Now that the listing agreement is signed and your FOR SALE sign is in the yard, you're done, right? Onto the next victim prospect to WOW with your fancy listing presentation and 132-point marketing plan! Of course, most of those 132 points are pretty much fluff & nonsense, but by the time you've overwhelmed the seller with your promises of Exceptional Service and Total Commitment, he probably won't notice.
No, he probably WON'T notice at the time, but he'll certainly notice later. The good news is that by then it's too late! He's committed to stuck with you! And you'll be damned if you'll let him out of your listing agreement after you've spent ALL THAT MONEY and ALL THAT TIME on his listing! Besides, he probably won't have the guts to even ask (whew!).
Want to Show Your Seller How Much You (Don't) Care?
It's easy! Just follow these simple steps...
1. Don't send your seller a copy of the MLS listing entry to get his feedback.
2. Don't let him know when his house officially goes "on the market."
3. Don't offer to do an open house, and be sure to argue with him if he asks you to.
4. Don't call the seller after your open house with feedback.
5. Don't call the seller after you show his house with feedback.
6. Don't call after the first few showings just to check in.
7. Don't monitor showings, but the next time you talk, ask "Have you had any showings lately?"
8. Put up a brochure box, but never fill it (or let it stay empty after the first batch is gone).
9. Don't send the seller copies of your advertising.
10. Don't contact the seller at all until it's time to ask for price reduction or to extend the listing.
If you follow these simple instructions for each and every one of your listings, you will be assured a long, glorious career of prospecting, prospecting, prospecting to keep that pipeline filled! You'll never have to worry about repeat or referral business distracting you from your all-important prospecting schedule...
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Jennifer. Thanks for the post. Great information and ten commandments to live by!!!
You mean, we HAVE to put a for sale sign on the lawn too? Geeze, you just added more work to my day. Great post Jennifer and thanks for the laugh! :)
Yes these are sure fire ways to not make a seller unhappy with you from the beginning all the way to when they cancel the listing with you.
This is a great list and thanks for sharing!
Hi Jennifer,
Ouch! Boy are these solid ways to make your seller never wish to business with you again or refer you to friends and family!
Jackie - Oops, forgot that one! Sorry...
Robert - You are very welcome!
Laura - And imagine all the business that won't come your way afterwards! Whew!
Pat - Just what we need - ANOTHER Ten!
Good post. We are a service oriented industry and our clients are our source of income. A happy client is your best source for now and the future. I keep it service, sercice, service.
Jennifer -
That's a great list. Good reminders. It is a very proactive approach to listing and marketing. Thanks.
I think we forget what a big deal Going on the Market is to a seller. It might just be the most important thing in their life right now and we should respect it as such. It's not all that hard - I have a checklist in my VIP Lounge that goes over all the things you should do for a new listing - and once you're in the habit of doing them, it's no big deal...
Jennifer,
Interestingly enough, with your savvy list, you can actually show an entire community how much you really don't care...and at the same time, tarnish finr reputations throughout the rest of the real estate community. Two birds-one stone. Great post!
Absolutely perfect and we see this so often here. It is a tough market and we must be the smile that re-assures the sellers
Jennifer,
As always, it is the simple caring things that make a relationship go far. Too often, many agents feel like someone's home (a source of life memories) is just another can of beans on aisle 13 to run through the scanner and collect the money.
Great post and right on target. Feed back is the critical part of keeping a seller happy. That is, second only in selling there property. LOL
Jennifer - Thanks for the specific examples, it all boils down to great communication!
Jennifer - Many agents didn't learn these lessons during the BOOM market. It is Back to Basics which should include your ten commandments and more .
I have a checklist for every new listing that we go through to be sure that we don't miss anything. Part of that checklist is a reminder to myself to send updates on showings and feedback along with regular market updates so there are no surprises if their neighborhood value is changing. It's amazing how just a little contact with the seller makes then entire process easier for everyone and it's not that hard to do.
Unfortunately, this is another reason our industry gets a bad name. Good post, Jennifer.
You mean you really have to follow up and work a listing AFTER they sign the bottom of the page? Thats just crazy talk... crazy I say!
This is real solid information. A couple of new points for me, but solid through and through.
BTW... I LOVE your picture, lady...... GREAT SMILE........ =-)
This is a wonderfully tounge in cheek post about what sellers HATE
about real estate listing agents.....
I am glad to report I have NEVER done any of these things to my clients...
It is a wonderful thing, this concept of "GREAT customer service"....
=-)
How about this? Don't pick up his phone... That would be really awesome.
Great post Jennifer. I really enjoyed the "16 ways..." as well, so much so that I emailed it to a colleague of mine! He is great at getting the business but has a hard time staying in touch with the signed up clients and relies on his staff to do all of the communication stuff. Clients want to hear from the agent themselves sometimes - that's who they hired.
LOL...very good! And let's not forget those great photos in the MLS, either. Complete time waster. LOL Thanks for the chuckle.
Great list that we follow too. I really can't imagine an agent not doing these things after taking a listing, but they do and we hear about it often. Let's treat people the way we would want to be treated.
Lee & Carol - Oh, be assured that MOST agents don't do these things. The bar in our industry is not set all that high.
Susan - Yeah, why bother with photos? Or, to update photos as seasons change?
Cara - Absolutely. I always feel a little dissed when I get handed off to an assistant.
Loreena - Great point!
Alexander - Service - what a concept.
Larry - Glad you enjoyed it!
Robert - Crazy is GOOD!
Jane - I agree.
Lisa - I created a similar list and depend on it heavily. I feel guilty if I miss even one of my self-imposed duties.
Hi Jennifer, I love your posts! I teach for BCREA the marketing course and these points I go over again and again communication is the number #1 reason some other agent will get your business!
Curiously, this is how every realtor I've ever used has behaved. It gave me a yardstick, though, to measure realtor behavior...and to know what I won't put up with. As an agent, the same yardstick applies!
Unfortunately, so many agents follow these steps with their listings!
Your book link doesnt work anymore- Ive been digging through your blog this morning and you seem to have it down- especially the millionaire realtor show blog..too funny! check out jennifer Klaussen, shes a good friend www.thearlingtondirt.com your styles are similar....
Great list. I get calls from sellers encountering #10 constantly.