Now let’s talk about some other common hurdles at the door and how to overcome them. 

I’ll start with a reminder that knocking on people’s doors for potential leads is definitely challenging. But it’s also part of being a real estate agent…and the potential YESes are so rewarding. The greater the risk, the greater the reward. In this case, profits. That’s why you are doing this, right? 

Simply expect that you’ll have hurdles to overcome at the door and prepare yourself with confidence. Trust me when I tell you that you’ll have a greater rate of winning when you have unwavering confidence at the door.  Knock on those doors with something prepared for any response they give you. Here are the most common responses you’ll get at the door and how I suggest you respond to them. 

The first one: “We’re Moving Out of Town”If a person mentions they are moving away, ask them if they’ll be buying or renting. If they are planning on buying, you can ask them if they already have an agent sending them listings in the new area. You can also ask them if they know an expert in their desired area. This can be an opportunity for you to get a referral. Say this even if you don’t know anyone there. Tell them you can check references and find someone who has a great sales history. When you send a referral to another agent, you’ll usually score 25% of that commission. (The current industry standard is 25% or more for referrals.) 

You can also ask, "Do you know someone who wants to move into this area?" This may lead to a trust-building conversation. You’ll be able to talk about the community and what you know about it.   

These responses might seem basic, but they’ll help increase the person’s trust in your abilities as an agent. You’ll build connections even when you get NOs and those connections will serve you in the long run. You may even get referral business out of it all.Another common response: “We’re not Moving Any Time Soon”If someone says they're not moving, that’s fine. Noted. However, you do not need to end the interaction there. Casually not that you’ll occasionally drop off area information for them anyway. Add something like, “it’s always good to keep up on the market.” Or you can say, “It's really great to keep an eye on what's going on with your neighbor’s properties.” Say it as a statement, not a question. This way, you’re not giving them an opportunity to say no. If they really don’t want the info, they’ll still object. Most people will let you drop it off. When you do drop off material, just leave it with them and say, “Have a great day.” There’s no need to try to engage them every time. 

You can add this house to your long-term nurture game. If you stay on their radar, if they ever do sell, there’s potential for them to work with you. They’ll come to you when they're ready. Another common response: They Have Another Agent’s Name or Card

Real estate is a savage game. Yes, they may know another agent. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t become your lead. There are ways you can turn these people. Do not be intimidated by the fact that your prospect already knows an agent. 

One way to handle this is to say that you’re a new agent. Use that fact to your advantage. Show that you are new and eager.  You can say that you do all your own showings and all your own open houses. Established agents and top producers usually don’t. You can explain that you treat every new client as a top client. You’ll never pass them off to someone else on your team. This happens a lot with established agents and top producers. They get the lead, and then their team deals with all showings and opens. They don’t prioritize their clients the way a new agent does. When you are a new agent, every client is a top priority. This is a major advantage because people don't like being passed off!

Don’t mention any other agents by name. Just explain that you DO all your showings. Be careful with your wording. Simply suggest that others don’t always do their own showings. You 100% can’t slander other agents or say something you don’t know to be true. You are simply making general statements and giving the homeowner something to think about. 

You can also bring up getting a second opinion. In general, established agents underprice listings compared to newer agents. New agents often push harder for the house value and work harder. When you’re new, you show up on weekends to do showings and openings. You put in more effort for every dollar in the game. Remind your prospect about this. Use being newer in the game to your advantage. Tell them you won’t leave any dollars on the table.

If they still seem committed to the other agent, close on a positive note.  Say, “That’s great. I can appreciate your loyalty. It’s a quality that I respect in people…”Another common response:  They Have a Friend Who Is An Agent

I usually handle this by saying, “I don’t meet too many people comfortable sharing that much financial information with their friends. That is a lot for a friend to know about you.” That often is enough to get people thinking… 

​​Another angle is to remind them that this is a large financial decision. Don’t they want to make sure they are making the most informed decision? When you work with a friend, there’s emotions attached to accepting the information. A second opinion from someone they don’t know is removed from emotions. The information is there, take it or leave it. The listing price and market valuation is objective when it isn’t coming from a friend. You can add that you always seek experts outside of your personal sphere when making big financial decisions. Selling a house is a big move. They want to make sure they’re making decisions that support their best interests. It’s about more than loyalty to a friend. It goes back to my earlier point about separating your real estate business from your personal life. Ideally, your clients should want to do this too. Remind them to value their homes as important assets when making these big decisions. Homes are usually someone’s largest asset. Say something like, “I’m sure you want to make fully informed decisions about your largest asset.” This plants the seed that they may want to talk to you after all. They wouldn’t want to make any wrong moves that can hurt them later. 

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