CRUSH Your Next Listing Appointment
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Process Of A Listing Appointment
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1. Get As Many Details Over The Phone
Before you’re able to complete a thorough comparative market analysis (CMA), you’ll need to ensure you’ve asked as many questions up-front as possible.
Much of the information you’ll need related to the property can be found online. However, here are a few questions you should ask over the phone, before the listing appointment:
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What recent repairs and updates have you made to the property?
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Have you added/subtracted any square footage to the property since it last sold?
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Is anyone else on the title that will not be present at our meeting?
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Who else will you be meeting with before making your decision to list?
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How much do you believe your home is worth? How much do you currently owe?
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Why are you looking to sell?
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When do you wish to have your home listed?
The answers to the above questions help get a complete picture of what you’ll be walking into during the listing appointment. These answers also help you complete your comparative market analysis in the next step.
2. Complete a Comparative Market Analysis
Once you have as many details about the home as possible, now is the time to whip out all of that ninth-grade algebra you’ve forgotten over the years, grab a calculator, and start digging into the numbers, just kidding.
You can find many valuable resources to help you complete a comparative market analysis. You don’t have to be a finance major to make it happen. Check out how to complete a CMA here.
3. ‘Preview’ Other Neighborhood Listings
If you are new to real estate or haven’t listed or sold a home in the neighborhood your listing appointment is coming up in, consider ‘previewing’ active listings.
Previewing listings allow you to familiarize yourself and see what other sellers are asking for homes within the neighborhood.
Additionally, when you show up for the appointment, you’ll be more knowledgeable about the neighborhood and current listings. You’ll be able to speak specifically towards the competition and how they looked (and smelled). Tip: Only preview homes that are currently vacant. You'll be inconveniencing other sellers by scheduling appointments for occupied homes.
4. Ask Your Broker to Give You Their Opinion On Price.
Especially for your first couple listing appointments, you want to make sure your numbers are right before going on a listing appointment. Tyler doesn't mind!
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5. Create Listing Presentation
The consensus is neutral if digital or paper is better for a listing presentation. I personally prefer a nicely bound professionally done listing presentation package that can be done at Staples or OfficeMax for $15 each. Here is an example of a beautiful listing presentation to mimic using Powerpoint or Canva.
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6. Bring Paper Copies of Required Documents
I’m a huge proponent of technology, making our lives easier. However, I believe there’s something to say about getting a seller to hand sign a document in front of you, especially the listing agreement.
This likely stems from my background in new home sales. I used to love running physical contracts into the main office Sunday night for Monday reporting. Either way, I love getting a physically signed listing agreement. Also, I believe it feels more substantial to a seller versus e-signatures. They genuinely feel like they’ve taken the next step.
I’ll also have the seller fill out the seller disclosure while I’m at their home because every seller has questions about it (Ensure you know it before going on the listing appointment).
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Copies to bring:
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t-47 Survey Affidavit (Ask them if they have a copy of their home survey)
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TREC Listing Agreement
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TREC Information About Brokerage Services Form
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TREC Notice to Buyer & Sellers Form
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Texas Realtors Sellers Disclosure Form
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7. Inform Them Of The Next Steps
Once they sign the listing agreement and addenda, inform them of the next steps of prepping the home for photos and to list, as well as inform them of how showings will work. ie. They will get a text from Showingtime saying "Joe Schmo Realtor is requesting to show the house Tue from 1-2pm, Press Y to accept, Press N to deny. Inform your Sellers that it is important they accept as many showings as possible. Any showing they deny is a potential Buyer they lose.
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8. Bring Sign & Lockbox To Install If Within 1 Week of Listing
I always take a sign and lockbox with me to my listing appointment. By taking a sign and lockbox with me, I can install either or both once the listing agreement is signed.
By placing a lockbox on the home early, it allows me to give access to a photographer or contractor without me needing to be there to let them in (with sellers approval).
You cannot place a sign in the yard for more than 24 hours before the listing is live on the MLS. So you're probably going to make a second trip to put up your sign.
9. Take Photos and Video At Appointment To “Put Feelers Out There”
Before I leave the listing appointment, I ask the seller if I can take photos and videos of the home for pre-listing.
I explain that these will not be the actual photos used when the listing goes live but that I’ll use them to create a little extra interest before we go live.
If the seller hasn’t signed the listing agreement or if they are still interviewing other agents, I assure them that I won’t do anything with the media until they’ve given me the approval to do so.
Either way, this extra effort leaves a lasting impression on the seller and lets them know that you are willing to do everything possible to get their home sold as fast as possible.