How to spot fake prospects

Many property sellers are currently overwhelmed with inquiries. However, not everyone who contacts them has a genuine interest in the property. Time and again, there are casual viewers who simply want to take a look – without, of course, informing the seller. But there are ways to identify these fake prospects early on and avoid unnecessary viewings.

Viewing tourists are people who enjoy visiting properties in their free time. They contribute to property sellers wasting their valuable time on unnecessary viewings. Similarly, prospective buyers with poor credit ratings delay the sale of a property. Even real estate professionals admit that such bogus buyers are not always easy to identify. However, they have a few tricks to distinguish serious buyers from those who appear to be interested.

Exposé and virtual 360-degree tour

Even a professional property listing can narrow down the pool of potential buyers. The more informative it is, the easier it is for prospective buyers to decide whether the property meets their needs. It frequently happens that potential buyers say during a viewing, "That's not what I expected," because poor photos in the listing gave them a false impression.

With virtual 360-degree tours, only one room can be unlocked for prospective buyers at a time. Those who want to experience the complete tour of the property must provide their email address. Most prospective buyers prefer not to do this.

Ask the right questions

Real estate agents can use the right questions to gauge the seriousness of a prospective buyer's interest in the property by asking the right questions. For example, questions might include: What does your ideal property look like? How long have you been searching? Is your financing already in place? As a general rule, the clearer the answers, the stronger the interest. Reputable real estate agents know the right questions and how to assess potential buyers.

Tourists who enjoy sightseeing often pursue their hobby in their free time. Therefore, they frequently inquire about weekend appointments. Genuine visitors, however, will also make time during the work week. Without a weekend appointment, most tourists will back out.

Thanks to their many years of experience, quality real estate agents have a sense for who is a genuinely interested buyer. They also know, however, that in case of doubt, it's better to show a property to a casual viewer than to lose a potential buyer.

You don't want to waste your time with fake prospects? We help you identify genuine buyers.

Notes

For the sake of readability, this text uses the generic masculine form. Female and other gender identities are explicitly included where relevant to the statement.

Legal notice: This article does not constitute tax or legal advice for any specific case. Please consult a lawyer and/or tax advisor to clarify the facts of your individual situation.

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