When you're making a listing presentation there always comes that moment when it's time to discuss how long your listing agreement will be valid for. What you must know here is that the way you present this subject to the owners often completely sets the tone for how long of a listing they will be willing to give you.

For example, if you initiate this discussion with the owners by saying something like, "How long would you like the listing to run for?" you are completely setting yourself up for a less than desirable result for yourself. Why? Because people like flexibility, shorter commitments, and more options for themselves as a general rule in business. If when answering your question the owners then come back to you with a listing period that is shorter than the one you wanted, now you have to begin stating your case for why they should give you a longer listing period instead. Basically you'll be attempting to get them to move off of the position they've taken simply because you set them up to take this position by the way that you chose to approach the situation.

In all forms of sales there is what is known as the "double bind" question. In real estate this is a question the agent poses to the prospect that gives the prospect the feeling of having a choice. But in effect whichever option the prospect then chooses moves them ahead in the desired direction of consummating a sale. For example, when attempting to schedule an appointment with a prospect you might say something like, "Would Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. be good for you or would Thursday at 3:00 p.m. be even better?" Again, this question gives the prospect a choice but either choice leads you to what you are looking for as an agent...an appointment with the prospect. This is a very subtle form of sales psychology that can work extremely effectively for you in your real estate career.

Now in utilizing this same approach in a listing presentation you might say something like, "Would a six-month listing work great for you, or would a five-month listing agreement work better?"

Before you asked this question the owners might have been thinking in terms of a two or three month listing, or perhaps they hadn't even thought about the length of the listing period at all. But when you phrase your question like this, presenting two choices that are both great for you, you maximize the probability that the owners will simply select one of the choices that you've offered them. At the minimum you've completely set the tone for having them agree on a longer listing period with you than what may currently be the norm in your market.

Always remember that the words and questions you utilize with your clients and prospects completely set the tone for the response they will give back to you. Knowing this, always make sure that you choose words, phrases, and questions that move your clients and prospects towards successfully closing transactions with you.

Published: February 17, 2004

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Jim Gillespie, Ph.D., is America's Premier Real Estate Coach℠. He has over 20 years of experience in real estate sales and is a past president of three different real estate companies. His FREE real estate E-newsletter with tips and creative ideas to help agents make more money is now read by over 35,000 agents nationwide. You can subscribe to his FREE E-newsletter by visiting RealEstateSalesCoach.com or contact him at Jim@RealEstateSalesCoach.com.