When a potential client calls to discuss listing his house, what do you prepare? Glossy sheets extolling your successes plus all credentials, designations, awards and certificates? The list of all community and civic events you've ever supported? A pile of marketing brochures and postcards? A 47 step marketing plan?
All a home seller really wants to know is: "how much will my house sell for?" and "how long will it take?" so every word you say should be planned with the client's questions in mind.
Your outline for your listing presentation should be what you must cover, not everything you could possibly say. Editing to essentials is much more difficult than including every idea you've ever had about selling a house.
Here's my outline:
1) Credentials: Just enough information on you and your firm to show you're credible. No one in the history of the world ever woke up and said "Honey, let's hire a Realtor with 26 designations".
2) The Market:
- The true comparables of what's sold, what's under contract and what's listed. Make the client answer the question "would my house been chosen over the comparables?"
- Include a brief description of relevant local market trends in your own words and based on your market reports.
- Give a range around the likely selling price and have the client select his list price. It's his house, he's selling it...make him own the price.
- Inventory and absorption rate are important, but don't bore the client to tears. Just answer the question "how long will it take?"
3) Marketing:
- Profile the buyer. Every single thing you say about marketing should tie to bringing that buyer at the price the seller will accept in the desired time frame.
- My presentation covers positioning of the house against the competition, listing syndication including mobile, the social media marketing of the home, and the agent marketing plan.
- This is the work you'll do to sell the home (one of many reasons you can't use someone else's listing presentation).
4) Action Plan:
- Staging, the punch list of work to get the house ready, the calender and time line....the action plan should be developed with the client.
- Each side has work to do, so make sure the responsibilities are jointly understood.
Every agent has his own story to tell in his own way. Keep in mind, though, that all the client really wants to know is "How much will is sell for?" and "How long wil it take?"
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