How Should You Prepare for a Listing Appointment?

By Florin Patrascoiu

Florin Patrascoiu, with his impressive 25-year tenure in the real estate sector, has established himself as a broker/owner who is not just successful in his own right, but also deeply committed to elevating the success of other real estate agents. At the helm of a high-achieving RE/MAX firm, Florin's leadership is defined by his passion for mentoring agents, helping them significantly increase their production and run thriving businesses, regardless of market conditions.

Here’s the truth about our market: Being a seller in 2024 is complicated. Home prices remain high in most areas around the country, but we’re no longer in the red-hot pandemic market. On top of that, higher interest rates have made moving less appealing for most folks. Someone listing their home now is probably beating themselves up for missing the peak of the market, which is why you need to ride a thin line between being an empathetic friend and a professional expert during your listing appointments. Today, I’m sharing three tips to help you shine with clients and win more listings in this confusing market:

1. Look at the data from more than one angle. Don’t fall into the trap of being narrow-minded with comparative analysis. The market is always moving, and real estate is hyper-local, so try to look for trends of where the market might be heading instead of focusing on where it used to be. You shouldn’t be all doom and gloom; prices are still high, and your client can get a good deal. However, you’re asking for trouble if you oversell what your client can get.

2. Set yourself apart. To be frank, most listing agents’ pitches to clients are practically the same. Since the average seller meets with two or three agents, you need to have tangible, practical differentiators you can point to during your listing appointments that set you apart from the competition. I recommend preparing a list of 10 things you do differently from other agents. This way, you’ll be more likely to stay in your clients’ minds after your meeting.

3. Be confident, not deferential. Sellers have a lot of anxiety about the current market, and they want someone who will tell them what to do. Be straightforward with your marketing strategy, and try to project confidence. Your clients want to be led, not waited upon, so proactively try to meet their needs instead of waiting on them to have a problem for you to solve.

Hopefully, these tips will help you win more listings. If my advice sounds different from the average broker, here’s why: These tips are what I’ve used in the past to become a top agent. If your business isn’t growing as fast as you want it to, we should talk. Just give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.