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One hundred milliseconds. That’s a thousandth of a second – one third of the amount of time it takes to blink an eye.
And it’s the amount of time you have to create a first impression on a real estate listing presentation.
“We decide very quickly whether a person possesses many of the traits we feel are important, such as likeability and competence, even though we have not exchanged a single word with them,” according to Princeton University psychologist Alex Todorov.
Rather scary, isn’t it?
Especially when we consider that homeowners only spend one day choosing a listing agent.
Knowledge, however, is power. So now that you know you’ll have less time than a camera’s flash to give off that authoritative, trustworthy vibe, use it wisely.
Do the groundwork before the real estate listing presentation
Feeling pretty amped after that invitation from a homeowner
to come out and show your stuff? It is exciting, but have you figured out where to go from here?
That first phone call requesting a real estate listing presentation presents the perfect opportunity to do two things:
- Prove your professionalism without the snap judgement of your face
- Get critical information about the potential client and his or her home
In essence, this phone call may be more important than the listing presentation itself. Keep a list of questions to ask these leads on your smartphone so that you can refer to them quickly.
The NAR offers up a few suggested questions:
- Why are you selling?
- When do you need to move?
- In your opinion, what do you think the home is worth?
- How did you hear about me?
- Have you made any major renovations or repairs to the home?
- Who else is on the home’s title? Will he/she be present when we meet?
Don’t just jump into the next question after the prospect answers. In fact, take notes so that you can refer to the answers later. You don’t want to show up at the listing appointment and ask any of the questions you asked during the pre-qualification call.
Now it’s time to check out the prospect’s neighborhood. Tour every home that’s on the market within a 1-mile radius. Take notes on how it may compare or not compare to the prospect’s home.
Then, grab a list of sold comps you’ll use in your listing presentation and do a drive-by, again taking notes on the home’s exterior, location, condition and anything else that may be important.
Finally, do a drive-by of the subject home, taking note of its location and any nearby amenities that may help boost the price, such as a park, quality school, Starbucks or Whole Foods Market.
By this point you should have enough information to compile a thorough CMA for your new listing.
The real estate listing presentation
Listing presentations come in various forms. Some are completely digital while others are bound and some, created on the fly.
But it’s your demeanor that will be in the spotlight. Here are five things to not do during the presentation:
1. Don’t be late. Don’t EVER be late for a real estate listing presentation.
2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Your lack of experience giving listing presentations will never be evident if you rehearse what you plan to say until it flows naturally. Have a question ready to use if you get stuck and don’t know what to say next. As they answer the question, take some deep breaths to calm yourself.
3. Plan on exuding confidence and one of the best ways to do this is by being prepared. Then, ensure that you are consistently making eye contact.
In fact, according to Forbes.com’s list of the 10 worst body language mistakes, not making eye contact signals either “deception or a lack of respect.” Looking down during the presentation may make you “look weak,” they add.
Sit up straight, look the prospect in the eye and ask questions frequently during the presentation.
4. Don’t bring another agent with you on your real estate listing presentation, even if it’s a member the team. More than one agent evokes suspicions of a tag-team tactic, making the prospect feel ganged-up on and uncomfortable.
5. Show the homeowners you’re engaged by nodding your head when they speak, smiling, asking questions and ensuring they understand what you’re explaining. Another way to show them you’re listening is by taking notes. Even if you don’t think you’ll ever use them, the act of nodding your head and writing down what they’ve just said is powerful.
Your real estate listing presentation isn’t to present the CMA (although you’ll do that); it’s the presentation of YOU. Although they’ll be interested in your research findings, understand that they’ll also be scrutinizing you.
We have every confidence you’ll walk out of that house with a signed listing agreement.
You absolutely can generate more leads online – here’s how.
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