50 Ways to Riches in Real Estate
#25 - Eavesdropping!
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Well, maybe situational awareness is a better phrase. So, it's Wednesday, there you are out shopping in your market area. Maybe you're picking up some groceries. Maybe your spending time at your Lead pick-up places. Maybe you're sitting in line at the bank. So, there you are lost in your own thoughts, wondering about the bills, the dog, the recital, what's for dinner....
Then, something tickles the back of your neck, like your brain is trying to tell you something. But you don't listen and the line moves ahead and you go on about your day. Totally oblivious that you just walked past a golden opportunity.
Local & social means being involved. Being involved requires a certain amount of being "present" in the moment. This means that you do exactly the same thing you were doing above but you work, sometimes hard, to also open yourself to what is happening around you in more detail than you had done in the past.
So, while you're standing in line at the bank, thinking about what's for dinner, if the car needs an oil change, you can also keep an ear out for the couple next to you discussing that their lease is about to expire and they were at the bank to look into getting a loan, taking their first step to buying a place of their own.
Or while you were walking through the grocery store, you can train yourself to be "open" to allowing bits of others conversation to be set as "keywords" in your head. You can begin to listen to what's around you and then train yourself to filter out the noise and to focus for "keywords" that might indicate an ongoing conversation that you might be able to offer assistance with.
Granted, this takes conversational skill, practice and a smackeral of tact. The good news here is that these are skills that can be learned. Then polished and honed into an excellent tool, not only for gaining Leads but for meeting contacts, creating opportunities and making friends.
Great social skills are a benefit to the local and social concept of real estate marketing. Being aware of that which is around you is a great skill to develop. Learning different ways to interject yourself into someone else's conversation is also a skill.
Most often, the direct approach works best. "Hi! I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Since I am a real estate pro I guess I just sort of tunes into it. But, anyway, I can offer some advice if you like, I happen to know something about X." as you hand them your business card and turn so they can see your name tag.
You can bring your spouse into it as well. Often they are better at it as it's all new to them. This can even add an element of fun to it. You and your spouse out doing the boring grocery shopping. A couple walks past chatting about renting. Your spouse can be your wingman and turn to the folks and say "Oh! I heard y'all chatting, my wife is a real estate agent. She's always answering questions like that."
Maybe your wife is waiting for you at the dive shop to come back from a trip. She's waiting with other folks that are doing the same thing. Maybe some of those folks are vacationers, or short-term renters chatting about how much they'd enjoy living here permanently. Your spouse has your cards and hands them one as a conversational opener after overhearing them chatting.
Be open to your surroundings and let the Leads find you :)
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