Have you ever heard investors talk about how a seller chose them even though their offer wasn’t the highest? Have you ever wondered what the secret was that made the buyer choose that investor over all others? Today we’ll talk about powerful rapport building strategy that will have you connecting to sellers on a deep level. When you build trust and loyalty from the first conversation, you don’t have to compete on price.
Think about all the emails and sales pages you’ve seen just in this last week, selling a new class, product, or service. Very often marketers will highlight the features and benefits of their latest creation but then fall short because they didn’t include anything that really connected with you as a person.
Real estate investors are no different. Outbound messages and social media posts are typically straight to the point with a generic message that looks something like this: Need to sell fast? Cash offers, any condition, no commissions or fees, call now!
Nothing about that message separates you from any other investor our there. You need to dig deeper to find your story.
The art of storytelling in real estate niches can be crucial to your success. It can mean the difference between having a funnel full of leads or barely making ends meet because you’re connecting with unmotivated sellers. Sellers want to do business with you only after they know, like, and trust you. Without those three factors, the only thing left separating you from other investors is the price you offer. There’s no better way to create these relationship elements than with storytelling.
Connecting with the Right People
Of course, your storytelling opportunities are wasted unless you identify your ideal sellers and know where to find them. Think too broadly and your message will be watered down to the dull blanket statement of “Sell your house fast” in order to appeal to the widest base possible. In reality, every seller in a distressed situation is facing unique challenges. The person who is struggling with foreclosure has very different problems from the seller who is in probate. Narrow your sights on your ideal client and create a persona to help clarify your message.
Persona Creation Basics
Where do your sellers live? Are they married? Do they have a family? How old are they? What are their pain points? How can you help them?
By getting specific, you will paint a clear picture of who you want to help, who you want to attract into your funnel, and where you can find them.
Focus on building relationships instead of buying houses. Not everyone you meet will be motivated to sell or maybe they are better suited to selling through an agent. When you are focused on the relationship, you increase the likelyhood that the sellers will keep you in mind and refer you to someone they know. Keep growing your network and refining your message. You will find your ideal sellers – the ones who will trust you enough to sell even if you’re not offering the highest price.
Make Your Connections Personal with Stories
Your audience wants to connect with YOU, not with your service. Your sellers want to know about your experience, why did you start your business, and how can you help them. How are you different from all the other investors out there? What is your inspiration? What personal struggles have you overcome? Why have you chosen to help people in their situation?
Yes, at some point they will want to know about your offer, but start off by allowing your audience to know you.
Using Your Blog
You can easily create blog posts that talk about your personal experience. You can highlight what inspired you to become an investor as well as highlight any stories you have about the motivated sellers you’ve helpd. These personal stories help the reader connect their own situation and see how you might be able to help them too.
Stories are very human, and that raw, human experience is what connects us with each other.
Using Video
Nothing gets as real as video. Showing your face and voice makes an instant connection. Videos don’t have to be as polished or as lengthy as a TED talk. In fact, the more raw the better. Nothing turns people away faster than a commercial.
Keep it real. Don’t edit out all your flubs. What better way to portray yourself as human than to show some bloopers. Showcase your expertise but show your audience that you’re accessible by answering questions and asking them directly what kind of help they need.
Using Social Media
If you’re too camera shy to post a video, you can tell your story on social media too. Once you figure out who you’re ideal sellers are and what they’re struggling with, you can tailor your artwork and message to reach out them directly and show them the value you can provide beyond just a quick sale.
7 Tips for Crafting Your Story
When you decide to connect on a human level instead of always pushing a sale, people will naturally be attracted to you and will want to learn more about you and your business. Be patient; relationship building takes time but the sales will follow.
Stories can be powerful if you know how to grab your audience’s attention. Remember, people have extremely short attention spans so you only have a few seconds to pique their interest, but then you have to keep them interested. It’s easy to say, “Tell a story to connect with your ideal audience,” but where do you begin?
Our advice is to start with your “why.” Why did you become an investor? Did it start as a hobby, or were you going through a personal hardship yourself? Begin writing the story, it can be in outline form with a few details, or as detailed as a chapter from a book. Whatever works best for you.
From there, you’ll want to edit the story to keep the essence. In the end you should be left with a compelling story of why you want to help distressed sellers.
Storytelling Tips
- Make your story compelling. Do you have a “hook” that will catch your audience’s attention right away?
- Know the purpose of your story. Don’t just talk for the sake of talking. Point out the connection before your audience gets bored and questions why they’re spending time listening.
- Use vivid descriptions and strong words. Avoid passive voice or sounding wishy washy. Avoid using too many statistics. Instead, paint a striking picture in the minds of your audience to draw them deeper into the story.
- Don’t brag; connect instead. While your accomplishments may be impressive and will set you apart from the vast majority, don’t bore your audience with them. Keep these impressive feats on your resume. When telling your story, relate to your audience by telling them about the personal experience you have with their situation and how you got through it, or why you want to focus on that niche.
- Connect emotionally. Decide which emotion you want to tap into during your story and provide information to your audience that will elicit that emotion. People will remember you better if you add emotion to your story.
- On video, avoid speaking in a monotone voice. You’ve probably experienced a presenter who put you to sleep. Avoid this at all costs!
- Give your audience the information that matters most to them.
These tips will help you capture your audience’s attention and keep them engaged.
Explore How REI Social Can Help You Connect
REI Social has hundreds of ready-made social media posts for sellers in distressed situations. Our professional posts use the framework above to keep away from the boring, cookie-cutter “we buy houses” message to help you truly stand out from the crowd. Use these as-is or add your own message and personality. We make it easy for investors to find their voice and start connecting. If you’re ready to stop competing on price, join our monthly content plan and start building relationships that matter.