Empathy & Curiosity

A two-phase strategy begins with an emphasis on empathy and curiosity.

Building rapport will come easily if you are truly interested in the individual you are working with, their reasons for relocating, and the factors that brought them to this specific community.

So, how can you develop your natural empathy and curiosity?

The secret is to have questions ready and prepared.

Instead of assuming anything, focus on getting to know your prospect better.

 

Utilizing Questions

Understanding that this will be a challenging transaction and that numerous thoughts will be rushing through a prospect's mind will allow you to empathize with the prospect.

Remind yourself to be open-minded and compassionate, as well as to listen more. Make sure the client understands you're on their side.

 

The Two Things Necessary for Likeability

There are a few things you have to do to win the other side over. For example, ask lots of relevant questions and learn and mention their name frequently. A relationship will emerge on its own.

So what are you supposed to ask?

"What brought you to contact us today?" is a good place to start.

This is an excellent way to build rapport. One drawback, though, is that the prospect will probably only answer briefly.

"Well, it was time to move, it was time for our family to get into a bigger house, etc." is what they'll say.

If this happens, you need to ask another (follow-up) inquiry in order to probe further using the same procedure.

Here are two queries that could be helpful:

They can say, "Tell me more," indicating that they are prepared for and want to move into a larger home. When you ask for further details, they go on.

"Can you elaborate on that for me?" This is a crucial area for me, so they might reply, "I want to be close to XYZ." Ask again, "Could you elaborate on that?" As needed, repeat.

By doing this, we urge individuals to look past the evidence and underneath the surface, which is where rapport is built.

A word of caution: we sometimes think that asking questions is all that is necessary, so we begin to bombard the possibility with them.

It will feel more like an interrogation than a rapport-building exercise. Therefore, make sure you're asking the right questions that provide important details about the prospect that will be useful later, rather than just asking questions for the sake of asking them.

 

Gong Information

Gong, a sales call recording software tool, investigated how much the sales professional should talk when conversing with the prospect.

Surprisingly, the top sales personnel only speak 40% of the time, leaving 60% of the time for the prospect to speak.

This is intriguing because it implies that sales representatives delve deeper and try to understand the reasons for their customers' problems rather than merely asking them a bunch of questions and then sitting back.

 

Who Speaks The Loudest?

A good rule of thumb to remember is that the person who speaks the most in a sales transaction is more likely to feel that the conversation went well.

You will feel as though you have nailed the presentation if you enter a listing presentation and speak the entire time. The prospect, on the other hand, will not think the meeting went well.

The ideal dynamic is one in which both sides feel they have received an equal amount of talking time, and the prospect feels heard.

 

Location

As a realtor, you are in a particularly beneficial position since you have conversational weapons, one of which is location. You are aware of their residence or possible buying location.

So, what exactly do we mean? Consider the following scenario: a seller calls you, and you inquire about their property. Asking them about their area is an easy way to build rapport.

When you're familiar with the area, you can inquire, "Hey, do you spend a lot of time at the park?" Because I am acquainted with the parks, stores, and landmarks. "Do you know where XYZ coffee shop is?"

And doing so makes it an excellent method for creating rapport.

 

Design And Construction

These are two terrific methods for establishing rapport while you're inside their home.

You can connect because you have a rudimentary understanding of construction and design, and you can discuss how much you admire their hardwood floors and believe their appliance brands are top-notch, and so on.

Repeat As Needed

This approach works by having someone explain something to you and then having you repeat it differently.

This works beautifully when communicating with customers. For example, the buyer may state that they want to reside in a green area and are looking for a square-foot home with four bedrooms in a specific community close to a specific school.

Although you should not directly repeat what they said, you should say something similar but slightly paraphrased.

This will show them that you heard what they said or that it sounds correct to you. As a result, an immediate bond is formed.

Users of real estate often assume that agents are looking out for their best interests. In actuality, you're on their side, and you must persuade them of this. You can connect with them and ensure they feel heard by using the repeat and rephrase strategy.

 

Tonality Of Voice

Another method is to match their vocal tonality. If they're a rapid talker, you're suddenly a fast talker; if they're slow and silent, you'll have to put on that hat as well.

Consider the person to be a friend. When you consider them a friend, you will naturally begin to match their cadence.

Another advantage of this method is that you will naturally grow more empathic and interested.

Vulnerability And Bravery

Finally, there is courage and vulnerability. You must engage in the conversation rather than simply listening.

So, how do you go about it?

 

Find Common Ground

You must also maintain perspective and be willing to act honestly.

If you're talking about a park or a school, you can mention a personal experience or a connection you have.

Take it a step further by showing some vulnerability. Assume the seller we're chatting with is experiencing some challenges that are causing them to reconsider selling their home. You may tell them you sold your house two years ago and walk them through the difficulties you had.

This is how you can find common ground.

 

Don't Feel Restricted

The claim that "it's difficult for me to establish common ground because I don't think I'm interesting" is one regular example of resistance that we encounter.

When we hear that, we instinctively contest it.

Usually, the only reason you're mentally constrained is because you think your viewpoint is unsupported or because you're worried about how you'll be perceived.

We're all far too careful. As we let our guard down and pay attention to our inner critic, we connect with others more.

Make confident that you are perceiving your reality.

The majority of people lead exciting lives, but if you feel that yours is dull because you all engage in the same repetitive activities, we advise you to try something new.

You should spend more time with your friends. Invest in a whole new program. Read about topics that captivate and interest you. Find the perfect companion in a podcast. Don't use the usual route.

You are more likely to make friends and build relationships with others who share your interests if you have a more expansive perspective on the world.

 

Conclusion

Building rapport with a prospective customer is a more or less guaranteed means of making a sale, but it also ensures that your sphere of influence in real estate expands and you maintain clients in the long run.

Finally, this is one of the most important criteria in determining where your next lead will come from.