Sharing Motivation Mario Jannatpour doesn’t believe in the 15-minute coaching call. He doesn’t think real estate training should cost thousands of dollars. And he has no interest in growing a sales coaching empire. But he does want to make a difference. Jannatpour discovered his true calling in life when he made the switch from software sales to real estate in 2002. The Boulder, Co., market has been good to him, not just through the boom but after the economic downturn as well. Jannatpour was able to grow his client base and build relationships in his community. This past year was Jannatpour’s best, up about 30 percent from 2011 with 16 closings at an average sale price of about $450,000. Here are three tips for growing your real estate business from Jannatpour: 1. Become a Local Expert Study the geography of the area, analyze market figures, familiarize yourself with contract types and disclosures, and strengthen your negotiation tactics, Jannatpour advises. As your knowledge base grows and you feel more confident about what you do, it will begin to come across to clients. “You don’t want to start a relationship where you are begging someone to work with you,” he says. “You want the client to work with you based on your level of expertise and knowledge.” It also helps to get organized, because customers want detail-oriented agents who listen to their needs and follow up. Take advantage of tools to manage your time and costs, says Jannatpour. 2. Expect Respect You must build client relationships based on mutual respect. “You want to spend time with real, qualified clients,” Jannatpour says. So if clients don’t return your phone calls or don’t show up for meetings, it may be time to fire them. “You don’t want to waste your time chasing hope.” Respect has to go both ways, he says, and it can sometimes take months or years before a relationship leads to a sale. 3. Level With Your Clients Honesty is Jannatpour’s first rule of thumb. If you’re unfamiliar with an area of town, be upfront about it and refer those clients to another agent in that area. “I vowed I would be different from other real estate agents who are just focused on getting a paycheck,” Jannatpour says. If an issue arises – whether it’s a transaction hurdle or a property flaw – be honest with your clients about it, because no matter how much you try to conceal something, the issue will come out eventually. “Your motivation is to help your clients, not to make $100,000 a year in commission,” Jannatpour says. “Being honest with your clients will come back to you tenfold because they’re going to be satisfied for years to come.”
Posted on: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 18:44:14 +0000
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