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Carver Communications - Index

Carver Communications - 3.15.09 - Index

By Steve Tyson
San Antonio Builder Guide
Building Your Business
Several years ago when I was in
charge of Realtor Relations for a
National Builder I made it a habit to
always stop by the Title Company on
the last day of the month. I liked to
check on how things were going and to
see if I could help in any way. The last
day of the month is often a long and
hectic day, as many Builders try to
squeeze in as many closings as possible
so they can close out their books
for the month.
This was a particularly busy late
afternoon and the lobby was packed
with buyers, family members, REAL-
TORS and Builder and Title Company
staff. As I stepped into the hall I
noticed a young woman standing alone
waiting for the elevator to arrive to
take her down to the parking lot. She
caught my attention because she was
crying, her head was down and she was
frantically trying to open a large white
envelope.
I approached the woman and
asked if she was ok, and if I could help
in any way. She looked up and began
to cry even more, it was obvious there
was something terribly wrong so I
pulled her aside and tried to comfort
her and find out what had happened.
She said she had waited for six months
for this day and it was the worst day of
her life. She was a single parent, it was
her first house and closing had been
delayed three times during the day and
she had been there for almost seven
hours. She had been unable to go out
to eat any meals as she did not have a
cell phone and did not want to miss
being called into closing.
While we talked she continued
to try and open the envelope that was
sealed with heavy tape, so I asked her
if I could help. She was so frustrated
she quickly handed me the envelope
saying, “Here, maybe you can open
it”. I was able to open the thick envelope
and was surprised to see that it
contained the shiny Keys to her new
house. When I handed her the keys it
prompted another rush of emotion as
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March 15, 2009 REAL ESTATE NEWSLINE 29
the effects of this long frustrating day
finally took their toll on this young
buyer. She shared that she had been
alone all day, and that she was just so
disappointed as she had always
looked forward to when she would
finally get her first house, but this one
day had ruined the whole experience.
She then stated she was also extremely
hurt and upset because her REAL-
TOR had not shown up for the closing.
Many of us have purchased several
homes over the years, yet we often
forget the emotional importance of
that very first home purchase. That
first home is the culmination of a
dream for many people who perhaps
were never able to have a real home
when they were growing up. The buyer
will always remember the good and
especially the bad experiences from
that first home purchase, and those
memories will serve as a foundation
for all future purchase decisions.
Friends, associates, and others that
reached out to help during this long
process will be remembered, and the
people who were supposed to help but
were absent will be forgotten. I think
it is safe to say the REALTOR that did
not show up at closing to support this
new buyer will not be getting any
referrals, and will probably be the
topic of many negative discussions.
The new home construction
period can last many months and
includes a series of pressure points
ranging from the initial community
visit to registration, lot selection, con-
tracting, mortgage selection, upgrade
selections, build and inspection
points, and finally closing and followup.
How you handle these pressure
points can make or break a deal and
your client relationship and increase
or decrease your ability to earn future
referrals. Over the coming months we
will be providing a consistent series of
targeted articles using real world
examples that will be focusing on each
one of these important areas. Our
emphasis will be on the New Home
Construction process, but the lessons
learned can certainly be applied to any
specialty and any profession.
It is said referrals are gained or
lost at the closing table, as demonstrated
in our example this is certainly
true. However, we will demonstrate in
future articles that the entire sales
process is full of hidden opportunities
to serve others, grow your business
and build strong, lasting, lifelong relationships.
Steve Tyson owns the San
Antonio Builder Guide
(www.sabuilderguide.com) and
through the years has trained thousands
of Sales and Marketing
Professionals in many industries. He
developed the Corporate Broker
Outreach program for a National
Builder and his free local training
classes Selling New Construction for
REALTORS and Business
Development for new REALTORS are
always full.
Working together to make home ownership possible!
It’s Chadd With Two D’s
Give him a call!
Chadd White, VP/Operations Manager
chadd.white@unitedlendingusa.com
(210) 408-6060
Fax: (210) 408-6062
2338 N Loop 1604 West, Suite 290
San Antonio, TX 78248