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How to Make the Shifting Real Estate Market Feel Normal

You may have experienced the pleasure of cashing real estate commission checks left and right during the 2020-2021 housing market. Now you find yourself earning little or no real estate income. Your customers are unwilling to buy or sell a house because of high home prices and interest rates. It's time to practice back-to-basics real estate strategies to help you convert your leads and generate the revenue you deserve.  

 

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Home buyers and sellers are stuck on a hamster wheel of 2020-2021 expectations: sub-3% mortgage rates, massive growth in housing prices, multiple offers, and bidding wars. As real estate agents, we must help our clients off the hamster wheel and set healthy expectations for the housing market in 2022-2023. When your leads understand the new normal in today's housing market, they'll have more to look forward to when buying or selling a house.

 

  • Erase pandemic thinking
  • Rethink housing affordability
  • Set healthy home buying & selling expectations

 

 

Re-Educate Clients

 

When you have real estate leads interested in buying or selling a house but are stuck in the 2020-2021 way of thinking, it's time to re-educate them on the current real estate market. Erase pandemic thinking with an honest and positive strategy that brings value to your clients and benefits you as a real estate professional.  

 

"73% of consumers and 87% of business customers expect to be delighted both before and after purchase." Adobe Business Report, Scale Your Marketing

 

Avoid cookie-cutter marketing that other agents may use, and instead, personalize your marketing strategy to engage and connect with more real estate leads. Make unique graphics for your blog or social media to grab their attention. Educate your clients on what to expect in their area, differentiating the local housing market from what they see on the national news, which may only apply to some. Local housing facts will provide great value and set the stage for a great customer experience moving forward. Consider the following examples as you nurture your home-buying real estate leads, gaining their respect and appreciation:

 

What can your client afford?

 

Explain how knowing how much of a house your client can afford (get pre-qualified) will make their home shopping experience easier. Demonstrate how getting pre-qualified for a home loan will help you show them the exact homes they can afford. Show your leads how far their money will go when buying a house now vs. in 2021. How can they stay within their monthly mortgage budget and buy a house big enough for their growing family? Answers to customer concerns will ease their mind and help them decide to buy now versus later.

 

Why do they want to buy a house?

 

You can be a more helpful real estate agent by being direct and asking your lead why they want to buy a house. Are they moving a parent in with them? Are they adopting a child and need more room and a safer neighborhood? Do they want to realize the American dream of owning a home and building equity? Get to the bottom of why they want to buy a house now, and you'll be able to understand better and serve them.

 

Can your customer get a break on the price of a home?

 

What can you do to ease their worries about housing prices in today's market? Is your client eligible for down payment assistance? Do they qualify for discounts for special populations (ex., nurses and firefighters) or a VA loan? Do they want to request the home seller pay for closing costs and buy down the interest rate to save more money? Also, discuss the likelihood of refinancing at a lower interest rate in the future. Opening up these questions and providing answers will reassure your client that they're making the right decision in today's housing market.

 

Will they be faced with a bidding war?

 

Ease the homebuyer's mind about competing with many buyers or getting involved in a bidding war when making an offer on a house. Demonstrate how today's market can work in favor of the buyer, giving them more negotiating power and including contingencies in the contract for the appraisal and inspection (unlike in 2020-2021). Let them know there will be less pressure to make an offer on the spot, and they may have days to consider buying a particular home. If they choose to wait for interest rates to drop, remind them that they may be faced with much more home-buying competition.

 

These home buyer topics are bound to come up when you work with clients. Feel free to ask your clients what they believe about housing prices and interest rates and hear what they have to say despite your thinking about the topics. If they want to wait to buy a house, it's essential to let them know that there will be a lot more competition as others choose to do the same. Be prepared to share what's happening in the local housing market to add value to your clients as the market changes.

 

How will you help your home-selling clients maximize their home's value in today's housing market?  

 

  • Offer to pay the buyer's closing costs
  • Offer to pay down the interest rate for buyers
  • Find down payment assistance options for buyers

 

As mentioned above, you can make the contract look more appealing to buyers by having the home sellers offer to pay for closing costs and pay down the interest rate. Adding a luxury perk to the contract, like a weekend at a bed-and-breakfast with complimentary spa services, might intrigue home buyers to sign the buy-sell agreement. If buyers are looking at two similar homes for sale and only one contract offers discounts, they're more likely to choose the one that will save them $100s or $1000s each year.

 

Share Advice from Industry Professionals

 

Whether you're sharing information in your blog, social media, email, or direct mailer, you can significantly impact your real estate leads if you share information from local industry professionals.  

 

  • Do you work with a local builder? What information could you share about new construction and lumber prices (are they dropping?)? Is there a new neighborhood development coming soon?

 

  • Interview a local mortgage broker to get their take on the current housing market and what they expect to see in 2023. In addition, share housing price and interest rate predictions from NAR, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Zelman, and others, to give your clients a broader perspective on home buying and selling.

 

Using the advice from industry experts will help you look more knowledgeable about the same information. Share industry advice with your clients to give them a broader perspective on what's happening in mortgage lending, construction, rates, etc.

 

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Nurture Your Real Estate Leads

 

With the market changing, it is time to nurture your real estate leads and make it personal. Find ways to personalize your message no matter what medium you use. If you're posting about new homes for sale in a specific area your leads favor, tag them in the post. Send them a private message asking if they would like to tour the homes and if they have any questions.  

 

Now is the time to educate your real estate leads who have never purchased or sold a home. When the market turns in their favor, you'll be the agent they call to help them buy or sell a house. Be the go-to real estate expert in your area, and use every opportunity to get the word out about what you offer and how you can help others buy or sell a home.

 

You're the expert. You bring credibility to the real estate industry. Help others realize the dream of owning and selling a home in today's market.

 


 

Download Reazo's extensive lead nurturing guide for more tips:

Reazo Lead Nurturing Guide

 

Janelle D.

I've worked in the real estate sector for more than a decade and enjoy sharing my knowledge on the subject and researching the latest trends. In my free time I like to craft, spend time with my family and dog, participate in outdoor activities like hiking, and I'm passionate about photography.

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