As I interviewed an agent a few weeks ago, I was taken aback by one of her questions.

She bluntly asked me: “How old are you?”

At first, I was surprised at her boldness and tone. Age is hardly an appropriate question to ask someone who is interviewing you!

But after a second of rationalization, I figured that the question wasn’t really about me, but about her personal reservations in entrusting her career to someone who appeared youthful.

In her mind’s eye, youth may mean inexperience, which in turn could lead to lost time and money amidst a challenging market.

My old sales mentor had taught me the risk we take when we make assumptions and he taught me the virtue of clarifying objections with good questions.

Therefore, I smiled politely, thanked her for her question, and asked her to expand her original question so that it included a possible benefit to her.

She looked puzzled. But after a few moments she asked: “How does having a younger manager give me an advantage in a struggling market?”

At that point, I quickly pointed out the tech and marketing know-how that agents I coach use to consistently sell and list homes.

Amazingly, just like that, the objection dissolved and we moved on to talk about other pertinent issues.

In my opinion, younger professionals need to create, practice, and deliver a dialogue that addresses experience questions. Sellers and buyers demand that the real estate practitioner they choose to hire have the professional maturity to cope with today’s competitive marketplace.

Moreover, be careful with assumptions and take some time to delve deeper to the objection. You may find that it’s not only an opportunity to gain some insight on the person you’re speaking with but also a chance to use this knowledge to develop a client!

Hugo Torres, e-PRO, is an agent coach, mentor, and guide to real estate practitioners at Century 21 Adams & Barnes in Monrovia, Calif.