Top Ten Tips To Have Fun With FSBOs
Source: Paul Pastore

1.Realize since the beginning of time there have been hunters and gatherers. Some agents gather referrals from past clients, friends, and relatives. Others hunt for new business each day from reluctant prey. Each group is a lucrative source of listing leads.

2. Be the first. Some people believe it helps to be the first child, the second spouse, and the third Realtor on a listing interview. The early bird not only gets the worm, he also gets a lot of the FSBO listings.

3. Be the best. Civil War, General Stonewall Jackson attributed his success to being, "The firstest with the mostest." It may not be grammatically correct, but it's tough to argue with the General's track record. Dress for success & remember the five P's: proper preparation prevents poor performance.

4. Be the most persistent. That does not mean being a pest. One agent I know contacts a FSBO every three days for a total of five contacts. Many agents wilt after the initial introduction. Persistence pays dividends.

5. Tangibilize the intangible. Listing agents are selling a service. They themselves are the product. Pre-list kits, market graphs and charts, marketing plans and checklists, all help FSBOs understand what they are buying.

6. Handouts are helpful. Robert Caldini, in his excellent book entitled Persuasion documents the power of reciprocity. Give something first to get something later. That's why religious groups at the airport hand out a flower before asking for a donation. Let the FSBO have a disclosure form, open house register, or a spot on your website.

7. Attitude is everything. Picture the FSBO as someone needing the exposure you offer. Resist the temptation to believe that FSBOs eat their young.

8. Study the statistics. Visit http://www.realtor.org/ and find the FSBO data. The vast majority of by owners ultimately list with an agent.

9. Face to face wins the race. The goal is to preview the property, build rapport, offer a market analysis, ask qualifying questions, and schedule a listing interview. Don't go postal. Go in person.

10. ABC is an acronym for always be closing. "Have you considered using an agent" is a soft script? Have you noticed that timid Realtors have skinny kids?