What You Will Learn in This Article (Reading Time – 5 Minutes):

• What is a listing presentation
• How to prepare for a listing presentation with a Realtor
• What are some questions to ask a Realtor during a listing presentation

When you’re ready to list your home for sale, it’s important to find a Realtor you trust to do the job effectively. A good real estate Agent knows the area, understands what home buyers are looking for, and develops a comprehensive marketing plan to sell your home as quickly as possible and for top dollar.

The Listing Presentation is basically an interview during which you can get a better understanding of the agent’s experience, knowledge, and skills. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, get a feel for the Realtor’s approach and style, and decide whether this is the right person to get your home sold. Here’s what you can expect during the listing presentation and how you can prepare.

What to Expect During the Listing Presentation

The listing presentation is an opportunity for you to interview an agent, but it also gives the agent a better understanding of how to serve you and what motivates you. The goal of the listing presentation is to decide if the agent is a good fit for your needs and goals. You can expect this meeting to include an in-depth discussion about:

• Your timeline for listing
• A realistic comparison of your home and recently sold homes in the area
• The listing price the agent recommends
• The agent’s commission
• The marketing strategy for your home
• Who is likely to buy your home and why
• How long homes in the area are staying on the market
• Upgrades you have made
• Repairs or improvements the agent recommends

Preparing for Your Listing Presentation

Want to make the most of your meeting with the agent? There are plenty of things you should do before meeting with an agent for a listing presentation.

Prepare Your Home

You can prepare for your meeting with the Realtor by making sure your home is looking its best to help your agent prepare a market value assessment. Presenting your home in the best light will give the agent the idea that your home will be more appealing to buyers and easier to market.

Research Comparables

While the agent will prepare a list of comparable homes that have sold recently to help value your home, it’s a good idea to do your own research ahead of the meeting to ensure you are on the same page. Check comparable home listings in the area to better understand the local marketplace. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you find, or you may be disappointed. Still, doing some research on your own will help you enter the meeting with a realistic mindset.

Make a List of Improvements

You can also prepare a list of upgrades and major repairs you have performed as these items can affect the value of your home. While some expenses will matter more than others, your agent will be able to determine what’s important to buyers in the area. Knowing about these improvements is crucial as it will help the agent price your home properly and market it effectively. A listing agent won’t need to know how much you paid for the upgrades as the fact that they have been done is more important.

As you make a list of improvements, remember to wait before doing any major repairs or upgrades to the home until your meeting so your agent can help you decide which expenses make sense.

Prepare Questions

A listing presentation is a lot like an interview, so you should be ready to ask plenty of questions. While some home sellers hire a Realtor based on a gut feeling, don’t forget that selling a home is a huge financial transaction. You want to know what makes this agent different than the next and what they will do to market your home effectively and help you get the best price. Here are some questions you may want to ask:

• What is your experience? While new agents may have innovative and effective ideas for marketing your home, experience definitely matters. Ask the agent about their experience and look for a Realtor with enough sales experience to comfortably handle everything from listing to closing and recognize potential problems ahead of time.
• How will you stay in touch? It’s a good idea to know how communications will be handled and that your Realtor will be in touch often. Will the agent email you or call? Have upfront expectations and ensure the agent has a team approach to selling your home.
• How do you plan to market my home? You want to know that the agent has a good plan for marketing your home to the greatest number of potential home buyers. Ask about their marketing philosophy and what techniques they use. Look at the agent’s past listings to see how well they can improve your listing’s online visibility. Check that the past listings use high-quality photos that highlight the homes’ best features.
• Do you work with buyers in my home’s price range? While there’s nothing wrong with working with an agent who only works with listings, someone who also represents buyers will have a better understanding of what buyers looking at homes in your price range want and expect. This insight can be valuable.
• Can you tell me about your stats? There are two agent stats that can give you a lot of information about the agent’s skills and experience. The first is their list-to-price ratio, or the final sales price divided by the most recent listing price. If the agent’s percentage is more than 100%, it means their homes sell for above list price. This shows they aren’t inflating list prices just to get listings. You should also ask how long their listings stay on the market. This figure shows how well the agent prices homes and markets the property. You may need to speak with several Realtors to put this figure in perspective, though.

While you may be tempted to skip the listing presentation and just choose a Realtor at random, the listing presentation is an important opportunity to make sure you are on the same page with the agent and you are choosing the person you believe will do the best job. You want an agent who has the experience and skill set to market your home effectively to a broad number of potential buyers while pricing your home to sell quickly without leaving money on the table.

Are you planning to sell your home in the near future? At Evergreen Properties and Investments, we believe in empowering our clients to make informed real estate decisions. When you are ready to list your home, you can expect one-on-one consultations, personalized advice, and a results-based marketing plan to get your home sold so you can move on to bigger and better things. Contact us today to set up an appointment for a listing presentation to learn more about how we can help you sell your home in Long Beach, California.

From the Author: My name is Dan Barcelon and I believe that Real Estate can be one of the most valuable assets you’ll ever own. I’m dedicated to educating and guiding my clients on how to manage and leverage their homes to create an Evergreen legacy for themselves and their family. I primarily consult both home buyers and home sellers on reaching their personal and financial goals through Real Estate in the following cities of Southern California: Long Beach, Carson, Cerritos, Signal Hill, Torrance, Lakewood, Cypress, Downey, Bellflower, Norwalk, Wilmington, La Palma, and Artesia. If you’d like to discuss if buying, selling, or investing in real estate is right for you at this time, feel free to reach out. You can call/text me at 562-270-5812, or you can e-mail me at [email protected].

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