The art of making a sale has more or less been a
part of everyone’s life, regardless of profession. We sell things. We sell ideas. Selling is essentially an
act of everyday living, of social exchanges and dialogue between individuals, whether we are conscious of it
or not. Whether it was selling lemonade as a youngster for 10 cents a glass, greasy fast food as a teenager,
or working in marketing and sales as an adult, everyone knows a thing or two about how to sell.
If the average person is capable of making a sale, then why hire someone to make
one for you? When it comes to selling homes, the answer is easy: Real estate is more than just about the
deal.
“Representing yourself in any transaction, whether it is real estate-related or otherwise, is a risky
proposition,” says Prudential Sussex Realty’s Eric Langhjelm, based in West Vancouver. “Real estate,
particularly residential real estate, tends to have an emotional, personal aspect to it.”
Having been involved in the selling of his own home, Langhjelm can — quite fittingly — personally
relate.
“I did the only thing that made sense — I
called a realtor whom I trusted and they pulled me out of the fit I was in and gave me the same direction I
would give my clients, and we sold near asking. When you represent yourself,” he adds, “it’s exceptionally
hard to see the forest through the trees.”
Real estate
then isn’t just about the transaction; it’s more about developing trust. Without trust, there will be no sale
and, as Langhjelm suggests, no relationship — of any kind.
“Trust is a
central pillar of any agency relationship,” he says. “Purchasing real estate is, for most people, the single
biggest financial decision they will make in their lives. Trust and confidence in a realtor’s ability to get
the job done and in the belief that your agent has your best interests at heart is fundamental to the
process.”
For Langhjelm, instilling trust essentially means
identifying the client’s wants and needs, and consistently making decisions and executing a plan that
“honours and reflects those wants and needs.”
Seems simple enough, one would think, but this isn’t some old garage sale. In addition to
trust, and the ability to favour rationale
over emotion, selling homes requires some particular traits more integral than mere persuasion.
“Enthusiasm, hard work, determination, competitive spirit, self-starter, personable, thick skin and the
ability to play the game within the context of the rules,” Langhjelm suggests, are what makes any good
realtor a great realtor.
Aside from ambition, confidence — not arrogance — and people skills, what really matters is something that’s
often overlooked, something Langhjelm insists is crucial to succeeding. That something, simply put, is being
yourself.
“When I came into the business I consciously tried to be more ‘realtor-like’… and wasn’t connecting with
anyone. Once I relaxed and was more like myself, things started to flow.”
So perhaps selling lemonade and selling houses really aren’t that far apart after all.
»
Eric Langhjelm
is a realtor at Prudential Sussex Realty in West Vancouver. To learn more about Langhjelm, visit
homewitheric.com •
