To win the clients everyone wants, you need to do something different, and it starts with listing presentations.
It’s true. These days, affluent clients are in high demand. Plus, it’s never been easier to connect with them, thanks to social media and other online platforms. That means there’s more competition than ever, and your listing presentation may be the only chance you get to stand out from the crowd if you’re lucky enough to make it that far.
[Of course, it’s easier to make it that far and beyond when you’ve gone through The Institute’s training program or earned your Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist™ designation.]Think of it this way. When you connect with a new prospective client, your listing presentation is where you demonstrate:
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Your understanding of luxury real estate marketing strategy;
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Your abilities as a salesperson;
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What your values are;
And, most importantly, it’s when you establish trust and rapport.
The problem is, a traditional “listing presentation” — which is often a one-way presentation without much input from your prospect — doesn’t demonstrate any of these important qualities very well. Instead, let’s look at a few ways to reframe your listing presentation for more successful outcomes.
1.) Set the Stage for a Conversation, Not a Presentation
Arguably the most important part of leveling up your listing presentations is positioning them as a “marketing consultation” instead. This naturally opens up the lines of communication both ways, rather than simply presenting a set amount of information and waiting for their response. In fact, one-way listing presentations work against luxury real estate professionals in a few ways.
The first is that they close the lines of communication, which doesn’t give you as much time to establish a relationship or address what your prospects really want or need.
On the other hand, when you position your listing presentation as a conversation, you learn more about your prospect and how you can help them, so you can tailor the information you give them to what they’re actually looking for.
Sounds simple, right? Still, it’s often an overlooked strategy because — let’s face it — it’s easier to stick to a script. And while it’s perfectly fine to practice the important parts of your marketing consultation beforehand, consider trying to let the conversation unfold more naturally.
2.) Don’t Provide a Price During Your First Appointment
The reality is, your prospects want to know your thoughts on the price of their home. In fact, that may be one of the only reasons the prospective seller wants the appointment in the first place. However, it’s up to you to control the sales process by not providing a price during that first meeting.
Why? Because first, you have to sell yourself.
After that, the price of their home is simply a detail for them to accept as part of working with you. That’s why framing your listing presentation as a conversation-focused “marketing consultation” is so important. It builds rapport and sells them on you so they believe you’re the best luxury real estate professional to sell their home. Often, that alone is what will win their business (and not because you gave them the price they wanted to hear).
If you’d like to know how to fine-tune your skills around this particular conversation with prospects, our Institute training teaches you exactly how to navigate this situation. So, if you’re finding yourself faced with giving prospects a price against your better judgment, consider joining us for our next Luxury Livestream or taking our self-paced online training.
3.) Give Your Prospects Visuals
As luxury real estate professionals who live and breathe the work we do, sometimes it’s difficult to remember not everyone “speaks our language.” Even though your listing presentation should be more of a conversation than a presentation, it’s still important to bring your prospects visuals so it’s easier for them to picture what your work looks like.
Simply bringing along some marketing mockups, brochures, or flyers already done for their home or a similar home (avoid the word “comparable” since high-end homes are all unique) can help give them an idea of what you’re capable of.
Are You Ready to Take Your Luxury Real Estate Career to the Next Level?
We know there’s a lot to learn, even if you’re coming from a career in the traditional real estate market. Here are a few great resources that will help you experience what The Institute and our community have to offer:
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Subscribe to our Estate of Mind podcast and/or Estate of Mind video series on YouTube for monthly deep-dives into specialized luxury real estate topics with industry experts;
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Take our Luxury Livestream or Luxury Online training to qualify for Institute Membership and its many Member Benefits;
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Visit your Membership Portal for brand new training sessions, as well as our book, Rich Buyer Rich Seller: The Real Estate Agents’ Guide to Marketing Luxury Homes, which is available for free to all Institute Members and also available on Amazon.