Script for Buyer When Calling a Listing Agent About a New Construction House
Script for Buyer When Calling a Listing Agent About a New Construction House
Call the contact person from the sign or advertisement and say:
“Hi Sally, my name is ___________ and I was calling about
the home you have listed at __________ (the address). Is it
still available?”
After they say, “Yes, it is,” I would say:
“Can you tell me more about the home? How much is it and
how large is it?”
Listen to see if it is something you would be interested in. If so,
follow up with:
“I wondered if the builder would be open to something creative.”
Leave it at that and say nothing more. Your goal is for them to launch into a long explanation of what the seller will or will not do. Other times they’ll say, “Like what?”
“Well, something like a rent-to-own or a lease option. I am a rent-
to-own buyer looking for a new home in this area. Would the builder
be open to something like this?”
Like before, you will probably get several possible responses:
1. “Yes, they have mentioned that to me.” If you get a positive
response, then ask: “Great! Do you know what kind of terms
they are looking for or are they looking for an offer?”
If they are looking for terms that work for you or they are looking for an offer, make an appointment to see the home if you haven’t aready. If you are working with a real estate agent, you should tell the salesperson on-site that you have an agent and tell her who it is. Call your agent to tell him you found something you are interested in. Even though the sales person on-site can show you the home and amenities, your agent can still help you with the transaction.
If the terms are not within your budget, ask the following:
“Do you hve any other new construction listings where
your builder might have said to you, ‘ Sally, if you don’t
sell that home soon, I might have to rent it,’ Sally, can
you think of any of your listings that might work for me?”
Sally may also respond to the rent-to-own question
like this:
2. “No, they need to sell now and wouldn’t be interested
in that.”
If this is the case, jump right to the question where you ask if she has
any other listings that might work. You will need to know your price
range and what you can afford; as she will probably ask you about this
(we covered this in Chapter 3).
3. “I’m not sure. I would have to check with them.”
If this is the response, encourage the agent to talk with her builder and to
call you as soon as she knows.
4. “What are you talking about?”
If she doesn’t know what rent-to-own is, you may have to give her a brief
explanation.
5. “Why do you need a rent-to-own?”
Your best answer is to simply tell her that a mortgage won’t work for you now,
but you do want to get into a home now. Ask her if this home or another listing
of hers might be a candidate for rent-to-own. Keep your answer brief and let her
ask you more questions if she has them.
Excerpt taken from Rent-To-Buy: Your Hands-on Guide to BUY Your Home When Mortgage Lending is Tight, Chapter 5, Pages 76-78.
Tags: Lease Options, Rent-To-Own