5 Script-Starters to Use When Clients Push Back
Does client skepticism have you scrambling for the right words? When your expertise is questioned or your value proposition stalls the deal, it's tough to stay on track. But with RPR (Realtors Property Resource) in your toolkit, you'll always have data-backed answers to win them over. Here are some common client pushback questions and statements, and how you can use RPR to reply to them… Countering Online Estimates "Wait a second, I know my home's worth _______" This is one of the most common comments listing agents deal with day in and day out. Homeowners keep a close eye on their neighbor's home values and how much they sell for. They feel, often strongly, that their home is of equal (or more) value for a variety of reasons. But the truth is, they might be relying on outdated online estimates or have an emotional attachment inflating their price expectation. Here's your scripted reply: I understand you've looked at online estimates… and that's a great starting point. But I have a special resource that allows me to dig much deeper into the data. We'll look at recent sales of truly comparable homes, not just a computer algorithm. This ensures your pricing is both realistic and competitive. RPR's CMA tools give you everything you need to pull comps and put together on-target pricing recommendations. If you haven't already done so, sign up and attend this free RPR CMA webinar. "An online estimate told us our house is worth more than you're saying." Many consumers seek out online home listing sites when they start to look for homes or do research on how much they think their home is worth. And some have catchy names that homeowners really gravitate to. And who wouldn't want to see an inflated price for their home? However, online value algorithms can often be way off mark and very deceiving when it comes to making sound real estate decisions. It is a place to start when looking for homes, but it most certainly does not replace an experienced CMA or a professional appraisal. Here's your scripted reply: Yes, I understand that you may have seen your home online and you're happy with the number you saw. But are you familiar with how online AVMs work? They take the deed recordings in a geographic area to determine the number, and they don't include the condition of the home or any upgrades. I will provide you with more accurate data, and I can show you recent sales in the area that paint a more accurate picture. I will build you a professional CMA using proprietary REALTOR® tools and data, and I will go even further by creating a Sales Comparison Analysis, which is an advanced, detailed valuation analysis. This will help us find the perfect way to price your home. RPR's home pricing valuation tools and data are second to none. Coupled with your local market experience and insight, you'll be able to push back yourself on off-the-mark online estimates. To sharpen your skills even further, take RPR's advanced valuation webinar for tips and tricks on how to evaluate hard-to-price properties. Emphasizing Market Expertise "I can sell it myself…" Just about every agent in the business has encountered at least one FSBO in their career. And although there are less FSBO transactions than previous decades, For Sale By Owners are still a stubborn bunch. They underestimate the complexities of marketing, negotiation and paperwork. And they fully subscribe to the "Put a sign in the ground and wait for the offers to roll in" philosophy of home selling. Here's how to handle one with an assist from RPR… Here's your scripted reply: Selling a home in today's market requires more than just putting up a listing or a sign. I constantly monitor local trends for things like median days on market and price adjustments. This lets us fine-tune your pricing and marketing as the market shifts and evolves. The RPR Residential Market Trends are your go-to source for hyper-local housing market data. Don't miss out on the market insights that power smarter decisions. Here's how to conduct in-depth market analysis by looking at extended time frames as they pertain to housing market data. This video tutorial, RPR Market Trends, will show you how to track stats and metrics over months or years to see how the market has evolved. Hover over the trendlines to pinpoint specific data points and make informed decisions, and then easily share this information with clients and prospects with a click or two. The Value of Time and Negotiation "All REALTORS® are the same…" Oftentimes, and even more so thanks to the recent buyer commission litigation and settlements, consumers do not understand or grasp what they're paying for. With this fee-focused mindset, they simply don't see the value in paying a commission and push back accordingly. Both buyers and sellers may not understand the different levels of service, expertise and resources offered. Here's your scripted reply for sellers: While selling yourself is possible, my network and market insights help me identify potential buyers who may be a great fit for your home. Plus, I handle complex negotiations every day, aiming to get you the best possible terms, not just a quick sale. Here's your scripted reply for buyers: Negotiations can be tricky. I have access to in-depth market data to back up our offers. This means not just getting you a good price, but the right terms to save you even more in the long run. Use these script starters to prove your value to buyers and sellers. To dig even deeper into everything that RPR offers REALTORS®, be sure to check out these video tutorials in the RPR Learning Center. New neighborhoods "You haven't sold any houses in our area." New agents hear this one quite a bit, especially ones with zero to a few closed transactions. Even veteran agents when they venture outside their "regular" neighborhoods can hear this criticism. And although you might not be familiar with who teaches second grade at the local elementary school, you can learn and know a lot about an area thanks to RPR. Here's your scripted reply: I understand your concern. You'll be impressed by how quickly I've become an expert on your neighborhood. I have access to a special database with local neighborhood insights and pricing tools most people don't have access to—such as the area's walkability, vital metrics, and how neighborhoods stack up against each other. Let me show you how my expertise translates into the best possible outcome for your home sale. The data from RPR can really help you in your rebuttal. RPR Reports, especially the Neighborhood and School Reports, give you a plethora of information about the area and its surrounding area. This includes school scores, walkability, points of interest, shopping and restaurant proximity, and so much more. You can also utilize the RPR Market Trends ScriptWriter to give you some insight as to how the market currently stands by searching for the neighborhood's name or ZIP code. And here's a nice cheat code: choose the "conversational" tone and the "Create Video Script" for your search area, and you'll almost instantly be provided with a script that you can use to help craft your reply, as it gives you all kinds of stats that are local to this neighborhood. Use the video script created by AI to aid you in your scripted responses! Prove your value and your worth using these script starters Clients can be hesitant, nervous or apprehensive in just about every phase of a transaction. And it can be for a variety of reasons, both personal (employment, overall financial situation) and external (interest rates, recession fears). Sometimes, they're simply overwhelmed. However, how you respond to the pushback is key to your success as a REALTOR®. It's your job to remain cool and calm, and provide some clarity amongst the chaos. Having these script-starters at your disposal is a smart way to be prepped for all types of questions and stop signs. To view the original article, visit the RPR blog. Related reading 'How's the market?' Learn how to respond with RPR Market Trends 6 Real Estate Scripts (and When to Use Them) Try This Expired Listing Script to Win More Appointments

For the Class of 2024, Austin Ranks as the Top Rental Market for College Graduates
A Combination of High Income-to-Rent Ratio, a Graduate-friendly Job Market and Appealing Lifestyle Make These Metros the Top Markets for Recent College Graduates SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 7, 2024 -- For graduates evaluating where they'll make their mark on the real world after college, Austin, Texas may offer them the best option for living, working and camaraderie amongst their peers. In a new report, Realtor.com® uncovered The Top Markets for Recent College Graduates and Austin ranked #1, followed by Bloomington, Minn. and Pittsburgh, Pa. to round out the top three. "Graduating college is a major accomplishment, and, as commencement speakers often point out, also the beginning of a new chapter. Graduates have a lot to consider when deciding where to start that next phase. Considerations like finding an affordable place to live, positive job prospects and a nice lifestyle, are all important and it can be tricky to balance each of these factors," said Danielle Hale, Chief Economist of Realtor.com®. "Renting is more affordable than buying in the short run and can be a great option, especially when life right after college is usually marked by navigation of uncertainty and personal and professional growth." Top Rental Markets for Recent College Graduates The Realtor.com® analysis of Top Markets for Recent College Graduates uncovers the places in the U.S. where the class of 2024 can find a healthy mix of affordable renting options, job opportunities, and appealing lifestyle based on the following metrics: Affordable Rent Realtor.com® calculated the ratio between rent and income for households between the ages of 25-34, which represents how much of their typical gross income is allocated to housing expenses. A low ratio is better as it suggests the housing costs take up a smaller portion of the monthly paycheck. Among the top 10 markets, the rent-to-income ratio spans from 19.9% to 26.7%. Bloomington, located within the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro area, emerges as the most affordable top-ranked rental market among the top markets with a ratio of 19.9%. Plenty of Choices For recent college graduates starting a fresh new post-grad life, finding an apartment to rent can be tricky, if there aren't many options available it becomes even harder. Realtor.com® calculated a proxy for rental availability by measuring vacancy rates. Higher vacancy rates means a market could offer more options to choose from while potentially tapping into bargaining and negotiating with landlords because of the high supply. Out of the top markets, Austin within the Austin-Round Rock metro area (9.0%), boasts the highest rental vacancy rate. College-Graduate Friendly Jobs When moving to a new city after college, graduates are looking for opportunities to kick start their career. In the Realtor.com® list of Top Markets for Recent College Graduates, people may encounter less difficulty entering the workforce and securing positions that match their skills and qualifications. To define these roles, Realtor.com used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, categorizing occupations that require a bachelor's degree but no prior experience as recent college-graduate friendly. Austin, Texas, home to many tech-fueled company offices, leads with 29.6% of occupations in this category in the surrounding metro, followed by Raleigh, N.C. with 28.8%, and Bloomington, Minn. with 26.7%. Job Stability How well one can kick start their career is an important aspect that many college graduates consider when moving to a new city. Another aspect is how well they will be able to grow their career, and whether the area boasts a stable job market. A lower forecasted unemployment rate suggests that recent college graduates could encounter less competition when seeking employment, and better job security, which will help to launch their careers and achieve their professional goals. In the Realtor.com® report, Bloomington, Minn. is forecasted to have the lowest unemployment rate in 2024 (3.1%) among the top 50 metros, followed by Austin, Texas with an unemployment rate of 3.3% in the surrounding metro. Opportunities for Job Growth To measure job opportunities, Realtor.com® used the Indeed Job Posting Index, which details the change in job openings compared to pre-pandemic baselines. A higher index for a market indicates a healthy number of opportunities; recent graduates can use the index to identify whether a place can offer positive job growth in the future. Within the top 10 markets, the index ranged between 114 and 166. Specifically, Scottsdale, Ariz. (an average index score of 166) experienced the highest increase of job openings when compared to the pre-pandemic period. Surrounded by Peers When moving to a new city, college graduates looking to make new friends and encounter people in similar life stages may turn to places with a good amount of peers who can provide a supportive environment, networking opportunities, and access to entry-level jobs. This enhances the transition from college to life after university. Among the top 10 markets, the share of recent college graduates ranged from 2.5% to 4.4%. Notably, Pittsburgh, Pa. (4.4%), has the highest share, followed by Atlanta, Ga. (4.2%) and Richmond, Va. (3.7%). Short Commutes For college graduates who may be accustomed to walking to campus, the transition to work life after college may come with longer commutes, however it doesn't always mean sitting in hours of traffic. The top markets on the Realtor.com® list have an average expected commute time of 25 minutes in 2024, which is shorter than the city/town average of 30 minutes. Notably, Overland Park, Kan., boasts the shortest average commute time of 22 minutes. Bloomington, Minn. and Scottsdale, Ariz. were not far behind; both have an average commute time of 23 min. Appealing Lifestyle Classes are out for good, so why not enjoy the fruits of college labor? Realtor.com® measured how lively a town is using point of interest data provided by Yelp to indicate an abundance of entertainment, shopping, and lifestyle businesses. These businesses encompass a variety of venues such as restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, theaters, comedy clubs, and art studios. Among the top 10 markets, the number of businesses per 1000 households ranged between 17.1 and 39.5. Specifically, Beaverton, Ore., claimed the highest position within the top 10 list, with a ratio of 39.5. Atlanta, Ga., with a ratio of 27.5, and Scottsdale, Ariz., with a ratio of 25.2 were closely behind. For more information on the Realtor.com® Report on Top Rental Market for Recent College Grads please visit realtor.com/research. Data Source and Methodology For the purpose of the research, we ranked 313 cities and towns with a population of more than 75,000 that are located within the 50 largest metro areas. Rent-to-income ratio: Rental data are studio, 1-bedroom, or 2-bedroom units advertised as for-rent on Realtor.com® between April 2023 and March 2024 in the top 50 metros. Rental units include apartments as well as private rentals (condos, townhomes, single-family homes). Household income was sourced from 2024 Claritas estimates based on Census Bureau data. Rental vacancy rates were the 2023 average vacancy rates calculated from Census's Housing Vacancies and Homeownership Survey for each city/place's surrounding metro area. Recent college graduates-friendly occupations were those defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, requiring a bachelor's degree but no prior experience. The share of these occupations were then calculated using 2022 ACS 1-Year individual data for each city/place's surrounding metro area. The stated forecasted unemployment rates are Moody's Analytics projections of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics for each city/place's surrounding metro area. The metro level online job posting index was sourced from Indeed's Hiring Lab and we took the average index between April 2023 and March 2024 The share of recent college graduates was estimated using 2022 ACS 1-Year individual data. Recent college graduates were individuals who were between 25 and 29 years old, earned a bachelor degree and were not in school. The average commute time data was sourced from 2024 Claritas estimates based on Census Bureau data. Counts of culture and lifestyle businesses were aggregated from Yelp's November 2023 point of interest data and are aggregated at the city/place level. The counts were then normalized using 2023 Claritas city/place level household data. About Realtor.com® Realtor.com® is an open real estate marketplace built for everyone. Realtor.com® pioneered the world of digital real estate more than 25 years ago. Today, through its website and mobile apps, Realtor.com® is a trusted guide for consumers, empowering more people to find their way home by breaking down barriers, helping them make the right connections, and creating confidence through expert insights and guidance. For professionals, Realtor.com® is a trusted partner for business growth, offering consumer connections and branding solutions that help them succeed in today's on-demand world. Realtor.com® is operated by News Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] [ASX: NWS, NWSLV] subsidiary Move, Inc. For more information, visit Realtor.com.