As you know, there is no one magic pill that will make your real estate career 
successful. That takes a good mixture of skills, market knowledge, and dedication – together with effective and consistent marketing.
But there always are some things that can raise you a notch above your competition, and perhaps become that “secret recipe” or tipping point that makes you the “chosen one.”
Enthusiasm is one of those things.
Your enthusiasm shows in everything you do – and lack of enthusiasm shows too.
I think back to a story a good friend told me…
She had decided it was time to sell her home on Mercer Island, so she called one of the top agencies in the area.
They sent an agent who met with her and went through the house shaking her head. It certainly was close to a well-traveled road. She could hear the traffic. The bedrooms were small too. She’d have to base her pricing recommendations on those facts, plus some other shortcomings she didn’t hesitate to mention.
The second agent (from a less well-known agency) came in and pointed out the positives – like being close to the road for an easy commute. She did eventually bring up a few negative points, but in the context of overcoming them or turning them into positives. Meanwhile, she thought it was a “wonderful” house.
Of course she got the listing, and my friend wasn’t disappointed. The agent’s enthusiasm carried through to her marketing, and the house sold quickly.
When I was an agent it was always easier for me to sell homes on acreage and cabins in the woods – simply because I was drawn to them and actually felt enthusiastic about them. Houses in town were tougher, because I could never imagine wanting to live where I could look out a window at my neighbor’s house.
Other agents would feel just the opposite – who would want to live so far from everything?
My advice: Find something about each house that you can truly appreciate and feel enthusiastic about. Then convey that enthusiasm to the seller at your first meeting.
It might be nothing more than a bay window, a rock fireplace, or a sun-washed breakfast nook, but find something. In fact, find as many “somethings” as you can.
You can get back to the negatives and how to overcome them later.
What if there is nothing?
If there truly is nothing you can see about a listing that appeals to you, there are two possible scenarios, and two reactions.
In one case, the seller knows the place is a disaster, and is willing to price the house to sell to an investor who will fix it. You can feel enthusiastic about marketing “opportunity” to those investors.
In the other case, you simply don’t like the place and the seller wants top dollar. The seller will probably notice that and choose another agent. If not, it would still be in your best interests to walk away.
What if it’s the people you can’t stand?
Let someone else have the listing. You’ll be miserable doing business with them.
Image courtesy of everydayplus at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
