How To Have a Successful Listing Presentation

A listing presentation is the first step in converting a lead into a client, so it’s pretty important that you’re properly prepared prior to meeting your potential clients. They are putting a lot of trust into the person they pick to list their house, so you want them to feel confident in your abilities to sell their house. But don’t let that overwhelm you! There are a few simple steps you can follow to ensure your listing presentation is a success!Listing Presentation

Do Your Homework

Before you show up to the listing presentation, be sure to run some comps and get some insight into the neighborhood. Look at what houses are selling for, how long they’re on the market, etc. Get a good estimate of what you feel that house may be worth. Print out all the documents you would need if they decided to list with you today. (Note, this doesn’t normally happen, but it can, so be prepared). These documents include the listing agreement, seller disclosure and any HOA documents.

The Tour

When you get to your potential clients house, they usually will take you on a tour of the house. This is where they will point out all their favorite aspects of their house, the closets, the big shower, etc. Keep your eyes out for any potential defects. Especially on the big ticket items like the A/C and the roof.  

The Discussion

After the tour, you’ll usually all gather to sit and discuss the next steps. This is your opportunity to explain to them what you’re going to do for them as their agent. Here are some steps to follow:

  • Bring an ipad or laptop and pull up your listing presentation you made for them
  • Bring up statistics in the area- how many homes are on the market, how quickly homes are selling and at what prices they’re selling
  • Discuss any trends in their particular area
  • Explain the current market landscape and how quickly you think you can sell the home based on these stats

 

The Benefits

Next, be sure to thoroughly explain the benefits of working with an agent. Here are a few good points to share:

  • Pricing- an agent will ensure the house is priced according to the market for the best chance at selling quickly
  • Photography- perhaps the #1 thing needed in selling a house. You can’t generate interest with crappy photos. An agent will ensure that there are professional photos taken and promoted
  • Staging- another very important aspect to selling a house. Agents can help prep the house so it looks presentable for showings
  • Email marketing- let them know that you will notify local agents about the new listing via your database
  • Open Houses- inform them of your schedule of Open Houses. Sellers love Open Houses and it’s also an opportunity for you to attract buyers. (More on that here).
  • Social media- explain the benefits of social media advertising and how you can reach potential buyers with ads and boosted posts
  • Showings- discuss how you’ll coordinate all the showings, follow-up and feedback from other agents and potential buyers
  • Inspection- explain how you’ll supervise the inspection and be there for any negotiations when the results come back (if needed).
  • Review all documents- there is a lot of paperwork in a real estate transaction. Explain how you’ll go through each document, including the settlement statement, to ensure they understand everything that is going on.
  • Marketing- be sure to thoroughly go over what you will specifically be doing to market their house to get it sold quickly
    • It’s a digital age- everyone is online and their house should be as well. 98% of buyers begin their home search online. Explain that their house will be listed on the MLS and also other brokerage websites.
    • Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com- these are additional sites that their house will be listed on
    • Social media- inform them about virtual Open Houses via Facebook Live, posts regarding the listing and social advertising
    • Open Houses- a good rule of thumb is to hold one each weekend for 6 weeks. Let them know that you’ll be following a schedule to get the most exposure
  • Cost- people are always very interested in how much it will cost them to sell their home. This is the time to share how much of a percentage of the sales price they will end up paying.
  • Summary- go over everything that you mentioned above and ask them if they have any questions on anything you discussed.

 

The Summary

After the summary, most people ask how much you think their house is worth. Be sure to answer based on your research and anything you noticed during the tour. You’ll have an opportunity to explain why you think it will sell at this price. People will usually have a number in mind and more times than not, this will be the listing price. Hopefully, your number and their number aren’t too far apart from each other. If their suggested price is too high and they won’t budge- you may want to think about whether or not you really want this listing.

And there you go, follow these steps to conduct a successful listing presentation and (hopefully) get the listing!

At Dalton Wade we believe that today’s buyers and sellers need a trusted resource that can guide them through the complex world of real estate. With our extensive knowledge and commitment to providing only the best and most timely information to our clients and agents, we are your go-to source for real estate industry insight and advice. Contact us today to learn more!