My business partner went to a broker’s tour last week and was struck by how the listing agent started repeating some canned BS about the property to an agent with their buyers.  He was telling me how “douchey” the agent was and what a hard sell it was.

I have talked in the past about how authenticity is the new currency in sales today.

Agents Unleashed are not the schmoozy, boozy stereotype that most Jane Q. Public thinks about. Far from it.  Some of the very best agents I know do not do the cheesy ‘hard sell’ at all.

Great agents – and salespeople – weave a story about the assessment of a property intelligently, carefully and boldly, yet often they do so with a level of restraint that is both impressive and more elegant…..and more believable.  

The HARD SELL often doesn’t resonate, especially with a more affluent and experienced crowd. 

Great salesmanship is conversational, informative, INSIGHTFUL, thoughtful and honest. Only listing the positives of a property is bound to appear agenda-fueled, sales-y and less believable. 

Providing a fair, verifiable, realistic list of pro’s and con’s of a property earns trust. That is believable. Telling people hard facts – even the unpleasant ones – without always attaching the ‘upside’ or ‘positive spin’ earns trust. 

It’s important is to weave a story about the property, speaking to its place in the ‘mix’, maybe referring to its history, the people who live there or in the neighborhood, the type of lifestyle it offers, the architecture, etc. 

When a salesperson sounds like a pre-recorded messaging-machine, they usually lose their audience.  

When they connect through genuine conversation, espousing knowledge, insights and facts, they are TELLING their message rather than selling it. 

Chances are it will resonate more effectively and earn the trust of their audience.