When a buyer says rates are too high or a seller refuses to work with agents, arguing rarely works. Brian Foraker shares a three-word formula his team uses to turn objections into opportunities.

The Feel-Felt-Found Formula: How to Handle Any Objection Without Arguing

Every agent has heard it:

"Interest rates are too high."
"We're not working with an agent."
"I'm just browsing—I'm not ready."

The instinct is to jump in and prove them wrong. Actually, rates are historically normal. Actually, agents net you more money. Actually, now is a great time to buy.

But when you argue with someone's objection, you're telling them they're wrong. And nobody likes being told they're wrong—especially by a stranger on a cold call.

Brian Foraker, founder of Foraker Realty Co., teaches his team a different approach: feel, felt, found.

Walk Over to Their Side First

"If there's a seller and me, and they give me an objection, I can either prove them wrong or I can walk over to them, say 'I know how you feel,' grab their hand, and walk them back over to my side," Brian explains.

The key is letting them come to the conclusion on their own—so they're not wrong, they're just learning something new.

Here's how it works:

Feel: Acknowledge their concern. "I understand how you feel. Rates are really high right now."
Felt: Normalize it. "Most of our buyers felt the exact same way."
Found: Offer the solution. "What they found is if you can find your dream home and still keep your payment affordable, a lot of buyers are making that bet. The alternative is renting, and rent goes up about 10% every year."

Then close with a question that shifts focus: "Let me ask—is the interest rate the most important factor, or is it finding the right home for your family?"

Why It Works

This formula works because it does three things:

It validates the objection. You're not dismissing their concern or telling them they're misinformed. You're saying, "You're not alone. This is normal."
It builds social proof. "Most of our clients felt the same way" creates safety. If other smart people thought this and still moved forward, maybe it's not a crazy idea.
It reframes the problem. Instead of making it about the objection, you redirect to the real issue: finding the right home, getting top dollar, moving on their timeline.

Real Examples from the Field

Commission Objection

Objection: "I don't want to pay a commission."
Response: "I understand how you feel. Every dollar matters. Many sellers felt the exact same way. What they found is our marketing netted 3 to 5% higher offers, more than covering the fees. Let me ask—what's your goal for the sale? Are you looking to maximize your proceeds or minimize your timeline?"

"I'm Staying Loyal to My Agent"

Objection: "We're sticking with our agent."
Response: "That makes sense. Loyalty matters. Others felt that too. What they found is a backup strategy actually helped their agent succeed faster—sometimes just knowing there's a plan B lights a fire. Let me ask—how long has your home been on the market so far?"

"I'm Just Browsing"

Objection: "I'm not ready to buy yet."
Response: "I understand. Timing is everything. Most buyers felt it was early too. What they found is a quick planning conversation saved them weeks when they were ready. Let me ask—what's drawing you to this area?"

"We're Waiting for the Market to Shift"

Objection: "We want to wait and see what happens."
Response: "Market shifts can be scary. A lot of our sellers felt the exact same way. What they found is selling now and buying later with a rent-back option put them ahead. Let me ask—where are you planning to move?"

The Missing Piece: Rapport First

Here's the part most agents miss: you can't use feel-felt-found in the first 30 seconds.

When someone objects early in the call, Brian's advice is simple: park it.

"Agree with them—'Totally hear you, rates are tough right now'—then pivot. Ask where they're moving, how long they've been looking, what's important to them. Build rapport for two or three minutes. Then circle back with feel-felt-found."

Why? Because trust takes time. If you try to solve their problem before they trust you, it doesn't matter how good your answer is. They're not listening yet.

Use It Everywhere

Brian uses this formula in nearly every scenario:

FSBO and expired calls
Buyer lead follow-up
Agent-to-agent negotiations ("I know your buyers love the home. Let me see what I can do.")
Even listing presentations when sellers push back on price or commission

"It's not about memorizing a script," Brian says. "It's about internalizing a framework. The words change every time, but the structure is the same."

FAQ

What if the objection is something I can't solve?
You can still validate it. "I understand how you feel" works even if you don't have a magic solution. Sometimes just being heard is enough to keep the conversation going.

Should I use feel-felt-found every single time?
Yes—but only after you've built rapport. If you lead with it, it sounds like a sales tactic. If you use it after listening and asking questions, it sounds like helpful advice.

What if they give me multiple objections in a row?
Same formula, every time. Acknowledge, normalize, reframe, then ask a question that moves the conversation forward. Stay calm, stay curious, and keep driving toward your goal.