2016 Listing Presentations (Part 1)
The Warm Up
Of all the elements to a listing presentation, the warm up is by far and away the most critical. Unfortunately, most agents are so anxious to begin discussing what they can do for a seller, they overlook the warm up.
There are two purposes to a warm up.
- Building rapport.
- Gathering information.
Building rapport – Sellers, like everyone else, prefer to do business with someone they like and trust. People generally like and trust agents they can relate to. In the warm up, it’s imperative to identify areas of common interest. This cannot be done without asking questions. The first question should always be:
“If you don’t mind, there are a few questions I’d like to ask you to get a better feel of where you’re at. Then, I can share specific information that best meets your needs and we can see if there’s a fit. Would that be OK?”
Once you’ve been given permission, you are free to ask as many questions as you like to get a better feel for your prospective seller. We’ve attached a copy of a strategic brief list of questions. Although, the real estate questions are very important, questions about real estate do not build rapport because they don’t establish common interests.
The most important questions you’ll want to ask use the FORP model. These questions are questions that relate to your prospects’:
- Family & Friends
- Occupation
- Recreation
- Plans for the Future
Remember, the primary objective of asking your prospect about their, family & friends, occupation, recreation and plans for the future, is to determine what is most important to them. We call this your prospect’s Hot Button. Once you’ve determined what motivates your client (their Hot Button), you can formulate a strategy that will best meet their goals. Notice that gathering information requires lots of questions. Do not begin to roll out your strategy until you’ve asked lots and lots of questions. All too often, an agent will shoot themselves in the foot by saying something that turns their prospective seller off because they didn’t first identify their seller’s Hot Button.
Also keep in mind that by asking questions, you’re showing you have a genuine interest in your prospects. You’ll find your sellers will appreciate this interest. Don’t be surprised if your sellers love talking about themselves.