It’s important that agents avoid any possible slip-ups when communicating with their clients.
When you’re a real estate agent, communicating with clients is often like ballet, with emotions, expectations, hopes and dreams all lying in the balance.
Therefore, just as it’s important knowing what to say and how to say it, it’s equally important knowing what not to say, and we’ve assembled four phrases that you may want to avoid when communicating with your clients.
1. “Does that make sense?” – This phrase seems harmless enough. After all, you’re just checking to make sure that one of the complex topics you’ve explained – say, appraisals, or escrow, or inspections – makes sense to the client. As career coach Tara Sophia Mohr recently explained to Refinery 29, though, the phrase can actually be a double-edged sword and bely your own misunderstanding of a concept; therefore, Mohr recommends using the phrase “What are your thoughts?” instead.
2. “I haven’t had the time” – We get it, agents lead very busy lives, but so does everyone else, so you’re unlikely to find much sympathy when mentioning your stocked schedule. So instead of playing that card, work on promising to deliver in a time frame that actually works for you; that way, you’ll be working within your clients’ expectations.
3. “Just” – Again, a seemingly harmless word, but as Mohr explains, if used too often – say, “I just wanted to check if you had any thoughts about those listings,” or “I just think that house is closest to your preferences” – you could end up sounding “defensive, a little whiny and tentative.” Leaving the word out, she argues, will allow you to be more direct and authoritative in your communication.
4. “Actually” – Real estate agents deal with misconceptions all the time, but you’ll never want to use this phrase when correcting the record. Not only will it put distance between you the client, but it will give them the impression that they were wrong, when really, it may simply be a topic that they have little familiarity with. Instead, compliment them on their idea, and steer them towards the correct idea in a positive way.