What's the difference between a successful Realtor and one that's less so?

In a word: Trust.

As in, more people trust the successful agent to help them buy or sell their biggest personal asset when compared to the competition. Because let's face it, all Realtors pretty much have the same tools at their disposal. But what sets you apart from the competition is just that: You. And the more knowledgeable you are, and professional you come across, the more trustworthy you'll be. Which of course translates into selling more homes, since people feel comfortable in working with (all together now) you.

So what can you do to get more sales by continuing to foster a trustworthy attitude? I'm glad you asked.

Ask the "right" questions. When first meeting a potential client, it's very important to ask questions, as it allows you to get a better feel of the situation. This information will help you immensely in finding them the right home.

Do you have kids? Are they in school? Where do you work? What's your tolerance for a long commute? All of these are great questions for getting the ball rolling on purchasing a new house.

What I really like about asking the right questions, is that it takes the focus off of you (the seller) and puts it right where it belongs: On the potential client. I think as Realtors we can get so fired up about getting referrals and meeting new clients, that our natural tendency is to dominate the conversation once we're there.

After all, we know the area, we know the listings, and we know (or so we think) what you want. "Come on! Time's a wasting. Let's get going."

Hold on there. Before you go jumping in the car just yet, ask yourself this question: Would you trust someone who didn't let you get a word in edgewise about the purchase of your home? Of course not. And neither will your prospects.

Recommendation: Generate a list of Top 10 questions to ask every new prospect, and going forward, take it to every new client/prospect meeting.

You can segment the questions into "buy side" / "sell side" categories, or just throw them all together. Either way, this list should never leave your side, and I'm recommending you ask at least 3-5 questions every time out.

Yes, each conversation will take a different turn, forcing you to generate some questions on the spot, but generally speaking, the first few should be the same regardless of the client.

Not sure what your list should look like? Here are a few more to get you started:

• How would you describe your ideal house?

• In what kind of neighborhood do you see yourself living?

• How do you like to spend your time on the weekends? (e.g., hiking, biking, go out to dinner, watch a movie) This will determine if a house further away or closer to the city or certain interests would be right.)

• What do you like best about the neighborhood in which you're currently living? You'll want to look for this characteristic in their next neighborhood.

• Has a particular part of town jumped out at you, or is it pretty wide open right now?

• What were some of the factors that made you want to move? (e.g., bigger house, job relocation, or maybe something about the neighborhood that changed).

• Do you have family in the area? If so, ask if they'd like to live closer to them. This could be especially true of young couples with small children.

• How often do you travel or need to access the airport? This will help determine if close proximity to the airport or other public transportation is a factor.

Combine those questions with some of the others I'm sure you already have, and your Top 10 is good to go.

Stay in touch. This is extremely important for gaining (and maintaining) trust when you're listing a home. Especially if the house isn't moving as quickly as you'd hoped. Call your client, or even stop by. Let them know what's happening, and don't be shy on offering recommendations (including a reduction in price) if you feel the market dictates it.

A Realtor friend of mine actually takes it a step further. He tells his listing clients right up front that he wants to schedule a time, once a week, where they can talk about the past week's activities and what's on tap over the next few days.

He says, "Sometimes I'll have nothing to say, and other times I'll have a lot to say, but either way, you'll know exactly what's going on as it relates to the sale of your home." Now I don't know about you, but any agent who's willing to schedule a weekly call and update me on the listing of my property, is the one I want.

How can you not trust someone who's willing to step up to the plate every seven days?

So make it a point to log your activities on each of your listings, and either call, fax or email a summarized report to your clients on a weekly, or at least every other week basis.

Stop selling! Nothing screams distrust more than a person who is constantly "selling" something the buyer doesn't want. It reminds me of that TV commercial where the couple says they're looking for a 3 bed, 2 bath, split level house, and the agent keeps showing them one ranch after the other, as the camera zooms back to show a sea of almost identical looking ranch houses.

Needless to say, constantly up-selling your buyer to a house they don't want isn't the best way for engendering trust. Besides, the up-sell should really occur during the beginning of the process, when you're asking the right questions and throwing out possible alternatives.

For example, let's say you ask them about the length of their commute and even though they hadn't thought of it before, now that you mention it, they are getting tired of the commute. Now you can redirect the search closer towards the downtown area, which in most cases, will result in a higher home sale. See how easy that was?

But once a prospect agrees to you as a Realtor, you need to stop selling and start finding the house of their dreams. And if you find yourself driving around town not finding anything they like, then take a "time out" over coffee, and recalibrate yourself with their needs.

Published: September 17, 2004

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As a popular speaker and author of the resource How to Get More Business in Today's Tough Market, Brian specializes in helping busy agents get more leads and close more deals - even in a market as "challenging" as this. For a free report on 2 Easy Ways to Get More Business in Today's Tough Market, just email my office and we'll send it right over.