Here’s how to do a great listing presentation, from the moment you step through the door.
1. Show up on time. Arrive 10 minutes early, sit in your car & psych yourself up. Ring the bell at the designated time.
2. Establish rapport.
3. Tour the house, inspect & evaluate all features, take photos (you may want to wait until after the paperwork is signed to take photos).
4. Find a comfortable place to sit with the homeowners. Kitchen table is good because people are more relaxed in an informal setting. Take your cue from your prospects.
Tip: If the sellers press you for a price immediately, set down your briefcase & sit for a minute. Ask for a glass of water & get them to chat for a few minutes. Present your skills & those of your company & team. For example: the company’s market share, our success at selling houses close to list price, & the speed at which we have closed sales in the past.
5. Review the marketing plan you have for the property.
6. Describe the specific services you offer.
7. Present the Comparative Market Value Analysis.
8. Settle on a price for the house by using the Price Positioning Strategy.
9. Discuss the terms of the sale. For example, When do the sellers want to close by? Would they consider seller financing? What items would be excluded from the sale?
10. Complete & sign the Exclusive Listing Agreement.
11. Complete & sign the Agency Disclosure Form.
12. Complete & sign the Lead Paint Disclosure Form (if the house was built before 1978).
13. Discuss what the homeowners should do before marketing, such as repairs, staging, landscaping, & pre-inspection.
14. Explain how you will communicate with them & how the property will be shown.
Tip: Pause frequently during your presentation so that the homeowners can ask questions. Listen to the questions & responses to your answers & adapt your presentation to the prospect’s reactions as you progress.
Tip: Prepare & build in responses to common objections. In this way, you subtly divert a problem before it presents itself. The two most common objections are: sale price of the house & the commission amount.
Building Rapport: How & Why:
1. The key to a good listing presentation is reading your audience & tailoring your pitch to their needs & interest. Build rapport, then shut up & listen.
2. Mirror their demeanor. Be casual. Call them by their first names. Try to adapt your personality to their style.
3. Paraphrase when they say & repeat it back to them. This technique reinforces the idea that you understand their concerns & helps avoid early misunderstandings.
4. Give your full attention to the speaker. Do not formulate your response while they are speaking.
5. Don’t rush in to talk. Let them finish first. Don’t interrupt them.
6. Be aware of cultural differences. Watch for cues about the use of humor, eye contact, touching, & the roles of different individuals in the group.
7. Don’t rush into the business conversation unless the prospect does first. Make small talk, sit down, pay compliments, & get the prospect to relax.
8. Invite the prospect to tell you about their concerns. Many moves are generated by very emotional moves, like divorce, so getting personal is important. The key is to let them get personal. Ask open-ended questions & they’ll take you into their issues. Who, What, Where, When, Why, & How are good starting points.
Ask permission to proceed with your presentation.
Tip: Watch as well as listen. 55% of communication is through facial expressions & body language, 38% is through voice tone & inflection & 7% is through actual words.
10 Steps to a Painless Listing Presentation:
1. Smile-put on your friendly face, even if you feel grouchy.
2. Pay the home owner a compliment: “The kids are cute.” “Nice flowers.” etc.
3. Take them to the kitchen table. Strangers go to the living room, friends go to the kitchen.
4. Break the ice with chit-chat. Keep it simple. Use casual communication to learn about the prospect’s personality & communication style. Are they: Nurturing, Action, Blueprint, or Knowledge types? You need to know in order to get the listing. Ask them.
5. Let the prospect warm up to you as a person. If they say, “We’re not going to sign the paperwork today,” say, “No problem.” You’ll put them at ease if you promise not to ask for the listing without their permission & then make a confident presentation.
6. Preview coming attractions. Tell the sellers how you work. Provide examples from past sales to show them what works & why it’s effective.
7. Mix open-ended questions with those that require yes or no answers.
8. Use showmanship as you walk around the house. Balance good & bad comments. Too many positives could make the seller think they can ask for a higher price than their house might be worth.
9. Establish you presentation as a solution to their selling needs. Solve their problem. Don’t try to convince them to hire you. Convince them that your services will help them achieve their goals.
10. Help the sellers forecast how long their property will be on the market. Tell them how length of time correlates to the price they choose. Show them the average Days On Market in their segment from the MLS.