One of the most important skills an agent can develop is knowing how to make a recommendation without turning it into a confrontation.
If a campaign isn’t tracking where you expected, start by looking at the three areas you can assess objectively: marketing, presentation and price. Is the campaign reaching enough people? Is the property presenting at its best? And what is the response from buyers telling you about where the property sits?
If that audit leads you to recommend a price adjustment and the owner isn’t ready to make it, I don’t necessarily see that as a problem. You don’t have to win the conversation there and then.
Instead, agree on the next step and reappoint with the owner the following week. By that stage, you have another seven days of evidence to work with. That could include web views, social media engagement, emails and phone enquiries, inspection numbers, buyer feedback and any offers received. The conversation then becomes less about your opinion and more about what the campaign is showing you.
That’s an important distinction. An owner may need time and additional information before they feel comfortable making a change, particularly when it relates to something as significant as the value of their property. Our role is to help them understand what is happening and give them enough information to make an informed decision.
It’s also why regular face-to-face vendor meetings remain so valuable. Rather than waiting until there is a problem, you can continually review the campaign together, identify what is working and make adjustments where the evidence supports them.
There will always be an element of judgement in real estate, but recommendations carry far more weight when they are supported by objective information. The goal isn’t to convince the owner that you’re right. It’s to give them a clear enough picture of the campaign that you can decide on the next step together.