The Listing Call

 

When you start your campaign to get more listings, you need to be prepared to make the best of each opportunity you get to list a home.

Preparation BEFORE you get the call

When I was listing large numbers of listings I would make listing packets.  I’d print out all the forms needed for the listing call and put them in file folders.  Most would be in my desk drawer, but a few would go in the car, just in case.  But today, I keep all of the listing forms together in a file on the computer so I can add the information I have on the owners and the property before printing out the form to make a good impression on the seller.
The next thing to prepare in advance is your listing materials, as well as your marketing plan for listings.  Sure your company has materials, but everyone in your company uses them.  You need to set yourself apart from them.  Instead of bragging about how great you are, focus on the sellers, their needs and what you can do for them.  If you have any designations, don’t just list the “alphabet soup” after your name.  Instead, tell them what you learned and how it will help them.

A pre-listing presentation can help pre-sell you to the sellers.  It could take the form of several informational sheets, a booklet, a video, or a CD presentation.  You might also include a small gift for them.  Another advantage of taking pre-listing information to the house….you get the chance to take a picture of the home and use it in the listing materials.  That’s another thing that will really impress sellers.

To give the absolute best listing presentation every time, you need materials to guide you.  If you are newer to real estate, you might prefer a printed listing presentation that will help you remember what to say.  A detailed CMA booklet from Agent Office could also work.  If you have a laptop, a Power Point presentation is an excellent too.

Doing a Good CMA

The CMA is the most important part of the listing presentation.  Remember, there are only two kinds of listings in any market, those that are priced to sell and those that don’t sell!  It’s just as important in a rapidly escalating market as it is in a slower market.

The price per square foot is NOT a good CMA tool.  Neither is just giving the seller print outs from the MLS.  In today's market, getting the price right is vitally important.  The best way to do a CMA is doing adjustments to the price of the comparables to compare it to the subject property.  For example, the subject property has 4 bedrooms and the comparable has 3 bedrooms.  You need to add to the comparable to make it like the subject property. 

Since real estate is always local, you should check with local appraisers to find out what is the value of various items you need to adjust in for a typical listing in your area.

If you have Agent Office or any other Contact Management Programs or Client Relationship Management Program (what these programs are now being called, you have a very good tool for printing the results of your CMA calculations.  If you don't have one, you need to get one soon, as they help you with your prospecting, tracking activities for listings, buyers and contracts, time management and much, much more.  Be sure that the one you select has the ability to do CMAs, as well as the ability to import other pages into the program.

Pre-Listing Package

If you use the 2 step listing method, you need a good Pre-Listing Package.  This well help pre-sell the seller on you and educate them on pricing, condition and your marketing.  I find that a booklet is the best listing packet.  It is all together so they don't loose sheets of paper and very easy to grab and go.

The things needed for a good listing call are:

#1. Some form of a listing packet.

#2. Printed materials of your own..

#3. A marketing plan of your own.

#4. A pre-listing booklet, packet, or CD.

#5. A good listing presentation.

#6. A good CMA

When you get to the home, resist the temptation to give the results of the CMA before you have gone through your materials.  You want to make sure they ready to list your home with you, BEFORE you tell them what you think the value of the home is.  If not, you will probably just be doing a CMA for your competitor!  

The only exception to this is when you see obvious “buying signals” from them.  One time I had a seller call me in response to my mailings.  As soon as we had looked at the home and sat down at the table with the sellers to give my presentation, the husband hands me a piece of paper and said “Here’s all the information on our home you’ll need for listing it.”  I saved a lot of time that night.  All I had to do was go over my marketing so they would know what I would be doing, show them the CMA and explain it and fill out the listing forms!

 

The author of this article is Linda Grissette.  Some of you may remember her as Linda Grayson.  Linda is a Broker-Associate with River City Real Estate.  She is also the company trainer.  Learn more about how River City Real Estate can help you make more money...even in today's market...browse through this site.

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