Sponsored Content: What Real Estate Agents Have in Common With Best Buy’s “Compare” Button

With the holidays around the corner, you might be in the market for a new tablet. There’s just one problem: You can’t decide between the Samsung Galaxy Tab or the Apple iPad mini 2.

Luckily, Best Buy knows how to help customers decide when they’re on the fence. That’s why their website has a handy “compare” button so you can look at these tablets’ features side by side.

No, I’m not being paid by Apple or Samsung to sell you tablets. I’m showing you the power of comparison.

Before, you might have had a vague idea of what you wanted, but now you can weigh specific features against each other. You might decide 8 gigabytes isn’t nearly enough to store all your Fast and Furious movies and go with the iPad. Or maybe running on Android instead of IOS 7 is more important to you, so you go with the Galaxy Tab.

Contrasts Compel Decision-Making

As a real estate agent, it’s your job to be a human Best Buy compare button. When a client walks in unsure of what they want, you should create a memorable contrast experience to help them make an informed choice.

Keep in mind this isn’t just about being helpful and client-focused, though those are always top priorities. It’s also about spurring a decision in the first place. Just like the tablet buyer in my example, your clients can’t make a decision until they understand what they really want—and they gain that understanding by comparing their options.

So, how do you create sharp contrasts that compel action?

Case Study: A Client Walks in with a Vague Idea of What They Want

That’s never happened before, right? (Just kidding.)

Let’s say a client walks into your office knowing he wants to live in a town outside Philadelphia, but he doesn’t know which one. You might be tempted to show him a slew of houses all at once, thinking you’re giving him a good sampling of what’s out there. But that’s a little like Googling the word “tablet”: overwhelming!

Instead, you should approach the situation systematically, with the goal of creating clear contrasts that clarify desires. Instead of taking your client to several random listings, start by taking him to three very different towns. You might hit a house in Ambler, then Conshohocken, then Ardmore.

Suddenly, your client has a better feel for the kind of town he wants to live in. He decides on Conshohocken because he likes that it’s busier and more walkable than the others, but now he doesn’t know if he wants a new house or an older one.

This time, take him to see an older house followed by a newer house. As he experiences the old house’s charm and weighs it against the new house’s new roof and electrical system, he gets a better idea of what he wants. When it’s decision time, he’s not only able to make a choice; he feels confident about it.

Provide Value By Going the Extra Mile

Creating contrasts is how real estate agents provide value clients can’t get from websites like Zillow. By taking time to listen to clients’ desires and funneling that information through our knowledge of the market, we can create a customized experience that brings them to the point of purchase. The client is always in the driver’s seat, but the agent tailors the journey.

If you’re an agent, think about giving this a try the next time you’re faced with an indecisive client. It takes more legwork, but it pays off in your client’s satisfaction and conviction in their choice.

If you’re a prospective buyer, make sure your real estate agent is working their knowledge of the market to your advantage!

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Matt Mittman and Eric Rehling are the owners of RE/MAX Ready in Conshohocken, PA. See articles from them about Freakonomicssimple business planninggenerating leadsZillowthe weatherChip KellyRESPA, and more.