The Listing Tour Is Up, And Other Thoughts.
April 13th, 2007 Deeper Thoughts, Family Life
So you think I’ve been goofing off recently with my recent run of Bad MLS photos, cartoons, YouTube videos and public drooling over my wife? Well that was all a cover for doing some overtime on the behind the scenes mouse wheel here at Reagent.
The Listing Tour is finally up. Took far longer than I thought it ever would and it’s still kinda bare bones with just plain text. I’ll be going back over it in a week or so to add images and what not, but for now I can’t stand to look at it anymore.
I think it may be a bit long, so I think I’ll edit an option for readers to take a Cliff Notes version in too when I go back over it. Short Tour, Long Tour. The customer is always right. And yes… video version at some point in the future too.
I’ll be honest – I’ve not been a strong listing agent up to now. The one huge benefit of doing this is it has forced me to think about my entire presentation, philosophy and marketing approach. I’ve struggled personally with not being straight on what I offer.
I’ve swung back and forth between aiming for a 5% commission and a 6% commission about twice a day for about the last three weeks. I don’t want to gun for 6% and just have the people who want only to spend 5% just slam the door on me. I don’t want to aim for 5% and miss out that extra 1% income on people that would have paid 6%, or lose because I don’t offer enough service.
You can’t second guess this stuff going into an appointment.
Sometime earlier in the week my 5% or 6% problem flipped around and turned into a huge plus. It’s so foolishly simple I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Come up with a kick ass 5% Plan AND a crushingly good 6% Plan. Then let the seller choose between them.
The point is that listing presentations lead to a decision is made by the sellers. Normally that decision is to either accept or reject the agent. My presentation re-frames that decision to choosing between a 5% or a 6% listing. I don’t care which they choose, either way I win.
And to be quite frank – so will they.
Athol
I’d like to thank Russell Shaw for I Want To Be A Lister - The Listing Presentation and Jonathan Dalton for Shattering Belief. Both posts came out on April 8 and I think that was the day I got the 5%/6% brain wave too. Obviously both Russell and Jonathan are leaps and bounds ahead of me in terms of the practice of listing. Plus I’ve had Scott Ginsberg’s When You Care Least You Do The Best rolling around inside me for a couple weeks.
In all seriousness. Thanks guys.
April 13th, 2007 at 8:25 am
Pretty cool idea, Athol. I like it!
April 13th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Thanks Jonathan.
May 1st, 2007 at 7:59 am
[...] Athol Kay provides a guide for agent marketing in The Listing Tour Is Up, And Other Thoughts. [...]
May 1st, 2007 at 11:47 am
[...] Athol Kay for Listing Tour (“a textbook marketing piece for agents.”) [...]
May 1st, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Elegant in its simplicity. You know how good an idea is by the number of people who slap themselves on the head and go, “I wish I’d thought of that!” Count me as one
Congrats on your win too,
Steve
May 13th, 2007 at 5:55 am
A great solution, Athol. I have the feeling they will soon all be going for your 7 percenter…
May 13th, 2007 at 7:35 am
Thanks Maureen
Oh and Steve too, how did I miss that comment?