Sam's Blog

• Constant communication is the #1 component.
• Send nice hand-written follow-up notes and thank you cards.
• Keep your car clean and organized for them.
• Always pick up their calls, unless talking to other clients!
• Return their missed call ASAP & always explain why missed.
• Find out what they like to drink/eat and always have handy.
• Give them daily or weekly updates, depending on their status.
• Be an expert on your business so reassure them they are okay.
• Know the best schools and get to know all of the principals.
• Do things for them over what is expected.  The 'WOW' factor!
• Give little gifts to show you were thinking of them while away.

Above everything, give them your undivided attention and listen to them!   For sellers, take time to learn as much about the house and their memories that they had in it.  Get to their emotional attachment so they feel really good about your working with you by explaining that you are going to make sure the buyers know about how special this house really is.  Remember that a house is called "the most animate, inanimate object" and this is so true.  

Finally, remember that by spending extra money and effort with EXISTING customers, they are going to be PROMOTING YOU to their family and friends.  Since their sphere of influence knows they are buying or selling a house, the topic of "How do you like your REALTOR?" will often come up and the better your treat them, the better their reply to their question will be!!!   Do some brainstorming on your own and come up with a formula to create a high-touch image and you are going to do EXTREMLY WELL in this business.   And, if you will include me in your strategy, I'll do the following for you:

• Make sure I answer your calls & their calls as much as possible.
• I'll call right back if can't pick-up calls & I'll explain why missed.
• Promote you as a great choice in real estate. (We are a Team!)
• Work them the best scenario that I can for their budget needs.
• Give them great advice if un-approvable at this time.
• Treat them like family!
• Make sure their loan closes as smoothly as possible.
• Work with my processor to make sure everybody is well-informed throughout the process and I will jump in if needed to help out as much as I can.

I am very appreciative of your business and aim to always give you 'high-touch' treatment because YOU are royalty to me!

Sam Thompson, PHH Mortgage Advisor

Sam Thompson,  PHH Mortgage Advisor - Helping you GROW your business!

www.activerain.com./luckydog1 - SC

www.activerain.com/luckydog2 - NC

http://samthompson.phhmortgage.com/

www.myphhmortgageadvisor.com/

Great Pinehurst Links:

Pinehurst Real Estate  - http://www.pinehurstrealestatenc.com/

Pinehurst Luxury Homes  - http://www.pinehurstluxuryhomesnc.com/

North Carolina Horse Farms  - http://www.southernpineshorsefarmsnc.com/

Fort Bragg Real Estate  - http://www.fortbragghomesnc.com/

Dr. Chester L. Karrass, world-renowned authority on the negotiation, talks about the power of legitimacy that removes you from being the "bad guy".  This powerful technique can save you a lot of time and money in real estate too!

Here's how!

You get a call and the prospective buyer on the other end who wants to look at a property that is 25 miles away.  You have a great conversation and things are progressing nicely in getting to know them etc.  But, you are smart enough to know that they may not be pre-approvable and you are not interested in spending 1.5 hours showing them the property unless you know for sure.  But, you do not want to ask them if they will let you get them pre-approved first, so...

Using this technique is the answer!  Just ask:

Will you be paying cash or have you already been pre-approved for a mortgage?  If no to cash then:

"Okay, well my procedure requires that prospective buyers have to be pre-approved first before seeing any houses unless they are paying cash!" 

Then you can give me a call and I'll do that for you in 20 minutes so very little time is wasted and then everyone is better informed.  Just make this your personal guideline that you set for every house you show.  By doing this, you are not the bad guy, it's "that policy" that is the bad guy!!  Just don't tell them that it's your personal policy that you set for yourself because you have been burned many times!

The power of legitimacy is no different than the clerks at a retail store charging you $25 for a toy.  It's not them; it the established price for that item that takes them out of the negotiation for the sale.

USE THIS TECHNIQUE TO GET THEM PRE-APPROVED SO YOU WILL NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND GAS WITHOUT CHALLENGING THEIR FINANCIBILITY!

And remember that it's in your best interest AND theirs to get pre-approved first because if they see the house and find out later that they can get approved but the payments are twice what they are comfortable with, then they'll probably lose interest in continuing to look in their real price range!!  Yikes!! 

GET THEM PRE-APPROVED FIRST.   I'LL HELP YOU DO THIS FAST!

Sam Thompson, PHH Mortgage, Senior Mortgage Advisor

843-230-7929

Great Links:

Pinehurst Real Estate  - www.pinehurstrealestatenc.com

Pinehurst Luxury Homes  - www.pinehurstluxuryhomesnc.com

North Carolina Horse Farms  - www.southernpineshorsefarmsnc.com

Fort Bragg Real Estate  - www.fortbragghomesnc.com

Great Pinehurst Links:

Pinehurst Real Estate  - www.pinehurstrealestatenc.com

Pinehurst Luxury Homes  - www.pinehurstluxuryhomesnc.com

North Carolina Horse Farms  - www.southernpineshorsefarmsnc.com

Fort Bragg Real Estate  - www.fortbragghomesnc.com

A little rocket scientist humor for you!

With the tightening of the mortgage industry and slow-down in the real estate market, now's the time to start implementing stronger communication skills, if you don't already do this!

How's the time to start setting strong expectations with every call instead of being vague or passive.  Otherwise, your requests are not getting your clients or prospects highest priority in their busy and hectic lives even if you are trying to help them find or sell their house!

You can BE AGGRESSIVE while being nice when communicating, it's all in setting expectations as shown below:

 These requests are not as effective:

• Call me when you are ready to look at houses.
• Get those papers back as soon as you can.
• Call me next week sometime to go over the offer.
• When do you want to get together to start looking at houses?
• I have been trying to reach you.  Call me when you can!

These give them pointed expectations and helps them set their priorities better:

• Call me before 3PM so we can discuss our meeting.
• The house you like is getting a lot of attention and we need to make an offer today if you are still interested.  Call me as soon as you get this message so I can help you. 
• We need your papers back by 4PM today. 
• What time do you get off work?  Okay, if you go to the bank as soon as you leave, you can get this signed and faxed back to me by 4:30 so we can clear this.  Can you do this?
• We need to go over your offer ASAP.  Call me as soon as you get this message.  If I have not heard back from you by 12 noon, we might be lose this deal. 
• I need for you to stop what you are doing and get the check stub to me before you leave this afternoon.  Unless we get this by 7PM, we are jeopardizing your closing.

I hope that you can see how the more direct approach can really help you and us in getting your buyers closed.

Sam Thompson, Senior Mortgage Advisor, PHH Mortgage

843-230-7929

Great Pinehurst Links:

Pinehurst Real Estate  - www.pinehurstrealestatenc.com

Pinehurst Luxury Homes  - www.pinehurstluxuryhomesnc.com

North Carolina Horse Farms  - www.southernpineshorsefarmsnc.com

Fort Bragg Real Estate  - www.fortbragghomesnc.com