Any successful agent will tell you: Communication is absolutely key during real estate transactions. Consumers often cite frustration with their agents when it comes to communication, especially during a transaction. It’s a fundamental factor in building long-term, referral-bearing relationships.
The following are six videos you can record to increase your client’s comfort level during the process — plus, a bonus video that will help your business grow.
You can use these titles and scripts as an outline, but I strongly encourage you to modify them to fit your area and market. I would also recommend that you change them into your own words.
3 videos for sellers
Video No. 1: Preparing to sell
Very few people wake up one morning and decide to list their home for sale that day. The reality is that deciding to sell a home involves months of consideration and preparation.
Videos that address preparing to sell a home are great to share with your database. They can also be useful for homeowners who are in the process of preparing to sell. Here are a few potential titles for these videos:
- The 5 biggest mistakes homeowners make when preparing to sell their home
- 6 ways to increase your home’s curb appeal and sales price
- 7 simple home improvements that must be done before listing your home for sale
- Don’t list your home for sale until you do this
A homeowner preparing to sell who comes across these videos will be hard-pressed not to click on it. Creating a call to action at the end of the video is the best way to have the homeowners request additional information. Try something like:
If you are considering selling your home, don’t list your home without reading a copy of my 21 tips on how to sell your home for the highest price and with the least amount of hassle. For a free copy of these tips, email me at (your email address).
Video No. 2: After the listing agreement is signed, what happens next?
Most sellers believe agents place a home in MLS, put up a sign and pray it sells. Professional agents know that couldn’t be further from the truth. Communicating what happens after the listing agreement is signed provides an opportunity to show your professionalism and everything that goes into launching their listing.
I kept a checklist with 101 things we did to market a listing. The checklist included items like putting up the sign, ordering the photos, uploading the photos to MLS and writing the home’s description.
Taking the time to build a checklist with all the items that are involved in marketing the listing is a great way for you to make sure nothing is missed, and it provides the seller with confidence that you are doing everything possible to get their home sold.
This video could include a script including information like this:
“Thank you for your confidence and for entrusting me with selling your home for the highest price and with the fewest hassles. I wanted to send you this video to give you an idea of what will happen now that you have signed the listing agreement.
We have a checklist that includes 101 action steps to get your home the most exposure possible in the least amount of time. These items include our marketing plan and everything we do to make sure any potential buyers for your home will receive information about your home in multiple ways within the first two weeks.
We launch all of our listings on the market on Thursdays because that’s the day our website receives the most visitors. It also gives us the ability to schedule an open house at your home for Saturday. You will hear from our team to confirm the time and availability for the open house.
My main purpose of this video is to make you aware of all we will be doing over the next few weeks to get your home sold. If you have any questions throughout this process, please reach out to me any time. Again, thank you for your trust, and we will do everything in our power to exceed your expectations.”
Video No. 3: What to expect now that we are under contract as a seller
Selling a home is not a common occurrence for most homeowners. This means they are not as versed as most agents believe they are in the process from contract to close. A simple video outlining what to expect continues the process of building your seller’s confidence in you as their agent.
A script for this video might be something like this:
“Congratulations! We are now under contract and moving toward closing. You may be wondering what the process is from now until the day of closing. The majority of the heavy-lifting is on the buyer’s side with regard to satisfying their lender’s need for items. As the seller, we are mostly relied upon to provide access to the home inspector and appraiser, but there are some upcoming dates to be aware of.
The buyer is responsible to provide their earnest money deposit within three days. They also have 15 days to conduct their home inspection and to provide us with any request for repairs.
They have a 30-day financing contingency as well. I will keep you up to date on the progress of these items as they happen or through my Friday recap call/video of the progress we make each week.
If at any time throughout the process you have questions, please reach out, and I will be glad to answer them. I look forward to completing the sale of your home as smoothly as possible, and again, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to continue to earn your business.”
3 videos for buyers
Video No. 4: Starting the process of buying a home
Starting the process of buying can be difficult for many future homeowners. They are often overwhelmed about buying in a new city, uncertain about the buying process or not sure about how home loans work.
The ability to bring clarity in these times of uncertainty leads to trust. A simple video going over where they should start is extremely helpful for many buyers. The script for a video like this could include:
“Buying a home can be both exciting and intimidating. In this video, I want to go over a few steps that can help you gain confidence in the process and provide you with some action steps to take.
The first step is to speak with a lender who can give you an overview of the loan process. They will ask you questions about your credit, your income and your debts. In the beginning, these questions may feel uncomfortable to answer, but the more transparent you are, the better the lender can serve you.
The lender will then give you an idea of the price range of homes that you qualify to buy. He will also go over the estimated monthly payments you can expect in that price range.
Once you have been prequalified or preapproved for the loan, we will meet to go over the details of your ideal home. These will include location, amenities, size of home and number of bedrooms and bathrooms that would be ideal for you and your family. Once we have completed that process, we will identify homes and begin our search.
If you do not have a lender currently and would like for me to recommend a few, simply call or email me at your earliest convenience. Thank you for the opportunity to earn your business and I look forward to finding you the perfect home.”
Video No. 5: The process of seeing houses and making an offer
Once the buyer has been prequalified or preapproved for their loan, and you’ve narrowed the area and price range, it’s time to find them the ideal home. This is a great time to send them a video reviewing the process of finding them their ideal home and writing an offer.
The script for a video like this might include:
“Now we’ve reached the fun part of the process: finding your ideal home. I’ve set our automated system up to email you immediately when a home, meeting your criteria, comes on the market. I’m also networking with other agents to see if I can uncover homes that might work for you, even before they hit the open market.
Once we begin seeing houses, be aware that we might find your perfect place quickly, or we may need some patience. We’ve done the work upfront to save you time and energy, so don’t be surprised if one of the first homes we see is just right.
After seeing the first two houses, I will be asking which of the two homes would work best for you. I will ask you at the third home we see if your previous favorite is still at the top of your list or if the home we most recently saw is your new No. 1. I do this to help us stay focused on your favorite home and to eliminate the ones that are down the list.
Once we find the perfect place, I will draw up an offer for us to present to the seller’s agent. Be prepared that when we make the offer, the seller can do one of three things. The first option the seller has is to accept our offer, and we move to closing with an executed contract.
The second option is that the seller counters our offer with either price and/or terms they are willing to accept. Once they counter our original offer, we now have the ability to accept their counter offer and move to closing, or counter their counter offer.
The third option the seller has is to reject our offer. This could be due to them having another offer they accept or that our offer’s price/terms are too far apart from what they are willing to accept, so they decide to simply reject our offer without a counteroffer.
Please let me know if you have any questions throughout this process. I promise to do my very best to find you the ideal home as soon as possible, and thanks again for allowing me the opportunity to earn your business.”
Video No. 6: What to expect now that we are under contract as a buyer
Once you are able to go under contract with a buyer, the real work begins. Most buyers are excited but nervous due to their lack of knowledge on the closing process. This video helps give them an outline of what to expect between the signed contract and the closing date.
The script for a video like this might include:
“Congratulations! We are now under contract and there are a number of steps I will help you with between now and the closing date. The first place to start is with your lender. I will email a copy of the contract to her.
She will ask for additional documentation, in most cases, and lender’s requests can often frustrate buyers. Let me encourage you to anticipate these calls and remember, getting this loan will be well worth it as you enjoy your new home for years to come.
We have three days from the date the contract was signed by both parties to deposit your earnest money. I will email you and the title company requesting they send you wiring instructions. I will also send information about a few home inspection companies, to help you choose your inspector. Once you’ve chosen the inspection company, I will order the inspection for you.
Once the inspection is completed, we will discuss the repairs you would like the seller to make and I will submit a request for repairs to the listing agent. Also, the lender will order the appraisal and they should let us know once they receive it back from the appraiser.
There are a number of steps to complete, but please know that I will be here with you every step of the way. I look forward to helping you have a smooth closing!”
Bonus video: Say ‘Thank you,’ and ask for reviews/future referrals
Closing day has arrived, and your clients are excited about their new home or transitioning to what is next after selling their home. You’ve done the hard work and you’ve earned the right to ask them for an online review.
The afternoon or evening of the closing date is a great time to send a video thanking them for their business and asking them for an online review/future referrals. A script for a video like this might include:
“Congratulations, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to earn your business. There are a lot of real estate professionals out there and I am humbled that you chose me.
In the world we live in today, online reviews and recommendations are extremely valuable for real estate agents. I would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment and leave me a review by clicking the link included in this email. It helps me out tremendously, so thank you in advance if you get a chance to leave that review.
Lastly, my business is built on relationships. Although you have completed this transaction, I want to be your agent and resource for all things real estate for life. If you have friends or family who are looking for an agent in the future, please know I will do my best to honor your referral by giving them the best service possible.
Again, thank you for your business and I look forward to serving you or your friends/family members in the future.”
If you’re looking to scale your business without sacrificing your client communication, start shooting videos for clients about the next steps in their process. These videos will not just help you, but the client is better served as well.
Jimmy Burgess is the Chief Growth Officer for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties of Florida in Northwest Florida. Connect with him on Facebook or Instagram.
