It makes sense to market yourself BEFORE the listing appointment by setting up your sellers with enough information to make certain you’re their listing agent of choice!
One common trait for agents who list and sell over 100 properties a year is they are a RESOURCE to their clients and not a self-promoting marketing initiative. Savvy agents study their marketplace and have learned that over 62% of the properties sold last year were bought by Gen X and Gen Y buyers. This consumer segment detests self-aggrandizing techniques, marketing ploys, and is looking more closely at “what’s in it for them”.
If you want to get in the door as an agent and out the door as their “listing” agent, you need to “WOW” your prospect from the first point of contact. It’s really not hard to set yourself apart from your competition today. It just takes a couple of extra steps to create distinction for yourself, but they are well worth it!
If you are willing to step up your game, here are a few tips to make that listing YOURS with strategies to set you apart even before the actual appointment!
1. Develop a pre-listing system that creates the first of a series of unique experiences before the actual appointment occurs. The packet of information is NOT company-centric, but BENEFIT centric for your consumer. The idea is to include the exceptional service offerings with the emphasis on the many services and strategies that are available to the seller when working with you. Include information about your specialization (staging, senior designations, social media channel promotions, single property websites, etc.), and include services of your strategic partners, processes, and more. You can still include information about your company, but the idea is to focus on you and your team services and not appear to be a marketing piece provided by the company. The seller hires YOU, and the company, although important, is not a person or entity they are likely to meet. Sell the value of working with you backed by a great company.
2. Start the WOW experience by having the package delivered with a request for a signed receipt. When your prospects have to sign for the package, you create a pre-meeting experience, and you’ll demonstrate your intention to create a highly differentiated experience from any competitors. Once you have verification of delivery, follow up with a confirmation call. During that call, you or your administrative staff can ask that their “homework”, a form that is included in the packet, be completed prior to the actual meeting. By drawing attention to the homework, you are asking the seller to be prepared for the actual appointment. This action also brings to their attention your name and brand before you even get there. If the circumstances don’t allow for delivery, use an overnight service, a courier or a special mailing envelope. If your prospect is technically sophisticated, you can consider emailing the package as a last resort.
3. Include a homework page for the seller to complete prior to your meeting. When they see how organized your system is, and how other agents never required the preparation work, they will undoubtedly know you are different from your competition and be interested in meeting you in person!
4. Engage your strategic partners to participate in the pre-positioning process. Ask your manager to call prior to the meeting to leave a message acknowledging your appointment, and then thanking them for the opportunity. Your manager, in a short message, will emphasize that the entire company will support the marketing of their property to secure the best buyer. Ask your lender partner to call or email a testimonial letter that states as part of your service team they work with you to qualify all buyer candidates to make sure the transaction closes on time and in compliance with the new TRID timelines.
5. And finally, the day of the presentation, consider what medium of presentation will best suit your prospect’s style. Depending on your marketplace, a paperless, real-time CMA evaluation is the most transparent. Using your iPad or laptop offers huge flexibility to demonstrate videos you have prepared for other properties, virtual tour upgrades, Facebook events for Open Houses, Twitter posts and more. Print a paper CMA for those more analytical sellers who want to “study” the information. When you do deep and expert research, and you demonstrate transparent access to similar properties and statistics, you invite the seller to participate in the pricing of the property. This is key to not only getting the property priced right but also to get their buy-in. By offering a comprehensive combination of both digital and traditional marketing initiatives, you present a unique and customized service model that makes the value of your work and systems worth the compensation.
Creating differentiation in our crowded marketplace does take some creativity, and having a pre-appointment strategy will help you to win you the listing every time!
