Most Realtors today are consultants, and they are not like the sales people of yester-year.
To be honest with you I used to have a real fear of sales people. You may have memories like mine. I remember once when I was a teenager, I was hanging with my cousin, Roy, who is 5 years older than me.
We were watching TV when a commercial come on. They were selling used cars and they were featuring a 1965 Ford Mustang and the price was unbelievable. So, Roy and I drove quickly to the used car lot and asked about the Mustang we saw featured on tv about 30 minutes earlier.
Best I could remember, the sales man brought us both a coke, I was asked to sit in the lobby as the salesman wanted to talk to Roy about his job and salary. I waited for about an hour, when Roy reappeared and told me “you won’t believe what I bought”. Yep, it was unbelievable!
We drove back home in a new truck. This truck was “lifted” really-high up and it was difficult to climb up into it. It had many upgrades, and Roy seemed happy. I asked about the Mustang. Roy told me that the Salesman had sold it moments before we got there.
I thought, yeah right, and it left a long-lasting fear about sales people.
Important, make a plan and stick to it!
In 2017, my wife and I decided to buy a used car, maybe a year or two old, that we could use for a couple years and maybe hand down to my teenage daughter. We looked online, we visited car dealer lots, and we really got an idea of prices, mileage and avoided pushy sales people. We promised ourselves, we would stick to the exact make and model with low mileage and not be persuaded otherwise.
Fortunately, we were not in a hurry, which turned-off many sales people.
After about 2 weeks, we saw an ad for a one year old model, low mileage, and the price was a couple thousand less than we had been seeing. So, we headed to the car dealership.
We showed the car salesman our printed version of the ad from the car dealership. The salesman told us, it may be sold, but we have several other cars. I got that old “bait and switch” feeling.
We got up to leave, the salesman asked us to please wait a few more minutes.
When he returned, he told us, he had the car keys, so the car must be available. We walked with him around the lot for about 40 minutes. There were 100’s of cars, but not the car we wanted. So, the salesman decided a different approach.
We got into another car with the salesman. He had the “missing car keys” in hand. As he drove around the huge car lot, he pushed the key alarm button. He explained that unfortunately, some sales people hide cars for their own customers. After almost an hour no car responded to the alarm.
We parked. He asked us to wait in the lobby as he continued his search for places that the car could be hidden.
It felt like an hour, before he walked back into the lobby and told us he had found the car. He said it had been well hidden. The car had more upgrades and was a better deal than we had imagined.
Bait and Switch, still alive and going strong!
Next, we met with the sales manager, and he admitted that once a month that he advertises a nearly-new car and the company makes about 30 sales from the ad, when customers buy other cars. I did not think it was “ethical” but since I felt like a “winner,” and I was not going to complain.
Bottom Line:
Today, most Realtors are more like helpful consultants so please don’t compare today’s Realtors to the used car salesmen of yesteryear. You can get plenty of helpful advice from Realtors, just be honest and you should be happy with your experience. Besides, I want you to feel like a winner.
Although most salespeople don’t try to intimidate or manipulate you into buying items you neither need nor want, it helps to know how to handle the sales people that do. Whether you’re shopping for a house, or a car, here are three tips for dealing with aggressive salespeople.
- There’s a difference between assertive and aggressive.
There can be a fine line between being assertive and aggressive, and it’s up to you to know the difference between a salesperson who’s overeager and one who will say anything to make a sale. If you’re uncertain on whether to make a purchase, an assertive salesperson may provide more information or respectfully ask you what he can do to help you make your decision. An aggressive salesperson, on the other hand, may complain that your indecision is wasting his time and you are going to lose the deal. Trust your gut!
- Spouse, stay on the same page.
If you’re shopping for big-ticket items such as a house, salespeople may try to pit you and your spouse against each other. Beware of salespeople who try to physically separate you from your spouse, to persuade you to agree to a higher price than your partner, or appeal to your spouse’s sense of manhood or womanhood. Before you go shopping with your partner, decide on your budget, buying strategy, and all non-negotiables.
- Don’t fall for artificial deadlines.
Trying to close a deal, aggressive salespeople often put time pressure on a customer. By giving customers made-up deadlines, salespeople exploit impulse buyers and appeal to customers’ fear of missing out on a good deal. Generally, though, if a salesperson tells you that you must buy now, and that you don’t have time to do more research, consider that a red flag.
Free “No Obligation” Consultation
If you are in the San Antonio area, and you want a free no-obligation consultation, contact me and I will try my best to get you get all the facts, so YOU can make a smart decision and feel like a winner.
My name is Les Earls. I am a real estate consultant. Contact me for at https://lesearls.com/buyers.