Sociologists and economists agree that we are living in an era of promotion, negotiation and sales. In the ultra-competitive home selling world of the 21st century, it is not preposterous to say that sales is everything; in 2017, even the President of the United States has a strong background in selling.

As a business process and as a constant economic cycle, the act of selling is comprised of various stages. Most real estate agencies split their sales process in five or seven stages; in some cases, one person may sometimes be assigned to handle all steps of the process while in other cases members of sales teams may focus on a single stage.

The sales process always begins with product knowledge followed by lead prospecting and marketing. This involves drip marketing campaigns that are geared toward your target audience. The next steps involve qualifying buyers, making a proposal, overcoming objections, and closing. The final stage is the most crucial in the process; for this reason, some companies choose their best real estate agents to take on a dedicated closing role.

Understanding the Closing Stage

Many people believe that closing is an art while many others consider it to be a mere formality that caps off the preceding stages of selling. Closing on a home is always better when strategic planning has been conducted prior to kicking off the sales process.

Overconfident real estate agents who believe that attitude is everything in relation selling tend to focus on the closing stage; however, this may not always be the best approach. Closing a sale does not have to be a battle or an exercise in psychological persuasion, it should be the smooth conclusion of an even smoother process.

Getting to closing stage will require the following:

Good Buyers

Good real estate agents are easy to find; good buyers and consumers, on the other hand, tend to hide in plain view. Identifying and reaching out to the ideal home buyers is the first challenge that real estate entities face. This becomes a problem when selling household products and services that must be purchased by a single decision maker. The role of a decision maker is not clearly defined in every household; when this is the case, real estate agents must adjust their pitch so that it appeals to a prospect who is really interested.

Catering to the Prospect's Interests

A real estate agent can easily come across as being too pushy and selfish if he or she fails to cater to the interests of their prospects. A LipSense distributor, for example, will always try to keep prospects engaged by highlighting products that fit their lifestyles. A young and fashionable woman who enjoys the nightlife may be interested in lipstick that can look great even after a passionate kiss. An active woman who spends a considerable amount of time outdoors may be more interested in anti-aging makeup.

Timing the Sale

Many people say that sales is everything while many real estate agents explain that timing is everything in sales. When prospects are not ready to buy, sales professionals should not rush them to closing. Be a resource of help and knowledge for them. If they need to reduce their debt before purchasing a home, don’t be afraid to recommend debt relief services to them. Most purchases are made out of necessity. To this effect, closing a sale is highly contingent upon identifying a need and presenting a solution. The timing of a sale can be advanced by means of creating a sense of urgency; this is fairly common in real estate sales when market conditions are rapidly changing.

Asking for the Sale

Even the best real estate agents selling the best homes at the most affordable prices cannot expect a high closing ratio if they do not ask for the sale. Not all prospects will show a willingness to buy; first of all, the real estate professional must earn the right to ask for the sale. The next step requires confidence and making the prospect feel that they are making the right choice.

In the end, closing may be a vital stage of the sales process, but it should not be treated as the only one. It is important to plan ahead and reach the closing strategically.