I don’t want any misunderstandings with the way I teach a listing presentation. In my opinion, the challenge lies solely in obtaining a well-priced listing at a full commission with enough time to get the close.
In fact, I will say it again – 95% of all sales come from a sign, MLS submission, and a marketable price. The price will determine your success. I have seen very few cases where a property has not sold for any reason other than price. If your property is not selling, you need to increase its value or drop its price.
The whole concept of servicing the listing means that if a property does not sell you have not done your job on price; therefore, you have elected to spend hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars in marketing a property that is otherwise overpriced. Have overpriced properties sold? Of course, but then you have a whole set of new problems including appraisals not coming, bankers not liking the transaction, nibbling buyers with cold feet, and a much higher fall-out rate, all subject to a market that may turn.
Please remember your property has to be priced properly to sell or your expenses will go up. Stop depending on a great market to cure your pricing mistakes.
Another major aspect of servicing the listing is providing perceived-value and service to the seller. The seller has to love you to use your services again and to tell their family, friends, and co-workers to use your services. The perception of value and service beyond a marketable price, MLS, and signage must be present. The goal is to emphasize the lowest-cost and easiest marketing methods and de-emphasize expensive and time-consuming marketing strategies such as advertising, traditional open houses, and staging activities.
The next thing I do after trying to sell the property myself is to take the seller’s “temperature.” I do this with an E-mail that I have included for you in today’s blog. This allows me to collect any further information that I might need to satisfy my seller’s needs, especially after they have had one to three days after the contract has been signed. I call it my “Post-Listing Activity Client Survey,” and it is E-mailed to them approximately 48 hours after the listing has been taken.
Post-Listing Activities Client Survey
Name:
To ensure that I am providing the highest level of customer service to my clients, please take a moment to complete the following survey and return it to me. Please be candid in your comments. Thanks so much for your support toward achieving your goal of (insert client’s goal).
So far, how would you rate my services in these areas:
1 – Unsatisfactory
2 – Needs Improvement
3 – Good
4 – Very Good
5 – Excellent
- Source of important information
- Keeping you on goal
- Problem solving skills
- Listening skills and consideration of your needs
- Availability/response time
- Making the process easy
- Timeliness of presentation
- Price proposed for your home
- In what areas may I improve?____________________________________________
- What services would you like to see me add?_______________________________
- How did you go about choosing me as your agent?__________________________
- Would you refer your friends and family to me, if I achieve your goal? o Yes o No
- Has anything changed since we last spoke?_______________________________
- Is there anything else you would like to see implemented toward the sale of your home?______________________________________________________________
Thank you again for your time and assistance.
Sincerely,
Walter Sanford
Sanford Systems
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