Stop Wasting Time on Unqualified Buyers

The Viewing Treadmill

You've shown 20 properties this month. Made 50 phone calls. Spent countless hours scheduling, driving, presenting.

Zero offers. Sound familiar?

The problem isn't the market. It's qualification.

Why Agents Under-Qualify

Fear of losing buyers keeps agents from asking direct questions. The logic: "If I ask about their mortgage, they might go to another agent."

The reality: Unqualified buyers waste your time, then buy through someone else anyway — when they're finally ready.

Qualification isn't gatekeeping. It's respect for everyone's time.

What AI Coaching Reveals

Here's a typical buyer call through AI analysis:

Process Checks:
⚠️ Motivation uncovered: partial
✗ Financial position clarified
✗ Chain status confirmed  
✗ Decision makers identified
✓ Timeline established
⚠️ Priorities explored: partial
✗ Viewing booked

Three critical boxes unchecked: finances, chain, decision-makers. Any one of them can kill a deal at the last moment.

The Mortgage Conversation

Most agents avoid asking about finances directly. But there's a way to do it that feels helpful, not intrusive:

AI Coaching Recommendation:

Area: Qualification Issue: Financial position not explored — unclear if buyer is approved Try saying: "So I can find the right properties, can I ask where you are with your mortgage? I can recommend a great broker if that would help."

Now you're helping, not interrogating. And you know whether they're ready to buy or just dreaming.

Reading Urgency

Not all buyers are equal. Some are ready to move this month. Some are "just looking."

Timeline questions reveal the difference:

• "When do you need to be in your new place?"
• "Is there a trigger — lease ending, school catchment, life event?"
• "How long have you been looking?"

Buyers who've been "looking for six months" without an offer are often browsers, not buyers. That doesn't mean you can't help them — it means you prioritize accordingly.

The Chain Reality Check

A buyer who needs to sell first is a different conversation than a cash buyer.

Risks & Gaps:
- Buyer mentioned "once we sell" — chain situation not explored
- Current property status unknown
- Realistic timeline unclear

Better approach:

"You mentioned selling first — where are you in that process? Is your property on the market?"

Chain complications aren't deal-breakers. But they're deal-delayers. Know what you're working with.

The Qualification Framework

Great buyer calls follow a pattern:

1. Motivation — Why are you moving? Why now?
2. Financial Position — Mortgage approved? Cash buyer? Need to sell first?
3. Timeline — When do you need to be in?
4. Priorities — Beyond bedrooms and budget, what really matters?
5. Viewing Committed — Specific date and time, not "sometime next week"

Process Checks:
✓ Motivation uncovered
✓ Financial position clarified
✓ Chain status confirmed
✓ Decision makers identified
✓ Timeline established
✓ Priorities explored
✓ Viewing booked

When all boxes are checked, viewings convert to offers.

Three Questions to Ask Every Buyer

1. "Where are you with your mortgage?" — Know if they can actually buy
2. "What's your chain situation?" — Know the real timeline
3. "Who else is involved in this decision?" — Know all the stakeholders

These questions aren't pushy. They're professional. And they save everyone time.

Qualification isn't about filtering people out. It's about understanding how to help them.