If you are an experienced real estate agent you might have already had to deal with the high maintenance client. If you are a real estate agent that is new to the field you should not worry that you are missing something because sooner or later you will have the pleasure of dealing with a client who is high maintenance. Many agents fear the worst when it comes to these types of clients but if you follow the tips below you will have a much easier time completing the deal.
Who Is The High Maintenance Client
The high maintenance client can be the seller who wants to point out every comp in the area and compare them to the one that he or she is trying to sell as well as thinking that the house that is being sold should be double what you think the asking price should be. It is also the buyer who sees many dozen different homes before deciding that maybe another type of home is perfect for him or her. With that being said there are ways that you can please these clients it will just take patience on your part.
Have Short Meetings That Are Regularly Scheduled
When you are dealing with a high maintenance client more than likely they are demanding most of your attention. This is probably because they are more emotional than transactional. What this means is that as a buyer or a seller they are emotionally attached and probably very anxious about the transaction that is going to take place. This is based solely on fear that they are going to make a wrong decision unless they ask you every question that comes to mind.
To help with this situation you should schedule a phone call or even a face-to-face meeting once a week or even every other day. This will give you the chance to explain what you have been doing on your side of the transaction, what you are planning to do and if either of you have questions or concerns they can be addressed at this time.
Acknowledge Your Clients Concerns
All high maintenance clients will give you a bizarre scenario at least once during your dealings. You need to at least acknowledge the scenario with some type of advice. This is just being respectful but will also let them feel like they are being heard and paid attention to. What you should not do is get defensive and tell them that was a ridiculous request.
Figure Out The Question And Then Speak Their Language
Having a client who is high maintenance will require a lot of your time and energy. This involves answering all of the questions that they are asking, viewing many different properties, and going through every detail with a fine toothcomb. Unless you are prepared to refer them to another agent or cut them loose altogether you need to learn how to speak their language. This will need to happen with both buyers and sellers, as they will be two different kinds of questions and people. This is a time consuming feat but once you have figured out the questions that your client is going to ask you will find that it will be easier to handle them and will make your job less stressful.
When you sign on with a client you never know what type of client you are going to get. Is it going to be someone easy to work with or someone who is going to take a lot of your time? If the client is high maintenance you can follow the tips above to make the working relationship a little easier to deal with.
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