Are you asking the right questions? Or, rather, are you asking questions right?
We all know the old adage, “Buyers are Liars”. But, of course, we don’t really think our buyers are liars. What we mean by this is that our buyers very often don’t know what they really want. And if they don’t understand what their goals and preferences are, they certainly are not able to communicate those to you.
We have all spent months, maybe even years, working with buyers who are confused, wishy-washy, fickle, all over the map in terms of what they want in a home. We take them to see everything that fits their rather wide and general criteria for a home and yet nothing ever seems to exactly fit the bill for them.
With a little bit of work, and the “right” questions, you can quickly help your “lying buyers” clarify their goals.
Clarify, here, is the key word. Ask questions to gently push your clients to stop and examine what exactly it is they are looking for.
“We really want a home that is conveniently located in town.”
Well, to you, “convenient” might mean within walking distance of your office. To another it could mean close to a grocery store, or a short drive to a child’s school, or a neighborhood where parking is not a problem. We all have our own definitions of convenient, and, for that matter, most every other aspect of a home…light…space…level of renovation…and so on. So, why not ask your client to give you their definition the next time they throw out what they are looking for in a home. Chances are they haven’t really given sufficient thought to it and your questions might help them do so.
“What do you mean when you say, “convenient”?”
“What does spacious mean for you?”
“When you say you want a home with plenty of light, describe to me what that looks like for you.”
It’s easy. You just need to be asking the questions the right way, to get the right answers.
