How to Correctly Pre-Screen Sellers Over the Phone

Online, September 14, 2009 (Newswire.com) - If you haven't been pre-screening your sellers over the phone, you need to come up with a fail-proof strategy that will save you time and energy.
Here are a few can't miss tips.

Building a Rapport

First, you want to get to know the person on the other end of the line. Yes, saving time and getting to the nitty gritty is key here, but a home seller isn't going to delve into the real reasons behind why they are selling their home if you don't talk to them first.
Building a rapport can be difficult, especially if the person comes off as some kind of professional home flipper.
If that is the case, than simply tell them that you aren't the kind of person they are looking for and that they need to call someone else.
The perfect home seller for you is someone who is motivated to sell, has an approximate figure in mind and someone who has a legitimate reason why they need to sell as quickly as possible.

Checklists, Please

Before the phone rings, you should have a checklist in front of you of things you need to ask every potential home seller.
Make sure you get an address, square footage, number of bedrooms, property size and other essential questions.
Once you have the basics out of the way, you want to begin to delve deeper into the real reason behind why the seller wants to sell.
You want to avoid coming right out and asking since it can seem rude or almost like you don't trust the person you are talking to, but essentially you want to build towards the inevitable questions of: What is your main reason for selling, What is your asking price, approximately, what are you looking for in a buyer and do you need to complete the sale as quickly as possible?

Scripts Help

In addition to having a checklist, you may want to consider writing a small script, at least until you get the handle of talking to prospective buyers.
Of course, you will need to practice in front of a mirror so you can deliver your scripted lines without sounding mechanical, but having a guide in front of you can help you cover all the points you need to.

Things to Avoid

One common time wasting trap that many wholesalers fall into is agreeing to trek out to the property and viewing it yourself. If the home is right down the road, it may be worth it, but otherwise, you have to dedicate time to seeing the home, doing research on what the appraised property value is among other things.
You could be spending that time talking to truly motivated sellers instead of someone who wants you to do the leg work for them.
Those wholesalers who are motivated and excited about their new job often race off several times a week to potential sellers only to find out that they are dealing with home flippers that aren't going to be offering a truly discounted home price.
Stick to your script, have a checklist ready and build a rapport with the seller so you can discover the true reason why their home is for sale.
It can be tough for some wholesalers to get over the idea that they are taking advantage of motivated sellers, but it is only truly motivated sellers who offer you the best chance at turning a quick profit and making wholesaling a career you can count on.

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