Last month, 32% of all transactions closed involved a cash buyer. If you stack up a cash buyer against a finance buyer, as a seller, which one would you prefer? Probably a cash buyer.

Financing has hurdles: the buyer has to qualify, the home has to qualify, there's appraisal and underwriting approval. So, if I had the choice, I would probably want to take a cash buyer.

But how do we incentivize this?

Most agents aren't having this conversation with sellers. Would you like to incentivize cash buyers to make offers on your house? Why? Because with a cash buyer, you're not dealing with qualification issues, low appraisals, or underwriting roadblocks. We can remove contingencies faster with a cash offer, which means we can speed up closing generally faster than with a finance buyer.

To incentivize those offers, you might consider giving a cash discount. What would you give? Maybe a 1% or 2% discount off the price. Let's be honest, with a financed offer, the buyer often asks for closing...

Hey folks, did you know 23% of homeowners in the US are planning to sell their homes within three years?

That's a massive pool of potential listings right in your community.

How can you tap into this "shadow inventory"? Well, here's a winning strategy: a personalized letter campaign.

You're already farming neighborhoods, right? So send out letters, but make them different this time. Start with a simple question: "Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner, is this the last home you'll ever own?"

It's a magic question because regardless of age, people always think there's another move ahead.

Then, explain that some of your clients aren't keen on listing publicly but would entertain offers from qualified buyers. Offer to chat if they're in that boat. Include your contact info, and keep it straightforward.

This approach will resonate with many homeowners who aren't ready for the market but would consider a strong offer. You'll start receiving calls, so funnel them into your drip campaign. Build that...

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...

Hey, team, you're on prospecting calls today—reaching out to expired listings or for sale by owners, maybe marketing in a neighborhood. What if no one picks up? Do you leave a voicemail?

Before that, try this trick:

Hang up and call the same number quickly, twice. Imagine being on the other side—seeing a missed call, then the same number calling back. You're more likely to pick up.

Now, they still don't answer. It goes to voicemail. Should you leave a voicemail as a salesperson? Absolutely. The chances of circling back and calling again are low. Keep the message concise and to the point.

For an expired listing, I might say, "Hey, I'm Jim. Your property delisted today. Wondering if you're interviewing other agents. I have a 25-point marketing plan that works. Just sold a house nearby, 25 days, 5% over list price. Let's talk."

For a for sale by owner, a simple approach: "I'm J Man with ABC Real Estate. Saw your ad on Craigslist. Can I do a video of your property for...

Here’s a quick and easy technique when you're talking to investment property owners:

So, you're out there doing lead generation, looking for investment properties like duplexes, triplexes, or RV parks. Often, when you ask owners if they've considered selling, the answer is a flat-out no, right? Happens a lot. But here's the game-changer: ask them why they're holding onto the property.

"Why are you holding onto this property?"

Give them a moment to think, and their response might be about it being a good investment or passing it on to their kids. Respond with understanding, acknowledging the value of holding onto good investments.

Then, drop the bomb: ask if they know their current rate of return.

Offer an income analysis sheet to calculate their cap rate and return on investment.

Now, here's the kicker – if you can beat their current rate of return, would they consider moving their money to something even more profitable?...

Folks, let's retire the F word - follow-up.

You know how often you've had salespeople call you saying, "I'm just following up" or "I'm just checking in." It's not the best approach. It sets the tone of being an annoying salesperson, and we don't want that. We should aim higher and see our services as valuable.

Instead of using "follow up" or "checking in," try these alternatives:

Start with, "As promised, I'm calling you because I have that listing you asked about."

Or say, "I was thinking about you today because something interesting came across my desk."

Or perhaps, "I'd love to get your opinion on a strategy I have for maximizing your home's value. I know you're not ready now, but it'll work anytime."

Another option is, "I had a little time between appointments, and I thought I'd give you a quick call. I only have about five minutes, but I wanted to ask you something." This way, they know it won't be a lengthy call.

...

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...

I wanna give you two questions you should ask every buyer to test whether they're actually ready and willing to move forward in the process.

Your time is your most valuable asset. You don't wanna be spending it with people that are not ready to pull the trigger. So one question you can ask is this:

“Hey, you know what? The way I work is very low key. I never wanna pressure anyone. But I do have a quick question for you: If we find you the right house, the one that really clicks all the boxes for you, is there anything holding you back from moving forward?”

Now, that's a great kind of pre-close question that you can ask in advance before you go out and start looking at homes.

And here's another one:

“One question I ask everybody I start working with before we start looking at homes is, what's your biggest hesitation? What's your biggest fear about this home buying process? I wanna make sure I...

Hey guys, what if I told you that today may be a better time to sell your home than even last year when rates were 4%?

Let me give you the data (and a script you can use):

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“According to the National Association of REALTORS, home prices are now only $4,000 away from their all time high last June, and we are at 11% less inventory than we were at that time.

The other great thing that is happening in this market is that sellers are now back to getting 100% of our asking price on average in our market. And get this: 37% of sellers are selling for over full price.

So this is a market that is a great market for sellers in most price bands. If you're thinking about selling, I'd love to chat with you. I'd love to have you send me a text or a quick call.

Let's talk about what it might look like for you to put your home on the market.”

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That's the script I want you to use. That's the script I want you to put out because...