From V8, I3 Cover Story: HOW TO MAKE A GREAT LISTING PRESENTATION IN 2011

So, how are your skills? Read the answers below to see if you’re on the right track to getting a great track record with clients:

1. Some Realtors get caught up selling themselves and forget to pay attention to what the sellers want. By letting the prospective clients talk, you’ll often find out more information that can help you understand motivations and needs.

2. Always do your homework! You shouldn’t have to ask the sellers obvious questions about their home, such as the home’s architectural style and their neighborhood. Asking them questions you should already know is the quickest way to not impress prospective clients.

3. Turn the cell phone off at a listing presentation! An agent’s work is about relationships, and the moment a cell phone rings mid-presentation – and even worse, if a call is answered mid-presentation – sellers see that they aren’t as important as the person calling you on the phone.

4. Many people now are tech-savvy, but some people out there still think it’s all a bit much. By finding out before the presentation if the sellers use the Internet and e-mail, you’ll know if a laptop presentation will impress or if they’ll just find it impersonal.

5. A listing presentation is a great time to demonstrate your expertise in preparing homes for the market. Be ready to counsel sellers on everything from curb appeal to staging the interior.

6. Again, this is your time to outshine your competition. Do black and white copies say, “best of the best?” No! Make color copies on high-quality paper stock for your presentation and marketing materials, and make sure all of your materials have a consistent look and reinforce your brand.

7. You’ll do sellers a disservice if you don’t prepare them mentally for some of the inconveniences inherent in a sale: broker tours, no-shows, last-minute appointments, open houses, arrangements for their pets, and strangers looking through their closets.

8. You should mirror who you’re presenting to. Take your cue from the sellers – if they’re informal, your presentation approach should be more casual; if they’re formal and business professional, keep it strictly business.