Once your Buy Owner ad is active, you may be surprised at how quickly prospective buyers contact you. Keep in mind that you have a distinct advantage over agent-listed homes: the buyer will call YOU directly and have no middle man to go through. What this also means, though, is that what you say to the buyer is very important. You want to be prepared with the right questions and information so that you can guide an interested buyer into becoming the right buyer.

1. Ask if they’ve prequalified for a loan.
If the buyers haven’t spoken with a lender yet, that’s OK. Refer them to Guaranteed Rate (accessible through http://www.buyowner.com/; just click the Mortgage tab at top). Guaranteed Rate will help them get the best rate and also help them know what they are able to afford.

Why? You won’t waste your time showing your property to a buyer who can’t afford to buy it or a nosy neighbor who isn’t serious about purchasing. Extra bonus: the buyer will be that much more ready to make an offer when visiting your home!

2. Find out when they’d be available to visit.
If the seller has been prequalified, arrange a showing. When determining a date/time, try to give yourself at least 24 hours before the showing. This way you can attend to any last-minute touches that will make your home look its best. At the same time, do all you can to work with the buyer’s schedule; be flexible.

Why? Showing the prequalified buyer your home is a vital step in communicating its value, including its attributes, location and more. You want to be flexible because you’re still wooing the buyer, so to speak. Make it easy for the buyer to fall in love with your property.

3. Be ready with information.
Hopefully this is an easy, obvious step in the communication process. No one knows your home better than you do, right? The buyer will likely have many questions to ask, so be prepared to talk up your home’s features. You may even want to have key attributes ready to bring up in the conversation.

Why? You want to impress the buyer with your home from the very beginning. Let them go into the scheduled showing with a positive outlook already set. Of course you need to disclose any problems with the home and be honest, but you are selling. Don’t be afraid to brag about the house.