This Facebook LIVE Coaching session with Greg Harrelson and Abe Safa of C21 The Harrelson Group details “Keys To A Powerful Listing Presentation.”  Covering the three parts of a powerful listing presentation: information gathering, a plan, and confidence, this episode breaks down components for securing a seller’s trust and earning the listing! Watch and learn as you hear Safa walk you through a typical listing presentation scenario in a seller’s home.

The Value of  Knowing Your Listing Presentation

Safa believes in having a general listing presentation that is adaptable. “The bones of the presentation stay the same,” he said, “but you throw in different components and conversations depending on the market.”

According to Safa, the components of a good listing presentation include the following:

1.  “Information - information starts way before you even get to the appointment.” This would include gathering client info, property info, market data, and more.
2. “A Plan - How do I want it to go?” 
3. “Confidence - I think confidence is the most important thing.”

Harrelson agreed and began comparing securing a listing to an appointment at a doctor’s office, Harellson said, “You’ve got your pre-presentation, your presentation, and your post-presentation.” Like a nurse who gathers the info, you first need to be an information gatherer. Then the doctor is the presenter who recaps the information that was collected, asks follow up questions, and starts the presentation.

Pre Listing Presentation Essentials - Gathering Information

One piece of information Safa wants before he meets with a seller is, “I want to know as much as possible about the seller,” said Safa. “I want to know their motivation first and foremost. Is this going to be a listing presentation or is this going to be an opportunity to meet and do a walk through and get to know each other? I want to know how serious they are.” 

Knowing this allows Safa to tailor his approach and avoid surprises. To do this he roleplays over the phone with the potential seller, learning their feelings on range, reasons for selling, and discussing any work that’s been done on the home. “The more things that I know about that seller and their circumstances,” Safa explained, “number one, the better I can help them. And then number two, the better I can present to them and give them options… and also be efficient with my time.”

Safa and Harrelson said that agents need to make it easy for sellers to choose to be represented. “They're looking for reasons to use you, not reasons to eliminate," Safa explained that consumers don't want to make hard choices and its up to the agent to make it easy for them to choose to list.

Listing Presentation Mastery & Execution of the Plan

According to Harrelson, memorization, internalization, and personalization are the keys to an effective meeting with sellers. Just as restaurants don't cook everything on the menu for every client, Harrelson explained, they serve what client orders. Real estate professionals need to do the same, he said, know the presentation, but cater to what the client needs. Safa added, “I don’t deliver the same presentation to every seller… What is consistent is each component of the presentation. I have canned components.” Then depending on the client experience, Safa customizes those components and only shares what is important to that particular seller.

When asked by viewers about specific scenarios, Harrelson said his presentation wouldn't change if a property had been listed previously. In the pre-presentation stage, Harrelson explained he would address the motivation issue and discuss the seller’s backup plan. Harrelson would mirror the client by restating the reason they originally want to move, focusing on that goal, and trying to understand what was really holding it up. In sharing an example where a seller was moving to be closer to family, he shared an insightful potential discussion. 

Harrelson said he might say to the seller, "I way I see it, the only thing that's keeping you from your family is $25,000. You have to decide what's most important, staying here and holding… or getting to your family and moving on with your life?" Harrelson and Safa agreed that typically this type of conversation gets the property listed for the right price and sold. "I'm not going to have that dialogue with each client I see."

Safa shared his typical seller presentation. First of all, when Safa rings the doorbell, and takes a step back as to not intimidate the person opening the door. Then he walks in, shakes hands, and asks if he should remove shoes, which he said sellers love because it is a courtesy. Next he does a walk through with the client where he asks the seller to lead. The walk through generally lasts under two minutes, and during it Safa listens closely to how the client talks. “I want to hear how they describe each room. I want to know what’s important to them,” Safa said. He plants seeds and reaffirms their confidence with his comments, as takes notes. Once they’ve seen the property, Safa says they go to the kitchen table and sit down. “If they ask me if I want something to drink, I always say yes.” 

Then the discussion of the property ensues, with Safa sharing the components that best resonate with the seller. If the client said marketing or track record is important, he highlights those thoughts in the appointment. Harrelson added that he often tells the client on walk-throughs, "This is your opportunity to be the real estate agent. What would you show to your buyers?" Their answer helps him understand the seller better and deliver more value. And, it empowers the seller. Harrelson likes the seller to feel involved. "I'm controlling the range,” Harrelson said in regards to seller input, “but, they're choosing the price within the range."

Confidence Comes with Knowledge

Before meeting with a seller, Safa sends over his “Know Your Property” form. This form provides insight into why the sellers originally chose the home and neighborhood, what they love about it, and specifics regarding the age of the roof, appliances, and any remodeled features. Harrelson mentioned that the purpose of that form was "getting them to make an additional investment into Abe," and Safa agreed that when the form was already filled out on arrival he knew the listing presentation would be easy.