5 KILLER COMEBACKS TO MY FRIEND IS A REALTOR

As of 2022, there are 1,563,502 licensed Realtors in the United States, so chances are that your prospect knows a few Realtors.

And as you may agree, many of these licensed Realtors are just not as dedicated or as knowledgeable as you.

If you navigate carefully, you’ll persuade your prospect why working with their Realtor friend might not make sense.

Here are 5 rebuttals to overcome the “my friend is a Realtor” objection:

1. “I am happy to pay your friend a referral fee.”

• “Listen, I totally get how you might feel torn about hiring your friend as your Realtor and frankly I am always hesitant to work with my own friends. Buying real estate can oftentimes get intense, especially during negotiations and sometimes money can alter the dynamic of a great friendship. Here is what I have found works really well: I am happy to pay your friend a referral fee. This way everyone is happy.”

2. “Are you comfortable sharing your finances with your friend?"

• “There is a fair amount of personal and financial information that is shared throughout the course of a real estate transaction. I have found in past cases that most home buyers (or home sellers) did not realize this, and it made the experience awkward.”

3. “Would you be open to a second opinion? Can’t hurt, right?"

• “Buying and selling real estate involves thousands of dollars and having a second opinion is what, in my opinion, a smart person should do. Would you be open to meeting with me to help you strategize? I can promise you that given my background and reputation, there will be a handful of additional items I will share with you to be successful in your [buy or sale].”

4. “You know, it’s interesting that 20% of the Realtors do 80 percent of the business.”

• “…I’m fortunate to be in the top 5% [or whatever] and in this market, having a highly active Realtor can help you win a highly sought-after property.”

5. “Trust your gut.”

• “Ultimately, I want what’s best for you. Do you have any reservations about working with your friend? If not, go with her, it’s always good to give our friends the business, but from what I mentioned [some of the above], if you have any hesitations, I would be honored to support you.”