Menu
Let’s dive into a useful script to use when an owner says, “But the other agent will get me a higher rent.”
To make this work effectively, you need to know your stuff.
You need to understand the property’s true rental value and have a good grasp of the market.
If the other agent is overpricing, this script will help you handle the objection confidently.
Remember, this approach won't work if you're unsure of the rental market—knowing your market rents accurately is essential for this script to work.
Before jumping into the script, it's important to educate the owner on the costs of vacancy. For every week a property is vacant, it costs the owner about 2% of the annual rent. That’s a huge expense over time. Let’s break it down:
There are about 50 weeks in a year (52.1 weeks to be exact), and each week that the property is sitting empty, it racks up a 2% loss.
Multiply that by 50 weeks, and you’ve got 100% of the annual rent potentially lost if a property remains vacant for that year period.
This math is something most owners (and even some property managers) don’t fully understand.
Revealing these numbers to the owner can be a real eye-opener.
Every seven days their property is vacant equals 2% of their annual income.
3 weeks is 6%, 5 weeks is a 10% loss (likely more than your whole yearly management fee).
If you haven’t yet, make sure to grab a copy of the PM Fee Script Secrets book. It’s free—just cover the shipping by visiting IGTCentral.com.
The book is packed with scripts like this one, which will give you the confidence to tackle fee objections. Let’s look at page 118 and dive into script 32.
Script:
“Mr. Smith, sometimes another agent will quote a higher rent figure to impress you. Their goal is simply to win your business, not to provide you with an accurate market estimate.
Once they sign you up, they may list your property at this higher rate and later begin to work you down to a lower rent. They know that switching agents feels like a hassle once you’ve signed the agreement, so they take advantage of that.”
Explain to the owner how this tactic works: the agent anchors them at a high rate, knowing they’ll be forced to adjust later, once the property fails to attract tenants.
It’s a sneaky but common trick.
Highlight the Costs: “For every week your property is vacant, it costs you 2% of your annual income. If your property is vacant for five weeks, that’s 10%—which is more than our yearly management fee! Did you know that?
Proper management means researching the market and pricing your property correctly so it rents quickly and does not sit vacant on the market as quality tenants pass it by.”
Moving on to script 33 from the book ‘PM Fee Scripts Secrets’, which is just as important.
If your property is overpriced, good tenants won’t apply. They know what fair market rent is—they can easily compare prices on rental portals.
Here’s how you can frame this discussion:
Script: “Mr. Smith, our concern is that the other agent’s rent figure is above the fair market rate. Good tenants are savvy; they know what’s reasonable and will avoid overpriced properties. This leaves you at risk of attracting bad tenants—those who will apply because they’re desperate and willing to say anything to secure a place.”
Explain that good tenants will simply scroll past overpriced listings, leaving the property vulnerable to bad tenants, who might cause further issues down the line.
You’re going to hear the ‘higher rent’ objection from time to time, but now you have a solid response in your toolkit. Make sure you’ve practiced these scripts so they come off confidently when you’re handling any fee objection.
If you’re looking for more scripts to handle other objections, grab your copy of the PM Fee Script Secrets book. It’s a must-have for anyone dealing with property management challenges. Remember, you can get it free at IGTCentral.com—just cover the shipping.
The complete PM HANDBOOK on how to WIN THE BEST FEES with new clients and INCREASE YOUR FEES with your current clients without losing them to cheaper agents
[UNLOCKED] How to WIN the deal and your FULL FEES with CONFIDENCE...no matter how low your rivals discount or reduce their fees.
Every PM fee objection you'll ever face has an effective response! You'll find it...in this book!
The kick-butt time management handbook for crazy busy property managers who want to beat burn-out, reduce stress, take control and get their life back!
[UNLOCKED] PROVEN Strategies, Hacks and Techniques.
Revealed...secrets to 40+ effective ways to generate hot leads to grow your rent roll without relying on salespeople.
How to win the best property management fees in the marketing with confidence, no matter how cheap your rivals discount or reduce their fees.
Rent Roll Growth Strategies...ready to go!