First Call Buyer Conversion Framework
1st Question: I saw you were interested in 123 Main St. When would you like to go see
it?
Regardless of the answer, move into LPMAMA and confirm details for each topic. Then
ask again.
L: Location - What they are looking for and where?
P: Price - Are the homes they are looking at in their price range?
M: Motivation - What is their timeline and do they have a home to sell?
A: Agent - Do they already have an agent?
M: Mortgage - Do they have the ability and willingness to obtain a mortgage?
A: Appointment - Close for the face to face meeting
LPMAMA Scripting HUB & Spoke
Areas of focused conversation:
L: Location. What are they looking for and where?
P: Price. Is this home in their price range?
M: Motivation. What’s their timeline and do they have a home to sell?
A: Agent. Do they already have an agent?
M: Mortgage. Do they have the ability and willingness to obtain a mortgage?
A: Appointment. Close for the face-to-face meeting.
Location Questions
Hub question:
That home is in the ________ neighborhood; Are you focusing your search on
that area or are you open to other areas?
Spoke questions:
Just out of curiosity, what’s bringing you to the __________area?
Ok great, how close is the ______ area to your office?
Oh really? That’s awesome, which company do you work for there in___________?
OK yeah, I think I’ve heard of them. What do you do for those guys?
Nice --- I’ll admit I don’t know much about what _________ professionals do. What’s
that job like?
By the way, is this going to be your first home purchase?
Is it just going to be you or....?
Oh you have kids, how many? How old are they? That’s great, I have ________ (2 kids,
or a nephew that age if you don’t have kids.) elementary/Middle/High schools are
probably part of your decision-making as well, with kids that age -- have you thought
about what schools you’d like your new home to be zoned in?
If we could find a home that was a total home run for you all, what would that look like? Big yard, granite countertops? Is it one-story or two-story?
Price Questions
Hub Question:
This property happens to be priced at ____K. Is that in the range that you guys were
looking, or were you looking at a different price point as well?
(present two equally valid options. Regardless of response you should say):
“Perfect. I know that I’ll have some great options for you in that range.”
Spoke Question:
(If lead is unsure about answer)
If a prospect seems unsure about their price range, I’ll say this:EPREreal
You know _____, I don’t know about y’all, but in our household we’re mostly focused on one number: what’s the drive-out, everything-included monthly payment. What’s a comfortable monthly payment range for you guys?
Response: Perfect, I know that I’ll have some great options for you in that range.
Motivation Question
Hub Question:
If you could wave a magic wand, when would you ideally want to be in that new
home? Are we talking super fast like 30 days or are you more like two or three months out?
Note: provide options but they are all near-term options. Prime the prospect for thinking about making a purchase sooner than later.
Spoke Questions:
Oh ok, so you guys are a year away from doing anything. You know ______, I would say
that probably 90% of the people who____ (visit our website; who call in on our signs,
etc.) are in the same boat, kind of in the information-gathering stage -- is that where you guys are at?
Awesome, well good for you for getting a jump on things and doing some of the
homework now instead of waiting until the last minute. Just out of curiosity, down the
road ____ months from now when you guys go to purchase, what neighborhoods are y’all interested in taking a look at?
MOTHER OF ALL SPOKE QUESTIONS
Just out of curiosity, are you all renting or did you have a home that you prefer to sell to make the new purchase work?
If Renting, Remind of pain:
If you don’t mind me asking, how much are you paying every month for rent over there?
“Wow, so you guys are paying EIGHTEEN HUNDRED bucks for a two-bedroom
APARTMENT? Ok yeah, we’re gonna get you guys out of that...”
What would be a comfortable monthly payment range for something that you’d actually own yourselves?”
“Ok great so you guys are looking to make a move in six months ... BUT if i found a
great deal for you would you buy it tomorrow?”
“That’s good because the one question you should be asking yourself is, “Where are the opportunities for me as a buyer in all of this?”
Agent Questions
Hub Question:
Remind me -- have you guys been able to check out any homes in person so far?
Spoke Questions:
If the answer is No: Oh ok, well we can fix that. I’m assuming that you all aren’t actively working with any other real estate professionals, then?
If the answer is Yes: Oh ok great -- and how were you seeing those homes, maybe going to open houses or working with a real estate agent?
If the answer is that “We saw them with an agent,” then: Ok perfect. Just out of curiosity, have you guys committed to working with that person?
If answer is YES:
Ok wonderful! Well, I’m sorry we couldn’t work together but I’m really glad that you’re
being taken care of by that other agent. I’ve really enjoyed chatting with you today and I hope you find the perfect home!
If the answer is NO:
Ok great. So you’d be open to working with another agent like me, if we were a good fit?
Mortgage Questions
Hub Question:
OK great, so you all are looking for something in the $____K range. Just out of
curiosity, how did you come to that figure? Were you working with a really good mortgage lender or maybe doing some research online w/ mortgage calculators?
Spoke Questions:
You were checking out some calculators online - good for you! You are ahead of the
game, then. So you know the next step, before you go check out homes in person, is to get with a really great mortgage loan officer who can get you pre-qualified in a few
minutes. I have someone who would be perfect for your situation. He’s got access to
some great interest rates and knows all about special programs. Have you got a couple minutes to chat with him now?
(Specific to first-time buyers.) You were checking out some calculators online - good for you! You are ahead of the game. That makes me think...you know, a lot of the special programs for first-time home buyers that went away in the recession are actually back... but not many people know about them. We’re talking down-payment waivers, zero down programs, tax credits that give you cash back on your tax refund. Sometimes we can stack one on top of another. You wouldn’t have any interest in finding out whether you qualified for one or more of those programs, would ya?
Close for the Appointment
Ok, well ________, I really feel like I have a handle on what you’re trying to accomplish
and I know that I’ll be able to create some really amazing results for you and your family. Together I’d like to put together a list of properties that we can go see right after we go over a few things about how the homebuying process works, etc. We can meet at my office and go from there. Let’s take a look at our calendars. What works better, weekdays, evenings or Saturday mornings?
(use the option close --- give the illusion of choice. The choice is not whether to meet but rather when to meet.)
Good Prep for close
“Have you ever heard some of these words thrown around like ‘earnest money’, ‘appraisal’,
‘escrow’, etc.? You probably have lots of questions about what these things mean, are they
optional or mandatory, and how much does everything cost? OK great, well in just a few minutes I’ll get all of that totally lined out for you and you’ll walk away with a list of things to prepare for and how much everything will cost. My job is to prevent you from having any nasty surprises.
(If it’s a no or trouble around Covid use this as fall back position)
“Totally understand where you’re coming from, _________. Tell you what, let’s do this: you
have your eye on a couple of properties and I want you to be able to get your feet wet here and start checking out some property tours, condition disclosures, sale data, etc. The way we could get started is by checking out some property, either in person or virtually over FaceTime, etc. Pick two or three of your favorites. What are some of the addresses of the homes that you would like to check out?”
LPMAA Scripting
GREETING:
Hello/Hi/Good Morning... I need to speak with (Name) really quick?
IF IT’S THE PERSON: Oh Hi (Name), this is _______ from Ed Prather Real Estate. I saw
you were browsing and looking at properties in __(neighborhood/city) area. Are you just curious or are you thinking about making a move?
IF IT’S NOT THE PERSON: Well... my name is ______ and I am calling because (Name)
was actually looking at real estate properties on our website... and I wanted to speak with
him/her about a few of the homes he/she had looked at. Is he/she available?
(If they pass the call to the right person then go back to the above greeting)
TRANSITION:
I know you weren’t expecting my call... so let me get straight to the point. Our website typically sends you information regarding the properties you’ve viewed AND... of those that generally fit the profile of what you’re looking for... have you had time to look at most of them?
YES: Okay that’s perfect... it’s definitely some good stuff on your list.
NO: That’s okay... time is not always on our side.
LOCATION:
Now I did notice that the homes you were looking at were in the ________ area; are you
focusing on that area ONLY... or are you open to other areas too?
FOCUSED ON ONE AREA: Okay... so you know the area you want to live in... can you tell
me why this particular area is so attractive to you?
OPEN TO OTHER AREAS: Okay... so you’re open to other areas... that definitely helps for
sure... so tell me about the type of neighborhood you’d like to live in... is it a quieter suburb... somewhere in the city.. Or what?
JUST BROWSING: I totally understand... most people start browsing before they ever start
looking... It's pretty much the norm today. Just out of curiosity... if you could wave a magic wand... and pick the type of home you’d like to stay in... and the type of area or neighborhood... what would that need to look like for you.
Do everything you can to understand their LOCATION needs by asking multiple questions. The more you know about all the areas they are interested in living, will only help you.
PRICE:
So the type of home and area you want to live in... it kind of falls in a certain price range... is there a specific budget range that works best for you?
PROVIDES RANGE: That’s a good range... and there are a lot of properties on the market we can look at... as well as properties coming soon... so that’s good!
DOESN’T PROVIDE RANGE: First off... you don’t necessarily need to have that part figured
out right now... I imagine you know what you won’t spend... Do you have a monthly payment you’re looking to stay under? Okay!
And some of this is just good to know:
Is this your first home? Okay! I always ask that question... because I remember when I bought my first home. That was a good day!
And how do you plan to pay for your home... cash or finance? Okay!
And how much do you think you’ll be looking to put down? Okay!
MOTIVATION:
And how soon are you looking to move... or what’s your timeline... 30 to 60, 60 to 90... or
perhaps a little further out?
30 TO 60: Okay... then this is the perfect time to be looking for sure... Are you leasing now... OR do you possibly need to sell another home before moving?
60 TO 90: Okay... then this is the perfect time to be looking for sure... Are you leasing now... OR do you possibly need to sell another home before moving?
FURTHER OUT: Nothing wrong with that... is there any particular reason that you’re waiting? And if you were to find that perfect home at the right price earlier... would you be open to making a move sooner? Okay... that’s the more important question! I just don’t want to bother you until you are ready.
AGENT:
And have you been able to check out any homes yet?
What was the name of the agent who let you in the home?
YES: Okay... are you 100% committed to that agent or is there something stopping you from getting a second opinion?
NO: Okay... that actually works out great!
TRANSITION:
So here is what I want to do... I’ve got four properties that I think you should at least take a
peek/look at as soon as you can... And I don’t of course expect you to get out with me today... but what day MIGHT you have a little time?
GIVES YOU A DAY: Okay perfect... and you tell me what time you think works best for us to do.
DOESN’T GIVE YOU A DAY: That’s okay... so let me tell you what I thought would make
this easier for you... as I know time is not always on our side.
SETTING APPOINTMENT:
There are a few ways we can do this...
- You can come by the office.
- We could meet at a Starbucks, a restaurant or even your home.
- We could possibly meet at one of the properties that line of perfectly with what you’re
looking for.
- And if those things don’t work, I can send you a Zoom or Google video invite and we
can do it virtually.
It doesn’t matter which one you go with... but I know you need to see each one of these
properties.
What’s easiest for you?
OBJECTIONS
JUST EMAIL ME
I’d love to do that, but if I did that I would be just like every other realtor. I actually want to help you get into a home. I want to get a list of properties together that generally fit your wants and needs. From there we will go through and select a few properties for us to go see and the best way to do this is in person because I won’t REALLY know what you’re looking for until we go see together... When will you have some time? I have time today, tomorrow... and it looks like I even have early morning Saturday. You tell me!
WON’T MEET AT OFFICE
Not a problem at all... we are not asking you to do anything you’d be uncomfortable with. What do you prefer?
NOT READY TO BUY
I understand... I’m not here to push you to buy in any way. My responsibility is to help you
develop a profile of homes that you may be interested in at some point in the near future. And then when I see homes that fit your profile... I will schedule you to view them or get the information to you as soon as possible. That’s my real role, I’m here to help and you don’t have to pay me a dime.
What day usually works best to reach out to you?
FOLLOW UP CALL SCRIPT (QUALIFY, PRIME, WATCH)
GREETING:
Hi, is (Name) available?
Hey, (Name)... it’s (your name) over here at Ed Prather Real Estate. You asked me to follow up with you around this time and I wanted to make sure I kept my word. How many homes have you looked at recently?
HAS SEEN HOMES: Okay... so you’re still looking, that’s a good thing... and let me ask you
really quick... last time we spoke you were looking for a ___ bedroom, ____ bath, _____ square feet home, in the ______ area of town. Has any of that changed? Got it! And I didn’t note this last time... what price range were you trying to stay in? Perfect!
HAS NOT SEEN HOMES: I get it... you’ve probably been busy... especially with all the stuff
going on in the world today... and let me ask you really quick... last time we spoke you were looking for a ___ bedroom, ____ bath, _____ square feet home, in the ______ area of town. Has any of that changed? Got it! And I didn’t note this last time... what price range were you trying to stay in? Perfect!
TRANSITION:
The reason I asked you if the information was correct... is because I’ve got a list of properties that I think you should at least take a peek/look at as soon as you can... And I don’t of course expect you to go see them today... but what day MIGHT you have a little time?
GIVES YOU A DAY: Okay perfect... and you tell me what time you think works best for us to schedule.
DOESN’T GIVE YOU A DAY: That’s okay... so let me tell you what I thought would make
this easier for you... as I know time is not always on our side.
SETTING APPOINTMENT:
I was thinking that we look at doing this in a few ways.
- I can have you come by the office.
- We could meet you at a Starbucks, a restaurant or even at your home if that’s more
convenient.
- We could possibly meet at one of the properties that line up perfectly with what you’re
looking for.
- And if those things don’t work, I can send you a Zoom or Google video invite and we
can do it virtually.
It doesn’t matter which one you go with... but I know you need to see each one of these
properties.
What’s easiest for you?
PICKS ONE: That works for me as well! (SET APPOINTMENT)
GIVES YOU AN OBJECTION: GO TO OBJECTIONS SECTION
OBJECTIONS
JUST EMAIL ME
I’d love to do that, but if I did that I would be just like every other realtor. I actually want to help you get into a home. I want to get a list of properties together that generally fit your wants and needs. From there we will go through and select a few properties for us to go see and the best way to do this is in person because I won’t REALLY know what you’re looking for until we go see together... When will you have some time? I have time today, tomorrow... and it looks like I even have early morning Saturday. You tell me!
WON’T MEET AT OFFICE
Not a problem at all... we are not asking you to do anything you’d be uncomfortable with. What do you prefer?
NOT READY TO BUY
I understand... I’m not here to push you to buy in any way. My responsibility is to help you
develop a profile of homes that you may be interested in at some point in the near future. And then when I see homes that fit your profile... I will schedule you to view them or get the information to you as soon as possible. That’s my real role, I’m here to help and you don’t have to pay me a dime. What day usually works best to reach out to you?