Thanks, and what is
your phone number? work really well when asked together.
If I were to need to get in touch with you, what would that number be? or If I
found exactly what youre looking for, how would I contact you? or If I found out
that information youre wanting, how would I get it to you? work well when asked
separately.

Making Contact on the Phone


Larger oces tend to have a dedicated line for ad and sign calls. Some call it
a money line. Individual agents and small oces should do the same thing.
The phone number you put in your ads and on your signs should be a number
where consumers can reach you no matter where you are during normal hours
of operation. When your money line rings, there is nothing more important
than focusing your attention on the call. Some top agents follow this strategy for
answering on the third ring:
On the rst ring

Clear your mind of whatever you are doing

When you get a


sign call, you have
to drop everything
else.
Trudy Peveto
Trudy Peveto Team
The Woodlands, Texas

On the second ring

Say an armation out loud or think about the dollar value this call could
generate

On the third ring

Answer in a positive, upbeat voice


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Buyer Mastery Guides

Some Things to Remember

To maintain
control of a
conversation,

While talking with a prospect, give positive responses to the buyer: Great!
Fantastic! Wonderful! Thats terric! Good for you!

Repeating what the caller says is an indication that you are really listening.

The person who asks questions controls the conversation. When you ask
questions, you get the information you need to help a buyer. You can
provide value (come from contribution) only when you know what a buyer
needs and wants.
If a call goes badly, end the call quickly and courteously.

answer a question
with a question.
Tom Hopkins
HOW TO MASTER THE ART
OF SELLING

Guidelines for Response Times


Sometimes you are not able to answer the phone. What you must keep in mind
is that people who call you because of an ad or a sign are most likely going to be
calling another agent when you dont answer the phone. If you have an assistant,
that person should be taking all calls when you are unavailable. The best thing you
can do is return the call as quickly as possible.
A recent Keller Williams survey shows that most top agents return calls within
an hour when the call is received during business hours. For calls received after
business hours, 55 percent respond in four hours or less. Times are only slightly
longer for Internet leads during business hours: 55 percent respond in two hours
or less to business-hours emails; 58 percent respond in one business day or less to
after-hours emails.
Email - after
business hours
Calls - after
business hours
Email - during
business hours
Calls - during
business hours

10

15

20

25

Hours

Brad Korn, Mega Agent and Master Faculty, in Kansas City, Missouri, has learned
to calibrate his return calls to the time of day as well. He uses what he calls his 3
x 3 technique. Brad or a team member will return a call at three dierent times
typically morning, lunchtime, and early eveningfor three consecutive days. If
they havent heard back by then, they will stop. We found that the majority of
callers we eventually reach are actually grateful we were so persistent. They often
apologize for not getting back to us and thank us for taking the time to follow up.
After tracking calls, Brads conversion rates from IVR went from 10 to 15 percent!
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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Making Contact Online


The vast majority88 percent!of buyers now begin their home search online.
They may be just starting out, and wanting to get a feel for whats out there before
they get serious, or they may be ready to buy now, and just using the Internet
to speed up and streamline their search. Either way, if they choose to make
contact with you online, that means you may have to interact with them from a
distance for a longer time than you would with someone who rst contacts you
by phone (e.g., a sign call). We know that many people who look online want
to remain anonymous until they choose to reveal their identity. The important
thing to remember is that because future buyers are looking for something you
haveinformation about propertiesyou have the leverage you need to ask for
their contact information. Its a simple exchange of your property information for
their contact information. This makes previewing and knowing your inventory all
the more importantproperty knowledge is your currency in this all-important
transaction.
When you provide something of value, the prospect becomes increasingly willing
to work with you and give you contact information. Once you have that, you
can begin to cultivate the relationship by email if that is all they have provided.
If they provide a phone number, call them immediately. A personal call can
increase your ability to provide pertinent information, as well as convert the lead
to an appointment. In your Toolkit CD, youll nd the Internet Lead Cultivation
document, which is a small excerpt from the KWU Internet Lead Generation
course. The excerpt provides guidance on how to work with Internet leads.
With so many buyers beginning their home search online, we highly recommend
that you attend the course to learn all about Internet leads. In this guide we will
focus on lead capture via email and your website registration.

Registration
Not having a registration on your website is not an option. You are not a free
service oering information for informations sake. Your website is a tool for you to
oer consumers what they wantreal estate informationin exchange for what
you wantcontact information.
You will up your chances of getting contact information if you require registration
from buyers who are coming to your site because they want to search all the homes
in an area (Internet Data Exchange searches or IDX), to get instant notications on
properties that meet their criteria (buyer instant notications or BINs), or to save
search criteria for future visits (search savers).

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Buyer Mastery Guides

There are four widely used strategies (see below) ranging from up-front registration
to open searches with registration attached to ongoing use. Not all registration
yields equal results, however. For example, requiring your visitors to register up
front to do anything on your site may yield a high number of registrants, but a
lower percentage of appointments; allowing open property searches and asking
for registration may result in fewer registrations, but in a higher conversion rate to
appointments. Why the apparent incongruity? In SHIFT, Gary Keller explains that
people who register up front may not be as far along in their search as people who
are ready to save their searches and receive daily email updates.
Four Lead Capture Strategies
Higher Percentage of Registrations, Lower Percentage of Appointments

1. Up-Front
Visitors must register before entering search criteria

Visitors can enter criteria, but must register


before results are displayed

3. Limited Results
Visitors can enter criteria and view
limited information, but must register
for full complete results

Appointments

Registrations

2. Preresults

4. Open Search with Drip


Visitors can search without
registering, but must register
for saved searches or
emailed listings
Lower Percentage of Registrations, Higher Percentage of Appointments

Both strategies are absolutely valid. An analysis of your conversion skills can
help you decide which technique works best for you. If you are newer to lead
conversion, it may be better for you to have a large number of leads to work with,
as your conversion rates are probably lower. If your skills are sharper, a smaller
number of leads to work with will net you the same result without having to spend
the time to sort through them all. You must experiment until you nd which
method yields you the most appointments.

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Email
People who contact you by email are identifying themselves as being ready to buy
a home. They want information fast. If they dont get the information from you,
theyll move on to the next real estate agent.
According to a 2006 survey by the California Association of Realtors, email users
expect a quick response to their inquiries.
1. Twenty-three percent expect a response instantly.
2. Twenty-one percent expect a response within thirty minutes.
3. Eighteen percent expect a response within four hours.
If all you have is an email address, reply to an inquiry that way. Youll save
time if you have an autoresponder to reply to email inquires automatically, but
it is important to personalize the communication. And again, if you have a
phone number, it is always a good idea to get in touch with the prospect on the
phone. Talking on the phone allows you to control the conversation and get the
information you need.

en Kinney, a top-producing agent in Bellingham, Washington, takes a


very aggressive approach to capturing online inquiries. Using a
program he and his team jokingly call the Ten Days of
Pain, Ben will email his contact for ten straight days, seeking to
gather more information, get an appointment, or get a referral.
Most of the inquiries we capture are from registration. We may
only have a name and an email address. As soon as their
information comes in, we immediately respond with a personalized
email thanking them for their interest. After that, the Ten Days of
Pain launches as the team sends a series of daily emails, following a
technique learned from Gary Keller: MOFIRMake Oers for
Immediate Response. For example, they will send out emails they call teasers:
We just heard about a foreclosure property that is coming on the market.
Remind us what area you are interested in, and what your price range is. If
this property is a match, well be happy to send you more information!
Other emails in the campaign include oers for a free home inspection if they
sign up for an appointment, and real estate quizzes that direct buyers back to
his website for the answers, requiring registration with a phone number.
By the end of the ten days, Ben and his team are condent they know where
they stand. We either have an appointment, have them on a drip campaign,
or know with certainty they wont be buying.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Making Contact in Person


Showcase your
talents at every
open house by
backing up a
warm and friendly

Your opportunities to capture and connect with a lead in person will largely be
from your sphere, an open house, or a walk-in. A face-to-face conversation will be
very powerful and allows you to gather a lot of information about the lead, nd
commonalities, discover their behavioral style, and start to build rapport. You can
also get answers to important questions such as the prospects motivation and how
far advanced the person is in the search process. The more direct your contact (i.e.,
a direct conversation compared to email), the more prospects you will convert to
appointments. Remember that it is harder for a prospect to turn down your request
for an appointment when you talk in person than it is via email.

personality with

Open Houses

unbeatable market

When you rst meet prospects at an open house, your rst objective after they have
written down their contact information is to establish rapport. Ben Kinney is always
looking for commonalities, whether it is the type of car they drive or the logo on
their T-shirt. He wants to build the relationship and be seen as friendly, helpful, and
nonthreatening before he starts to address their needs. One way to learn about their
needs is to use the two-for-one techniquealways oering two pieces of information
for every piece of information you ask for in return. For example, you might say,
This house has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and is 2,520 square feet. Are you
looking for a four-bedroom house? In this way, you are oering value as you identify
their criteria. Your focus during this process is not to sell them the house, but to create
a situation where you can meet their real estate needs.

knowledge.
Betsy Scheffe
Productivity Coach
Austin, Texas

At this point, Austin, Texas agent, Gary Gentry, the rst agent ever to join Keller
Williams Realty, stresses the importance of being prepared. If it appears that the
house is not of interest to the prospects, he will pull out a printed list from the
MLS of every single property in the area. Drawing on the information they have
already revealed, he will show them the homes that most closely match what
they are looking for and demonstrate his knowledge of the neighborhood and
surrounding area. He then uses this script to close for an immediate appointment,
Im going to nish up here at 4:00. If youd like to meet then, we could go and see the
inside of the properties you liked here on this list.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Every contact you meet at an open house is a lead which can be converted to
an appointment at a later date. Ben Kinney makes contact with his open house
leads on the next Monday and tries to close for an appointment. He draws on the
personal rapport he established during the open house, as well as any information
he gathered about their home search. Most importantly, he always oers
something of value. He uses this script, Thanks so much for coming to my open
house this weekend. Did you see any other interesting properties when you were
out looking? Well, I got online this morning and found ve other properties
that match your criteria. I would love to meet with you so I can show them to
you. Then, if any of them are interesting to you, we can hop in the car and go see
them right away.

KWConnect

KWConnect videoBuyer Mastery: Lead Conversion, Open


Houses
Watch Matt Fetick (courses/Buyer Mastery), a master in action,
as he demonstrates scripts to capture, connect, and close at an
open house.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Connect
How can you
have charisma? Be
more concerned
about making
others feel good
about themselves
than you are
making them feel
good about you.
Dan Reiland
VP of Leadership
Development, INJOY

Connecting with your prospect is the time to lay a foundation for your future
working relationship. This is your rst chance to let them experience what it feels
like to work with a consultantsomeone who asks questions and listens to their
customers more than they talk at them. Your questionsand the way you ask
themwill demonstrate your expertise, experience, and personality. At the same
time, their answers will reveal the validity and value of this buyer to your business.
Will they be worth your time?

Connect Through Consultation


Connectingbe it over the phone, by email, or at an open houseis also the
perfect opportunity to prequalify the prospect. Aim to gather information at every
point of contact because the more you learn about your customers, the more
eectively you will be able to serve them. But keep it conversational and friendly. As
Gary Keller states in SHIFT, While youre qualifying, they are connecting.

PrequalifyIdentify the Able, Ready, and Willing


As we learned in the Introduction, in order to protect and maximize your time, you
should prioritize your buyers according to how able, ready, and willing they are.
The connect phase is the perfect place to start! Your connecting questions, tactics,
and lead sheet will help you determine if you are speaking to a strong prospect
someone who is able, ready, and willing to buynow.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

The Six Connecting Questions


Your connect consultation seeks rst to understand. You want them to open up
and reveal themselves to you. By asking so many questions, you will immediately
demonstrate how this relationship is going to be all about them, not you. Your
conversation with them should aim to ask questions that will get the answers to
these questions, excerpted from SHIFT:
1. Who are they?
Back up and, if you would, please tell me a little bit about yourself.
2. What do they want or need to do?
Thanks for sharing that. So you folks called on the house on Bandera
Drive, are you looking for a new home?
3. Where do they want or need to do it?
Thanks for sharing that. Now, if you would, can you share with me if this
is the only part of town you are interested in, or would you consider other
areas as well?
4. Why do they want or need to do it?
Thanks for sharing that. Now, if you would, can you share with me why
youre doing this?
5. When do they want or need to do it?
Thanks for sharing that. Now, if you would, can you share with me when
youd like to do this?
6. How do they plan to do it?
Thanks for sharing that. How do you plan to do this?
While these scripts may read unnaturally, or seem repetitive, they almost never feel
that way when spoken, especially for the person on the receiving end.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Connect With PurposeUse Your Lead Sheets


As with every other stage in the buyer service cycle, initial contact goes more
smoothly and eciently if you have a system in place to keep it organized. During
the connect stage, that system is your lead sheet. Many agents color code the lead
sheet so they can nd it quickly and easilyfor example, gold for buyer leads
and green for listing leads. Its best to keep your questionnaire to a single piece of
paperyou dont want to put the seller though the third degree, and having to deal
with more than one sheet can be dicult when youre in a hurry.
Your most important initial goal is to gather information. Your questions and the
way you ask them, will demonstrate your shrewdness, experience, and personal
warmth. This information gathering should also be designed to reveal the validity
and value of this seller to your business. Are they going to be worth your time?
Always use lead sheets when asking your consultation prequalication questions
they serve as a reminder of essential information you want to gather. Imagine what
a disaster it would be to talk with a solid lead only to get back to your oce and
realize you did not get a last name or contact information! Your lead sheet is the
most eective tool you have to gather information from your database.
Use your Lead Sheets to
1. Organize all the important personal details about the lead that youll want
at your ngertips later.
2. Track key qualifying questions that will help you assess how to handle this
lead going forward.
3. Learn something about the prospects personality type and communication
style, useful as you work towards converting them to an appointment and,
ultimately, a buyer listing!
You dont have to ask every question on the sheet, and you should know which
questions are key for you. This will vary from one agent to the next.
Dianna Kokoszka, president of MAPS, uses her lead sheet to meet several
objectives. She assesses the prospects motivation, analyzes their behavioral style,
and builds a relationship with them. She wants to nd the root of their motivation,
so she often goes three deepshe asks them why is that important to you? three
times after each question. She varies the wording, saying things like

16

How would that make you feel?

Whats important to you about that?

How would that make your family feel?

Would that ultimately give you the goal that you want?

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Lead sheets for in-town home buyers are covered in Lead Generation 36:12:3. The
same lead sheets are in the Appendix of this guide and on the Toolkit CD for this
course. The forms are Microsoft Word les that you can alter to t the way you
work. Some agents prefer to work with lead sheets that are fully scripted. Others
prefer sheets that are more condensed, with only prompts. Both versions are
provided, allowing you the exibility of working in a way that is comfortable for
you.
Tip!
Remember that states or provinces may require real estate agents to
discuss agency prior to asking all of the questions on the lead sheet.
You need to adhere to the law for your location. Ask any questions
that are allowed, set an appointment, and ask the remainder of the
questions in your face-to-face consultation after youve explained
agency.

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Connect With the DISC


As a Keller Williams real estate agent, you most likely took a DISC behavioral
assessment when you joined the company. While we all know that people are
complex and have many traits, the DISC assessment is useful in categorizing people
by their one or two predominant behavioral traits. The initials in the name of the
assessment represent each of the characteristics: Dominance, Inuence, Steadiness,
and Compliance.
You have your lead sheet to guide you through the list of questions you need to
ask; the DISC will help you keep the experience as individualized and personal as
possible.

Truth
You are auditioning for the chance to be
their representative.
Its important to understand how your predominant behavioral traits aect the
way you interact and communicate with prospects and customers. It is equally
important to understand how people with dierent behavioral styles respond
to you and how they want to be treated. With this understanding, you have
tremendous power to maximize how eectively you work with your buyers and
meet their needs.
If you have experience with the DISC, you know it is not a rudimentary tool, but
an advanced communication technique, and you are no doubt constantly rening
your skills. If you are new to the DISC, the more you study and use it with your
hires or vendors, the more adept you will become at using it.

Truth
In order to really meet your customers fundamental needs,
you must understand who they are.

Lets start with a refresher on the traits associated with each


of the behavioral styles ...

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The most

Meet Your Buyers Needs

important single

You can identify behavioral styles based on the kinds of questions people ask. Once
you know their behavioral style, you can provide excellent service by meeting their
needs. Remember, most people have traits from more than one category. You want
to make sure you meet their primary needs.

ingredient in the
formula of success

D Personality

is knowing how
to get along with

Questions: What kinds of questions do High-D people ask?


Dominant people ask what questions: What does it cost?

people.
Theodore Roosevelt
Twenty-Sixth President
of the United States

Needs: What do dominant people want?

To have you listen while they talk


To know the bottom line
To control, conquer, and win

Actions: What should you do with dominant people?

Let them know that you realize their time is valuable.


Help them go through the homebuying process as quickly as possible.
Emphasize results (especially when you present your Unique Selling
Proposition.)
Give them options and let the buyers select which choice is best for them.

I Personality
Questions: What kinds of questions do High-I people ask?
Inuencing people ask who questions. Who do you know?
Needs: What do inuencing people want?

To talk a lot
To persuade
To know about people who live in the area
To know about entertaining in the home

Actions: What should you do with inuencing people?

20

Be upbeat and enthusiastic.


Ask questions about them and listen to what they say.
Emphasize who you know.
Pay attention to social boundaries.

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S Personality
Questions: What kinds of questions do High-S people ask?
Steady and supportive people ask why questions: Why do I need to
talk to you lender?
Needs: What do steady people want?

Assurance
Stability
To feel safe
To belong

Actions: What should you do with steady people?

Allow plenty of time for them to make decisions.


Communicate frequently and ask them how theyre doing.
Let them know how much you care about them and their family.
Provide all the information they need (especially facts and statistics).

C Personality
Questions: What kinds of questions do High-C people ask?
Compliant and detail-oriented people ask how questions: How
does the inspection process work?
Needs: What do detail-oriented, compliant people want?

To know lots of facts and details


To avoid conict
To avoid mistakes
Time to think

Actions: What should you do with detail-oriented, compliant people?

Provide as much information as you can.


Think about what you are going to say before you say it.

Give them time to think.


Be prepared, organized, and on time for every appointment.

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Connect With FlexibilityUse Dierent


Approaches With Dierent Buyers
Working with
buyers is all about
providing service
and building
relationships.
Dave Therrien,
Operating Principal,
Crofton, Maryland

How a lead comes to you is only part of the equation when it comes to handling
the lead. Another key component is the type of lead. What kind of buyer are you
talking to? What are their specic reasons for buying? What is motivating them to
make a purchase decision? And how far along are they in the process? Asking for
and listening to the answers to these questions will better equip you to capture their
business and meet their needs.

The Internet Advantage


Todays buyers have never been more market savvy or empowered. Thanks to the
Internet, buyers can now search for properties on their own and obtain information
about the home-buying process. The Internet is no longer about the extraordinary;
its about the ordinary. It is as much a part of our daily work as mobile phones and
cars. With 88 percent of all buyers starting their search online, it pays to assume
that all your buyers are Internet buyers and leverage this reality to your advantage.
Todays buyer can view properties online and has a tremendous amount of good
general information at their ngertips at any time of the night or day. This ability
gives them a sense of security. They feel more involved in the process and enjoy
the sense of directing their own search. Marybeth Harrison, a top-producing agent
in Dallas, Texas, has seen the advantages of this. What Im nding happening is
theyre narrowing down what they want and where they want it. That is saving me
an enormous amount of time.
Your job is to acknowledge the information and work they have done, and then
educate them on the benets an agent provides beyond what they can nd online.
By acknowledging their research, you can leverage it. After all, they have done
much of the legwork already. Gary Gentry likes to recognize the work they have
done and compliment them on it. Hell say, Wow, it sounds like youve been
studying! or Youve done a lot of great research! Were starting ahead of the game!
He also takes care to preface many of his remarks with comments that arm their
knowledge, As Im sure you are already aware or I imagine you already know
this
Become their consultant, advising and coaching them through every stage of
the process. Because they do not have your overall perspective or the ability to
purposefully analyze how the properties or areas they have selected t into the
matrix of others in your area, you have an opportunity to prove your value.

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erry Moerler, a real estate agent from Thousand Oaks, California,


with more than 30 years experience working with buyers, realized
that because of the Internet she would have to change her
approach to Web-savvy buyers. She knows that todays buyers are more
informed than ever. As more information becomes available online, I
look for more and more specic ways to provide service to my buyers.
For example, she demonstrates her value by oering to pull up tax
records and school reports on properties her buyers are interested in.

Working with First-Time Home Buyers


As you conduct your initial calls, be aware that youll need to slow down
and explain more things to rst-time home buyers. They have no basis for
understanding what you are talking about, as they are unfamiliar with the homebuying process. Ask what questions they have and let them know that youll explain
the home-buying process thoroughly in the consultation. Youll also take time
in the consultation to answer all of their questions. Its important to realize that
buying a rst home is a big decision, and it is your job to help your customers feel
comfortable making one of the largest purchases theyll ever make.

Working with Homeowners


Many homeowners who would like to move will start looking at properties before
they contact an agent to sell their house. They want to know what is out there
before they decide whether or not to make a move. So, prospective buyers who are
already homeowners represent a great opportunity for you to pick up both a buyer
and a listing.
Rick Brash, Mega Agent in Calgary, Canada, always capitalizes on this situation by
oering to do the buyer consultation at the prospects house. He does a CMA for
them in order to estimate how much equity they will have to put down on their
next home. He gets the listing to sell the property by demonstrating everything he
will do to get their house sold for the most money possible, which they can then
spend on their new home.
The rst thing to do is establish the critical path of whats going to happen with
respect to their sale and their purchase, says Steve Cohen, leader of the Steve
Cohen Team in Boston, Massachusetts., Ascertain what their position is, and
then educate them on their options. Many buyers have not thought it all the way
through yet. Betsy Schee, Productivity Coach in Austin, Texas, will simply ask her
prospects, Will you want to sell your home before you purchase a new property?

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I find out how


much equity my
buyers have before
we start looking
at houses. I do not
want to educate
them to be looking
at properties that
are either above or
below what they
can afford.
Betsy Scheffe
Productivity Coach
Austin, Texas

Depending on whether or not your buyers have to sell in order to be able to buy,
there are dierent courses of action.
1. They have to sell in order to buy. The vast majority of people have to sell
their house and use their equity toward the purchase of their new home. In
that case, make a listing appointment and put their home search on hold
until you have evaluated how much their house is worth, put it on the
market, and gotten an oer.
2. They dont have to sell in order to buy. If they are secure in the
knowledge that they can pay two mortgages, you can make a listing
appointment to do a CMA, get their home on the market, and at the same
time, help them nd a their new home.
Each of these scenarios could present some challenges. In the rst case, many buyers
will object to putting their home search on hold, and will want to make an oer
on a home subject to selling their own property. However, all things being equal,
that will not put them in a strong position to get the home. If the seller has a choice
between two oers, theyre not going to take the one with the contingency. You will
nd yourself launching a hurried marketing campaign to get their house soldbut
by the time theyre ready, their dream house is probably long gone. Your job is to
convince your buyers to get their equity out so they can make a rm oer on what
they want.
Paint a picture for them of what their search will look like if they have sold their
home and gone liquid. They now know their yield, have eliminated uncertainty,
and can devote themselves full time to nding the dream house they know they can
get.
In the second case, even if your buyers are willing to carry two mortgages, realize
that until they understand what their yield is going to be, they may not be totally
comfortable with committing to a new purchase. Both you and they are likely to
feel the stress associated with not knowing how much its going to sell for. At this
point, Steve Cohen would conduct a sensitivity analysis with them to set their
expectations for the likely outcomes they will achieve. Lets say you were to buy
your new home for x, and then sell your existing home for y. If it is y minus
5 percent, would life go on? If it is y minus 10 percent, could you live with it?
Through this analysis, he helps them to dene the range in which they will be
comfortable.

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Out-of-Town Buyers
Your line of questioning with an out-of-town buyer is a little dierent from an
in-town buyer, so it is helpful to use a form tailored for these people. Out-of-town
buyer forms (one with scripts and one with prompts) are in the Appendix of this
guide and on your Toolkit CD.
Working with out-of-town buyers is a large part of many real estate businesses.
There are a variety of reasons for relocation, and the reason aects how you
work with the customer. For instance, if your buyers are relocating because of a
job transfer, you most likely need to work with their relocation company. Most
high-end moves use a third-party relocation company or an in-house relocation
department. Fortune 500 companies almost exclusively use agents who are in
the Worldwide Employee Relocation Council (ERC), meaning the agents show
up in the ERC guide. ERC is a membership organization with an annual fee.
Information about the organization is available on their website
(http://www.erc.org).
Out-of-town buyers may also come to you through the Internet. Ben Kinney, an
Internet-savvy agent in Bellingham, Washington, states that up to 30 percent of his
Internet inquiries come from buyers who do not live in the area. He dierentiates
them from his other Internet inquiries and handles them with the same techniques
he uses for other out-of-town buyers.

Nine Things to Do on Initial Contact


1. Find out if the caller is already working with another agent.
2. Find out why the caller is relocating.
3. Find out where the caller is in the home search process.
4. Ask about the callers time frame.
5. Ask if the caller needs to sell a house.
6. Inquire about nancing.
7. Get an estimate of what the prospect thinks is aordable.
8. Find out when the caller will be in your area.
9. Close for the appointment.
Tip!
Make sure you get an address so you can send them a relocation
packet, and always set your next appointment before ending the call
or meeting.

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Working with Investors


At the most simplistic level, the decision to buy a particular investment property
is economic. It is an analytical decision made with the head rather than with the
heart. Because investing is a numbers decision, buyers are going to want to see the
numbers. Your CMA, description of trends in the area, and cash ow analysis will
be the tools an investment buyer uses to make a decision.
Just like working with people who are going to live in the home they buy, you
must develop rapport, have excellent communication, and engender trust with
investment buyers. The dierence with investment buyers is that they dont need to
fall in love with the property. Sometimes they dont even need to see the property in
person, and they may never meet you in person.
The following story demonstrates how trust aects an investors willingness to take a
real estate agents advice.

hris and Renee Chaback work with investors in Tallahassee, Florida,


as part of Gene and Rebekah Rivers team. Chris says, Investors are
looking for a transaction that is fast, ecient, and hassle-free. It is
not unusual to work with investors that you never meet face-to-face.
Obviously, this kind of relationship is not all about the warm and fuzzy
aspect of working with people. However, similar to working with traditional
home buyers, it is essential to have a relationship built on trust.
Renee recalls a time when she was aware of a new subdivision.
She called three investors and told them about the opportunity.
Two of the investors had been looking for awhile to nd
something for their kids. Her words to the investors were, Let
me tell you, the prices on these are going to go bananas. Buy
them now. I need a contract by Monday if you are going to do
it. Two investors followed her advice and bought property at
$138,000. The third investor came back later and had to buy
at $160,000. He didnt listen because he did not have enough
trust. The transaction built Renees credibility with her investor
and helped him develop trust in her advice.

Tip!
Disclaim! Disclaim! Disclaim! Many investors will request a pro
forma showing an investment propertys potential for cash ow and
appreciation. No matter how thoroughly you research a property,
always include a disclaimer. No one can predict the future. We can
only show whats probable. Protect yourself and disclaim, disclaim,
disclaim!
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Working with New Construction


Buyers are attracted to new homes for emotional reasons. They like the thought of
being able to pick out their own colors, lot, and oor plan. In parts of the country
like the Sunbelt, where new homes are more prevalent, there may even be stigma
attached to a used home. If there is any dirt in the house they want it to be their
dirt. They like the thought that no one has drunk from the kitchen faucet except
for them!
Working with new construction is a large part of many real estate businesses, and
it requires a dierent approach. The process is likely to take much longer. While
it may take only a few days or a few months to get a buyer into a resale home, the
purchase of a new construction home may take ve six nine months, as you
guide them through the process of imagining their dream home to securing the
realization of it.
The process will take a lot of negotiation and go-between work on your part.
Educate your buyers on the many benets you have to oer.
1. Initial negotiations. It is very dicult to negotiate on the price of a to-bebuilt home because the builder has nothing to lose while the lot is empty.
Even if the home has already been built, and the builder is losing money
on it every month, they may still be loathe to cut the priceit could create
appraisal problems for them when they start a new house the next month,
or launch a PR war when Johnny and Jennie nd out at the next block
party that they paid more for the same house. What you are negotiating
for your buyers at the start of the process are upgrades that the builder can
bury in the transaction. A fully sodded lawn. A sprinkler system. Extra
money for closing costs.
2. Good service. A reputable builder will always want to do a good job for
their clients, but keep in mind that they will want to do a better job for
you. In their entire lifetime, your buyer will buy one or maybe two homes
from that builder. You, on the other hand, have the potential to bring them
scores of buyers every single year. They are more likely to accommodate
your requestsfor example, to change out that white granite counter for a
grey onethan they are the buyers.
3. Advocacy. That nice and friendly guy, the onsite agent, does not work for
the buyer. He works for the builder. If push comes to shove when there is
an issue like shoddy workmanship, who does that onsite agent side with?
Without their own agent to represent them, buyers are at the mercy of the
builder or their own lack of experience. A good real estate agent knows
what is standard in a new home, and what to be looking out for. When
problems occur, you will be able to negotiate on your buyers behalf and
ensure that any mistakes are corrected before the sale becomes nal.

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etsy Schee, Productivity Coach in Austin, Texas, believes in


advocating on her buyers behalf. She always insists on an inspection
of the property, even though her clients sometimes tell her they dont
think it is necessary. But more often than not, the inspector will nd
something that is not up to code. On one such occasion, she and her
buyersa young couple from the northwere waiting for the inspector to
nish, when he climbed down from the attic, shaking his head.
Youre lucky your real estate agent had you do an inspection,
he told the couple. The builder overlooked the insulation in
the attic. Its only June. You would have spent hundreds of
dollars trying to cool this house before you got your rst
electric bill and gured out something was wrong.

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Six Connecting Tactics


1. The Cordial Interrogation
This is an interrogation, make no bones about it, but it should be conducted in
a cordial manner. Keep it conversational to avoid sounding like youre reading
o a list, and keep it purposeful to get the information you need to better serve
them. In your own style, make the questions sound easygoing and natural. You
dont necessarily need to ask the questions in the order they appear on the page.
You may not get every bit of information on the rst call. Thats okay. You can ll
out the form as you collect more information later. Mike Mendoza, a Mega Agent
in Phoenix, Arizona, points out that the questions on your lead sheet serve as
reminders of the information you want to gather.

To be successful
working with
buyers, you must
be genuinely
interested in
people.

Tip!
Whether its in the oce, at home, or on the road, you should have a
supply of lead sheets anywhere you might take a call.

Todd Butzer
Regional Director and
Operating Principal
Edina, Minnesota

2. Demonstrate Your Expertise


Its never too soon to start letting the prospective buyer know what you know about
the overall economic and market picture that could aect their purchase decision.
Agents like Gary Gentry say theyve learned that there is absolutely no substitute
for the value of strong, detailed knowledge displayed at the rst opportunity. It
doesnt have to take long. The important thing is to select a few nuggets of local or
regional economic data combined with some housing market specics. As Gentry
says, Data plus detail equals condence. Its a display of condence on your part
that will generate buyer condence in you right o the bat.

3. Listen: Be Present in the Conversation


Paying attention to what buyers say is critical to your success. Susan Scott, author
of Fierce Conversations, has excellent advice on having meaningful conversations.
She calls them erce conversations because you are focused on one and only
one thing: what the other person is saying. When another person says something,
you respond appropriately and communicate that you heard what was said. The
author refers to this as being present for the conversation, meaning your mind is not
anywhere else. Another great point Ms. Scott makes is that you need to know what
the other person wants to talk about. The question she asks is, What is the most
important thing we should be talking about? You want to get at that information
in dierent ways at dierent times.

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To make sure you are meeting your customers needs, youll ask the following kind
of questions:
Do you have any questions?
Is there anything I should know that I have not asked about?
What are your fears, concerns, or uncertainties about buying a home?
What is most important to you?
Listening to people builds a relationship faster than anything else you can do.

4. Ask Questions to Break the Ice


Working with home buyers is all about the relationship you have with your
customers. You spend a lot of time with buyer customers, so it is essential to get to
know them and build trust. The easiest way to get to know your buyers is to ask
about everyones favorite topicthemselves.
Using FORD, you ask about:
Family and friends
Occupation
Recreation
Dreams
When establishing rapport, you are trying to nd areas of commonality between
you and the buyer. Why do you want to nd areas of common interest? Because
people like people wh are like them and even more important, buyers choose agents
they like.
Once you learn about your customers, use that information to communicate
eectively by doing things such as using analogies that are meaningful to them.
Paying attention to their background and interests communicates your interest in
them.
Tip!
A note of cautionwhen asking about family, be sure you avoid
asking questions that could violate the Fair Housing Laws. Never ask
questions that could lead you to steer buyers toward property that is
considered discriminatory based on membership in a protected class
(race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, familial status).
An example of an acceptable question regarding family is, Who
will be living in your house? Conversely, questions such as, Are
you married? or Do you have children? could be construed as
providing information that would lead you to steer your customer
toward a particular neighborhood or away from another. Have a
couple of nondiscriminatory questions, internalize them, and ask
the same questions of all your buyers, and then you wont get into
trouble.
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5. Mirror and Match


There is another aspect of communication you should consider. Mirroring and
matching is a strategy you can use to help buyers feel comfortable with you. In
The Language of Sales Fast Track Coaching program, Dianna Kokoszka teaches the
following strategies:
1. Match body language, including subtle actions and postures
2. Match speech patterns
a. Rhythm and Rate: Mirror how quickly a person speaks
b. Volume: Mirror how loudly a person talks
c. Tonality: Mirror how high or low a persons voice is
3. Use words the other person uses frequently

6. Earn Trust
Weve talked about getting to know your buyers and being present in your
conversations. There is an additional element that is essential in your relationship
with any traditional home or investment buyer. That additional element is trust.
People will buy a house from you if they trust you. Honesty and trust go hand-inhand. So, how do you develop your buyers trust?

Truth

Trust is lost in
miles, regained in
inches.
Italian Proverb

Trust is something you must earn.


It often takes time to earn trust, and it is something you can start working on right
away. As Seth Godin says in Permission Marketing, familiarity builds trust. He gives
the example of Crisco, Tabasco, Campbells, and Vaseline being protable because
they are trusted brands. Why do people trust these brands? Because time after time,
when they use these products, they have a consistent experience. Consistency and
predictability are two things that build trust.
As you conduct business, you can earn your customers trust over time. Initially,
customers start to trust you because they nd out the things you tell them are true
and the information is valuable to them. You continue to build trust when you do
what you say you are going to do. Customers take your advice on making a wise
home purchase decision. With increased trust, customers will refer you to family
and friends, and eventually they may come back to you with more business. The
longer you are in business, the more people will come to trust your brand.

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Ways to Earn Trust


1. Always carry through on what you say you are going to do.
2. Demonstrate that you are successful.
a. Include testimonials and references in your Buyers Packet.
b. Hold your buyer consultation in an oce that inspires trust (a space
that looks professional).
3. Demonstrate your expertise in real estate when giving a comparative market
analysis (CMA).
4. Mention any major concerns when you see indications of potential
problems at houses you are touring. Better yet, preview houses and dont
take buyers to any houses with serious problems.
5. Tell the truth. If you dont know the answer to a question, say you dont
know and then get the information from someone who does know.
6. Be a problem solver. You earn trust when you demonstrate that you can
solve the buyers problems.
Can you think of any more?
7. __________________________________________________________
8. __________________________________________________________

teve Condurelis in Brentwood, Tennessee, oers buyers his own home


guarantee. The guarantee is that he will not allow his customers to buy
a bad house. If a customer is unhappy within the rst year, he will resell
it for freeno listing agent commission. He does have a reasonable
condition on the guarantee. He wont guarantee just any house. It has
to be a house that he believes is a good choice (one he knows he could
resell). Just think what that kind of promise does to inspire trust. It
says you will not sell a house unless you believe it is a good choice for
your customers.

Trust is an invaluable commodity. Treat it that way. You can spend ages building a
trusting relationship and then destroy it in a few minutes. Once violated, it is very
dicult to regain.

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Close to Appointment
Youve captured. Youve connected. Now its time to close for the appointment.
Your rst moment of truth. Remember that in your role as a consultant working
with buyers, your job is to help your customers nd the home of their dreams,
make a great investment, or nd the home of their dreams and make a great
investment! By setting up a meeting with them, you are taking them one step closer
to realizing their dreams.
Remember that closing is not an event, it is a process. As soon as you begin to
convert a lead, you may nd that you have opportunities to close sooner rather
than later. Go for it! Use trial closes and try to close early and often.
Think of closing as payo time. This is where you recoup your investment in lead
generation and take the rst concrete step towards your buyer paycheck.

Seven Closing Tactics


Before we look at some of the most eective and practical tactics for closing,
remember that whatever the techniques may be named, or whatever strategies
are employed, they can all be boiled down to one key essentialasking for the
appointment. Its obvious and yet sometimes overlooked. Gary Keller states
it plainly in SHIFT, The right approach to close for a meeting is the only
approachjust ask.
Keep that in mind as you study the following techniques. Whatever tactic you try,
ultimately its all about simply asking to meet.

1. Show the Benefits


In general, people are more likely to go along with something you suggest if you
explain the benet to them. For example, prospects are more likely to agree to
come to your oce for a consultation when they understand that doing so could
allow them to preview a lot of properties and ultimately save time in their home
search process. Brad Korn likes to use this script, If spending thirty minutes with me
could save you hours of time and thousands of dollars in your home search, would that
be of benet to you?

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2. Take Back Close

Give two choices


for moving
forward, either of

This technique puts a tempting oer in front of the buyersuch as access to pocket
listings or bank-owned propertiesbut then subtly creates a fear that they may not
be able to get it. You can say, Ive enjoyed talking with you. To be honest, I dont know
whether I can be of help to you or not, but Id be honored if we could meet to nd out.

3. The Negative-Positive Close

which will confirm


that your prospect
is moving ahead.
Tom Hopkins
Author
HOW TO MASTER THE ART OF
SELLING

34

This is another way of backing into the appointment a bit, compared with more
aggressive stances. You might wrap up by saying, Would you be oended if I asked if
we could meet to go over all this in a little more detail?

4. Give Them What They Are Looking For


Remember that it is unlikely a buyer calling on a house will end up scheduling an
appointment to see that particular property, much less buying it. It is your job to
quickly pique their interest by giving them what they are looking forinformation
on interesting, comparable properties. Tony Carnesi, on the Kiker Team in Denver,
Colorado, says their agents keep a book with the top eight listings around each of
their other listings. When a call comes in, they can ask what the buyer is looking
for, oer valuable information, and set an appointment for a buyers consultation in
order to show them a comprehensive selection of properties to meet their needs.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

5. Trial Closes
Trial closes are questions you use to test the watersyou genuinely want to nd
out whether or not you and the client are in agreement. The answer might not be
yes, but if it isnt a yes, you need to return to the issue until it is.
Trial closes can be very transparent; for example, during the initial contact, you
might say, Weve visited for a while today, let me stop and ask you a few questions
to see where we are.
Also called a minor close, a trial close often seeks a smaller decision from the
customer before the nal commitment. Not, Are you ready to come in and meet with
me, but Can you see how receiving a list of all the new homes on the market in your
price range would help you in your home search?
Trial closes are tests of your growing alignment with your customers. The answers
you get will indicate how close you are to the nal closeand remember, that big
win can come at any time.

6. Assumptive Closes
When you are asking a caller to do something, never ask in a way that allows the
person to say NO. Give alternate choices, either of which is ne with you. The
alternate choice approach makes an assumption that the other person will do one
of the two things you suggest. By taking command and asking, Which works better
for you, Thursday at 3 or Friday at 2? you assume the close and prevent them from
saying no.

7. Tie-Downs
Tie-downs are phrases that ask for conrmation. Expressions like, Wouldnt that
be great? or forming questions with cant you? isnt it? and wouldnt you? ask for
agreement and get your customer into a pattern of saying yes. For example, you
could say, Well save hours of time on your home search if we meet in the oce
rst. Saving time is important to you, isnt it?

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Mix and MatchTrial Closes, Assumptive Closes, and Tie-Downs


The various kinds of agreement-seeking techniques are not mutually exclusive.
Agents often combine them. Your conversation with the buyers should be based
around questions that allow you to move the two of you toward agreement. How
you approach agreement depends on your personality and on your clients.

Trial Closes

Assumptive Closes

How are we doing?


Does that make sense to
you?
Would that be something
you want?
Would that be preferable
to you?
Can you see yourself doing
that?
Does that seem like it
would be a good outcome?

36

Well do an in-depth
needs analysis to
determine which property
will best meet your
needs.

Tie-Downs
Wouldnt that be
great?
Cant you?
Dont you?

I can show you the


pocket listings at the
consultation.
Well nd you the
best property to meet
your needs for the least
amount of hassle in the
shortest amount of time.

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Isnt it?
Wouldnt it?
Shouldnt it?

Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Close Any Which Way You Can


Clearly, there are more than seven ways to close. And as we have already stated,
theres no better way to close than by simply asking. Taken from SHIFT, Gary
Keller includes some of the techniques we have just seen with others to form his
personal list of classic closes that work. Learn themand use them!

The Hard Close: Lets meet!

The Soft Close: Ive really enjoyed visiting with you. Would you like to get
together to discuss this further?

The Direct Close: Can we meet today?

The Indirect Close: Would it be okay if I got you some information to look
over and then we can meet to discuss.

The Trial Close: Have we gone over enough today that meeting would be our
next step?

The Assumptive Close: It sounds like we should meet. I am available most


times this week so what works best for you?

The Negative-Positive Close: Would you be oended if I asked if we could


meet to go over this?

The Take Back Close: Ive really enjoyed visiting with you. To be honest, Im
not sure if I can be of help or not, but Id be honored if we could meet to nd
out.

The Tie-Down Close: It would make sense for us to meet in the next day or so,
wouldnt it?

The Alternate Choice Close: What works better for you? Meeting today or
sometime this afternoon or tomorrow morning?

As long as there have been sales, salespeople have been coming up with ways to
close the deal. Interview one hundred dierent agents, and odds are you will come
up with one hundred dierent closesat least! Pick your favorites and just do it!

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Leads to Appointments Ratios


Many agents ask, How many calls should I expect to be making to get an
appointment? There are a number of variables. But, assuming you know your
appointment-setting scripts well, and are working continuously to improve your
performance with them, the three categories in this table are fairly representative.

Agent Experience Level

Contacts Made

Appointments Set

New-1st Year

125

1-5 Years

62

5+ Years

35

These numbers come from Keller Williams Realty International MAPS coach
Tony DiCello. Tony should knowhe spends many hundreds of hours each year
coaching agents on accountability to lead generation and appointment setting. And
the goal for appointments to listings taken? Tony says MAPS coaches feel an 85
percent success rate is a realistic number for practiced agents.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Criteria for the Appointment


Congratulations! Your prospect has agreed to meet with you. Set the stage for a
truly eective meeting by taking the following points into consideration.

Everyone Needs to Be at the Table


Make sure that all decision makers will be present at the appointment. Building
rapport rst with one individual, then with another, is awkward, especially if the
people involved have disagreements about buying a house. In addition, some
personality types resist ideas that they did not come up with themselvesso the
fact that one partner has already agreed with you can actually be a reason for the
second person to refuse to work with you. Many rst-time or younger buyers may
also be getting advice or nancial assistance from their family members. Ask, Is
anyone besides yourself/selves going to be involved in the purchase of the home? If
yes, request that they be present at the meeting as well.

Meeting in the Office vs. Meeting at the Property


Your rst and best choice is to meet in the oce. Terry Moerler is proud of the fact
that she has never gone from the phone to the home. She explains to her buyers
that she works a little dierently, and prefers to meet her customers and get a feel
for their needs before she takes them to see houses. When you meet your customers
in the oce, it puts you in the drivers seat and gives you an opportunity to display
your professionalism and the support systems you have at your disposal.

Ill conduct
my buyers
consultation
anywhere,
although I draw
the line at doing it
over four wheels as
I hurtle down the
highway!
Shaun Rawls
Top Agent

Some agents, however, will meet a buyer outside the oce when motivated buyers
may be thin on the ground in a shifted market. In a buyers market, they have
the upper hand and are spoiled for choice. At that point, your priority becomes
responsiveness. How urgent are they? If your questioning gives you a sense that
you have a motivated buyer on the other end of the phone, it may be worth your
while to forgo the oce appointmentbut NOT the buyer consultation. In this
situation, do the consultation right on the spotat the kitchen counter or the
nearest coee shop.
You may also make a decision to meet them at the property based on the location
and site of your farm. Steve Cohen, leader of the Steve Cohen Team, in Boston
Massachusetts, works in a tight, insular market. Were focusing on sixteen to
twenty city blocks. If a prospect calls on one of these listings, well go out and
exchange information and email addresses right there. Then we set up the buyers
consultation.

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Objections
How to Handle Objections
Relax! Remember that objections are often buying signals. View them as an
opportunity to overcome a barrier to making a purchase decision. Develop
condence with your objection handlers, and couple that condence with
knowledge of your areas market and key statistics, key statistics of your own
business or your Market Centers track record. You will unlock a path to improved
use of your time and increased revenue for the time you spend in your business.
1. Remain curious rather than judgmental.
2. Investigate and isolate the real issue. No matter how good your response
might be, rst ask questions to explore and gather more information so you
can be sure you are addressing the real objection.
3. Dont argue. When you argue, you only cause the other person to defend a
position more strongly.
Objections handling is one of the very best ways for you to demonstrate your
expertise in a business-winning way. Tony DiCello, MAPS, advises, Every time
you handle an objection, ask for a close. It works.

AEIOU Technique
The sequence of steps in handling an objection can vary.
1. Ask questions
Get at the real issue by investigating the issue deeper. You might ask
questions such as, Can you tell me more about that? or Can you tell me
whats important about that?
2. Empathize
Acknowledge the buyers concern by saying something like, I can certainly
understand how you feel.
3. Identify the real issue
Restate what you believe the real issue is.
4. Oer a solution
Problems appear insurmountable until you know how to solve them.
5. Urge an agreement
Use tie-down statements such as, Dont you agree? or Are you
comfortable with that?

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Common Objections to the Buyer Consultation


I dont want to meet you in your office.
Well, I appreciate that and I understand your concern, but I must tell you, I
operate dierently! Before I can satisfy what you need in your next home, I must
rst identify those needs, and that process is done in my oce. Doesnt it make
more sense to spend an hour in my oce uncovering your needs than spending
hours driving around looking at homes hoping we stumble upon the perfect one?

Were standing in front of the house. Cant you just come and show
it to us?
Well, I want to show you the best and easiest and most eective way to nd a
house. Why dont we meet for fteen minutes and Ill take down exactly what you
are looking for. Once weve determined that, Ill send you an email of every single
home that matches your criteria. My program will save you time, because once we
gure out what you are looking for, everything that matches your criteria comes to
you, rather than you going out and trying to nd the house. You make the decision
and you are in control. As soon as you nd a home that works, I will get you in to
it.

I dont need a Realtor. I can find houses on my own.


Well great, but here are a few things to consider. It can be very time consuming.
Many of the homes you see listed in advertisements and on websites are already
sold or under contract. Many properties are not advertised at all. There are over
xx properties listed for this area. With my access to the MLS and my real estate
contacts, I can search them all for you. For example, would you be interested in
getting a discount of 2030 percent on a HUD property of foreclosure? I can
search for those as well.

Were going to use the Internet and find our home online.
I can understand why you say that, but we have found that many times the homes
on the Internet have not been updated and may not be available anymore. Youll
also need someone to get you inside those homes. You know nding a house is the
fun part, and we can do that together, but my real job starts when youve found the
house and youre ready to buy it.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

I am still in a lease.
Well, since your goal is to move at the end of your lease, now is the time to get
prepared. You will have to get preapproved, start your home search, and then nd
the house. Once you have found the house, it typically takes a preapproved buyer
thirty days to close on their home. So it sounds like the timing is good.
In a Buyers Market: What if the seller were to agree to buy out the remainder of
your lease? If that were the case wouldnt you want to get started today?

We want to save money by calling from signs rather than working


with an agent.
Well, the good news is it costs you nothing to have me work for you. The seller
pays the commission. Its a big advantage for you to have an agent on your side.
Independent representation tends to make people more honest on the listing side.
My job is to get you a better price and better terms on the house you want to own.

KWConnect

KWConnect VideoBuyer Mastery: Lead Conversion


Watch Matt Fetick, a master in action (Courses/Buyer Mastery)
for a demonstration of capture, connect, and close scripts.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Cultivate
Just because someone isnt able, ready, or willing to purchase a property
immediately doesnt mean they should be discarded as a lead. If you were not able
to close, but did manage to capture their data and make a connection with them,
continue to invest in the relationship by cultivating them until they are ready to
close for the appointment.
Cultivating Leads for Future Conversions

If you only spend your time with people who are ready to buy now, youll lose the
people who you need to be moving along your pipeline to get to the able, ready,
and willing status. You have to stay in frequent contact because you dont know
when a buyer is going to step up and say, Im ready. An analogy is the most
dramatic nish in the history of baseball. It was game one of the 1988 World Series
between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kirk Gibson of the
Dodgers had a bad knee injury from the National League Championship series and
was not expected to playhe couldnt run. In fact, the only way hed even be able
to make it to rst base was if he hit a home run. Fast forward to the bottom of the
ninth inning, tie game. Gibson is put in as a pinch-hitter. Its a 3-2 pitch. Gibson
swings and hits a y ball to right eld. Its a home run and the Dodgers win the
game 5 to 4! You dont always know in advance when an unlikely buyer may turn
into a golden opportunity. Thats why you have to maintain good communication
with everyone in your pipeline and be there when they are ready to move forward
with the home purchase process.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

BINSYour Cultivation Autopilot


In marketing,
frequency matters
more than
anything else.
Seth Godin
Author and Marketing
Guru
PERMISSION MARKETING

A Buyer Instant Notication System (BINS) as part of your 8 x 8 Action Plan will
eortlessly and automatically allow you to stay top-of-mind with your prospects.
Every dayand often more than once a day, depending on the listings available
you will be providing them with exactly what they want: all the new listings on the
market that meet their criteria, as well as updates on existing listings that they may
nd useful, for example, price reductions. When they are on a BINS system, they
are more likely to call you when they see properties they are interested in, and as
part of your 8 x 8 Action Plan, you will be able to make regular calls to ask what
they think about the listings, or suggest homes you think they will like. Well look
at BINS more closely in Step 4: Finding a Home.

Set up an 8 x 8 Action Plan


If a prospect is not willing, ready, and able to buy now you should record on the
lead sheet what needs to change. When you follow up, you inquire about progress
on the barriers to purchasing a home. If a buyer needs to overcome some obstacle,
youll want to gure out a touch schedule that allows you to know what is going
on in the buyers life. It is always good to ask a prospect how often you should stay
in touch and what method of communication the prospect prefers. In addition, ask
for permission to send follow-up information. Doing so puts the prospect in the
mindset of looking forward to receiving things from you.

Truth
Frequent touches say that you care.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Customized 8 x 8 Plan for Prospective Buyers


Date

Description of Touch
1. Send a thank-you note with marketing materials and your
business card.
2. Put the buyer on a Buyer Instant Notication System.
3. Make a phone call to get feedback on property descriptions and
inquire about loan preapproval (if appropriate).
4. Send market statistics:
Market condition
Number of homes on the market
Average days on market
Price per square foot
List price to sale price ratio
5. Make a phone call to see if you can assist in narrowing the home
search.
6. Send any of the following items:
Mortgage information
Interest rate information
House maintenance or real estate investment tip
Newsletter
Item of value (calendar, refrigerator magnet, pen, etc.)
Spotlight new listing
Information on news or changes in the community
Information on the home-buying process
7. Send another item from the list above.
8. Make a phone call to see if buyers needs or time frame have
changed. If the buyer is not ready to buy yet, start a new action
plan that is appropriate for the time frame.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Touch 1: Thank-You Note


It is a good idea to send a thank-you note and marketing materials as soon as you
have contact information. This demonstrates your professionalism and reduces the
likelihood of the prospect deciding to work with another real estate agent before
meeting with you. Include a couple of business cards with anything you mail.

The Keller Williams intranet has ProManage marketing materials such as the piece
shown here. It is a quick and easy way to take advantage of professionally designed
brochures.
Touch 2: Buyer Instant Notification System
If the prospect is not already getting notications from you about properties as
they come on the market, you should enter the prospect into a BINS. Doing so
demonstrates your value and can work toward developing client loyalty. You can
have buyers go to your website and enter their home search criteria. Alternatively,
when you know what the buyers are seeking, you can enter information to set them
up for notication as properties are listed in the MLS.

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Touch 3: Phone Call


Hi, buyers name, this is your name with Keller Williams Realty. I hope Im not
catching you at a bad time.
If its a bad time
Oh, Im sorry. Is there a better time for me to call, perhaps tonight or another time?
Id like to nd out what you think about the information that I sent.
or
Oh, Im sorry. Ill be brief then. (Gary Kellers script)
If its a good time
Okay, great! The reason Im calling is because I really care about you (and other
buyers name) so I want to touch base and nd out what you think about the
information that I sent. Can you tell me what you like and dislike about the
properties? [Repeat what the buyer responds and let the buyer know how that will
rene future searching.]
If buyer has positive reaction to any property
Are you ready to come to the oce for a consultation where I can ask in-depth
questions to really understand what you are looking for, then go out to look at
houses?
If buyer has not looked at the information
When youve had a chance to review the properties, Id like to get your reaction so
I know how to rene our search in order to nd the choices that best meet your
needs. When is a good time for me to call back?
If the buyer hasnt been preapproved for a mortgage loan
Buyers name, I also wanted to nd out where you stand on getting preapproved
for a loan. [Oer to do anything you can to help the buyer move forward. You can oer
to do a prequalication on the phone, in which case you can use the Buyer Financial
Questionnaire on the ToolKit CD.]
Touch 4: Market Statistics
Market statistics are what you put in your CMA. If you hold a buyer consultation
soon, youll present this information at the meeting. If you dont meet soon, you
can send this information as a demonstration of the value you add to the home
search process.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Touch 5: Phone Call


Hi, buyers name, this is your name with Keller Williams Realty. Am I catching you
at a good time? Buyers name, the reason Im calling is to touch base and nd out
if there is anything I can do to help you focus your home search. If there are any
barriers preventing the buyer from moving forward, you should inquire about progress
on those issues. For example, if the buyer needs to sell an existing house and has it listed
with another agent, you could ask about activity related to selling the house. Remember,
always try to close for an appointment to come to your oce for a consultation.
Touch 6: Item of Value
Send useful information related to buying a home.
Touch 7: Item of Value
Send a dierent item related to buying a home.
Touch 8: Phone Call
Hi, buyers name, this is your name with Keller Williams Realty. I hope Im not
catching you at a bad time. Buyers name, the reason Im calling is to touch base and
nd out if your needs or time frame have changed.
Try to close for an appointment to come to your oce for a consultation.

ast year Mike Mendoza found that he had 300 cold leads
email registrations from his websites. His dedicated Leads Guy
entered these 300 leads in their Web-based lead follow-up tool.
Because of the follow-up communication, about fty people actually signed
up to search for homes.
Its worthwhile to look for your leads that have fallen by the
wayside. When you have a systematic lead follow-up plan, it is
easy to reconnect with people. Follow-up can generate sales!

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Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Get Started Marketing with ProManage


To manage a large number of leads, you need a contact management system such
as the ProManage version of TOP PRODUCER 8i. ProManage has an 8 x 8 Plan
customized for prospective buyers.
1. Activate a ProManage/TOP PRODUCER 8i account
2. Find the ProManage Action Plans
From the Marketing menu, click on the Email Library. Then click Show
Category on right. Action Plans can be found under Calendar, Plans
Manager.
3. Launch an Action Plan
From the contact record, select Activities Action Plan, and the Select Plan.
Select the Action Plan, enter the start date and click save. Click on .kw8x8
Buyer Prospect, or .kw8x8 Buyer Prospect Spanish. Or, if you are interested
in servicing Internet leads, select .KW Internet Lead Follow-up: Buyer 1
Year Email The Right Move. This plan will allow you to send materials for
an entire year on a schedule you can preselect and customize.
4. Send a Mass Email
From the Contacts Menu, search for Contacts. Enter your search criteria
and click Search. Click Select All and then Mass Update. Select the email
category and template and then click Use This Template. If necessary,
edit the group message and select Next. To view or edit individual email
messages, select Next or Previous. Clicking Send will send individual emails
to each recipient. Copies of email messages are saved in the contact history
of each recipient.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

My Action Plan
Dont put away this training guide without developing a plan to put what you have
learned into action! Review the key challenges listed below and assess your current
ability to meet each challenge on a scale of 15.
1 = I have no experience with this.
2 = I am not very good at this.
3 = I am pretty good at this.
4 = I am condent with this.
5 = I am an expert at this.
For any rating of 3 or below, write down the action steps you will take to increase
your understanding, build your skills, develop your condence, see greater results,
and take home more money! Be sure you prioritize your actions. Keep in mind that
the dollar-productive activities are the ones you want to perfect before any others.

Challenge

Rating

1. I am familiar with the three main


sources of contact: telephone, internet,
and in-person, and I have capture
techniques for each.
2. I have registration forms on my website
to capture contact information from my
visitors.
3. My number one goal when cultivating
prospects is to set an appointment for
the buyer consultation in the oce.
4. When cultivating leads on the phone,
I try to nd commonalities, discover
their behavioral style, and start to build
rapport. I ask about motivation and
how far advanced the person is in the
search process.
5. I keep lead sheets handy for every call. I
maintain a conversational tone, explain
benets, and use assumptive closes.

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Action Steps

Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Challenge

Rating

Action Steps

6. When working with rst-time buyers, I


take a slower approach, and am careful
to give full explanations.
7. When working with out-of-town
buyers, I use a dedicated lead sheet and
tailored scripts.
8. I study behavioral styles based on my
understanding of the DISC, and I adapt
my communication style accordingly.
9. I close purposefully for the
appointment, and I always try to close
early and often.
10. I cultivate prospects who are not ready
to close by putting them on an 8 x 8
action plan.

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Additional Resources
Further Reading
SHIFT: How Top Agents Tackle Tough Times, Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, and Jay
Papasan
Fierce Conversations, Susan Scott
How to Master the Art of Selling, Tom Hopkins
Permission Marketing, Seth Godin
The SPEED of Trust, Stephen Covey

Accountability Tools
MAPS Coaching Programs

52

The Language of Sales


Powerful Scripts and Dialogues

v1.1 2008 Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Next Up
Your Progress
Introduction
Step 1: Leads to Appointments
Step 2: Prepare for the Buyer Consultation
Step 3: Buyer Consultation

Read
this
next!

Step 4: Finding a Home


Step 5: Oer and Negotiate the Contract
Steps 6 and 7: Contract to Close and Postclose Systems
Putting Mastery to Work

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Buyer Mastery Guides

Appendix
Over the following pages, you will nd the four lead sheets referred to in this guide.
These sheets are photocopiable, and you can personalize them by downloading
them from the Toolkit CD.
1. In-Town Buyer Lead Sheet
2. In-Town Buyer Lead Sheet with prompts
3. Out-of-Town Buyer Lead Sheet
4. Out-of-Town Buyer Lead Sheet with prompts

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In-Town Buyer Lead Sheet

Date: _____________________
Lead Source/Property that prompted call:____________________________________________________

CONTACT INFO
Name
Email
Street Address

Children (names/ages)

Home Phone
Work Phone
Best way to get in touch

Cell Phone
Fax
Best times

Buyer Consultation Prequalification Questions


1. Has an agent taken you out and shown you any properties? Yes No

If yes: Hows that going?

2. Is anyone else buying the house with you?


3. Who will be living in your home?
4. How long have you been looking for a home?
Have you seen anything that you like? Yes No

If yes: Tell me about it.

What prevented you from purchasing it?


5. Im just curious, why are you moving?
6. Are you renting or do you own the place where you are living now? Rent Own (circle one)
Renter: Do you know when your lease is up?
Owner: Do you need to sell your current home before you buy your next home? Yes No
If yes: Have you signed a listing agreement with a real estate agent to sell your home? Yes No
If no: When would be a good time for us to get together so I can give you a free market
analysis on your home?
7. Are you going to be paying cash or will you be getting a mortgage for the purchase of your home?
Cash Mortgage (circle one)

Mortgage: Have you already been preapproved by a lender?


If yes: Who are you working with?
What is the amount you are preapproved for?
What will your down payment be?
If you want to recommend a lender: I have three trusted lenders who always provide top
quality service. They often help buyers save money either on a monthly basis or on initial
costs. Would you like their contact information?
If not preapproved: One of the first things home buyers need to do is get preapproved
financially. I have three trusted lenders who always provide top quality service. They often
help buyers save money either on a monthly basis or on initial costs. Would you like their
contact information?
8. What price range do you feel comfortable with?

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In-Town Buyer Lead Sheet

Date: _____________________

Lead Source: ___________________________________________

CONTACT INFO
Name
Email
Current Address

Children (names/ages)

Home Phone
Work Phone
Best way to get in touch

Cell Phone
Fax
Best times

Buyer Consultation Prequalification Questions


1. Already working with a buyers agent? _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Is this a single purchaser? Yes No If no, who else? ___________________________________
3. People who will live in the house __________________________________________________
4. Length of time looking for a home _____________ See anything good? Yes No
If yes, description _______________________
If no, why not?
_________________________________________
____________________________________
Reason for not purchasing _________________
_________________________________
_____________________________________
_________________________________
5. Reason for move _____________________________________________________________
6. Current situation: rent or own? (circle one)
Renter: When is lease up?
Owner: Need to sell existing home? Yes No
______________________________
If yes, working with a listing agent? Yes No
If yes, who? ________________________________
Date/time for listing consultation _________________
7. Method of financing: cash or mortgage
Mortgage: Preapproved by a lender? Yes No
Preapproved: Lenders name __________________________ Phone: _______________
Mortgage amount __________________ Down payment amount _________________
Recommend lenders? Yes No If yes, who? ___________________________________
8. Preferred price range _____________________
9. Names and relationship of others involved in the home buying decision ____________________
_________________________________________________________________________
10. Level of motivation to buy: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Anything less than 10: What would it take to become a 10? ____________________________
When do you need to be in your new home? ______________________________________
10. Appointment date and time:_____________________________________________________
Other information _______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Need for confidentiality ___________________________________________________________
Behavioral style: D

56

v1.1 2008 Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Step 1 - Leads to Appointments

Out-of-Town Buyer Lead Sheet


Date: _____________________

Lead Source: ___________________________________________

CONTACT INFO
Name
Email
Street Address

Children (names/ages)

Home Phone
Work Phone
Best way to get in touch

Cell Phone
Fax
Best times

Buyer Consultation Prequalification Questions


1. Already working with a buyers agent?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Is this a single purchaser? Yes No If no, who else?
3. People who will live in the house
4. Reason for the move
Job transfer: Relocation company involved?
5. Started looking for a home? Yes No If yes, see anything good? Yes No
If yes, description _____________________ If no, why not?
___________________________________
Reason for not purchasing _______________
___________________________________
6. Date of move ______________________ Moving into new home upon arrival? Yes No Maybe
No or Maybe: Need transitional housing?
7. Current situation: rent or own? (circle one) Own: Need to sell existing house in order to buy? Yes No
If yes, where? ________________________ Have a listing agent? Yes No
If yes to have an agent, who? ____________________________ Phone:
Recommend listing agent? Yes No If yes, who
8. Method of financing: cash or mortgage
Mortgage: Preapproved by a lender? Yes No
Preapproved: Lenders name ___________________________ Phone
Down payment amount
Mortgage amount
Recommend lenders? Yes No If yes, who?
9. Preferred price range ________________________
10. Date of trip to look for property_____________________
11. Level of urgency to buy: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Anything less than 10: What would it take to become a 10?
12. Appointment date and time:
Other information
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Need for confidentiality
Behavioral style: D

v1.1 2008 Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

57

Buyer Mastery Guides

Out-of-Town Buyer Lead Sheet


Date: _____________________

Lead Source: ___________________________________________

CONTACT INFO
Name
Email
Street Address

Children (names/ages)

Home Phone
Work Phone
Best way to get in touch

Cell Phone
Fax
Best times

Buyer Consultation Prequalification Questions


1. Already working with a buyers agent?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Is this a single purchaser? Yes No If no, who else?
3. People who will live in the house
4. Reason for the move
Job transfer: Relocation company involved?
5. Started looking for a home? Yes No If yes, see anything good? Yes No
If yes, description _____________________ If no, why not?
___________________________________
Reason for not purchasing _______________
___________________________________
6. Date of move ______________________ Moving into new home upon arrival? Yes No Maybe
No or Maybe: Need transitional housing?
7. Current situation: rent or own? (circle one) Own: Need to sell existing house in order to buy? Yes No
If yes, where? ________________________ Have a listing agent? Yes No
If yes to have an agent, who? ____________________________ Phone:
Recommend listing agent? Yes No If yes, who
8. Method of financing: cash or mortgage
Mortgage: Preapproved by a lender? Yes No
Preapproved: Lenders name ___________________________ Phone
Down payment amount
Mortgage amount
Recommend lenders? Yes No If yes, who?
9. Preferred price range ________________________
10. Date of trip to look for property_____________________
11. Level of urgency to buy: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Anything less than 10: What would it take to become a 10?
12. Appointment date and time:
Other information
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Need for confidentiality
Behavioral style: D

58

v1.1 2008 Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

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