In most real estate offices, each day (or portion of it) one agent is designated the "floor agent" and is required to be in the office to handle telephone inquiries and walk-ins. In some offices, the person on the floor also handles that day's correspondence in which someone requests information. If you are new, most brokers will require that you complete all the training programs before you perform floor duty.
Take floor duty as often as you can. In an active office, it could result in several excellent contacts each day. Almost 20 percent of my total income while I was actively selling came as a direct result of days on the floor. There's an adage among the troops in the military to "never volunteer for anything!" This is definitely an exception to that rule. You will most commonly deal with two types of inquires when you are on floor duty-call-ins and walk-ins. Here are some tips for handling these prospects.
Call-Ins
If an individual calls on a home-for-sale advertisement, he generally wants only one piece of information: the location of the property (assuming the price is stated in the ad). What he wants to do is what you would probably want to do under similar circumstances-drive by to see if it looks interesting.
No training program or text on real estate with which I am familiar advocates giving out the addresses in such instances. Some brokers absolutely refuse to let their agents do so. The fear is that the caller will drive by and, if he likes it, contact some other real estate company and buy through it.
There is an alternative approach that works well for some agents. Unless the home owners have specifically requested that the address of their home not be given out for drive-bys (rare, but possible), give the callers the information they want. Proponents of this approach maintain that callers are so relieved that they don't have to agree to an appointment to get the information that they become easy to work with. In addition, there can be no argument that it certainly gets exposure for the seller's home, and that is your primary duty.
With any call, your basic objective is to get to know the caller and sound like what you are: an informed real estate professional. You also need information, so try to finish each telephone conversation with the person's name, address, phone number, the type of home they are looking for, and a good idea of the caller's financial status. That may seem ambitious and even pushy, but you can't effectively solve housing problems unless you know the capabilities and limitations of the people involved. If they do not wish to immediately share such information, do not persist. Never antagonize a caller-it's mighty easy for them to hang up and deal with someone who is more congenial. At some point, ask whether it would be acceptable for you to call later if you encounter a listing that seems particularly well suited for them. With just a little experience and confidence, you can expect a high percentage of yes answers. If that doesn't happen, you're doing something wrong.
When you get names and addresses (including e-mail), immediately send a note with your card thanking the person for calling. If your conversation progresses beyond a simple exchange of information, inquire as to whether the caller has been working with anyone else in your office. If so, professional courtesy dictates that you inform that salesperson and turn the follow-up over to them. In some offices, if the listing agent is available, all incoming calls will be directed to that person.
It is not unusual for someone who calls on one of your broker's advertisements to be calling several other real estate companies about their advertisements at the same time. The person may be in town on a house-hunting trip, sitting in a motel room with the real estate section of your local newspaper spread out. Ask whether there is any other advertisement that they would like information about. Information on most properties is in multiple listings and thus immediately available to you; if the house is not multiple listed, you can get the information with a quick phone call to the listing broker. Assure the caller that you can show any house in which she has an interest, or you can put her in touch with someone who can.
Further, tell her that if she passes a house with any real estate company's "For Sale" sign in front of it and wants to know the price, she can call you. Many people think that the only company that can show or sell a house is the one whose sign is in front of it. (OK, I admit it. That's what I thought before I got my real estate license.) If a caller judges you to be honest and you are responsive, it is likely that you will turn out to be her sole real estate contact. The ultimate compliment will occur when one of your prospects calls and wants you to check on a "For Sale by Owner" for her, because you may be able to get a one-party listing in such an instance.
Walk-Ins
As the name implies, walk-ins are people who visit your office unannounced, wanting real estate information. When you talk to them, your goal is to gain their confidence and gather as much information as possible. Occasionally, however, walk-ins come in to look at a specific property with the intention of buying it if they like it or to list a piece of property they own. If that's the case, naturally you will not waste time with a lot of formalities.
PREPARING FOR FLOOR DUTY
Given the importance of floor duty, there are several things you should do to prepare for it. Make sure that you know well in advance when it is to be your turn "up." Mark the date on your calendar and make no other commitments for that day. Arrange for a backup to be on call if you have to leave the office for an extended period. Most agents have slipped up once, arriving at work unaware that they have floor duty. The ensuing panic is generally adequate to ensure that it does not happen again.
On the day you are actually on duty, get to your desk even earlier than usual so that you will be prepared if you get a call or a walk-in right at the opening of business. Some house hunters are early starters. Because many of the inquiries you receive will be in response to advertisements, make certain you are thoroughly familiar with those of your company, both the current ones and those from the immediate past. There is no substitute for firsthand knowledge, so try to personally visit each of the properties advertised.
Most companies discuss upcoming advertisements during staff meetings, with the listing agents presiding. Current advertisements represent only a portion of your brokerage's total listings, so it is essential that you bring yourself completely up-to-date on all the listings. Try to visit each property with the listing salesperson when the home is listed. Otherwise, you will need to hustle to catch up by looking at the ones you have missed, because it is crucial that you know the total inventory. If there are "listing caravans" in your locality where specific days are set aside to visit new listings, try hard to take advantage of them.
It is also important to read the advertisements of the other real estate companies in the area so that you can respond intelligently if you are asked about their listings. Using all the information you have from all sources, prepare a short list of select properties, similar to the ones in your advertisement. You will then be prepared to suggest alternatives if the advertised property does not meet the buyer's needs.
Have a form ready on which to record each call-in and walk-in. Your office will likely have a log for this. When you answer the telephone, a simple and confident, "Professional Realty, Sally Smith" gives the caller all the information needed to proceed. Some agents insist on answering with a minifilibuster ("Good morning! Thanks for calling Professional Realty, where service makes the difference. This is Sally Smith. How may I help you solve your housing problems?"), but that technique seems a little contrived. An effective way of handling calls you receive at home is to answer with just your name. Simply saying "hello" doesn't really help.