The competition for listings nationwide has proved to be very competitive. Areas of the Midwest, and west coast like San Francisco, require the agent to provide their best first impression to win the listing. With a high buyer demand, listing a property with a short market turn around spells quick profitability. So what are the top agents doing to secure the job?

After interviewing some of the nation’s top listing agents here are a few secrets and strategies that help give you that cutting edge and guarantee you the listing every time.

• Terry Paranych superstar producer from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada sells about 456 homes per year. His conversion percentage is about 95%, and he attributes his success ratio to his pre-appointment booklet delivered to the homeowner prior to the appointment. His 40-page printed bound book also doubles as his listing presentation. He uses express mail or a courier for delivery and drives home the strategy that he will sell the home faster for more money.

• Dianna Kokoszka, in Arvada,Colorado also enjoys a success level of about 240+ transactions a year. Her use of a pre-appointment package includes a list of action steps she has planned for the marketing the property owner’s home. She uses scripts and dialogues to set the seller up to impress them with her 433 action steps she and her team execute to successfully list and sell their property.

• To create a unique attention advantage, agents have found that including a premium along with their pre-appointment package works well for creating that personal “brand”. Several of the agents interviewed showed great creativity to drive home their personal “brand” with a small gift that identifies them or their marketplace. Bruce Hardie, a superstar in Spokane, Washington includes a mini crate of apples. Stuart Sutton of Austin,Texas offers a wrapped box of cookies and Craig Lerch Jr. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania includes an ever-popular box of Tastykakes.

• Presell the benefits of pricing the home competitively before your actual appointment. Some top producing listing agents like Rich Toepper of the northern Chicago area include with his prelisting package a David Knox’s "Pricing your Home to Sell" video tape, a pricing strategy to educate the seller. His premium includes a package of microwave popcorn to enhance the viewing of the video. It must work, since Rich has consistently closed over 100+ for the past several years.

• Several agents carry the prelisting package to a fuller spectrum of services by including reports to help the Seller prepare themselves and the property for sale. Super salesman Rand Smith of California’s market has a 50+page bound prelisting package that includes pages on his marketing outlining direct mail systems, web exposure, newspaper advertising and testimonials

• Lillian Montalto, the reigning real estate diva of Andover Massachusetts uses a unique “close” at the end of her spiral bound presentation. Using a digital photo of the subject property, she positions a page towards the end of the report. The page has a “frame” for the photo of the property with a large red “SOLD” across the corner, intimating that by listing the property with Lillian, you can consider it “SOLD”.

What is included in these packages to make them so powerful? Here are a few ideas to consider:

1. Be sure to include a cover letter that explains the objectives of the preappointment package. The pre appointment package should include information, like your personal philosophy, Internet marketing strategy, testimonials from satisfied customers, and samples of your special advertising, direct mail and Website. Also included is a worksheet or “Seller’s homework” list of paperwork and things to have ready for your meeting. This letter should also close with a written confirmation of the time for your in person meeting.

2. Get the package delivered by a courier and have a receipt signed for the package. This will double as an attention getter as well as validation that the package was received.

3. On the day of your appointment, have a colleague or assistant call to remind the seller of your appointment later in the day. Also ask if the property owner has reviewed the paperwork and has the information ready for your appointment

After surveying over 21,000 agents, I've found only a small percentage “work” the prelisting aspect of the meeting by offering services, objectives, guidelines and information prior to the actual appointment. To create a unique distinction in the competitive arena of listings, the top agents understand the power of premarketing with a personal brand and the value of their time.

By the time you get to the listing table, you have created a professional, systematic message that you are ready to tackle the job with top skills efficiency and effectiveness.

Editor's note: An entire chapter on listing presentations is covered in Terri's new book - Terri Murphy's E-Listing and E-Selling Secrets for the Technologically Clueless, Dearborn.

Published: May 9, 2001

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