Listing appointment or listing presentation: Is there a difference?
I found myself asking this very question after leaving a client's house.
Yes, they are a client. They hired me last year to help them purchase a new construction home in Franklin TN. It took awhile to find them the right home and builder, but I finally got them under contract earlier this year.
The idea was I would list their house as they got closer to their new home being completed. While I have a signed buyer's agreement, I do not have a signed listing agreement.
Fast forward to this weekend. I received a call from this couple. They were approached by an agent who has recently sold the home behind them. This agent basically has been harassing them. They've already told her they were going to list with me and decided to just put pen to paper to get her off their back.
They always have lots of questions and I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with them talking about various strategies we could use to get their home sold quickly for top-dollar. I agreed to meet last night.
As I sat down at the table, I spent some time getting caught up on life in general; what they've been doing, their recent travels and job promotions. Once I had gotten beyond the pleasantries, I moved into the business part of our meeting.
I operate a paperless brokerage and use electronic CMAs. I emailed that to them so they could review recent home sales in their neighborhood while we talked. No formal listing presentation was planned. This was a simple conversation about what's happening in the Franklin housing market, their neighborhood and how I would market their home.
Although I didn't present a formal listing presentation, my CMA contains much of what would be covered in a presentation; recent accolades, information about my brokerage, a marketing plan and tips on preparing a home for market. All information I expect the sellers to review.
Rather than having sellers sign paper documents, I complete the listing agreement and email it to them right away for electronic signatures. Most sellers are unfamiliar with e-signatures and will sign the documents while I'm there so I can walk them through the process. This particular couple was already familiar because of our existing buyer's contract. I instructed them to sign the documents and I'd begin the process of marketing their home.
What happened next caught me by surprise, "Could we have a couple of days to review the documents?". I suddenly realized this was a listing presentation rather than a listing appointment. I had to ask, "Are you meeting with another agent?" While they responded no, the questions they asked next suggested they were. Of course, I did what any self-respecting agent would do--I quickly re-visited my marketing plan and how I was going to get their home sold quickly for the most amount of money.
I also reminded them why they contacted me to begin with--my internet dominance.
Listing appointment or listing presentation: Is there a difference?
I started this post thinking there was a difference. In reality, there really isn't a difference for me. My listing presentations aren't presentations at all. They are casual meetings. By the end of my listing appointments, there are three things I hope I've conveyed:
1. Competence - I am a knowledgeable real estate agent who knows the Franklin market well and has enough experience to deal with a multitude of things that may come up during the process.
2. Trust - This is the largest financial transaction most people will ever make. It's important they be able to trust me to get the job done quickly and yield the best results. Sellers experience a lot of anxiety when they have their house on the market. Having an agent they can trust is an important part of getting their home sold.
3. Relationship - I didn't get into this business to make friends. However, I find having a good client/agency relationship is advantageous to everyone involved in the transaction. There may be some tense moments ahead. Having an agent who values that relationship can make a huge difference in achieving a successful outcome.
If I've done these three things, then I've had a successful presentation.
I often beat myself up wondering if there was something I could have or should have done to win the business. I wrote this post to work through some of that anxiety.
In reality, my casual listing appointment works much better for me than a formal listing presentation. You'll never see me whip out a pie chart at a listing appointment. It's not who I am or who I want to be.
Listing appointment or listing presentation: Is there a difference?
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