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T RUMP M ARKETING S TRA TEGIES

MARKETING TO HOME BUYERS AND RENTERS

By far the best strategy for marketing to home buyers is a friendly,
knowledgeable sales agent. If you, as the owner, have those attributes,
there is nothing wrong with being your own selling representative. If
you need help, don’t skimp when it comes to hiring a quality sales-
person or broker who can exude enthusiasm for your product. Make
sure they have enough of the tools I have described in this chapter to
do their job effectively. It is a good idea for you to have them do a
mock presentation using you as a prospective purchaser asking all
the questions one would ask. Afterwards tell them what they did
right, what they did wrong, and how they could have improved their
performance; polish their techniques. Instruct your sales staff not to
oversell. Most people react favorably to helpful salespeople but feel
uncomfortable with pushy ones.
Afewwordsofcautionforany owner who chooses to be his or
her ownsalesperson: Whatever you say to a prospective customer can
never bewithdrawn without loss of credibility. An owner can always
change or clarify what an employee says without creating the same
harmful effect.
The strategies that I recommend for selling homes can also be
used for renting units with few variations. One or more tastefully
furnished model apartments are a necessity for any large project.
The customer must see for themselves the desirability and function-
ality of the unit. That’s the best sales tool you have. If the apartment
in which the customer is interested has reached a stage of completion
where it is clean, finished, and painted, by all means go ahead and
show it. If it’s still a work in progress, don’t let them see it because it
is difficult for anyone to visualize a completed unit. It is also impor-
tant that you have plans for each unit showing the room sizes and the
rental rates for each unit on each floor. A list of the amenities that

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