To be worried about my job and ask for advice from those with sales background ..

[ginorwine]

Long history of work in front line public services . Changed my job to a viewer for estate agent which I love . The manager who has now left said no sales involved .
Yesterday the area manager came and and said that I now needed to try and help the team get mortgage appts at a viewing and to ask how they would fund any purchase . And he wd see how I do ...Then tell them about our service .
I've been really worried and told one of the agents who said not to wort it's just a conversation as best sales pitches are - but I don't want do sales . I try to support sales by making viewing positive as poss by making sure they are relaxed , have knowledge about the properties and point out any positives . On my viewings y day I was really tense trying to fr this conversation in . My family wd hate to be asked that question perhaps that's why I'm stressed . And the agent said people have told him he is nosey when he has asked them . One of the reasons folk relax with me I thknk is I don't push them and they can see the house for eg I leave them alone when I read that that is how they best view .
It is making me want to leave . Can anyone help with how I can ask the question re their funding in a better way ? I feel I wd wait till the end and thank them for the viewing and then add that any more help we can give ?such as we also have a good mort advisor who has access to these products .... rather than spoil a viewing by ask them as I have been requested .. the agents seem to thknk its normal - well it is to them - but it feels intrusive to me and I wdnt want to be asked that on a viewing . The agent thinks it's fine in general but also because they have to be sure someone has the funds to buy ..
am I being sensitive ( as this is a new world to me ) ? Is this a 'normal ' question and how do I ask it in a more comfy way please ?

It's normal to be asked this, I was asked when I was looking at properties. I found it helpful actually, I had a mortgage in place but the Estate Agents advisor checked if they could get me a better deal. It turned out they couldn't match what I'd been offered, but it was reassuring to know that. As long as it's not done in a pushy way I don't think you should worry about it.

Sorry you feel a bit pressurised at work. Estate agents aren't known for being backwards in selling. When I've registered with an estate agent to view they always ask about finances,to make sure you're actually in a position to buy and always to try and get their advisor the mortgage etc.
Do you just show people houses and not try to sell them?

Don't think of it as selling, think of it as offering the service. The selling is done by the person not by you.

As you're doing the viewing you could make conversation by asking where they live now (perhaps throw in that you know the area, it's lovely etc etc), then perhaps ask why they're moving then that could lead on to asking if they have a property to sell, do they have an agent already. Then just say if they want a chat about a mortgage or listing the property then you can refer them to the appropriate person. Nothing more pushy or forced that that. Having had similar conversations for my job you'd be surprised how often people bite

I think it's quite a normal question, however as someone who has sold recently it's something I would expect my estate agent to ask before the viewing. It's a massive waste of everyone's time if they can't fund the purchase/have no intentions to buy.

I think you'll be fine you obviously have a sound knowledge of the properties on their books and you're helpful to clients. I don't think it'll be too difficult for you to slip it into conversation in a helpful way. Just be quite breezy about it and do it in a "We've got a lovely mortgage advisor if you need any help/ would like us to take some of the stress out the process for you" kind of way. If they say they've already sorted their mortgage then you just drop it. I don't think anyone will get offended. Just think of it as another way to be helpful rather than selling

I get asked these questions by estate agents at house viewings and I don't find it intrusive - I totally expect an upsell as they have a business to run

Ice lolly
I was told that my job was not sales .just to facilitate the viewing , give information , read how to do the viewing and give local info as well as show the positives of the property . I was not told I had to promote mortgages .

Holdback
That's really helpful
I was told I had to ask " how will you fund a property "
To tell them we did better deals than banks . More access to products .
But when you said it like that and see it as helpful rather than sales - that is much more 'me ' - so thanks v much indeed .

It is a very strange idea to be a viewer and not an estate agent. No sales? You are selling houses.

Yes it is a normal conversation if someone is interested in a house it is acceptable to check that they have the means to complete the purchase.

Talk to the mortgage consultant and they can tell you the benefits of keeping the mortgage in house.

You could just ask if they would like to receive a call from the MC, no obligation, they have access to some exceptional deals.

You will find just by talking to people you will get a lot of information. It will get easier.

Sales Trainer here
You need to find a way to ask that you find comfortable or it won't work and will just be awkward for everyone involved
Get away from the whole " selling" thing, sales is not a dirty word and people who sell are not evil people who force people to do things they don't want. Everyone has sold something at some point - when you are at home and you want a takeaway and DH doesn't, you sell the concept for example. It's just about explaining clearly and with no pressure the information you have that someone else might need to make a decision.
YOU are the expert ( sort of) . YOU Have information that can help people.
For all you know they are wondering where to get mortgage advice from.
Just a simple " would you like me to ask our mortgage advisor to give you a call?" Is fine and as you feel more confident you may be able to push a bit harder.
I'll tell you something else - the first time someone says yes you will feel amazing!!
Feel free to ask anything else if you think I can help

Think of is as giving information, unkess you get a target it's not sales. You are telling the viewers that they can access your mortgage adviser who would be able to check the market for great deals ....

Hoppinggreen has it. You need to do it in a way that makes you comfortable, in plain, conversational English, the way you would chat to clients when you are showing them round. You are not selling as such, more providing them with the relevant information to help them make their own decisions. I am in sales and fins adding new things to my repertoire can be stressful (getting it right, remembering to do it!) but after the first few awkward times it will feel like you have always done t

Agree that you'll be chuffed when someone says yes!

Hopping
Thanks so much
The manager said i needed to ask the spefic question which was ' how are you finding the property ' - to me that seems , but may not be , assumptive of buying the one looking at and also if it was asked to members of my family who are v private about money it wd be likely to be annoying - and that is the crux of the matter to me - I want to make the viewings as stress free as possible for applicants . Applicants have told me that they have felt awkward with other viewers and that they like andcappricuate my style . I read people and for eg if I sense they need space on a viewing I make sure they get it . To be that is the best way for them as individuals to view a property . So I'm the end that best for business anyway .
I'd rather say sonethkng at the end rather than during the viewing such as thanks for the viewing and then introduced the idea of other services - I'm really anxious about the wording - I don't want to imply that I'm assuming they are buying this one as some folk hate to be rushed or whatever so ideas of a general very positive friendly thing to say wd help so much .
If it helps re my mind set - its anxiety and guilt at pushing folk makes me feel worried but being helpful does not so I need to te frame it somehow ? Thanks so much .

Ps been told I have to say that we have access to 900 diff lenders and 11k diff products - that I must squeeze that it .

If somebody is viewing a house, they're not going to be unfamiliar with the idea that they need to have money available to buy it. Plus the whole idea IS that you assume they're going to buy this house - because your job is to show them what a great house this is and make them want to buy it! That's not "rushing" or presumptuous.

I can understand that you feel uneasy about promoting mortgages, but think of it as offering or introducing a service rather than "selling". You really don't need to be shy or embarrassed about it, it's not the same as cold-calling people and trying to sell them double glazing. If I were viewing a house I'd fully expect to be asked about my mortgage options and would just politely decline the agent's advice if I already had one in place.

Potential buyers might like your viewing style, but if I were selling my house I would, to be honest, expect my agent to have asked prospective buyers all the relevent questions about how they intended to fund the purchase and whether they had a mortgage in place before they brought them to look around my property. Having previously sold a very unusual "character" property, I know that there genuinely are people out there who just want to nosey about other people's houses for larks and it's a pain in the arse for a seller to clean and prep their house for a viewer who's a waste of time.

I think if you do say it at the end you might spend the whole run up to that point nervous and it won't be natural
You should be asking "open" questions the whole time. These are questions that don't elicit a one word answer; so instead of " do you like the garden?" It's " how do you feel about the garden?"
The more awkward you feel the more pushy or unnatural asking about finances will be and you won't get the response you want.
You could try " did you realise we have an inhouse mortgage adviser you can access if you want to?" Then you can tell them about all the lenders etc.
Tell them as they have viewed a house with you they are entitled to a free intital consultation if that would help

I think you're building this into such a big issue for yourself. People expect something of this ilk when dealing with estate agents. I would personally add it in when you're showing the property. So when you're telling them about the area etc, tell them a little about the agency and your services. If you're good at judging how your client likes to view,you'll soon learn to judge when to throw it in. You could help someone. I've gone with their agent before as time was previous etc. I have never seen a property who just does showings and not tried to sell,didn't know non selling estate agents existed!

Hmmm... I would try to avoid dropping in those figures though personally. If someone rattled those off to me I would think 'so what?' That sounds too forced

Agreed
Just say a panel of lenders who have a wide range of products to help you get the best deal or something similar in words you are comfortable with.

Thanks all
Think I agree got in panic feeling had to adhere to script
I agree that open questions work on viewings and therefore I guess I would incorporate this issue in same way ! This job means a lot to me after having leaning the profession I've done for many years and I think I got over anxious !!!! ( as well as over literal !)

All very helpful
On reading back
Thanks again x

Yes - provide the info.

Don't know if you have your mortgage sorted yet but we have a great advisor who has access to a wide range of providers and products.

They say - thanks we're sorted (and may even say which lender).

Or they say: That sounds good - how do I contact them?

It is really a very standard question that I'd expect to hear when viewing

All the best - thanks ..
my manager said if they say that are sorted to tell them that's a good start but I have access to better deals etc
I just don't kno if I can be that pushy ...

That's a tough one as a gentle listening oriented and yet tenacious approach is what's works for me (20 years in sales) practice a soft pitch and actually check what the benefits you offer are ? It might be a good product ?