The Complete Guide to a Winning Listing Presentation (+ Scripts)

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In this article, I will share nearly two decades of experience as a licensed agent and small brokerage owner in Boston to assist you in competing and winning listings with a stellar listing presentation. As agents, we vie for a limited number of available homes to list and sell. Therefore, it is essential to distinguish yourself from competitors to secure those listings.

The real estate listing presentation is a vital tool for showcasing your knowledge, expertise, experience, and most importantly — your authenticity. A well-crafted listing presentation not only sets you apart from competitors but also enhances the seller’s experience of working with you from the outset.

It may sound cliché, but you never get a second chance to make a first impression. We will guide you through creating an outstanding listing presentation and excelling in your next listing appointment.

• A professionally presented real estate listing presentation: Bring enough copies for all sellers to review.

• Pre-filled listing paperwork: Prepare the listing paperwork both digitally and in hard copy. Most information can be pre-filled before the presentation.

• A fully charged tablet or computer if you are presenting digitally: Remember that technology doesn’t always work as expected. Additionally, digital presentations can sometimes be awkward depending on the setting or location, or if you are presenting to multiple people. Always have hard copies prepared even if you plan to present on your tablet or computer.

• A pen: Some sellers still use them, and you may need one to sign the paperwork.

How to excel in your listing appointment in 10 steps

What does a successful listing appointment entail? The objective of a successful listing appointment is to secure the listing and leave with a signed contract in hand. It’s that straightforward. As an agent, you facilitate the home-selling process. The most crucial aspect to remember about the listing appointment, your listing presentation, and the entire selling process is that it’s about the seller — not you.

Step 1: Set the stage for success

Real estate agents often emphasize the importance of location, location, location. The location of your listing appointment establishes the foundation for your successful listing presentation, and the best opportunity to view the home is when you are making your pitch. Therefore, your listing appointment should always occur at the seller’s home. While many tasks can be completed online nowadays, this cannot. You must see the home to accurately evaluate it and offer valuable advice to the homeowners.

Step 2: Actively listen

While highlighting your skills and experience is crucial to establish your credibility and success, a significant portion of your listing appointment should be dedicated to listening attentively to the seller. Adhering to the principle of listening twice as much as you speak will always yield positive results in your listing presentations.

Always bear in mind that selling a home is often an emotionally charged experience for the seller. It can evoke feelings of happiness, sadness, excitement, or a mix of conflicting emotions. Sellers want to feel understood and will typically communicate exactly what they want, need, or expect from their experience. By listening — genuinely listening — and striving to comprehend their motivations, needs, concerns, and fears, you can tailor the conversation or adjust your presentation to better address their specific requirements.

For instance, if a seller mentions a desire to sell their home quickly to relocate for a new job opportunity overseas, you should focus your presentation on marketing, pricing, staging, and other pre-market strategies that support a swift transaction to list and sell their property efficiently.

Here’s a script you can use to kick off your real estate listing presentation:

Step 3: Be honest & authentic

An authentic agent who listens to sellers and consistently advises them honestly is a successful agent. While conveying information that a seller may not want to hear can be challenging, you will earn their respect by being truthful and forthcoming. Avoid excessive self-disclosure or storytelling during a listing presentation. While it’s essential to highlight your skills and experience, saying less about yourself (and again — listening more!) can be more impactful.

Step 4: Conduct a needs analysis

This can be formal or informal, depending on your personal style. However, by actively listening, you can integrate some of these questions into the conversation to gain insight into the seller and their circumstances:

• What is your desired timeframe for listing and selling your home?
• Are you looking to upsize or downsize?
• Are you relocating out of state or internationally?
• Is your timeline influenced by the school year or a job?
• Do you have an estimated value for your home?
• What renovations or updates have you made that you believe could enhance your home’s value?

It’s important to remember that if the seller is not your client yet, you should refrain from sharing information that could potentially be used against them if they choose another listing agent. Should you later bring a potential buyer, some of their responses to these questions could compromise negotiations — so be sure to caution them before delving too deeply!

Step 5: Demonstrate your value

You can differentiate yourself with sellers by offering value and sharing information that other agents may not have included in their presentations (and you should always assume you are not the sole agent competing for their business!). Some topics you can discuss that provide unique value to your sellers include:

• Safety – Many sellers overlook the potential risks of showcasing their homes to strangers. I recommend that sellers secure or remove all medications, personal photos, small electronics, bills, financial documents, and any artwork that can identify them, including names from bedroom walls. This step is especially crucial if they have children. By helping your clients prevent theft, identity theft, or other serious crimes, you will establish yourself as a trusted advisor.

• Decluttering/staging – While not every seller can afford professional staging, your recommendations can be invaluable in assisting them in preparing their property for sale.

• Repairs, renovations, and updates – Discuss any repairs, renovations, or updates (both major and minor) that could significantly increase the selling price of your client’s home. Highlight small repairs that can have a big impact, such as addressing water stains on ceilings. Upgrading a bathroom could substantially raise the selling price relative to the cost of the renovation. Conversely, some repairs, renovations, or updates may not be worthwhile. Advising the client and enhancing their selling price can help solidify your position as a valuable and knowledgeable agent.

Step 6: Share your market analysis

Understanding the market and effectively communicating about it are crucial skills for a successful real estate agent. Always stay informed about local, regional, and national market fluctuations. Additionally, comprehend the financial landscape, including mortgage rates and other factors that may influence the market — and ultimately, your client’s transaction.

While being aware of the current market conditions is important, it is equally essential to anticipate the future direction of the market in the upcoming months or year. For example, if mortgage rates are projected to rise in the near future, sharing this information with your seller can help them make an informed decision about listing their property.

As an illustration, earlier this year, the National Association of REALTORS® announced the resolution of the Sitzer/Burnett Commission Lawsuit, which is expected to alter the handling of real estate commissions. If you are not effectively explaining this settlement and its implications for sellers in your listing presentation, you may be neglecting an important aspect of your role.

Here are some scripts to guide your communication with clients about buyer’s agent commissions:

Step 7: Present your marketing strategy

Even in a bustling market, you should have a comprehensive marketing plan for your seller’s property. Some strategies to kickstart your listing marketing plan include:

• Video marketing. Explore creative video presentations of your listings on platforms like Facebook, Instagram Reels, or YouTube. Consider using drone footage for a unique perspective, ensuring compliance with all local and federal aviation regulations.

• QR codes + hot sheets. Create real estate flyers or virtual hot sheets for your listing with a QR code for potential buyers to view a brief video highlighting the property’s features.

• Canvas the neighborhood. Knock on doors, make calls, or distribute flyers to neighbors, providing them with a preview of your listing.

• Facebook community groups. Showcase your listing in groups that permit it (or establish your own group) and share live stream videos to generate interest in your listings.

• Social media marketing: Focus on one or two platforms, build an audience, and promote your listings. Explore 11 social media marketing strategies that are effective!

We recommend Coffee & Contracts for their pre-designed graphics and daily posts tailored to every social media platform, available for just $54 per month. Here’s a glimpse of what your Just Listed post could resemble:

Additionally, you can explore agent and coach Ashley Harwood’s foolproof marketing plan and template to identify the most effective marketing activities for you and her guidance on securing more listings.

Step 8: Discuss pricing strategy

Sellers are more informed than ever, utilizing numerous online tools and resources to ascertain the value of their home or their expected selling price before meeting with you. While you may need to address pricing discrepancies if you disagree with their valuation, agents now spend less time on this aspect of the listing presentation.

However, it is crucial to establish clear expectations upfront. While discussing how market changes position their property at a lower price point than anticipated may be challenging, it is preferable to have this conversation early on rather than pricing the property excessively high and experiencing prolonged market stagnation. By highlighting the disparity between their expectations and current market conditions, you lay the groundwork for potential price adjustments in the future.

Step 9: Reiterate your value proposition

After overcoming the pricing obstacle, showcasing your expertise and market data, presenting client comparisons, touring the home, and demonstrating your value — it’s time to reaffirm your value proposition. Circle back to the reasons why this seller should select you and only you to effectively list, market, and sell their home. It is crucial to be mindful of their emotions, as selling a home and relocating can signify significant life changes.

A touch of empathy can significantly enhance your rapport with the client, solidifying your value proposition. People prefer to collaborate with individuals they appreciate. While you may have discussed your achievements earlier in the meeting, now is the moment to focus on the client.

What do they require to proceed? How can you facilitate a seamless and hassle-free transition through this daunting process? Be attentive, listen, and demonstrate that you will support them throughout this significant change. Ultimately, this could lay the foundation for a lasting agent-client relationship.

Step 10: Close the deal

This is the challenging segment where you must request your client’s business, present your prepared contract, and ask them to sign on the dotted line. As emphasized earlier, a successful real estate listing presentation concludes with a signed contract. If you are unsure how to broach this subject, you can utilize the helpful and proven closing script developed by Boston-based listing agent and coach Ashley Harwood to solicit your client’s business:

The complete picture: How to secure more listings with an exceptional listing presentation

With a plethora of tools and templates available to assist agents in creating winning listing presentations — and armed with your value proposition, market data, and client comparisons — we are confident that you can excel in your upcoming listing appointments by following the advice shared in this article.

Remember: When delivering your listing presentation to a seller, always listen to them as a trusted advisor, present yourself honestly and authentically, and provide a clear explanation of the market conditions. By following these steps, we believe you can depart from your next listing appointment with a signed listing agreement. We are cheering for your success!

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