When you walk into a listing appointment with confidence, you instill confidence in the homeowner that you’re up to the job. Kase Eller, president of brand development at Mainframe Real Estate, writes in a recent column at Forbes.com that confidence is key in being triumphant in a listing presentation, whether you’re already a top producer or a new agent just starting out.
And after years working in real estate, Eller has broken that confidence down into a formula on how you can show just the right amount to make clients want to work with you. Here are a few of her insights:
Show up professional.
“The more nicely you dress, the more credible you’ll seem and, typically, the better you feel about yourself,” Eller writes at Forbes.com. (Read more: Dress How Your Clients Would)
Eller suggests coming up with a “success persona” until you get comfortable giving listing presentations. For instance, she became “Kase, the successful REALTOR®” and gave herself a talk that helped her feel confident heading into presentations. “I’m not saying to be disingenuous, but there is nothing wrong with playing the part until you build the natural confidence that comes in time,” she says.
Do a prelisting phone call as homework.
Understand better who your customer is before you show up at a listing presentation. “The more you know in advance, the more comfortable you'll feel,” she writes. For example, she suggests learning their occupation and what they do, which could provide you some insight into your approach. For example, if they’re an engineer, you might assume they’re data-driven and you need to be ready to talk numbers. An attorney may want to dwell more on the ins and outs of a listing contract, she suggests. By learning more about your customer, you’ll be more confident in how to best serve them.
Show yourself a hyperlocal expert.
Know the area and neighborhood of the homeowner very well. Do some additional prep work: Drive through the neighborhood and surrounding area in advance and study every photo you find on the MLS for that area, she suggests. “Sellers expect you to know the neighborhood. It will help you earn their trust and show them you’re prepared,” Eller writes.
Show off your marketing chops.
Come to listing appointments with a custom marketing plan for the home and outline what you will do to sell it. Beyond a comparative market analysis, bring photography examples of past listings or postcards. Eller also brings a 79-point outline to her listing presentations. She will bring recommendations from past clients that help give the sellers confidence and show off her “proofs of sale.” She also brings either digital or printed content that advertises her recent sales in an area.
Read more of Eller’s advice on projecting confidence in a listing appointment at Forbes.com.
Source: “How to Be Confident on a Listing Appointment (Even Your Very First One),” Forbes.com (May 23, 2019)
