Listing Presentations: 13 Strategies to Close the Deal

As a broker, I was asked that question more times than I could count. From those where the the ink was barely dry on their license to the grizzled 20-year veteran — just about every agent out there wants more real estate listings.

One of the more frustrating aspects of getting listings, regardless of your experience as an agent, is getting to the listing presentation, delivering it, and then finding out a few days later that you didn't get the listing.

What can you do before, during and after your listing presentation to help secure those listings?

Here are thirteen strategies to close the deal and get more real estate listings.

1. Find out if the seller is interviewing other agents

When you are approached to deliver a listing presentation, simply ask the potential seller if they will be interviewing other agents. You don't need their names, you just need to know if you will be 'flying solo' or going up against others. The point isn't to directly compare yourself with other agents, it's to gain knowledge and be prepared to counter what the seller may hear from other agents — reduced commissions, inflated listing price, promises that can't be kept.

The more you know about who you're competing against, the better prepared you can be. 'Negative campaigning' isn't well received, and you don't need to compare yourself to other agents stat-by-stat. But, for example, if you work for an independent brokerage and a competing agent works for a large franchise, you need to be prepared to answer questions like — 'Agent A can put our listing on MegaBrokerage.com and you can't.'

2. Encourage the seller to talk to other agents

What? You find out that you are the only agent a seller plans to talk to, yet you should encourage the seller to speak with other agents? Sure. You're confident you are the best, right? Nothing communicates confidence like saying, 'I would strongly recommend that you speak to at least two other agents about listing your home. I know we're the best, and I want you to know that too.'

3. Position yourself as the last appointment

Some will tell you to be the first to give a listing presentation. Their theory is that allows everyone to be compared to you. The problem with going first is that it's easier to forget some of the details you communicate. The presenter going last is top of mind — not a bad place to be. Go last, and you have the opportunity to have the last word. Your prospect has no one left to speak with after you, so (at least in theory) they can make a decision right away. You can ask to present last by simply saying, 'I'd like the opportunity to present last, so that I can answer ANY questions you may have that you've thought of while speaking to other agents.' Odds are good you'll be the only agent asking for a specific position, and most prospects will be happy to oblige with your request.

4. Learn as much about your prospect as you can —before the presentation

Understanding your prospect's 'personality type' before you meet with them can help you tailor your presentation to best fit their style. You can Google your prospect's name, look them up on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and learn a surprising amount of information about them — before you step through their front door.

Are they an engineer, a CPA or a 'techie?' They will probably appreciate cleanly-presented data. Are they more the 'touchy-feely' type of person? You'll still want to show the data, but you can de-emphasize that part of your listing presentation and give a stronger focus on the more personal aspects of your service.

If you can't glean enough info about your prospects prior to presenting, you can still learn 'on the fly' by watching their reactions to your presentation. Do their eyes glaze over when you show a chart, or do they sit up, lean in and pay closer attention? You'll get additional clues on 'what makes them tick' by paying attention to the types of questions they ask. This leads to the next strategy.

5. Encourage open discussion

It is easy for a listing presentation to be one-way — you talking to the prospect. Real estate is a relationship business. While we may rather have people selecting agents based on productivity, ability and expertise, the simple fact is that many will choose an agent because they 'connect' with them on some personal level. Bringing that connection to the surface can help build a relationship from moment one. You will be miles ahead of every other agent that made the presentation all about themselves and made little effort to connect with the prospect. So don't just present data, don't make it all about how wonderful you are.

Ask open-ended questions that will get your prospect engaged early in the presentation. 'Why are you selling?' 'Where are you moving to?' 'Tell me what you love about this home (and what you don't like about it).' You want to get THEM talking. Then you can simply answer their questions and your presentation has become more about them than you.

6. Talk listing price last — or at least late in the presentation

While it would be nice if the purpose of the listing presentation was to highlight your ability and why the seller should choose you, the reality is a significant part of a listing presentation — in the seller's eyes — is listing price. Present your suggested price early and, right or wrong, the seller may tune out and shut down if you aren't close to what they are expecting. Build up to the price discussion, which ideally will occur AFTER they've decided you are the best agent for them.

7. Data is important, but be wary of having too much data

I've seen agents put 30 comparable properties into their comparative market analysis (CMA). The thought there is, 'the more supporting price data the better!' The problem with this tactic is data overload. It can confuse the seller more than it helps. Confusion leads to non-decisions. Instead, consider bringing fewer comparables, and include both inferior and superior properties in your batch of comparables. Fifteen is a nice number — five inferior properties, five superior properties and five that you feel are most like their home.

You may very well find the prospect saying something like, 'it seems like our home should be priced like this group' while they point at the five you've laid out like their home. If they have an over-inflated idea of what their home is worth, seeing those superior properties may well help them see the light.

8. Be brutally honest

The easy thing to do in a listing presentation is to tell the seller everything they want to hear. Many (MANY) times I hear agents say things like, 'I'll just take the listing at their price and talk them into a price reduction later.' Don't go down that road. You are setting yourself (and the seller) up for frustration at best, and failure at worst.

Tell the seller that you'd like to walk through the home, and provide them with tips to getting it sold. Yes, you want to do this NOW, before they even decide which agent to work with. Tell them upfront that you are going to be direct and brutally honest, but that what you tell them WILL help get their home sold — no matter which agent they select. And do just that. Does the home smell bad? Say so. Too cluttered? Let them know. Lousy curb appeal? Give some tips to help improve it.

The odds are good that your competing presenters aren't doing this. The odds are also good that the sellers will, at some point in their decision-making process say, 'you know, that agent that told us all those tips? They are the only one that really helped. ...' That will bode well for you getting selected.

9. Listen more than you talk

There's an old saying, 'you have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.'

That's a terrific mantra for listing presentations. LISTEN to what your prospects are telling you. OBSERVE their body language, it will tell you a lot. Yes, you have to 'pitch' your services, but as this is a service-orientated business, you need to work on that servicing from moment one. Listening is hard work. Stay focused, answer the questions you can, but don't make stuff up for the purpose of trying to show you know it all. It's OK (good in fact) to answer a question with, 'I'm not sure about that. Let me do a little digging and get back to you.'

Just make sure you really do get back to them.

10. Follow up

Even if you didn't say, 'I don't know, but I'll get back to you' you should follow up on every listing presentation. Very few agents do that, so by following up you've once again shown you are different, that you care and that you're detail-oriented and organized. A follow-up could be as simple as a phone call the next day. Not, 'Have you made a decision? Did I get the listing?' but more along the lines of, 'I know we talked about a lot yesterday, I just wanted to follow up and see if you had any questions about anything we discussed?' It's an easy way to set yourself apart from your competition.

11. Use reviews and testimonials to back yourself up

You can drone on and on about what a great agent you are, but why not let past clients tell that story instead? You don't have to read client reviews directly to your prospects, but do point out where they can find reviews online, and offer up a list of referrals and their contact info (only, of course, if you have those clients' permission to share contact info). Ask your best clients if you can use them as a reference, they'll say yes.

12. Provide stats and data that matters

The listing presentation should be more focused on what you can actually do for the prospect. But backing that up with some statistics, even for the 'touchy-feely' types, can help put you in the top position. Stats like list vs. sale price, your average days-on-market, even as simple a thing as a list of homes you've sold in the neighborhood can go a long way toward swaying a prospect to select you. Production stats shouldn't be the focus of your presentation, but they should be a component of it.

13. Include a 'fire me' clause in your listing presentation (and listing agreement)

One of the most powerful components of my own listing presentation was at the very end I would tell the prospect about our unconditional 'fire me' clause. 'Most agents will require you to sign a 6-month (12-month, whatever the norm in your area is) listing agreement that basically locks you into using them. I understand that you don't know me, but I am confident enough in my ability to sell your home that I will include an unconditional release so you can cancel our listing agreement at any time. To date, no one has ever exercised that right, but it's there if you need it.'

(Important: Be sure to consult with your broker prior to doing this. Some brokerages won't allow an unconditional release in a listing agreement. Too bad, as it's a very powerful tactic that can really separate you from the pack.)

The bottom line

You won't win every listing presentation. Employ these strategies and tactics, however, and you will likely get more listings. Practice your listing presentation until it's second nature that you could recite in your sleep. LISTEN to your prospects, have answers to common questions and objections and be CONFIDENT in your ability to sell the home. That confidence will come across to almost any prospect, and is probably the single most important factor in 'winning' listing presentations.

If you aren't selected to represent someone, do yourself a favor and ask that prospect why you weren't selected. Sometimes you will get a reason like 'the other agent offered a lower commission' or 'the other agent said they could get more for the house.' Not much you can do about those (other than be ready when the house doesn't sell), but sometimes you'll get good feedback that you can incorporate into future listing presentations.