CONTRIBUTORSElite AgentOPINION

John Hellaby: The proof is in the pudding

In the current real estate market, houses are almost selling themselves. So, for agents to attract sellers, being able to sell homes is no longer enough.  

Instead, agents must be able to demonstrate that they can not only sell a property, but create enough competition that they get their seller the best possible deal. 

If you can demonstrate your ability to create more competition and generate a better result for your seller, that is the thing that will get you over the line during the appraisal in the current market. 

For the modern vendor, talking the talk isnโ€™t going to cut it, agents need to show them that theyโ€™re walking the walk too. 

Using the assets that Market Buy can provide to its certified partners, you can do just that, plus more.  

You only need to make one sale on the platform to become a certified partner, which will give you access to our unique sales activity report, and this is a critical component for agents to be able to show, rather than simply tell. 

Itโ€™s a clean report that you can hand to a potential seller, allowing them to see the sales activity for a particular property. 

Itโ€™s more than just the sale price. You can view the report and immediately see there were 38 offers, from 22 different registered buyers.

This is a level of proof of activity that hasnโ€™t been available before. Youโ€™re saying to the vendor, look here is proof that we have buyers ready to go. They are serious. They want a property. 

Everyone makes big claims, but seeing is believing. Now, you can put the proof in front of the vendor in the form of a step-by-step activity report.

In the current market, being able to demonstrate your sales process is more important than ever. 

Sellers are getting more and more discerning. They have access to far more information than ever before – gone are the days of the agent being the information gatekeeper.

You need to be able to confirm and provide evidence that shows you are exactly what you say you are, because sellers can simply go and research it.

So if you make a claim that doesnโ€™t stack up, youโ€™re going to lose that business.

But it goes beyond that. 

Itโ€™s also about showing sellers the information they canโ€™t access. 

More than just the final sale price, this is about how the property is sold. How much competition was generated, what happened during the sale. 

This is information that canโ€™t be found externally and is only available to Market Buy agents, putting them in the position providing a level of insight no other agent can.

Whenever real estate is a hot market, as it is now, we see an influx of agents, and when that happens, thereโ€™s always an element of โ€˜cowboysโ€™ that come through. 

Which might be okay when the market is thriving, but they never survive the hard times. 

So for those who are looking to build a sustainable business, one that rides the waves of the real estate market, you need to be able to provide that proof and transparency, develop genuine trust, and earn consumer confidence that you will do what you say youโ€™ll do.

But the importance of being able to show, not just tell, goes beyond securing the listing. It matters during the sales process too. 

With the traditional sales process, sellers are left at the mercy of agents when it comes to receiving information about the progress of their propertyโ€™s sale. This can be incredibly frustrating, and leave a sour taste in the clientโ€™s mouth, regardless of the sale outcome. 

Agents who use Market Buy provide a level of transparency to their clients that no other agent can, by providing instantaneous communication so the seller always knows where they stand.

They can immediately see the offer, and the terms and conditions. There are no yucky surprises, or waiting anxiously for a phone call. 

They know what to expect, and when the agent does call, itโ€™s a matter of pulling the offers apart, and working out which one works best for the client. 

The agent remains central to the transaction, but in a really positive way. Rather than being dependent on the agent for information, clients are kept in the loop, and then turn to their agent to guide them in making the right decision. 

Itโ€™s a level of trust and security that sellers should have had access to all along. 

Letโ€™s face it, theyโ€™re dealing with a level of finance that the average person doesnโ€™t deal with on a daily basis.  In most cases, itโ€™s the biggest financial transaction theyโ€™ll ever make. 

Itโ€™s an anxious experience, and providing that level of communication helps vendors feel involved, in control, and more relaxed through that process – in fact, they might even enjoy the process, especially when the competition is hot. 

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?

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John Hellaby

John Hellaby is the Chief Executive Officer at Market Buy.

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To contact the editorial team at Elite Agent email editor@eliteagent.com.