How to…
Use specifics to your advantage

Which listing appointment sounds better to you–the prospect who tells you she’s considering selling her house in the future, or the homeowner who says she wants her three-year-old, four-bedroom home on the market no later than the end of the month?

The specifics the second person provides make her seem more motivated and organized, plus her home sounds more desirable. None of which is definitely the case. Why, then, does it seem so? There are two factors at work. Specifics not only give you more information; they bring more credibility to their source.

You can use specifics to market yourself and properties. For example, which agent do you think is more attractive to buyers and sellers–one who boasts of years of experience, or someone who announces she has been selling homes in this neighborhood for 17 years?

Do a little brainstorming to find the details that will set you apart from competitors. Don’t just tell a prospect you will help him sell his home faster; show him that last year your listings sold two weeks faster than the average in your area (as long as you have the numbers to back it up). Or put in your marketing materials that your listings sold for 98% of asking price compared to the 95% average in your MLS. And don’t rely on watered-down specifics like more than 200. If your team closed 203 sales last year, say so.

You can also use the opposite tactic when the information is not so impressive. When writing an ad for a home in a neighborhood where three-car garages are typical, you probably don’t want to waste any words about the two-car garage at this property.

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