6 Step Guide for Giving the Ultimate Real Estate Listing Presentation
dotloop
March 07, 2017 | comments
Giving your listing presentation is one of your most important things you do as an agent. Obviously, if you don’t get the listing, you don’t get the business and you don’t get the commission.
With stakes this high, it’s tempting to load your presentation with stats that make you sound impressive. That is until you realize that your prospective clients may have just heard four other agents reel off similar stats.
To give your most successful presentation, you simply need to see it through the eyes of your prospective clients. What are their hopes and fears in selling their home? And what are they looking for in the agent who can help them?
The Goal of the Presentation
More than anything else, the listing presentation is about listening to the seller, answering their questions and addressing their concerns—all with the goal of creating genuine rapport.
Whether you are the first agent to make a presentation to this prospective client, or the last one, you should always be prepared to be the most memorable. They may already have heard a lot of the same information from other agents, but you’re expertly presented, thoughtfully gathered data can be the very thing that rockets you to the top of their list.
At the end of your presentation, the prospective client should be convinced that the responsibility of selling their home could not be placed in better hands than yours.
Language that makes the client the focus, not you
1. Plan to succeed
Include an agenda to give the prospective client an idea of the goals for today’s meeting besides just trying to convince them that you are the ideal agent to sell their home. Your agenda should be comprehensive but simple.
Keep it simple: Stay away from real estate lingo in your listing presentations: MSA, CMA, FSBO… clients have no idea what these terms mean and don’t really care. Don’t try to dazzle them with all the jargon; keep it simple so that they clearly and quickly grasp your meaning.
Use the best visuals: Make sure the images you use have a high enough screen resolution so that they aren’t pixelated or blurry. When possible, use photos of their home that you took yourself in advance. Steer clear of stock images that are too cartoony or esoteric. Use more images than text; images set the stage, but your words tell the story.
Practice, practice, practice: Most likely you will make your listing presentation sitting across from the prospective client and not pacing back and forth on a large stage, but you should still bone up on fundamental presentation skills such as voice modulation, effective pauses, holding eye contact, and meaningful use of your hands.
Start by presenting yourself: Arrive on time, if not a little early, and dress appropriately for your client meeting. If you make the presentation in your office or over dinner, choose something that reflects your professionalism and sincerity. When you meet the client in their home, business casual may be more appropriate.
Have your technology ready: If you plan to use a laptop or tablet, make sure it is fully charged so that you don’t have to bother the client for an outlet for your power cord (or risk anyone tripping on it). While you’re at it, have your websites bookmarked in your browser so that you don’t keep clients waiting as you type in URLs.
Any leave-behind materials should be professionally printed, in pristine condition, collated and ready to be handed over to the client in the customized package you created just for them.
2. Ask the right questions and listen carefully to the answers
Get to know your potential client by asking questions that ensure you are all on the same page regarding the current situation, what the client wants and where they want to be.
Make sure you use active listening—pay attention, verbally indicate that you are listening, reflect back what the client said, don’t interrupt, respond appropriately—to show that you heard not just their words, but the complete message.
Your initial questions should include these:
- What drew you to this home when you bought it?
- What is your favorite/least favorite thing about this house?
- What is your favorite/least favorite thing about this neighborhood?
- Why are you looking to sell?
- How soon do you need to move?
- Which is more important—price or timing?
- What challenges do you see in selling your home?
- Who do you think is the ideal buyer for this home?
- What is your plan if your home doesn’t sell in the time period you indicated?
- Have you spoken with other agents or do you plan to?
- What qualities do you want in your agent?
Listen to the client’s answers and let them know that their responses will help you determine the best course of action during the process of selling their home. The most effective way to convince a prospective client that you are the agent of their dreams is to prove that you truly heard and understand their concerns, needs and expectations.
3. Position yourself as the local expert
You’ve reached this point for a reason: The prospective client thinks you may be “the one” who will sell their home for the right price. Prove them right by arriving prepared with the information you need to expertly discuss all the ways and means of the home selling process, including:
- Comps and homes for sale nearby
- Comparison to the national market
- Information you prepared on the unique features of their home and neighborhood
- Pricing methodology
- CMA including home prices versus square footage, average price of comps
- Statistics, charts and graphs
Here are six graphs every listing presentation must have:
- Buyer’s desired range–common price range–seller’s desired range
- Activity [number of showings] vs. weeks on market
- Asking price compared to market value/percentage of potential buyers
- Price vs. time on market (where market value and home price meet)
- Current market conditions
- Where the prospective client’s house sits in the current market
4. Highlight your marketing plan for the client’s home
Showcase all the promotion you will do to get the most eyeballs on your potential client’s home. Let them know that you are well versed in orchestrating marketing tools and activities so that they all come together into a dynamic campaign designed to get the best price for their home—and make it virtually impossible for savvy buyers to not see it.
The following list includes many of the marketing tasks you probably do for your clients; you might want to identify more when personalizing your listing presentation:
- Adding the listing to the MLS
- Using online real estate websites to highlight the home
- Promoting the home on social media
- Exposing the listing through mobile marketing
- Printing flyers for the listing box
- Holding at least two open houses
- Showcase the home using Zillow tools and apps
Depending on your audience, you might need to elaborate on some of your marketing methods. For example, for a client who isn’t necessarily technologically savvy, you should explain the reach and effectiveness of social media and mobile marketing, as well as when and how you will incorporate it into your marketing plan for selling their home.
5. Showcase why you’re the right agent for the job
By the end of your presentation, the prospective client should be very clear on what you bring to the table that other agents don’t. Assure them that you are the best agent to help them sell their home—if a particular aspect of it falls within your specialty, be sure to mention it—but don’t make it about you.
Illustrate your experience and expertise, but make the focus of your presentation more about meeting the client’s needs.
Be thorough, but cover this section quickly:
- Picture and contact information (indicate the best way to reach you)
- Your organization, its service area, how long it has been in business, its specialties
- Community involvement and stewardship
- Your recent sales
- Testimonials from past and current clients
- Your professional accomplishments
6. Outline a timeline and next steps
Acknowledge that you’ve just given your potential client a lot of information and that you’re happy to answer any remaining questions they might have. Provide them with a short list of what activities will happen next and include a timeline for each activity so they know when you will touch base with them.
Next steps should include:
- Agreement on list price
- Filling out paperwork
- Initial marketing tasks (adding the listing to the MLS, setting up a photo shoot, delivering the yard sign, creating flyers, etc.)
- Maximizing the value of the home with some suggested improvements
- Determining communication style
Ask the client about the best method for contacting and updating them—phone, text, email. Let them know by what means and how often you will keep them informed and updated during the process.
Identify any types of information that may need to be communicated differently than their preferred method (for example, having to send/receive paperwork by fax or certified mail) and let them know you’ll give them a heads up about when to expect each one.
Finally, Be Confident
You’ve just given a great presentation. Not only did you demonstrate your local expertise and outline a thorough plan for selling the client’s home, but you connected with them personally. You are someone they can trust and would like to do business with.
As you follow up with them, be relaxed and confident and it will make them more confident about choosing you.
Download our Ultimate Listing Presentation Template