Many top performers will tell you that one of the keys to their success is their ability to control and dominate listings. We teach our coaching clients that each listing should result in 1.5 buyer-side transactions, so every time you list a home, you should close 2.5 real estate sides.
There are three phases to every listing. When you follow them, your ability to find, win and close more listings grows.
Phase 1: Before
Before you get a listing, you have to perform tasks that produce listing appointments. As agents, we like to talk about our sales and our contracts, but we should really focus on the activities that produce those sales.
Prospect
There are no shortcuts to success. Spend one to three hours every day prospecting, and be sure to track everything. Our systems track dials, conversations, messages and appointments. A sale is always a numbers game, and when you know your numbers, you know exactly what it’s going to take to achieve your goals.
There are a lot of ways to find listings, including, but not limited to:
- Working your sphere of influence
- Geographic farming
- Online lead-generation systems
- Direct mail
- Door knocking
- Open houses
- New construction
- Divorce and probate attorneys
In the end, it boils down to one fact: Leads are not the issue. The question is, what are you willing to do?
Pre-Listing Package
Terri Murphy, top producer, speaker and author, says a pre-listing package is like the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games; it’s the precursor to a winning listing appointment. Your pre-listing package can be delivered via mail or video, or both. What matters most is that your prospective client is fully engaged and sold on you and your services before you ever get there.
Phase 2: During Listing Presentation
Your listing presentation should start by asking whether the prospective client has any questions about the pre-listing package.
It’s also important to share what makes you different and unique. Use stats and real numbers that set you apart from the masses. Cleve Gaddis, of Gaddis Partners, RE/MAX Center and a Workman Success Systems coach, shows how he sells homes 40 percent faster and for 2.4 percent more than agents on the MLS. Not only are his numbers powerful, they justify his listing commission, negotiation skills and marketing ability.
Next, walk the home and allow the seller to tell you what they love about the space and what they feel should be fixed before it goes on the market. This is their chance to sell you on the home so that you can share their enthusiasm as you sell it to others. They need to know that you love the home as much as they do.
Once you’ve walked the home, ask and answer questions, then fill out the paperwork.
After the appointment, send a handwritten thank-you card, whether they list or not. Show that you appreciate the opportunity to represent them.
Phase 3: After
The bottom line is that you can list more. The market hasn’t stopped; it just requires a higher level of dedication and focus on the right activities. Paying attention to these key points will pay big dividends as you win more listings, close more buyer sides and build a referral business of raving fans.
Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems.
For more information, visit www.verlworkman.com.
