If you ask a room full of agents whether they work with more buyers or more sellers, most of the time you’ll see the majority of hands raise for the buyer side of the question. There seems to be a small percentage of agents who are consistently winning opportunities to list properties and represent sellers, and this is true in every market.
The ability to position yourself as a strong listing agent will serve you well over the long term of your real estate career. Working listings provides the ability to leverage one opportunity into several other opportunities. When you have a listing, you have a For Sale sign on a front lawn, and you’ll receive inquiries because of that sign. You have a property to market both online and offline. You can hold open houses and employ numerous other marketing strategies to attract leads that could eventually become sales. Additionally, there’s a high likelihood that those sellers will need to buy another property when you sell their listing.
One listing can easily lead to multiple sales. This is why listing agents are usually also the top producers in a market area.
So, what makes a great listing agent? Here are three characteristics I’ve observed in all great listing agents.
1. Consistent and constant prospecting
Great listing agents are always prospecting. They have multiple systems in place to connect with possible sellers, and they work those systems consistently.
Real estate is a relationship business, but prospecting is a numbers game. You have to connect with enough people to find the ones who are thinking about and are ready to sell. Without that commitment to prospecting, you’ll never build a consistent inflow of new listing opportunities.
2. Communication
Great listing agents are great communicators. They ask questions in order to understand how they can help their sellers. They answer the sellers’ questions and they address their concerns.
But most importantly, this communication doesn’t stop after the listing is signed. They keep the sellers informed every step of the way.
3. Market knowledge
Great listing agents are local market experts. They know the sales history of every house in the neighborhoods they specialize in. They know the schools, they know the organizations and they know the community leaders. They are in the know about all the comings and goings in the area.
Anyone can find property listings with a quick online search, but this type of local market expertise is what sets great listing agents apart. This type of information is not easily found online, yet it’s the information sellers need their agent to know in order to merchandise their property for maximum results.
If you want to become a great listing agent, commit to developing these three characteristics in your business. Remember, you have to list, to last!
Wendy Forsythe is the executive vice president and head of global operations at Carrington Real Estate Services, where she is responsible for the operations and growth of the national brokerage, with over 2,000 agents. You can email her at wendy.forsythe@carringtonres.com. To learn more about taking your career to the next level with Carrington Real Estate Services, visit www.carringtonrealestate.com/join.
