Digital Pre-Listing Packages

Today, if a savvy homeowner searches for a leading agent to list and sell their property, they typically begin online. And the competition is brutal. The agent that delivers the most visually impressive pre-listing package and does it the fastest will compete better and win a larger percentage of the time.

There will always be the need for an impressive hard copy listing presentation. However, those agents who wish to compete better will think differently. They will present themselves to potential sellers in far more eye-catching ways.

First, a digital pre-listing package, (PLP), is not a Word doc converted into a PDF or PowerPoint.  This is not what we mean by “digital”. A proper PLP should be web-based, i.e. built as a web page.

There are enormous advantages to delivering your benefits and value proposition this way. Here we go…

1. You look impressive

Do what is necessary to stand out above the noise and visually impress your potential clients. If you are representing yourself as the best in your market, shouldn’t your marketing materials deliver an experience above and beyond the norm?

2. Deliver hi-res photography and HD videos

Nothing paints a better picture of your company than an impressive video. If you don’t have one yet, that’s ok but it’s something to think about seriously… right now. You could also use a professional video offered by your franchise or brand. Click here for an example courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate and Barker Realty in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

3. Share your story easily

Your PLP is a simple web address that can be promoted on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, your public website, email newsletters, or email campaigns. The presentation can also be instantly and automatically delivered to potential sellers who request company information from your public website.

Your clients can share digital pre-listing packages with friends or business partners socially. As the under 40 crowd purchases and sells more homes over the coming months and years, social collaboration will become even more critical.

4. Make changes quickly and easily

Let’s face it, information changes from time to time in your listing presentation. With a web-based presentation you can easily make changes, especially if you use today’s easy web management systems.

What’s beautiful about a PLP built as a web page is that once your changes are made, every prospective client who ever received that presentation will automatically see those changes when they return to read the presentation. You don’t have to be a software developer to make changes to your PLP!

5. Know who is reading your presentation and when

Knowing who is actively reading about you and when is a critical element of selling almost any product or service. Yet it is the most overlooked by brokerage companies actively trying to sell their services to prospective clients.

With today’s technology we can pinpoint whom we reach out to and when based on our knowledge of who’s actively reading our presentations.  This is critical because having a live conversation with potential clients is one of the most difficult steps to overcome!

Sounds like “Big Brother” right?  Not really. We’ve been studying this for years and the overwhelming majority of savvy clientele now understand web technology, and they are typically impressed with the effort given in reaching out to them quickly.

6. Compete more effectively for out-of-market sellers

Out-of-market sellers are critical for large markets like New York and Chicago or second home markets like Aspen and Santa Fe.  Many of those out of town sellers are researching the best options for top brokerages online. What information are you offering on your website and how are you capturing the attention of those sellers?

An instantly delivered, dynamic and interactive digital pre-listing package that shows off your company coupled with a well-timed phone call will shoot you to the top of the “impressive brokerage” list for sure.

7. Save ongoing cost

What are your printing, re-printing and delivery costs every month? How often do you do this? How often do you make changes to your listing presentations and re-print all of them?

What if you have the opportunity to begin an expired listing campaign and send impressive PLPs instead of the standard FedEx delivery with an expensive hardbound book? With a little Google time, you can stumble upon email addresses for those sellers nearing expiration of their current listing agreements.

8. Show prospective sellers what you can do for them

If prospective sellers are blown away by the way you represent yourself, why wouldn’t they expect the same impressive marketing talents to be used to sell their home? In fact, we recommend showing some examples of how you have promoted other multi-million dollar homes that might be on the market longer than a month or two.

9. Easier client interaction

Embed forms in your PLP and let prospective clients submit questions directly to you in a non-intimidating way, right from your presentation. They can even set up a date and time to meet with you in person.

What a great place to include an easy pre-listing survey. Wouldn’t you like to have information like this sent to you from a client prior to your first face-to-face meeting?

• How did you hear about us?

• Why do you want to sell right now? – Seller’s motive for selling so you can understand objectives

• What will happen if you don’t sell? – Gauge level of urgency.

• When do you need to sell?

• Where are you moving?  Do you know a Realtor there?

• Who else are you planning on interviewing?

• Any other decision maker’s involved in your selection?

• What criteria will you use in selecting your listing agent?

10. Brokers: Control the your message

There are likely certain elements of your current pre-listing package that are standard for everyone. PLPs can be set up to keep that information protected so the main company messages are always consistent coming from every agent in the office or company.

Editing privileges can be assigned to brokerage owners, executives and marketing associates so they can effectively freshen up presentations and update changing information in them for all agents.  Agents spend their time building relationships, not updating listing presentation material.

11. Look great on mobile devices

A study by Google and the National Association of Realtors says that 89 percent of new home shoppers use a mobile search engine at the onset and throughout their research.

Get ahead of the curve and make your company easily accessible to sellers on their mobile device as well. If you think sellers don’t discuss selling their home over coffee and a muffin at their local coffee shop you’d be wrong. They also do quick searches for quality brokers in the area on their phone or tablet and even request information from them. I know this because I’ve done it!

As younger generations begin buying and selling homes with more frequency you need to be immediately responsive to sellers with impressive looking presentations delivered wherever they are, right when they want it.

Clearview Elite is a digital marketing firm catering to the worlds most driven real estate agents.

About Eric: Real Estate Sales & Marketing veteran. Founder of Clearview Elite. Driven to make life easier for real estate salespeople. Very lucky husband and Dad, slightly above average golfer, food and wine fan. Lives in Boise, Idaho with wife Julie and kids Nicholas and Grace.

Share this post!  If what you read was valuable and you think others might benefit from it please share with your network.

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_1]