Show Like A Pro: A YPN Breakfast Recap

Welcome to our monthly YPN breakfast series hosted at our home base, Manny’s Deli. We love getting together in person, connecting with our peers and devouring advice from local experts. You can stay up-to-date on upcoming YPN events by following the YPN Facebook page!

On Wednesday, May 29 breakfast, we hosted the “Show Like A Pro” breakfast featuring guest speakers DeVon Chandler, Hudson Burnham Real Estate, Alexandre Stoykov, COMPASS, Alice Weinert, Haven & Loft Realty and moderated by Cinny Chui, CENTURY 21 Realty Associates. Here are key takeaways from the breakfast and business tools we think you’ll enjoy.

Read Key Takeaways:

As real estate professionals, you strive to deliver exceptional experiences for your clients; you know that truly showing like a pro goes beyond just opening doors. It’s a delicate dance of preparation, communication and genuine care that elevates each showing into an unforgettable journey.

Imagine you’re about to take your clients on a guided tour through a masterpiece of architecture and design. What would you do to ensure they have the best possible experience? You’d study the floor plans, learn about the property’s unique features and immerse yourself in its story. That’s precisely the level of preparation required for a seamless showing.

“If the phrase ‘setting expectations’ doesn’t feel right or is too broad or intimidating, think of your relationship with your buyers as ‘creating a shared mental model,'” advises Alice Weinert, who is the managing broker of her boutique brokerage, Haven & Loft Realty. By aligning expectations with your clients from the outset, you establish a foundation of trust and professionalism that sets the tone for the entire experience.

But preparation isn’t just about mastering the details of the property, it’s also about understanding your clients’ unique needs and preferences. Are they first-time buyers who need extra guidance, or seasoned investors seeking a specific investment opportunity? DeVon, a team lead and managing broker, works with both kinds of buyers, and he is diligent about adjusting how much he checks in or how he checks in based on the first-time buyer or investor’s needs. Tailoring your approach to their level of experience and goals is key to delivering a truly personalized experience.

What do you talk about during the showings? As Alice eloquently puts it, “Let the conversation go where your clients want it to go.” During showings, be attentive to their questions, concerns and reactions. This not only helps you better understand their priorities but also builds a deeper connection and trust.

And when it comes to navigating the presence of a listing agent, Alexandre offers sage advice, “Remember, you’re on the same team, focused on the property and the client.” By fostering a collaborative spirit and maintaining a professional demeanor, you create an environment where everyone can work towards a common goal – finding the perfect property for your clients.

Of course, the showing experience doesn’t end when you walk out the property door. As Alice reminds us, follow-up communication is crucial. A well-crafted email or a thoughtful debriefing conversation can reinforce the positive experience and address any lingering questions or concerns.

5 Quick Tips for Showings That Close Deals

As real estate professionals in Chicagoland, we know that showings are a critical part of the home-buying process. To stand out and provide an exceptional experience, here are pro tips to help you polish your showing strategy:

1. Host A Powerful Consultation Meeting:
   • Both Alice and DeVon host buyer consultations well before they go to their first showing with a client. They lean into the ease and flexibility of Zoom, and they each have standard decks or guiding documents that they copy and customize depending on the potential buyer.
   • Is this where you can introduce an exclusive buyer agreement? It is! Alice builds an explanation of agency into her deck slides, what dual agency is, what type of agency she will provide and what that includes. Treating the consultation meeting formally as a service provider promotes professionalism and trust.
2. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare:
   • Research the property, neighborhood and nearby market activity beforehand. Alexandre studies the inventory in his core areas every night, keeping up his expertise! It makes the pre-showing prep more natural to him and adds to his foundational knowledge.
   • At the showing, print out MLS sheets, highlight key details on the sheet and be ready to answer questions confidently. For instance, have recent comparable sales data (i.e. other 3-bedroom homes in the neighborhood) on hand to contextualize the listing price. Your expertise and preparedness will impress buyers.
3. Build Rapport with Listing Agents:
   • Approach your showings as a collaborative effort; how can you, the buyer’s agent, and the listing agent, make each other’s transactions smoother? A positive rapport with the listing agent can sometimes sway a seller’s decision in your favor during multiple offer situations.
4. Tailor Your Communication Style:
   • Adapt your communication approach based on your buyers’ preferences. Some may prefer email for a written record, while others prefer texting for time-sensitive updates.
   • As a team lead, Alexandre delegates most of the inbox management to other team members. He makes it clear from the start that working with him is working with a full team of professionals, so his buyers know what to expect. By sharing the response responsibility, his team can respond to all client messages speedily!
5. Stay Solutions-Oriented:
   • The homebuying process can be emotional. Anticipate challenges and be prepared with solutions; have logical solutions for more emotional buyers and emotional solutions for more logical buyers.
   • As DeVon said, your positivity and optimism are essential! Maintain a positive attitude and remind buyers that perseverance often pays off in finding their dream home.

By implementing these pro tips, you’ll not only elevate your showings but also build lasting relationships with buyers and industry colleagues alike.

Business Tools & Benefits

Building Trusted Relationships With Your Clients

• Read about how you can start Earning A Client For Life.
• Talk about your value-prop with confidence, after reading Client Conversations & Value-Add Basics: A YPN Breakfast Recap.
• Take a service approach to your business by Revolutionizing Your Customer Service.

Pro-tip: Here’s How to Avoid an UnAuthorizeD Access Violation

Entering a property without receiving appropriate permission can create a potentially dangerous scenario for everyone in that home without authorization, and, as a REALTOR®, could put you in violation of both the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and Illinois Real Estate License Act. Here’s what you need to know about unauthorized access.

Safety Matters! Protect Yourself & Your Clients

Open houses are one of the best ways to bring new clients in and sell homes quickly. New faces are often exciting and come with opportunity, but REALTORS® should always be on guard for possible dangers. Hosting a safe open house is easy with preparation and the right tools.

Training You’ll Enjoy

• ABR Designation (take this for FREE all year!): The Accredited Buyer’s Representative Designation is jam-packed, two-day training that gives you the tools, scripts and systems you need to be a successful buyer’s agent.
• SRS Designation: The Seller’s Representative Specialist Designation is valuable, two-day training that provides the resources, templates and knowledge you need to build a strong listing business.
• Quick, Online Classes:
  • Effective Strategies In Buyer Representation
  • Utilizing Statistical Data To Enhance Client And Customer Engagement
  • FREE training from MRED!

More Showing Tips From our Panelists

Showing Routine At-A-Glance

ALICE: I meet my client(s) at the first property 5-10 minutes before the start of the showing. I hand over a paper copy of the MLS listing sheet, give a quick overview of things I want us to pay attention to in the property– anything from a bedroom making sure a bedroom will fit their furniture to water stains on the ceiling that I noticed in the photos –and remind them not to discuss any confidential information while inside the property. Once inside, we walk the property together, starting with the main living spaces, then the bedrooms, and finally the basement, backyard, and/or any shared amenities (such as in a condo building). If the list agent is there, I typically have a list of questions for them. After we have seen the property, I walk with my buyer(s) down the sidewalk so we are out of range of a doorbell camera and chat about initial reactions of the property.

ALICE: My showing bag includes a tape measure, disposable booties (for my clients), a pair of socks (for me), tissues, hand sanitizer, and business cards. I always bring a printed copy of the MLS listing sheet for my buyers and if it is our first showing, I will also bring a packet of neighborhood market stats. If a property looks like it would be a really great fit for my buyers and I know that there is already an offer deadline set, I will include a printed set of comparable properties so that I can refer to them when my buyers and I are chatting after the showing. 

Property Searches & Automations

ALICE: I set up broad searches for all of my buyer clients, but I don’t have any of the searches sent directly to them. Every afternoon, all of my searches automatically run and I look through all of the listings and send over a curated list to my buyers with a paragraph explaining the pros/cons of each property. Many clients have specific wishlist items, such as a fireplace, that don’t always get accurately inputted in the MLS because the field isn’t mandatory. Most of my buyers are also keeping track of the new listings via online search portals, so they don’t need me to set up an automatic MLS search for them; my value comes from being able to put the properties with the most potential in front of them, especially if it was a listing they might have otherwise overlooked because of bad photos or lack of detail in the listing information.