Get it in Writing
Ask yourself what you do on the first appointment that impresses the rental prospect. If the answer is “I don’t know” or “Not much” you need to remedy the situation: Put it in writing. Every successful business gives new potential customers or clients “written information of value” designed to impress and inform the individual about the product and or service being offered.
Is real estate any different? Not really. Think about the sales agent giving the owner of an expensive house an exclusive presentation. Of course they will show up for the appointment with the best written exclusive presentation package possible using all their company resources and anything else they can come up with. Agents know how important it is to impress and “sell” the owner on how good they are and what a tremendous job they will do for them. Good agents working with buyers will also give the people written information that will educate about the process along with floor plans, pricing information, reference letters and information that gives the agent and their company credibility.
Put it in writing
What do agents give to a rental prospect on the initial appointment? In my experience the answer shamefully is nothing in most cases. The exception being “Relocation Agents”, “relo” agents are usually more professional than the average rental agent and virtually every one of them are trained to give potential renters a thorough and professional “relocation package”. This is one of the reasons that “relo” agents have the highest closing or success ratios in the business.
I have been training rental agents to give prospects a “written take away piece” for years. The package should be very much like a relocation package that includes information on the process of renting, neighborhood information, the agent’s bio and track record, information that gives their company credibility, personal reference letters, floor plans, etc. Why don’t most agents follow through? The answer sadly is that they don’t think it is worth doing because the rental commission isn’t big enough.
I believe that if you want to make a professional’s income you should do the things that a professional does. Start treating everyone you do business with like you would the seller of a multi-million dollar property regardless of budget and your career will sky rocket!
About Greg Young
Greg Young is the owner and President of Broker Heaven NY, a real estate training and consulting firm located in Manhattan devoted to helping agents and companies reach their full potential. Greg has trained thousands of agents over his 30 year career and has created numerous rental and sales training programs.