What To Say What To Send

What to Say,
What to Send
Scripts, dialogues, letters & questions
Lee Woodward
What to Say, What to Send

Lee F. Woodward
First published April 2009
The moral rights of the author of this work have been asserted.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted, in any form or by any means without prior written permission
from the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover
other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition
including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Author:
Woodward, Lee, 1971-
Title:
What to say, what to send : scripts, dialogues,

letters & questions / Lee Woodward.
Edition:
1st ed.
ISBN:
9780980625202 (pbk.)
Subjects:
Real estate business--Australia.

Business communication--Australia.
Customer relations--Australia.
Real estate agents--Australia.
Dewey Number:
333.33094
Edited by Phaedra Pym

Cover artwork by Sense Advertising & Design
This book has been produced for the Author by

Bookbound Publishing
FreeCall 1800 628 058
bookbound.com.au
Acknowledgments
This book has been created following countless hours of workshop sessions with
dedicated real estate professionals. I would like to express my gratitude to the
many people who have contributed to the ideas presented in the book you are
about to read and to the people who have given me the support that has allowed
me to complete it.
To the workshop attendees who have given their time, desire and questions,
enabling me to study, comprehend, capture and deliver the very best information.
To all the talented people who have shared their stories on Real Estate Hot Topics.
To the incredible Mat Steinwede, for our many years of collaboration and for
producing the Mat Steinwede Real Estate System.
To the highly structured and intensely focused Danny Grant, who has contributed
much of his time to help me help others improve their systems and sales skills.
To the entire team at Real Estate Academy who add, subtract, challenge and
perfect the real estate process each and every day. You are a special group of
people who have stood the test of time and served the real estate community with
dedication, professionalism and passion.
To the talented Andrew Duncan who created the software solution, Complete
Data, and listened to all my bent ideas over an 8-year period (its just another
button, mate).
I would like to mention a special thank you to our 2007/2008 Super Coach
members in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth; the Hocking Stuart Group
in Victoria for our many hours of debate, discussion and solution solving; and
the Professionals Group in New Zealand, in particular, the Groups top 10%, for
their crazy humour and unhinged view of business that still fascinates me today.
An incredible special thank you to my dedicated offsider, Robyn McCaughan,
who captures all notes, learning checks and requests from fast-paced real estate
agents on the fly. Robyn, your emails reach many.
Finally to my mum and dad who back me no matter what I do and my two special
daughters, Maddison and Chloe, who have watched me conduct many recordings
and understand the need to stay quiet until the track ends.
iii
Contents

scripts, dialogues, letters & questions
How to use this book
The Sales Process
Icons
What is the difference between a script and a dialogue?
Prospecting
Prospecting and marketing
Making the connection
Marketing stickies
Marketing you
Your best leads
Return on investment
Know your turf
Working with fewer people for better reasons
10
Your prospecting menu
11
Marketing initiative
12
Probing questions
14
JUST LISTED note
15
JUST SOLD note
15
Just listed
15
Just sold
17
v
Weekly Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) calls
19
Open house call backs (standard)
20
The open for inspection call back
20
Passive database calls
26
Hot prospects
26
Fee objection
26
You all offer the same thing!
27
Calls to former prospective purchasers
27
Anniversary calls
28
The 21 steps to selling privately
28
Complimentary appraisal offer
32
Record sale price letter
33
The price drive letter
34
Price drive follow-up
35
Expired listings
36
Service area calls
36
The all-in-one door knocking role-play with brochure
37
Activity plans
39
Summary
39
Listing
Winning the business listing
41
Listings how to secure them
42
Preparation
43
Listing questionnaire strategy to qualify all seller leads
44
The inbound potential seller qualification role-play
45
SMS confirmation after phone call
49
Covering letter of confirmation and questionnaire
49
Questionnaire
50
Pre-listing packages
51
vi
Sample testimonials
52
Property Assessment Report
53
SMS on the day of the appointment
56
Prep tip
56
Agents proposition
56
The power of ten
57
Your complete listing procedure
57
Building your face-to-face presentation
58
24 questions to ask strategies that will be activated
59
Brilliant throw in one-liners
61
Take it easy
62
The presentation role-play
62
Stage 1 before the property is advertised
63
Stage 2 on the market
69
Stage 3 the negotiation and getting to yes
72
Beginnings great final closes
80
The quote pad close
80
Common fee objections
81
Unsigned business
87
The commitment letter (from the Mat Steinwede System)
87
Go forward plan
88
Presenting your greatest hits
89
Vendor Management
Vendor management communication
91
SMS confirmation after meeting 1 (listing)
93
Thank you for listing letter
93
Letter to tenant (if required)
101
Follow-up email to tenant (if required)
102
Reverse-engineered call 1
102
vii
Reverse-engineered email 1 (progress report)
103
Touching base phone call regarding editorial
104
Submit editorial to media (email) cc vendor
105
Property uploaded on website (email)
105
Sales team inspection phone call (pricing feedback)
105
Email brochure to relevant purchasers cc vendors
105
Sales team inspection pricing feedback email
106
Friday afternoon SMS
106
First open SMS
106
Reverse-engineered call back on Monday (week 1 reporting)
107
107
Mid-week 8:15am SMS
108
JUST SOLD email
108
Home loan email cc home loan consultant
108
Second open SMS
109
109
Progress letter 1/survey and meeting 2 confirmation
109
Reverse-engineered email 3 including marketing tax invoice
112
Meeting 2 progress so far
112
Meeting 2 executive summary email
113
Management letter here if you need me
114
Third pre-open SMS
114
Third open SMS
114
115
115
JUST SOLD email
116
Meeting 3 are we on track?
116
JUST SOLD email
117
Management email results of telephone survey
117
Follow-up management call
118
New interest this week email
118
viii
Difficult negotiation letter
118
Managers why properties dont sell letter
119
Meeting 4 price equals time
119
Fourth open SMS
120
120
120
Where to from here?
121
Vendor withdrawn thank you letter
122
Price acceptance document
122
Sales letters vendor / buyer solicitor
124
Quick congratulations call
125
Congratulations, its sold! Where to from here?
125
Pre-settlement letter vendor/buyer
126
Settlement letter and referral point
126
Post-settlement rating form
127
Post-settlement letter 2 months later
128
Vendor objections
128
Keeping things on track
134
Buyer Management
Managing your buyers
142
Assisting people to reach their property goals
143
You never know who is taking your measure
144
You will never remember them all
146
Buyer qualification call
147
Follow-up script
148
Buyer letter 1
148
Buyer SMS templates
149
Buyer email 2 weeks in
150
Coming soon email
150
ix
Buyer letter 2 after 35 days
150
I havent forgotten you
151
Conducting a great open for inspection
151
Purchasing a property document
152
Follow-up after an inspection
157
How to master qualify through scripts and questions
158
Common objections and buyer psychology
159
Understanding buyer psychology for auctions
164
Negotiation a crucial skill
164
My signature negotiation process
165
What goes around, comes around
167
Its a wrap
Achieve more with less effort
168
The top 10 requirements of a software system
169
A final word
170
Real Estate Academys other products and services
170

scripts, dialogues, letters & questions
Delivering a solid system for communicating with your buyers and sellers, both
verbally and in writing, this book gives you every script, dialogue, letter, email
and SMS you will ever need for each and every step of the sales journey.
The book will:
r Allow you to achieve more in less time by cutting to the chase with
winning words and questions
r Arm you with brilliant responses to common objections
r Give you all the professional letters and emails you will need to
complement your communication process
r Give you confidence in knowing that you have mastered the vendor and
buyer management process.
Above all, this book will show your clients that you are a professional who is
committed to keeping them informed every step of the way and achieving the
very best possible outcome for them.
How to use this book

The book is structured around the process of a sale, a cyclical process in that
there is no true beginning or end. While it is logical to assume that the sales
process ends when the property purchase settles, you have to remember that most
people do not live in the one property for life. In fact most Australians move
several times in their lifetime. It is for this reason that top-performing agents
maintain contact with their clients long after the property settles. This may be
simply a Christmas card each year and acknowledgment of the anniversary of the
date they moved into their new home. No matter how simple, it is contact that
people appreciate and this will be remembered when it comes time to sell and/or
purchase real estate again.
1
The Sales Process
Following the model, each chapter of the book will give you what to say and what
to send for every stage of the sales journey, from generating the business through
to property settlement.
You will find suggested letters, emails, text for SMS messaging, scripts and
dialogues in the form of role-plays. In fact everything you need, in the order that
you need it, for complete, consistent and professional communication.
A major key to success in the area of communication is knowledge management.
By knowledge management I am referring to a system for capturing and storing
the winning communications in this book. For those of you who use Complete
Data the database specifically designed for the real estate industry you
will find that templates for all the letters, emails and SMSs are stored on your
system. This allows you to simply select, merge and send what you need, when
you need it. You can use Complete Datas templates as they are or modify them
to suit your target market and your own personality. This powerful method
delivers consistency to your business and, more importantly, can be managed
and replicated by others, such as your Professional Assistant if you have one. It
couldnt be easier.
Icons
You will see the following icons used throughout this book, making it a breeze to
find what you need, when you need it:
r Letter
r Email
r SMS
r Phone call
r Question
r Letterbox drop
r Script
r Dialogue
What is the difference between a script

and a dialogue?
A script suggests wording for you to say, for instance to open up a conversation.
A dialogue, on the other hand, offers you suggested responses in a conversation
with a buyer or a seller. Dialogues are shown in the form of role-plays. I would
strongly recommend that you role-play the scripts and dialogues with a colleague,
friend or relative until you are very comfortable with them. Rehearse them until
they sound impromptu, making them your own by putting your personality into
3
them. This will ensure you dont sound scripted and wooden when face-to-face
with a buyer or a seller. After all, practice makes professionals.
Being easy to carry with you wherever you go, this book is certain to become your
bible in terms of communicating with your marketplace. Just remember though,
while this book gives you the tools, you are the winning ingredient.
Prospecting
Prospecting and marketing
Prospecting is the practice of creatively searching for new business. Even within
the industry, everybody talks about it, yet so few understand the fundamentals of
finding new business on a daily basis. People come into the real estate industry
and enjoy the selling and matching people to property side of the business,
however they have a resistance to the time and effort required to hunt for
business. The fact of the matter is this if you get into real estate and you dont
want to prospect, then you may be in the wrong industry.
As human beings, most of us resist cold calling. Why? Because weve all been
on the other end of that phone and felt how uncomfortable it is when someone
gives you an obviously scripted line with the intention of either taking something
from you or selling you something. But prospecting isnt just about cold calling.
5
During a Real Estate Hot Topics audio interview, titled Hardcore Prospecting,
I asked one of our leading principals, Chris Hanley from Byron Bay, to define
the term prospecting and he said simply, all of the things you do where people
see, hear and watch you being a human being. Indeed, prospecting is about all
the contact you make with people in and around the community in which you
work. Its all the discussions, its all the letters, emails and SMSs, and its all the
questions you ask. It is this frequency of contact that builds trust, provides value
and helps you to be viewed as a professional rather than someone who just wants
to sell something. Chris and his team have mastered the art of prospecting. They
understand the number of contact points required and the need to make these
contact points in as many different ways as possible in order to find the ones that
work for the individual and suit the demographics of the area in which they work.
This can range from providing market place reports, property brochures and just
sold emails to running the Byron Bay Writers Festival (one of Chris passions).
In fact, it is so powerful for people to see you doing things that are not related
to real estate as this shows that you care and have a desire to give back to your
community.
This chapter of the book will cut straight to the chase and give you the foundation
required for a solid prospecting program. I will share with you how to work a
business development area and examine the prospecting methods that will make
a massive difference to your sales career.
Making the connection

Prospecting only truly engages once you have connected and earned the trust
of people who know you by name and would recognise you if they saw you
walking through your local shopping centre. In the area where I worked, it would
sometimes take me 40 minutes to pick up some milk from the local supermarket
as every isle was full of great prospects who would say a cheerful hello often
followed by, Lee just a quick question You have what I call a real relationship
with people when they remember things about you, refer to you as their agent
and ring you regularly for advice.
As is the case with any great career or stand-alone business, your success is
founded upon two things building relationships and providing value. Making
the time to build relationships and add value will earn you the professional trust
of prospective clients because you are seen to be offering value without looking
6
for something in return. To use an analogy, its like doing a good deed, without
expecting a reward or even telling anyone about it. Professional trust is the
ultimate success and key driver in any prospecting program. Its the reason people
will contact you when it comes time to sell their property. Its also the reason
people will refer you to others. Its even the reason you are reading this book.
Over the years, people have seen me in action in my capacity as a sales trainer and
coach and during this time they have come to know me, respect me and trust me.
Lets take a look at how to make a connection with a classic target market people
going through a divorce. If theres ever a group that needs to see your depth as a
human being, then this is it. People going through a divorce are not interested in
real estate. Theyre going through the process out of necessity and are therefore
looking for someone with whom they can communicate, feel comfortable and
who can take care of what they can only regard as a necessary transaction. They
want to know youve got the emotional intelligence to work with them through
a very testing time. I had a lady once who was going through a difficult divorce
and was forced to put her home on the market. It was the last thing she wanted
to do. I appraised the property but was unsuccessful at listing the property on
the day, so I needed to keep her on my radar. Now, the last thing she would want
from an agent at this time is to be bombarded with emails, SMSs and phone calls.
So what I did instead was send her a book called The Power of Now and on the
inside cover, I wrote simply, Hi, Sally, I know life can be testing at times. Ive read
this book and thought youd like it. Regards, Lee. That book showed Sally that I
was not just another real estate agent after her money but someone who shows
empathy and consideration. Needless to say, I got the listing and she has since
referred me to many other people. This is just one example. You can add value to
people in so many different ways. It just requires some lateral thinking on your
part in terms of what would connect with that particular person, be it a cookbook
or information about the schools or transport in the area they wish to move to.
Whatever it is, just make it something that connects.
Marketing stickies
At the heart of your prospecting program is a winning, professionally presented
document containing information that is of genuine interest to the local
community. Such a document can be referred to as your marketing sticky (a
reason people stick with you). This document is about connecting to the adjacent
space of real estate; for example, it may contain details about new services
7
or developments that are expected to boost property values in the area. Your
document may also contain special features on things like local sporting teams,
the highest sale price achieved in recent times, the types of people wanting to buy
in the area, even a historical account of the first home built in each street. This
well-presented document is welcomed by residents and out of area investors as it
is viewed as factual, honest, objective information that adds value without trying
to sell something. One of the best examples I have seen is by Brisbane agency,
Johnson Dixon Quality Property, who produce everything I have just mentioned
in a brilliant publication called Move Magazine together with their much
talked about River Report. These great documents have become the marketing
stickies for this progressive company and form a major part of their premeditated
prospecting program.
Marketing you
Marketing yourself, what you stand for and the homes you sell is, in my opinion,
a not negotiable part of your business, so much so, that it basically needs a parttime person to drive it, book it and make sure it happens. Many agents do not
operate to a plan or understand the amount of phone calls required and letters to
send each day. As an agent you need to commit a large amount of time in your
week to build up a database of sound prospects that can be nurtured to perfection.
Your best leads

A lead source refers to the method used to make a connection with a client, which
led them to become a listed vendor, for example, letterbox drop, direct marketing
letter, phone call, buyer conversion, open for inspection or walk-in. As an exercise,
why dont you conduct a small survey of the last 100 sales achieved in your office
to find out the lead source of each one. Knowing these results will increase the
effectiveness of your own prospecting methods.
Return on investment
Naturally, there are costs associated with any marketing campaign. You have to
pay for things like production, printing and distribution. As a result, it is vital that
you get into the habit of assessing the return on your investment. To show you
8
what I mean by this lets take a look at an example.

Lets say I choose to do a street targeted mail-out of 800 letters at a total
production and delivery cost of $1895.00. That means each letter has a unit cost
of $2.37 (1895/800). Of the 800 letters, I end up with 5 leads, which means it has
cost me $379.00 per lead (1895/5). If I then list 2 out of those 5 leads, each listing
has incurred a cost of $947.50 (1895/2). Now based on my performance fee of 2.9%
and an average sale price of $650,000, I calculate that I will generate $37,500 from
the sale of those 2 properties. Thats a good return on my initial investment of
$1,895.00. Taking the time and effort to assess your potential return on investment
allows you to make an informed decision regarding how to spend your money.
To assist you, Real Estate Academy (REA) has a complete downloadable business
plan template that automatically calculates all your numbers for you. The example
below shows a comparison between conducting a just sold program and the mailout program as described in my example. As you can see, the business shows a
significant difference between the return on investment for each campaign. Based
on the results, I know which campaign I would run with!
Month
No.
Example
Just Sold Program 12 July 08
Activity Type
Date
July 08
Mail Out
Total Cost
Unit Cost
Leads
Cost/Lead
Listings
Cost/Listings
Average Fee
2,400
Qty
$ 2,350
$ 0.98
$ 587.50
$ 2,350
$ 18,850
802%
ROI
800
$ 1,895
$ 2.37
$ 379.00
$ 948
$ 37,700
1989%
Know your turf

If you want to achieve the status of being known as a dedicated and educated
property professional, you will need to take some history lessons. Now you may
wonder how history relates to real estate. Well its all about knowing your area,
or your turf as we call it in the industry. Knowing the history of your turf shows
that you have sound product knowledge and this will appeal to the people you
are trying to connect with. So whats the best way to learn about your turf? The
best way to learn is to ask. If you show a genuine interest about an area, people
will open up to you. I remember meeting a lady once as a buyer in my early days
as a salesman who owned a beautiful and immediately saleable home in one of
the suburbs best streets. We had a look at some properties that I had available
but none of them exactly matched what she was looking for. At the end of our
viewing session she asked me if I would like to have a look through her home and
let her know what I thought it would sell for. Would I? The appointment was set
for 2 days time. I was so excited by this opportunity that I drove past her property
about 20 times! I hadnt just managed to get in the door; I was invited in the door
9
BIG DIFFERENCE. Anyway, I wanted this one so badly I could almost taste it,
but I had this little voice inside my head playing devils advocate telling me that I
was too young to sell such a nice place. I chatted with my principal who gave me
a brilliant tip. He asked me, do you really want it? and I replied, Absolutely! He
then told me to block out 4 hours out of my diary and cold call the entire street
where she lives in order to research everything I could about the street. Well I did
it, and I found out the lot first home built, who created the subdivision, second
home built, the lot. When I walked in to appraise the ladys house she could not
have asked me a better question, so Lee, do you know much about this street?
and off I went. She was truly amazed and commented, wow, you really do know
the area! Listed, sold, referred and the rest is history. The point of this story is
this prospecting is not always about listing, its about positioning yourself for
the future.
Working with fewer people for better reasons

It can sometimes seem overwhelming when you look at the sheer volume of
contacts you have in your database, raising the question where do I start? One
of the keys to great prospecting is database filtering because it allows you to work
with fewer people for better reasons. Once this is achieved, you will see a dramatic
increase in your conversion rate.
The first step is to operate in a business development area (BDA) of approximately
1100 properties. Now I understand you may service a larger area than this,
however your prospecting focus should be on a concentrated area that is
manageable and will yield high returns.
I like to categorise my entire database into 4 sections:
Gold
Past vendors and past landlords
Silver
Past buyers and past tenants
Bronze
Anyone we have communicated with (whether it be at an open for

inspection, by mail, email or phone
Prospect
All other property owners in my BDA who have yet to have contact
with us (they love us, they just dont know it yet)
By categorising the contacts in my database in this way, I am able to customise

my marketing to suit. For instance, the out of area investors usually have a keen
10
interest in the latest statistics within the area as they are no longer around to see
for themselves what is going on. Offering this group a regular detailed investor
report could be the marketing sticky that connects them with you.
Your prospecting menu

I make it a point to ask agents on a regular basis what prospecting they are
currently doing or are planning to do in the future and it astounds me how often
I am faced with a vacant look in response. I believe there are two key reasons
for this there is the fear of rejection and there is the fact that many have never
monitored what works and what doesnt. If they knew what worked for them, it
would be on their prospecting menu. Imagine going to a restaurant and there was
no menu. When the waitress asks you for your order it would be difficult to make
a selection wouldnt it? Prospecting is no different. You need a menu of proven
methods that work, from which you can make a selection.
Lets take a look at a sample prospecting menu.
Past Clients
r Anniversary calls
r Movie nights
r Just sold SMS
Letterbox Drops
r Can we help? campaign
r Price drive letter
r Just sold and just listed
r Buyers looking to buy letter and photo
r Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) letters and reports
Telemarketing
r Street campaign
r Just sold and just listed
r Auction and open for inspection invitations
r Past buyer calls
Audio CD
r The moving process How to buy and sell real estate
r Buying property with your super fund
11
Direct
r Door knock, for sale by owner
r Buyer conversion
r Open for inspection call backs
r People marketing
r Colouring books and pencils for the kids, advertising your logo and
phone number (sent via mail)
r Years 10, 11 and 12 school talks about a career in real estate
r Press releases and editorials
r Printed school canteen menus or lunch bags advertising your logo and
phone number
Whatever you decide, be sure to have a number of choices as one month something returns and other months it doesnt. Be flexible at all times and ready to
modify your plan if need be.
Marketing initiative
As we have just learnt, prospecting is an activity undertaken to generate listings
into the company. However, prospecting is just a single activity that is completed
in the hope of finding possible leads that will eventually turn into business. The
fact of the matter is this prospecting in isolation is not enough to fulfill your
objectives. You need a marketing initiative to go with it.
A marketing initiative can be defined as a strategic group of actions and activities
that, when performed in the correct sequence, become a marketing strategy
designed to bring in quality leads. Basically, its all about prospecting with a
purpose, which is the fuel in any campaign that could potentially stimulate the
idea of moving. Following is an example of a marketing initiative.
Street campaign
1.
12
Select the street of a new listing about to hit the market and drop the
brochure of this property with a just listed sticker or note/flyer into
every mailbox within the street. Then telemarket the street and deploy
the following script, Good afternoon, is that Mrs Williams? My name is
Lee. The purpose of my call is to see if you received the brochure regarding
number 10 High Street that I delivered to you yesterday?
2.
Receive response and then say, Would you be interested in attending our
open for inspection this Saturday between 10 and 10.45am? If the answer
is yes simply ask, Is that because you are possibly considering moving
or are you simply interested in keeping up-to-date with the values in the
area? Receive answer and categorise as a possible attendee.
3.
Send SMS on Friday to all possible attendees to confirm the open for
inspection time and let them know they now have your number should
they require any further information.
4.
On Saturday evening contact all identified possible sellers and let them
know the open for inspection feedback, such as, we had good numbers
of people through the property yet some of them wanted a different style
of home in this location, which is great as it indicates our marketing is
working.
5.
For possible future auction vendors you may send them a Saturday
evening SMS saying, We had a great day in the marketplace today with
a 97% auction clearance rate. Enjoy your weekend.
6.
Continue with feedback and interest and mention the types of buyers
who have been interested in the area and what they are prepared to
spend. This allows you to save grace if the property is not sold quickly
and potential sellers will understand you have the buyer; that particular
property just didnt match their needs.
7.
Once the property has been sold, conduct another mailbox drop within
the street with a sold sticker on the brochure or note/flyer including a
comment stating people are still looking to buy in this fantastic street.
8.
Send a specific letter one week following the mailbox drop inviting all
owners to have the value of their property reassessed in light of this
most recent result.
9.
Telemarket the street to inform property owners personally that the

home has been sold and use the opportunity to advise them of the actual
price achieved, if asked.
10. A week later, telemarket the street again explaining that many of
the streets residents have requested a report that you have designed
(Comparative Market Analysis CMA) explaining that this report has
nothing to do with selling their property. Rather, its purpose is to keep
them up-to-date with sales in their area over the past 6 months. Ask if
13
they would mind you dropping this over to them as a complimentary

report that will be updated every 6 months as part of your commitment
to keeping residents fully informed regarding property values in their
area.
As you can see, a marketing initiative is a strategic group of actions and activities
that are performed in a predetermined sequence. In my opinion, you only need 5
initiatives to make up your entire prospecting program, however this one change
in your business will make you more connected to your market. Whatever
prospecting method or script you choose, its important to have a menu of probing
questions to assist you to get down deep into the real issues.
Probing questions
t When was the last time you went out and looked at some real
estate?
t If you saw the perfect property today, what would you do?
t We have just sold no. 6 in your street. Did you get a chance to go
through that one?
t How does that compare with the one you are in now?
t What did you think about the sales report I recently sent out to
you? Were you surprised at the sale prices?
t If you got a price you were ecstatic with, where would you move?
t Whats the best house you have seen so far?
t Are you going for a bigger home or a more compact one?
t Would you like to sell prior to buying?
t Is the property for yourself to live in or for an investment?
t What has attracted you to that area?
t Are you familiar with the actual process of purchasing a property?
t The place you are in now, are you going to hang on to that or
(pause) whats your current situation?
14
JUST LISTED note

Rare opportunity to move into a well sought after street. This home, on
offer for the very first time, boasts 3 large bedrooms, main with ensuite
and a large yard for the kids to run around in. With a double remotecontrolled garage, you can be assured that there is plenty of storage.
Dont let this opportunity pass you by. Be the first to inspect. Call
Complete Real Estate Now! 1300 367 412.
JUST SOLD note

We have been successful in marketing another property in your street!
This sale generated many enquiries and a number of people are still
interested in finding a home nearby. So if youre considering selling,
now is a great time to do it.
For a complimentary market appraisal on your property, please contact
Lee Woodward on 1300 367 412.
Just listed
Lee:
Good morning, is that Mrs Pym?
Mrs Pym:
It is.
Lee:
My name is Lee Woodward from Complete Real Estate.

The purpose of my call is just to inform you, before you see
any signboard go up, that number 15 in your street is going
to be for sale.
Mrs Pym:
Is it really?
Lee:
It certainly is and its going to hit the market in about a

weeks time. Were just finishing all the preparation at this
point and I was just wondering do you know of anyone
who could be interested in moving into the area or do you
have any plans on moving yourself?
Mrs Pym:
Not at the moment, but Im keen to know what its going

on the market for.
15
Lee:
Well, the pricing will be released next week but I can tell
you a little bit about it. Do you know the home at all?
Mrs Pym:
I know that its got four bedrooms and they have a pool but
thats about all I know.
Lee:
Four bedrooms, in-ground pool, double garage,

tremendous rumpus room area and theyve upgraded the
bathrooms and the kitchen.
Mrs Pym:
Uh huh.
Lee:
So its a very good offering and will come onto the market
next week.
Mrs Pym:
Okay. Well, I would be very interested to see what its on

for.
Lee:
How long have you lived in the area?
Mrs Pym:
Oh, Ive lived here for ten years.
Lee:
Ten years, and where were you before here?
Mrs Pym:
In Sydney.
Lee:
Its a good spot up here, isnt it?
Mrs Pym:
It is, love the Central Coast.
Lee:
And a question I love to ask everyone I speak with is, if

you werent living where you are now and you could live
anywhere, where would you go?
Mrs Pym:
I wouldnt leave the coast actually but maybe something

closer to the water.
Lee:
And if you went for something closer to the water what sort
of home would you look for?
Mrs Pym:
Something that I could walk to the beach from definitely.
Lee:
Well, if you were considering it, there are quite a few of

those available at the moment.
Mrs Pym:
No, I would never be able to afford a place you can walk to

the beach from!
Lee:
How much do you think they are?
16
Mrs Pym:
Well, I havent really paid too much attention to be honest

but I guess the market has come down a fair bit. So maybe
but I would have thought, you know, 8 to 900,000.
Lee:
There are some at that level, Mrs Pym, but there are also
some starting at 695. Would it be okay if I forward you our
property magazine, just to keep you in the loop of whats
out there?
Mrs Pym:
Yeah sure, Id be interested to have a look but Im not

looking at selling at the moment.
Lee:
No troubles at all. And wed love to get our magazine to

you. You may know of someone who wants to look at
some of our properties. And when you see number 15
come up, it would be great to see you at the open for
inspection.
Mrs Pym:
Okay, thank you.
Lee:
Mrs Pym, thank you for your time today.
Mrs Pym:
Thank you, bye.
The main thing I want you to observe from the previous conversation is that I
wasnt pushy in any way. Mrs Pym would have come away from that conversation
thinking what a nice change it was to be given some useful information from a
real estate professional, without him trying to get his foot in the front door. This
is what I call adding value and establishing rapport. The next time I speak with
this woman, she will remember this fact and will therefore be more likely to be
receptive towards me. Lets take a look.
Just sold
Lee:
Good afternoon, is that Mrs Pym?
Mrs Pym:
It is.
Lee:
Mrs Pym, its Lee Woodward from Complete Real Estate.

We spoke on the 2nd of February when I rung through
to let you know that 15 High Street was coming onto the
market for sale.
17
Mrs Pym:
Yes, I remember that.
Lee:
Excellent. Did you receive the property magazine I sent

you?
Mrs Pym:
I did thank you. And you were right, the prices have come
down quite a bit near the beach.
Lee:
They sure have. Now, the main reason for calling today is
to let you know that number 15 has actually been sold.
Mrs Pym:
Okay, what did it sell for?
Lee:
The property sale price was $485,000.
Mrs Pym:
That was pretty close to the mark then.
Lee:
The response we had was tremendous and people loved

the street, the suburbs, the schools. There were a couple
of people that really could have taken it and for the owners
the timing was perfect because they had their eye on
something else. How would your home compare to that
one?
Mrs Pym:
Oh, I think, my home is a little bit superior to that one

actually.
Lee:
Have you had any plans on moving yourself?
Mrs Pym:
I think about it from time to time. Maybe if the right thing

came up.
Lee:
You mentioned in our last conversation that you would like

to live within walking distance to the beach?
Mrs Pym:
Yes thats always been a dream of mine.
Lee:
Its certainly a good property goal.
Mrs Pym:
I think so.
Lee:
And have you had the opportunity to go and see some of

those properties?
Mrs Pym:
Oh no, I havent I just look on the Internet from time to

time, and it was interesting to flick through that magazine
you sent me.
18
Lee:
We have a few properties near the beach and not all of

them reach the magazines or the Internet. Would you be
open to having a look at a few of those?
Mrs Pym:
Yeah, I guess I would be. I hadnt really thought about it like

that before. I always assumed that youve got to sell your
home first and then look for something.
Lee:
Financially that can be the case. However for most people

that I help move, they do like to feel comfortable that
theres something out there worthwhile moving to and Im
more than happy to spend some time with you looking at
your possible destination property. Now, I havent seen
your own home from the inside, but it looks great from the
outside, and Im sure it would sell well in the marketplace
were in.
Mrs Pym:
Okay. That does sound good.
Lee:
How would Thursday afternoon be to have a look at just

one or two properties?
Mrs Pym:
Yeah, I could fit that in.
Once again, I was not pushy in any way. I could have leapt at the opportunity to
appraise her property there and then but opted for the softly, softly approach with
Mrs Pym. In taking this approach you are far more likely to be invited to conduct
an appraisal rather than having to ask for this privilege. Its about establishing a
positive relationship that will extend beyond this first opportunity. This is what
powerful prospecting is all about.
Weekly Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) calls

Good morning, its Lee Woodward calling from Complete Real Estate,
how are you? (response)
I just wanted to let you know I am dropping some information off
to most of your neighbours tomorrow. Is it OK if I leave the same
information at your doorstep too? It has nothing to do with selling your
home: its just some information about your neighbourhood that you
19
might find interesting. Is it OK if I leave it at your door like everyone

else? (response)
Thank you, bye.
Following your series of targeted phone calls, you would hand-deliver the reports
as promised and set yourself an action plan to follow up the prospect in 6 months.
Open house call backs (standard)

Hi Mrs Smith, its Lee from Complete Real Estate, we met at number
5 High Street in Sydney on the weekend the 3 bedroom home on a
large block. I just wanted to give you a quick call to see if you had any
further interest in the home. (response)
Is there a price you would pay?
Would you like me to keep you informed of other homes we have
coming up in the area?
In case I need to send you a brochure on a suitable home, where
should I send it?
Thats a good spot, are you going to hang on to that one, or .?
I cant do it today, but at some stage Id like to offer you my opinion on
the current market value to ensure you are budgeting on the right sale
amount, would that be ok?
As you can see, a prospective buyer can also be your greatest prospective vendor
as the majority of buyers have a property they need to sell in order to move.
Buyers today are savvy operators in that they do their research. Many buyers start
looking before they have listed their own home for sale so that they can gauge how
much they need to make on the sale of their home. These are solid prospects and
you should take advantage of every single opportunity to connect with them. The
open for inspection call back is a classic example of this.
The open for inspection call back

The role-play you are about to read is conducted between myself and industry
legend, Mr James Tostevin.
20
With over 22 years of experience in the industry, James Tostevin epitomises the
term elite performer.
James is without a doubt best known for his prospecting skills, a fact which has
seen him earn the title of prospecting machine. Anyone can prospect for a day,
a week or even 6 months, but to do it with longevity takes incredible dedication,
focus and tenacity and James has those traits in abundance. James himself admits,
I would say that I prospect more than any other agent in Australia. In fact, James
blocks out 2-5 hours at a time at least three times every week, to sit at a desk
with nothing more than a prioritised call sheet, a pen and a headset, in order to
generate business like theres no tomorrow. So focused is he on the task at hand,
that his desk is computer-free, ensuring he is not disturbed by incoming emails
and his door contains the sign Propecting in Progress, ensuring all staff are
aware he is not to be interrupted. In this way, James makes contact with 200-300
clients each and every week, resulting in numerous listing opportunities. In fact,
it is no coincidence that James consistently works with up to 40 vendors at any
given time.
James efforts have been rewarded by the phenomenal results he has achieved over
the years, including the writing of $350,000 in fees in just one day! He is equally
rewarded by achieving great job satisfaction and freely admits, I love coming to
work I dont find it (prospecting) a chore as it has made such a phenomenal
difference to my business.
Featured on the Real Estate Hot Topics audio program (Series 7), this is prospecting at its very best.
The following role-play sees me playing the part of the buyer.
James:
Lee, its James Tostevin speaking from Complete Real

Estate. Have you got a brief moment to talk?
Lee:
I do.
James:
Now, I met you on Saturday at a property in Surrey Hills.

It was in Kingston Road. You may recall it was probably
one of a number that you went through on the weekend
but it was 30 Kingston Road and this is just a courtesy call
regarding that inspection. You indicated some interest on
Saturday and I just wanted to see if it was still of interest to
you.
21
Lee:
Yeah, it wasnt too bad. What do you think its going to go

for?
James:
Well, as you know it was the second open for inspection

for the property and you will recall that at the time we
were talking around the one million dollar mark, possibly
$1,050,000. It now seems that the interest is firming up a
little bit in that sort of $1,050,000, possibly closer to 1.1
and thats something Im more than happy to keep you
informed about as we work through the campaign. I guess,
the first thing I was keen to establish is if the property is still
of interest to you.
Lee:
Yeah, its up there. Its not too bad.
James:
OK Lee, and Id also like to confirm with you that if we

were to get an offer prior to auction theres one buyer in
particular thats been talking about doing that would you
like us to make contact with you?
Lee:
Definitely.
James:
And, Lee, if the interest from this particular buyer Im

referring to, or from other buyers for that matter, was
around that 1.1 mark or, even a little over 1.1, would you still
like us to make contact with you?
Lee:
Its on the higher side of what I think its worth, but keep
me informed all the same.
James:
Okay. Were certainly happy to keep you informed. Im just

trying to develop some sense of your depth of interest,
Lee. Come auction day, I dont want you to come with an
expectation that you may buy the home for around a million
or a little more because, as I said, the interest is firming up
at higher than that. Having said that though, its something
Im more than happy to keep you informed about as we
work through the second half of the campaign. It should
become a little bit more apparent as we get closer to
auction day.
Lee:
Okay.
22
James:
Lee, as a matter of interest, how long have you actually

been searching for a home?
Lee:
About nine months.
James:
About nine months. And within that timeframe, have you

been interested or bid on many properties?
Lee:
Yeah, theres one that I saw there in Hawthorne. We put in

an offer but were way below the mark.
James:
Okay. And was that a similar sort of price bracket or ?
Lee:
It was.
James:
Well, Lee, Im certainly happy to keep you posted. Weve

had some fantastic interest in the property, which is
something youd expect for a property of this calibre.
Theres not many like it that come up in that type of
location and its something, as I said, Im more than happy
to keep you informed about. Lee, in your endeavours to
find something, I take it that youre keen to buy first before
you do anything with your own property? Have you sold
where you are or ?
Lee:
No, I plan to sell my place at some stage. I just didnt really

want to do anything until I felt confident that there was
something out there for me to go to.
James:
Okay. And have you had any recent or ongoing contact

with someone from Complete Real Estate, Lee? Has there
been someone thats sort of kept in touch with you over a
period of time?
Lee:
No, I dont believe so.
James:
Okay. And in saying that, have you had a recent assessment

of value, a recent appraisal on your own home? Would that
be beneficial? Id be more than happy to pop in at some
stage of this week or next if that would be helpful.
Lee:
No, I appreciate that but some guys have been out from a
couple of the other companies and Im pretty sure I know
where I stand.
23
James:
Okay. And with the two opinions that youve had, Lee, was
there some consistency between them? A lot of people
refer to one being higher than the other. I just wondered
if thered been some consistency there between the two
figures.
Lee:
I thought they were a bit on the low side, and there was
around 150 grand between them.
James:
Thats a fair gap. The market, as Im sure youve observed,

has changed quite dramatically in the last three to six
months, let alone the last twelve months. So when you say
recent, do you mean in the last three to six months, Lee,
that youve had those opinions?
Lee:
It was actually only two weeks ago.
James:
Was it? Okay. Well, $150,000 is certainly a fair gap. Id be

more than happy to pop in at some stage in the next week
or two, to help confirm which is the more accurate of the
two opinions youve had. I may well have, of course, my
own view, which could be above or in the middle of those
ranges. Its something Id love to do if thats possible at
some stage in the very near future.
Lee:
Yeah, Ill need to pick someone. What do you guys charge?
James:
Well, thats something Id normally talk to you about faceto-face, Lee. Would there be a time this week or even early
next week that would suit you to catch up?
Lee:
Well, if you charge more than the others though I dont

think Id need to get you in.
James:
I think what wed encourage you to look at closely is that

there are a number of things that are important when it
comes to appointing a real estate agent. Youve probably
noticed that Complete Real Estates profile has grown
very substantially in the last six to twelve months. Our
emergence in the city of Boroondara has been significant
in comparison to a number of our competitors and a lot
of prospective clients have commented on that. So wed
24
encourage you to look at a number of things. Cost is part

of it but there are so many other things an agent the right
agent will offer you and thats, again, something that we
can discuss when were able to catch up face-to-face.
Lee:
Okay. Well, how long does it take?
James:
It depends how many questions you have, Lee. It can

take as little as 20 minutes, half an hour or it could take
45 minutes to an hour. Id certainly like to talk you through
the process of how Complete Real Estate would represent
you, given the opportunity. Id also like to talk to you about
timing and marketing and some of the costs involved with
selling but, most importantly, why weve been appointed
to sell so many homes in the last six to 12 months over
our competitors and why our market share has grown so
substantially in a relatively short period of time.
Lee:
Well, I finish work early on a Thursday.
James:
Thatd be great. Somewhere around the 5.30 or 6 oclock

mark would suit ideally. Would somewhere around that sort
of time suit you, Lee?
Lee:
James, that sounds good.
James:
Terrific. Well, lets say if we set it for around 6. Im coming

from another appointment, so Ill probably be there around
6 to 6:15 if thats okay. I look forward to seeing you then. If I
could just confirm your address
As you can see from the role-play between James and myself, James smoothly and
skilfully manoeuvers the conversation with the prospective buyer to the topic of
selling his home. In this way, he has successfully transformed this prospective
buyer into a potential seller as well.
Real Estate Hot Topics has also featured the very talented Mr Danny Grant.
Despite being the youngest selling agent in his area and competing with agents
who have been selling there for more than twice the time he has, Danny holds the
suburbs highest market share, has the lowest clearance rate at just 29 days and has
achieved a yearly auction clearance rate above 90% for 3 years running.
25
All this despite commanding a commission rate of nearly double the amount
his competitors charge. Over the years Danny has had the opportunity to work
closely with me to improve his systems, sales skills and scripts and dialogues. As
a result, he has become a master at delivering great natural scripts for prospecting.
Lets take a look at a few.
Passive database calls

Hi Mrs Smith, its Danny Grant from Complete Real Estate, how are
you? We have spoken about the market in the past and Ive been
sending you market updates every few months. The purpose for my
call today is to make sure you are still happy to keep getting them
Have you given any thoughts on making a move in the near future? If
there is anything you need, feel free to give me a call.
Hot prospects
Hi Mrs Smith, its Danny from Complete Real Estate, how is your
property search going? I noticed that there is a house in Stanley St for
sale, have you seen that one yet? There was also a house thats just
sold in Bent St that is comparable to yours. I thought you might be
interested to hear we just sold it for $700,000.
Fee objection
Mr and Mrs Roberts In this area, agents charge according to the
outcomes they achieve in the marketplace. The worse they are doing,
the cheaper the fee. Is it important to you to select the cheapest agent
or the most capable? Agents in this marketplace know what I charge;
yet they choose not to match my fee. To match my fee they would
have to match my service and marketing. Given they cant do that, they
have to position their fee lower than ours to get your business. On the
other hand, I could reduce my level of service and maybe not call every
buyer back, but I dont want to do that. I want to maximise my service
and therefore maximise your sale price. Is that ok?
26
You all offer the same thing!

That is a good point but let me just explain the difference. If you were
to get building quotes on your home, you would receive varied prices.
There could even be a difference of $50,000 in the quotes. You may
think that given all the builders are using the same quality of materials
that you should go with the cheapest. However, its the way those
materials are put together. It would be no use hiring a builder that
puts your gutters on crooked or doesnt render properly and it all falls
apart 10 years later. Its how the sale is put together that makes the
difference in real estate.
Calls to former prospective purchasers

It is not uncommon for people to enter the marketplace just to get an idea what
they could potentially buy before they even consider putting their own home on
the market. Sometimes during the process of looking, they either lose interest or
cant find a way to raise sufficient funds for what they are after. It is at this time
that many will put their idea of moving into the too hard basket, at least for
the time being. As time ticks away however, the reason for their desire to move
usually remains. Therefore it is a good idea to keep in touch with these people,
even if they were looking months ago.
Here is an example of this type of prospecting scenario.
Hello, is that Mrs Wills? My name is Lee from Complete Real Estate.
You called our office some time ago about purchasing a property. I am
looking after your file now and was wondering if you are still interested
in moving.
By calling and offering them service, you have the potential to reignite the spark
that first put the idea of moving into a persons mind. With contact and rapport
re-established, you can offer to give that person a neutral opinion on price, bring
them to the marketplace and facilitate their move. This role is perceived as being
that of a consultant, rather than an agent.
27
Anniversary calls
The anniversary call is a classic that should be on everyones prospecting menu
because the vast majority of people move a number of times in their lifetime.
To contact your past buyers on an annual basis at the time of the anniversary
of their home purchase is a great way to add that personal touch and maintain
a connection with them. On one of those occasions, you may just strike a time
when they are thinking of moving on.
Lee:
Hi Mrs Wills, its Lee Woodward from Complete Real

Estate. How are you?
Mrs Wills:
Fine thanks.
Lee:
The purpose of my call is to let you know that it is 7 years

ago today that you purchased your home there in Penning
Street.
Mrs Wills:
Its not!
Lee:
It is, and how time flies. And I am so glad you bought when
you did because the area has risen in price considerably so
you made a great decision to buy when you did.
Mrs Wills:
What would it be worth now?
Lee:
A lot more than you paid for it. Would you like me to pop in
on my travels?
Mrs Wills:
That would be great.
The issue of well-constructed letters is also a great idea as part of your prospecting
plan. The four letters that follow are good ones to use.

Some people assume that there is nothing to selling a home privately
and decide to take it on themselves in order to save the money they
would need to pay a real estate agency for their services. However
most people underestimate the cost, time and energy involved and do
not realise that the majority of private sellers fail to achieve the result
28
they were hoping for due to a lack of marketing, exposure, skills and
knowledge.
This letter is designed to inform you about just what is involved in
selling a home privately. Please review the following steps carefully
before deciding between selling your home privately or seeking the
assistance of our experienced team of real estate professionals at
Complete Real Estate.

Step 1
Carefully research information regarding the price and terms of sales in
todays real estate market. Investigate recent sale prices of properties
similar to yours in your immediate area. Know lot size, current tax
information and relevant property disclosure laws. Then establish a
realistic price for your property based on that information.
Step 2
Know current lending institution guidelines and borrowing criteria to
determine financing alternatives for your prospective buyers.
Step 3
Conduct your own mini walk-through inspection, taking note of all the
items that need repair or improvement.
Your check may include:
t Paint finishes
t Windows and window-dressings
t Gardens
t Plumbing and all appliances
t All sealants
t Roofing and guttering.
Be careful not to over-capitalise. Only do jobs that will enhance the
price and saleability of your property.
29
Step 4
Make all necessary repairs and improvements before you begin to
advertise your property.
Step 5
Determine if your property is susceptible to termite attack and organise
a pest report and/or treatment. Be prepared.
Step 6
Be aware of any relevant council zoning or building infringements and
either rectify the fault or obtain the appropriate certificates from council.
Step 7
Be available at all times so that you can walk through the property with
prospective buyers to answer their questions and offer information
about local schools, parks, transportation, shopping centres and
churches etc.
Step 8
Establish a marketing budget.
Step 9
Determine which newspapers will best advertise your property. Call
them for rates and deadlines and negotiate the best deal.
Step 10
As you dont have access to an existing database of buyers, you
will be more dependent on advertising. Prepare a professional,
attention-grabbing advertisement that will attract the right buyers to
your property. Place your advertisement in the newspaper and any
homebuyer magazines that are effective in your area.
Step 11
Prepare a plan to reach local buyers plus those out of town buyers who
account for a large portion of todays home purchasers.
30
Step 12
Purchase an eye-catching and weatherproof sign and install it at the
front of your property.
Step 13
Prepare a features and benefits fact sheet, outlining specific features
of your home and corresponding benefits to prospective purchasers.
Also, prepare a list of inclusions that will stay with the property and any
other items that may stay by negotiation.
Step 14
Learn how to separate the lookers from qualified buyers. Ask for
names and phone numbers and be sure to follow-up with telephone
calls.
Step 15
Schedule and conduct inspections with qualified buyers only. Ensure
they are really looking to buy a home and do not have a hidden agenda.
Step 16
Be prepared to negotiate with the buyer(s) as though you are an
impartial third party. Remain calm and refrain from any emotional
outbursts that might jeopardise your sale price.
Step 17
Obtain all forms necessary for the legal sale of real property such
as a Contract for the Sale of Land and ensure it includes relevant
documents and a current:
t Zoning certificate
t Drainage diagram
t Certificate of title
t Section 66W certificate (if required)
t Survey report (if required)
t Building certificate (if required).
31
Step 18
Determine the type(s) of financing or contractual terms that you are
willing to consider such as:
t Vendor finance
t Option sale
t Extended settlement
t Sale subject to council approval, building certificate or lease back
t Access under licence agreement.
Step 19
Negotiate with the buyer(s) all final terms of the sale including price,
financing, inspections, date of closing, date of possession and
other pertinent considerations. Have a solicitor review contracts if
appropriate.
Step 20
Plan a final walk-through with the buyer(s) just before the settlement
process is complete in order to resolve any potential dispute. Have a
witness present.
Step 21
While you are marketing your current property, locate and negotiate to
purchase your next home. Attempt to schedule both transactions so
that they close simultaneously. In this way, you and the buyer are able
to move at the same time.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
Complete Real Estate
Complimentary appraisal offer

Knowing the value of your most valuable asset your home is vital.
For planning and financial management, your knowledge of value is
32
your basis for creating further financial wealth and freedom. Decisions
made with anything less than the facts can lead you to make choices
that may not be in your best interest.
At Complete Real Estate, we can provide you with the facts, and
demonstrate to you the equity that is available in your property so that
you can make all the right choices.
We are happy to offer you this complimentary service, which will
provide you with:
1. The facts on property sales in your area
2. A report on properties currently for sale in your area
3. The facts on the current state of the property market.
The reason we offer you this free service is simply because the better
we know the people and properties in our area, the better service
we can provide to you. It makes good business sense. You win by
gaining a better understanding of the facts, and we win by knowing
more people and properties in our area.
This service is offered to you totally obligation free!
If you wish to take advantage of this offer, please give me a call on 0411
111 111.
I look forward to speaking with you.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
Record sale price letter

Dear Householder,
The residential property values in the Davistown area have changed
forever due to a record-breaking sale by Complete Real Estate. The
home at 2 Davis Avenue, Davistown has just been sold for well over a
million dollars. This new benchmark price has altered property values
and personal wealth for all Davistown home owners.
33
The reason for this is that bank valuations or real estate assessments
are governed by surrounding sale prices. Until now, the highest
property values have been achieved by local agents, ranging between
the 800 to 900 thousand, leaving Davistown with a limited selling point
or maximum price capacity.
Complete Real Estate has lifted the benchmark for Davistown. This
great result is the outcome of a national-based marketing campaign
that utilised quality media releases and the unique Complete Real
Estate marketing advantage. DVD and video presentations were
distributed free of charge to all interested parties all over Australia. This
unique movie presentation format is placing Davistown on the map, as
many people have been unaware of this fantastic coastal location.
Over the next two weeks we would like to offer you the opportunity
to re-assess your property value. Simply call Complete Real Estate to
make an obligation free appointment.
We thank you for taking the time to read this information and look
forward to the possibility of meeting you and discussing all your real
estate needs.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
The price drive letter

Dear Householder,
Property values on the North Coast and particularly around Manly have
risen dramatically.
Residents we have spoken to are most interested to know the current
value of their property as this allows them to pursue other financial
initiatives or to ensure that their home is adequately insured.
To assist our local residents we are conducting an exciting new initiative.
Over the next 3 months we will be offering our opinion on the value of
every home in the area.
34
Each appraisal will only take approximately 10 minutes, as we hope to

complete one street per day.
What you will receive:
t Letter of appraisal value for your home
t Detailed area market analysis for properties sold over the past 6
months.
How do you participate?
Call Lee or Robyn at Complete Real Estate on 9436 8180.
When is your street being appraised?
Emora Ave and Mirreen Ave have been scheduled for Tuesday, 7th and
Thursday, 9th July, 2009.
Strict confidentiality will be adhered to for each property.
We look forward to your participation and to meeting you.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
This letter is beautifully followed up with the following phone call.
Price drive follow-up

Hi, is that Mrs Smith? Mrs Smith this is Lee from Complete Real Estate,
how are you? Mrs Smith Im just giving you a quick call about a letter
we sent you this week labeled the Manly price drive. Did you receive it?
We have now completed a report and I thought you might be open to
receiving a complimentary copy.
35
Expired listings
It pays to keep up-to-date with properties that are on the market with your
competitors as once the term with the rival agency expires and the property has
not sold, the client is left disappointed, perhaps disgruntled with the agency they
were with, and at a loss as to what to do next. This is an opportune time for you
to make contact.
Lee:
Is that Mr Smith? Its Lee Woodward from Complete Real

Estate. How are you?
Mr Smith: Good thanks.

Lee:
I have been watching your home in the marketplace now

for some time and was wanting to know if it actually sold.
Mr Smith: No it didnt and so were not moving now.

Lee:
I see, but lets say you were able to get the price you were
after, would you still want to move?
Mr Smith: Possibly.
Lee:
Mr Smith, Ive only seen it your home from the outside and
it certainly looks like the quality of home that our buyers
are looking for. Would it be possible for me to have a quick
look through to see if I can be of help?
Service area calls

This is another example of how you can start up a connection with someone
who is selling through one of your competitors. As I have said before in this
prospecting chapter, it is frequency of contact that builds trust. After all, you
never know what the future may hold for this person and making contact without
inflicting any pressure is a surefire way to ensure you will be remembered as a
professional, rather than just another salesperson.
Hi, is that Mrs Smith? Its Lee from Complete Real Estate. How are you?
Mrs Smith, I noticed that you are selling your home and I was
wondering if you are looking to buy in the area as I might just have
something that could suit you. (response) Would you mind if I stayed in
touch and kept you updated on others I have that come up?
36
The all-in-one door knocking role-play with brochure

Just the idea of door knocking sends a shiver down the spine of many salespeople.
To many it conjures up images of the old-fashioned door-to-door encyclopedia or
vacuum cleaner salesmen, who were instructed to literally put a foot in the door
to prevent it from being shut in their faces.
The following technique offers you a method that is seen to add value because
there is no direct attempt at a sales pitch.
Knock on the door
Sam:
Hello?
Lee:
Hi, how are you going?
Sam:
Good thanks. Can I help you?
Lee:
My name is Lee Woodward from Complete Real Estate. I

am just letting everyone know that number 16 in the street
has just been listed for sale and as one of the residents Id
like to provide you with some information on the property.
Heres the feature brochure for you.
Sam:
OK, thanks.
Lee:
Are you familiar with the property?
Sam:
Only from the outside.
Lee:
Well its a four bedroom, two-storey home with an inground swimming pool and plenty of car accommodation
and its being offered on the marketplace this weekend at
12:15 to 1 oclock. Would you like to come along and have
a look?
Sam:
Yeah I might come and have a look.
Lee:
Fantastic and would that be because youve had some

thoughts on moving?
Sam:
Yeah sometimes, we talk about it.
Lee:
And if you had the opportunity to move, where would you

go?
37
Sam:
Well wed keep our eye out in the area.
Lee:
OK, so youd like to stay local?
Sam:
I think so.
Lee:
And what would you like to achieve in your new property

that you may not already have here?
Sam:
Well, I love this place; its just getting a little small.
Lee:
Do you mind me asking, do you have any children?
Sam:
Yeah, Ive got two.
Lee:
And their ages?
Sam:
Eighteen and twelve.
Lee:
OK. So maybe an extra living area or rumpus room/

teenagers retreat would work for you?
Sam:
Yeah, or a place for me to get away.
Lee:
I understand and can I ask you your name?
Sam:
Its Sam.
Lee:
Well Sam, I have a few properties that would meet those

requirements. Would you be open to having a look around?
Sam:
Yeah, Id look around.
Lee:
OK, well Ill put a selection of properties together that I

think would suit and Ill give you a call back with the first
address of where we can meet. Would that be OK?
Sam:
Yeah, that would be fine.
Lee:
Sam whats the best number I can call you on?
Sam:
Ill give you my mobile 0414 111 111.
Lee:
Would you like me to SMS the address through to you?
Sam:
Lee:
Ill do that for you and how would 2:15 tomorrow work for
you?
Sam:
Thats fine.
38
Lee:
Ill look forward to seeing you tomorrow and at some stage

in the future Id love to give you a neutral opinion on price
for this property.
Sam:
Sounds good.
Lee:
Thanks for your time Sam. Ill see you tomorrow.
Notice how I casually opened up the possibility of a listing appointment but I

specifically didnt push the issue any further.
Activity plans
All the initial prospecting in the world will evaporate to nothing if you do not
have a solid follow-up system of automated, predetermined activities. This is the
biggest mistake I have seen people make when it comes to prospecting. The agent
does all the hard work, making hundreds of calls to find potential sellers, yet
has no active database that will allow them to attach an action plan. The clientbased action plan builds a relationship that leads to a listing and/or sale. Face-toface contact needs to be achieved on at least two occasions. A realistic time-line
for nurturing client relationships needs to be set and then implemented to its
predetermined finality.
Summary
Real estate is about people and property. Each day we need to communicate with
a solid volume of our target audience if we are to find the dormant opportunities
that are out there. Prospecting is about quality, multiple, staged contact points that
build relationships and provide value by educating people about the marketplace.
Great software (like Complete Data) is needed to manage this process as it allows
us to capture all detailed information about the people and property we come
into contact with; information that can then be recalled on demand and sorted
into precincts, becoming the centre of our contact targeted marketing. Of course,
it is not possible for a human being to remember every detail about thousands
of prospects, so thats why having a database of detail and depth is your business
super fund.
We now understand that prospecting is the practice of creatively searching for
new business. Do it with consistency and professionalism, and it will keep you in
39
the industry. Many agents do not operate to a plan or understand the amount of
phone calls required and letters to send each day. For your knowledge, all agents
should be completing a minimum of 35 scheduled tasks a day, where a scheduled
task is determined as one to which you assign an action, for instance to call back
on a particular date.
Lets say you meet a prospect today and they say, I am not moving for a few
months, however, keep in contact with me. You would attach an action plan (a
trail) to their contact record in your chosen database, which on specific dates in
the future, will prompt you to send a letter, email, SMS or make a phone call. This
frequency of contact builds trust and can provide value when you send property
brochures, open for inspection emails and just sold information.
An important feature of your chosen software is its ability to produce your own
custom comparable market analysis, which is a detailed document of all your
work in the area. Your database system needs to have the capability to collect and
store all property photos, pricing and timings of the market and then have the
ability to be collated into a smart looking report within just a few mouse clicks.
This interesting, continuous marketplace study is of great value and will become
your marketing sticky, which you will recall is a reason why people stick with
you. By giving your prospects great reports as a gift every six months, they learn
new information from each contact and will remember you if and when it comes
time for them to sell.
40
Listing
Winning the business listing
The listing presentation is where the doorway to making a sale is opened for you.
The meeting where the vendor decides to engage your services is the foundation
for your relationship, therefore it is vital you ensure that everything you have
promised is in place, ready to be activated just as you described.
This chapter of the book focuses on the listing presentation itself and provides
you with the confirmation letter to hand-deliver to the client prior to the meeting
as well as the suggested things to say and how to say them during this most
important meeting. This includes how to ask for the order, scripts for overcoming
objections and great final closes.
41
Listings how to secure them

Winning listings takes confidence in and enthusiasm for your listing system. To
establish yourself today with a real point of difference requires a presentation
that focuses on the process rather than the promise. This means we need a
presentation framework that uses opening comments, closing questions and
quality visual aids to create a road map that owners can follow. Pre-selected
dialogue is then utilised to strategically focus on asking for the listing. As a real
estate training company to many agencies nationwide, we have the opportunity
to view all types of listing presentations. In this chapter we will break down the
entire listing communication process into three main areas:
1.
2.
3.
Preparation
Agent proposition
Beginnings
This will bring clarity to the crescendo of information you need to know in order
to win an owners business.
Successful listing presentations are founded upon solid communication
communication that cuts to the chase of the key information that the owner really
needs to know in order to make the decision to move forward with your strategy
and with you as their agent.
Your objective is to connect with your audience by achieving simplicity with
fewer, clearer messages. You need to stop presenting to them and start professional
chatting with them instead, staying relaxed and being yourself while delivering
clear and concise dialogues interspersed with brilliant questions designed to cut
to the chase.
Behind the visuals and words of any great presenter are many repetitive hours of
effort that bring the whole presentation into a space that I refer to as moments.
A moment is when you deliver one of your best points; a point that you believe
in so much that your audience goes silent as they realise just how good you are.
You need to develop your short, effective chats what I refer to as power hooks
until you are so comfortable with them that they sound completely natural. With
this achieved, your potential vendors will see your value and will begin to believe
that they are better off with you than without you. Your aim is to have the owners
believe that there is no comparison between you and your competition. With this
achieved, your fee will be looked upon as an investment as opposed to a cost, a
fact highlighted in the delivery of one of my favourite dialogues:
42
You dont actually pay us, Mrs. Jones. Our performance fee comes off the sale price
at the end, so we are actually part of your profit, not one of your expenses. And if
we dont sell the property for a price that is acceptable to you, we get paid nothing
for our time, effort and commitment. We cant be fairer than that.
Selling is simply transference of feelings. When we deliver a moment, we sell the
feeling. When we lose the business, it simply means we were unable to sell the
feeling.
The difference between winning and losing a listing rarely hinges on one single
issue. Rather, a series of minor issues usually influence an owners decision. When
you ask why you missed out, you will usually receive an answer that is designed
to let you down gently, e.g. fees, style of advertising, etc. Just remember, success
is not based on one thing in isolation. Many little steps contribute to the entire
journey of a professional.
Preparation
A listing starts from the moment you meet your potential vendor. You may
meet them as a buyer at an open for inspection or while showing them through
a property. Whatever that first contact may be is the start of that relationship.
Everybody you come into contact with counts and as a professional salesperson,
it is vital that you dont just turn it on when you are in the possible money space.
Be a caring professional at all times and never let your guard down for you never
know who is taking your measure. With this in mind, just convince yourself
that everybody you come into contact with will one day be a seller and every
communication you have with that person may just be the magical touch that
wins you consistent business. This should become one of your business standards.
All great listings follow a set formula for success:
1.
Preparation
2.
Positioning
3.
Closing
Lets look at some important communications that are used at the preparation
stage. In taking a call from someone who is interested in selling his or her home,
you need a pre-qualifying listing appointment script.
43
Listing questionnaire strategy to qualify all seller

leads
Name
Contact No (h)
(w)
Mobile
Fax
Email
Lead Source
Sales Address
Appointment Date and Time

Pre-listing Kit Delivery Date and Time
10 key qualifying questions
1. Thank you for holding; I believe you are interested in putting your
property on the market?
2. Do you mind if I ask who referred you to us? or What prompted you
to call our company?
3. And when are you thinking of putting the property on the market?
4. Are you seeing any other agents?
5. Would you like me to price the property for you while Im there? The
reason I mention that is many agents will come out to see you and
then go away to do some research and come back. I will be able to
do it all in one go.
6. To allow me to do my research prior to seeing you, would you mind
if I compile a report of some of the properties in the area that have
sold recently?
7. To enable me to do this, roughly what price bracket do you think
your home would be in?
(Receive figure) If they do not know, use the following formula
or comparable questions.
44
8. Can you give me a description of the property? (Receive

description) Ok well the properties listed on the Internet of that
description in that suburb sold for around $x. Would that sound like
a close price guide to your own? or Number 12 in your street just
sold for $465,000. Would you be above or below that one?
9. To allow us sufficient time to do our research, would it be ok if we
were the last people to see you? (Response) When would that be?
10. Would it be possible to forward you some information prior to
our meeting? (Response) Great will you be home in the next half
hour? Great, I will send Robyn from our support team with the
information. Thank you for the opportunity to see your home at
number 10 High Street and the possibility of helping you with your
property goals.
Please be aware that you need to confirm the handover of the call from reception
to you as many agents ask the same questions already asked by the receptionist.
This is unprofessional and really aggravates the client.
The above scripted questions need to be rehearsed until they flow naturally. Too
many agents lose business due to loose and incomplete dialogue on the telephone.
The key here is to learn it, know it and then nail it.
Lets take a look at a role-play using the key qualifying questions.
The inbound potential seller qualification role-play

Phone rings
Helen:
Thank you for calling Complete Real Estate, this is Helen.
Sadhana:
Hi Helen, my name is Sadhana. I am looking at putting

my property on the market, just wondering if there was
someone who could help me?
Helen:
So I can select the right agent, can I ask which area the
property is in?
Sadhana:
The property is in Hawthorn.
Helen:
OK, Lee Woodward would be the agent to look after you,

can I please have your full name and contact number?
45
Sadhana:
Sure, its Sadhana Smiles and my mobile contact number

is 0412 066 066
Helen:
Thank you, Ill just put you through to Lee.
Lee:
Hey Helen
Helen:
I have a Sadhana Smiles on the line. Shes after an

appraisal on her property.
Lee:
A Sar what?
Helen:
A Sadhana Smiles shes after an appraisal.
Lee:
And did you get her mobile number?
Helen:
Yes I did.
Lee:
And can I just ask, did she say she wanted a price, an
appraisal or shes putting the property on the market?
Helen:
She actually said she wanted to put her property on the

market.
Lee:
Thank you Helen.
Sadhana is put through to Lee

Lee:
Thank you for holding; its Lee speaking. I believe you are
interested in putting your property on the market?
Sadhana:
Yes I am.
Lee:
Is it OK if I call you Sadhana?
Sadhana:
Absolutely.
Lee:
Sadhana, may I ask what prompted you to call our

company?
Sadhana:
Probably your marketing in the area. Youve got a lot of

boards up in the area at the moment and a friend of mine
sold their house through one of your offices a couple of
years ago.
Lee:
And when are you thinking about putting your property on

the market?
Sadhana:
Probably in about a month.
46
Lee:
And are you seeing any other agents?
Sadhana:
Yes I am.
Lee:
And when we come out to see you, would you like us to

price the property while we are there?
Sadhana:
I certainly would.
Lee:
The reason I mention this Sadhana, is many agents will

come out and visit the home, go away and do some
research and then come back. If its OK with you, Id like
to do all my research in advance, that way I can show you
some actual comparables and photos of other homes, just
to give us a guide to the value of your own property. Would
that be OK?
Sadhana:
Yes it would be.
Lee:
Well so I can create the right pricing report, roughly what

price bracket would you be in?
Sadhana:
Wed like to get over $900,000 for our house.
Lee:
So if I did a search between $900,000 and $1,000,050

would that sound OK?
Sadhana:
That sounds about right actually.
Lee:
And have you had the opportunity to inspect any of the

other homes around you that have sold?
Sadhana:
Yes we have, weve kept an eye on the market in our area

and I have been into about 3 or 4 homes that were recently
auctioned.
Lee:
Excellent, well you could point those out in my report when

I bring it over.
Sadhana:
Lovely.
Lee:
And just to allow me sufficient time to build that report,

would it be OK Sadhana if we are the last people to see
you?
Sadhana:
Thats fine, yes.
Lee:
When would that be?

47
Sadhana:
If you could come around about 4 oclock tomorrow

afternoon.
Lee:
That would work well. And would it be OK to forward you

some information prior to our meeting?
Sadhana:
Lee:
And there are a few questions in there that if you would

have some time to answer would really assist me with the
pricing.
Sadhana:
Thats fine Lee, I can do that for you.
Lee:
Will you be home in the next hour or so?
Sadhana:
Yes I will be.
Lee:
Great. Helen already got your contact phone number for

me, and I know you are in Hawthorn, but just the actual
sales address please.
Sadhana:
13 Hawthorn Road, Hawthorn.
Lee:
And is that where youll be in the next hour?
Sadhana:
Yes I will be here.
Lee:
OK, Ill get Timothy from our office to drop that information
over to you and then that way weve got everything we
need for our meeting.
Sadhana:
Sounds great.
Lee:
Now just before you go, just suppose we got a price that
you were ecstatic with and youve sold your own home,
where would you be off to Sadhana?
Sadhana:
Probably down to Port Melbourne, we are downsizing at

the moment so thats something were certainly looking at.
Lee:
OK, we cover that area, what type of home would you be

after?
Sadhana:
A townhouse, 2 bedrooms, lounge room, dining room and

preferably a balcony overlooking the bay.
Lee:
And have you given any consideration to pricing?
48
Sadhana:
Well it really depends what our property sold for, however

we would be looking for something over $900,000.
Lee:
Would it be OK with you if I sent you some information on

properties that match that criteria?
Sadhana:
Yeah, that would be fantastic.
Lee:
This is the way Ill do it. Weve got a system called Red
First and Ill put your details on it after this call. Red First
automatically finds those homes and sends them to you.
That way you are up-to-date with everything going on in
the marketplace.
Sadhana:
Wonderful.
Lee:
Can I just grab your e-mail address, Sadhana?
Sadhana:
Its [email protected]
Lee:
Excellent. Well I look forward to our meeting and being able

to assist you with all your real estate needs and providing
all the information you need so that you can make a
decision.
Sadhana:
Good talking with you Lee and I look forward to meeting

with you.
Lee:
Thank you Sadhana.
Conversation ends phone down a loud cry of joy from Lee.
SMS confirmation after phone call

Dear Sadhana, it was great to speak with you. As confirmed, I will see
you @ 4pm Monday. You now have my number should something
change. Regards Lee
Covering letter of confirmation and questionnaire

Dear Sadhana,
Thank you for speaking to me about your property at 13 Hawthorn
Road. As arranged, I will meet you at (time and date) and (venue).
49
I am sure that your plans and ideas for the future will progress with the
information that I have prepared for you.
Should you choose our company to represent you, the information you
tell us about your property, combined with our advanced marketing
skills, will generate a positive outcome. On my visit it would help me if
you could assist with some information about your home. For example,
its features and benefits and the length of time you have lived there.
This background knowledge will be to your advantage, as it will assist
us in marketing the property to its best advantage.
We no longer hope for a good price in todays marketplace: we
construct a good price by emphasising the best features of your home.
I have enclosed our behind the scenes information folder for your
perusal, which has a list of questions with space for comments.
So feel free to write down as much as you like. Its impossible to
provide too much information! I look forward to our meeting and to
sharing all our fresh ideas on selling your property, with a no sale, no
charge commitment to you.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
Questionnaire
1. Start by thinking back to when you originally purchased your property.
a. What influenced you to buy the property?
b. What plans did you have for the home, which you may not have
completed?
c. What advantages are there in living in your home?
2. When family or friends visit, what do they point out as the benefits of
your home?
50
3. What are the 5 best things about your home?

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
4. Add any additional comments you care to make.
Pre-listing packages
In Australia there are thousands of different types of pre-listing kits, which,
by the way, is a term your potential vendors will not understand. The correct
wording is the behind the scenes information folder. Unfortunately 85% of the
ones I have seen focus on the who we are rather than on the content that would
actually be of benefit to the potential client. While we do need to sell the benefits
of who we are, we must demonstrate this point with the use of factual, processoriented information that will save you time when you are in front of the potential
client. The following menu provides you with the content headings for a quality
pre-listing presentation package. Just make sure, when putting it together, that it
matches your personality.
1.
Capability Statement
2.
Introduction
The introduction should set the scene, introducing yourself, your
company and the team working behind the scenes. Include a photo of
yourself so your potential client can put a face to the name.
3.
Market Knowledge
Recent sales should be included here with outstanding photography.
You should also try to include at least one testimonial, preferably
from someone who has given his or her permission to be phoned as a
reference.
51
4.
Steps to Selling your Home and Real Estate Pricing Rationale
5.
Preparing your Home for Sale
6.
Glossary of Real Estate Terms and Stamp Duty Chart
7.
Positioning Statement
For example, Helping you move or Its your move we make it
happen.
8.
Marketing Plan and Technology
9.
Buy and Sell Assessment Chart

This section allows your potential client to assess their changeover costs
and should include a space for taking notes.
10. Meeting agenda

Outline your meeting agenda here.
Sample testimonials
My home sold fairly quickly and, with the help of Adam, I found a new
home within a week in both cases at very acceptable prices. I was at
all times informed of any progress (by phone and letter) of both the sale
and purchase negotiations. I would recommend Complete Real Estate,
and especially Adam, to any prospective clients without the slightest
hesitation.
Mrs Carol Jane Eden Park
Adam took over our listing 6 months after it being on the market and
lifted our spirits with his exhilarating enthusiasm and overwhelming
interest. Several weeks after giving us his professional advice and go
forward plan we sold the property. Thank you Adam; we recommend
you to anybody looking to sell.
Mr & Mrs Ogdon Milton Park
Adam, this letter is to say thank you for being such a professional. You
were the only agent who really took interest in what I was after, and as
a result, I found my first property in only 2 weeks. Thanks for making
my first property experience an enjoyable and exciting one.
Mr Steven Baz St Huberts Island
52
You took the pressure and confusion out of buying a property and
made it a pleasure. Its important to feel confident with the people
who are working for you, on your behalf. Your expertise and honesty
was very re-assuring. Thank you once again; your support made it an
empowering experience.
Pam Warrington Wamberal
Property Assessment Report

The Property Assessment Report is a professional way to take notes and stay on
track. It captures all vital information in a detailed form, which is needed when
you are the appointed agent.
53
54
55
SMS on the day of the appointment

Dear Sadhana, just confirming our appointment for 4pm today, I look
forward to meeting with you & inspecting your property. Regards Lee
Prep tip
Always arrive 3 minutes early and take some quick notes, thoroughly studying
the front of the home. The owner is likely to be observing you through a window
and will admire your punctuality.
Should you be running late, phone the owner and say:
Hi Sadhana, its Lee calling. I am running slightly behind schedule and
will be with you in about 5 to 10 minutes. Is that acceptable to you?
Excellent, I have everything prepared for our meeting. Look forward to
seeing you soon.
Agents proposition
Now that we have set the scene by outlining who we are and how we work, we
need to communicate, in person, everything we offer. I like to refer to this offering
as the agents proposition, much like an artists proposition in the music industry.
Your potential vendors are wondering at this point what you will do for them
and how you will do it. In a nutshell, they want to know whether or not you are
capable.
Your job is to reflect, enhance and clarify what your organisation stands for
and believes in. Just remember though, you are the winning ingredient in any
sales presentation. Your value arises from your ability to demonstrate how you
manage and facilitate the market on behalf of each client, under the direction and
enhancement of the company brand.
Getting this message across is about belief. The best way to sound credible is to
determine and sign off on the following items in advance:
56
1.
The visual communication tool you will use e.g. folder, storyboard or
timeline.
2.
The framework and sequential order of the presentation.
3.
The key connecting concepts and dialogue points of the messages you
want to convey.
4.
The laminated visual aids (props) that will be used to visually back up
your concepts.
5.
The repertoire of winning questions that you will use at predetermined

times and stages.
6.
The proposed marketing program options (x3) that you are

recommending.
7.
Your complete 10-point plan listing procedure to keep you on track.
8.
Three outstanding case studies with photos as testimonial evidence

from happy clients.
9.
Knowledge of your strongest points, practising them until they become

your magical moments.
10. The closing questions you will use (I like to call these beginnings) to
get the paperwork signed and listed.
The power of ten

As you read the key points throughout this book you will notice that there are
always ten. I love the number 10 as it is so compliant with the 100% percentile
rating. For example, if you only have 4 out of 10 points functional in your
presentation you are at 40% of your capacity. To improve on this, all you need to
do is implement the missing strategic points and you give yourself a 100% best
chance of winning the business and becoming a professional presenter who is
to standard. This is the power of ten. Why dont you audit yourself and find out
what your rating is.
Your complete listing procedure

Having identified all the essential elements required to construct a winning
presentation, we must develop and follow a formula to stand out from the crowd
when we meet a new vendor.
1.
Make the appointment. If they called you, always ask pre-listing form
questions, including any referral.
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2.
Hand-deliver the letter of confirmation and a pre-listing kit in advance

of the appointment.
3.
Arrive on time. Call if you may run late.
4.
Greet them, then tour the home (you must take control here).
5.
Take a seat, preferably with a table and chair. Be careful of positioning.

Avoid sitting between the clients, as the preferred position is for them to
sit together, directly in front of you.
6.
Make your opening comments (part 1 of presentation 3 to 4 minutes

maximum).
7.
Discuss your performance fees and marketing plan (parts 2 and 3

approx. 28 minutes).
8.
Answer questions and objections.
9.
Deliver pricing.
10. Close with the completion of the paperwork.

If no questions are asked at the end of your presentation, you are in deep trouble.
Questions and objections are a sign that you are being considered for the job.
Building your face-to-face presentation

When delivering a listing presentation, break the total event into three separate
stages. To make your presentation more convincing, information and ideas
must be delivered in the most effective sequence possible. By breaking up the
whole presentation into small sections, you can be sure to cover everything of
importance within the attention span of your prospective client.
Stage 1 the preparation, meaning everything before the property is advertised
Stage 2 when the property is advertised
Stage 3 the negotiation and closing (getting to yes).
By adopting this framework you can start to put all scripts, dialogues and letters
in their place rather than taking an ad hoc approach.
The contents of a listing presentation effectively provide an owner with a business
plan for their sale. Top-notch presentations focus on a potential clients actual
needs, rather than those which we might easily perceive to be their needs.
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A professional presenter guides the owner towards their decision to list, through
the quality of the presentation. The best way to engage the owner is to draw them
into the decision-making process through a series of strategic questions, concepts
and supporting visuals, which are designed to lead you to success. The questions
and concepts that follow are applicable to all occasions, helping you to win the
listing.
24 questions to ask strategies that will be activated

1. What would you like to achieve from our meeting today?
Strategy: agenda setting they are in control
2. Can you tell me about any improvements that you have made, that
you consider have added to the value of your home?
Strategy: empathy, thoroughness, explore their price expectations
3. How do you feel about having a signboard outside?
Strategy: trial close, expression of empathy
4. Do you think your home would suit a morning or an afternoon
photo?
Strategy: attention to detail, expertise
5. When were you hoping to see the property advertised?
Strategy: trial close, set an expected timeframe
6. Are there any photos that you would like to include in the
campaign?
Strategy: attention to detail, vendor involvement
7. Do you have a spare key or should I have one cut?
Strategy: trial close, progress the meeting
8. Have you met any other agents? May I ask why you havent
appointed any of them?
Strategy: explore their expectations
9. Do you know very much about our company?
Strategy: credibility, community feeling, test perception, present
profile
10. If we achieve a price that delights you, where will you move to?
Strategy: trial close, set an expected timeframe
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11. Would you like me to estimate the changeover cost for you?
Strategy: show expertise, establish the feasibility
12. Have you seen a marketing strategy recently that has caught your
eye?
Strategy: preferences, points of difference
13. If you were a buyer, would you see the benefit in that?
Strategy: gain acceptance
14. Have you had a property on the market before and how did it go?
Strategy: explore expectations, previous experiences
15. That is going to take a little while. How are you going for time?
Strategy: explore timeframe
16. Do you have a good solicitor for handling real estate?
Strategy: explore timeframe, establish common ground
17. How do you feel about having your home open for inspection?
Strategy: trial close, explore motivations, express empathy
18. What are you looking for in a marketing agent?
19. Is this all making sense?
20. The agent you choose will have a major effect on the price you
will receive. How will you know that another agent can negotiate
effectively for you?
Strategy: explore expectations, previous experience, engage in a roleplay or give an example
21. If all the agents charged the same fee, would you list your property
with us?
Strategy: trial close, explore motivation, isolate any concerns
22. Just suppose that I am working with a buyer who likes your home
and is in a position to make you an offer. However, they say that
they have seen some other homes and would like to think it over.
What would you like me to do?
Strategy: establish credibility, show understanding of your duty to
complete the sale
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23. Has anyone explained the law of selling?

Strategy: final close, gain acceptance, demonstrate product knowledge
24. Is your feeling today about winning or is it about engaging the very
best agent?
Strategy: reinforce credibility, show understanding, confront the fee
issue head on
Brilliant throw in one-liners

1. If we were always right as agents the market would never go up in
price.
2. Every time we thought we had achieved a record price we were
wrong. We told the owner one value then the marketplace paid
another. You have to realise thats how markets work they grow
and they shrink.
3. Owner mentions a higher price. You could be right, however if your
price is out there we will get it. If not, at least we can be at peace
knowing that we didnt undersell it.
4. In pricing any piece of real estate, Sadhana, there are two figures
a mathematical figure and an emotional figure.
5. Can I ask, did anybody walk to your back boundary? No? When I
did and looked back at the home, that was the dollar shot for me.
6. We only get one chance to sell your property; then the value is
passed on to somebody else.
7. Its our job, Sadhana, to get you the greatest outcome.
8. My role is two key things: I price it and I sell it. Our support team
handles everything else.
9. Can I ask, is your goal today about engaging the very best agent or
the one with the cheapest fee?
10. Can I ask, if we were all the same price would you go with us?
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Take it easy
Have you ever noticed how some people seem to transform into another life form
when making a presentation? They stop being their own person the very person
that the seller would like to relate to. Instead, they try to become some supersonic
salesperson, capable of changing the world in a single advertisement! This
kind of transformation will always work against you. Far too often salespeople
confuse presenting with public speaking. They try to impress people with long,
intelligent words that can make the seller feel inferior. Presenting need not be an
exhibition of mind-boggling words and phrases, as its true value arises when you
use presenting as a platform for naturalness. Relax be yourself. Pausing when
talking is classy. It helps you to regroup mentally if you have lost your train of
thought. Pausing through normal sentences will also allow points of importance
the space that they need, ensuring clarity and understanding. Remember; try to
master the art of speaking to people at their own speed. Everybody is different.
The presentation role-play

The information I have discussed so far in this chapter on listing was in no
particular order. It is important to remember in any listing presentation that
every scenario is different. The true key to brilliant listing presentations is your
ability to dance. By dance, I mean to think on your feet and constantly read the
situation (and between the lines) as you go. In asking questions, use the following
as a rule of thumb guide direct 70% of your questions to the female, 25% to
the male, with the remaining 5% of questions asked while focusing on a visual.
Selling to women or the female counterpart is one of your keys to success, as
women are often particularly sensitive to being left out of the equation. You will
also find that, in a buying and selling situation, it is quite often the female who
exerts the most authority in the situation.
Now that we have all our visual tools, questions and concepts in place, we can
look at a listing role-play to see how the three stages fall into place.
I would strongly recommend that you modify the following scripts and dialogues
to match your personality and the demographics of your business development
area. For instance, you would take a different approach in a country town to
an exclusive north shore suburb of Sydney. The key here is to adapt rather than
adopt. If theres one thing Ive learnt from professional presenting, its that you
62
shouldnt try to present exactly like someone else. The most powerful tool in any
presentation is and will always be you. Be yourself. Having said that though, it is
important that you role-play the system over and over again until you internalise
what it is youre going to say. Remember also that whenever you do a listing
presentation to an owner, it is a simulation of how you will perform as their agent.
Stage 1 before the property is advertised

Thanks for showing me around, Mr and Mrs Jones. I have picked up a
lot of value in your home. What Id like to do now is just take you through
the process of how we would sell the property should you decide to go
with us. You know, a lot of owners find moving a confusing process and
its sometimes stressful because theyre not sure whats going to happen
next. What Ive built here is basically a roadmap to show you how it works.
I recommend using Real Estate Academys Visual Listing System, as the majority
of people tend to be visual rather than verbal.
Now is the perfect time to use an opening question to allow some vendor
involvement.
Mr and MrsJones, can I ask you, what is it youd like to achieve out of
our meeting today?
The response you will receive from the potential vendor here will be something
like, Id like to know your price or I want to know your fees.
A professional presenter will redirect them to the four key points that anyone
needs to know about selling their home:
r Whats the property worth?
r How long would it take to sell?
r What are the changeover costs
r How will you market the home should you be their agent?
So let them bring up what they feel they want to know and then redirect the
conversation to cover the four key points. Lets return to our role-play to
demonstrate this.
By the way, the potential vendors have suggested that you call them by their first
names, Ken and Sandy (never use first names unless invited to do so).
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Lee:
Have you sold a home before, Sandy?
Sandy:
Yes we have, Lee.
Lee:
And how did that go?
Sandy:
Our property was for sale and it went very quickly.
Lee:
(pause and nod) OK, Ill be giving you my

recommendations but I think its important to point out
that whether you go for auction or for sale by private
treaty, the actual process is basically the same. Were still
looking for a solid buyer. We still need to market the home
correctly. I think a lot of people put too much pressure on
the method of sale decision, but its certainly something
we can discuss along the way. Its quite okay for us to
start with the preparation before confirming the method of
sale upfront. And, Ken and Sandy, I wont leave here today
without giving you my full quote in writing, so you know
exactly what it is that we have discussed. Is that, okay?
(This is the authority)
Ken:
Yes, Lee, thank you. Wed really appreciate that.
Lee:
Your approval and sign-off on the quote activates our

service. The next step is for the paperwork to be taken
back to the office for processing. Although Im your
agent, there are many people behind the scenes in our
infrastructure who are responsible for bringing your
property to the market and assisting me to get you sold.
My job, as your agent is to do two things I price it and I
sell it.
Now, lets discuss the brochure design. This is how it
would look. How does that seem to you?
Sandy:
Oh, that looks good.
Lee:
And on the back of that, Sandy, weve actually got the floor
plan of the home as well. Now, do you have plans for the
home or would I need to get one of those created? (Trial
close)
Sandy:
No, we dont have any plans at all, Lee.
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Lee:
Okay. Well in our office theres a guy by the name of

Luke who works in our sales division. Hell come out
here with an electronic measurer that will give us the
exact measurements of each room. Hell then use those
measurements to construct the floor plan. This will also
help with pricing, as whenever we price a property, there
are two figures a mathematical price and an emotional
price. By mathematical, I mean things like square metres,
age, number of bedrooms and parking. The emotional
figure is the figure determined by interest from the
marketplace. Does this make sense to you?
Sandy:
Yes, I think so.
Lee:
So, back to our floor plan. What day and time would suit
you for Luke to come out? (Permission close)
Sandy:
Well, Friday morning would be fine. (Assumption close)
Lee:
Okay. I can tee Luke up for that time. At this point, lets
talk about your ad preparation. The newspapers require
about 9 to 12 days notice so we need to prepare the copy
and organise the photos. When did you hope to see the
property advertised? (Time line question)
Ken:
Within the next 2 weeks would be good.
Lee:
Okay. Well, we really need to start to thinking ahead,

planning that time and getting the copy ready. We have a
few options with your advertising. This display here (show
example) shows our corporate advertising. See how we
feature eight homes on a page? How does that look to
you?
Sandy:
I like that.
Ken:
Yes, it looks good.
Lee:
Now, some of our clients like that for part of the program
but they also dont want to leave any stone unturned and
so they opt for something more like this half page ad. Now,
there is an additional investment for this size ad but its
designed to make you stand out from the crowd. You can
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also choose a full page or quarter page ad. What are your
thoughts on having that type of campaign?
Sandy:
Well, I think it looks good but how much is that going to

cost us?
Lee:
It depends on the campaign that you go for. For example,

there was a home you mentioned of ours down in Daytus
Avenue. The owners of that particular home went for a
half-page ad in the first week. In the second week they
opted for a quarter-page ad and the third week, another
quarter-page ad. At this point, theyre still using the Internet
site, brochures, sign boards, everything that weve included
within our marketing structure but those extras will
probably come in at around $x. Now I notice youve spent
money painting your home and its important that we have
every opportunity to showcase your property at a level it
deserves.
Sandy:
Well, Lee, we really didnt want to pay any extra money. So

I think at this stage wed be quite happy sticking with your
standard advertising.
Lee:
Okay. The choice is yours, Ken and Sandy and, you

know, one thing I always like to point out is we dont have
to do it straightaway. Ill get all the preparation done just
in case you want to go that way. I know you mentioned
earlier today, Sandy, that another agent has offered to
work, no sale-no charge. We also work to a no sale-no
charge policy on our fees. Meaning, if we dont get you
the price that youre happy with, well then there is no cost.
But, I suppose, it comes down to this, Sandy, if you were
selling the home yourself and you werent paying a fee,
youd want to do some marketing. Did you know you are
actually charged a higher rate for marketing with the local
paper than we are? Thats because were doing such high
volumes at all times. But I do agree with you, it can seem
like a lot of money up front. So maybe we should just work
it into the program and see if it suits in week two or three
because, as you know, we may find you a purchaser who
66
doesnt come off any advertising straightaway. However, I

do also understand that we cannot sell a secret. My job is
to professionally market the property on your behalf. Is that
okay with you both?
Ken:
Yes.
Lee:
A great place to find these buyers is actually from our

internal database and this is where were going to do a
search for all the buyers who match the criteria of your
property. Theyve been accumulated from all the enquiries
weve had on other homes that didnt suit their needs and
so, theyre still actively trying to find somewhere today.
This allows us then to start communicating with all the
people who matched the criteria of your property and
with this group of people were going to do what we call
a coming-soon campaign. This is where we ring up and
say, Hi, Mrs Wells, its Lee from Complete Real Estate. Ive
got a great property that matches your requirements and it
should be ready for inspection in the next few days. I hope
to get you through there before the main market. Can I
suggest you dont buy or do anything until youve seen this
home? Its really quite special.
And what that allows us to do there, Ken and Sandy, is
head the other agents off at the pass. Most people will
check out everything that matches their criteria before
making that big decision to buy a home. Does that make
sense?
Sandy:
Yes, that sounds good.
Lee:
Once weve activated the coming-soon campaign and

people start to know about your property, well be looking
at doing inspections. However we cant bring anybody
through until weve received the Contract for Sale from your
solicitor (show contract). As you can see from that front
page it specifies you both as the owners and us as your
selected agent. Do you have a solicitor in mind that youre
thinking of using?
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Sandy:
Yes, Steven Smith from Smith, Preston and Williams.
Lee:
Excellent. Just so you are both aware, no matter which

agency you go with, no one can actively promote or
inspect your home without that Contract for Sale. (NSW)
Now that weve organised the paperwork, we can erect a
signboard on site saying the property is for sale or auction
depending on which way you decide to go. What are your
thoughts on a sign?
Sandy:
Oh, Im not really comfortable about having a sign out the

front of our property.
Lee:
Sandy, I understand and, you know, a lot of people who

live in a cul-de-sac like you do think theres not much
passing traffic and so what would really be the purpose of
the sign; would that be right?
Sandy:
Yeah.
Lee:
Look, Im happy not to use a sign first up. Well just bring
those people through from the database. However, I must
point out to you that sometimes when we sell homes a
mother will go out there and look at the local schools. They
then get a street directory and look up all the cul-de-sacs
within a kilometre radius of the home. And they actually
go hunting for those signs. Maybe not in the first week or
so but in week two or three I would probably recommend
to you that it could be time for a sign. These are the two
options we have. (Show photos of signs)
The first one is our photo signboard. Its where youve got
an internal shot and a garden shot of the home out the
back. It costs about $x and is well worth the investment.
The alternative is our corporate signboard, which is
included. We may use it in week two or three but we could
discuss it at that time; is that okay?
Sandy:
Yes, thatd be fine.
Lee:
Ken and Sandy, the next thing for me to do is to actually

hit the phones again and call everybody from the
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coming-soon campaign and let them know that its ready

to view because now is the time to try and book some
appointments for viewing your property.
Stage 2 on the market

Lee:
In order to generate these appointments were going to

need to start distributing some advertising and what I
mean by this, Ken and Sandy, is we may have 5 or 500
people who match your criteria from our database search.
For those with an email address we could email them a
brochure on the home. For those without an email address,
we could send them a brochure by direct mail to let them
know about the property as well.
Now, Ken and Sandy, some of the agents youve
interviewed and how many people have you
interviewed?
Sandy:
Weve seen three other agents, Lee.
Lee
And is there any reason why you havent appointed one of

them?
Ken:
We wanted to see all of you first.
Lee:
Thank you, Ken. Well, I actually know from my research

that some of our competitors in this area have some good
buyers but I think the best buyers they have are the owners
of the properties they have on the market. Meaning, lets
say someone owns a home $70,000 less than yours.
Well, when that agent sells it, they may want to buy your
property; does that make sense?
Sandy:
Yes, it does.
Lee:
Well, what Im going to do as part of my marketing

commitment to you is this. Each week when these other
agents advertise the address of an open for inspection, Im
going to send your brochure directly to the addresses of
any of these properties that are priced lower than yours in
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order to attract that buyer. That way Ive got every agents
best buyers covered. Would that be okay?
Sandy:
That sounds great, Lee.
Lee:
Has anyone else mentioned this to you?
Ken:
No, not at all.
Lee:
Well, this could be one of those things you experience to

be different with us. The next item Im sure everyone has
mentioned is the Internet. At this part of our marketing
campaign, well let everyone know that your property is
available to view on our Internet site. Our site is available
worldwide, so even potential buyers currently residing
overseas could view your property at this time.
Sandy:
Sounds great.
Lee:
All this activity could result in some appointments. And

what we mean by appointments, Sandy, is very different
to the people you would get from an open for inspection.
And the reason theyre different is we know who they are,
what they can spend and when they need it by. Without this
information, it is simply not possible to maximise the price.
The other thing I like about our appointment process at this
early stage is this. Sometimes people have been looking
for ten weeks or so and theyve had enough of the market
and really want to secure something. If theres one thing
weve learnt from marketing homes, its that as soon as
someone advertises a property the price starts to go down
because most buyers will look at it and say, well there it is,
nobody else has bought it, what am I going to get it for?
Whereas when a property hasnt yet been advertised and
theyre going to see it before it even hits the market, it adds
that extra spark of interest and excitement at the thought
of being first to see it. And, Ken and Sandy, Ill ask you a
question. What are your thoughts when you see the same
property advertised week in, week out?
Sandy:
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Well, you cant help thinking that theres something wrong

with the property.
Lee:
Exactly. And thats how others see it too perception

is reality. People think if nobody else has bought it, why
would they? And thats why this part of our marketing
strategy is so important and stands us apart from the
others.
Once weve had a few people through the property, thats
going to give us an indication of the level of interest in the
marketplace. Now, in real estate there are three types of
interest available. There is high. Thats where someone is
going to pay you a premium price. Theyre an emotional
buyer and they want it. Then theres no interest, meaning
it just didnt suit their requirements and they may look for
something different. And the last one is considered low
interest, which basically means, they liked the property
but want a bargain price in order for them to buy it. All of
this is of no concern at this stage as what we are after is a
price guide to where the home sits in the marketplace at
this point of time. From this information we would sit down
together and determine between us, what price we should
market your property at, remembering that we havent even
released the advertised price yet.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, the ad preparation is done
during the first part of the campaign but its actually now,
Ken and Sandy, that we can do the first media release.
This is the first time youve been advertised. Its new to
the market and this is where the general public is looking
at you as new, fresh property. This will ensure your home
stands out from the other homes and attract enquiries from
buyers who have either been looking for a while and need
something to spark their interest again or have just entered
the market.
These enquiries will come to us by way of private
inspection or they may wish to turn up to an open for
inspection. What are your thoughts on holding open for
inspections?
Sandy:
Im not really sure.

71
Lee:
Well, Sandy, they can be a very good way to sell the home.
Have you been to an open for inspection yourself recently?
Sandy:
Yes, I have.
Lee:
And on that particular day, were you in a position to buy a

home?
Sandy:
No, we werent.
Lee:
Well, this is what we find. Often you will see what we call
researchers coming to open for inspections, be they
neighbours or just people from the general community.
However theres no doubt that someone who is serious
about doing their research will go to an open for inspection
for a property that matches their criteria. Buyers like them
because they are generally less intimidating than other
types of inspections. And owners like them because they
attract a number of potential buyers at one time. So I think
if we can integrate the two methods we will have left no
stone unturned and weve got every chance of selling. How
does that sound?
Sandy:
Sounds great.
Lee:
Now, at this point I will hit the phone and follow up

absolutely everybody weve attracted with our campaign
so far in the hope that this will result in some offers being
made.
Is this all making sense so far, Ken and Sandy?
Ken:
Yes.
Stage 3 the negotiation and getting to yes

Lee:
72
Excellent because this next part I think is crucial for the

sale price youre going to receive for the home. The price
that you receive will be entirely dependent on your agents
ability to negotiate a great price for you. And Ive got no
doubt that some other agents have come in and promised
the world to you, while charging a lesser rate. This is
contradictory as how could they possibly be good at what

they do if they feel the need to undercut their fees so
much? How would you actually know whether or not they
are good negotiators?
Sandy:
Well, Id have no idea.
Lee:
The reality is you wouldnt know until its too late. Even
myself; I stand here and I say Im a professional agent but
you have no real way of knowing whether or not thats true,
other than by the way I conduct myself before you today.
Well, Ken and Sandy, Id like to change that and give you
the opportunity to take me for a test drive just to see how
I would go if I were representing you now. Lets say youre
a potential buyer and youve come through one of my
listed properties and youre interested in it. Its your second
inspection and you ask me a common question, the home
is on the market for $459,000. What do you think I could
get it for? So lets role-play it.
Sandy, I think the price is fair. Is there a figure you would
pay to secure the home today?
Sandy:
Well, look; Im prepared to pay 430.
Lee:
Sandy, I appreciate your offer, but may I ask, how did you
arrive at that figure?
Sandy:
Well, there was a house fairly similar in the next street. I do

realise its on a busier street but I felt 430 would be a fair
price.
Lee:
Okay. And Sandy, other than the busy street, what else has
prompted you to make an offer on this home?
Sandy:
Well, I do like its position. It does have the reserve at the

back. Its a nicer property, I guess.
Lee:
I agree with you, its a great spot here. And, Sandy, Ive got
to put your offer forward to the owners by law. However,
theyre going to look me straight back in the eyes and ask,
Lee, what do you think? And Im going to be honest and
say, I feel the offer is on the lower side of the propertys
73
value and if you dont buy it, somebody else will. Sandy, if
they said no to the offer, what would be your next price?
Sandy:
Probably 435.
Lee:
Okay. And if someone offered 440, should I even ring you?
Sandy:
Yes, I guess Id like to know.
Lee:
Okay. Sandy, Ill just breakaway from our little role-play here
and thank you for doing that because thats pretty much
how it happens out there. So now you get an idea of how
I operate. I asked you a couple of questions and already
youve come up $10,000 from your original offer. Many
agents would have just gone straight to the owner and
presented them with the first offer they got, without even
attempting to negotiate with the buyer first. The problem
here, Ken and Sandy, is were not selling a toaster or a car.
This is a house, which is a big-ticket item. And my job is to
work tirelessly for you as my clients and get you the best
price possible. Does all this make sense?
Sandy:
I understand now.
Lee:
And, Ken and Sandy, you know, one thing Ive observed
from working in the real estate industry is that when
agents feel the need to lower their fees in order to win
your business, they are basically telling you that they are
desperate for your business because they havent got
much work. They are in panic mode and will do whatever
it takes to win your business. And although that discount
would no doubt have seemed attractive to you at that
point, its not going to be worth your while when the agent
fails to achieve the best possible price for you. Now, when
you get that person in front of a buyer that same panic
habit will come out and theyre going to try and get you
to accept an offer much lower than the one you could
achieve with a professional negotiator. The point Im really
trying to make here is that the agent you choose will have a
complete bearing on the price you receive and that isnt a
fee issue; it is a matter of skill.
74
Once weve negotiated the best price for you, its then your
choice to accept or decline that offer and we understand
that if we cant get you a price thats worth selling for, well,
then we simply wouldnt expect you to move. But if you
did decide that the price was acceptable, the paperwork
is signed at that point and the contracts exchanged. Your
property is sold and awaiting settlement. Now, Ken and
Sandy, how does that all sound?
Sandy:
Well, yes, it sounds good, Lee, but I didnt realise there was
so much involved.
Lee:
There is a lot involved and thats why we think the

marketplace needs to be facilitated in a professional
manner. Assuming we have achieved a price that youre
ecstatic with, where would you be off to?
Ken:
Weve been thinking of moving to Avoca.
Lee:
Thats a good spot up there. Have you checked out any

pricing?
Sandy:
Yes, I have kept my eye on the property guides for the

area.
Lee:
Okay. Well, the best thing I can do for you now is to let you
know the value of this property because that would then
let you know what you would have to spend once all the
changeover costs are done and allow you to move on with
your plans.
Ken:
Thatd be great.
Lee:
Okay. Well, Ken and Sandy, for the pricing of your home,
Id like to let you know the value but then also what it would
be on the market for. And, you know, its not my job today
to give you some astronomical figure just to get you on the
market but to give you those base values so you can decide
whether or not it is worth moving. Now, with any property
there is a price that its worth and then theres a price worth
moving for. Its a bit like that pen youre holding, Ken. Lets
say it was worth $5 and I offered you $5. You probably
wouldnt sell it but if I offered you 10, you may decide to
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release it. Now, the value of the pen didnt change but what
I was prepared to pay has changed. Does that make sense?
Ken:
Yes, it does. Ive never thought of it like that before.
Lee:
Okay. Well, for the pricing of your home, I feel a figure of

465 is an appropriate value and that figure would actually
match the buyers who are currently out there looking to
secure a property like yours.
Sandy:
Oh, Lee, I think its worth more than that.
Lee:
Well, the actual price Id suggest you bring it on the market

for, Sandy, is 489. How does that seem to you?
Sandy:
Actually, Ken and I were hoping for about 495.
Lee:
Sandy, you could be right. Every time we get a record price

for a home we were, I wouldnt say wrong, but thats how
a marketplace grows and, you know, if we as agents were
always right, the marketplace would never go up. But how
did you arrive at the 495?
Sandy:
Well, we think its worth it.
Lee:
What we could do, Ken and Sandy, if its okay with you,
is actually bring through some buyers with 495 to 510 to
spend and just get a reaction from the market. And the
way I do this is I would ring a buyer. Lets say you were my
buyer, Sandy. I would ring you up and say, Hi, Sandy, its
Lee from Complete Real Estate. Ive actually just listed a
great property that suits your requirements but Im not sure
if I should show you through yet.
Sandy:
Why not?
Lee:
Well, we havent priced it yet and it doesnt start for another

week or so but there is a window of opportunity I could get
you through it if youd like to have a look.
Sandy:
Id like to look, thank you.
Lee:
And thats what happens, Sandy. Weve got people coming

through where we know how much they can spend and
theyre coming in with no preconceived ideas. Now, if one
of these people were to say, Yep, I love it and Ill pay you
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495+, fantastic. But what I dont want to do is what I see

happening in the papers week after week where a property
comes on for a very high price and then its slashed to a
lower figure. Have you ever noticed that in the paper, Sandy?
Sandy:
Yes, I have.
Lee:
And what do you think when you see that?
Sandy:
I just think it was either overpriced in the first place or

theres something wrong with it.
Lee:
Well, its my job to make sure that doesnt happen but at

the same time to determine whether or not your price is out
there. So would it be okay if I handled it that way first up?
Sandy:
Yes, wed be happy with that.
Lee:
Okay. Well, weve come a long way. Weve discussed

your pricing, your marketing and all the strategies involved
regarding how I would sell your home. What Id like to do
now, Ken and Sandy, is put my whole quote in writing so
everything weve discussed is confirmed. Ill leave a copy
with you when I leave. So if I may take some details from
you now
This is a great opportunity to pass the clients your stack of sold photos showing
happy past clients as a diversion.
Lee:
Sandy, you mentioned youre going to be using Steven

Smith from Smith, Preston and Williams as your solicitor.
Can I just grab your full names?
Sandy:
Ken Arthur Jones and Sandra Elizabeth Jones.
Lee:
And for all correspondence; where would you like the

papers delivered?
Sandy:
10 High Street, Saratoga.
Lee:
Excellent.
At this part of the presentation, depending on which state youre in, you would
go through the entire document with your prospective vendors, ensuring they
understand every part of the agreement before requesting that they sign it.
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Once you have been through the document together (and this can take anything
up to 15 minutes) the next step is to attempt to close the deal because your aim is
to walk away with the business, rather than have to come back. Lets go back to
our role-play and see how I go.
Lee:
And the final clause is I acknowledge that entering into this

agreement means I am liable to pay the amount specified
herein even if I sell the property myself. What that means,
Ken and Sandy, is that if you decide to sign this document
and engage me as your agent and then someone tried to
buy the property from you without going though us first,
then our fee is still payable. Does that make sense?
Ken:
Yes, it makes sense, Lee.
Lee:
Id love the opportunity to sell your home on your behalf.

Can we get started?
Sandy:
Well, I think wed still like to think it over, thanks, Lee.
Lee:
Ken and Sandy, its very important to me that you both

feel comfortable with your decision. However, can I ask
you a key question? Just suppose I was your agent and
wed been on the market now for maybe two or three
weeks and the marketing is working well, weve got some
enquiries happening and had some buyers through that
have shown some good interest. But this week is a little bit
different for you because youve seen a home you love at
Avoca and you want to secure it and its going to auction in
the next week or so. Im up to the second inspection with
some buyers on your place and they love it. Theyve had a
look through. Theyre showing signs that they may pay a
premium price. Theyve got solid interest. Anyway, during
their last inspection they come through and they say, Lee,
we love it but wed like to think it over. Ken and Sandy, if
that happened, what would you like me to do?
Sandy:
Oh, Id like you to push them along a little bit, Lee.
Lee:
Youd like me to get a decision?
Sandy:
Absolutely.
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Lee:
Well, Sandy, I hope you dont take this the wrong way and I
dont want to overstep that boundary and come across as
pushy but that is part of my role to get a decision and I
would have no hesitation in working with that purchaser to
drive them to make a decision on your home. Thats part of
what I do. Its my job to get that yes for you because that
would enable you to then say yes to the home you want
to buy. But none of that can happen until you say yes to
me this evening. Would that be okay?
Sandy:
Yes, thats okay, Lee.
Well thats it for the Listing System Presentation scripts and dialogues. Id now
like to give you some tips based on what Ive noticed from working with so many
salespeople whove installed my listing system into their career.
The Listing System is designed primarily to express that you have sound product
knowledge, you are capable of doing the job and doing it well, and you could
deliver your message in a way that makes sense to your prospective vendor.
You will have noticed throughout the role-play that I specifically didnt push the
method of sale, that is, auction or for sale by private treaty. Just ensure that you
outline the options before suggesting one method over the other.
Dont forget to smile during your presentation. Moving is an exciting time for
most people and you want to encourage that enthusiasm and excitement, not
dampen it by being too serious.
Now, where you raise the issue of your fees is totally up to you. You will have
noticed that in my demonstration, I left it pretty open. I believe if you decide to
discuss it, a great place to do so would be during the part where you go through
your negotiation process, as this would highlight your ability to negotiate in
general.
Dont forget to make space for confirmation questions (questions that confirm
your potential vendors understanding of the issue being discussed). Whenever
you feel like your potential vendor may be unsure of something, just ask the
question, does that make sense, Mrs Jones?
Be dynamic. Its all about gaining the edge over your competition. Your listing
presentation is your way of showcasing what you can do and how you can help
your potential vendor achieve the best possible outcome.
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If you can remember all these points along with the scripts and dialogues weve
covered already I know youre going to have a dynamic, winning presentation.
Please learn it, internalise it and make it your own. Dont be surprised if you get
client feedback such as, youre very methodical. Nobody else went through all of
this with me. Believe me, once you deliver these concepts with belief and passion,
the listings will be yours.
Beginnings great final closes

Beginnings is my preferred word for closing, as the word closing puts many
people off because it conjures up thoughts of pushiness and rejection. As
salespeople, we have a natural fear of rejection and being perceived as pushy.
Yet when a brilliant presentation is delivered with absolute passion, conviction
and professionalism, closing or getting a yes becomes a natural next step for the
owner. In saying yes, it signifies the beginning of their relationship with you as
they move from being a potential vendor to your client.
The quote pad close

Lee:
What I would like to do for you now is put my whole quote in

writing so that I can leave it with you. Many agents promise
things, yet dont deliver, so if I put my quote in writing youll
know exactly what it is that we have agreed to.
Ken:
OK.
Lee:
I just need to start with some details. Your full name?

(Explain and complete the entire agreement)
Lee:
Has anyone explained the law of selling to you?
Ken:
No.
Lee:
Let me do it for you now.
Read right through the agreement and explain it in plain English. When this is
done, go through the final order close. Following are some great examples of what
to say.
1. Let me run you through the documentation required so we can get
started.
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2. Are you happy to move forward with me as your agent?

3. Do these dates suit? (Lock in the dates)
4. Are you happy we have covered everything today so that I can get
started?
5. Lets have a chat before you make that decision.
6. Would you like me to lock in our auctioneer?
7. Lets go and have another look around the property so you can tell
me more about it.
8. Are you comfortable with me handling the sale for you?
9. Lets bring the sales team through and confirm the price, then we
will get started.
10. We give you an unconditional release at any time if you are not
happy. We cant be fairer than that.
Just make sure you get approval on these as every company has their own rules.
Common fee objections

Will you match it?
Lets tackle this issue head on with the all important fee debate.
Sandy:
Lee, I appreciate everything youve said today but the other

agent has offered me a lesser fee. Are you going to be
prepared to match that?
Lee:
Sandy, thats a really important issue and Im glad that

youve raised it. This is something we should talk about
right now. But just putting the fees aside for one brief
moment; if we can agree on some terms that youre
comfortable with this evening, would you be happy to
move forward tonight?
Sandy:
Yeah, I suppose so.
Lee:
Well, lets look at the other company. Why do you think

theyve offered you a cheaper rate?
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Sandy:
Because they are being competitive.
Lee:
They certainly want to win your business and so do I,

but Id like to achieve that by being the better agent, not
the perceived cheapest deal. You see Sandy, were very
much aware of what the agency charges but what is also
quite interesting is that theyre also very aware of what we
charge, so I suppose the question is Sandy why is it you
think they dont choose to match our fee?
Sandy:
I have no idea. I dont know.
Lee:
The reason is, to match it theyd really have to match

it. Theyd have to match us on the level of marketing
that we provide, the level of service that we provide but
most importantly, theyd have to match my ability as a
professional negotiator. Now if they cant offer you all of
those things, their only option is to offer you a cheap rate,
yet your objective is to leave here with as much money as
you possibly can. Now thats only going to be achieved by
engaging the best possible agent, not the cheapest deal. I
am not asking you for any money for my services tonight,
just the opportunity to show you what I can do.
How many buyers do you have ready to buy?

Well Sandy, that number varies every single day. People come into
the marketplace and some may look for 4 to 5 weeks before they buy
while others may buy within a 2-week period. Quite often the delay for
some buyers occurs because they havent sold their own home yet
or they havent got their finance arranged. So at our agency, we look
after a massive amount of people anywhere from 150 to 200 different
buyers. But of those, only about 10 to 20 would be in a position to
sign a contract today. Its much like yourself really you wish to buy,
but until this place is sold, you cant really commit to anything. Our
job is to look for the real buyers while at the same time chase all the
other buyers because it could be next week or the week after that they
become our next hot buyer.
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If my property doesnt sell, do we still pay for the advertising?

Ken, you do because at the end of the day, the advertising companies
are totally separate to us and regardless of the outcome, they still need
to be paid for their professional services such as copywriting and
photography. I notice youve had the outside of your house painted
recently. Imagine if you asked the painter to refund your money for his
services if the property didnt sell. Do you think that would be fair? I, on
the other hand, dont get paid for my services if your house doesnt sell.
If my property sells quickly, do I get a discount?

Sandy, I can understand you wondering that, however quite often I
have been working with the buyer who purchases your home for many
weeks or even months. It takes time to build up the rapport that I have
developed with many of my buyers and thats how I am often able to
achieve great results in a relatively short period of time.
Will I have the opportunity to include other agents?

Sandy, we will be the exclusive agent looking after you, but if another
agent rings and tells you he or she has a buyer for your property, by all
means ask that agent to give me a call and refer that buyer on to me.
We have a friend in real estate.

Ken:
Lee, we have a friend who sells real estate, and I really

dont want to say this to you, but were seriously thinking
about giving it to him.
Lee:
Okay Ken, is he a good friend of yours?
Ken:
Not that close a friend. Lets say more of an acquaintance

really.
Lee:
Okay, and does he know the rest of the family? Does he

know Sandy?
Ken:
Yes he does.
Lee:
Okay, this concerns me. I know my own father-in law wanted

me to sell his place recently but I declined because there
are times when youre on the market and things may not be
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going as well as youd like them to and you want to vent your
frustration to your agent but feel you cant if they are a friend
or family member. This could end up costing you thousands
of dollars.
Ken:
I guess that is a concern, as I would feel very awkward

about approaching him if I didnt feel he was doing enough.
Lee:
Ken, my best advice is to keep your friendship on one side

and have a professional business relationship with us. If
hes a true friend, hell understand.
What is your fee and is it negotiable?

Lee:
Sandy thats a good question. Our performance fee is

2.9% of the sale price.
Sandy:
And is that negotiable?
Lee:
Well the entire real estate industry is now negotiable and

every agency is offering a different rate. Some agents
even drop their fees as low as 1.5%. Youll find though
that professional, high-performing agents are operating
at between 2.8 and 3.3 so were in the middle of those
ranges. Just remember though, the fee isnt payable until
settlement, meaning you dont actually pay us out of your
pocket. Instead, it comes off the sale price of the home.
That way were part of your profits, not your expenses. And
we cant be fairer than that.
Will my solicitor see this agreement?

Certainly, and Ken, hes already seen this agreement. All well be doing
is filling in the blanks and then well send a copy back to him on your
behalf.
We may have to sell with the agent we are buying from.

Sandy:
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Lee weve been out looking for a home and weve found
one that we like but the agent that has it listed said that if we
want to buy it, well have to sell our own property with him.
Lee:
And Sandy, how do you feel about that?
Sandy:
Im not quite sure Lee, I dont know if thats the way to go.
Lee:
What that agent is asking you to do is actually against the

law. I can appreciate that he wants your business because
were all out there to try and earn a living, however your
purchase of that property has absolutely nothing to do with
the sale of your own property.
Aside from the fact that his behaviour is against the law,
I believe the sale of your existing property needs to be
looked at purely from a financial point of view. Who is going
to look after you and get you the best price possible?
That person is me because I am not involved in the sale
of the property you are buying. The other agent will try to
push you to accept any offer that comes along because
he wants his sale to settle as quickly as possible. Does this
make sense?
Sandy:
It certainly does, Lee.
You guys seem too busy to handle my property.

Youre right, we are busy, but thats because we are busy generating
interest for all the homes we sell and they move fast in our office. Wed
welcome the opportunity to see your property on our list. There are
great people looking for quality homes like yours. And with our agency
selling so many properties similar to yours, I think the buyers would
expect to see your home listed with us.
You are too young and too new for this area.
Youre right, I am younger than some of the other agents that have
worked in the area for some time, however thats to my advantage
because the buyers around here are closer to my age and so they
relate to me really well. Also, being new to the area, I am making it my
business to research everything there is to know about this town as
well as build up my profile.
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Youve had the house down the road listed for quite a while
now. What makes you think you can sell this one?
Your home is completely different from that one and it will sell when
we reach the right price level. As an owner, you should never be forced
to give your property away. And thats the case with your neighbours
property. The owners could have sold it by now but the offers we have
received so far have been low and so we have advised them to decline
those offers and are working with a couple of buyers to bring them up
to the level the home deserves to achieve.
Weve already chosen an agent.

OK, however would it be all right with you if I pop over and give you a
completely neutral opinion on price? And are you planning to stay in
the area, or ?
I would rather deal with a male/female agent.

We have a great team of men and women who all work together to
bring you the very best outcome possible.
You only have a small sales team.

We do, Mrs Jones and we pride ourselves on operating to a higher
standard than larger agencies because we only look after a select
group of properties at any one time.
You are too big, too busy, youre like the sausage factory!
Mrs Jones, when you need to do some serious shopping, do you go
to a large department store or a small convenience store? Property
buyers are no different. Our agency attracts the volume of buyers that
allows you to pick and choose the best offer from a larger marketplace.
You are not locally based.

Youre right, we are nationally based with people all over the country
finding our properties on the Internet and responding to our extensive
email marketing campaigns. Local agents can bring local prices, yet
they cant possibly compete with our coverage.
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I am thinking of selling the property myself.

Lee:
If you choose do that, Ken, you may well be risking a great

price.
Ken:
Why is that, Lee?
Lee:
The way it works is this only one in three hundred people

buy the first property that they enquire about. We have the
volume to enable us to show them another property once
they reject a property. If you attempt to sell your home
yourself you wouldnt have the capture net that we have.
You would be fishing with a single line and bait.
The price you got around the corner was way too low!
Mrs Jones, I can understand your concern however every owner has
the right to say yes to an offer if the timing is right for them. I can assure
you in real estate, its all about timing. Price equals time otherwise no
one would ever sell.
Unsigned business
Whenever a listing is not secured on the spot, a quality follow-up system is
required to ensure the owner doesnt feel harassed. A good idea is to show them a
property that may be of interest to them as their next destination.
Many owners believe their own property will sell quickly, yet feel concerned they
may not find a suitable property to move to. A well-written follow-up letter that
will be seen to add value is an excellent way to demonstrate your professionalism
and, in this way, should stand you in good stead to win the business. The following
letter is one that is used by legendary agent, Mat Steinwede from Terrigal in NSW.
The commitment letter

(from the Mat Steinwede System)
Dear Mr and Mrs Smith,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with Kirsten and myself today.
I am truly excited about the possibility of marketing your property in
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Bellevue Road. It is an excellent home in a great position and I know

we will help you achieve an outstanding result.
I have cross-matched our buyer database with the criteria of your
property and have found 7 likely purchasers who are qualified and
looking to purchase a similar type of home in the price bracket you are
hoping for. In total there are 57 clients looking for a similar home but
not all of them are qualified and ready to purchase.
Be assured I will work harder than any agent you have ever met before
and will always provide you with extensive feedback throughout the
process.
Ive enclosed a checklist for your perusal. Should you decide to choose
our company this would act as your go-forward plan to achieving a
successful sale.
Please call me at any time if I can help you.
Kind regards
Mat Steinwede
Sales Consultant
P.S. I know I can get the job done for you!
Go forward plan
The following checklist will provide you with an accurate guide to the successful
sale of your property. Each week we will endeavour to keep you fully informed
of the progress. Should you choose our company to represent you, this document
will navigate your journey with us towards a great result.
Signing the agreement will be the activation of our service. We will prepare a full,
detailed list of the features and benefits of your home. We will also provide you
with a checklist that helps you in preparing your home for sale.
r There will be a professional photographer booked
r All documentation and legals will be prepared
r Your keys will be cut, tagged and registered
r We will secure marketing space for your media release
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r A copywriter will be engaged for information text

r We will send bulk messages to our database (coming soon message)
r Signage will be arranged
r A team visit will be booked
r A decision will be made regarding which buyers qualify to inspect the
home
r We will generate interest among the surrounding local residents
r Our media release will be launched promoting the property
r We will provide you with written feedback regarding inspections and
offers
r We will facilitate all possible offers and negotiate the best possible
outcome
r We will await your decision of what is acceptable to you
r Once the above is achieved we will execute all paperwork
r We will attach the sold sticker
r The sales funds will be paid into your nominated bank account.
With the above checklist complete you can move on with your plans.
We would then thank you for the opportunity of being your agent and hope we
have earned the right to be referred to your family and friends. In todays real
estate industry, the only indication we have that we are completely qualified to
sell real estate is your satisfaction and testimonial.
Presenting your greatest hits

Brilliant presenters make the journey smooth as they cruise through their finely
prepared presentations. Just like your favourite musical artist or group, they have
a winning list of their greatest hits. Its now up to you to make your selection.
What will be your greatest hits?
People recognise passion and respond to it because it is addictive. Once you get
good at extracting the energy out of an audience, people become drawn to you
like steel to a magnet, making it attractive for them to say yes. Once you get that
89
signature on the dotted line, its like getting that gig youve been after for ages.
And the performance fee is your standing ovation for a job well done.
I had the pleasure of training an ex-bouncer once who started in real estate feeling
totally inadequate because he didnt match the image of the corporate agent.
However, people were drawn to him because he wore his heart on his sleeve and
they saw honesty through his rough edges. He became a listing legend.
John McGrath was once asked on Real Estate Hot Topics about the difference
between an amateur and a professional. His reply was simply, 6 minutes of
courage. Your clients are looking for leadership. Show them you know what you
are doing and that you are the dedicated, capable professional who can get the job
done, and get it done well. Go for it!
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Vendor Management
Vendor management communication
Once you have been chosen as the listing agent your moments of truth begin!
Immediately after leaving the listing appointment, signed Agency Agreement
in hand, you will be feeling on a high and your client will be feeling confident
about their final decision to go with you. But that can all change dramatically
overnight. Once a newly signed up vendor starts talking to others about their
decision, they may hear all manner of comments from well-meaning friends and
family members, such as what fee did you pay? and, you didnt go exclusive did
you? As a result of this possibility, your words and actions during this period
must confirm your initial statements of reassurance.
Vendor management is a critical skill in real estate sales. Do it well and you will
be assured of happy clients who will refer your name to others. Do it badly or
worse still, not at all, and you will struggle to achieve your goals in this industry.
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The key to managing vendor expectations is to discuss the actual process,

describing the vital steps that you will take to successfully transact the sale. Your
role is to provide facts and make recommendations that will help guide vendors
during their decision-making process. A good quality process will ultimately lead
them to the best possible outcome in the sale of their property.
Managing vendor expectations is a challenging job as you are dealing with people
during one of the biggest financial steps of their lives. As a result they may display
a wide range of emotions, emotions that can fluctuate during the selling period.
My observations and discussions with many salespeople have shown that there is
a trend that generally occurs during the time a property is on the market for sale
and this is what I refer to as the Vendor Time Line:
Confirmation and agenda
for meeting 3
Just sold email

3rd Open and

repeat follow up
1st Open Template

SMS with stats
followed by phone call
Reverse engineer
email forecast
confirmation of actions
(light on text)
understand early offers
SMS confirmation
after meeting
Reverse egineer
email and repeat
follow up
2nd Open and

repeat follow up
Monday phone call 1

Report 1 by email/post
JUST SOLD
email
Manager letter/
survey see pages
23-24 of Manual
Meeting progress
email/letter
confirmation
JUST SOLD
email
Open House 4
and repeat
follow up
For the first 2 weeks your vendors love you, however they are highly suspicious
of any early offers you may introduce. In weeks 3 and 4 they are familiar with the
market, would now like to sell and are expecting a good offer. It is for this reason
that auctions are held in the fourth week. In weeks 5 and 6 they are concerned
that their property has not sold. They now believe they are with the wrong agent
and may start to criticise your efforts.
The vendor management communication system recommended in this book
follows a 4-week process, much like the process for an auction. In fact, it
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should make no difference what method of sale is selected; the process for
communication is the same.
This chapter of the book provides you with a professional communication
framework that will allow you to not only meet but surpass client expectations.
Shown in sequential order, it gives you what to say and what to send, making your
job so much easier and allowing you to do what you do best, list and sell more
properties.
SMS confirmation after meeting 1 (listing)

Hi Peter thanks for yr time this evening. I look forward to getting started
and helping u move. Regards Lee Woodward

Dear Peter and Sally,
Re: 10 High Street Lillydale
Thank you for selecting Complete Real Estate as your agency. I can
assure you that our representation is something we value highly and
treat with the utmost respect. As discussed in our meeting, I have
committed to a series of deliverables as part of our journey towards a
successful sale.
During our time together I aim to not only meet your expectations but
surpass them. In the event that something does not go to plan, it is my
job as your agent to fix it, and this will be done with total transparency
through solid and regular communication.
At Complete Real Estate, we understand the real estate process and
we pride ourselves on offering a consultative service to our clients. This
letter highlights the important information required to enable us to work
together towards the successful sale of your property.
Communication & Deliverables
I will contact you at various times during the week whenever activity
is generated at the property or behind the scenes. On Monday
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afternoons I will send or deliver to you a full Market Place Report

containing all the information you need to know, such as:
t Inspections
t Any offers
t Feedback from potential purchasers
t Information relating to surrounding properties on the market that
could influence pricing.
I have selected Mondays to do this due to the volume of follow-up calls
made by the sales team in the morning to all potential purchasers from
the weekend. As discussed in our initial meeting, my report will also
include an agents opinion of selling price based upon the interest and
feedback we have received. Please remember that this figure is strictly
confidential. Disclosing it could have a negative impact on our sales
strategy to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
We will also conduct strategic meetings with you throughout the
program for accurate market updates. Of course do not hesitate to
contact us at any time for any reason. If we are out of the office when
you call, please speak with a member of our support team. If they are
unable to help you, they will get a message to the appropriate team
member for you.
Marketing
Many marketing actions are already underway and will be available
shortly for your approval. Our Marketing Administrator will contact
you to make a time for you to come into the office and view all proofs
and visuals onscreen before launching. With your approval, the media
release dates can then be locked in.
Inspections
The residential sales team will inspect your home on Tuesday, probably
between 9:00am and 11:00am. If this time is unsuitable to you, please
call me and alternative arrangements will be made. Once your home is
on the market, our property consultants will always contact you before
taking prospective buyers through. They will also leave an inspection
slip with instantaneous feedback.
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Note: All enquiries on your property are entered into our private
database. Many buyers only wish to drive by initially, however we still
take their full details for quality follow-up.
Possible Offers
Any offers (irrespective of price levels) will be submitted and discussed
with you. Great care is taken before any recommendations are made,
to ensure that we achieve a great price in the current market. You will
receive a phone call with all interested offers within the same business
day. This will then be confirmed in writing at the conclusion of the
negotiations. Once an offer has been accepted, I will arrange for you
to come into the office to confirm the final figure and sign the required
paperwork.
Action Plan
1. Create marketing and secure media space
2. Prepare required sales-associated legal paperwork
3. Book and conduct sales-associated team inspection
4. Tag and register keys
5. Release internet sites
6. Submit editorials and photos to the media
7. Arrange the signboard positioning and installation
8. Contact prospective buyers from the database based on relevant
criteria including price range
9. Send bulk visual email communications strategy
10. Prepare agenda and report for property progress meeting 1
(Tuesday the 20 September 5:00pm).
This action plan highlights just a few of the items happening behind the
scenes as we prepare to launch your property onto the marketplace.
Welcome to the Marketplace
Now that your property is about to go to market, as an owner you may
be subjected to pressures and challenges that can be stressful. As
your chosen real estate agency, it is our intention via this document
to prepare you to meet these situations and to make the sale of your
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property an enjoyable and rewarding experience. This information has

been compiled from vendor experiences encountered by us over the
years in selling real estate.
Challenge 1
What should I do if other agents approach me and say they have
buyers for my property and their commission rate is low?
It is pleasing to know that ethical agents will not contact you once the
signboard is displayed. Unscrupulous agents however, may contact
you with these comments via direct mail, leaflets and possibly phone
calls once your signboard has been erected. The purpose of this
contact is to derail our relationship and create doubts in your mind
as to whether you have chosen the best agent to sell your property.
Should this happen, please do not discuss price expectations before
speaking with our agency as they may be calling on behalf of someone
who wants to buy at a lower level.
Challenge 2
Will I or wont I accept an early offer below the asking price?
Difficult decision for you and a real pressure point. Should you hold out
for a higher price? Should you wait for a better buyer?
From our experience the best offers usually occur within the first few
weeks of your property coming on the market. Since it is our aim to
achieve the best outcome for you, we normally set the price guide (in line
with your instructions) a little higher than we expect the market to bear.
When a property first enters the market, momentum is generated
because qualified buyers (those in the price range) who have been
looking around discover the property for the first time.
Competition peaks in the first few weeks and buyers are most likely
to make offers because they fear losing out to someone else. If this
happens, most vendors say no to the offer as they believe it has
happened all too quickly. This is where you can lose thousands of
dollars if you dont have the right research or advice.
Many owners also get over-confident if they get an offer in the first
week or two and reject that offer. This can be financially painful!
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History consistently provides us with numerous case studies of

property owners selling for far less than they were offered in the initial
stages. Before you dismiss any early offers, consider the following
we as your agent may have been working with that buyer for months.
They are keen to buy a home and have become frustrated and sick of
looking. They will pay a premium for the right home. They may be your
best buyer by a long shot. They know the local market through months
of research. Once rejected however, they move towards other homes
or leave the marketplace forever. This means that offer no longer exists.
As a vendor, compare the offer with the price range quoted on the
agency agreement. Review the research we provided you, showing
current market comparisons.
We are skilled negotiators. We know that price is ranked fourth in a
buying decision. When we achieve the maximum from the buyer, it
will be your decision whether to accept it or move on. Whatever you
decide, we will back you.
Challenge 3
The surprise visit People want to see my house?!
Be prepared for home inspections. Being on the market can be a
testing time when it comes to home inspections. It has the same effect
on you as drop-in visitors.
From time to time we have the perfect buyer turn up at our office
unannounced. We ask a series of questions and if they qualify as a
sound prospect, then we would like to bring them through your home
whilst they are still with us.
We will always phone first and provide as much notice as possible to
give you time to prepare for an inspection. If we catch you off guard,
we apologise. This is neither intentional nor poor communication; just a
saleable opportunity.
To ease the pressure, may we suggest you keep your home inspection
ready. First impressions through good presentation can make a
huge difference when it comes to selling your home. If you know we
are coming, open all the curtains and blinds and make the home as
light and airy as possible. We only get one chance to make that first
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impression. We will leave our inspection feedback slip in a safe place

for instant feedback. On wet days, its a good idea to leave an old towel
at the front and back doors.
Challenge 4
What should I do during home inspections?
During the course of an inspection, we like the buyer to get the
feeling they are moving in. They will spend more time at the property
if the owners are not present. If possible, go for a drive whilst we
are showing the property. If this is not possible, perhaps you could
be in the yard whilst we are in the house and vice versa. Buyers feel
uncomfortable invading your space and will not discuss the property if
you are within hearing distance. Our salespeople appreciate the finer
features of your property and are well trained in how to present those
features to the interested purchaser. More importantly, they know when
and where to bring those features up during the inspection.
Challenge 5
Will I or wont I accept the offer?
This is a testing time for the vendor. By law, all offers irrespective of
price levels must be submitted to you. Every offer is a sure sign of
interest and normally only a starting point in the negotiations. To say no
to an offer is better than no offer at all.
Offers are made by prospective purchasers based on their own
impressions of the market. We will never under-quote the agreed asking
price or price guide! If the asking price is too far above the perceived
value, buyers wont make offers. Every person handles their real estate
purchases differently. Some can make a decision in an hour, while others
take weeks. Dont take offers below your expectation personally. You
have the right to say no, in which case you still own your property.
Challenge 6
Its not selling! Should I modify the price?
The greatest homes in the world can remain unsold due to price!
As your agent the ultimate aim is to achieve the best price outcome for
you. The asking price could be looked upon as the starting point in the
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negotiation. If there are no offers however, or not enough inspections,

its worth reviewing the pricing strategy.
In most cases, we only need to modify the price guide, not your
acceptance price. One thing is certain, and that is we have not undersold
your property. From our experience 99% of buyers are price conscious
and will be less likely to respond if similar properties are available for less.
When considering whether or not to modify the asking price, it is
important that you compare your property to similar properties which
have just been sold; not with those that are still available. You should
also compare your asking price to those listed in the weekly Market
Place Report.
Challenge 7
How should I handle third party advice? My neighbour says its too
cheap!
We have covered and discussed a huge amount of information since
we first met. I know you are confident that our team will do whats
best for you. Our marketing expertise has been continually evolving.
Nevertheless, you may hear some incredible comments from
well-meaning relatives, friends and associates once they know your
home is on the market.
Should you receive any well-meaning advice, ask yourself how many
properties has this person sold in this area and, in particular, within
the last 12 months? Thank them for their contribution and stick to our
proven strategy.
Challenge 8
Whos this at the door?
Stranger danger! Never allow anyone into your home unless you know
who they are and why they are there! In addition, dont disclose the
price you will accept or your reason for selling.
Once your property is available, it will attract the attention of people
passing by. Should anyone knock on your door or make phone contact
wishing to arrange an inspection direct, please refer them to our office
for qualification. As a professional company, we would never send a
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person to your property unaccompanied. Buyers should only view your

property with one of our trained agents.
Challenge 9
Im away for a few days what happens?
Please leave a landline phone number with us of a family member or
friend who knows where you will be just in case we need to discuss an
offer etc. In some areas, mobile phone reception is unavailable.
Challenge 10
Should I get an independent building and pest report?
Yes. By obtaining a full report on the building, we are both aware of
any problems that will show up on the future buyers building and pest
reports.
This has a number of advantages as many problems can be rectified
before heading into negotiations. In addition, we can bring any minor
issues to the buyers attention and in so doing, avoid any last minute
financial compromise.
If nothing else, it offers you peace of mind. Problems will show up on
building reports. Knowing we do not have any major issues to contend
with is a big advantage in concluding a successful sale for you.
Summary
The purpose of this letter was to give you an understanding of the
typical challenges we have heard raised by vendors in the past and in
so doing, prepare you for our journey ahead.
We need your permission to be completely open and honest with
you and this means telling you exactly what is happening in the
marketplace the positive as well as the negative. Negative feedback
can in fact be positive as it helps us to move forward. Ignorance may
be bliss, but knowledge is power.
At times you may encounter a lot of negativity in the press about real
estate and the real estate industry and this can lead to a build up of
emotions, particularly when you are in the process of selling your own
home. Just remember, every property sells the moment we meet the
right buyer who is willing to pay the right price.
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As your selected agency, we offer you our total commitment and

dedication to ensure the very best outcome in the sale of your property.
We sincerely hope this information will assist in a smooth, stress-free
selling experience with our company.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
PS Please keep this information on file. You will find it helpful as a
reference guide.
Letter to tenant (if required)

Dear Ms Edwards,
My name is Lee Woodward and I work in the property sales department
with Complete Real Estate. The purpose of this letter is to inform you
that the owners of the home you are currently renting (your landlords)
have decided to put their property on the market for sale with our
company and to let you know what you can expect over the coming
weeks.
A representative from our office will contact you in the next week or
so to arrange a time that suits you for a team inspection and for our
photographer to call out and take photographs of the property for our
marketing campaign. I will confirm these times with you via email and
include a schedule for the open for inspection dates and times.
Please be assured that you will be kept informed of what is happening
and that nobody will be entering your home unaccompanied by one of
our staff or without endeavouring to contact you first. Should you have
any questions, please dont hesitate to call me on 0411 111 111.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
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Follow-up email to tenant (if required)

Dear Ms Edwards,
Thank you for your cooperation with our sales team and photographer
last week. All have commented on the way the home was presented
and I thank you for this.
As promised, this email advises you of the proposed schedule for our
open for inspections.
An open for inspection is planned for each Saturday from 11:00
11:45am, with the first one proposed for Saturday, September 27th.
Please let me know if for some reason this time does not suit you.
It would be preferable if you were able to be out at those times as
tenants have commented in the past that they feel uncomfortable being
home during an open for inspection.
Should a prospective buyer request to be shown through the property
at a different time, rest assured that I, or a member of my sales team,
will always endeavour to contact you first.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated and as always, please feel free
to contact me if you have any questions.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Reverse-engineered call 1
Hi Sally, its Lee, how are you? Thats good.
Just thought Id call to keep you up-to-date with everything going on
behind the scenes.
All is on track and we have booked in the media team and confirmed
the sales team inspection; weve notified the neighbourhood via mail
about the property; a buyer alert target SMS has been sent to people
102
registered in our price range; and a national bulk email has been sent
with our feature brochure.
So everythings on track. Ill send you an email with what has been
done so far for your reference speak soon.

It was great to speak with you today. As promised, its our job to keep
you fully up-to-date with the actions we have completed in preparing
your property for the marketplace. As discussed during our phone call
today the following items have been organised:
t The media team has been booked in for professional photography
and to design the floor plan
t A team inspection has been booked for Tuesday, 3rd September at
10.30am
t 100 Just Listed letters have been distributed to the neighbouring
properties
t A targeted SMS has been sent to our database with your
propertys price, address and first open for inspection time
t A national bulk email has been sent with our feature brochure.
The following actions have been scheduled to occur as follows:
Item
Description
Date
Price
Administration
Letterbox drops,
couriers, production
1/9/2009
$75.00
Architect/Artist
Floor plan
4/9/2009
$130.00
Photography
Professional
photography
4/9/2009
$242.00
Virtual Reality Tour
Standard tour
7/9/2009
$220.00
Local Newspaper
Appearance 1 quarter
page
10/9/2009
$544.50
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Sydney Morning
Herald
Appearance 1 single
column
12/9/2009
$300.00
Sydney Morning
Herald
Appearance 2 single
column
24/9/2009
$300.00
Auctioneer
Auctioneer on site
30/9/2009
$320.00
Where to from here?

With the above actions organised we are now in a position to conduct
our first open for inspections and private appointments. In order to
maintain a high level of communication with you at all times, I have
structured the following meetings and reports to ensure a smooth
journey towards a successful sale:
t Weekly Market Place Report containing every inspection, enquiry,
offer and price guide
t Instant feedback via telephone following every scheduled open for
inspection
t Inspection slip to be left at the property after each appointment for
your review
t Same day phone call or meeting for all offers with confirmation in
writing at the conclusion of the negotiation
t Recent sale notifications of competing properties and prices.
Should you wish to receive additional communication or meetings
beyond what I have listed above, please do not hesitate to contact me
as soon as you can so that I can allocate time in my diary for this.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Touching base phone call regarding editorial

Hi Sally, its Lee! Just a call to keep you up-to-date I am writing
the editorial text about your property today and will be speaking to
the paper this week regarding placement. We may see a feature
advertisement run shortly. Ill keep you informed.
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Submit editorial to media (email) cc vendor

Dear Editor,
We have listed an exciting property that is about to hit the market. I
have constructed an editorial for your perusal. Please advise details of
placement and I will arrange our marketing accordingly.
Regards
Lee Woodward
Property uploaded on website (email)

Hi Sally and Peter,
Your property has been uploaded onto our website and is now
viewable by the world. I will monitor all Internet inspections and report
back to you on numbers and interested parties who may want an
inspection. Click on the link and let me know what you think. (Insert link
to website)
Regards
Lee Woodward
Sales team inspection phone call (pricing feedback)

Hi Sally, its Lee. Just a call regarding the team inspection all went
well and I should have the average pricing back for you shortly as well
as the photos from the media team. We will have some spare photos,
would you like a copy?
Email brochure to relevant purchasers cc vendors

Dear Tim,
We have just listed a great property in High Street that is fresh to
the market and in line with your requirements. Please find attached
105
the feature brochure and the Internet links for your consideration.
The property is open for inspection for the first time this Saturday
at 11:00am. Alternatively, private appointments can be made by
contacting me direct on 0411 111 111.
Look forward to the opportunity of showing 10 High Street at your
earliest convenience.
Regards
Lee Woodward
Sales team inspection pricing feedback email

Dear Sally and Peter,
Our team inspection was a success with all agents present obtaining
a clear understanding of the features and benefits of your property.
As always in a team of this size, the opinion on price varied, resulting
in an average neutral figure of $458,000. This figure is in line with our
expected price range as discussed in our initial meeting.
Each member of the team will now contact all potential buyers and
inform them about the property.
Regards
Lee Woodward
Friday afternoon SMS

Hi Sally. The ad looks great and should steer people towards the
website and the open for inspection. Ill see you tomorrow at 11am.
Regards Lee
First open SMS

Good response at the open for inspection today. 8 groups through. Will
call you this afternoon. Regards Lee
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Reverse-engineered call back on Monday

(week 1 reporting)
Hi Sally, its Lee, how are you? well we have called all buyers in
your price range from the weekend including those who inspected the
property. The interest is (discuss interest)
I will compile all this into a Market Place Report for you and email it to
you by the close of business today.

Where are we up to?
Hi Sally and Peter,
As promised, here is an update in writing on the progress we have
made so far towards the sale of your home. We had a very promising
start to the campaign with 8 groups through the open for inspection
and of those, 2 groups have expressed interest and are within our price
range.
Rest assured I will follow the interested parties up and let you know the
outcome of this.
I have attached a Market Place Report for your perusal. This report
gives you a clear and concise picture of everything that has been
happening in relation to your property so far, including the number of
enquiries, inspections, Internet hits and interested parties. To ensure
that you are kept fully informed at all times, you will receive an updated
Market Place Report at this time each week until your home is sold.
I will be in touch shortly. In the meantime, please call me if you have
any questions.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
PS Id love to hear what you think of our Market Pace Report.
107
Mid-week 8:15am SMS

Hi Sally, Im in the office till 11.30 this morning. Please call me if you
need anything. Regards Lee.
JUST SOLD email

Hi Sally and Peter,
In order to keep you updated with all current activity in the marketplace,
please find links below to 4 properties that have just sold within our
price range.
While these properties do not have exactly the same features as yours,
it is nonetheless useful to see what buyers are currently selecting in the
marketplace and what price they are paying.
As always, please call me if you have any questions.
Regards
Lee Woodward
Home loan email cc home loan consultant

Hi Peter and Sally,
In keeping with our commitment to give you a complete real estate
service that not only looks after the sale of your home but also helps
you move, I would like to let you know that the team at (insert name
of home loan service provider) are able to assist our clients with a
full home loan service. The service is free of charge and completely
obligation free. It is simply there to give you a neutral opinion on your
financial needs and in so doing, help you with your plans to move.
I have taken the liberty to ask (insert name of representative) to contact
you in the next few days and introduce herself to you. She is able to
visit you at a time and place that suits you to discuss your needs and
design the very best package for you.
108
I will be in touch with you again shortly.

Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Second open SMS

Good response at the open home today. 4 groups through, will call you
this afternoon. Regards Lee

(week 2 reporting)
Hi Sally, its Lee. Well were now at the end of our second week and
so far weve had x (number of people to date) people through and 4
interested parties. Two groups have withdrawn their interest and I plan
to follow them up to ascertain why they have made this decision.
As promised I will send you a full Market Place Report so that you get
the complete picture of what has been happening.
Progress letter 1/survey and meeting 2 confirmation

As discussed in our first meeting, I have committed to a series of
deliverables as part of our journey towards the successful sale of
your property. At that time I also mentioned to you that we would be
conducting strategic meetings with you throughout the program for
accurate market updates.
Having just concluded week 2 of the campaign, it is now a good time
to meet and discuss what has happened to date and agree on our next
actions to move forward. I have tentatively scheduled (insert date and
time) for our meeting. Please let me know if this does not suit you and
we will make an alternative time.
109
Another purpose for the meeting is to gauge your level of satisfaction

with the service being provided by our agency and the steps we
have taken so far in our efforts to achieve a successful outcome with
the sale of your home. I have enclosed a small survey with this letter
and would appreciate it if you could take a few moments before we
meet to answer the questions. At Complete Real Estate we welcome
the feedback and suggestions we receive from our clients and I look
forward to discussing your views when we meet.
To ensure we achieve maximum benefit from our time together, I have
put together the following agenda for the meeting:
t Your feedback
t Current Market Place Report (I will email you an updated Market
Place Report prior to our meeting)
t Interested parties and offers
t Withdrawn interest and reasons for withdrawal
t Marketing completed Marketing ahead
t Pricing strategy.
Please let me know if there is anything you wish to add to the agenda.
I look forward to our meeting.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
110
111
Reverse-engineered email 3 including marketing

tax invoice
Where are we up to?
Hi Sally and Peter,
made so far towards the sale of your home. We are now at the end
of week 2 of the campaign and so far we have had good numbers of
people through your home with 4 interested parties in our price range.
As mentioned in our last telephone conversation, 2 groups have just
withdrawn their interest. I have contacted these people and determined
that one had the sale of their own home fall through and the other has
decided that they would prefer a home that does not have a swimming
pool.
Rest assured I will follow the interested parties up and let you know
the outcome of this. I will also continue to pursue the parties that have
withdrawn their interest in case their circumstances change.
Please find this weeks Market Place Report attached to this email
for your perusal. The report gives you a clear and concise picture of
everything that has been happening in relation to your property to date.
I have also attached a tax invoice for the costs associated with
marketing your property to date.
I will see you on (insert date and time) for our progress meeting. In the
meantime, please call me if you have any questions.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Meeting 2 progress so far

t Your feedback
t Current Market Place Report
112
t Withdrawn interest and reasons for withdrawal

t Marketing completed marketing ahead
t Pricing strategy
t Set date for meeting 3
t (Add any items your vendors said they want to discuss).
Meeting 2 executive summary email

It was great to meet with you both last night to discuss the progress
we have made to date with your property. Although we have not
yet secured a sale, it is only early days and I feel strongly that the
combination of our marketing, points of contact with prospective
buyers and successful open for inspections has resulted in solid
interest in your home.
Based on the feedback from prospective purchasers at our opens, I
believe our modified pricing strategy will better fit todays challenging
marketplace.
As discussed in our meeting I will attend to the following actions:
1. Call all interested parties and inform them of the new asking price
2. Modify websites, feature brochures and scheduled marketing
3. Notify all parties who have inspected the property about the new
asking price
Our next meeting is scheduled for (insert agreed date and time).
Finally, thank you for your positive feedback regarding our service and
efforts to date. I can assure you I remain totally focused and committed
to achieving a successful outcome for you.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
113
Management letter here if you need me

Dear Mr and Mrs Newman,
I am writing this letter to reassure you that we are making every effort
possible to achieve a positive result for you with the sale of your home.
The real estate market is testing for everyone at the moment. While
this is the case, at Complete Real Estate we like to be part of the
solution, not the problem. With this in mind, we are now calling back
every person who has enquired about your property and asking them
the following simple question: what would you be prepared to pay for
this property? This strategy is designed to rekindle interest in your
property at a time when the media is advising buyers to sit tight.
I will report back to you personally within a week with results from our
telephone survey. I will also contact you in the next few days to discuss
progress generally. Please be assured that your interests are a priority
for all of us at Complete Real Estate. Lee Woodward is one of our
top salespeople so you can feel confident in the knowledge that he is
representing you at this challenging time.
If you would like to discuss any aspects of your sale with me, my direct
number is and my mobile number is
Yours faithfully
(name of Principal or Sales Manager)
Third pre-open SMS

Your home is sparkling, thank u it looks great! Will touch base straight
after the open. Regards Lee
Third open SMS

Good interest at the open home today, 7 groups through, will call you
this afternoon. Everyone saying same price. Regards Lee
114

(week 3 reporting)
Hi Sally, its Lee, how are you? Well we have called all buyers in your
price range from the weekend including all people who inspected the
property.
We now have 3 interested parties (provide details)
1. e.g. Mr and Mrs Brady who have just exchanged on the sale of
their home and have 2 children
2. etc.
3. _________________________________________________
I will compile all this into this weeks Market Place Report for you and
email it to you by close of business today.

Where are we up to?
Hi Sally and Peter,
made so far towards the sale of your home. We are now at the end of
week 3 of the campaign and we continue to attract excellent numbers
at our open for inspections. At this point we have 3 interested and
qualified parties within our price range.
We have our next meeting scheduled for (insert date and time). Please
let me know if this time no longer suits you. In the meantime, I will
contact the interested parties and let you know how this goes at our
meeting.
t Withdrawn interest and reason for withdrawal
115

t Current price next price
t Set date for meeting 4.
Please let me know if there is anything you wish to add to the agenda
items.
As always, I look forward to meeting with you.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
JUST SOLD email

Here are last weeks sales results for your perusal.
(Insert link)
(Insert link)
Please call me if you have any questions.
Regards
Lee Woodward
Meeting 3 are we on track?

t Set date for meeting 4.
116
JUST SOLD email

Here are last weeks sales results for your perusal.
(Insert link)
(Insert link)
Regards
Lee Woodward
Management email results of telephone survey

As promised, here are the results of the telephone survey our sales team
conducted with all the people who have enquired about your home:
Prospective
buyer
Status
What they
would pay
Comments
M. Holmes
Bought elsewhere
$435,000
Too much
maintenance in
the yard
S. & J. Sims
Still looking
$440,000
Dont want a
pool
P. Murray
Still looking
$430,000
Needs to sell his

house
Etc.
The average price that our interested groups would pay is $ 435,000
which is in the ballpark of our revised price guide.
I will contact you shortly to see how you are going.
Kind regards
___________________________ (name of Principal or Sales Manager)
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Follow-up management call

Hello Sally, its _____________ (name of Principal or Sales Manager), how
are you? I just wanted to catch up with you to make sure that you
are satisfied with the way we are handling the sale of your home and if I
can answer any questions for you.
New interest this week email

Hi Peter and Sally,
Just thought Id let you know that we have some new interest in your
home. It is a professional couple with 3 young children and they have
just called me to request a second inspection with the womans
parents.
I will let you know how it goes.
Regards
Lee Woodward
Difficult negotiation letter

As you know, it is our aim at Complete Real Estate to achieve the very
best outcome for you in the sale of your home. We understand that
this is a testing time for you, particularly given the fact that we find
ourselves in a very challenging market. However, please understand
that we are skilled negotiators. Its one of the reasons you selected us
to represent you in the first place.
I want to assure you that we are working very hard with the prospective
buyers to achieve the maximum price possible in todays market.
Before you dismiss the offer too quickly, consider the following buyers
today do a lot of research and are very familiar with the comparables
on the market. We have made this information available to you also in
our Just Sold weekly updates. From this information you would have
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seen that the market is just not prepared to pay the prices that were
achieved in better economic times.
Ultimately, it will be your decision to accept the price offered or move
on. Rest assured, whatever you decide, we will back you.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Managers why properties dont sell letter

As promised when you first chose to list with Complete Real Estate, we
have a policy to give our clients direct and accurate feedback as we
believe strongly in open and honest communication. In fact our clients
have always appreciated this fact about us and have commented
that this stands us apart from other agencies. However being honest
means being upfront about what the market is saying, and this is not
always what our clients want to hear.
What you need to focus on is the fact that negative feedback can
in fact be positive as it helps us to move forward. We cannot help
the fact that you will encounter a lot of negative press and this can
understandably lead to a build up of emotions. The fact is every
property sells the moment we meet the right buyer who is willing to pay
the right price in todays market. Even the greatest home in the world
can remain unsold due to price.
Please have faith in our ability to ride out the storm.
Yours faithfully
(Insert name of Principal or Sales Manager)
Meeting 4 price equals time

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t Date for next meeting.
Fourth open SMS

Good response at the open home today. 6 groups through. Will call
you this afternoon. Regards Lee

(week 4 reporting)
Hi Sally, its Lee, how are you? well we have called all buyers in
your price range from the weekend including those who inspected the
property. The interest is (discuss interest)
I will compile all this into a Market Place Report for you and email it to
you by the close of business today.

Where are we up to?
Hi Sally and Peter,
made so far towards the sale of your home. We are now at the end
of week 4 of the campaign and we continue to attract reasonable
numbers at our open for inspections. At this point we have 2 interested
and qualified parties within our price range.
We have our next meeting scheduled for (insert date and time). Please
let me know if this time no longer suits you. In the meantime, I will
contact the interested parties and let you know how this goes at our
meeting.
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t Current price next price.
Please let me know if there is anything you wish to add to the agenda
items.
I look forward to a productive meeting.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Where to from here?

I am writing to reaffirm my commitment to you as your agent. Despite
what can only be described as a challenging marketplace we have
determined that your home represents reasonable value at (insert dollar
value).
We have had good numbers through your home at the open for
inspections and the feedback overall has been positive. Once again,
you are to be commended on the immaculate way in which your home
has been presented every time.
I appreciate your frustration and can assure you that you are not alone
as many people selling in todays market share your feelings. I too feel
your frustration however it is my job to remain level-headed and positive
in the knowledge that the right buyer may be just around the corner.
Moving forward, I would like to take this opportunity to present your
options to you at this stage of your campaign:
1. Stick to our existing plan
As mentioned, your home is within the right price range based
on comparables on the marketplace. However, there are many
bargains available at present that are attracting great interest.
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2. Reduce the price

The market is very price-driven at the moment and buyers are
keenly aware of the situation. Reducing your price to ________
(insert dollar value) could be just what we need to attract the right
level of interest and offers.
Should you opt to reduce the price, I would like you to remember this
important point you would be reducing the asking price not necessarily
the acceptance price.
We will discuss this matter at our next meeting. I want to assure you both
that I remain as committed as I was on day one to achieve a positive
outcome for you and I will support whatever decision you choose to take.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Vendor withdrawn thank you letter

I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that it has been
a pleasure representing you in the sale of your home. I respect your
decision to move on and wish you both well. Should you require my
assistance at any time in the future, I would be more than happy to
oblige.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Price acceptance document

Re: Mr Simpson potential purchaser of your property
As you know, we have been conducting negotiations on your property.
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As required by legislation, I am enclosing a written summary of the

negotiations so far.
On Saturday, the potential purchaser submitted an initial offer to our
office of $430,000 for your property. For the past six months this
purchaser has looked extensively throughout the area, so he has an
in-depth understanding of the current property market here.
During the initial stage of negotiations it became apparent that the
purchaser was aware of other sales in the area that compare with your
property, thus providing a factual basis for his offer. The purchaser
was familiar with the property adjoining yours (which sold in June for
$455,000) and with 28 Gunning St (which sold for $430,000, also in
the month of June). Based on these sales he feels that your property
sits in the market between $435,000 and $445,000.
After further negotiations, Mr Simpson made another offer of $435,000
on Saturday afternoon. Please be aware that at all times we have
been vigilant in protecting your value and have been trying to extract
the greatest price from both the market and particularly from this
purchaser. With this approach, we obtained a further offer of $440,000
from him on Sunday.
Mr Simpson has made it very clear to us that this is his final offer. He is
prepared to move forward at this price, but feels that this offer is above
the true market value of your property. Based on the feedback that we
have been receiving from other prospective buyers, we strongly believe
that $440,000 represents a very good offer in todays market.
Rest assured that we will act on whatever instructions you now provide
in this matter.
Yours sincerely
Lee Woodward
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Sales letters vendor / buyer solicitor

Dear purchaser_solicitor_greeting
RE: PURCHASE BY purchaser_fullname FROM full_both_names
PROPERTY listing_summary
We are pleased to advise that we have negotiated the terms of sale
for the above-mentioned property on behalf of our mutual client(s),
purchaser_fullname. We enclose a copy of our Sales Advice Note.
The vendors solicitor will be sending you the Contract of Sale with
a XXX day cooling-off period. Please advise us when exchange has
taken place. At your earliest convenience please also advise our office
of the arrangements for pest and building inspections.
Should purchaser_fullname pay the deposit at your office, would you
please forward it to us.
If you have any queries or require any further information, please do not
hesitate to contact us.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
Dear vendor_solicitor_greeting
RE: PROPERTY: listing_summary
We are pleased to advise that we have negotiated the terms of sale
for the above-mentioned property on behalf of our mutual client(s),
purchaser_fullname, and enclose a copy of our Sales Advice Note.
Please forward a copy of the contract to the purchasers solicitor as
soon as possible.
We would like to liaise with your office over the next few days, so that
we can keep our client well informed about the progress of the sale.
Please inform us when contracts have been exchanged, together with
the settlement period. We will advise you once the deposit has been
received by our office.
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Should you have any queries or require any further information, please
do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
Quick congratulations call

Hi Sally, its Lee just a quick call to say congratulations on the sale of
your home! I believe we achieved an excellent price in todays market.
Ill send you a letter over the next day or two outlining what will happen
next. Do you mind if I ask you, have I earned the right to be referred to
your family and friends?
Congratulations, its sold! Where to from here?

On behalf of the entire team at Complete Real Estate I would like
to congratulate you on the sale of your home. We believe you have
achieved a very good outcome in todays challenging marketplace.
Proceedings are now in the hands of your Solicitor (insert name of
Solicitor) and the Solicitor representing the purchaser, and all is on
track for a settlement date of (insert settlement date). I have attached
our final tax invoice for your records, payment for which will be
deducted from the settlement proceeds.
We wish you well with your plans to move to your new home and
sincerely hope that you will consider us again in the future. We
recommend (insert name of removalist) for their highly reliable and
professional removal service, should you require this.
Please do not hesitate to call me at any time if I can be of further
assistance.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
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Pre-settlement letter vendor/buyer

As discussed in our last letter to you, settlement for the sale of (insert
address of property) is to occur on (insert date and time).
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Dear Mr Simpson,
Settlement for the purchase of 10 High Street Lillydale is to occur on
(insert date and time).
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Settlement letter and referral point

Settlement has now taken place on the sale of your home and funds
have been disbursed as follows: (insert details of funds disbursement).
I have enclosed a rating form to give you the opportunity to comment
on the level of service received from our agency.
Please take a few moments to complete the form and return it in the
self addressed stamped envelope enclosed. Feedback from clients
such as you helps us to maintain and improve on the standard of
service to which we aspire.
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I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing me to

represent you at this important time in your life. It has been a pleasure
working with you and I look forward to assisting you again in the future.
I wish you all the very best as you settle in to your new home.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Post-settlement rating form

Now that your property transaction is complete, I have one key
question for you:
Have we earned the right to be referred to your family and friends? Y or
N (please add any comments you would like to make)
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
In your opinion, what did we do well?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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What could we have done better?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Post-settlement letter 2 months later

It has now been 2 months since settlement and your move and I
sincerely hope you have settled in well to your new home.
Thank you for your positive feedback and for referring me to your
friends (insert name of friends). I have been in touch with them and
have an appointment to appraise their home next week. I look forward
to helping them achieve their goal.
Kind regards
Lee Woodward
Vendor objections
As we discussed at the beginning of the vendor management section of this book,
managing vendor expectations is a challenging job as you are dealing with people
during one of the biggest financial steps of their lives. As a result they will often
display a wide range of emotions and these emotions will generally fluctuate
during the selling period. Based on the Vendor Time Line, vendors will generally
expect offers to start coming in from around week 3. By weeks 5 and 6, these
expectations can turn to fear, disappointment and even anger if no offers have
been made. And considering the fact that these negative emotions will often be
targeted at you, their agent, you need to be prepared with the right things to say
in response in order to diffuse the situation and allay their fears.
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This part of the Vendor Management chapter explores the typical objections you
will face from vendors and shows you what to say in response, by way of a sample
script or dialogue.
We havent had any people through.

Its true our marketing so far hasnt attracted our secure purchaser but
it has attracted a lot of attention. Weve had a lot of Internet inspections
and I know many people have driven past your home but youre right, we
havent had anyone step forward at the dollar value we are at now and
say thats the home for me, which leads me to believe we now need to
look at our next price.
What is wrong with our house?

Ken, theres nothing wrong with the home. Every home has a purchaser,
however each purchaser enters the marketplace within a snapshot of
time and right now, yes were for sale and we hope to sell your home,
but the fact that we havent got the result that we hoped for yet is an
indication that we may be higher in price than we need to be. If we bring
that down to a more acceptable marketing level, people will find the
home far more attractive, I can assure you.
Have you had any offers yet?

While we havent had an offer yet, there has been a considerable amount
of interest in your home and I am in the process of contacting everyone
who has expressed any interest at all in the property to get a feel for
where they are at; whether theyve bought elsewhere; why they havent
come through, or if they have been through, what their feelings are about
your home. Once I have done this, I will arrange a meeting with you to
discuss all the feedback so far and then we can decide together what
our next actions will be.
There is no way Im going to drop the price!

I can understand your concern, Sandy, however I dont want you to drop
your acceptance price, just the marketing price. Whenever you sell a
home you dont have to accept an offer unless the price is okay for you.
Just suppose we have someone come in and make you a lower offer
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than you would like. You would just say no if it wasnt in line with what
you want to do, but at least it would put me in a position to negotiate
upwards because Ive got someone in the arena I could work with. In
other words, its better than getting no offers at all. So if we could bring
the marketing price down to a more saleable level, I know from the
research that Ive done that there will be more interest in your home. I
dont mind if you say no 4 times a day but at least let me negotiate with
somebody and then we can maybe move forward, would that be okay?
Do you think we should take the home off the market and
then put it back on when the market picks up?
I can understand how you feel. We could take it off the market, however
could I suggest we dont remove the house from the market but remove
the house from the marketing instead. What that would mean is we take
the sign down and we stop our newspaper and Internet advertising. But
if someone comes through our office attracted to a property in the same
price bracket and the other homes they look at dont suit, I would love
to be able to say something like, I do have another property that could
be of interest to you and there is a window of opportunity I can get you
through the home, even though the owners are having a rest from being
on the market. How does that sound?
What do you think of the offer? Should we accept it?

Ken, the offers fair and in line with the marketplace however you know
its always a personal decision to sell a home and it is not my job to
advise you one way or the other. My concern is if I advise you to take
it and one of my salespeople comes in with 5 or 6 thousand dollars
more, Im wrong. If I advise you not to take it and then the very best
offer we get from here is 20 or 30 thousand less, Im wrong again. All I
can tell you is that the offer is fair and in line with the marketplace. Just
know that whatever you decide, Ill back you the whole way.
You said my house was worth $450,000 and now you want
me to reduce it to $439,000!
Ken, I did set the price initially at $450,000 based on a comparison
to other properties like yours on the market at the time. But now that
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were 4 weeks into the campaign, weve got a lot of research on our
side, and based on the feedback we have received from the people
that have been though the home, all indications are that the price is
higher than those people would be prepared to pay. I also think youll
find that prices have come down in the area you are looking to buy in.
Do you remember the home I showed you up in Davidson, for 645?
That propertys been reduced to 619, not because the market has
dropped but because the owners found a property at a lesser level and
they dont want to miss out on it. At the end of the day, its all relative,
meaning your cost to move will not likely change.
We want to go with another agent.

Sandy, I can understand your desire to do that, as I know weve been
on the market for a little time now. Its not uncommon for people to
assume that by changing agents, theyre going to get different ideas
and new buyers and as a result, the property will sell. However, the
truth of the matter is this Sandy as a professional agent I take over
a lot of properties from other agents and as soon as I get somebody
elses listing, the first thing I have to do is work out whos been through
the property and why it hasnt sold. It takes about 3 to 4 weeks work
to establish what has happened as the other agent isnt going to pass
on that information. And when you think about it, were only one page
apart in the paper so if buyers are looking at my ad theyre going to
look at his ad also, so I really dont believe theres a fresh bank of
buyers out there. I truly think the issue is price and we need to bring
it to a more attractive level for the marketplace and then keep moving
forward. Weve got momentum on our side so at the end of the day,
were going to get your result quicker than anyone else. Dont put
yourself another month in the marketplace for no good reason.
Weve already lost two buyers. Why should we reduce

the price?
Ken, I can understand your disappointment. I too would have loved
those buyers to have bought your home but we really need to forget
about what happened in the past and focus on the present instead.
The fact that the buyers we lost didnt go ahead means that they
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werent genuine buyers in the first place. They could have offered you
a million dollars and still not gone ahead. So I really need you to clear
those people out of your mind and focus on who is in a position to buy
your property today, is that okay?
Ive had calls from other agents who say they have buyers
for my home.
Ken, these calls are designed to put a wedge in our relationship. In
fact it happens to me every day of the week. Quite often when an
unscrupulous agent has no work they go around looking for work from
other agents. But just bear this in mind, there is a reason why agents
like this need to use these tactics to get your business. I dont know
who the agents are but they certainly dont sound like loyal, ethical
professionals to me.
The following scripts relate to proposed sales using the auction process, a process
that can often instil fear and trepidation in your vendor, generally because they
have had a negative prior experience with an auction or because of what they have
heard from others.
How can we get someone to pay our price with a lower

price guide?
The price guide is there to attract potential buyers. Research has
shown that many buyers avoid a property simply because it doesnt
have a price guide. The price guide also allows us to determine the
buyers who are realistically in the ballpark. And remember, as the term
suggests, the price guide is just that a guide. It can be adjusted in
response to feedback from prospective buyers and its much easier to
adjust upwards than come down. At the end of the day it is better to
have 3 or 4 premium buyers than 20 buyers who cant afford to pay a
premium price.
Dont auctions cost more money?

That is actually a misconception many people have about auctions.
In fact I always recommend the same marketing no matter how
the property is being sold. The only additional cost is $440 for the
auctioneer. Getting a solid result is about strategy.
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I dont like auctions. They make me nervous.

Lee:
Do you mind if I ask, what is it about an auction that makes

you nervous?
Ken:
Weve been through it before and our property ended up

being passed in on the day.
Lee:
I understand how you feel. Many people feel the same way,
particularly when they have had a negative experience with
auctions in the past. However I would never recommend
going to auction if I didnt feel the property suited this
method of sale.
My recommendation is based on my experience and
research into what the market is doing right now. Rest
assured I will keep you informed every step of the way.
And dont forget, if we get a premium offer that you are
happy with prior to auction day there is no reason why you
couldnt sell during the campaign.
Let me show you what will happen during our 4-week
campaign (step them through the process)
Isnt it too soon to sell within 4 weeks?

Not at all. Our experience has shown that the 4-week timeline is the
perfect timeframe for buyers to become emotionally attached to the
property. Any longer and they will start to lose interest and be drawn to
other properties that are fresh to the market.
Everything is passed in around here. Why would I auction?

A lot of agents in the area arent confident with the auction process.
I personally have had a lot of experience with auctions in this area. In
fact my clearance rate is x%. The auction process is about marketing
the property and uncovering the price the market is willing to pay. You
will find we have a very successful formula for this that runs over 4
weeks (step them through the process)
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The reserve youre suggesting is way too low. I want you to

sell it at $_________ .
During our 4-week campaign I shared with you all the feedback we
have been receiving from prospective buyers. This feedback was vital
as it indicated what the market is willing to pay for your property. Based
on this it is very important that we set the reserve price at a realistic
level. Remember, this figure is not disclosed to the buyers during the
auction. At the end of the day, the decision to accept a price or not is
yours to make. Rest assured I would support you either way.
I dont want to be forced to accept a price on auction day.

If there is strong competition on the day, I will be there to guide you in
making a decision that will be to your best advantage. Rest assured
though that I would never force you to accept a price. That decision is
yours to make and I will be there to support you no matter which way
you decide to go.
Our objective is to get you sold, be it on the day, before or after.
I dont like auctions as our last house was passed in.

I understand how you feel. Many people who have had a negative
experience with auctions in the past feel the same way. Let me assure
you though that in my experience, I wouldnt even go to auction if a
property wasnt positioned to sell. You will find that my method of
communication throughout the campaign ensures that there will be no
hidden surprises. You will be kept fully informed every step of the way.
Let me show you how the campaign will run (step them through the
process)
Keeping things on track

The following dialogues focus on the four meetings you have with your vendor
during the course of your campaign. These meetings are essentially a checkpoint
allowing you to gauge the relationship you have with your client as much as
they are to keep him/her informed about the progress of the campaign. They
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also give your vendor the opportunity to vent his/her feelings, remembering
that this can be a highly emotion-charged time for them. Your vendor will have
certain expectations and you will need to come to these meetings prepared with
appropriate responses that will allay their fears while at the same time, keep the
campaign on track and moving forward.
Getting expectations right

Lee:
I will start by contacting the buyers we have listed on our

database who are in our price range. My plan is to contact
them over the next few days to create some energy. Can I
ask you Ken, what is your expectation of what will happen
from here?
Ken:
I would expect that maybe in the first week we would get

1-2 people through and at open homes 5-6.
Lee:
Okay, so that would get us 7 parties through. Ken, lets say

the first person through wanted to buy it, how would you
feel?
Ken:
Well I would want to see it written on paper.
Lee:
Lets say we got an offer close to your expectation. What

would you do?
Ken:
If I liked the price I would take it.
Lee:
Ken, I really hope you would do that because did you know
that most people dont? A lot say, we should wait a week;
if weve got that offer in week one, imagine what wed get
in week two? And in this way, they make a huge mistake.
Did you know weve got hundreds of examples of people
who sold for $30-40,000 less than they were offered in that
first week?
Ken:
No, I never knew that.
Lee:
And Ken, after two weeks, if the right people arent coming
through I know Ive got to start communicating with people
from a different marketing space. So the price we go to
the media with will hopefully be the one that will draw the
interest but if it isnt, then I know Ive got to start looking
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at a new group of people because pricing is a process

where interest meets the market, and thats what gets
you sold. What Im getting at here, Ken, is that we need to
start at a figure you are comfortable with and then test the
waters from there. Well meet weekly and assess what the
marketplace is telling us and then take it from there. How
does that sound?
Ken:
That sounds OK.
Reassessing the price based on feedback from

the marketplace
Lee:
Ken, thank you for seeing me this morning. How do you

feel we are going so far?
Ken:
Well I was going to ring you earlier in the week, as I was a

little disappointed.
Lee:
Whats your disappointment, Ken?
Ken:
Well we havent had the people through and Sandy and I

feel as though we havent seen much of you. Quite frankly
were feeling a bit abandoned really.
Lee:
I dont want you to feel like that but I guess you could
be feeling that way because you dont see me here in
the home so much and so you feel as though Im doing
nothing. The fact of the matter is, its my job to seek out
buyers for your home and that may take 300 phone calls,
600 SMSs, and countless marketing information. But
youre right and I have to say that Im disappointed also
as Ive targeted everybody between $450 and $500 and
Ive communicated with 135 people by phone about your
property. What concerned me was when they said things
like, I know that place or Ive seen that one and yet they
havent come through yet. You may remember the Bradys
who came through 2 weeks ago; they have just purchased
another property for $445 in preference to your home. I
even drove past that one today to see how it compares
to yours and thought to myself, is it as good as yours? I
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dont think so, but at $40,000 less, they have seen value.
Interestingly enough I got to appraise that property before
it came on the market and I gave it a very similar value to
your own, yet its now come below market, meaning lower
than where I thought it would sit.
Ken:
So whats wrong with our home?
Lee:
Its not just your home Ken, there are many homes facing
the same prospect on the market at the moment. I need
to start attracting different people to this home, and Im
hoping to attract the people that are now looking in the
$440s or $430s, get them through your property and see
if we can get them up in price to where they need to be.
Ken:
So youre telling me I have to come down to $440?
Lee:
Ken, for it to be sold today, we need to attract people in

that bracket.
Ken:
No way, I mean if I sell this for $440, after deducting the

mortgage, we come away with next to nothing!
Lee:
And Ken, if you dont sell the home at all, what would you
do then?
Ken:
Well wed have to make payments I guess.
Lee:
But it still doesnt fix our problem does it? Now if you really
want to sell this property, the marketplace will give you a
price that you can choose to take and move on, or you can
continue paying the mortgage on the property youve got.
So Ken, if you really want to sell, then this is realistically
what we need to do. Now I could drop the price say by
$2000, but I know we will only have the same conversation
3 weeks from now and then youll be even angrier with me
for not selling your home.
Ken:
But we had discussions about price at the beginning. We

listened to your feedback and agreed on $480, so I want
$480 for this house. In fact, I need $480 for this house.
Lee:
Ken, if $480 were out there, we wouldnt be having this

conversation. The fact is, no one has come to that price
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level. Please remember back in our first meeting, I agreed to

put it at $480 because I look at pricing like this: whenever
we bring a property to the market, especially one like
yours, my first commitment to you is to never undersell the
property because if it is undersold, that value is than passed
onto someone else and they move away with your money.
We havent done that. We have definitely not undersold
your property. What we have done is air the market, we
put the money into the marketing, and my team has been
around here showing the property, working it, and making
communications with everyone they can to attract them in
here. But we havent achieved that figure. Now my job is
to get you out of here with as much money as I can with a
profitable sale, but what we are facing now is that you have
a figure in mind that you want and you think that figure is the
price because if $480 was on the table now you would be
ecstatic. But Ken, its not on the table, the marketplace has
seen your property and its not offering you that money.
This role-play is a classic. It is all too easy for an agent to buy into what the vendor
wants versus what is possible. Please understand that as a real estate professional,
you are not responsible for the market; you facilitate it. The market could boom
tomorrow and the house could be worth $200,000 more and then you would be a
hero. On the other hand, it could go even worse than it is now and you might have
to drop the price by $150,000. This would result in never being referred again
because in your vendors eyes, you gave it away. As an agent you must endeavour
not to buy into this emotional side of pricing.
Lets continue on with this scenario.
Ken:
So what youre saying to me Lee, is that you want me to

sign this form right now for $440?
Lee:
As your agent, it is my job is to guide you to a sale. That

price is where I see you selling the property in todays
market.
Ken:
I cant do it, Lee.
Lee:
And if we dont do it, Ken, what would you like me to do next?
Ken:
Keep trying to find me somebody for $470.
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Lee:
Ken, I could agree to that but then I would be doing the

wrong thing by you just to please you for the time being
because I know if I agree to that, I will be coming in here 2
months down the track with disappointing news.
Ken:
What I am finding really hard to accept is that four weeks

ago we talked about our house being at $480. Why didnt
you just tell us it was $440 at the time then we would
never have made the plans that we have?
Lee:
Ken, what a great question. Its because I didnt have the

132 interviews completed that I have today. Whenever we
sell any piece of real estate, we start hunting for the buyer.
Its my job to find someone, extract the highest price and, if
we cant find a buyer at your level, suggest what action we
need to take. Now, I have shown you the reports, you have
seen the charts and I can show you the properties people
bought in preference to yours. I wish it was different but
these are the normal steps to selling a home and we now
need to take our next step. Let me get moving on this.
Ken:
Im still not happy about this!
Lee:
Let me explain to you how pricing works. Pricing is like a

staircase we actually refer to it as the staircase of price.
Now when youre at the top of the staircase, you look right
down the valley to the street or where the market is. Street
level is where the staircase first enters the market its
where the buyers are. Now sometimes at the top of the
staircase we have people run up from the street to the first
landing and say, I love this place I am going to buy it and
they end up buying the property above market level. Thats
when you hear people say, wow, we got $40,000 more
for the property than we expected! Well we are at the top
of your staircase and no one has run up the stairs to come
meet us, so we need to start moving down the staircase to
the next landing, which is the next price level to see if we
can attract someone from the street to that level. Does this
make sense?
Ken:
I guess so.
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Another scenario Id like to examine with you is the old classic well if Im
dropping my price, then you need to drop your commission.
Paying the performance fee

Ken:
OK Ill agree to drop the price to $440, but I think well have
to do something about lowering the commission then.
Lee:
And, Ken what is it you would like me to do about the

commission?
Ken:
Well, I think its only fair that you drop it.
Lee:
I appreciate you thinking that because, as you said, you have

dropped your price but, Ken, I dont own the business. I
work for Complete Real Estate and in that business, we take
a risk in selling your home, meaning our time has a cost to
it, be it the receptionist, the administrators that have worked
on your window display, the 10 salespeople that have shown
your home and their petrol and mobile phones, the 300 text
messages we have sent out, the Internet costs, just to name
a few. In fact, our cost level never changes it only goes up
as we spend more time on your property, whether it is sold
or not. At the end of the day, all our efforts have created
a sale and Ken, we would need to be paid appropriately
for our efforts because if we didnt, we wouldnt be here
to represent you. Rather, we would go under ourselves
because the cost to run a business is the cost of business.
Without return and profit Ken, we wouldnt sell real estate;
we would be out of business.
Ken:
So why wouldnt you drop your commission, so we all get

what we want?
Lee:
Ken, what do you do for work?
Ken:
Im a musician.
Lee:
And, in your musical career, would you work under an

agreement where your agent says, for the next 3 months
I want you to do 12 gigs. I want you to drive to the gig, hire
the speakers, do whatever you need to do for the show.
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Now if the crowd likes you I will pay you, and if they dont
like you, you wont be paid as much. Would you work
under those conditions, Ken?
Ken:
Of course not.
Lee:
Well, I dont work that way either. If I perform, I get paid,

but if my audience, meaning the purchaser and the vendor,
dont like what I have produced, I get nothing. To start
cutting deals would mean the end of professionalism in our
business. We are very serious and passionate about selling
real estate and cutting fees isnt a professional way to run a
business. Can we move forward with the sale of your home?
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Buyer Management
Managing your buyers
Managing potential buyers of real estate is one of the most challenging aspects
of our business. Yet if they were to look truthfully at their performance, most
agents do not look after buyers very well. On a scale of 10, the average agent
would rate around 4. Those agents who take the time and effort to provide quality
buyer service are recognisable by their success. When all is said and done, buyer
management is highly beneficial in achieving the ultimate outcome, that is,
creating a name for yourself as an agent with a difference.
In this chapter, I would like you to completely open your mind and vision to what
is really possible and the benefits associated with mastering the important skills
associated with managing your buyers. In my many years of recording, training
and listening to the greats that have appeared on Real Estate Hot Topics, I have
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observed an amazing fact agents who have a genuine interest in the buying
process and truly care for their buyers needs all operate at a higher level than
those agents who just focus on the listing process and their vendors. The key point
here is this the buyer is the seller and the seller is the buyer. No matter what else
you do; if you can just stop for one second and really grasp this one point, you
will make it.
Assisting people to reach their property goals

The purchasing of residential real estate can be a confusing process. Never assume
that people understand it fully. It is your job as their agent to bring clarity to the
process by explaining the steps one at a time. In taking the time to do so, you will
be perceived as a consultant and, even better, a friend in the industry. Each time
you either speak to a prospective buyer on the phone or have them in your car, do
your best to make it an educational experience for that person. People will respect
you for your help and sing your praises to others.
In my own career, the breakthrough in community acceptance and winning
business was only made possible through brilliant buyer management. I gave
myself one major key performance indicator relating to buyer management and
that was to get face-to-face with 26 different purchasers each and every week.
From this level of contact I would secure 5 good, solid appraisals, two significant
price adjustments and a stack of referrals from good people who saw me as a
dedicated, hardworking young professional. I always made it a point to get back
to everybody, followed them up consistently, posted or dropped off information
they needed such as building plans, sewerage diagrams, whatever they needed. I
learnt very early on to focus on destination selling and in return for my efforts,
would be invited in to sell their own homes. I convinced my potential client that
I was the better option because, unlike the stereotypical lazy agent, I truly cared
about their move. Where other agents would simply tell the purchaser to turn up
at the open for inspection, I would happily meet them at the vendors home at
8:30 in the evening if need be. This is what destination selling is all about. Selling
is about transference of feelings. People can smell the fake, lazy agent of the past
from a mile away.
Buyer management is the art of professional selling and the opportunity to show
you care. It also gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your negotiation skills
and how thoroughly you work with buyers, making it more attractive for them to
take you on if and when they have a home to sell themselves.
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You never know who is taking your measure

I will never forget an early morning buyer appointment I did when I had just
begun my career in real estate. The ladys name was Tracy and she turned up
to the office ready to meet me. Well I was like an excited puppy dog, whos just
been given his first bone. I had everything ready, the owners were notified, the
keys were in my pocket and I had my information pack containing all relevant
information ready to go. We arrived at the first place, did the tour of the property
and then the objections started flying at me left, right and centre.
Tracy:
This place is a dump, and is way over-priced!
Lee:
Tracy, what would you expect to pay for a property like this?
Tracy:
Nothing like the price youve put on it.
Lee:
Well Tracy, there are people who search high and low for a
property like this one they can renovate and put their own
mark on. Once someones done that renovation and this
place is finished, it will have a completely new value. Were
you thinking of renovating or should I show you something
else?
Tracy:
Show me another.
So on we went to the next place another wonderful property from my list of

exceptional offerings. We had barely entered the front door when off she went
again.
Tracy:
What price will they take? Youve told me the homes on for
450. You know the owners what will they drop to?
Lee:
Tracy, I think the price is fair. What would you pay?
Tracy:
Not that much. So why are the owners selling?
Lee:
Well Tracy, theyve got no further use for the property and
have decided to go for something different. So what about
yourself why are you moving?
Tracy:
Because I want something bigger and better.
Lee:
Tracy, the place you are in now, what doesnt that have,
that you would like to achieve in your new home?
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Tracy:
More land, a pool and better storage. But only for a good
price. Have you had any offers yet?
Lee:
That depends on what you would call an offer. Many people

choose to wait until its too late. However the interest has
been excellent. Are you interested in making an offer?
Tracy:
Not right now, but Ill call you this afternoon.
And off she went, another fascinating consumer who makes up the essence of the
general public. Anyway, I got over that appointment and moved on with my day.
At 4.30pm that very same day I got the promised call from Tracy (in good spirits).
Tracy:
Hi Lee, thank you for your time today. Youve been a great
help and I have decided to list my house with you. Is it
possible for you to come and see us this evening and bring
the forms so we can get started straight away?
At this point I am completely at a loss for words (for once) and looking around
for the candid camera.
Lee:
Tracy, I would love to sell your home even though I havent

even seen it yet.
Tracy:
I know that but today you were my first appointment. You

handled everything I threw at you in the most professional
and respectful manner. After I saw you I took four other
agents for a test drive and they were disgraceful. I asked
them how much and they all said a lower figure. I said
the place was a dump and all they could do was nod in
agreement. I asked why the owners were selling and they
said because of a nasty divorce. I wouldnt dream of letting
them anywhere near my house. So you won the agent test
drive.
This day was a major milestone in my career and still affects me today, even as I
sit here and write this book. Testing will always occur, however the formula for
success is simple. Be respectful, courteous and honest for you never know who is
taking your measure. And remember, many of your best referrals will come from
people who didnt buy through you. Rather, they will come from people who
remember you as a brilliant agent the very best they came into contact with.
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You will never remember them all

A challenge you may face during your professional real estate sales career is the
actual volume of buyers you need to manage at any given time. A comment you
will hear from traditional agents is that they only carry (look after) just few good
buyers, the ones they know can actually buy. If you asked them how many that
would be, their answer would be in the vicinity of 8 to 10. This is old school
thinking and is said by people who have no real system for managing buyers. The
8 to 10 figure mentioned is really only the number of buyers they can actually
remember. I believe and can prove that you need at least 150 to 180 prospective
buyer contacts at any given time. Now can all these people buy? The simple
answer is no they cannot. But will they move one day? Absolutely. And when this
time comes, do you think they will call the amateur who took their details for no
apparent reason or will they contact the caring, dedicated professional who rang
fortnightly, sent SMS alerts of new properties listed, dropped off quality property
magazines and forwarded regular email updates of all sale and auction results
in the area? I should think so. Every year I see the talented, yet lazy seasoned
agent get blown out the water by a fresh faced buzzing new professional with a
gleam in their eye, wanting to match people to property. As Ive said before in this
book and its a point worth repeating, real estate is not just about property, its
about helping people move. So how do the very best agents control the volume of
potential buyers they need to stay in touch with in order to create the momentum
needed to drive every area of their business to success? Simple. By establishing a
campaign of tasks (trails) targeting buyers over a 42-day period.
Trails are a series of automated events triggered by predefined actions and linked
to a smart database. For example, by generating and posting say three target
letters to a specific group of potential buyers in conjunction with supporting
information such as brochures, business cards and home loan and relocation
service information, interested buyers will soon be contacting you. The use of
emails and SMS to communicate is also highly effective. Responses could be
immediate or delayed. Either result generates a group of potential buyers who
you can work with to develop their buying interest. The market becomes alive
with interest! You will be asked to conduct listings (via referrals) that you would
not otherwise have known existed.
After many years of working in the industry, I have also noticed that agents
experience difficulty when trying to extract offers from potential buyers for
listed properties. Why is this so? The problem arises through an inability to
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ask questions, based on proven strategies. Such questions generate a response

that could lead to a sale. So whats the answer? I will provide you with a list of
direct, winning communication strategies that lead to the negotiation arena.
To achieve this, the very first thing you need to do is learn how to qualify an
incoming enquiry call resulting from your media advertising. And dont forget,
the negotiation starts from the very first time you make contact with that person.
Buyer qualification call

Lee:
Thank you for holding, John, are you calling about ABC
Street?
John:
Yes, can I see it?
Lee:
Certainly. Have you been looking for long?
John:
A couple of months (etc.)
Lee:
John, we have a few properties like this. What is it that

youre particularly looking for in a home?
John:
(Description)
Lee:
O.K. And your surname please?
John:
Smith.
Lee:
And a daytime phone number?
John:
(Details)
Lee:
And should I need to send you a brochure on other

properties, where can I send it to?
John:
(Address given)
Lee:
Thats a good area. How long have you lived there?
John:
About 12 years.
Lee:
Are you going to hang onto that property, or (pause)
John:
No. We are going to sell it (or renting, parents, etc).
Lee:
(If selling, offer service) O.K. I cant do it today, but Id like to

give you a neutral opinion on price if thats O.K. with you?
John:
Yes. Thats fine.

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Follow-up script
This call is made a few days after the initial call as a follow-up to confirm the appraisal appointment.
Lee:
Hi John. Thanks for speaking to me the other day

regarding your requirements.
John:
(response)
Lee:
I promised Id give you an opinion on the price of your own

home. Would Thursday at 3:30p.m suit you for me to visit?
John:
(a convenient time)
If your potential buyer happens to be a woman with children, suggest 3:30p.m.and

shell more than likely say thats not convenient. Make it later that evening at say
7:30p.m. That way youre likely to find both owners at home without offending
the decision-making power of the client.
With the appointment made, you can proceed in a normal, conversational
manner so as to retrieve information for the remainder of your Customer Care
Card.
Lets take a look now at some great examples of communication strategies to use
as part of your 42-day buyer trail.
Buyer letter 1
Dear John,
Thank you for discussing your future property requirements with me
recently. Each week I like to keep in touch with everyone I am currently
searching for, to advise them of all the new properties that have just
come onto the market.
Many of our good quality properties are sold before either advertising
or signboards have been arranged, making it important for us to stay in
regular contact with you.
During your search for a property, I intend calling you before Friday
each week. However if for some reason I am not able to contact you,
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please feel free to contact me. This way I can inform you immediately of
newly listed properties.
I enjoyed talking with you. I also look forward to finding a property that
will meet your needs.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
Buyer SMS templates

Here are some brilliant SMS templates that you can send to your buyers.
t It was great to talk to you today. Be assured I will do my best
to help you find the perfect property. Have a great day. LEE
WOODWARD, COMPLETE REAL ESTATE
t Thanks for the call today. Be assured I have my eyes peeled for
you. Look forward to helping you further. LEE WOODWARD,
COMPLETE REAL ESTATE
t Great to meet with you today. Be assured I will let you know as
soon as I find another property that may be of interest to you. LEE
WOODWARD, COMPLETE REAL ESTATE
t Good to talk to you today. I look forward to touching base again as
soon as I find another property that may suit. LEE WOODWARD,
COMPLETE REAL ESTATE
t Hot new listing, 4 beds, pool, great yard Dee Why $689,000.
Call me if you are interested. LEE WOODWARD, COMPLETE REAL
ESTATE
t Great to talk to you, please call me anytime if you need any further
info about the home! Regards, LEE WOODWARD, COMPLETE
REAL ESTATE
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Buyer email 2 weeks in

Dear John,
I hope you are well. Its been a few weeks since we first started
discussing your real estate requirements.
I am not sure if you have found something or if you need any further help.
If you could please call me this week on 0411 111 111, Id be more than
happy to discuss your property goals and assist you with your move.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
Coming soon email

Dear Sally,
A brand new listing has just arrived that matches your criteria. While the
property is not due to hit the market for the next week or so, there is a
window of opportunity that I can get you through before anyone else
has a chance to see it. Our marketing team has just begun preparing
for the campaign launch and its going to attract a lot of attention so I
thought Id try to get you through this one immediately. I am available in
the next few days and look forward to the possibility of showcasing this
great home to you. Please call when possible to secure a suitable time.
Regards
Lee Woodward
Buyer letter 2 after 35 days

Dear John,
Its been just over a month since we first started looking for a property
that would suit your requirements. I am not sure if you have found
something or if you still need my help. Should you still be looking,
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please call or email me as soon as possible as we have some great

new properties coming up that match your criteria.
Should I not hear from you, I will remove you from our database and
stop sending any further property information to you regarding up and
coming opportunities. I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Lee Woodward
I havent forgotten you

Lee:
Hello is that Sally?
Sally:
Yes it is.
Lee:
Its Lee calling from Complete Real Estate. How are you?
Sally:
Good thanks Lee. How are you?
Lee:
Fine thank you. The purpose of my call this morning, Sally,

is to let you know that while I havent found a suitable
property for you yet I have not forgotten about you and
hope to find you something soon that will excite you.
Sally:
Yes that would be good. And thanks Lee; of all the agents
Ive seen, youre the only one who actually calls me back. I
dont know why they even bother taking peoples details.
Lee:
I know; its not good is it. Then they think they have the
right to sell peoples homes. Its just not right. Just on that;
can I ask you Sally, when the times right would you allow
me the opportunity to pop over and give you a neutral
opinion on the value of your own home?
Sally:
Of course I would. You have been fantastic.
Conducting a great open for inspection

As a real estate salesperson, your ability to conduct a great open for inspection is
of major importance. For some buyers (who are also potential sellers) this may be
their only point of contact with the company and with you. Remember, its known
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in the industry as show-time for a very good reason. You are the company from
the perspective of the buyers and sellers. Everyone is taking your measure.
Be particularly careful of leading questions that are asked in order to test you.
Answering the question and then leading into another question is a great method
you can use to stay focused and in control.
John:
How much do you think it will sell for Lee?
Lee:
I think the price is fair. What would you pay?
John:
Why are the owners selling?
Lee:
They have no further use for the home. But how about you,
John; why are you moving?
John:
Have you had any offers yet?
Lee:
The interest has been strong and unfortunately many people

leave it too late and end up missing out on the home they
really want. Are you interested in making an offer, John?
Purchasing a property document

A great way to win the trust of a buyer is by explaining in full what happens should
he or she choose to buy a property through your company. When showing a buyer
through a property, whether it be at an open for inspection or a private showing,
the following document is a great one to hand out to inform buyers about the
buying process. As I mentioned earlier in this chapter, you must never assume
that a buyer is familiar with the process and this document will be regarded as a
nice touch. The document can be made into a purchaser information pack, letter,
or company brochure. Read it as a guide and then create one that is compliant to
your state and company.
Dear John,
Purchasing residential real estate can be a very exciting process,
however it can also be a confusing time for the prospective buyer. As
you may already be aware, different agencies usually have different
sets of rules and standards, so we would like to inform you of the
buying process should you decide to purchase a property through
Complete Real Estate.
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Should you decide to secure or make an offer on one of our listed

properties, we will ask you to confirm the following details, enabling us
to help you in the best possible way.
t The actual purchase price you will be paying for the property
t The method by which you choose to pay the 10% deposit, e.g.
cheque/bond/other
t The settlement period that you require
t The name of your chosen solicitor or conveyancer
t The name of your bank or financial lending institution
t Any special conditions or requests that you may have so that we
can inform the vendor (property owner).
Once we have the above information, we are in a position to arrange a
meeting with the vendor.
Tip
Property owners receive all types of interest some genuine, some
not. Some people submit offers to test the possibility of a sale, but do
not actually stay true with their offer.
This can lead to frustration and concern for the owners as they try to
assess who is actually a genuine buyer. The best way to present a
strong offer on any property is to utilise your purchasing option of the
5-day cooling-off period available in all NSW property Contracts of
Sale.
The cooling-off period is only available to the purchaser and allows
for an offer to be submitted to the owner in writing, on the Contract
of Sale. This clearly demonstrates to the vendor that you are serious
about your offer.
Once an agreement on price, settlement, conditions, etc. has been
reached with the vendor, the sale can proceed. An exchange of
contracts is the only way to actually buy or sell a property.
The exchange of contracts occurs when the purchaser and vendor
each sign an identical copy of the proposed Contract for the Sale of
Land, that land having a title (the property on the land, being houses,
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townhouses etc., are known as improvements to the subject land). The

exchange of contracts can be made according to terms under either
one of the following options on the next page.
Option 1: unconditional exchange
This means the purchasers solicitor has signed a 66W certificate. This
certificate will waive any cooling-off period and makes both parties
committed to an instant, legally binding relationship. There is no turning
back. This option also applies when a purchaser is the successful
bidder at auction (where contracts are unconditionally exchanged).
Option 2: exchange of contracts (subject to a 5-day cooling-off
period)
As sales agents, we can only exchange contracts with a cooling-off
period. The period for withdrawal lasts for 5 working days and allows
the purchaser the right to rescind the Contract of Sale for any reason.
This period commences upon exchange and terminates in New South
Wales on the fifth working day at 5pm E.S.T. Remember that Saturday
and Sunday, along with public and bank holidays, are not business
days. The vendor may extend this period by a clause in the contract or
by notice in writing given before the end of the period. The cooling-off
period is created to allow the purchaser time to organise inspections
and reports, and to allow their legal representative to check the
contract.
If you are wishing to seal a deal, it is important that you understand the
commitment level required by both the purchaser and vendor.
Cooling-off facts and benefits for the purchaser
The signing of a 5-day cooling-off period is a great way to purchase.
This method provides full protection against:
t
the vendor pulling out of the sale
t
another purchaser paying more for the property
t
any government body wishing to purchase the property.
With this contract exchanged, the purchaser has total control and
time to ensure that everything is to their liking. However, this protective
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method requires commitment by the purchaser. For example, if a

rescission takes place, a financial penalty is incurred. The purchaser
on rescission forfeits 0.25% of the purchase price ($250 in $100,000,
$500 in $200,000; note that no minimum amount is specified). This
money is payable directly to the vendor. If not, the vendor has the right
for recovery of the 0.25% purchase price as a debt, where either no
deposit has been paid or the amount of the deposit was insufficient.
Neither party has any further claim against the other, except where the
purchaser may have obtained possession (that is take ownership of the
property).
In some cases, a purchaser does not wish to sign anything without
their solicitors approval. If this is the decision, Complete Real Estate
will issue the potential buyer with what is known as a Sales Advice.
This contains all the relevant details of the sale. Your solicitor will then
make contact with the vendors solicitor and proceed with reports and
reading of contracts with no determined time-frame for exchange.
However, it is important to note that whilst this is taking place, the
property will remain on the market, and anybody wishing to make
an offer can do so. Note: It is a legal requirement that every offer put
forward must be presented to the vendor. Although you may be a
day or two ahead with your solicitor, any other interested party is able
to sign the Contract of Sale under a cooling-off period as specified
above in option 2. The property is then secured, leaving you no
option to purchase. Your solicitor is powerless to act, as contracts are
exchanged and in the case of a cooling-off, this can be carried out by
either the agent or the vendors solicitor.
The fact is, although some solicitors may not want you to purchase using
a cooling-off period, it is the only way to actually secure a property (other
than option 1), allowing for time to conduct necessary research.
General tips
If you want to make an offer, be certain that you can follow through by
having the following items confirmed:
t A pre-approval of finance from your bank or lending institution
t Your own property sold, or at least assessed for value and possible
sale time
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t You have a solicitor or conveyancer selected

t Determine how you will be paying the 10% deposit and associated
costs
t An idea of settlement times required before you take possession.
Building and pest reports
Before you purchase any property in particular a new home it is
important that you receive a copy of a Pest and Building Report from
a qualified inspector. Please note that this report is a complete list of
defects of the home, and is very different from the feature brochure
that you receive from Complete Real Estate. Most people are shocked
with the report they receive on the home, and most times misinterpret
the report, e.g. the home is 24 years old and is in need of new roof
tiles. Roof tiles last approximately 25 years and need replacing on every
home of that age. The point to remember here is that all homes at
one time or another require maintenance, and that this is known as a
capital improvement on the property.
Bank valuations
Dont be alarmed if your bank or lending institution request a valuation
by a registered property valuer. This is normal practice of lending
institutions, and serves as confirmation of the agreed sale price.
Buying at auction
If you are intending to buy at auction, all the above-mentioned must
be in place. Auction day is final. If you turn up to bid and you are the
highest bidder past the received price (on-the-market price) you are the
instant owner awaiting settlement of that property.
Summary
Preparation is the key. Understand your rights and have everything
in place. If you follow the advice in this document, along with that of
your solicitor and your Complete Real Estate agent, you will be on your
way to securing the right home for you. Whether you are considering
purchasing property in the near future, or are currently in the process
of buying a home through another company and in need of advice,
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please feel free to call any of the Complete Real Estate sales team with
any questions that you may have. They will be happy to assist you.
Yours faithfully
Lee Woodward
Complete Real Estate Pty Ltd
(Please keep this information on file, you will find it helpful during the
sales process as a reference guide.)
Follow-up after an inspection

So many agents conduct the perfect open for inspection or private tour of a
property but neglect to follow up their prospective buyers afterwards. Countless
opportunities for a sale are lost in this way. In making calls to buyers following an
inspection it is vital that you get into the habit of cutting to the chase. Lets take
a look at an example.
Lee:
Good morning Mr Smith, its Lee calling from Complete

Real Estate. We met at number 28 Pelican Street on
Saturday. I am just calling to see what you thought of the
property.
Mr Smith: Yes, it was a nice home.

Lee:
Is there a price you would pay for the property?
Mr Smith: In my opinion its not worth more than 650.

Lee:
Would you like to try and buy it?
Mr Smith: Will I get it for that?

Lee:
I am not sure. I just want to make sure I understand your

interest. Is that your offer?
If the answer to this last question is yes, then you would proceed into my signature negotiation process, which is covered a little later in this chapter.
157
How to master qualify through scripts and questions

Whether people are looking for guidance, having trouble making a decision or
not yet in a position to buy, there are times when you need to be proactive in
helping them to move forward or finding out if they are indeed ready to make a
decision. The following scripted comments and questions help you to qualify the
intent of a potential buyer.
t I suggest you buy this one!
t Allow me to provide you with a Purchasing Guide.
t Can you see yourself living here?

t Do the propertys features suit your needs?
t Is there a price that you would pay for this home?
t Would you like to try and buy it?
t How does this compare in value with the other homes you have
seen?
t What is the best home you have seen so far? Why didnt you buy it?
t If you saw the perfect property today, what would you do?
t Regardless of which property you buy, are you familiar with the
buying process and how it works?
t Which home loan company have you chosen?
t This property seems to meet all your needs, doesnt it?
t What sort of timeframe do you have in mind for re-locating?
t Does a 10-week settlement period cause you any concern?
t Have you selected a good real estate solicitor?
t Do you have a wish list of features that you would like in your new
home?
t If we list a home that we believe could come close to meeting your
requirements, are you able to get some viewing time through the
week?
158
Common objections and buyer psychology

Whenever you are in a business that deals with people, psychology plays a part,
and this is particularly true in an industry such as real estate because you are
involved in a highly emotion-charged time in a persons life. Moving can be
exciting, but it can also be very stressful and it helps to recognise the type of
buyer you are dealing with so that you know how best to communicate with
them. There are six classic buyer types and each one has a different motivation
for purchasing property and therefore needs to be handled differently in order to
engage them and win their trust and respect as a property professional.
How to recognise the six types of buyers

First home buyers
First home buyers are brilliant to work with as they are governed by budget not
features. They are:
r Renovators
r Anxious to get out of the family home
r Motivated by price and easily swayed.
The family buyer

The family buyer makes up an enormous part of the real estate market. They:
r Make practical decisions
r Forego fashion for space
r Locate near schools, transport etc.
Investors
Investors are an increasing part of the property market, who feel insecure with
shares. They are:
r Looking for a bargain
r Interested primarily in financial return
r Unemotional (unless one of a partnership believes he or she could live
there one day).
159
The life crisis buyer

Life crisis buyers are highly emotional and very sensitive to people who may take
advantage of their situation. They are:
r Financially troubled
r Divorced
r Looking for a life boat to save them from the storm
r Need direction and end up taking advice from too many people
r Crying out for options, screaming out for guidance.
The prestige buyer

The prestige buyer can be a difficult client. Usually leaving a nice property (3rd
home), they are looking to upgrade to the next status level.
r They purchase an address/street not the property
r Their decision is based upon consensus/peer group pressure.
Final home buyers

Final home buyers are usually very mature, calculating and have specific needs
and goals. They are:
r Normally downsizing to maintain a lifestyle
r Requiring a home with low maintenance
r Anxious for a property where they can lock the door, go away and not
worry about a thing
r Usually governed heavily by location and will forego quality for
convenience
r Seeking a place the family will enjoy visiting.
Each classic buyer type commonly has a different type of objection. Lets take a
look at some examples and the best ways to respond to each.
160
The first home buyer

Jenny:
We need to see more properties; it doesnt feel right! We

will know the right one when we see it.
Lee:
Youre being too hard on yourselves. Most people dont get

emotional in this price guide. The emotion usually happens
two price brackets up from here. The property you buy
now will be part of a good real estate decision and one
whose value you can improve. You dont want to realise
this in 6 months time when the market has moved on
and you have to pay $30,000 more for the same type of
property, do you? This property decision will get you one
step closer to a home you could get emotional about.
Peter:
I think the market may keep going down and I want to wait.
Lee:
I understand your thinking, but when does that end? If you

wait until you think it is at the bottom of the market, it will
move and you will end up paying more. You have a window
of opportunity here when it is calm take it! The only sign
we will get if the market is at its lowest point is when it starts
to get better. Then you will be buying when the market is
already escalating and that makes it an expensive move.
Trudi:
Were waiting until the property we like comes down in price.
Lee:
Every property eventually sells. The majority of properties

do come onto the market at a price that the owner believes
is fair. Those properties are normally sold before they have
an advertised price reduction because somebody made an
offer and the owner accepted it. The offer is possibly below
the asking price, but you wont see it or get a chance to
buy it. I suggest that if you are interested, then you should
submit an offer, otherwise you will probably miss out to the
person who steps forward. All homes are sold to people
who act decisively.
161
Harry:
We love this place but its on for more than we wanted to

spend.
Lee:
Thats why I think you should buy it! It will never be

available at this price again!
The family buyer

Mary:
I dont like the busy road!
Lee:
I understand you feeling that way. Other buyers we have

had for homes on busy roads initially felt the same way.
However what we have found in the past was that those
buyers really wanted more internal features in their future
homes. Unfortunately you cant get all these extras in your
price bracket and in a quiet street, which is why this home
offers terrific value.
Kevin:
We want to see more homes so we can be absolutely sure

theres nothing better.
Lee:
How many homes do you feel you need to see before you
buy? May I suggest you dont fall for the all time biggest
mistake in real estate and look for too long, as the property
market may pass you by.
The investor
James:
I wouldnt live here! Im looking for something nicer.
Lee:
That is one of the big mistakes many investors make. The

best investments are ones that are in a busy location and
close to transport. They are normally not something you
would live in yourself. If you bought something bigger and
in a quiet street for instance, it will be more expensive and
harder to find a tenant. You need to decide if this is going
to be something that you will live in or rent the two are
never the same. The last thing you need is an expensive,
nice home that you cannot rent.
162
The life crisis buyer

Stacey:
This home doesnt have what we have now!
Lee:
I can understand you feeling that way. We have worked

with a lot of people in your situation who felt the same
way. What they found when they eventually bought was
that a different home gave them a new start in life and this
decision is now taking them in a different direction.
The prestige buyer

Henry:
I dont like the finishes!
Lee:
The good thing is that the inclusions of the home can be

changed and the best thing about this home is the street.
Often the best homes and best inclusions are in the wrong
streets. Do you want the best location or the best house?
The biggest profits in all real estate transactions come from
the location and the shell of this one allows you to do add
your own finishing touches.
The final home buyer

Clive:
Its a great place but Ive never liked battle-axe blocks.
Lee:
Clive, I know its very different to the home you and

Margaret have lived in for years but dont forget your needs
are quite different now that your children have all grown up
and moved out.
This home offers you the low maintenance and accessibility
to public transport that you said you were after. And the
fact that its on a battle-axe block means it gives you the
added security and privacy that Margaret said is very
important to you both now.
163
Understanding buyer psychology for auctions

When it comes to auctions, too many agents focus on the marketing and how
many contracts are being issued but neglect to study a crucial element in the
auction process what are the buyers thinking and how are they feeling? For
instance, there is a big difference between buyers who are interested in the home
and those who see themselves actually living in the home. For every twenty
contracts you hand out to prospective buyers, it is safe to assume that there will
be about five serious bidders at the auction.
You can generally gauge a prospective buyers interest by such things as how
many times they have inspected the property, whether or not they have shown
the property to family members or friends and whether or not a solicitor has been
engaged to conduct searches and arrange building and pest reports.
Get into the habit of calling back your buyers and have a bank of test questions
to screen them in order to qualify their interest, without appearing to be bullying
them. Prospective buyers tend to start looking at properties in a logical way, that
is, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and the size of the block etc. When
it comes to price however, it becomes an emotional issue and logic tends to be
moved into the background. As the agent, you need to be perceived as a neutral
party, while at the same time being the controlling conduit in the situation who
keeps people calm.
A good agent will know how to take price out of the equation, encouraging the
prospective buyers to focus on the home instead. Price is, after all, a journey
which needs time to travel. People dont buy until they are emotionally attached
and once they are, they are generally not as hesitant to pay to their top dollar for
what they want.
Knowing when to push and when not to is a fine, but crucial art. Too many
agents have a tendency to operate using schoolyard bullying tactics! The soft sell
approach is the way to go when attempting to maximise the price. Dont make the
common mistake of losing a deal over an issue of pride.
Negotiation a crucial skill

Negotiation starts from the moment you first meet a potential buyer. You need
to learn to read the signals, their personality type and body language, while at
the same time doing all you can to help them and win their trust. It is commonly
164
known in this industry that a buyer will dig in to arrogance and give in trust.
Believe me when I say this a buyer will never pay their best price if they distrust
you.
My signature negotiation process

In selling real estate, you will come to appreciate that the process of negotiation
is an art. Just like a swim at the beach, you will need to move back and forth,
checking conditions before diving in.
Within any negotiation, there are three main elements that make it successful:
1.
Preparation: be ready with all facts, research done and knowledge of

each party.
2.
Power: respect that the power shifts back and forth.
3.
Timing: few difficult negotiations can be resolved in one meeting or

discussion. Time plays a large part in the decision-making process,
especially where concessions make a difference.
If you receive an offer on a property, your first instinct is excitement, as a deal

may be near. Before running off to inform the vendor though, step back and work
through the following 11-point plan of action.
1.
When the first offer is received, be sure to stand and negotiate.

Remember that silence implies consent. If you do not question now, you
will never return to this step.
John, may I ask, how did you arrive at that figure?

2.
Move price aside and explain the process to the purchaser. It is

important that the offer you take to the vendor is genuine. This can be
best achieved by clearly explaining the commitment required to sign
contracts, ensuring that the offer can be taken seriously by the vendor. If
the purchaser protests, you may be dealing with a tester.
3.
Finalise the terms. Another great way to firm things up is to discuss

details beyond the sale.
John, should we achieve agreement on that price, what settlement

period will you require?
165
How will you be paying the deposit?

Which solicitor will you be using?
4.
Continue on the subject of price.
John, I believe that the asking price is fair and your offer may be viewed
as being below the propertys value. By law, I have to present your offer
to the owner, but if they said no, what would be the next price you
would offer?
Whoever speaks next loses.
5.
If the offer you now have is in the range of anticipated value, ask the
purchaser to sign the contract for delivery to the vendor and take the
initial 0.25% deposit. If not, make a time to see the vendor anyway.
6.
Meet the vendor. The vendor meeting needs to provide information, not
achieve quick acceptance. If you just advise the price offered, you are
robbing the vendor of the experience of the process and no matter how
good the figure, a natural response is to say no. This is where timing
plays a large part.
7.
Plan. Give the vendor the history of the buyer how long they have been
looking, how many children they have and what they loved about the
home. Then confirm the deposit and terms of settlement. This process
prepares them for their own move.
8.
Deliver the price, then the second offer and be silent. After the vendors
response, move into a dialogue explaining that you wish to return to
the purchaser for a higher offer. This way the vendor feels you are truly
working for them. Always expect to go back on behalf of the owner,
even if the original offer is accepted.
9.
Sign up the vendor or return to the purchaser.
10. Meet the purchaser and deliver good news about how close you are
to securing a home for them. Work them to the very last dollar, for
example, $425,650, as odd amounts count and may pull you through to
the threshold of mutual agreement.
11. Final vendor meeting. This meeting can be as long or as short as
you make it. If the vendor and the buyer are still apart on price, go
166
back through the purchasers history. If you have achieved more than
expected, you can be assured that you will be welcomed and referred to
their family and friends.
What goes around, comes around
Once a successful sale has been achieved, many agents think to themselves, well
thats it, another happy customer. Time to move on to the next one. But this could
not be further from the truth. By maintaining the connection with your buyers
and sellers, the cycle will start over again somewhere down the track. Most people
buy and sell many times in their lifetime and our objective is that they will keep
coming back to you.
167
Its a wrap
Achieve more with less effort

To achieve consistent, brilliant results in real estate sales you know from having
read this book that I am a great advocate of connecting with people as often and
in the best possible way that you can. You also know that to make it possible
to connect with the greatest number of buyers and sellers achievable, you need
a system that can help to facilitate this. After all, you cant possibly remember
everyone you come into contact with nor could you possibly know which tasks
need to be done when. But if software is the answer then why is it that so many
salespeople either avoid it or are hampered by their system of choice.
During my travels as a sales coach, I actually see more people blocked by
technology than improved by it. Based on my observations, I would go so far
as to say that digitisation does not necessarily give salespeople a competitive
advantage. In fact many salespeople have a tendency to hide behind technology,
staying in front of the screen because its easier than being confronted with the
reality of a person. As professional salespeople we need to learn the difference
between a software benefit and a software gadget. Let me assure you, I speak
from experience after using every time-wasting gadget on the market. Today Im
happily back to a simple off-line communication database. And Im loving it! So
the big question is can we do without it? The answer to this question is possibly.
Used appropriately however, software as a contact database is a goldmine and can
be one of your greatest time saving tools.
Selecting the right system is a challenge, as every brochure seems to offer the
same, yet rarely do they deliver what you require. In order to make an informed
decision on the software system you need, it is important to have a solid
understanding of the objectives, deliverables and benefits that apply to you and
your career.
To achieve consistent performance as a real estate sales professional, you need
a system that allows you to take control and facilitate the four crucial areas of
168
the real estate sales process that I have covered in this book. We need a system
that helps us to find, list, communicate and sell. The right software can make
a dramatic difference to a salespersons performance as long as it useable by
everyday real estate agents and makes everyday tasks simple and effective because
its so true what they say any more than two mouse clicks and youve lost a
salesperson.
The following table highlights the top 10 system features, deliverables and benefits
you need to professionally run your business and, more importantly, generate the
profit to allow someone else to take over all the administrative duties (red work)
allowing you to get on with the job of finding, listing, communicating and selling.
The top 10 requirements of a software system

Features:
What it does
Deliverables:
What it is
Benefit:
What you get out of it
Produce CMA reports
Manage your farm area
Prospecting system
Client and contact

management
CRM Client Relationship

Management
Relationship
management
Bulk communications
Industry templates for

SMS, email and letters
Select and
send consistent
communication
Action plans (trails)
Scheduled tasks
Strategic follow-up
Results tracking and

reporting
Accountability
Manage your business

and clients
Sales training
Resources
Continuous
improvement
Sales trust
Industry compliant
Financial reporting
Advertising
Campaign tracking
Campaign schedule
Marketing
Visual communication
Visual templates
Support and training
Industry specific
Remote support and

online training
So which software is simple to use and meets all these requirements and
deliverables?
Engineered by real estate professionals for real estate professionals, Complete
Data is the chosen system and engine behind the nations best agents. Complete
169
Data complements salespeople because it is a system, not an emotion. Its the

discipline you need to allow you to achieve your vision. Think of it not just as a
database, but as part of your super fund an investment into your future.
A final word
In writing this book, I have captured many years of observations, personal
experiences and feedback from real estates top performers. I am truly passionate
about this brilliant industry of ours and equally passionate about sharing the
strategies that lead you to achieve your professional and personal goals in life.
Just remember though, while this book gives you the tools, only you can make it
happen.
I wish you every success in your career and thank you for reading this book. I
hope to see you back in the training rooms soon and look forward to hearing your
success stories.
Im Lee Woodward.
Bye for now.
Real Estate Academys other products and services

Real Estate Academy (REA) is the only training partner of its kind. We offer
skills training, software solutions, scripts and dialogues, created by our own inhouse specialist team of professionals. Our material is backed by premium visual
communications strategies supported with workbooks and follow-through audio
and video coaching programs. Being the largest national real estate service centre
in Australia, we have the capacity to deliver upon all our products and services.
We provide the real estate industry with exciting training that will allow all
team members to become more strategic in what they do. If you have the hunger
to succeed, we have the training systems and services to maximise your full
potential. Strategic training has the ability to energise and empower individuals
and this renewed energy and empowerment transfers to the entire organisation. It
is not uncommon for an agent to become lost in the fog on day-to-day activities.
Training offers a powerful environment where the mind and vision are opened
up to expand and move beyond the present position. In advanced learning, its not
just the introduction of new information that moves us forward but the strategic
alignment of what we already know.
170
As the founder of Real Estate Academy, I can assure you there are no other
training companies that can match our level of skill, resources and infrastructure;
in fact our system designers and writers are exclusive to REA as dedicated team
members.
The table below lists our suite of products and services.
Membership
The Complete Membership Program (Gold, Silver and Bronze)
Training & Events
The Complete Salesperson Course
The Complete Leader Conference
Effective Business Unit Workshop
Running Brilliant Auctions Workshop
Super Coach
Prospecting Workshop
Buyer Management & Negotiation Workshop
Time & Action Management Workshop
Thrive Induction Training Program
Audio & Video
Real Estate Hot Topics
Urban Words
Power of People
Mat Steinwede Real Estate System
Real Estate Software
Complete Data
Additional Services
Personal Presentations
Agents Business Plan
Productivity Pad
Event Management
Speaker Coaching & Management
Recruitment
For further information, contact Real Estate Academy on 1300 367 412 or visit
our website at http://www.realestateacademy.com.au
171
TRAINING & EVENTS:
THE COMPLETE
SALESPERSON COURSE
If selling real estate is your core focus then The Complete Salesperson Course is your opportunity
to take control of your business and career. Our flagship training course has been attended and
implemented by thousands of real estate professionals, from professional assistants to salespeople
and trainees to principals, all of whom have since reaped the rewards, including a stronger sales
pipeline, more effective time management and a comprehensive personal action plan.
Following Real Estate Academys exclusive
Sales Process Model, the course covers
the four key components of:
s
s
s
s
Prospecting (Find)
Winning Business (List)
Vendor Management (Communicate)
Buyer Management (Sell)
Over 2 exciting, yet challenging days you

will learn how to manage your time
most effectively while operating as a business
professional within the infrastructure of a
company.
Delivered in an interactive workshop-style format,
you return to your office inspired, motivated and
armed with:
s A comprehensive manual containing
checklists, step-by-step instructions, plans,
exercises and templates for your marketing
and communication needs
s Audio
s 12-months access to the Resource Centre on
our website.
This course has had a dramatic impact upon
the industry and is now widely regarded as the
industry benchmark for real estate training
in Australia. Because the course is updated
regularly to evolve with the times, dedicated
people, including some of the countrys top
performers, attend the course on numerous
occasions, some having attended up to 10
times already.
WEB. www.realestateacademy.com.au
PHONE. 1300 367 412

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What to Say,

What to Say, What to Send

First published April 2009

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Woodward, Lee, 1971-

What to say, what to send : scripts, dialogues,

Real estate business--Australia.

Edited by Phaedra Pym

This book has been produced for the Author by

What to Say, What to Send

The Sales Process

What is the difference between a script and a dialogue?

Making the connection

Your best leads

Know your turf

Working with fewer people for better reasons

Your prospecting menu

JUST LISTED note

JUST SOLD note

Weekly Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) calls

Open house call backs (standard)

The open for inspection call back

Passive database calls

You all offer the same thing!

Calls to former prospective purchasers

The 21 steps to selling privately

Complimentary appraisal offer

Record sale price letter

The price drive letter

Price drive follow-up

Service area calls

The all-in-one door knocking role-play with brochure

Listings how to secure them

Listing questionnaire strategy to qualify all seller leads

The inbound potential seller qualification role-play

SMS confirmation after phone call

Covering letter of confirmation and questionnaire

Property Assessment Report

SMS on the day of the appointment

The power of ten

Your complete listing procedure

Building your face-to-face presentation

24 questions to ask strategies that will be activated

Brilliant throw in one-liners

The presentation role-play

Stage 1 before the property is advertised

Stage 2 on the market

Stage 3 the negotiation and getting to yes

Beginnings great final closes

The quote pad close

Common fee objections

The commitment letter (from the Mat Steinwede System)

Presenting your greatest hits

SMS confirmation after meeting 1 (listing)

Thank you for listing letter

Letter to tenant (if required)

Follow-up email to tenant (if required)

Reverse-engineered email 1 (progress report)

Touching base phone call regarding editorial