When speaking with those who have already listed their homes as “for sale by owner,” it is helpful to have a basic script to follow. Try using something like this. “Hello, I’m looking for Owner’s Name. As an area specialist, my goal is to know about the properties for sale in our city. Would you mind telling me a little bit about your property? Why are you selling? When the property sells, where are you moving to? How did you choose that area? How soon do you need to be there?” This first set of questions is your intro to getting the listing. Get the basic information about the property and the seller’s plans, then move on to the next set of questions.

 

“Are you working with an agent to find your next home? Do you need to sell this property first to close on the new one? Did you talk with other agents before putting home on market? How did you determine the price?” The answers to these questions will tell you more about the homeowner’s strategy and plans, as well as whether or not they have been working with other agents.

 

Move the conversation towards this stage: “With the number of homes on the market right now, what are you doing to market your home differently? How’s that working? If there was an advantage to using me to market your home more effectively, would you at least consider it? Why not meet for a few minutes so I can show you how I’ve been able to sell other homes like yours?” If the homeowner doesn’t agree to an appointment, ask if you can preview the property.

 

I hope you found the article useful.  Give me a call if you have any questions.