Listing Homes for Sale - Part 3 of a 5 Part series

Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 1 of a series

Link to Listing Homes for Sale - Part 2 of a series

This series focuses on effective and efficient methods of meeting with Sellers who want to sell Phoenix area Homes and Real Estate, determining whether there is a good fit between the Seller and the prospective Listing Broker, and the technology that is available to streamline the process.

CMA Review and Next Steps 

So now it's decision time:

1. Does the Seller believe that the marketing plan offered by the Listing Broker meets their needs?
2. Is the Seller willing to list the home for sale at a price that is supported by the current market?
3. Is the Seller agreeable to the professional services fee?

If those three stars are in alignment, you have a great new listing!

So - how does the discussion go?

"Mr & Mrs Seller - What I would like to do at this meeting is cover three key areas:

1. First - my marketing plan.  At the end of that discussion I'm going to ask you if you believe I can effectively market and sell your home.
2. Second - if we are on the same page regarding the marketing plan, we'll discuss List Price.  List Price should never be the deciding factor in who you choose to represent you - unless the agent who tells you the highest number is willing to buy the property themselves at that price!
3. Third - if we are still in agreement after the first two steps, we'll discuss professional service fees, activation date of the listing in the MLS, and what needs to take place between now and when the doors open to the public.

Doe that sound like a reasonable approach to you?"

Review your Marketing Plan - highlight the items you believe set you apart from your competition, reflect on past successes that resulted from the same marketing techniques.  Once you have completed that piece of the discussion, stop and ask the Sellers:

"Mr & Mrs Seller - Based on what we've discussed do you believe I can effectively market and sell your home?"

If the answer is an unequivocal "yes" then proceed to the next step.  If not - bullet point the Seller's concerns and address each of them individually:

"Tony - we didn't hear anything about print marketing."

"That's right - we don't do it because market data indicates it is very expensive and provides little or no return on that investment.  We focus on Internet based marketing given that's where the vast majority of the Buyers are looking." 

"Tony - what about Open Houses."

"As I mentioned during the discussion, while Open Houses are excellent ways for Agents to connect with unrepresented Buyers, they rarely (perhaps 1 in 100) result in the sale of the house being held open, and therefore needlessly inconvenience you and more importantly put your property at risk by permitting anonymous strangers to walk through your home.  Providing you understand that, if you insist on them I will have one of our Buyer Specialists hold Open Houses for you." 

The end result of this discussion MUST be full agreement between Seller and Listing Broker regarding what is and what is not going to be part of the marketing effort. 

The next part in this series will cover the List Price Discussion, including sample scripts for different scenarios.  Stay tuned!

**** UPDATED **** Listing Homes for Sale - Part 4 of a series

If you are considering selling a home or real estate in the Phoenix area you owe it to yourself to talk with Haven Express at Keller Williams Realty Professional Partners to determine whether Tony Marriott is the best real estate Broker in the Phoenix and Scottsdale metropolitan area to help you with the sale of your home!