The Myth of the Perfect Real Estate Script

The perfect real estate script is something that all new real estate agents hope for and search for. That flawless set of words that will take your lead conversion numbers to the next level and bring you an endless stream of success and income. However, the longer most agents are in the business, the more they come to realize that the “perfect” real estate script for lead conversion just doesn’t exist.

Despite all the coaches and trainers and internet ads and free ebook downloads that claim to offer you the script that will make you millions if you only memorize it, the truth is that real estate lead conversion is a little more complicated in 2022.

Are Real Estate Scripts Useful in 2022?

Scripts have been a big part of real estate lead conversion, and essentially all phone sales, since the beginning. And the reason for that is easy to see: scripts allow you to pre-memorize responses to common objections, give you a sense of security that you won’t be caught speechless, and let you take the tried and tested words of more advanced or experienced sales people.

But there is one glaring problem with using real estate scripts, which is depending on them too much. In the old days you could rely more on sales scripts and have a reasonably chance of converting your leads. Today, the people you’re calling are savvier and more resistant to anything that sounds salesy, feels pre-programmed, or that isn’t unique and tailored to their specific needs or wants.

I’m not saying that real estate scripts are completely useless. On the contrary, they can be extremely useful when you are new to the business and just starting out with sales and cold calling. They can help you stay on track and, more importantly, give you something to fall back on if you start speaking more naturally and get a little lost in the conversation.

But the way forward and the key to converting more leads is to always increase the amount of real, natural conversations that you have with leads, not to search endlessly for the perfect script.

The Alternative to Real Estate Scripts

You might be asking yourself, if I shouldn’t be memorizing a bunch of words to say on my calls, what should I be doing instead? The answer is that you need to focus on learning conversation techniques and strategies, instead of individual scripts. Each situation you encounter will be different, and by arming yourself with a general framework about how to have successful conversations, you will be much more adaptable and successful.

Here are the three most important parts of any phone call that are much more important than learning word for word real estate scripts.

• Discovery and qualification – find out what the lead’s situation is, what problem they’re trying to solve, and what their end goal is. Plus, you need to be able to determine if they are worth working with or not.
• Objection handling – can you turn a “no” to a “yes”? You’re going to be hearing objections or forms of objections you haven’t heard before. You have to be ready to deal with them on the fly, even if it means deviating from your script.
• Closing skills – no matter how good your script is, you still have to recognize both your path to the close and when it is time to close. If you close too early or too late, even the best script won’t be able to help you.

Instead of the “Best Script”, Learn the Best Process

At Smart Inside Sales, we teach the PPO process, which stands for Perspective, Process, and Outcome. These are the three things you need to learn about when speaking with a lead. They are the key aspects of understanding how and when to close successfully on your calls.

1. The lead’s perspective is their past experience, knowledge and speculation.
2. The prospect’s process is their own plan that they have for their situation. The process is typically what will lead to an objection. They have their plan and you are not a part of it in their mind, so they turn you down.
3. And finally, the outcome. This is the unique result or benefit the prospect believes their process will deliver for them.

The PPO process allows you to really dig into the lead’s thought process and how they see their own situation. You learn about their plan and goals from their own perspective. You then use that information to sell them what they are looking to buy and show how working with you will help them achieve their goals. If you can do those two things, then the sale is as good as sold.

Move Forward with Fewer Scripts and More Conversation Tools

If you’re having trouble converting new leads or you want to build a more consistent stream of new business, then my suggestion would be to move away from dependence on scripts. Use them as a general outline for your conversations, but as you gain more experience, your main focus should be on how to respond naturally and instinctively know the right questions to ask to get the information you need.

To do that requires both a conversational framework and a lot of practice. We give you both at Smart Inside Sales. If you’re an agent or ISA struggling to convert your leads, then our comprehensive training program, called Conversion University, can help.

Stop chasing the myth of the perfect real estate script and start making real strides towards better lead conversion today!