There is this piece of powerful advice that is applicable to any situation that requires your judgement. How do you decide whether someone’s words should be taken seriously or when it shouldn’t?
Watch what they do and not always what they say.
So how do you gain awareness of the internal mind-set of others when their motivations are complex and contradictory?
Take the time to pay attention.
An Indian PR family was looking for their first matrimonial home, after renting for many years. I knew their requirements, and as they thought they could only afford certain developments, had shortlisted those for me to arrange viewings.
However, I could tell from our viewings that those units didn’t excite them, as they would prefer bigger units. I started to contact marketing agents of Costa Rhu where they had friends and love the size but felt it was beyond their budget.
And there was actually a unit whose agent shared that the owner was looking to sell urgently and so may be willing to come down on the price for a quick transaction.
I suggested this to my clients and after just 1 viewing, they committed to the unit at $100k lower than indicative market valuation.
While it would have been easier for me to just stick with the “selected” developments provided by my clients, I felt that I could do more.
A good buy doesn’t come by easily, and in this instance, I was glad that I tried.
Set aside any and all preconceived notions, judgments, and expectation
Listen actively. Pay close attention to the words people use, the ideas they choose to promote, how they structure their arguments, and when/how they back off.
Listen for what is said and what is not said.
As a property agent, tuning in to the people around me at a deeper level is not a one-time event or something I complete by checking it off my “to-do” list. By giving this the proper level of attention – it has become my natural way of interacting with and observing others.
That’s what it takes to survive and thrive as a real estate agent in Singapore.
Leave a Reply