Listing Presentation Slip-ups

Before the Presentation

1. Showing up late. To make the best impression, be about five minutes early. If you get there more than 15 minutes early, you’ll be considered too eager or too rude. If you’re late, you’ve already blown the presentation.

2. Smelling like dogs, cats, or smoke. No seller will love your pet, or your cigar, the way you do.

3. Not doing your homework. Talk to the sellers before the appointment. You should know before you get there about the general condition of the home, how much the sellers are willing to do to get it into “show shape,” and their motivation for selling.

4. Treating the listing appointment casually. Every appointment is a job interview. Rehearse your presentation regularly and have ready answers to common questions.

During the Presentation

1. Not tailoring your presentation to the audience. You’ll lose some Gen X or Gen Y sellers if you talk about advertising their home in the newspaper without also talking about having a video tour, personalized Web site, and e-mail marketing.

2. Talking more than listening. Don’t become caught up in selling yourself. How can you help the sellers if you don’t know what they want or need?

3. Not knowing the neighborhood. Research all the homes that have sold in the area over the last six months, regardless of whether they’re comparable, and be ready to explain why a recent sale isn’t a good comp.

4. Failing to explain your systems. Have a system and be able to share de tails of it with the sellers. That means outlining all the steps you take to market and sell property and the measures you put in place to make sure nothing is overlooked.

5. Not preparing the sellers for the process. You’ll be doing a disservice to the sellers if you don’t prepare them mentally for some of the inconveniences they’ll likely experience after they list the house: the broker tours, showings, no shows, last-minute appointments, and strangers looking at their personal belongings.

After the Presentation

1. Not mirroring the sellers’ behavior. Are the sellers all business? If so, don’t start hugging and talking about the wonderful things you’re going to do together. The converse is true, too. If you’ve built such great rapport that the sellers seem ready to make you god parent to their child, take a deep breath and give a hug.

2. Forgetting to thank the sellers. No matter how you think the presentation went, thank the sellers sincerely for their time and for allowing you into their home. Say you’ll get back to them, and follow up in a timely manner.