How Do I Compete Against A Big Team? #299

Elite Agents Real Estate Podcast with Debbie De Grote

Welcome to Debbie’s Tips, and I’m going to answer a question that just came in today. And it’s not a unique question. I do get asked this question a lot:

If I’m not a team, if I do not have a team, I’m a good veteran agent and I’m out there competing against a big team, how do I do that? How do I sell against them?

Well, it reminded me of a book Barbara Corcoran has. You can find it, on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and the title of the book was, If You Don’t Have Big Breasts, Put Ribbons In Your Pigtails. The subtitle was: Use What You’ve Got. Alright? So, let’s think about it.

If you have a team, certainly there are some advantages you bring to the table.

If you don’t have a team, though, there are some advantages you also bring to the table, and that is that most likely, that seller is going to have your full attention.

That when they list the home with you, and they call in tomorrow for something that they need, they’re going to get you. They’re not going to get passed around through a pipeline of team members that don’t know their name.

Now, I’m not saying, if you have a team that you shouldn’t, or that your team is bad. Not at all. But, remember, use what you’ve got.

So, if I’m selling against a team, first of all, I may know who the team is and I’m not going to trash that team. I’m not going to trash any agent because I don’t think it’s appropriate, and also, it just makes me look bad, and it will make the seller defend whoever they’re interviewing. So, it totally backfires.

But I could say something like this. So, let’s say I know that you’re interviewing a team, top team in the area, and I’m not a top team. So, I come in and I’m at that interview, and I say, “You know, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I know that you mentioned that you were interviewing a team, and that may be the way you choose to go. And I am not a team, and yet, if I may share with you, I do have a team behind me. I have my leadership team at my company, I have the powerful tools, resources, and team members behind me at the brand that I’m affiliated with, and then, I have my powerhouse team of lender, of title, of other support services that will be working with us to close our transaction. So, you see, I do have a powerful team, and yet, when you list with me, you will be working with me as an individual agent. So, you will know that you have my attention. You will always be able to get to me. So, it’s a little bit like the boutique owner who meets you at the door and takes care of you personally. So, while I’m not a team in the traditional sense, I do have a powerful group behind me, and I will give you the white glove attention and five-star service that you deserve.”

So, I haven’t trashed the other team, I just pointed out the benefits of that personal and customized attention.

And you know what, guys? They get it.

In fact, some of our best teams, some of our top teams in the nation, the team leader does not go out on appointments and talk much about the team. And the reason for that is, they are afraid that the seller might feel that they will not get that personal attention.

So, just a thought, right? So, use what you’ve got. It’s a great book. You may want to check it out, and good luck out there.

And I’ll talk to you soon on the next Debbie’s Tips. Have a good day.