Account Executive, Sierra Fischer, sold luxury homes in Beverly Hills before coming to StorySlab. We asked her what her experience in real estate taught her about selling. Here’s what she had to say.

What did you learn selling luxury real estate?

I was mainly selling properties ranging from $1 million to $5 million and started with one of the top luxury brokerages. In LA, real estate agents are everywhere so I really learned the idea of differentiating yourself. It’s really about how you keep clients wanting to work with you. You have to be great at listening and hearing what people want and then go out and try to find it.

After working at a few luxury brokerages, I went out on my own and created my own business. You really have to go in and show how you’re different and why someone has to go with you. It’s such a different business, but similar in that you have to be efficient with time and listen to what people want.

You also have to be honest, persistent, and available. Most people I was dealing with were successful. They were buying expensive homes. They had an idea of what they wanted out of a real estate agent. It’s listening and being aware of whether or not what they’re looking for is realistic. Is this listing price possible? Can you find that within your budget? 

How do you remove any barriers to closing the sale?

I’m a fairly straight shooter. If I sense hesitation, I address it and hopefully that prevents doubt from creeping up in later conversations. People have a lot going on and if a conversation stalls and they’re not giving a reason why or you don’t feel excitement or interest, you have to address it. Is it the house? The location? The layout? Or is it fear? What barriers are they feeling? In real estate, it’s often price. Whatever it is, I want to talk about it and have an open conversation. We’re all trying to get something done. Let’s just talk about it and find common ground where we both feel good about what we’re doing.

What would you do if you couldn’t find a fit for a customer?

I was the queen of door knocking. I worked for a couple of developers who wanted older homes with potential. They wanted to find a great opportunity no one else was seeing. Sometimes those just don’t exist, but I hate telling someone that what they want isn’t possible. I figure there has to be a way. I’d knock on doors and introduce myself and I had a couple of closings just by doing that. Some people would say no, but over time they’d think about it and give you a call. Even if it wasn’t a fit for that client, I could at least create a relationship at a later time.

What would you do to speed up the sales cycle?

The LA market moved super quick so I tried to close between 30 and 45 days. I’d try to be in negotiations by day 10. That means an offer out, accepted, and inspections in the first week. 

To move quickly like that, it’s all about being organized and knowing where things stand. You need to know where each stage of the deal stands. I’d be managing 4-5 closings at a time, sometimes as many as 10. A lot goes into that. You have to know when the last time you spoke was, what you discussed, what the timing is. You have to have people on speed dial and keep everyone in the loop of what’s happening. People don’t like it if you aren’t informed. They expect you to be an expert. When you prove your value and stay proactive, everything moves much smoother. 

You also have to stay one step ahead. If I sensed an offer coming, I’d immediately call the city of LA and preorder documents so I wouldn’t be the one holding things up. Normally it might take 2 weeks just to get those documents, but since I ordered a week ahead, it’s already in process and everything is moving on time.

How do you close so many deals?

I had to generate my own leads in real estate. I would pay for leads and numbers so I understand the value. When someone is on the phone with you, they’re there for a reason. They saw some interest. Until they tell me a reason why they’re no longer interested, we’re going to continue the conversation. 

What do you do if you don’t have an answer to someone’s question?

I’m quick on my feet, but you also have to shoot people straight. If you don’t know the answer, own it. Learn how to be resourceful and find the right person to provide the answer.

What got you passionate about sales?

I rode horses competitively for 20 years. I started when I was 3 years old. My goal was originally to make it into the Olympics. Then when I was 15, I started a business importing horses from Germany, training them, and then selling them.

How much of a buyer’s decision is emotional and how much is rational?

With horses, the parents were rational and the kids were emotional. But real estate is the most emotional process a person can go through. You’re dealing with a large investment. It felt like 70% of the time, my job was talking people down from a cliff. I had to understand and respect people’s emotions. Some people get heated. It gave me extremely tough skin and I learned not to get rattled. You have to be the logical one. They’re paying you for your expertise.

Do you think StorySlab would work for real estate?

I do. I worked in an extremely high-end market. We’d have listing presentations that we’d take to a client and our marketing team would bind these books that were extremely expensive and would really go to waste. You’d walk in with a beautiful bound book with comparable properties in the area. That’s where I see the value of StorySlab. It’s a better way to have presentations where I’m not pulling up a bound book, going through 20 pages, and then it sits on a coffee table and eventually gets thrown out.