You’ve successfully signed a buyer broker agreement, but now comes the real challenge: getting that buyer under contract. If you’ve ever had a client who looked at many homes but never pulled the trigger, you know how frustrating it can be. The good news is, there are three key skills you can develop to convert your signed buyers into pending sales.

1. Pre-Qualify Your Buyer – Beyond the Financials

While getting your buyer pre-approved for a loan is essential, it’s only half the battle. To move from signed agreement to under contract, you need to personally qualify them. This means understanding why they are buying and what motivates them to act now.

Are they motivated by a job relocation, a growing family, or just the desire to own a home? It’s crucial to know whether their reasons for buying align with the demands of today’s market. For example, in a seller’s market where multiple offers are the norm, does your client have the motivation to compete? If their drive doesn’t meet the competitive nature of the market, they might struggle to make a successful offer.

Understanding their motivation gives you insight into how committed they are to the process. Without the right mindset, they may not be ready to take the action needed to secure a home.

2. Set Realistic Expectations

To me, setting expectations is the Jedi-level skillset of real estate sales. Setting expectations is a critical step in ensuring your buyer doesn’t get discouraged and gives them the best chance at success. Start with their budget and what it can actually buy in today’s market.

In many cases, buyers come with high expectations—thinking their budget should stretch further than it can in a competitive market. As the saying goes, “champagne tastes with a beer budget.” Make sure your buyer understands what their financial capacity will actually afford them in terms of property size, condition, and location.

Another key expectation to set is what it takes to win in today’s market. Multiple offer situations are a reality. Review with them the different strategies available to them to win in a competitive situation. Discuss offering above asking price, waiving some contingencies, offering appraisal gap coverage, increasing post-closing occupancy, etc. Buyers who understand what it takes to win are more likely to take the necessary steps to secure the home they want.

3. Ask for the Sale

This final skill is straightforward, but surprisingly many agents overlook it: ask for the sale! When you’ve found the right home for your buyer, ask them directly: “Would you like to make an offer?” Many buyers will hesitate or need some prompting to take action, so it’s your job to guide them.

If they express hesitation, it’s time to handle their objections. Whether it’s the price, condition, or location, there’s always a way to address concerns—either through negotiation, terms, or your expertise on the local market. Once you’ve handled the objections, ask again: “So would you like to go ahead and make an offer?”

Sometimes, getting a buyer under contract requires persistence, but with the right approach, you can move them from “looking” to “buying.”

The Outcome

Turning signed buyers into pending sales requires a blend of qualification, expectation-setting, and assertive action. Start by ensuring your buyer is personally motivated and financially capable, then set clear expectations about what they can realistically achieve. Finally, always ask for the business and be prepared to handle any objections that come your way.