If it were a perfect world, all of your clients would be happy, cheerful people who don’t have anything against paneling, are totally okay with wall-to-wall pink shag carpeting and detest natural light. How great would that be? Unfortunately, we all know that’s not reality, and while many clients are perfectly pleasant, there are plenty who are, well, let’s just say unpleasant. How do you deal with difficult clients? Well, let’s break it down:
The Nit-Pickers
These are the people who think they are going to find a house that checks all 2,000 boxes of their must-haves. They look at every last detail, scrunch up their noses, sigh a lot, and are incapable of envisioning a room simply painted in a different color.
WHAT TO DO: be ready with a plan on how to counter their comments. If you know they’re going to balk at the brass finishes, tell them you’ve estimated the cost of replacing them all and will put it in the purchase agreement for the seller to cover. Boom, moving on. Just try to imagine all the things they will have issues with, have your answer ready, and prepare to win even the nittiest of the nit-pickers over.
The Arguers
Nothing’s more uncomfortable than showing a house to a couple who can’t agree on anything and therefore argue throughout the entire home buying process. They have separate wish lists, different ideas of how much to spend, desire different locations and have two totally different styles. Yikes! How in the heck do you end their conflicts and please them both?
WHAT TO DO: Have them each prioritize their must-haves and the things they would be most willing to compromise on, then try to find houses that deliver a happy medium. If this still doesn’t work, keep a close watch on who seems to win the most arguments and lean toward satisfying that person more than the other!
The Can’t Decides
This is the worst – when you’ve shown people house after house after house, even going back and visiting some multiple times, and they still can’t decide. It’s as if they think you have nothing better to do than to spend day in and day out walking through houses together. When clients take up way too much of your time and it seems like pigs will fly before they will make a decision, consider this:
WHAT TO DO: Bail! Seriously, sometimes it’s just not worth it. If you don’t really want to throw in the towel, then have the buyers sit down and think about whether they’re really ready to buy a house. Maybe they just aren’t. Give them your card and tell them to call you when the time comes. If they do think they’re ready, then go through the short list with them and have them list the pros and cons of each to encourage a decision. Or, tell them they’re going to lose the house to another buyer (which could very well be true) – that oughta light a fire under them!
The refuse to leave the kids at home-ers
It never fails – there always seems to be people who insist that buying a home should be a family decision and therefore bring their children with them to look at houses. While you’re trying to point out the fireplace and main floor laundry, the little terrors are eating all the cookies while running around the house in their muddy shoes, using the bathrooms, and jumping on the beds.
WHAT TO DO: Suggest to the parents that you look at several houses sans children so that they can thoroughly assess homes without distraction and narrow down the ones they like. Then they can take the kids back to these few to get their opinions. If they can’t get a babysitter, try turning on the tv at the house you’re showing or bringing things along like books or puzzles to keep the kids occupied. Oh, and make everyone take off their shoes at the door!
These tips will hopefully help your open houses and house showings go more smoothly, and if you want to keep that smoothness going, be sure to use Sun Title. We’re known for problem-free closings that get the deal done fast. And let’s face it, by the time you get difficult clients to a closing, fast is good.
Give us a call at 616-458- 9100 today.
