… Unique, field-tested moves with real-estate-ready examples
You sell roofs and foundations, but your true stock-in-trade is rapport. If prospects don’t like you, they won’t list with you; if colleagues don’t like you, they won’t show your listings; and if referral partners don’t like you, well—kiss those leads goodbye. The good news? Likeability isn’t a lottery ticket; it’s a learnable skill-set. Below are the big levers that make folks lean in instead of back away, distilled from Fischer’s talk and translated for life in the trenches of real estate.
Topics I’ll cover
Calm Energy: Your Silent Superpower
The Five-to-Eight-Second Pause
Curious (Not Nosey) Questioning
“Did You Mean…?”—Disarming Tension Fast
Listen Like You’re Earning a Commission
Calm Energy: Your Silent Superpower
When you walk into a listing appointment, the sellers already have butterflies—don’t add a tornado. Studies show people trust the person whose voice is steady and slow. So before knocking, take one long exhale and drop your volume a notch. Example: Instead of chirping, “Hi-hi-hi, thanks for having me!” try “Good afternoon, Sarah. Appreciate you inviting me over.” Your calm sets the tempo; the sellers’ shoulders drop; now they’re ready to listen.
How to practice as a Realtor
- At the door: Breathe out, then speak.
- During showings: Narrate the home at 75 % your normal pace.
- On the phone: Stand up, plant your feet, and smile—slow speech follows.
The Five-to-Eight-Second Pause
Someone lobs a jab—“Your commission seems steep.” Don’t swing back. Nod, count to five, then respond. The silence lets their words hit the floor and loses its sting. Very often the client flinches first: “I mean, I know you do a lot of work…” Now you’re negotiating from calm, not combat.
Curious (Not Nosey) Questioning
Fischer reminds us that folks crave a stage. Make yours the biggest in town:
- Ask open-ended → drill‐down → paraphrase.
- “Walk me through why you’re selling.”
- “What else?” (magic three words)
- “So the job transfer is the driver—did I get that right?”
You’ll hear the real motivator (the job transfer) instead of a symptom (“we just feel cramped”). That insight guides price strategy and timeline.
“Did You Mean…?”—Disarming Tension Fast
Text from the buyer’s lawyer: “Need docs ASAP.” Your blood pressure spikes. Before brewing a storm, reply: “Quick check—did you mean you need the status cert today or end of week?” Nine times out of ten they clarify and everyone stays friends. Detached wording focuses on the message, not the person.
Use Their Name, Own the Room
Sprinkle the prospect’s name four or five times in a meeting. “Maria, here’s what the data says.” “Good question, Maria.” The sweetest sound to human ears isn’t crashing waves—it’s their own name. The listing is smoother because Maria feels seen.
Listen Like You’re Earning a Commission
Clients can spot “waiting to talk” a mile away. Rewire yourself:
- First, shut up and jot — pen equals patience.
- Second, echo a keyword.
- Seller: “We’re overwhelmed.”
- You: “Overwhelmed by the timing or the repairs?”
- Third, summarize before you solve.
You’ll surface objections early, showing you’re the agent who “gets it.”
Leading with the Tough Stuff
Skip the compliment sandwich—it’s baloney nobody digests. Instead, flag the hard news up-front: “This may sting, but the house is likely to appraise $25 k under your target unless we fix the roof.” Clients brace, process, then appreciate the honesty. Finish with options, not fluff.
Tactics You Can Use Tomorrow
- The Porch-Step Reset: Before ringing a doorbell, exhale, drop your shoulders, and visualize the calm energy “bubble.” You’ll enter unflappable.
- Mirror via Pace: Match a jittery buyer’s speech for two beats, then gradually slow. Their breathing follows yours—instant rapport on a frazzled tour day.
- Name + Compliment + Ask: “Jamal, your reno choices pop. What inspired the colour palette?” Opens sellers up and gives you marketing copy.
- “Maybe So” Deflection: When another agent bad-mouths your listing price at caravan, smile: “Maybe so—tell me what you’re seeing in the comps?” They reveal data; you stay classy.
- Grateful Tears Label: Client gets teary signing the waiver. Hand a tissue and say, “These are relief tears—we got it done.” You honour emotion without derailing momentum.
- Breath-First Negotiation: Before countering an offer, inhale through nose four counts, exhale six. Lowers cortisol, raises clarity.
- Two-Part Goodbye: At an open house, thank visitors at the door and again while handing your card. Double imprint boosts call-back odds.
Allen’s Final Thoughts
Let’s face it—you could memorize every clause of the listing agreement and still lose business if folks simply don’t vibe with you. Likeability isn’t fluff; it’s a force multiplier for your expertise. Slow your roll, ask one more question than feels comfortable, label the awkward, and lead with the truth. Do that and you’ll earn not just clients but advocates—people who hand your card to their sister without you even asking.
How I Have Your Back
Here’s where I ride shotgun on your relationship-building journey:
- Deep Client Financial Analysis: Your buyers walk in confident, and you look like a hero who brought the A-team.
- Joint Client Debriefs: After viewings, I jump on Zoom with you and the buyer to unpack numbers—keeps the conversation transparent and pressure-free.
- Co-Branded Market Updates: Monthly email snippets (my analytics, your listings) keep both our names in their inbox.
- Difficult-Conversation Wingman: Need to explain to a buyer that their budget doesn’t match their wish list? I’ll deliver the hard finance facts so you can stay the good cop.
- Calm Energy Clause: Deadlines tense? I’ll be the steady voice on the lender side, freeing you to focus on staging, not sweating.
Bottom line: you hone the likeability hacks above, I’ll make the money piece sing, and together we’ll turn “just met” into “just sold.” Let’s do this.
