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iscover
Sure, as real estate agents, we transact properties. That’s the core function of our job. But that’s not necessarily the true business that we’re in.
If you look a little deeper, our actual job involves finding solutions, and that’s true for both property management and real estate sales.
The better we are at finding solutions, the more successful we become, the more we get paid, and the more we build a profile as an expert.
It’s an everyday part of the job
Every day we’re tasked with “finding solutions”. We find the right solutions to attract buyers and sell a client’s home.
We get that sale across the line with great negotiation skills. Along the way, we provide an array of solutions, with timely advice, great communication, and an ability to get things done.
At every stage of the property journey, we’re identifying potential hurdles and finding the solutions to overcome them.
And when you look at real estate through that lens, it’s crystal clear, we’re an industry built on a solution-finding service that has real value for our clients.
It’s the solutions that we’re paid for
Yes, there’s a large element of real estate practice that’s process-driven. There are call lists and checklists, there are systems and non-negotiables.
But it’s finding solutions that we’re actually paid for. When we put the right solutions in place, we make the process of buying or selling a property easier.
We find ways to attract the best buyers at the best price. We help our sellers on their journey, casting aside any number of hurdles that might be in their way.
But what does it take to be a solution finder?
It’s all about perspective
To be a great solution finder, we have to be able to embrace the perspective of others.
We need to listen, understand and metaphorically walk a mile in their shoes.
Only when we appreciate their point of view are we in the position to help them with their needs and find, then work in, a suitable solution.
Here are just a couple of examples of how that plays out:
Consider this — is the seller hesitant in coming to market because they are cautious about what the media’s been saying and are concerned about a reduced sales price?
Quite possibly. What’s the solution? Show them how much their property has increased in value since they purchased, tax-free if applicable. Demonstrate value by calculating their changeover costs.
If their hurdle is the fact that they don’t know where they’re moving to next, then find the destination solution that’s likely to suit their needs.
Show them the better position they would be in and the lifestyle that might involve, or help them negotiate a better deal on their next purchase.
Or what about this scenario:
There’s a buyer keen on the property, but their offer is below the mark. Are they maxed out in terms of borrowing power, or is this what they believe the property’s worth?
If the former is the case, would an alternative finance solution help in any way? If it’s the latter, what can you show them about that property that demonstrates its value?
Solution-finding has value
When focus shifts from seeing hurdles to finding solutions, you make things happen.
Your mind gets to work, and solutions appear. You make them appear.
Couple energy and enthusiasm with a solution and you have an unbeatable formula to help create and stimulate sales.
In pretty much every industry, problem solvers and solution finders are the highest-paid individuals and are the most valuable in any organisation or team. In real estate, it’s not different.
So next time you encounter a hurdle, ask yourself this: what can I do to go through, around or cleanly over that bump? What’s the solution that I know I can find?
Manos Findikakis is the chief executive of Agents’Agency.
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