2007 picking up...

So, the winter slump seems to finally be lifting. I got two leads on listings in the last couple of days, which is nice. Meanwhile, I'm biting the bullet and getting back into the FSBO game this week. Basically, this means calling people who are trying to sell their house on their own and offering my services. I hit up FSBOs hard for two months around the time I first got into this business. At that point, I learned a few things:

1) Most other Realtors are incompetent, especially when it comes to prospecting FSBOs.
2) Most FSBOs are very nice people...all of whom are well-intentioned, but most of whom will end up costing themselves time and money when all is said and done. The rest of the FSBOs are just jerks.
3) I wanted to build my business by long-term relationship marketing, as FSBO prospecting was not nearly as enjoyable.

So, despite more success than most Realtors who try the FSBO market, I got busy with buyers and ditched it all. But, as things go, relationship marketing takes a lot of time to build up to that point where it can sustain a business year-round, and financial considerations are making it necessary to start prospecting FSBOs again.

The hard thing about being a Realtor talking to a FSBO is that it is one of those odd situations that is almost void of trust right off the bat. To start there, and then have to get to a place where there is enough trust to create a true win-win situation is very hard. FSBOs don't like Realtors; if they did, they wouldn't be a FSBOs. Plus, once a FSBO starts trying to sell a home, they are hounded by more Realtors than you could imagine, most of whom are, as I indicate above, incompetent and some of whom are just downright rude and arrogant. Then someone like me comes in and has to not only break down the walls that are built up between the FSBO and me, but then I need to somehow convey the fundamental premises of the entire real estate industry to the FSBO in a way that makes him and/or her see why it makes sense for them to sell their house through a Realtor. After that, then I have to show them why it makes for them to sell there house through me, and I have to do this last part while standing firm on my commission. ("No, Mr. FSBO, I am not a discount broker. I will not drop my commission.") All of this is supposed to take place in 1-3 hours. Right.

Well, if nothing else, prospecting FSBOs produces stories, so I'm sure I'll have plenty more to write on here over the next couple of weeks and months. In the meantime, take care!

Peace,
Greg