Today I have a great little story for you with a great take home message!
There was a bakery with a large clock on the inside wall that faced out towards the sidewalk. The baker noticed that every morning an older gentleman walked by, took out his pocket watch and set the time according to his wall clock. This went on for over 10 years.
One day the baker was waiting outside when the gentleman with the pocket watch came up to perform his daily ritual. After watching the gentleman set his watch, the baker spoke to him. "I have watched you set your pocket watch to my clock every morning for the last 10 years. I was wondering why you do this?" "Well", the gentleman responded, "I am the foreman at the lumber yard, 2 blocks north of here and I am responsible for setting the time clock whistle to 5:00 o'clock so that all the workers in the yard know that it's quitting time. So I set my watch to your clock each morning to make sure it is accurate."
The baker stood back in shock. "Oh my", he replied. "I have been setting my clock to that whistle every day for the last 10 years."
The point of this story is this: know who you are following and that they know what they are talking about!
This is absolutely critical in today's real estate market. When you are working with a lender, you cannot afford to work with a rookie, a non-expert. I frequently have agents tell me, "I am showing houses to someone this weekend, but they are already pre-qualified."
Unfortunately I also receive the last minute phone calls. "My people are no longer qualified or the lender can't get the job done or the lender changed the program and added a bunch of fees that were not disclosed in the beginning", and so on.
Here is my suggestion. When your clients tell you they are re-qualified you tell them this. "Mr. & Mrs. Buyer, I'm so glad you have already had someone go over the numbers with you. I know that buying a home is a big deal and probably one of the largest financial investments that you will ever make. And just like you need a second opinion before having surgery, I would feel more comfortable if you got a second opinion with this also. I want to make sure that what you have been quoted is accurate, and that the numbers are legitimate. I know a great mortgage person. This guy is the real deal, a real expert; I'm going to have him give you a call. Is the morning or afternoon better for you?"
Now you have just given them another value added service, AND you have also saved yourself from wasting time by driving around someone that is not really qualified, or who is going to walk away from the deal because the financing is different from what they were quoted.
You cannot afford to make these big mistakes in today's market. I see rookies make this mistake all the time, and shake my head when even seasoned pros make it too. I just want to make sure you are setting your clock to the right whistle. My service costs nothing, it let's your client know you are doing what's in their best interest, and it can save your commission check and your reputation with other agents.
This is a real no brainer and is something that has been implemented by most of the top agents. So call me or email me to provide a 1st or 2nd opinion for your next client.
Well, thanks for letting me help and as always have a productive day!
Sincerly, Jason
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