Pity the unwary and innocent home shopper who commences the first round of telephone calls after circling properties in the Sunday newspaper: "I'd like to know the address of the property you are advertising that has four bedrooms and three full baths."
"First give me your name and telephone number, and be advised that anything you say can and will be held against you unless you sign a buyer broker contract with me today." Sound familiar?
The dialogue may be a little overstated, but the impact is the same in many cases. The real estate "Pro" on the other end of the Buyer's line wants that name and phone number before releasing any information...treating the property address like a national nuclear secret. A verbal tug of war ensues...and the prospect is often left without a choice....succumb to the possibility of endless harassing phone calls from this individual or never learn the address of that home.
Now....imagine that you are selling a home...and your real estate company is running a large ad in the Sunday paper, and there's your house in the ad, as promised. Does the lack of an address occur to you? Why are addresses only used in Open House ads? Simple: The ad is placed to make the phone ring....so that agents on the other end of the phone (sitting at the "opportunity" desk) have a chance to speak with people who "want to buy homes somewhere". Where does that leave the Seller?
As an agent I'd sooner pick up the phone and hear: "Can you tell me more about that house at 1152 Oakhurst Drive?" Imagine...the buyer has already seen the address in the ad. Chances are good that he has already driven past the home. Statistically we know that the response rate to an ad is 90% less with addresses than without addresses. However, the quality of the call is the paramount concern, and a Buyer who calls about a property who knows the address of the property is a better lead in terms of the property being advertised
As a Seller, ask these questions:
"Will my property be used to generate leads for agents in the office?"
and
"How will the office generate effective leads for my property?"
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