Listing, selling, buying. It’s what Realtors do. But no matter how simple this cycle looks on paper, the truth is that real estate agents are working harder than ever to secure listings and make sales.
The days of putting a “For Sale” sign in the yard with a few paper brochures are long gone. The real estate game has changed, and so have the players. Websites have largely replaced print marketing, virtual tours are commonplace, and sellers expect professional photos worthy of a magazine cover.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before a real estate agent can market a home, they have to win the listing – and the best way to do that is to create a pre-listing presentation, also known as a pre-listing package or pre-listing kit.
If you’re wondering what exactly a pre-listing package is, keep reading! We sat down with HighNote founder Mark Choey to learn all about pre-listing presentations and why every Realtor should create one that stands out from the rest.
What Is a Pre-Listing Package?
The pre-listing package is marketing material you share with the seller to impress them & persuade them to work with you before the in-person listing appointment! It’s designed to win the listing before the appointment or lead with a great first impression and get the introductions and your background out of the way.
The real estate pre-listing package helps you sell your skills to potential clients by including information such as your process of selling a property, marketing strategies you’ll use, and your results. Hopefully, with a great prelisting presentation, the seller will be so impressed, that they will cancel the other agent appointments or tip the balance in your favor.
By providing this information upfront, you can differentiate yourself from other real estate agents and demonstrate your expertise in the industry. You’ll build trust with potential clients and increase the likelihood of them choosing to work with you.
In addition to selling your skills, a real estate pre-listing package will also help you better understand the seller’s needs and expectations. By including a questionnaire or interview in the pre-listing package, you can gather information about the seller’s timeline, goals, and concerns.
This can help you tailor your approach to meet their specific needs and increase the chances of winning a listing.
Let’s see what Mark had to say about the pre-listing package:
Hi, Mark. A lot of people reading this might not fully understand what a pre-listing kit is, or why it’s so important. Can you explain?
Of course. We all know that first impressions are everything, right? Well, the real estate listing presentation is the conversation starter and the credibility builder. It sets the stage for a successful initial meeting with your seller. It allows you to showcase why you’re better than any other agent out there. It’s all about impressing the seller before you meet them.
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The Benefits of Creating a Pre-Listing Package
Of course. We all know that first impressions are everything, right? Well, the real estate listing presentation is the conversation starter and the credibility builder. It sets the stage for a successful initial meeting with your seller. It allows you to showcase why you’re better than any other agent out there. It’s all about impressing the seller before you meet them.
- Makes you stand out from other Realtors.
- Starts conversation with the seller.
- Builds credibility & trust.
- Encourage sellers to take the next step.
- You anticipate & answer the seller’s questions.
- Showcases your expertise in the industry.
- Sets the stage for a successful listing presentation
- Impresses the seller, so it’s only left for you to close the deal at a listing appointment.
- Saves you time & energy.
What to include if you want the best pre-listing package?
1. Pre-Listing Package Cover Letter
In your pre-listing package cover letter, you should tell the seller more about you, and your track record and the best thing you could do is to record a video to build an emotional connection with the seller right away.
2. Your Unique Selling Process
Walk them through your selling process step-by-step. This is vital if you want to remove friction and exceed the seller’s expectations. They’ll always know what to expect and will be familiar with the whole process.
3. Testimonial
Sharing testimonials from happy clients is a must if you want to impress the seller with your pre-listing kit! Take some time to single out the testimonials from clients who are similar to the seller.
4. Local Market Knowledge
Sellers want to know if you can sell THEIR property, not just any property. This is where your local market knowledge plays an important role. Show results & statistics for their neighborhood and let them know you’re the right Realtor for the job.
5. Relatable Experience
What experience do you have that uniquely qualifies you to sell this home? Create a mini case study and include it in your pre-listing package to demonstrate your skills and abilities to sell your property.
6. Marketing Strategies
Give sellers a unique opportunity to see a sneak peek at your marketing strategies. You don’t have to go in-depth here, but an overview of strategies you’ll utilize to sell your home will get you a long way and help you win the listing.
7. Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)
You don’t want to include the whole CMA in your pre-listing package, that can often be a huge mistake, but showing the seller local real estate market data will show your credibility. Mention that you’ll go into detail at the listing appointment and once you’ve toured the property.
8. Recent Sales
Highlight your recent sales and single out the most relatable fragments of each. What interests the seller most? Include it into your real estate pre-listing package and show the seller you’re more than capable of selling their property in the shortest period for the best price.
9. Anticipate & Answer Their Questions
As an experienced real estate agent, you probably get the same questions over and over again. Include Q&A directly into your pre-listing presentation and build trust by anticipating the questions the seller is going to ask.
10. Ask Questions Before the Listing Appointment
It’s not just about answering sellers’ questions. It’s also about asking the right, thoughtful questions that demonstrate your expertise. And the pre-listing package is the right place to do it.
Ask the seller why they chose to call you when they plan to put the house on sale, whether they’re the sole owner of the property, and if it’s their first time to go through the selling process. If it’s not, ask them what they didn’t like about the previous selling process.
11. Visuals & Infographics & Media Files (Virtual Tours, 360 Tours, etc.)
Break up the text by “wowing” the seller with stunning visuals, infographics, and other media files such as virtual & 360 tours. Show them that you have an ace up your sleeve and that you’re ready to use all of your resources to sell their house.
12. Contact Information & Strong Call-to-Action
Last but not least, include contact information in your pre-listing package. Make sure you finish the pre-listing presentation with a powerful call to action!
Let’s see what Mark had to say; what exactly should a pre-listing presentation include?
Well, let’s take a step back and talk about why you’re sending it in the first place. It’s about you and your services, and your brokerage. You probably haven’t met the seller yet, and they’re evaluating you against other agents out there. So the real question is, what makes you better than the competition?
That story can be told in the pre-listing packet. The real estate listing presentation should include a bio about you, your track record, and perhaps even a video about yourself which can help build an emotional connection with the seller.
Testimonials are also great, as well as highlighting your unique skills. For instance, what experience do you have that uniquely qualifies you to sell this home? Have you sold something in the area before? Are you well-connected in the agent community? Do you do a better job marketing than other agents? Do you have a unique strategy that other agents don’t employ? Include anything and everything you can think of! How can you stand out? That’s what you should be thinking about.
Sellers will also want to see your recent sales, because they want to know that you’re an experienced active agent out in the field. This gives them confidence that you know and understand the local market, and that you can use that knowledge to sell their home in the quickest amount of time possible, for the best price.
Sample marketing is also extremely important because sellers want to understand how you’ll advertise their home to potential buyers. You should include marketing materials for previous houses you’ve sold – that can make all the difference.
This is by no means an extensive list, but it’s a great place to start!
So what’s one thing that a real estate agent shouldn’t include in their pre-listing kit?
I never recommend that an agent put the value of the home in the pre-listing packet. That number needs to be determined once the agent has had a chance to properly view the home, its condition, the neighborhood, comparables, etc. Sellers are never impressed by Realtors who undervalue or overvalue their home – especially before they even see the home in person! It’s extremely important to understand the seller’s expectations and be able to manage those expectations.
Pre-Listing Package Best Practices
What are the best practices for creating a stunning pre-listing package? Your pre-listing package should be:
- Clean
- Concise
- Visually Appealing
- Explanatory
- Easily accessible & sharable
Should Realtors deliver the pre-listing kit in a digital format, or a print copy?
A digital pre-listing package should be part of your repertoire as a real estate agent, even if you also print something out. In today’s environment, you may not be able to meet the seller in person. Or even if you do, most people still appreciate something digital that’s easily accessible from their phone or laptop.
The truth is, that real estate is going through a technology renaissance. So staying up to speed with the industry and the competition is one of the big things that agents need to do, in addition to their normal activities. Having the latest and greatest technologies to win listings is critical for all real estate agents.
When to Send a Pre-Listing Packet?
You should send a pre-listing package a couple of days before the listing appointment and after the initial call you’ve had with the seller. Don’t wait too long, but also take your time to personalize your pre-listing presentation to increase your chances of winning a listing. You also shouldn’t send cluttered emails with hundreds of words and dozens of links but use professional real estate listing presentation software. We’ll show you how!
How to Create a Pre-Listing Package With Highnote’s Free Pre-Listing Package Template
Thanks for your time, Mark!
We’ve made it easy for you to create the best pre-listing package and win your next listing! All you need to do is sign up for a 14-day free trial with Highnote and use the pre-listing package template we’ve provided. Let’s walk you through it step by step:
- Sign up for a free trial.
- Browse free pre-listing package templates.
- Choose the one you like the most.
- Customize the pre-listing package template to fit your brand.
- Include all information about you.
- Share the link to the best pre-listing package with the seller. One link, endless value!
This blog post is the first in a series on the power of the real estate pre-listing presentation. Stay tuned for follow-ups on how to market yourself in a way that wins listings over and over again!
HighNote makes it easy to distribute pre-listing packages to sellers, providing Realtors with an easy way to market themselves to potential clients and stay ahead of the competition. By clicking on one link, sellers can learn all about real estate agents, their teams, their tactics, and what makes them stand out from the crowd.
If you’re a real estate agent looking to take your business to the next level, click here to get started with HighNote!
