Perfect Listing Presentation Part 2 - The Answer
Ready to win your next listing presentation? We’ve all faced difficult situations, resistant clients and plenty of competition. This is how to successfully up your game by professionally talking clients through (not away from) their objections. We divide the Perfect Listing Presentation into 4 sections: Greeting, Answer, Plan and Close. Each segment offers an opportunity to remove barriers. Answering questions and removing objections along the way will clear the path to getting a “yes” to listing. As a professional, you are going to answer these questions before they are even asked. That will help clients clear their head so they can focus on what you have to say.
Click here to learn about the Greeting.
Clients think they only have 2 questions for you. “How much am I going to make?” and “What are you going to do for me?” Truth is, every client has at least 8 questions that need to be answered. The goal of the Perfect Listing Presentation is to answer these questions throughout your appointment.
Before pulling out any paperwork, have a candid conversation with them about their first three questions. Be conversational. There will be time later to support your information and start placing documents on the table.
What is the range of the value of my home? I never pinpoint an exact value on a property. My crystal ball is not that perfect. Instead, I bring all the data I can to an appointment including a CMA, RPR, Appreciation Forecaster and Zillow. Then, based on that information and a walking tour of the house, I suggest a reasonable listing price. Test the waters by asking if that number is within the range of what they were expecting.
“Your clients called you for a reason. Answer their main questions first.”
How are homes selling in this area? Clients need to know what to expect regarding a marketing timeline. Explain what a balanced market feels like (6 months of available inventory). Explain the benefits and drawbacks of the current selling environment and whether it is a buyer’s or seller’s market. Make them aware of the average DOM from your CMA.
What do I need to do to make the house market-ready? This is the point where you must address any issue regarding preparing the house to be listed. Divide issues into repair/safety and staging/cleaning concerns. Discuss everything. Hold nothing back. Do it gently. Explain your concerns from a buyer’s perspective. My wildest listing story involved several hundred hamsters running loose around the house. Can you top that?
Before pulling out your listing presentation, decide whether your client has a reasonable perspective about the valuation, timeframe and effort needed to prepare their house to list. If they are reasonable and willing to accept your recommendations, move to the next step. If they need more data before agreeing with you, pull out all the valuation information you have. Working with printed information may help clear any questions. Before giving up, creatively try to negotiate a plan that will move them to accept your professional recommendations.
And if you can’t remove objections no matter how hard you try? It’s best to walk away as respectfully as possible. I’ve only done that once in my career. And it involved a seller refusing to remove or even cage bazillions of those loose hamsters.
Here’s the key point – Answer your client’s questions first. Don’t move forward with your presentation until all objections are removed. If they aren’t cleared, the client will still be holding onto them when you ask for the listing.