We are now coming into the time of year where we all really want to build our listing inventory up for when our spring markets begin to hit. One of the simplest and most powerful strategies I use to eliminate my competition and to get the inside track on a listing appointment is to use a pre listing appointment questionnaire. This simple strategy is a fantastic way to impress the prospective seller by connecting with them in advance of our appointment. By confirming the appointment date and time it shows them we were really on the ball with our service as an agent, sets us apart from competitors and helps us create a superior experience for them even before we take their listing.
Now the other secret I used was my executive assistants, not myself would make these pre listing appointment calls and then ask the sellers the question “While we have you on the phone would you mind just answering a few questions that would help us serve you better and enhance our marketing plan for your home?” They would almost every time freely share four pages of information about their property, finances, situation, timing, motivation and more to my assistants even they would not be as comfortable if it were me asking the same questions. Imagine if you had pages of intel on the seller, their property, their finances before you even arrived to the listing appointment? What would that mean to you? Here are some of my favorite questions that really help my business and my listing effectiveness.
1.) How did you hear about me? Love this question for two golden reasons. A) The ability to track and measure my business. What is working? B) If it’s because of a referral then I get to reward that behavior and the referrer.
2.) Why do you want to sell? If we answer all your questions to your satisfaction will you list your property when we meet with you? These are the most important questions in determining their motivation. What are they running from or running to? No pain or no gain then no listing for Wade and no testing the market.
3.) Who else are you interviewing? When are you meeting with them? This is so good to be able to jump on to the MLS data and research the numbers and performance of the agents I am competing with and also prepare our value proposition of the brokerage vs. their brokerage in the listing appointment. Also decide if you’re going first or taking the chance to go last?
4.) Who will be present at the appointment? Always want to remind them of the importance for meeting with all parties on title but also all other decision makers.
5.) How much is owing on the property? Always helpful to know where they sit financially.
6.) What price do you want to ask for your property? Amazes me how many will freely share with my assistant who is not the agent what they want for their home.
7.) What criteria will you use in hiring an agent? Nothing better than knowing what they expect, want and need in an agent.
8.) May we ask you to wait to make a decision before you meet with us? Always protect yourself from other exceptional agents taking the listing before you do.
9.) Tell me the highlights about your property? Let them tell you their property story and share with you about the pride in their home.
10.) We will be delivering or have already delivered our informed home seller pre appointment package and can we ask you to review this prior to our meeting? This is a powerful way to win the listing before even seeing them but also helps make the listing appointment time that much shorter if they have reviewed it all.
So there you have a sampling of a pre listing appointment questionnaire and a better understanding of its effectiveness. Every time my executive assistants completed these in great detail for me and I went to the appointment and successfully won the listing I would place a crisp $100 bill on their desk as a bonus for their exceptional work. Funny how they were always filled out with so much information every time!! I hope this strategy is something you will use to really take your listings in 2018 to another level and crush it!
Click here to download the full 4 page pre listing appointment questionnaire.
Strength and courage,
Wade
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