As a salesperson, learning how to ask the right questions can be one of the most effective tools you'll ever utilize when it comes to successfully closing a great number of real estate transactions. What I'm talking about here is asking questions of your clients and prospects that are specifically designed to move them towards successfully closing transactions with you.

When an agent is talking about the positive features of a property, or the reasons why the client should proceed with a particular transaction, the client can sometimes feel like they are being " sold" by the agent. But when an agent instead asks a client one or more questions, and the client's responses in their own words to these questions indicates that they should continue moving forward on the property, the agent has just created a very favorable sales situation. And in real estate sales and leasing, it's the client's opinion in their own words that really counts.

Let's take a look at the following scenarios:

In the first one, the agent is discussing the location of a particular property. In a situation like this, an agent might typically say something like, "This property is located in a great area."

The problem with this statement is that if the client doesn't agree with it, the agent has just lost credibility with the client. The client now knows that the agent's opinion of what a great area is, and the client's opinion of a great area, are different. Also, when an agent makes a statement like this, the client can feel that the salesperson is just giving them a sales pitch...and this is not something that any agent would want to have their client believing.

As an alternative, the agent could simply say something like, "A lot of people tell me they feel this is a great area. But what's really important is YOUR opinion. Do you feel this is a great area?"

An approach like this one both informs the client on the opinions of other people the agent has talked with, and also allows the client to freely respond with his or her own opinion on the matter. If the client likes the area, the agent wins as the client is beginning to move forward. And if the client doesn't like the area, he or she will not feel that the agent has poor judgment on what constitutes a great area. This is because the agent did not openly state that they thought the location was a great area.

Here's another example:

"I think this building would be ideal for your business."

For residential agents the statement might be, "I think this home would be ideal for your family."

Again, if the client doesn't share the same opinion, they're going to feel more distant and out of rapport with you as their agent. And this is not something you want to have them feel.

An appropriate question to ask instead is, "Can you envision your company working in this building?"

For residential agents it might be, "Can you envision your family living in this home?"

Notice here how you're leading them to the desired outcome with how you've phrased this question. You're asking them to envision themselves already in the property, or in the home. And you're also allowing them the flexibility to say, "Yes" or "No" to the question. Clients and prospects like to feel that you're giving them options instead of forcing your own opinion on them.

And if they respond by telling you that they CAN envision themselves in the property, or in the home, you might then follow-up with a question similar to this one:

"Now, if you're interested in buying this property (or home), we first have to successfully negotiate and reach an agreement that you're very happy with. But once we accomplish this, what do you think it will feel like for you six months after you've already completed your move?"

This is an extremely powerful question to ask. This mentally moves the client beyond the negotiations to the point six months after they've completed their purchase and relocation. And almost anyone in this situation is going to envision themselves both feeling great about the purchase they've made, and about how their life will be going six months after the move has been completed. This will then help to propel the client even more in the direction of wanting to purchase the property.

When you learn how to master asking the right questions, you'll learn how to move your clients towards successfully closing real estate transactions with a greater amount of ease.