RegisterMyClient.com Makes Community Preference No Issue for REALTORS
Sometimes I find myself slipping into a grandfatherly tone reminiscing about better times when gas was $2.50/gallon and any client could get approved for home financing. And I have to remind myself that I'm nowhere near old enough to adopt a grandfatherly tone. But there are definitely times I can look back on in the real estate industry with fond recollection. But one thing that hasn't changed is the first question that I ask every client when they walk through the door to buy a home. Are they looking for a resale or are they wanting to buy new?
NOW when I get the answer that someone wants to build a new home the questions this one answer leads to are nearly endless. The options when it comes to new housing in the Valley are astronomical. It would be difficult to offer up all the different new housing communities in a reasonable amount of time to any client, so you have to further identify what they are looking for. The next question is going to be about location. Where do they want to be? If they haven't thought through this part of the search yet, remind them that they should think about where they work, where they like to GO, who they visit and where they live, etc. You'd think that they would have this down, but if they haven't made the connection then you should urge them to do so.
After you identify the general area they are looking to build in you can cut right to the chase by asking them if they've got a builder they prefer; many do. Due to the massive amount of news attention the industry has received recently, many consumers are more aware of a variety of builders. After you get the builder preference out of the way, if any, you should get the basics of how many square feet, how many bedrooms, how many bathrooms, yard or no yard, pool, etc. In these times of ENDLESS options the questions in no way end here.
Recent market changes have left builders looking for ways to attract buyers and almost all of them are taking advantage of the one marketing tool that is guaranteed to get some buying attention: promotions and special pricing. So you have to be very aware of all the options out there in order to get your client the best when it comes to their new home purchase. You need to know which builders offer the most fabulous standard options, which builders are known for long term satisfaction, which builders have the most resident friendly HOA's, etc. There's a lot of info out there for you to provide to your clients.
In addition to knowing all there is to know about the housing each builder provides, you need to know all there is to know about the communities each builder creates. Some are luxurious, others are family oriented, others still cater to an urban lifestyle, others still cater to the retired or semi-retired. Know all these defining characteristics so you don't look silly when you make suggestions to your clients.
For example you might have a client looking for a low/no maintenance property with easy access to the urban areas and private community fine dining in addition to the resident accessible spa and clubhouse. The next client might be expecting to have access to a low HOA fee, multi-purpose greenbelts and a highly rated elementary school within the residential community boundaries. Know exactly what their perfect community is and you'll have a chance of finding it for them!
So what about those clients that seem so wide open to any and all possibilities that they make it impossible to find what they want? What about those clients that you've spent months working with and while they are right on the edge of the buying precipice, they just can't quite decide exactly what they want? What do you do when you are positive that your client (that you've spent countless days working with) decides to visit a community on their own? In the old days you couldn't do anything. But real estate agents that are still in the game now have a remarkable advantage when it comes to selling new homes. RegisterMyClient.com is a revolutionary concept that allows real estate agents to "register" their clients online. The process takes two minutes. The two minute investment results in your client being registered AS YOUR CLIENT with ALL RegisterMyClient.com participating builders so that no matter you don't lose your commission to a client's whim due to the traditional "first visit" rule that requires agents to be WITH their clients on their first visit to the new home community.
I have personally lost thousands of dollars (I don't like to keep track...it's depressing) due to really nice, fantastic people getting bored on a Sunday and taking a drive, noticing a new home community they hadn't been aware of or hadn't been interested in visiting, dropping in, deciding it's an option and then later purchasing. My lack of Sunday drive attendance results in a big loss...or at least it used to. Now I'll be registering all my new home buyers online so that I will not only be covered when it comes to Sunday drives, but I'll be up to date on every promotion and special that new home builders are offering so I can make sure my clients are aware of their options. So...basically, new home builders get to sell their inventory, I get to keep my commission, and my clients get the very best option available for them in the new home building industry! It's a win, win...win situation!