fbpx

The Secret To Selling “Problem” Listings

By Stan Barron, REALTOR® and Contributing Editor - Posted on
Don’t forget to leave us your comments at the bottom after you’re done reading this article…

Last Updated on April 7, 2017

The bedrock of all sales training is dead wrong! Agents are pressured by management — and many sales trainers — with the idea that we must ALWAYS project “positive” messages. One agent approached me after my speaking session.  Naturally, he was skeptical about my approach — selling homes using story ads and by telling the good, the bad, AND the “ugly” truth. He was struggling to sell a listing that was right up against a highway. What would most agents do? You guessed it — not mention it at all.  Or, worse, say it’s “conveniently located to the highway.”  This sets you up for failure because every potential buyers who walks up the driveway is disappointed before entering the house. But this agent was determined to give my different approach a try. He decided to write a listing promotion with the most in-elegant headline you could imagine: “Are you willing to accept some traffic noise in return for the best views in Golden, Colorado”? That is perfect execution.  He blurted it out right up front, and he hinted at the promise of an offsetting benefit — the view. Guess what happened? He sold the home in 7 days.  I got this email from him a few weeks ago… —————————- “I applied this to one of my listings and it sold within a week despite serious highway noise.  I wouldn’t have marketed it this way if I hadn’t learned this strategy.” Jim Smith, Broker/Owner Golden Real Estate, Inc. —————————- If you want to sell more of your “problem” listings, in less time… tell the truth.  Be brutally honest about the negative features of a listing and you will attract serious buyers who embrace everything the home has to offer (or who see a potential negative as a benefit). Breaking through the fear of scaring some people off is probably the one habit that holds most agents back throughout their careers.  Sacrifice selling homes to “everyone” and only target the person who will buy the home using this honest approach. If you want to learn more about my unique methods for selling listings faster then CLICK HERE to watch a free video presentation.

Have an idea you’d like to share or a comment?

Email us to share it with the Agent Inner Circle® community. Or…

Click Here To Leave A Comment

What did you think of this article?

Click here to leave a comment!
Interested in similar articles? Click here.

One thought on “The Secret To Selling “Problem” Listings”

  1. We have just listed a property that sits 40 feet from a railroad track – We’re going to try your idea.

    The ad will read:

    IF YOU LOVE TRAIN WHISTLES – You’ll love this Rental. Completely and newly renovated 3 bedroom, two full bath home with hugh loft master bedroom with walk-in closet. Laundry room. Private except for the train which comes by three times daily. The conductor always waves.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *