Working With Buyers Feels Different Right Now — Here’s Why

Working with buyers right now feels different — because it is. Between higher interest rates, economic uncertainty, changing inventory levels, and nonstop media panic, many buyers are feeling anxious, hesitant, overwhelmed, or completely frozen.

In this episode, Lindsay breaks down how to confidently guide buyers through a shifting market without pressure, fear tactics, or pretending you have a crystal ball. This is a practical conversation about buyer psychology, communication, leadership, and the systems agents need to stay proactive when buyers are spiraling, ghosting, or second-guessing every decision.

If you want to become the calm, strategic agent buyers trust in uncertain markets, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn

•  What buyers are secretly worried about right now 
•  How to lead buyers without overpromising or fearmongering 
•  Why empathy is your biggest advantage in a shifting market 
•  How increased inventory changes buyer behavior 
•  The importance of resetting buyer expectations early 
•  Why monthly payment matters more than purchase price 
•  How to stay proactive with lenders and pre-approvals 
•  Why agents should actively manage the home search process 
•  Creative strategies for finding opportunities in today’s market 
•  The communication systems every buyer agent needs 
•  What a “State of the Union” buyer check-in looks like 
•  How to handle buyers who pause their search or ghost you 
•  Why voice notes and videos build stronger client relationships 
•  The mindset shift that helps agents thrive in uncertain markets

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Transcript

Welcome And Market Reality Check

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey there, it is Lindsay Dreyer with Happy Agent Co. Welcome to the podcast. Today we are talking about one of my favorite topics. Isn't like every topic my favorite topic though? Oh my gosh, I keep saying that and I probably shouldn't. Anyway, working with buyers in a shifting market. I am personally into markets and I coach agents across the country. And things are interesting right now. We have high interest rates still. I would say a weird, unpredictable economy, more listings in most places. So if you are feeling like working with buyers lately is a little, I don't know, let's say trickier, you are not imagining it. But I really, really truly believe that this market is full of opportunities, just like any market is. And if you know how to lead your clients through it, it can be a really great time to build and grow your business. So today we are talking strategy, psychology, and exactly what you need to be doing if your buyers are spiraling or ghosting you. But before we talk about scripts or strategies, I want to talk about buyer psychology. What are buyers thinking right now, but maybe they are not saying? Because here's the real deal: your buyer is not just deciding on a house. They are trying to feel safe by making a huge financial decision in a market that either they're scared of or they don't understand. And what they are silently scared of, what their silent fears are, should they wait? Is now an actually

What Buyers Fear But Avoid Saying

SPEAKER_00 1:44

good time to buy a property? Am I going to overpay for a property? Is the market going to crash? And then I am back in 2009, 2010. Will interest rates drop next year? Would that have been a better time for me to purchase? And really, what if the market just totally crashes after I buy? Am I going to be stuck with this house forever and ever? Our job is to answer those fears in an honest, ethical way. I don't think anyone has a crystal ball. I wish I did, but we can't time the market. We can't tell our clients, yes, now is a great time to buy. And if you are saying that, you need to stop it, stop it right now. We need to lead them through it. So maybe today isn't the best time. I don't know. I don't have a crystal ball. However, can you afford the monthly payment? That is pretty much going to be fixed for 30 years. Is this a house you can see yourself being in long term? And if it is not, are you comfortable becoming a landlord? Really coaching our clients through plan A, plan B, plan C will make them feel comfortable. And it is our job. We need to reassure them without overpromising. We need to educate them without overwhelming them and ultimately leading with facts and honesty and being empathetic. Because empathy is your superpower in dealing with buyers in a shifting market. You really need to see things from their point of view, which is why I wanted to go over what they're thinking, but what they're not saying right now. I also love to say that inventory is the great motivator. People like to shop around. So if you're in a market, which I feel like the number of properties for sale is going up, but if you are in a market where there is a lot to choose from or more to choose from than there has been, that is a great thing because now buyers feel like they can look, they can shop, they can window shop. And I feel like buyers right now are feeling a little bit more confident with their decisions because they're able to see more properties that are on the market. They also are allowed to think a little bit longer. So the like craziness of like, here's an offer deadline in 12 hours isn't the norm necessarily. So people are able to make less hurried decisions. Now, I'm not saying that's everywhere, or I know there's micro markets, even in the markets I'm in where things are going quickly, but I do feel like on the whole, buyers are gaining a little bit more sanity. The market is returning a little bit more to balance or to normalcy, which is helpful for buyers. Now that we've dove into the buyer psychology, I want to get into my buyer strategy reset. And this is four steps for you to realign how you work with buyers in a shifting market. So, how do we set them up for success right now, even when the headlights feel like clickbait, where everyone's telling them the world is ending and just everything is going to hell in a handbasket? The first thing is resetting expectations or just even setting expectations. I think

Step One Set Expectations With Data

SPEAKER_00 5:09

using real simple language to explain what's happening with interest rates, inventory, what sellers' mindsets are. I am a huge fan of data. I love a days on market graph, a months of supply graph, how many active listings there are. So if you are able to even give like data, real proper realtor property resource, RPR has some great stuff too, and that's free for realtors. So using market reports and explaining them in real simple language can be so incredibly helpful to showing a buyer what's happening in a market, not even just in a shifting market, in any market. So you need to reframe your success too, which is it's not about the deals, but it's about the fit and sustainability of that client as well. Because you are going to be working with this person potentially longer term. Um, and you're just gonna be like having more conversations, I feel like, because every home is now a conversation piece. It's no longer the 12-hour deadline. It is, oh, let's think about this, let's like evaluate this, and you're gonna be part of that process. So they may not be getting a deal, they may be getting a deal, but it is ultimately about finding a home that fits their lifestyle and their budget in this market. And if you can do that, that is a massive win for your client. So, step number two on our reset is their pre-approval and budget strategy. I really think that lenders need to be involved potentially weekly, maybe even every other week, but getting an update on where their pre-approval is at, especially if it was tight, because rates can be a moving target. So obviously, before you write an offer on anything, you're getting your pre-approval letter, but it is also helpful to just stay up to date and make sure that everything is on the up and up if rates are shifting. I think

Step Two Pre Approval And Payment Comfort

SPEAKER_00 7:15

that it really is going to whatever their monthly payment comfort zone is and not necessarily just the sales price. So really figuring out like what's your monthly payment you're feeling comfortable with, um, and then looking at their monthly payment comfort zone instead of just the total price tag because that's ultimately what they're going to feel day to day. The other thing is if you are looking at something that is or they want to look at something that's outside of their monthly comfort zone, it is okay to tell them that. And then maybe that's something that is has adjusted and they want to update their budget or their monthly comfort zone payment. So just really staying on top of where rates are at, where their pre-approval is at, it's really important in a s're listening to this and thinking, I wish someone would just help me figure this out. That is literally what I do. I offer one-on-one coaching for agents, team leads, and brokerage owners who want a business that actually fits their life. No trendy tactics, no burnout, just clarity, systems, and support. Book your free discovery call at happyagent.co slash coaching. Also, link is in the show notes. Now back to the episode. The third step is staying on top of their search. This is crucial because

Coaching Offer And Quick Break

SPEAKER_00 8:47

there may not only is there increased inventory, but inventory changes over time. So we now have properties that have price decreases. They may have special incentives that they're offering. Maybe the seller's doing improvements or did improvements and they relaunched the listing. So staying on top of an inventory is so important. I always, always search every single day for every single one of my clients.

Step Three Manage The Search Daily

SPEAKER_00 9:14

And that is crucial because now there may be so many listings that your client is busy. They may not have time to scour the MLS or network with other agents to find off-market opportunities. Like they're not doing that. So if you want to sell a home in a shifting market where there's increased inventory, you are the manager of that process. You manage the process, your client decided manages the decision. You need to make sure you are sending properties that might fit their needs. You preview properties that might fit their needs. So it's really important to get creative. Like you might have to look in different neighborhoods too. You might have to recommend cosmetic updates to something. Just you are now, it's not just like order taking. You are now having to manage the search. So just make sure that you are doing that. And also now that things aren't necessarily as competitive, you might be able to get away with a construction loan or a 203K. So there might be opportunity out there, whereas before you couldn't really go after the what I like to call the hidden gems of equity. Um, maybe those weren't even an option, but maybe now they could be. So staying on top of the search is so crucial. And like I will tell you 50%. No, no, no, I'm lying. It's probably 70% of real estate agents just leave that in their clients' hands. And that is a massive, massive mistake. And lastly, on my four-step revamp process uh for working with buyers in a shifting market is to reinforce your process and your communication. I really like creating a check-in structure. So whether that's a weekly update, it might be the lender update, it the new listings, daily, whatever your check-in structure is, you need to have one. And I know that sometimes you're like, I don't know, you're going on like four or five months working with somebody. I also love to have a state of the union conversation. That's what I call them. And I like

Step Four Check Ins That Build Trust

SPEAKER_00 11:22

to do them in person if possible. At the very least, I do it on the phone. But it's about, hey, here's where my expectations of the search are at. Here's the budget we're dealing with, here's the areas, here's the home, here's the features. Has any of that changed? Here's your timeline. So state of the union check-ins are something that are so helpful because you just never know because our clients aren't necessarily thinking of us 24-7. Like we're not top of their mind. They have other things going on, they have a life. So highly recommend creating a check-in structure that works for you and implement the state of the union if you feel like things are not going in a good direction. I feel like that always helps me either move things along, get things back on track, or they just drop out because it's just not a priority for them anymore. And why would you be wasting your time when you don't have to? Also, using templates for your consistent messaging for these check-ins, so important. And being proactive so your clients know that you are looking out for them. And again, that goes back to my like daily updates on properties. Now, if there's nothing that came on the market that week at my weekly update, I'm gonna let them know. I'll be like, you know, I was looking every single day, and there was just nothing that really seemed like it was gonna be a good fit. More communication is better than no communication. So you can tell people every week, I'm gonna send you a quick update of where rates are at, where I checked your pre-approval, what properties have moved, um, anything you need to know. And I just want to let you know that I'm gonna be working every single day to find that right house for you. Buyers want to know that. So be proactive, great communication, stay on top of the lender, just do what you need to do because this is why we earn our commission. Now, this episode would not be complete if I did not talk about what to do when buyers pause their search or they completely ghost you, which absolutely happens, sadly. But if your buyer suddenly disappears or they start thinking about waiting, or they have ghosted your last five texts, welcome to the club. It happens to all of us. Here are some things that you can do. The first is normalize them pausing their search. So I am like, that sounds great. I understand, you need a break. Is it okay for me to check in with you in a month?

When Buyers Pause Or Ghost You

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Or would you like me to check in with you in two weeks and then check in with them? So set a time that makes sense for you to check back in with them. Or if I see a property that is just a total slam dunk, do you want me to get in touch? And that is a question that you can ask, and it is very telling as to where they're at if they say, no, don't get in touch with me if it's a slam dunk. I also, this like leads into that, which is stay present with value. You're not just checking in. It could be something interesting that happened in the market, could be something interesting with mortgage rates. It could be, again, that slam dunk property, could be anything, but stay present with something that's valuable. We're not just checking in. Have a call to action in that checking in. I also really love video and voice notes for a personal low pressure outreach because that shares your enthusiasm, that shares your energy, shares your personality. And ultimately they're working with you for you. And I think that emails are fine, texts are fine, but videos and voice notes, I feel like those just go like a little bit above and beyond. Like people aren't necessarily going to ignore that. So I think that that's important. Now, if someone ghosts you, that happens. Like it's fine. I always tell my coaching clients and my agents at my brokerage that if someone doesn't say, no, leave me alone, or no, I don't want to hear from you again, they're probably just busy. I think a lot of the times we take it so personally, but if you're staying present with value, not just checking in with someone who ghosted you, and you are like just consistently reaching out, not at an annoying level, like we're not doing it annoyingly, people, just maybe like every month or every two weeks, but not like not being crazy. But I think it's important that you are empathetic with that as well. Like people, I know, oh gosh, the millennial generation, we do not like disappointing people. So I we would rather just ghost them than tell them, I'm not interested in buying a house right now, which is hilarious. So don't take it personally. People ghost, and honestly, I've had people ghost me for like five years and then come back and list their house with me. So you just can't take it personally. Just be persistent, stay consistent, but just don't be annoying. I really want you to think of yourself as the calm in the weird or shifting market storm because they really need your steady leadership. And you honestly are built for that. You are good at what you do. So your four-part strategy is to deal with expectation setting, revisit their financial game plan, make sure that that's on point, make sure you're managing the search, and then your communication. You are reinforcing that process and setting expectations with your client. In a shifting market, your systems matter more. What you say to your clients, your communication matters more. But really, most of all, it's your leadership

Lead With Calm Confidence And Systems

SPEAKER_00 16:46

and your confidence that matters the most. You control the process, they control the decisions. Listen, this market is weird. Yeah, it is. Like the world is weird right now. But weird doesn't necessarily mean bad in the market. It means buyers need you. They don't need perfection, but they do need your strategy. They do need your ability to make sense of things. And honestly, that's the magic that we bring. Like you've got the tools, you have that calm energy, you have that stability. So I encourage you to go and be the guide that they need to make successful decisions in the shifting market. If this episode hit home for you, I would love it if you shared it with another agent who needs to hear it. Also, go ahead and say hi to me. If you listen to the episode, screenshot it, post it in your stories, tag me at lindsay.dryer or happy agent co. And I would love to hype you up because I am your ultimate hype girl. And until next time, stay happy.