Real estate appraisal kits are one of the key tools in converting sellers into clients.
The appraisal is a personalised document outlining where you see their home fitting in the marketplace, and ideas for marketing and selling it. Done right, an appraisal is a powerful tool. Done wrong, the seller dumps it straight into the rubbish bin.
Where does yours end up?
One appraisal kit in a hundred
The sellers receive an appraisal kit from every agent they talk to. Those kits usually contain the exact same details/content:
- An impersonal cover letter
- A blurb about you and your achievements as an agent
- A page about your agency and how successful they are
- RP data / price finder report (every kit will had the same information as it comes from the same sources).
- Testimonials from happy clients.
- A list of recently sold properties.
- Outline of a standard marketing campaign.
All these elements are useful information to help a client make a decision, but since every agent’s appraisal kit contains the same elements (and has for decades), set out in a similar way, there’s no room to stand out.
Instead, why not do the exact opposite? Instead of creating an appraisal kit that’s all about you and what you can do, why not make it all about the seller?
A seller-centric appraisal kit
Every element of the appraisal kit needs to answer the seller’s question, “What’s in it for me if I choose this agent?”
First, divide your client base into different “personas” – target markets. Make the first page specifically targeted to a certain audience. You may want to create different cover letters for different markets: young families with children, apartment dwellers, investors, premium property sellers.
Then, ensure all the content answers the seller’s question, what’s in this for me? Instead of focusing on you, flip the conversation around so it’s all about them. I guarantee you they will notice and appreciate this change.
Real Estate Connected has a great guide on how to tweak your appraisal kit to appeal to more sellers.
Engaging the client with your appraisal
Don’t just hand over the appraisal and run away. Take time to engage the client with the content. Ask them about their current understanding of the market conditions. Without being pushy, ask open questions to learn more about their current situation, and if they’ve considered alternatives to selling at this time.
In her handy document on writing winning appraisals, real estate coach Yvonne Box recommends meeting your client at your office to go over the appraisal. This goes contrary to common wisdom advising you to bring the appraisal to the client’s home, where their emotional connection is. Yvonne suggests meeting in your office encourages the client to view the arrangement as a business transaction, and shows you as a professional backed by a powerful team.
Does your real estate appraisal kit stand out from the rest? Is it time you focused more on the client’s needs than yourself? For more tips on converting leads into clients, download our free guide, Most Agents Sell Houses. Top Agents Build Empires.
