The Blog

I’m beginning to sound like an old timer when I say that I firmly believe that “if you do not list, you will not last.” It’s as if I am saying, “In my day, we walked five miles to school every day in the snow….”

Nevertheless, you can handle so many more sellers at one time than buyers. And, if you want to sell more than just a handful or properties this year, it’s probably a good idea for you to hone your listing skills. It’s not just about scripting or making calls; it is about having a good professional package to present when you go out to meet those prospective sellers.

Your Listing Presentation

Whether you need it or not, I think that it is a good idea to have a Power Point presentation ready to present to prospective sellers—a presentation that demonstrates the benefits of using your real estate services. (This should not be a brag fest; your presentation should demonstrate what hiring you would do for the sellers.) You can present this on your computer or on an iPad.

I also recommend putting together a standard listing (or pre-listing) package. This is a very professional presentation folder with many items placed inside. Several of the items are boilerplate and you can put together many folders at one time. Then, at the time of your listing appointment, you can interleaf the customized items that you need for the specific listing appointment.

Here are 4 more items that can be included in your listing package:

1. A personal brochure. Your personal brochure should outline your background and that of your company. It should also include information about your production, your significant accomplishments, your core values, and your unique service proposition. (There’s a beautiful one that you can customize at breakthroughbroker.com)
2. Your marketing plan. Sellers want to know what you will be doing to sell their home. After all, the stereotype is that all we do is toot around town in our BMWs and show homes, right? Prepare a boilerplate document that outlines the marketing plan that you use for each and every listing.
3. General information for home sellers. There are many title companies out there that have pdfs that you can download (and even customize) with tips on how sellers can prepare their homes for sale. This can include packing tips, clean up tips, and tips for sprucing up. Check with your local settlement companies and see what you can obtain in this arena and also ask them for brochures on the settlement process for inclusion in your package.
4. A comparative market analysis. Personally, I like CloudCMA, but another good one that Realtors® get for free is RPR. You can prepare a customized CMA for a property in minutes using some of these easy, efficient, and professional websites.

There are many more items that could be included in the pre-listing package, but this list is a great start.

For those who want more on this subject, read my article about How to Fake It Until You Make It, watch my Webinar on Getting Listings, and download my Supply and Demand Worksheet.