Write these down: 50 one-liners to help motivate your clients

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This post was last updated Mar. 31, 2023.

Have you ever been in a meeting with a client just spinning your wheels, when suddenly a tried-and-true bit of conventional wisdom pops into your head that helps them gain clarity on the situation?

Have you ever struggled to find the right thing to say effectively and concisely?

We all have little bits of advice that we have heard and said time and again as real estate agents, but those tidbits might be new to our clients and help push them forward.

Here are 50 of the best truisms to help bring a little illumination to your next tough meeting and help your clients to get unstuck.

For buyers

1. The worst they can do is say “No.”
2. I’ve added one more home that wasn’t on your list, but I think you’re going to like it.
3. Oh, that [faucet, light switch, paint color] is an easy fix.
4. Write down those little changes you want to make so you don’t forget. They’ll help you add value from day one.
5. Let’s get you pre-approved before we get too far down the road.
6. What is your gut telling you?
7. We’ll go ahead and start putting together the offer, but I’ll wait for your OK before I send it.
8. It’s a little different from HGTV.
9. You’ve got to do what you’re comfortable with.
10. My No. 1 rule is 100 percent honesty.

For sellers

1. I’d rather price it right the first time than try to chase the market downward.
2. No, that new cabinet pull can’t be reflected in the sale price.
3. There’s no sense trying to speculate on what buyers are thinking. That’s why we ask.
4. The market has spoken. Let’s sit down and talk about your options.
5. Buyers have mentioned an odor …
6. We’re heading into a slow time of year and the traffic reflects that.
7. The market has rejected your price.
8. I’ve got buyers looking in your neighborhood.
9. The offer is just the first step.
10. Paint the front door red.

For renters

1. Why would you spend your money paying someone else’s mortgage?
2. Buying a home is the single most effective and proven way to build wealth in the history of the world.
3. Don’t wait to buy a home; buy a home and wait.
4. Let me tell you about some first-time homebuyer incentives in your market right now.
5. Buying a home is easier and more affordable than you ever thought possible.
6. I see myself as a matchmaker for people and homes.
7. You can’t afford not to buy a home with today’s interest rates/tax incentives/buyer’s market.
8. There has never been a better time to buy.
9. I’m going to hold your hand all the way through this process.
10. I want to be your Realtor for life.

For disappointed clients

1. It’s not personal; it’s business.
2. You’re going to have to let that go and move forward.
3. It’s a process.
4. This train only goes in one direction: Forward.
5. Sometimes the market is not fair.
6. Let’s look at the upside then regroup.
7. Get a good night’s sleep then we’ll start fresh tomorrow.
8. It might be time to change our strategy.
9. There’s always something new we can try.
10. It’s not your home; it’s the market.

While under contract

1. We’re in the home stretch, but it’s not over until closing.
2. I’ll be there at the home inspection so you don’t have to.
3. Yes, you can ask for that, but are you willing to lose the house over it?
4. Yes, you can say “no” to that, but are you willing to lose the sale over it?
5. Don’t worry; my handyman can take care of this whole list for you.
6. Would you be willing to offer a credit at closing rather than make all of these repairs?
7. No, you don’t have to sit across from them at the closing.
8. Don’t forget to follow the closing instructions to the letter.
9. They just did the walkthrough, and they’re saying the movers scratched the paint. Don’t worry, I already took care of it.
10. I’m never too busy for your referrals!

Christy Murdock is a Realtor, freelance writer, coach and consultant and the owner of Writing Real Estate. She is also the creator of the online course Crafting the Property Description: The Step-by-Step Formula for Reluctant Real Estate Writers. Follow Writing Real Estate on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.