One of the biggest headaches I see Realtors carrying today is the obsession with one question: “How do I get people to trust me?”
Here is the “straight-talk” truth:
The moment someone senses you are trying to “sell” them, their psychological guard goes up. This isn’t because you are a bad person. It happens to everyone, even your own mother.
If you walk up to her and say, “Mum, I’ve got this incredible land deal,” she’ll probably give you that classic Nigerian side-eye that says, “This boy has come again.” That isn’t a lack of trust; it is Sales Resistance. It is human nature to protect one’s resources from a perceived “predator.”
Trust is Not a Goal; it’s a Byproduct
You cannot force trust any more than you can force a plant to grow by pulling on the leaves. Trust is the natural byproduct of a professional sales process. When you follow a proven framework, trust happens automatically because you stop looking like a hunter and start looking like a consultant.
As the legendary Tom Hopkins teaches, there are four pillars to breaking down resistance and building a high-authority relationship:
1. The Persona: Credibility and Competence
You must show up appropriately. Before you open your mouth, your branding, your digital footprint, and your physical carriage must scream “Industry Leader.” If you don’t look like you’ve handled ₦100M deals, nobody will trust you with ₦10M.
2. The Audit: Identifying the “Need”
Stop pitching and start auditing. Is your client looking for Long-term Wealth (Land Banking) or Immediate Utility (Home Ownership)? If you offer a “buy-and-build” plot to a “land-banking” investor, you lose credibility instantly.
3. The Proof: Your Ability to “Help”
This is where you showcase your track record. Help is demonstrated through case studies, past project deliveries, and satisfied client testimonials. You aren’t “selling” land; you are providing a solution to their wealth-preservation problem.
4. The Timeline: Aligning with the “Hurry”
Every investor has a different clock. Some want to flip in 12 months; others are buying for children who are currently 2 years old. If your pitch doesn’t align with their Hurry, you are out of sync.
Strategy Insight: The “Pest” vs. The “Professional”
Too many Realtors act like “pests”standing in traffic, shoving flyers into car windows, or “vomiting” a memorized pitch into LinkedIn DMs. This doesn’t build wealth; it builds annoyance. A professional doesn’t chase; a professional qualifies.
A Better Way to Open the Door
Stop the “PowerPoint” presentation in the first 30 seconds. Keep your opening simple and diagnostic:
“Good morning, sir. Have you ever considered investing in real estate? And are you aware of the current pros and cons of the Nigerian market?”
If they say No: Respect their time and move on. You’ve saved your energy for a real prospect.
If they say Yes: You have just opened a genuine, high-value conversation where they are the ones asking you for information.
The Bottom Line
Stop obsessing over “trust.” Build a consistent, repeatable process and follow it every single time. Trust follows consistency like a shadow follows a man.
Stop Playing Small. Start Building Wealth.
I am Eze Maximus Chukwujindu. I help savvy investors scale to 50–100x returns with proven real estate strategies and coach Realtors to smash the ₦1B+ annual sales ceiling.
The next move is yours. Let’s talk: Click here to enter my WhatsApp Inbox: wa.me/+2348129359176 or join my WhatsApp channel here: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaM0svgCnA7lLd4P130x
