A question you should ask every seller when you’re about to list a property is: "Do you have an FHA, USDA, or VA loan?"

These loans are often assumable, making the property highly valuable. If they have an interest rate below 5%, the house can fetch a premium price.

For example, if current interest rates are at 7% and a buyer can assume a 4.5% loan, it's a fantastic opportunity. There are some caveats, though. Be cautious about locking up veterans' benefits, preventing them from using those benefits elsewhere. If the seller is retiring or doesn't plan to own another home, they might be okay with someone assuming their loan.

For USDA and FHA loans, the buyer must qualify. They can't be a deadbeat; they need to qualify for the loan. Most buyers in a position to assume these low-interest loans will be thrilled, and your sellers can get a premium price.

Start asking sellers, "Do you have an FHA, USDA, or VA loan, and would you be okay with it being assumed?" There are many...

Question:

Let's say you have a seller that says, “Jim, I watched the news this weekend, and I understand that I don't have to pay a buyer's rep.”

What will be your response to that?

Now, if you get that, I would say that they’re right, and they really haven't had to do that for years. The only difference is that the buyer rep fee is not going to show up in the MLS as of July.

But should you choose not to pay a buyer's rep?

Here's my personal thought on this:

When you offer to pay a buyer's rep, what happens is you’re going to attract more showings and thereby get more offers and more exposure for your property because there's not many buyers that have the money to write a check at closing to their buyer's rep.

So when a seller says they’re not going to pay it, a lot of times they're just going to eliminate that house from consideration. They'll just go look at the houses where the buyer's rep is being paid.

Now, if they choose not to pay a buyer's...

The NAR settlement, which will happen in mid-July (but you’ll start seeing this already): You're going to see a rise of unrepresented buyers.

These will be buyers knocking on your door as a listing agent and saying they’re unrepresented and that they want to make an offer on your listing.

Are you going to, as the listing agent, treat them the same as if they're represented? Or are you going to treat them differently?

Well, I just saw a top agent that did an internal study with his team and found…

70% of the deals that came from unrepresented buyers in his market failed.

So think about that, and I believe that to be true because they just don't have somebody walking them through the process. When you’re sitting with your seller, you need to have an unrepresented buyer conversation going forward. And here's what that conversation might look like:
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“Mr. And Mrs. Seller, there's been some changes with the way that we're selling real estate based on an...

Hey guys, let's talk about asking for generosity from your clients, specifically in the form of referrals.

I'm going to share two or three strategies that should feel natural to you because referrals are the number one way to generate business.

Remember, when people are going through a transaction, there's a four times greater likelihood they'll refer you because it's a natural part of the conversation.

So here's the deal: you've got to train them, you've got to coach them.

Try this scripting: "Now that you're buying or selling, I'm sure some of your friends are going to be jealous. If you run into somebody who wants to follow your lead, I'd love the opportunity to work with them." Simple, right? It doesn't sound salesy; it sounds natural.

Another approach: "Now that you're selling, I'm sure a few of your friends and family will be jealous. If they want to follow your lead, I'd appreciate your referral. I like working with people like you." It's about leveraging their network in a...

For the last three months, rents have been on decline, and that's kind of a shock. We saw rents skyrocket during covid, but now there's pressure coming into the market.

Two things have happened:

First, people are starting to come back into buying houses again, so they're leaving their rental units to buy houses, a small trickle there. Another big part is the fact that 500,000+ new units across the country were built and came online last year, and 400,000+ are coming online this.

So what's the opportunity for us as REALTORS?

Well, one opportunity is to target mom and pop investors in your local market. These are people that might own two to 10 units in your market. They're not major industrial investors, but they'll be impacted by higher vacancy rates and decreasing rents. Some of these folks bought and they stretched themselves to afford it, and if they have a couple of months of vacancy, they could really get hurt.

Still, it's a strong market and there are still investors acquiring...

Hey, team, got two game-changing ideas for your upcoming Comparative Market Analysis (CMA). As you gear up for the next week or two, consider adding these to your arsenal.

Number one: Identify the strongest competitor and share this insight with the seller. During the CMA, explain, "Mr. and Mrs. Seller, we're diving into a CMA, much like an appraisal. Analyzing three sold properties, three active ones, and three that didn't sell. My suggested price is based on this, but I want to highlight a key competitor. This is the one we need to go head-to-head with. Buyers are likely considering these two listings, so let's be super competitive."

Number two: Distinguish between an as-is price and an improved price, especially for properties needing a bit of work. Frame it this way, "Like an appraisal, we can provide an as-is or an improved price. If we list it as-is, aggressively priced to sell, we're looking at this range. However, if you invest in a few improvements, I've got great...

I want to help you become the go-to expert in your market.

You should aim to be seen as the trusted authority that people turn to with their real estate questions. To achieve this, you need to consistently share information and content about the real estate market.

Let me share an example of a script I recently created for our agents in our coaching program. This script focuses on national market statistics that you might find valuable:

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First, let's talk about inflation. You may have heard that inflation has recently risen to 3.7%. One common question I receive is, "How does this affect the real estate market?"

Well, the most significant impact has been on mortgage rates. Mortgage rates have climbed to the mid-sevens, almost hitting 8%. This has caused some potential buyers to hesitate. However, there is some good news:

Surprisingly, we are still selling approximately 91% of the number of homes we sold...

During a crisis, my go-to strategy is digging for details. The more I ask questions and dive in, the better the chances of finding a resolution for all parties involved.

It's about reaching a middle ground, not a perfect solution where everyone feels like a winner. Conflict requires compromise.

So, how do I dig for details? Let me share five or six strategies for engaging in productive conversations.

1. I encourage people to open up to me.

I ask them to elaborate on what's happening and why they feel the way they do. I want to draw out their thoughts and emotions. Sometimes, my goal is to help them release their emotional tension. By talking it out, they become more amenable to reaching a resolution.

2. I clarify by asking for more context.

When things are unclear, I dig deeper. I rephrase questions if necessary. Lawyers excel at this skill.

3. The third approach is normalizing.

I let them know they're not...

I recently learned a powerful technique from a top real estate agent:

It involves using specific language to handle objections.

Here's what I mean:

Instead of responding with "yes, but," I want you to rephrase it as "yes, and."

This simple shift can have a profound impact on your client interactions. For example, if a client tells you they want to hire a different agent, instead of saying "yes, but," try saying "yes, and I appreciate your honesty. I'm curious to understand your reasons for making that decision."

The magic of this approach is that it changes the dynamic and encourages open dialogue.

When a client expresses dissatisfaction with a property, rather than responding with "yes, but," respond with "yes, and."

Let's say that they think the house doesn't have a big enough backyard. You can say: "yes, and I understand your concern. On the other hand, there's a lovely park in the neighborhood that might...

Did you know that one in seven US home investors lost money on their investment in March?

While I don't feel too bad for them, it's worth noting that profits are down for flippers and investors in the marketplace. And the reason for this is simple: holding costs are higher, interest rates have increased, and there's less inventory to choose from. So when a property that meets their criteria does come on the market, there's higher competition for it.

But as a REALTOR, you can help investors and be the person they turn to.

Let me share my personal experience:

Twice this week, I had different agents representing buyers call me. Their approach was interesting. They said, "Hey Jim, I noticed you recently purchased some real estate investment property. I have an investor myself who's looking to buy something. Do you have anything that you're holding that you'd be willing to sell now that you've bought some other...