7 Keys To a Winning Real Estate Listing Presentation
So you’ve gotten the call to pitch a prospective seller and sign your next big listing. What can you do to gain the greatest competitive advantage before you walk in the door? We’ve put together some tips and advice from top agents to help you make a winning impression at your next real estate listing presentation.
You got the call. Now win the listing.
1) Go beyond the Market Analysis
For your pitch, you’ll want to arm yourself with all the traditional comparative market analysis (CMA) data, like current inventory and comparable sales. But you can count on competing agents having a similar presentation too. So what can you do to differentiate yourself?
“When you are going for that perfect listing or just meeting a new seller, it is utmost to know your market, your seller, and the neighborhood!” says Jeri Carr-Benson of Realty Source. “Never just go to do a presentation that is a ‘blanket’ statement. The customers in today’s market are sometimes more educated than you, the professional!” In short- you want to tailor your presentation specifically to your seller.
A great way to do this is to prepare a Buyer Profile. Based on your insider knowledge of the area, prepare a demographic profile of what the likely buyer for the home looks like using factors like age, wealth, family, profession, and interests. Demonstrate how you can reach these unique buyers through your marketing program. This will help your prospects visualize the process and show that you’re bringing real vision and creativity to the table.
2) Be direct
Think of yourself as the doctor—in order to get the best possible outcome for your patient you’ll need to know many intimate details. Be tactful, but don’t shy away from big questions about your seller’s motivation to sell. This might include personal reasons such as marriage, health, family, lifestyle, and money. Knowing this will help you form a game plan that meets the seller’s goals and will also deepen their respect, trust, and goodwill towards you.
3) Show, don’t tell
The best way to get a client on board with your marketing strategy is to show them what you can do. Arm yourself for your pitch session with examples of ads, brochures, and digital media you’ve used before with other clients.
Don’t have any? Get some samples made.
Jaime Lyon Cooper of EXIT Realty Lyon also demonstrates how she can market listings online: “The biggest thing I stress in listing presentations is the importance of the Internet and how it is vitally important to ensure the property is properly marketed everywhere possible on the Internet,” says Cooper. “For me, that means places like Zillow, Realtor.com, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter to name a few!”
To give the best impression- you will want to make sure you can show both printed and digital media examples. While we live in a digital world, print still has the capacity to make a strong impression when dealing with hyper-local campaigns, so make sure you include both in your marketing strategy pitch.
Is this something you could use a little help with? Sign up for a free account with LUXVT today to get access to fresh, customized marketing materials and presentations.
4) Be realistic AND optimistic
Talking about price when pitching is a balancing act. You don’t want to shoot down a pie-in-the-sky price and risk offending your prospective seller (or losing the listing to an agent who said yes to the number). But you don’t want to commit to an unrealistic number and have to walk it all the way back down the road.
VIP TIP: Brad Jenkins of TheLazyAgent.com recommends talking money at the end of the presentation: “I set clear expectations with the client in that we will not be broaching price or commissions until the end of either presentation as there is important information that needs to be conveyed before any discussions about money are entertained.”
5) Leave a reminder
Your sellers will review materials left by you and your competitors when they make their decision. If yours are the most powerful and convincing, you’ll stand a much better chance of winning the listing. A printed copy of your presentation as well brochures or ads from your past listings are great reminders of your value proposition to leave with sellers. Having a polished, professional-looking website for sellers to review and contact you through is also an important part of the equation. How can you be expected to deliver a strong digital campaign with a weak online presence? The answer is, you can’t, so you want to make sure you’re leaving sellers with the best impression possible.
6) Follow up
After your presentation, email, AND mail a note to the seller thanking them for their time. This helps you stay top of mind while adding a personal touch to your presentation. Plus, it’ll send the message to potential clients that you respect them and are enthusiastic about working with them.
7) If you don’t get the listing, get feedback.
If the seller chooses a different agent, don’t tuck your tail between your legs and slink away. Ask the seller why they made their decision and thank them for the consideration. The feedback can help you hone your future presentations. Also, by handling the situation gracefully you can put yourself in a strong position to take over if the first agent slips up.
In conclusion…
Remember your three P’s: preparation, presentation and professionalism. These are essential for a successful pitch session. Even if you don’t get the listing, the seller will take note. Plus, you’ll get in good presentation habits for next time!
If a professional landing page, listing presentation, or marketing materials are something you could use a hand in building, sign up with a FREE LUXVT account today.
We have helped provide countless real estate agents with all the tools and resources they need to gain new clients and succeed in the luxury space for many years.
Sign up today or schedule a free consultation with one of our seasoned reps!
