How your body language could be helping or hurting your real estate career

“Make yourself look at your client’s eyes 80 percent of the time, consciously looking away the other 20 percent,” advised Bob Phibbs, CEO of the Retail Doctor based in New York.

Phibbs said that more than half, 55 percent, of our language communicating with another person is non-verbal, and that your body language could be affecting your sales.

“You either make someone comfortable or uncomfortable with your posture, your arm position, your eyes and your feet position. We buy from people we trust and trust means showing ‘I have time for you right now’ without distractions,” said Phibbs.

How do you know if you’re giving out the right body language? When you’re holding an open house, Phibbs suggested setting up your smart phone to look at the way you greet people and their body response to you. “Are you still doing the 50s ‘Hi I’m ___, and you’re?’ with an outstretched hand?” he asked. “Look at the way their body responds and work to become more natural like you’d greet a friend at Starbucks,” he suggested.

If you’re allowing your intention to be easily drawn away from the person you are meeting with either via your phone or following a noise, you’re not signaling their importance. “Like Luke Skywalker said in the original Star Wars, ‘Stay on target,’” quoted Phibbs.

“Do they push back away from you showing you’re coming on too strong? Do they cross their arms and/or legs showing they are protecting themselves because they feel they can’t trust you? Do they lean in just a bit showing they are right there with you? The clues are all around if you just notice,” said Phibbs.