Since
our
income
is
(usually)
tied
directly
to
closings,
many
real
estate
agents
wonder
how
to
close
deals
faster.
Faster
sales
not
only
allow
us
to
help
more
clients
each
year,
they
also
help
alleviate
some
of
the
stress
and
anxiety
that
come
with
a
commission-only
career.

Keep
reading
for
expert
tips
on
how
to
close
real
estate
deals
faster,
plus
ways
to
make
your
real
estate
transactions
more
seamless. 

1.
Prospect
for
highly
motivated
sellers

Focus
your
lead
generation
efforts
on
finding
people
who

need
to
sell.
I
see
many
agents
chasing
potential
clients
who
have
little
or
no
sense
of
urgency.
While
it’s
important
to
help
every
client
when
they’re
ready,
if
your
goal
is
to
close
deals
faster,
targeting
your
efforts
to
find
highly
motivated
leads
is
key.

Who
are
these
motivated
clients?
People
going
through
divorce
and
need
to
sell
(and
potentially
buy
a
new
place…or
two),
people
moving
across
the
country
for
a
new
job
and
estate/probate
sales
after
someone
has
passed
away
are
the
three
most
common
life
stages
in
which
property
needs
to
be
sold.

You
can
find
these
highly
motivated
clients
by
networking
with
divorce
and
estate/probate
attorneys,
HR
departments
and
relocation
companies.
You
can
also
position
yourself
as
an
expert
in
these
life
scenarios
and
use
that
in
your
marketing;
this
will
attract
motivated
clients
to
you
and
keep
you
top
of
mind
for
referrals.

One
way
to
speed
up
the
process
of
finding
highly
motivated
leads
(probate
leads,
specifically)
is
to
leverage
a
platform
that
does
the
work
for
you.
Catalyze
AI
uses
data-driven
analytics
to
predict
when
a
homeowner
will
be
looking
to
sell.
This
is
a
great
option
if
you
have
a
marketing
budget
and
want
to
target
sellers
likely
to
sell
in
your
zip
code.

Related
articles

2.
Pre-qualify
your
leads

Honing
your
pre-qualification
process
will
save
you
time
and
energy
by
ensuring
you’re
focusing
on
potential
clients
who
are
ready,
willing
and
able
to
buy
or
sell
soon.
Here
are
some
great
pre-qual
questions
to
ask,
either
before
your
initial
appointment
or
during
your
buyer/seller
consultation:

While
you
never
want
to
let
a
lead
slip
through
the
cracks,
when
you’re
determining
how
to
prioritize
your
time
and
close
more
deals
faster,
you
will
want
to
focus
on
potential
clients
who
meet
certain
criteria.
They’re
ready
to
go
now
(with
a
pre-approval
in
hand
or
proof
of
funds
letter),
they
are
motivated
to
buy
in
the
next
few
months
and
their
lease
is
up
or
they’re
ready
to
put
their
house
on
the
market
asap.

For
leads
who
are
not
ready
yet,
keep
in
touch
with
them
regularly
and
provide
value
such
as
market
updates
or
off-market
listings.
That’s
your
future
business!

3.
Price
your
listings
at
or
slightly
below
market
value

Pricing
correctly
is
the
absolute
best
tool
in
your
marketing
toolkit
and
one
of
the
best
ways
to
close
real
estate
deals
faster.
It’s
also
the
best
strategy
for
getting
your
seller
the
best
price
and
terms
possible.
Win-win!

With
very
few
exceptions,
such
as
ultra-luxury
listings,
the
faster
a
listing
sells,
the
better
the
price
and
terms.
Once
a
listing
sits
for
a
while,
it
gets
stale.
Days
on
market
accrue.
Buyers
wonder
what’s
wrong
with
it,
and
they
think
they
can
get
a
deal.
We
know
this
because
on
the
buyer
side,
we
look
for
lingering
listings
for
our
buyers
who
want
to
get
a
deal.
So
be
sure
to
price
your
listings
at
market
value
or
even
slightly
below;
this
will
drive
buyer
interest
and
result
in
a
faster
sale.

4.
Get
a
price
reduction
on
your
listings

If
you’re
reading
this
and
have
listings
that
are
sitting
on
the
market,
go
get
yourself
a
price
reduction.
Right
now.
That’s
the
quickest
way
to
close
a
real
estate
deal
fast.
You
already
did
the
hard
work
of
finding
a
seller
client,
securing
the
listing
and
marketing
it
to
potential
buyers.
If
it’s
not
selling,
chances
are
a
new
price
will
do
the
trick.

Show
your
seller
the
current
market
data,
including
the
other
active
listings
(your
competition)
and
guide
them
to
a
more
aggressive
listing
price.
Who
knows,
you
may
end
up
with
multiple
offers
after
a
strategic
price
reduction.
I’ve
had
it
happen
on
my
own
listings!

Related
article

5.
Follow
up
on
every
lead

Another
way
to
close
deals
faster
is
to
follow
up
on
every
lead,
specifically
every
buyer
lead
for
your
listings.
This
proactive
approach
is
vital
in
markets
that
are
softening
a
bit
or
have
flipped
to
buyer
markets.

Here’s
the
gist:
after
every
showing,
follow
up
with
the
buyer’s
agent
for
feedback
and
to
encourage
offers.
After
every
open
house,
call
every
direct
buyer
who
came
through
and
every
agent
who
sent
their
buyer.
Be
sure
to
collect
the
agent’s
info
when
buyers
are
signing
into
the
open
house
so
you
can
follow
up.

You
may
think
this
step
isn’t
worth
doing
since
any
buyer
who’s
truly
interested
in
your
listing
will
go
ahead
and
make
an
offer
on
their
own,
right?
Surprisingly,
not
always.
Take
matters
into
your
own
hands
by
proactively
following
up
on
every
buyer
lead
for
every
listing.

This
also
applies
to
leads
you
receive
from
other
sources,
such
as
referrals,
online
leads
and
sign
calls.
“The
fortune
is
in
the
follow-up”
is
a
common
expression
for
a
reason.
It’s
true.
Get
more
closings
faster
by
following
up
diligently
and
persistently
with
every
single
lead
that
comes
your
way.

6.
Pre-market
your
listings

Sell
your
listings
faster,
possibly
even
before
they
hit
the
market,
by
pre-marketing
them.
While
sellers
typically
get
the
most
money
by
going
live
on
MLS,
there
are
instances
when
an
extremely
motivated
buyer
will
fall
in
love
with
a
listing
and
be
willing
to
pay
a
premium
to
get
their
offer
accepted
before
it
hits
the
market.
This
also
leads
to
a
faster
sale
for
you.

Here’s
how
my
team
and
I
pre-market
our
listings: 

• 
  Post
  in
  off-market
  Facebook
  groups:
  These
  types
  of
  coming
  soon/off-market
  Facebook
  groups
  exist
  in
  most
  markets.
  If
  your
  area
  doesn’t
  have
  one,
  start
  one!
  It’s
  a
  great
  way
  to
  get
  exposure
  for
  your
  listings.
• 
  Call
  other
  agents
  who
  do
  a
  lot
  of
  business
  in
  the
  area:
  This
  might
  seem
  unconventional,
  but
  it’s
  a
  level
  of
  going
  above
  and
  beyond
  for
  your
  sellers
  to
  make
  sure
  the
  other
  top
  agents
  know
  about
  your
  upcoming
  listing.
• 
  Send
  “Coming
  Soon”
  postcards
  to
  the
  neighborhood:
  You
  never
  know
  –
  one
  of
  the
  neighbors
  may
  have
  a
  friend
  or
  relative
  who’s
  in
  the
  market
  to
  buy
  and
  would
  love
  to
  live
  near
  them.

Related
article

7.
Find
off-market
properties
for
your
buyers

When
you
have
buyers
looking
and
they
either
aren’t
finding
homes
they
like
or
they’re
struggling
with
being
outbid
by
other
buyers,
help
them
find
a
home
faster
by
searching
for
off-market
properties.
This
will
not
only
help
you
close
deals
faster,
it
will
make
you
a
hero
to
your
buyers
and
result
in
future
referrals
from
them.

Here
are
some
strategies
for
finding
off-market
properties:

• 
  Send
  golden
  letters:
  This
  one-page
  letter
  is
  very
  simple:
  “I
  have
  a
  buyer
  looking
  for
  a
  home
  in
  your
  neighborhood.
  Any
  chance
  you’re
  thinking
  about
  selling?
  If
  so,
  call
  or
  text
  me
  at
  (number).”
  Target
  the
  areas
  your
  buyers
  want
  to
  be
  in,
  and
  you
  may
  just
  get
  lucky
  and
  find
  them
  something
  directly.
• 
  Call
  the
  top
  agents
  in
  the
  area
  and
  ask
  what
  listings
  they
  have
  in
  the
  pipeline:
  Maybe
  they’re
  prepping
  a
  listing
  that
  would
  be
  perfect
  for
  your
  buyers,
  and
  the
  sellers
  would
  prefer
  not
  to
  deal
  with
  open
  houses
  and
  showings.
  If
  you
  don’t
  ask,
  you
  won’t
  know!
• 
  Search
  through
  the
  coming
  soon/off-market
  Facebook
  groups:
  Reach
  out
  to
  any
  agent
  who
  posts
  a
  listing
  that
  could
  be
  a
  match
  for
  your
  buyers.
• 
  Comb
  through
  expired,
  cancelled
  and
  withdrawn
  listings
  on
  MLS:
  If
  any
  of
  them
  didn’t
  end
  up
  selling
  and
  are
  a
  match
  for
  your
  buyers,
  reach
  out.
  You
  can
  reach
  out
  to
  the
  owners
  directly
  if
  it’s
  an
  expired
  or
  cancelled
  or
  call
  the
  listing
  agent
  on
  any
  withdrawn
  listings.

8.
Encourage
buyers
to
use
a
good
lender

Using
a
solid,
trustworthy
lender
will
help
you
avoid
delays
in
the
closing
process
and
close
deals
faster.
In
general,
I
always
advise
my
buyers
to
work
with
a
local
lender
or
at
least
a
local
rep
of
a
national
mortgage
company,
someone
whose
cell
phone
number
the
buyer
and
I
can
both
have
access
to.
This
way,
I
can
make
sure
most
potential
delays
are
avoided,
and
if
something
does
happen
to
cause
a
delay,
I’m
in
the
loop
and
can
do
everything
in
my
power
to
move
things
along.

9.
Ask
for
the
sale
and
be
direct

One
of
the
best
ways
to
close
deals
faster
is
to
be
direct
in
your
asks.
When
you’re
working
with
buyers,
ask
them
directly:
“Would
you
like
to
work
with
me
as
your
buyer’s
agent?”
and
“Would
you
like
to
make
an
offer
on
this
home?”
When
you’re
working
with
sellers,
ask
for
the
listing:
“Would
you
like
me
to
help
you
sell
your
home?”
and
ask
for
the
close:
“Would
you
like
to
accept
the
buyer’s
offer?”

I
see
many
agents
let
fear
get
in
the
way
of
the
direct
ask,
and
that
only
prolongs
the
process.
If
your
goal
is
to
close
more
real
estate
deals
faster,
don’t
be
afraid
to
get
straight
to
the
point.

How
to
make
your
real
estate
transactions
seamless

Now
let’s
get
into
ways
to
make
your
deals
close
more
smoothly,
which
in
turn
will
help
to
speed
up
the
process,
more
often
than
not.
Here
are
our
best
tips
for
making
your
transactions
easier,
saving
time
and
reducing
stress
for
all
involved.

Communication
is
key

Always
tell
your
clients
the
next
steps
in
the
process,
call
them
at
least
once
a
week
and
make
sure
to
manage
expectations
around
communication.
An
example:
if
you’re
negotiating
an
offer
and
you
know
the
other
agent
won’t
be
getting
back
to
you
with
a
response
until
tomorrow
morning,
let
your
client
know
they
will
hear
from
you
midday
tomorrow.
Give
yourself
a
buffer
in
case
the
other
agent
takes
longer
than
expected.

Prepare
clients
from
day
one

Use
your
buyer
and
seller
consultations
to
not
only
find
out
more
about
the
clients’
situation
and
goals
but
also
to
educate
them
on
the
buying
and
selling
process.
Most
clients
are
not
experts
in
the
process,
and
even
if
they’ve
been
involved
in
real
estate
transactions
before,
chances
are
it’s
been
years.
Things
have
changed.
So
take
the
time
to
educate
them
and
prepare
them
from
day
one
for
what’s
to
come.
If
you’re
in
a
hot
sellers’
market,
prepare
your
buyers
for
the
likelihood
of
multiple
offers.
This
will
save
you
time
and
save
your
clients
stress
later
on
in
the
process.

Encourage
your
buyers
to
drive
by
properties
first

Before
scheduling
10
showings
on
a
Saturday,
encourage
your
buyers
to
first
drive
by
any
homes
they’re
considering.
This
saves
everyone
time.
If
the
neighborhood,
street
or
even
the
specific
lot
the
buyers
are
interested
in
turns
out
not
to
be
the
right
fit,
it’s
better
to
know
that
before
doing
a
private
showing.

Remain
calm
and
keep
clients
calm

One
of
the
biggest
values
we
have
as
real
estate
agents
is
managing
our
clients’
emotions
throughout
the
transaction.
This
starts
with
managing
our
own
emotions.
How?
Detach
from
the
outcome
and
keep
perspective.
You
know
what
to
expect,
you
know
how
to
navigate
any
issues
that
arise
and
you
are
the
guide
in
the
process,
not
the
main
character
in
the
story.
When
(not
if)
a
client
gets
upset,
part
of
our
job
is
to
calm
them
down
and
help
them
work
through
the
issue
rationally.

Stay
flexible
and
adaptable

The
one
constant
is
change,
especially
in
real
estate.
Your
ability
to
be
nimble
and
adaptable
will
help
your
deals
go
more
smoothly
and
reduce
the
stress
you
may
feel.
If
you
haven’t
read
Marie
Forleo’s
book
“Everything
is
Figureoutable,”
I’d
highly
recommend
it.
When
something
changes
or
goes
wrong,
train
your
mind
to
ask
“ok,
how
do
we
fix
it
or
what
do
we
do
next?”
instead
of
going
straight
to
“oh
s***”
–
as
most
of
us
tend
to
do.

Hire
a
transaction
coordinator

Transaction
coordinators
(TCs)
are
a
very
practical
investment
that
involves
little
risk.
They
are
paid
per
transaction
and
not
hourly,
and
will
help
with
the
paperwork
and
transaction
management,
which
is
a
smart
move
for
most
agents.
A
good
TC
will
make
sure
nothing
falls
through
the
cracks
and
everything
goes
smoothly
in
your
deals. 

Check
in
with
your
clients
at
every
stage
to
see
what
questions
they
have

Use
your
weekly
calls
with
your
clients
to
ask:
“What
questions
do
you
have
for
me?”
Many
clients
won’t
reach
out
with
their
questions
since
they
don’t
want
to
bother
us.
So
it’s
important
for
us
to
check
in
with
them
proactively
and
regularly
and
make
a
point
to
ask
them
what’s
on
their
mind.
This
will
make
your
real
estate
transactions
much
smoother
and
keep
your
clients
calmer,
as
well.

The
full
picture

If
you’re
looking
to
close
more
deals
and
close
deals
faster,
implement
the
steps
above.
With
some
strategic
tweaks
and
intentional
communication,
you
will
do
more
business
with
less
stress
along
the
way.