This week we spoke with Chris, an experinced realtor. He's currently having success with the books, especially in the expired market. He's listing 4-5 homes a month with them.
In this interview he touches upon:
- He sends 80 books month to leads.
- Competed with the top team in the area for an Expired and got the listing.
- Won’t meet with the customer until they read the books.
- Sellers call him because they see him as the expert.
- How his patience is awarded.
Interview Highlights
Full Interview
Transcript of Full Interview
| Chris:
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I've been part of your program, I'm probably gonna say close to at least nine months. |
| Smart Agents:
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And how is your business before and how long have you been a realtor as well? |
| Chris:
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I've been a realtor for 10 years, a financial planner for 40 years. I integrate the businesses and I decided to go into real estate when I moved to my area. I was gonna be a property manager with my brother in Florida who manages 900 condos I decided to stay here because of family and have the opportunity of working in the number one office of Keller Williams Real Estate in the entire world for three consecutive years. |
| Smart Agents:
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What drove you to be a member with us? |
| Chris: | It started a long time ago in financial planning when I wrote a book with another author on how to transition your business in style. And in using that book and being the co-author, the integrity and credibility before the client was much better than just, "You're another agent, you're just another person trying to sell me something." It sets you apart from everyone else because, the key, in my opinion, is you want to be different than your competitor, whoever it might be in any field, to show that you have, and we have to be careful of this word, expertise. Because there really are no experts in the real estate industry, just specialists from that point of view there. And I believe that's what these books have done for me.
I will say very openly in my third go around because I've worked very closely with our team and the first go around was disappointing. Didn't get any response, probably not because of the books, but because of the manner in which I sent it out was such a wordy letter rather than getting to the point, I'm a realtor and an author. |
| And the second time (sending out books) around it started to flourish.
And most recently, the third time around, what I'm doing is sending out these books to expire the affluent, the wealthy, as I belong to the Luxury Market Institute. And it is gaining attention, and most recently, in my last mailing, I have sent out six books out every other day because I study who I send it to in the expired and the wealthy, affluent, or withdrawn. And with it, if it is a million dollar house or more, it gets a copy of my listing presentation. If it's under that it gets the book, my credentials, my letter, and the fact that I'm going to be in touch with them will want them to feel comfortable that I'm not looking to list them for the purpose of listing them, because I do not list homes that I cannot sell. |
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| And recently I had a situation where I got a call from a gentleman to come visit him, he and his wife, and it was in eastern North Carolina.
And when I went to meet him our meeting was not 45 minutes but it extended to two hours after we took a tour of his house. And we sat down and the interesting thing was I was ready to close. He didn't mention anything specifically about the book except that, he said, "You're the only one that sent me a package with a book. I see you're an author, and that you gave me more insight. However, I am interviewing three other individuals."So okay. I think that's fair. "And I will go ahead," he says, "And give you a call on Wednesday and let you know what my decision is on Thursday." And he did call me back and he asked me to come back. |
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| And he indicated to me that he was interviewing the other three agents. One from a company that he didn't mention, but it was interesting that two of them were from Keller Williams. One from an office in another part of Charlotte and one from my office, and it just happened to be a representative of the top producing team in our Keller Williams office.
And when I heard the name, I said, "My, I wonder how I'm going to handle this one." And he says, "You know, it's really a very tough decision between you and him. He told me what he was going to do, told me his clients and success. And what he did was he took out his iPad or laptop and he showed me a video of how they run their business behind the scenes, and that they have three callers, they've got over 100 listings and so forth." And he said to me, "I've decided to choose you to work with." And I asked him, "Well, I think that is the right decision. Can you explain to me what led you to make that decision?" |
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| He paused, and I don't hide the fact that the person who showed you the video was from our top team in our office.
He said, "The difference was in your presentations was this. One, the head agent did not come personally, sent one of his callers who indicated he was a caller. And was more trying to impress me with the volume of listings that they have versus anyone else. Then, in speaking with my wife, he looked further at your credentials and we looked at the expired book that you sent us of which you authored, and you never once talked about listings, listings, listings, or volume, you talked about how you specialize in working with clients, or expireds I might say, prospects, that have an expired listing that's been expired for a very extended amount of time. And that has frustrated us greatly, and we're looking for someone who knows what they're doing, how to sell an expired home because we want to move to Georgia. And tomorrow would be a good time to move.So would you accept the job?" |
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| I said, "I would most definitely accept it as long as, as I indicated, the first time we met, you'll follow my instructions, we'll work together as a team, you will read the book before we get together again so you know what I'm talking about. Because it's not me that is selling your house, it's a team. A team is you, the seller, and me, the agent, and my connections and marketing and getting awareness of this expired house.
Because you cannot judge a book by its cover, as you will find out from my performance and marketing, and especially in reading How To Sell An Expired Listing, the book I sent you." And I secured the listing. We had an open house. And then after that open house, two weeks later we had a broker open house, and as a result of that broker luncheon I may call it, which was last week on a Thursday, when I checked all calendars to see that nobody was doing anything, we had the luncheon. And yesterday we had two cash offers, one above list price, one at list price, and we're now under contract. And yesterday we had two cash offers, one above list price, one at list price, and we're now under contract. And we accomplished that in 35 days. |
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| Smart Agents:
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That's awesome. How many listings have you got with the books? |
Chris: |
I would say probably I'm hitting an average of about 70% every time I sent out six books. And I'm getting at least four to five, minimum four, listings in 35 days. Because I might say it this way. The listing you have to work for in front of the client and the credibility and the credentials play a big role.And when you can hand a client a book, will send them a book, or stop by as I just did yesterday with a for sale by owner book, as I got tired of seeing this for sale by owner sign that I just keep passing, I said, "You know, I think it's time I stop by and meet this gentleman or this lady." And they were an older couple, they were home. And I introduced myself. And I asked them why they were selling it on their own. And they said they didn't want to have to pay the commission. And I said, "How's your success rate been?" And their comment was, "Very bad. In fact, you're the first person to knock on our door." |
| And I said to them, "Well, I am with Keller Williams, and I have a book I'd like you to read that I've written on for sale by owners. The good, the bad, the indifferent.
And with that, I'd like you to take my credentials, my card. Take your time and read the book tonight, and I will call you tomorrow and ask you what your thoughts are, because I can assure you that I can sell your home after taking a tour of it and sitting and discussing the requirements, you reading the book, understanding why owners who want to sell their homes do it solely to avoid paying a commission. And every time I've done a for sale by owner, I've sold it at more than the owner expected to get. So, therefore, the commission was not of importance." |
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And we are signing a contract this evening to go ahead and sell the house.
And the book, their comments were extremely positive because it was direct, short, right to the point, not two or 300 pages, but it told them the right and the wrong of selling a house on your own, and why you should have a realtor. |
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| Smart Agents:
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You are already established. You had separated yourself before, but try to put into words how these books did it for you, cause you already had that separation. But this made it even more. If you can put that into some sort of words. |
| Chris: | I believe that the book, any one of them, the expireds, now I'm even utilizing the divorce. It sets you apart as an authority on the area of selling homes, listing, buying, whatever, and it gives them confidence that they're in good knowledgeable hands, rather than, I'll say this. Every six weeks we have a class with 60 newbies who have gone out and got their licenses and don't know what they're doing. But the book separates you with its insight and input and gives you that position before the client as an authority on what you're doing, rather than just a salesman. |
| Chris: | No, I think, and I will say this, he who begins with smart agents and does not have a quick response doesn't mean quit, and it doesn't work, because I did that. And I have learned that I am back today because, without the book, it's like going or presenting yourself totally unprepared and naked. And you have nothing different to offer than the next individual. So I have become committed to utilizing these books.
It's not that eight and a half legal envelope that they open up over the garbage pail and throw away. It goes out in that nice extra nice envelope that has some weight to it, and they can't wait to see what's in that envelope.And there they are. They're expired, 183 days, 300 days, frustrated, and now surprisingly they get in the mail no doubt the answer to their problem.So I'm very proactive in now utilizing the books. |
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