Talk on the phone like a pro

Why the Phone Scares You (and why it shouldn’t)

Almost every good agent was once afraid of the phone. The fear is normal, it is usually wrong, and it fades fast once you change what you think a call is for.

Your phone is in your hand. The number is on the screen. Suddenly you remember an email you need to send, a listing that needs new photos and a coffee you have not finished. Twenty minutes later you still have not dialled.

If that sounds familiar, you are not weak and you are not in the wrong job. Call fear is one of the most common feelings in sales. Agents with ten years of experience still feel a small jump in the chest before a hard call. The difference is that they dial anyway, because they have learned what the fear is and what it is not.

What the fear is really saying

The fear is not about the phone. It is about rejection. Your brain imagines the worst version of the call: the client is annoyed, you forget your words, they say something cold and hang up. It plays that film so clearly that it feels like a prediction.

It is not a prediction. It is a guess, and research shows it is usually a bad one.

Two findings that should change how you feel

In 2014, the researchers Epley and Schroeder asked commuters on Chicago trains either to talk to the person next to them, to sit in silence, or to do whatever they normally did. Before the experiment, most people predicted that talking to a stranger would be the least pleasant option. Afterwards, the people who talked reported the most pleasant journeys. They expected awkwardness and found connection.

In 2018, Erica Boothby and her colleagues studied what they called the liking gap. After a first conversation, people consistently underestimated how much the other person liked them and enjoyed talking to them. We walk away thinking “That was awkward, they didn’t like me,” while the other person walks away thinking “That was nice.”

Put the two together and you get a simple rule for your career.

The call will probably go better than you expect, and they probably liked you more than you think.

Remember also who you are calling. In this book you only call people who already have a link to you or your office: past clients, owners your office has worked with, people who enquired, and people who were referred to you and asked for a call. They are not strangers. They have a reason to hear from you.

Change what the call is for

Most fear comes from thinking the call is about getting something: a listing, a viewing, a yes. Change the purpose. The call is about giving something useful: a recent price in their building, a rental update, an answer to a question they asked last month, a check-in after a deal.

When you call to help, a “no” stops being a rejection. It becomes information. Mr. Khalid does not want to sell this year. Good. Now you know, and in three months you can call him with a rental update instead of a sales pitch.

Start small, start early

Fear shrinks with repetition, not with thinking. Do not wait until you feel ready, because that feeling arrives after the calls, not before them.

• Make your first call within five minutes of sitting down. The longer you wait, the bigger the fear grows.
• Start with the easiest call on your list: a past client who liked you. Then the next easiest. By the fourth call your voice is warm and the hard call feels possible.
• Keep water and your notes in front of you, then stand up and dial.
• After each call, write one line about what went well. You are training your memory to keep the good calls, not only the bad ones.

Fear is not a sign that you should stop. It is a sign that you care how the call goes. Clients can hear that care, and they like it.

Warmth Before Competence

Clients decide whether they like you before they decide whether you know your job. Win the first decision and the second becomes much easier.

When we meet someone new, we judge two things quickly. Is this person on my side? And can this person do what they say? Psychologists call these warmth and competence. Research by Susan Fiske and her colleagues shows that warmth is judged first and weighs heavily. If someone seems cold, their skill can even work against them: a capable person who may not be on your side feels like a risk.

New agents often get the order wrong. Nervous about sounding junior, they open with data, jargon and their company’s achievements. The client hears a stranger reading a brochure. Experienced agents open with the person, then show what they know.

What warmth sounds like on the phone

• Their name, pronounced correctly. If you are not sure, ask once and write it down phonetically in your CRM.
• Something personal you remembered: the daughter who started at a new school, the renovation, the dog that hated the lift.
• A relaxed pace. Rushing sounds like you want to get to the pitch.
• A question about them before any word about property.
• A real laugh when something is funny.
• A thank you for their time that you actually mean.

What competence sounds like

Once warmth is there, competence is what makes a client trust you with millions of dirhams. On the phone, competence is not a lecture. It is:

• One precise fact: the last sale in their building, the service charge in their community, how long the developer takes to issue an NOC.
• A clear answer, or a clear promise. “I don’t know, I’ll check with the developer and call you by 4 pm” is competent. Guessing is not.
• Doing what you said, when you said it. Nothing builds trust faster.

The order in practice

Here is the order in one short exchange. “Hi Laura, it’s Omar from CBA. How did the move go? Did the kids settle in at the new school?” Then you listen, properly. Then: “The reason I’m calling is that a three-bed on your street rented last week, and it may affect your renewal. Would you like the figures?”

Warm first, useful second. The same facts delivered cold would sound like a sales call. Delivered after real interest, they sound like a favour.

People decide if you are on their side before they decide if you are good at your job.

Warmth is not flattery

Clients in Dubai have heard every compliment an agent can give. “What a beautiful apartment” means nothing. “You must be pleased with the view now that the tower opposite is finished” means you paid attention. Specific beats sweet, every time.

Warmth is also not weakness. You can be friendly and still say a price is too high, still ask for a signed form, still end a call that is going nowhere. The warmer the relationship, the more honesty it can carry.

Your Voice and Body

On the phone your voice is all they have. Control your pace, pitch, pauses and energy, and you will sound like the agent people want to call back.

A client cannot see your smart suit, your office or your confident face. On the phone you are a voice. The good news is that a voice can be trained, and small changes make a big difference.

Pace

Nervous people speak fast. Fast speech sounds junior, and in a second language it is harder to understand. Slow down, especially on two things: your name and every number. “Omar. From CBA.” “Two point three. Million.” These are the parts the client must hear correctly. Say them at half your normal speed. It will feel too slow to you. It sounds confident to them.

Pitch

Listen to the end of your sentences. If your voice rises, every statement sounds like a question: “It’s Omar from CBA?” That tells the client you are unsure. Let your pitch drop at the end of a statement. “It’s Omar from CBA.” Full stop. Questions can rise. Statements should land.

Pauses

A pause is not a mistake. It is a tool. Pause after you ask a question and let the client fill the silence. Pause just before an important number, so they lean in. Pause after they finish speaking, for one or two seconds, before you answer. It shows you listened instead of waiting for your turn.

Slow down on your name and on every number. Those are the two things they must hear.

Smile

People can hear a smile. It changes the shape of your mouth, and that changes the sound. Smile on the first word of every call, even when you do not feel like it. Some agents keep a small mirror on the desk to check.

Stand

Sitting at a desk folds your body, squeezes your breathing and flattens your voice. Stand up for important calls. Walk a little if it helps you think. Your voice will be fuller and your energy will rise with it.

Energy plus twenty per cent

The phone flattens energy. What feels lively in the room sounds average down the line. Add about a fifth more energy than feels natural: a little more warmth, a little more expression. Not louder, not a performance. Just enough to sound awake and glad to be talking.

Match their pace

In 1999, Tanya Chartrand and John Bargh described the chameleon effect: people naturally copy each other’s posture and speech, and they like people who mirror them more. On the phone, this means matching the client’s pace and energy. If Mr. Rajan speaks slowly and carefully, slow down. If Sophie is quick and direct, be quick and direct. Never copy an accent. That is mockery, not mirroring.

If English is your second language

Clear beats fast. Short sentences beat long ones. Do not apologise for your accent; Dubai is a city of accents and clients are used to it. Repeat key numbers and confirm them in writing after the call. “I’ll send you that figure on WhatsApp so you have it in writing” is professional in any language.

Set up your space

• Use a good headset or a quiet room. Background noise sounds careless.
• Do not type loudly, eat or drink while the client is speaking.
• Close your other screens. Clients can hear when you are distracted.

Who You Call, and the Rules

Good calls start with the right list. In Dubai that list is shaped by clear rules, and those rules point you to the people most likely to welcome your call.

Dubai has clear rules about who brokers may call and how. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has told brokers not to contact owners or investors they have no documented dealings with, and the UAE’s telemarketing rules set the hours and the way marketing calls are made. Read this chapter once, follow it every day, and ask your compliance team for the current wording, because rules are updated.

These rules are not a problem for a good agent. The people you are allowed to call are exactly the people who are most likely to be glad you called.

The rules, in one list

• Call only people with a documented reason: past clients, owners your office has documented dealings with, people who enquired, and referrals who asked to be called.
• Call only between 9 am and 6 pm.
• Use your company-registered number, never your personal mobile.
• Introduce yourself and your company in the first sentence, and say why you are calling.
• If they ask where you got their number, tell them, honestly and at once.
• If they say no, stop. Thank them, record it in the CRM, and do not call them for marketing again.

What you never do

No bought lists. No numbers from WhatsApp groups or “data” passed around between agents. No calling every flat in a tower from a directory. No numbers copied from other people’s listings. Even if someone else in the market does it, you do not. Your broker card and your company’s licence are worth more than any listing.

Meeting people face to face is different. You may introduce yourself to people at exhibitions, project launches, open houses and networking events. If they give you their number and agree that you can call, note it in the CRM with the date and the place. Chapter 17 shows you how.

If you cannot say where a number came from, it does not belong on your list.

Where your list comes from

• Past clients: buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants you or your office have done business with.
• Documented dealings: owners who signed a listing agreement (Form A) with the office, landlords whose tenancy renewals you handled, owners who asked for a valuation.
• Inbound enquiries: anyone who enquired about one of your listings, filled in a form on your website or called the office.
• Referrals: people a client introduced who asked you to call. The cleanest way is a WhatsApp introduction from the client, so the request is in writing.
• People you met: contacts from events and open houses who agreed to a call.

Record the source, always

For every contact, your CRM should show four things: where the contact came from, the date, what they agreed to, and the last time you spoke. This protects you if a client asks, protects your company if a regulator asks, and makes your calls better. “You enquired about the Business Bay apartment in March” is a much stronger opening than “Hi, I’m an agent.”

A smaller list, worked well

Two hundred people who know you are worth more than five thousand who do not. Give every contact on your list a reason to call, a next step and a date. Chapter 16 shows you how to work the list every day without forgetting anyone.

The Six Layers of a Conversation

Every good conversation moves through the same six layers. Know which layer you are in and you will always know what to say next.

Most agents fear the moment the conversation goes quiet. They do not know what comes next, so they fill the gap with a pitch. The fix is a map. Good conversations, on the phone or face to face, move through six layers. You do not need to follow them like a script, but you should always know where you are.

1. Open

The first few seconds: who you are, why you are calling, and a warm first line. The job of the open is to make the client comfortable enough to keep talking. Mistake: opening with a long introduction about your company.

“Hi James, it’s Omar from CBA. We helped you with the JLT apartment last year. Have you got two minutes?”

2. Connect

A short human moment before business. Ask about something you know: the move, the family, the business trip. Keep it real and keep it brief. Mistake: skipping it, or dragging it on for ten minutes with someone who is busy.

“Last time we spoke you were off to London for the summer. How was it?”

3. Explore

Now you ask open questions about their situation. How is the property working for them? What has changed? Mistake: asking questions you could have answered from your CRM notes.

“How’s the apartment working for you now that you’re in the office three days a week?”

4. Deepen

Go one level below the first answer. The first answer is the polite one. The second is the true one. Mistake: hearing the first answer and jumping straight to a solution.

“You said it’s fine for now. What would make it better than fine?”

5. Add value

Give them something useful that fits what you just heard: a figure, a fact, an idea, an introduction. This is where your competence shows. Mistake: adding value before you know what they need, which is just a pitch with numbers.

“Since you mentioned the commute, two-beds in Business Bay are renting faster than in JLT at the moment. I can send you the comparison if it helps.”

6. Close

Agree what happens next, and end on a high note. The close is not always a sale. It is a clear next step: a valuation, a viewing, a follow-up call in three months, a document by email.

“I’ll send the figures by 5 pm today and call you Thursday to talk them through. Does that work?”

You don’t need a script. You need to know which layer you’re in.

Why the ending matters

Daniel Kahneman’s peak-end rule says people judge an experience mainly by its most intense moment and by how it ended. A call that wanders and fades out is remembered as a weak call, even if the middle was good. Finish clearly and warmly: summarise the next step, thank them, and say goodbye with energy. That last ten seconds is what they will remember when your name comes up next time.

When to move between layers

You move to the next layer when the client relaxes. Listen for longer answers, a laugh, a question back to you such as “So what’s happening in the market?” That is your signal. If the client is short and busy, move faster: open, a quick connect, one good question, value, close. The layers stay the same. Only the time in each one changes.

Threads and the Question Ladder

Every answer a client gives you contains threads. Learn to pick the right one and climb from facts to plans, and your conversations will stop running out of road.

Ask Priya how the apartment is and she might say: “It’s good. We’ve been in the Marina five years now, but with the baby it’s getting a bit tight, and my husband wants a garden.”

A new agent hears “It’s good” and moves on. A professional hears four threads: five years, the baby, tight, a garden. Each one is a door into the conversation. Your job is to notice them and choose which one to pull.

How to choose a thread

• Pick the thread with feeling. “Getting a bit tight” has feeling. “Five years” is just a fact.
• Pick the thread that matters to them, not to you. If Priya mentions the garden with a sigh, that is where her heart is, even if the five years is more useful to your pipeline.
• Keep the other threads. Write them down. You can come back: “You mentioned your husband wants a garden. Is that a dream or a plan?”

The question ladder

Questions work on five levels. Most agents stay on the bottom step. The best agents climb.

• Facts: what, where, how many. “How many bedrooms do you have?”
• Experience: what it is like. “What’s it like living there with a baby?”
• Feelings: how they feel about it. “How do you feel when you get home in the evening?”
• Values: what matters most. “What matters most to you in the next home?”
• Plans: what they want to do. “When do you see yourselves making a move?”

Each step tells you more than the last. Facts tell you about the property. Plans tell you about the business.

Facts tell you about the property. Feelings and plans tell you about the deal.

Climbing with Priya

“Getting tight, how?” (experience). “The baby’s things are everywhere and there’s nowhere to play.” “That must be tiring after a long day.” (feeling). “It is. I want a proper space for him to run around.” “So outdoor space is the most important thing now?” (values). “Honestly, yes. Even more than the view.” “Is that something you’re thinking about for this year, or further ahead?” (plans).

Five questions and Priya has told you she values outdoor space over the view and may move this year. You did not pitch once.

Don’t jump the ladder

Do not ask about values or plans in the first minute. “What are your long-term life goals?” from an agent who has just said hello is strange. Climb one step at a time, and only when the last answer invites the next question.

FORD: safe threads when you are stuck

If the conversation stalls, these four areas almost always open someone up:

• Family: how everyone is, the children’s schools, relatives visiting.
• Occupation: their work, a new role, travel.
• Recreation: weekends, sport, holidays, a new restaurant.
• Dreams: what they are working towards, a second home, retirement.

Be careful with family in a city of many cultures. Ask in general terms: “How is the family?” is always fine. Asking a man directly about his wife may not be, and some clients keep family private. Follow their lead.

Questions That Open People Up

The right question turns a polite two-word answer into a real conversation. Learn which questions open people up and which shut them down.

Questions are your most powerful tool. They show interest, they guide the call and they let the client tell you what they need instead of you guessing. But not all questions work the same way.

Open, closed and follow-up

Closed questions get short answers: yes, no, a number. “Are you happy with the apartment?” “Yes.” End of thread. They are useful for confirming facts (“Is the tenancy up in June?”), but they do not open a conversation.

Open questions start with what, how, tell me, or which. “What do you like most about living in The Springs?” They invite a story.

Follow-up questions build on what the client just said. “You said the commute is getting long. How long is it now?” These are the most powerful of all, because they prove you were listening.

The research on follow-up questions

In 2017, Karen Huang and her colleagues at Harvard studied conversations between people meeting for the first time, including speed dates. People who asked more questions were liked more, and follow-up questions had the strongest effect. People feel understood when you build on their words. They feel interviewed when you jump to your next question.

The one-to-ten scale

This is one of the most useful questions in real estate. “On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you with the apartment now?”

Whatever number they give, you have a door:

• A low number tells you there is a problem to solve. “Four? What’s behind the four?”
• A high number tells you what they love, which tells you what to protect in a future move.
• A middle number is the most common, and the most interesting.

Then ask the follow-up that does the real work: “What would make it a nine?”

“What would make it a nine?” gets you the client’s real wish list in one breath.

Why nine and not ten? Because ten sounds like perfection, and people struggle to describe perfection. Nine sounds possible. The answer to “What would make it a nine?” is usually a precise list: “A garden, a shorter drive to school and a fourth bedroom for my mother when she visits.” That is a brief for your next search.

A second follow-up is just as useful: “Why a six and not a four?” It makes the client tell you what is good about their current home, which tells you what they will refuse to lose.

Questions that shut people down

• Double questions: “Are you thinking of selling, or renting, or maybe buying something bigger?” The client answers the easiest part and you learn nothing.
• Leading questions: “You’d agree prices are at their peak, wouldn’t you?” Clients feel pushed and push back.
• Interrogation: question after question with no reaction. Use a rhythm: ask, listen, comment, then ask again.
• “Why did you do that?” about a past decision. It sounds like judgement. Try “What made you choose that?” instead.

Listening Like a Professional

Most agents listen just long enough to find a gap to talk. Professionals listen to understand, and clients can feel the difference.

Clients rarely remember what you said. They remember whether they felt heard. Listening is not the quiet part of a call. It is the part where you earn the right to give advice.

The 70/30 rule

Aim for the client to talk about 70 per cent of the time and for you to talk about 30. You will not always hit it, and in some calls, such as presenting an offer, you will talk more. But if you finish a discovery call having talked more than the client, you missed things.

A simple check: after the call, could you write five things about the client’s situation that you did not know before? If not, you were talking, not listening.

Summarise back

Every few minutes, and always before you close, repeat what you heard in your own words. “So if I’ve understood: you want to stay in Arabian Ranches, you need four bedrooms because your mother is moving in, and you’d like to move before the school year starts. Have I got that right?”

Summarising does three things. It proves you listened. It lets the client correct you before you waste time on the wrong search. And it often brings out something new: “Yes, and actually, we’d also look at Dubai Hills.”

Hear the feeling behind the words

People do not always say what they feel. “It’s fine, I suppose” is not fine. “We’ll see what happens” may mean “I’m worried.” Listen for the tone, the pause, the sigh, the change in pace.

When you hear a feeling, name it gently. “It sounds like the last sale was stressful.” “You sound tired of dealing with the tenant.” If you are right, the client relaxes and tells you more. If you are wrong, they correct you, and you still learn something.

Clients rarely remember what you said. They remember whether they felt heard.

Small habits that make you a better listener

• Take notes during the call. Use their exact words: they will matter later.
• Do not interrupt. If you think of something important, write it down and wait.
• Leave two seconds of silence after they finish. Often they add the most important thing in that gap.
• Echo their last few words as a question to invite more: “Too many agents?” “Yes, I get five calls a week...”
• Short sounds tell them you are still there on the phone: “Mm,” “I see,” “Right.” Silence on a phone line can feel like you have gone.

Don’t fix too fast

When Mr. Hassan says his tenant always pays late, do not jump in with a solution in the first second. Ask one more question first. “How long has that been going on?” The answer may change the solution completely. Maybe the tenant has paid late for two years and Mr. Hassan wants to sell, not find a new tenant.

Bridges: From Small Talk to Business

The hardest moment in many calls is moving from friendly chat to the reason you called. A good bridge makes that move feel natural instead of sudden.

You have had a nice chat with James about his holiday. Now you need to talk about his apartment. Many agents crash the gears: “Anyway, so, the reason I’m calling is, would you like to sell?” The mood drops. The client feels the friendly part was a trick.

A bridge is a sentence that links what you were just talking about to the business you want to discuss. Done well, the client hardly notices the change.

Five bridges that work

• The thread bridge. Use something the client already said. “You mentioned the kids are getting bigger. Is the two-bed still working, or is it getting tight?”
• The reason bridge. Return honestly to why you called. “I’m glad the trip went well. The reason I called today is that something happened in your building I thought you’d want to know.”
• The permission bridge. Ask before you switch. “Can I tell you why I called?” Almost everyone says yes, and now they are listening.
• The market bridge. Link a general topic to their property. “Talking of the Marina, it’s been a busy month there. Two units like yours transferred last week.”
• The question bridge. Ask a question that only makes sense from an agent. “Out of interest, have you had anyone ask about your unit recently?”

Timing the bridge

Bridge too early and the small talk feels fake. Bridge too late and you have wasted a busy person’s time. Watch for the signals:

• The client relaxes: longer answers, a laugh.
• The client asks you a question: “So, how’s the market?” That is an open door. Walk through it.
• The small talk runs out naturally and there is a pause.

With a busy client, bridge after one or two exchanges. With a relaxed client on a Saturday, you can take longer.

A good bridge uses the client’s own words to carry them into business.

When there is no business

Sometimes you bridge and there is nothing there. James is happy, not moving, not investing. That is fine. Do not force it. Close warmly and set a natural next touch: “Good to hear it’s all working. I’ll send you the quarterly figures for your building when they’re out.” A call with no business today often becomes business next year, but only if it ended well.

Bridges you should never use

• A fake reason: “I have a buyer for your exact unit” when you do not. It may get a reaction once and lose the client forever.
• A guilt bridge: “I helped you last time, so I hoped you’d help me.” It turns a relationship into a debt.
• A pressure bridge: “Prices might drop, so you’d better decide.” Unless you have real evidence, it is a scare tactic.

Stories That Sell

Facts inform people, but stories move them. A short, true story about a past client often does more than ten minutes of market data.

When Mr. Khalid says he will wait for prices to rise before selling, you can show him a chart. Or you can tell him what happened to a landlord in JLT who waited. The chart is easy to argue with. The story is easy to remember.

People think in stories. A good one helps the client imagine their own situation, see the risk or the opportunity, and decide for themselves. You are not telling them what to do. You are showing them what happened to someone like them.

The five-step story

Keep every story under a minute. Use this structure:

• The person: who it happened to, in one line, without identifying them. “An owner in The Springs, a family a lot like yours.”
• The problem: what they wanted or what worried them. “They wanted to sell, but they didn’t want to move twice.”
• The moment: the decision or the turning point. “The buyer wanted to move in within six weeks, and they had nowhere to go.”
• What we did: the action, briefly. “We agreed a later transfer date in the contract and found them a rental two streets away before they signed.”
• The result and the lesson: what happened, and why it matters to this client. “They moved once, in the summer, and the kids didn’t change school. So moving twice isn’t the only option for you either.”

Protect your clients’ privacy

Every story you tell is a promise to the client you are telling it to: one day you might tell their story too. Make sure they would be comfortable with that.

• Never use names, unit numbers or details that identify a person.
• Do not share a client’s private price, debts, divorce, health or family matters.
• Change details that could identify someone, but never change the lesson or the outcome.
• If the story is recent and the building is small, wait or ask the client’s permission.

Tell every story as if the client in it is listening.

Only true stories

Never invent a story or improve the ending. Dubai is a small market. Agents talk, clients compare notes, and a made-up story will be found out. A true story with a modest result is worth more than an impressive one that is not real.

Build your story bank

You need five stories ready at any time, one for each common situation:

• A seller who priced right and sold quickly, or priced high and waited.
• A landlord who kept a good tenant instead of chasing a higher rent.
• A buyer who nearly lost a deal because of mortgage timing.
• A family whose move was easier than they feared.
• An investor who chose a property for the numbers, not the view.

If you are new and do not have your own stories yet, ask senior colleagues for theirs and tell them as the office’s experience: “One of our team had an owner who...” That is honest and it still works.

The First 10 Seconds

A client decides whether to stay on the line before you have finished your second sentence. This chapter shows you how to win that decision, every time.

When a voice they don’t recognise says “Hello, is this Ahmed?”, the person on the other end is already doing three things at once. They’re guessing who you are. They’re guessing what you want. And they’re deciding whether it’s worth stopping what they were doing. If they can’t answer the first two quickly, they answer the third for you: “Sorry, I’m busy.”

Even a past client may not recognise your number or remember your voice. That’s why the first 10 seconds matter more than the next ten minutes. You aren’t trying to sell anything in that window. You’re trying to answer the questions in their head before they finish asking them.

Three jobs in ten seconds

• Who you are: your first name and your company. Nothing else.
• Why them: the link between you. A past deal, their enquiry, the person who referred them.
• Why now: one fact about their property they don’t know yet.

Your first sentence isn’t about you. It’s the answer to the question in their head: why are you calling me?

The anatomy of a strong opening

• 0–3 seconds: “Hi Ahmed, it’s Omar from CBA.”
• 3–6 seconds: “We did your Marina tenancy two years ago.”
• 6–10 seconds: “A two-bed in your building sold last Tuesday. Do you know what it went for?”
• 10 seconds and after: silence. Count two in your head. Let them ask.

Notice what’s missing. No “How are you today?” No company history. No question they can answer with “no”. Every word is doing one of the three jobs.

The question at the end matters. “Do you know what it went for?” is almost impossible to ignore. Most owners are curious about their own building. It hands the conversation to them, and it gives you a reason to keep talking that they chose.

Five openings that lose the call

• “Hi, how are you today?” It sounds like a call centre. They brace for a pitch.
• “Do you have a minute?” It hands them an easy “no” before they know why you called.
• “We’re one of the leading agencies...” It’s all about you. Nobody stays on the line for your brochure.
• “Are you looking to sell?” A closed question in the first breath. The answer is always no.
• Rushing it all out in one breath. Speed sounds like nerves, and nerves sound like a junior.

Your voice before your words

Clients hear your voice before they process a single word. Stand up before you dial. Smile on the first word, because it lifts the sound. Say your name slowly and drop your pitch at the end of it, so it lands as a statement, not a question. Then deliver the first sentence at about half your normal speed. It will feel too slow to you. It sounds confident to them.

Write it, then say it

A strong opening is short. Aim for under 25 words across all three jobs. Write it down before the call, because the words you plan are always tighter than the words you invent under pressure. Then say it out loud. Reading it in your head does not count; your mouth needs the practice as much as your mind.

Change the “why now” for every client. The “who you are” and “why them” stay simple. The fact is what makes the call worth taking: a sale in their building, a change in rents, a date in their tenancy, an answer to a question they asked you last time. If you can’t find a real “why now”, wait until you can. A call with no reason is the call they remember as annoying.

Try it now: the 10-second drill

Can you do all three jobs before the bar runs out? Pick a real client from your CRM, press start, and say your opener out loud.

Be honest with yourself after each attempt. Did you say your name and company? Did you give the link? Did you give a fact they don’t know? Did you end with a question and then stop talking? If any answer is no, try again.

The Six-Step Call

Every good call follows the same six steps, from your name to an agreed next step. Learn them once and you will never again wonder what to say next.

Chapter 5 gave you the layers of any conversation. This chapter turns them into the six steps of a professional phone call. Watch one play out below, then study each step. The steps are the same whether you are calling a past client in Dubai Marina or a landlord in Business Bay. Only the words change.

Step 1: Introduce yourself

First name, company, and the link between you. Clear and slow. “Hi Sophie, it’s Omar from CBA. We sold your apartment in JLT last spring.” The client now knows who you are and why they know you. Do not add your title, your company’s history or “How are you today?”

Step 2: Give a genuine reason

Say why you are calling, and make it true and useful to them. “I’m calling because rents in your new building have moved this quarter, and I remembered your lease is up in the summer.” A genuine reason is about their property, their plans or a question they asked. “Just checking in to see if you want to sell” is not a reason. It is a request.

Step 3: Start the conversation

Ask one open question that invites them in. “How are you finding the new place?” Then stop talking. This is where the call becomes a conversation instead of an announcement. Keep the small talk short with busy people and let it run longer with relaxed ones.

Step 4: Listen and explore

Now use everything from Part 2. Pick up threads, climb the question ladder, ask the one-to-ten question, summarise back. You are trying to understand their situation better than they have described it to anyone else. Talk less than they do.

The best calls end with a next step the client wanted, not one you pushed.

Step 5: Find the opportunity

As you listen, ask yourself which of five opportunities is in this conversation:

• A sale: they are thinking about selling, now or later.
• A rental: they need a tenant, or a new home to rent.
• A purchase: they want to buy, for themselves or a family member.
• An investment: they want to grow or change a portfolio.
• A referral: they know someone who needs help.

Often there is no opportunity today. That is normal. Note what you learned and when things may change. Sometimes the opportunity is not for the client but for someone they know. “Do you know anyone in your building thinking of moving?” is a fair question to ask a happy client at the end of a good call.

Step 6: Agree a natural next step

Every call ends with a clear next step that fits what you heard. Make it small and easy to say yes to. “Would it be useful if I shared the numbers with you?” “Shall I send you the two villas I mentioned, and call you on Sunday to hear what you think?” “Shall I call you again after Eid, when you’re back?”

Then confirm it: what you will do, by when, and when you will speak again. Write it in your CRM before you dial the next number.

Common mistakes at each step

• Step 1: speaking too fast, or forgetting to say the link.
• Step 2: a vague reason, or a reason that is really a sales pitch.
• Step 3: asking a closed question, or answering it yourself.
• Step 4: interrupting, or solving too fast.
• Step 5: forcing an opportunity that is not there.
• Step 6: ending with “Let me know if you need anything.” That is not a next step. Nobody ever lets you know.

Twelve Openers for Twelve Situations

There is no perfect opening line, only the right one for the situation. Here are twelve, each matched to a real reason to call and the trap that comes with it.

Chapter 11 gave you the structure of a strong opening. This chapter gives you twelve ready-made openers. Each one fits a specific situation with a specific kind of client. Every situation in this list is one where you have a genuine reason to call: a past client, an owner your office has dealt with, an enquiry, or a referral.

Read the trap for each one carefully. The trap is the mistake agents make straight after a good opener, which wastes it.

Match the opener to the person

Before you dial, ask two questions. What is my real reason for calling? And what does this client care about? The answers point to the opener.

• Owners who live in their property care about their home and their neighbours. Use Neighbour deal, Recent sale or Price curiosity.
• Landlords care about income and tenants. Use Rental performance or Investor strategy.
• Investors care about numbers and timing. Use Investor strategy, Next investment move or Exclusive opportunity.
• Long-term contacts care about the relationship. Use Natural or Casual relationship.
• Busy or tired owners care about their time. Use Pattern breaker.

Rotate, don’t repeat

If you call the same client four times a year with the same opener, you become background noise. Rotate. A Natural call in spring, a Recent sale call in summer, a Rental performance call before the renewal, a Casual call at the end of the year. Note in your CRM which opener you used so you do not repeat yourself.

Every opener must be true

Three of these openers are dangerous in the wrong hands. Active buyer only works when the buyer is real, qualified and has agreed you can look for them. Exclusive opportunity only works when the property really is not on the market and your office holds the listing agreement. Recent sale only works when your figure is checked. A fake buyer, a fake deadline or a fake price might get you one meeting. It will cost you the client, your reputation and possibly your licence.

An opener is only as good as the fact behind it.

Inbound Leads in Five Minutes

When someone enquires, they are thinking about property right now. Call within five minutes and you meet them at their moment of interest. Call tomorrow and they have already spoken to three other agents.

An inbound enquiry is the warmest call you will ever make. The person chose to contact you. They gave you their number and asked for information. Yet many agents treat enquiries like admin: they reply by email in the afternoon, or call back the next day. By then the client has moved on.

Why five minutes

When someone enquires, they are often still looking at the listing. They have time, interest and questions. A call within five minutes catches them while the property is still on their screen. An hour later they are in a meeting. A day later they have enquired about six other properties and cannot remember yours.

Set your phone to alert you for every new enquiry during working hours. If you are with a client, ask a colleague to make the call for you. Speed is a team habit, not a personal talent.

The first call

Keep it short and warm. Use their name and the property. “Hi Laura, it’s Omar from CBA. You just enquired about the three-bed villa in Arabian Ranches. Is now a good time for two minutes?”

If they cannot talk, agree a time and send a WhatsApp at once: your name, your company, the property and the time you agreed.

If they do not answer, send a short WhatsApp straight away and try once more later the same day. Do not call five times in an hour.

Qualify through conversation, not interrogation

You need to know who they are, what they want, why, when, how they will pay and what their budget is. But a list of questions fired at a stranger feels like a form. Instead, start with one powerful question before you describe the property:

“Before I tell you about this one, what are you hoping to find?”

The warmest call you will ever make is the one you make while the listing is still on their screen.

That question changes the call. The client talks about their life, not about one listing. You learn whether the property fits, and if it does not, you can suggest better options right away. Then follow the threads:

• Who is the home for? Family, investment, a relative?
• What made you start looking now?
• What timing are you working to?
• Will you be buying with cash or a mortgage? Have you spoken to a bank yet?
• What would make the next home a nine out of ten?

Be honest about the property

If the listing has already been rented or sold, say so in the first minute. Never use a listing you know is gone to start a conversation. That is bait, it is unfair to the client, and advertising property that is not available breaks the rules your advertising permits depend on. Say: “That one has just been taken, I’m sorry. Tell me what drew you to it, and I’ll find you something similar.”

Agree the next step

End with something concrete: a viewing time, a shortlist by WhatsApp, a call after they speak to the bank. Log the enquiry in your CRM with the source, the date and everything they told you, in their words.

Voicemail, Voice Notes, WhatsApp and Video

Many of your messages will not be calls. Learn to leave a voicemail worth returning, a voice note that respects their time, a WhatsApp that gets an answer and a video that sells the property for you.

In Dubai, much of the real conversation happens on WhatsApp. Clients answer messages at midnight that they would never answer as calls at noon. Your written and recorded messages need the same care as your calls.

Voicemail

Few people listen to voicemail. Those who do want it short. Keep it under twenty seconds:

• Your name and company, slowly.
• The link: “We sold your apartment last year.”
• The reason, in one sentence.
• What happens next: “I’ll send you a WhatsApp now with the details.”

Then do send the WhatsApp. The voicemail is a signal. The message is where they will actually reply.

Voice notes

Many clients in Dubai prefer voice notes, especially those who travel or drive a lot. Some find them annoying. Mirror the client: if they send voice notes, you can reply with voice notes. If they write, you write.

• Keep each voice note under a minute. If you need longer, you need a call.
• Start with the point: “Quick update on the offer.”
• Record in a quiet place. Traffic noise and office chatter sound careless.
• Never send a voice note with numbers in it only. Follow it with the figures in writing.

WhatsApp messages

The first message to a new enquiry or a referral must answer the same three questions as your phone opener: who you are, why them, why now.

“Hi Priya, Omar from CBA here. Your colleague James asked me to get in touch about apartments in Business Bay. Is it OK if I call you tomorrow at 11?”

• One message, not five in a row.
• Short paragraphs. No walls of text.
• One question at the end, so they know how to reply.
• Do not send ten listings at once. Send two good ones and ask what they think.
• If they do not reply, wait. Two unanswered messages are enough before you change channel or time.
• Never forward a client’s details, documents or screenshots to anyone who does not need them.

Two good listings with a question get more replies than twenty listings with none.

Video

A short video does what photos cannot. It shows the light, the layout, the view and the feel of a home. Use it for overseas buyers, busy clients and anyone who cannot attend a viewing.

• Walk slowly. Fast movement makes people dizzy on a phone screen.
• Talk as you walk, as if the client is beside you. Point out what matters to them: “This is the room you’d use as the office.”
• Show the bad as well as the good: the smaller second bedroom, the view of the construction site. Honesty now prevents a wasted viewing later.
• Keep it under two minutes, then offer a live video call if they want more.

A personal video message also works for relationships: thirty seconds from outside their building with a market update is more memorable than a written message. Keep it simple and do not overdo it.

The rules still apply

Messages and video follow the same rules as calls. Only contact people with a documented reason, from your company channels, within working hours, and stop if they ask you to.

The Daily Call Routine

Great calls are not enough. What builds a career is making them every day, at the same time, and following up on every single one.

Agents who struggle usually do not lack skill. They lack a routine. They call when they feel like it, they follow up when they remember, and their pipeline rises and falls with their mood. Agents who do well treat calls like an appointment they keep with themselves.

Block the time

Put your call blocks in your calendar as if they were meetings with clients. Protect them the same way.

• Late morning, from about 10 am to 12 pm, is a good main block for many clients. The working day has started but lunch has not.
• A shorter block in the afternoon, between about 4 pm and 6 pm, catches people after meetings. Stop at 6 pm.
• Inbound enquiries are called back at once, whenever they arrive.
• Avoid the times your clients are least likely to welcome a call: Friday around midday prayers, and the hour before iftar in Ramadan.

During a call block: no email, no social media, no listing admin. Prepare your list the afternoon before, so the block is only calls.

The three numbers to track

Track three numbers every day:

• Calls: how many times you dialled.
• Conversations: how many real conversations you had, not voicemails.
• Next steps: how many calls ended with an agreed next step, such as a valuation, a viewing, a document sent or a call booked.

The first number is effort. The second shows whether you are calling the right people at the right times. The third is the one that pays you. If your calls are high and your next steps are low, the problem is your conversations. Go back to Parts 2 and 3. If your calls are low, the problem is your routine.

Calls measure effort. Next steps measure skill. Track both.

Log every call in the CRM

Log the call before you dial the next one, not at the end of the day. Write:

• What they said, in their words.
• Any new threads: a baby, a new job, a lease date.
• The agreed next step, and the date it is due.
• If they said no to future calls, mark it clearly so nobody in the office calls them again.

Your CRM is your memory. In a year you will have hundreds of clients. You cannot remember who said “call me after the summer” unless you wrote it down.

The follow-up rhythm

Every contact goes into one of four groups:

• Hot: an active need right now. Follow up within 48 hours, with something useful each time.
• Warm: a likely need in the coming months. Follow up every two to four weeks.
• Not now: no need today, but a good relationship. Follow up every quarter.
• No: they asked not to be called. Never call them for marketing again. Respect it fully.

Move people between groups as their situation changes. A “not now” whose lease is ending becomes warm. A hot buyer who has bought becomes a past client, and you start again with a check-in call.

End the day properly

Spend the last fifteen minutes of the day preparing tomorrow’s list: who to call, the reason for each call and the opener you will use. When you sit down the next morning, there is nothing to decide. You just dial.

Approaching People You Don’t Know

Exhibitions, launches, open houses and lobbies are full of people you could help. Walking up to them is a skill, and like every skill in this book, it can be learned.

On the phone you only call people with a documented reason. Face to face, the rules are different. At an exhibition, a project launch, an open house or a networking event, it is normal and fine to walk up to people and introduce yourself. Many of the best client relationships in Dubai started with a handshake at an event.

The fear is the same as phone fear, and the same research applies. People enjoy talking to strangers more than they expect to, and they like you more than you think.

The three-second rule

When you see someone you want to speak to, move within three seconds. Any longer and your mind starts writing reasons not to: they look busy, they are on their phone, they probably have an agent. Walk over before the excuses arrive. You can be nervous and still walk.

Situational openers

The best opener comes from the place you are both standing in. It is about the shared moment, not about you.

• At a property exhibition: “Which stand has been the most useful so far?”
• At a project launch: “What brought you to this one? Are you looking for yourself or as an investment?”
• At an open house: “What do you think of the layout? I always find the photos make the kitchen look bigger.”
• At a networking event: “How do you know the host?”
• In a building lobby where you are working: “Do you live here? I’m showing an apartment upstairs, and I’d love to know what it’s really like living in the building.”

None of these mention selling. They are easy to answer and they lead somewhere.

Read the body before you speak

Before you approach, look at how a person is standing.

• Open: standing still, looking around, feet pointing outwards, arms relaxed, alone or in a loose group. They are available.
• Closed: deep in a phone call, arms folded tight, two people facing each other closely, walking fast towards the exit. Wait or move on.

If you approach a pair or a group, stand at the edge and wait for a natural gap. Never interrupt a conversation in mid-sentence.

Say what you do in one sentence

At some point they will ask “What do you do?” Have one clear sentence ready, about the people you help and how.

“I help families in Arabian Ranches and The Springs sell and rent their villas.”

Not “I’m a real estate consultant with a leading agency.” A clear sentence is memorable and it invites a follow-up question: “Really? What’s the market like there?”

A clear sentence about who you help is worth more than any job title.

Exit well

A good exit is as important as a good entry. After a few minutes, or when you sense the conversation is complete, close it yourself.

“It was really good to meet you. I’ll let you get back to the exhibition. Would it be useful if I sent you those Springs rental figures?”

If they say yes, ask for their number or exchange cards, and confirm that you may contact them. Write a note on the back of their card straight away: where you met, what they wanted, what you promised. Enter it in the CRM that evening, with the date and the event, so you always know where the contact came from.

If they say no, thank them and leave with a smile. Not everyone needs you today.

The Viewing

A viewing is not a guided tour. It is a conversation that happens to take place inside a property, and the client’s reactions are the most valuable information you will get.

Many agents treat a viewing like a performance. They walk in first, talk non-stop, point at every feature and fill every silence. The client leaves knowing the size of every room and nothing about whether they want it. Neither do you.

Silence first

When you open the door, let the client walk in first. Then say nothing for the first thirty seconds or so. Watch them. Where do they look first? Do they go to the window or the kitchen? Do they smile, or frown at the ceiling? First reactions are honest. Your talking would cover them up.

Clients notice the obvious without help. They can see it is a kitchen. What they cannot see is what you know: the service charge, the quiet side of the building, the school five minutes away.

Discovery questions during the viewing

Use the viewing to learn. Ask questions that tie the property to their life:

• “How would you use this room?”
• “Where would the children sleep?”
• “Is this light what you were picturing?”
• “What’s your first impression, honestly?”
• “Compared to the last place we saw, what’s better and what’s worse?”

Their answers tell you whether to keep showing this type of property or to change the search.

Answer the need, not the feature

A feature is a fact about the property. A need is something the client told you. Connect them.

Feature: “The villa has a big garden.” Need: “You said your son plays football every evening. The garden is long enough for a proper goal, and the park is two minutes away.”

Before the viewing, look back at your notes from the first call. Every need the client mentioned should be linked to something in the property, or honestly marked as missing.

Don’t sell the feature. Sell the answer to something they already told you.

Be honest about the weak points

If there is a problem, mention it before they find it. “The second bedroom is smaller than the photos suggest. Let me show you.” It builds trust, and it tells you early whether the problem is a deal-breaker. A client who discovers a hidden problem stops trusting everything else you said.

The one-to-ten question

Before you leave, or straight after, ask: “On a scale of one to ten, how close is this to what you’re looking for?”

Then: “What would make it a nine?”

If the answer is a seven and the missing piece is a fourth bedroom, you know what to look for next. If the answer is a nine and the missing piece is the price, you have a negotiation to discuss. Either way, you are no longer guessing.

After the viewing

Send a short message the same day: thank them, summarise what they liked and did not like, and confirm the next step. Log the viewing feedback in the CRM. Give the owner honest feedback too, without naming the buyer: owners deserve to know what buyers say about their property.

The Valuation Meeting

The valuation meeting decides whether you win the listing, and whether that listing will ever sell. Win it with evidence and honesty, not with the highest number in the room.

An owner has asked you to value their property. They have probably asked two other agents as well. The easy way to win is to give the highest price. The owner signs with you, the listing sits on the market for months, and in the end you either ask for a reduction or lose the listing. Everyone loses: the owner, your reputation and your time.

The professional way is slower in the meeting and much faster afterwards.

Evidence before opinion

Do not start with a number. Start with the market. Bring printed or tablet-ready evidence:

• Recent sales of similar units in the same building or community, from DLD transaction data.
• Current competing listings: what the owner’s buyers are comparing against.
• How long similar properties have taken to sell.
• Recent rental figures, if the owner may want to rent instead.
• The specific strengths and weaknesses of their unit: floor, view, condition, layout, parking.

Walk the owner through the evidence and let them reach their own conclusion before you say a figure. “Looking at these five sales, where do you think yours sits?” Often the owner names a sensible range themselves. If they do not, the evidence is on the table when you give yours.

Ask the honest question

When an owner pushes for a high asking price, ask them, kindly:

“Do you want the highest number on the listing, or the highest number in your bank?”

Most owners have never separated those two ideas. An overpriced listing gets fewer viewings, sits on the market until buyers wonder what is wrong with it, and often sells for less in the end than a well-priced one would have.

The highest number on the listing is not the highest number in your bank.

Explain the full picture

A good valuation meeting covers more than price. Explain the process and the costs: the listing agreement (Form A), what the sale contract (Form F) will need, the developer NOC, service charges that must be clear before transfer, and the steps at the trustee office. If there is a mortgage, explain how the bank will be paid off. Owners trust agents who explain the whole road, not just the destination.

Be willing to walk away

Sometimes the owner insists on a price the evidence cannot support. You have three choices. Agree a short, fixed period at their price with a review date in writing. Agree a price the evidence supports. Or politely decline the listing.

Declining feels impossible when you are new. But a listing that will never sell costs you photos, advertising, viewings, weekends and the owner’s goodwill. “I’d rather tell you the truth now than disappoint you in three months” is a sentence owners remember. Many come back when the other agent’s high price has not worked.

After the meeting

Send a written summary the same day: the evidence, your recommended price range, the costs and the next step. Even if you do not win the listing today, you have given the owner the most professional valuation they received.

Respect in a City of Many Cultures

Your clients come from all over the world, often in the same day. Small courtesies show respect, and respect builds the trust that big transactions need.

In one morning you might speak to a family from the Gulf, an investor from India, a couple from the UK and a buyer from Russia. Each brings different habits around greetings, time, family and business. You cannot learn every custom. You can learn the common courtesies of the place you work in, and stay curious and humble about the rest.

Greetings

In the UAE, “As-salamu alaykum” is a warm and widely used greeting, and the reply is “Wa alaykum as-salam”. If a client greets you with it, return it. You do not need to be Muslim to answer politely. In any culture, start with a greeting and a question about how they are before business. Rushing straight to the point can feel rude.

Use titles until you are invited not to. “Mr. Khalid” until he says “Call me Khalid.” Learn how to pronounce every client’s name, and ask if you are unsure. People forgive a question. They notice a name said wrongly every time.

Handshakes

Wait for the other person to offer a hand, especially across genders. Many people, men and women, prefer not to shake hands with the opposite sex. If no hand is offered, place your right hand on your heart and nod slightly. It is a respectful and common greeting in the region. If a hand is offered, shake it, and do not crush it.

Ramadan

During Ramadan, many clients are fasting from dawn to sunset. Working hours are often shorter and energy is lower in the afternoon.

• Greet clients with “Ramadan Kareem”.
• Do not eat, drink or chew gum in front of people who are fasting, including at viewings.
• Avoid calling in the hour before iftar, when families are preparing to break the fast.
• Expect slower replies and be patient with timelines.

Prayer times and Fridays

If a client says they are going to pray, end the call politely and agree a time to call back. Do not book meetings that clash with Friday midday prayers, which matter to many Muslim clients. The UAE working week runs Monday to Friday, with Friday afternoons often quieter, so plan important calls for other days where you can.

Personal space and dress

Give people more space than you might at home, especially across genders. At viewings, let clients walk ahead and keep a polite distance. Dress modestly and professionally. It shows respect for the client and the place.

Respect lives in the small things: a name said right, a hand not pushed, a call not made just before iftar.

Treat the person, not the passport

Customs are a starting point, never a rule about an individual. Do not assume a client’s budget, religion, taste or behaviour from their nationality. The quiet buyer may have the biggest budget. The client in the expensive car may be a tenant. Listen to the person in front of you.

If you are not sure what is respectful, ask, or follow their lead. “Is it all right if we meet after Friday prayers?” is always better than guessing.

The Ten Objections

Every agent hears the same ten objections. Behind each one is a real meaning. Answer the meaning, calmly and honestly, and most objections turn into conversations.

An objection is not an attack. It is the client telling you something: they are worried, busy, unsure or not ready. Your job is not to win the argument. It is to understand what they mean and respond to that. If they still say no after that, respect it.

For each objection below: what it usually means, then what to say.

1. “I’m not selling.”

Usually means: I’m not planning to sell right now, and I expect a sales pitch. What to say: “That’s fine, I’m not calling to ask you to. I’m calling because a unit in your building sold last week, and I thought you’d like to know the price for your own records. Shall I send it?”

2. “I already have an agent.”

Usually means: I’m loyal, or I’m tired of being asked. What to say: “Good, it’s important to have someone you trust. I won’t interfere. If it’s useful, I’ll keep sending you sale prices in your building, so you have a second view. Is that all right?”

3. “Send me something.”

Usually means: I want to end this call politely. What to say: “Happy to. So I send you the right thing and not a pile of listings, what would be most useful: recent sale prices, rental figures, or both?” Then send it, and call to follow up.

4. “The market is too high.” Or: “too low.”

Usually means: I’m worried about timing. What to say: “It’s a fair worry. Can I show you what has actually transferred in your community over the last few months? Then you can decide on the numbers, not on what you’ve heard.”

5. “I’m busy.”

Usually means: now is not a good time. What to say: “Of course. Is there a better time later today or tomorrow? It will take five minutes.” Then call at exactly that time.

6. “How did you get my number?”

Usually means: I want to know if this is legitimate. What to say: tell the truth, immediately. “You enquired about the Business Bay apartment in March.” Or: “James asked me to call you.” Or: “We handled your tenancy renewal last year.” If you cannot answer that question honestly, you should not have made the call.

7. “Not interested.”

Usually means: not interested in what they think you are offering. What to say, once: “Understood. Just so I don’t call you about the wrong thing, is it selling you’re not interested in, or anything to do with the property at all?” If they say they want no calls, thank them, record it and stop.

8. “Your commission is too high.”

Usually means: I don’t yet see what I’m paying for. What to say: “That’s a fair question. Let me show you exactly what’s included: pricing, marketing, buyer checks, contracts, the NOC, the trustee appointment. Then you can decide if it’s worth it.” Do not cut your fee in panic. Explain your value first.

9. “I’ll wait.”

Usually means: I’m hoping prices will rise, or I’m afraid of deciding. What to say: “Waiting can be the right choice. Can I ask what you’re waiting for? If it’s a price, let’s look at where the evidence says the market is and decide together whether waiting makes sense for you.”

10. “I’ll sell it myself.”

Usually means: I want to save the commission. What to say: “That’s your right, and some owners do. If it helps, I’m happy to send you a checklist of the transfer steps. And if it takes longer than you’d like, I’m here.” Stay helpful. Owners who try alone often come back to the agent who was polite.

Answer what the objection means, not what it says.

Never argue, never lie

Do not argue with an objection or pressure the client. Do not invent a buyer or a deadline to get past it. If the honest answer does not work, the client is not ready. Note it, set the right follow-up group and move on.

Presenting Offers

How you present an offer can matter as much as the number. Lead with the strength of the buyer, explain the market honestly and help the owner respond with a plan.

You have an offer. The buyer is waiting. The owner is about to hear a number lower than the asking price. Many agents panic and say the number first: “We’ve got an offer at two point one.” The owner hears only the gap and the conversation is over before it starts.

Present every genuine offer

Present every genuine offer to the owner, in writing, even a low one. It is the owner’s decision, not yours. Never hide an offer because you think it is too low, and never tell a buyer the owner’s lowest price without the owner’s permission.

Buyer strength before the number

Start with who the buyer is and why the offer is strong. Strength is not only price.

• How they are paying: cash, or a mortgage with pre-approval already in hand.
• Their timing: ready to sign Form F this week, flexible on the transfer date.
• Their deposit: ready to give the security cheque on signing.
• Their seriousness: they have viewed twice, brought their family, asked the right questions.

“Mr. Rajan, I have a strong buyer for you. Cash, no mortgage, they can sign this week and they’re flexible on the transfer date to suit your move. They’ve seen it twice. Their offer is two point one.”

Now the number arrives with context. The owner is weighing a whole package, not just a figure.

Below your asking, not below the market

If the offer is below the asking price, help the owner see it against the evidence, not against their hopes. “It’s below your asking price. It isn’t below the market. The last three sales in your building were between two point oh and two point one five.”

Never invent comparisons, and never make an offer sound better or worse than it is. If the offer is genuinely low, say so: “This one is under the market. I’m presenting it because every genuine offer should reach you, and you may want to reject it or counter.”

An offer is a package, not a number. Present the package first.

The counter strategy

If the owner wants to counter, help them build a plan, not just a number.

• Counter with terms as well as price. A higher price for a faster transfer, or for including the furniture.
• Leave room. A counter at the full asking price usually ends the conversation. A counter that moves shows good faith.
• Decide the walk-away point in advance, privately, and keep it confidential.
• Put every offer and counter in writing, with a time limit for the reply.

Never invent another buyer or a deadline to push either side. If there really is a second offer, you can say so. If there is not, you do not.

Take the emotion out of the room

Owners can be hurt by low offers. Buyers can be offended by high counters. You are the calm voice between them. Speak about facts, evidence and options. Keep personal comments about the other side out of it.

Bad News and Saying No

Bad news delivered early, honestly and with options keeps clients. Bad news delayed or hidden loses them. The same is true when you have to say no.

Every agent has to deliver bad news. A price that is too high. A buyer who pulled out. A mortgage valuation that came in low. A tenant who is leaving. The temptation is to delay the call, soften the message until it disappears, or send it by text. Do not. Bad news never gets better with age.

Call, don’t text

Serious bad news deserves your voice. Call first, then confirm in writing. A text feels like you are hiding.

Use a simple structure:

• Prepare them: “I have some news on the sale, and it isn’t what we hoped.”
• Give the fact clearly, in one or two sentences.
• Stop. Let them react. Do not rush to fill the silence.
• Give the options, with your recommendation.
• Agree the next step.

Price reductions as market feedback

When a property has been on the market for weeks without offers, the market is telling you something. Present it as feedback, not as your opinion or a failure.

“In six weeks we’ve had fourteen viewings and no offers. The feedback is consistent: buyers like the apartment but compare it to two similar units listed for less. The market is giving us its answer. We have two options. We can adjust the price to where the recent sales are, which should bring offers within a few weeks. Or we can keep the price and accept that it may take much longer. What I’d recommend is the first, but it’s your decision.”

Two clear options, the evidence behind them and your honest recommendation. The owner keeps control and you keep their trust.

The market is giving us its answer. Our job is to decide what to do with it.

Angry clients

Sometimes a client is angry, at the market, at the other side, or at you. Stay calm and let them speak. Do not interrupt or defend yourself in the first minute.

• Acknowledge the feeling: “I understand why you’re frustrated. I would be too.”
• If you made a mistake, own it at once and say what you will do to fix it.
• If you did not, explain the facts calmly, without blaming anyone.
• End with an action: what happens next and when they will hear from you.

If a client becomes abusive, you can end the call politely: “I want to help, and I’ll call you back this afternoon when we can talk it through.” Then tell your manager.

Saying no to bad listings

Not every listing is good business. Say no, politely, when:

• The owner wants a price the evidence cannot support and will not agree a review date.
• The owner will not sign the listing agreement or provide the documents you need.
• Something about the ownership, the funds or the paperwork does not feel right. Raise it with your compliance team.
• The owner wants you to mislead buyers about the property.

“I don’t think I’m the right agent for this at that price, and I’d rather tell you now than waste your time.” It is hard to say. It saves you months, and owners respect it more than you expect.

Eleven Real Calls

Reading about calls is useful. Hearing them is better. Here are eleven complete calls covering the situations you will meet most often, each with a short note on why it works.

These calls are realistic examples, not scripts to read word for word. Every client in them is someone the agent has a genuine reason to call: a past client, an owner the office works with, an enquiry or a referral. Notice how short the agent’s lines are, how often the agent asks instead of tells, and how every call ends with a clear next step.

Notice also how the calls end. Daniel Kahneman’s peak-end rule says people remember an experience mostly by its strongest moment and its ending. In every call below, the agent finishes on something clear, warm and useful. That last impression is what the client carries into the next conversation.

How to practise with these calls

• Read each call out loud with a colleague. One plays Omar, the other plays the client. Then swap.
• Second time through, the client changes one answer. The agent has to respond without the script.
• After each call, name the six steps from Chapter 12 and find where each one happens.
• Write your own version for a real client on your list, in your own words.

In every good call, the agent’s lines are short and the client’s lines are long.

Ten Mistakes That Kill Calls

Most bad calls fail for the same few reasons. Learn to spot these ten mistakes in yourself and you will fix most of your calls before you make them.

Good agents still make mistakes. The difference is that they notice them, name them and stop repeating them. Read this list, then listen to yourself on your next ten calls. You will probably find two or three of your own.

1. Calling without a reason

“Just checking in to see if you want to sell” is not a reason. It is a request, and clients hear it as one. Every call needs a genuine reason that is useful to the client: a fact, an update, an answer, a date. If you cannot find one, wait until you can.

2. Pitching in the first breath

The client has not yet worked out who you are, and you are already describing a property. Do the three jobs of the first ten seconds, then start a conversation. The pitch, if there is one, comes much later.

3. Talking more than the client

If you talked for most of the call, you learned very little. Aim for the client to talk around 70 per cent of the time. Your job is to ask, listen and guide, not to fill the line.

4. Filling every silence

You ask a good question, there is a pause, and you panic and answer it yourself. Or you ask a second question on top of the first. Silence is where clients think. Count two in your head and let them speak.

5. Arguing with objections

“But prices are rising!” “But we’re the best agency!” Arguing makes the client defend their position more strongly. Find out what the objection means and answer that, calmly. If the answer is still no, accept it.

6. Faking urgency, buyers or prices

A fake buyer, a fake deadline or an inflated valuation may get you one meeting. In a market as connected as Dubai, it will also cost you your reputation, the client and possibly your licence. Only say what is true.

One false sentence can undo a hundred honest calls.

7. Ending without a next step

“Let me know if you need anything” is how most calls end, and it is why most calls lead nowhere. Nobody lets you know. End every call with a clear, small, agreed next step and a date.

8. Not logging the call

You had a great conversation and learned that the client’s lease ends in June. Three months later you have forgotten. Log every call in the CRM before you dial the next one, with the client’s own words and the next step.

9. Breaking the rules on who, when and how

Calling someone with no documented link to your office. Calling at 8 pm. Calling from your personal mobile. Calling again after they said no. Each of these breaks the rules from Chapter 4, and each one makes clients trust agents less. Follow them every time, even when no one is watching.

10. Following up too little, or too much

Some agents call once and give up. Others call every two days until the client blocks them. Use the follow-up rhythm from Chapter 16: hot within 48 hours, warm every two to four weeks, not now every quarter, and no means never again. Every follow-up should bring something new.

How to catch your own mistakes

• Record your role-plays and listen back once a week.
• Ask a colleague or your manager to listen to your side of a few real calls.
• After every call, ask yourself one question: “Did that call give the client something useful?” If the answer is no, find the mistake.

The 30-Day Plan

Reading this book changes what you know. Practising it for thirty days changes what you do. Here is a plan you can start tomorrow morning.

Skills on the phone are like skills in sport. You do not learn them by reading. You learn them by doing the same small things, correctly, every day, until they happen without thinking. Thirty days is long enough to build the habits and short enough to stay committed.

Agree the plan with your manager before you start, and choose a role-play partner: another agent who wants to improve as much as you do.

Every day: the fifteen-minute warm-up

Before your first call block, every working day:

• Voice: two minutes of reading aloud, standing, slowly, with a smile on the first word.
• The 10-second drill: three openers for three real clients on today’s list.
• One objection: your partner gives you one of the ten objections and you answer it out loud.
• Your list: check that every number on today’s list has a documented source and a genuine reason to call.

Week 1: Foundations

Focus: your list, your voice and the first ten seconds.

• Clean your CRM as described in Chapter 4. Tag every contact by source and remove anything you cannot tag.
• Put two call blocks in your calendar every working day, within 9 am to 6 pm.
• Write your openers for the week the evening before.
• Start tracking your three numbers: calls, conversations, next steps.
• Record yourself in role-play and listen back once.

Week 2: Conversation

Focus: the six layers, the question ladder and listening.

• On every call, ask the one-to-ten question and “What would make it a nine?”
• Climb at least two steps of the question ladder with every client who has time.
• End every call with a summary that starts “So if I’ve understood...”
• Role-play with your partner for fifteen minutes three times this week. One of you plays the client and changes the answers.

Week 3: Openers and hard moments

Focus: matching openers, objections and bad news.

• Match every client on your list to one of the twelve openers and use at least six different openers this week.
• Practise the ten objections with your partner until you can answer any of them without notes.
• Make the one call you have been avoiding: the bad news, the price conversation or the client who went quiet.
• Call back every inbound enquiry within five minutes.

Week 4: Putting it together

Focus: full calls, face-to-face practice and review.

• Choose three of the eleven calls in Chapter 24 and practise them with your partner, then make the real versions.
• Attend one open house, launch or event and approach three people you do not know.
• Ask for one referral from a happy past client, at the end of a good call.
• Compare your three numbers from week 1 and week 4. Which one has improved most? Which one needs work?

You don’t need to feel ready to call. You get ready by calling.

Record yourself, the right way

Record your role-plays as often as you like, and listen back. You will hear things you never notice live: the rising pitch, the rushed name, the filled silence. Do not record calls with clients unless your company has an approved system and the client knows the call is recorded. Privacy matters, and so does the law.

Your manager listens to five calls a month

Ask your manager to listen to five of your calls every month, either by sitting beside you during a call block or through your company’s approved system. After each one, ask for one thing you did well and one thing to change. Not ten things. One. Work on that one until the next review.

Day 30

Sit down with your manager and your numbers. Look at the three numbers, the notes from the calls they heard and your list of mistakes from Chapter 25. Agree the focus for the next thirty days. Then keep going. The agents who are best on the phone are not the ones who were born confident. They are the ones who never stopped practising.