It’s true that we’re facing a housing inventory shortage. It’s also true that there’s not a snap-of-your-fingers solution to this problem. But as an agent, you do have options.
The reason many sellers who are able to list are holding back? They’re hesitant.
It makes sense when you look at it from their perspective. A seller might think they’d be better off waiting for a potential foreclosure spike so they can get an even better deal on a new house. Or perhaps, a seller is waiting on the construction of their dream home. Or, they might just be holding off until spring since that’s typically known to be the time to sell.
These are all valid explanations for why a seller might not pull the trigger, but they just aren’t true today.
With this in mind, it’s never been more important for you to educate if you’d like new listings — about every possible concern through each step of the homebuying process. To earn a seller’s trust, you need to prove your credibility with market insights, data, and facts.
Do that, and you’ll have your listings. Here are some ways to make it happen.
How to get new listings: 4 tips to start using today
Whether you’ve recently entered the industry or are a veteran real estate agent, several proven methods can help you generate leads and, thus, gain more listings:
1. Keep your prospecting personal.
Prospecting can be broken down into two categories for realtors: passive and active. Each type has its advantages.
Anyone selling right now is bound to have plenty of questions. Thinking back to the hesitancy we spoke of, remember that you can neutralize any housing market fears among your passive and active prospects with indisputable facts.
Try these ideas for starters:
- Fill your feeds on social media with market reports/insights and quotes from authorities/experts.
- Include local and hyper-local hashtags to access a brand-new audience.
- Publish videos on hot topics to send via email or post to social media.
- Reorganize and rethink your pain points to fine-tune your follow-up email campaigns.
It may seem simple, but in actuality, small shifts can often have the biggest impact. To have a truly successful lead gen strategy, you need to offer a little something for everybody. For more information on localized prospecting, see Zillow’s Agent Guide to Real Estate Farming.
No stress. No time waste. No hurdles that need jumping. Get your new clients prequalified from anywhere.
2. Level-up your follow-up.
We know customers primarily make purchase decisions based on a single factor: value.
Value isn’t the amount of commission you charge. During a listing presentation, it’s what you bring to the table.
When you’re pitching yourself to prospective clients, it can help to ask: What services do I provide that stand out from other agents?
Lead follow-up is the perfect place to answer this question. Instead of sending out a boilerplate “Still interested in selling?” message, you can pack that email with newsworthy blog posts, a free downloadable guide for sellers, or a helpful market forecast video. By demonstrating your knowledge, you’re offering value.
Every aspect of your follow-up must reflect the answer to this question: What can I do to help you (as a realtor)? Taking it a step further, what can I do to help you better than any other local agent?
So, what value can you provide? Share a diverse range of content that answers a seller’s questions — even before they’ve asked them — communicating that you’re capable of anticipating and meeting their needs and working for their interest.
3. Polish your listing presentation.
A solid listing presentation can be one of the most powerful tools you have in your toolbox — when done right. It also has the potential to be your greatest weakness.
Once you’ve reached the “Listing Presentation” point of prospecting, you’re a mere half hour away from making the sale.
But to create a winning listing presentation in today’s competitive market, you’ll need much more than a recap of your notable sales and career high notes.
Pull out the magnifying glass and take a minute to answer a few more questions:
- Does my listing presentation have a strong start and finish?
- Does it focus on the seller’s unique needs?
- Have I explained my company’s value?
- Have I explained my own value?
- Does it establish trust?
Answer “no” to any of the above questions, and your presentation could benefit from a refresh. Inman’s 2020 guide to a successful listing presentation also covers how to effectively forge virtual connections when you can’t meet in-person.
4. Make market insights your best friend.
This is what it all comes down to. You already know that the current inventory shortage in our country is making listings much harder to find.
It’s not just that homeowners are anxious about the future of our economy. They also fear that even when they do list, a new home won’t be available.
These worries certainly make sense. But as most market experts attest, they’re inaccurate.
This is the point where your new best friends — market insights and data — come in. People believe reliable sources. They trust in graphs, charts, and news reports. A seller doesn’t want to hear your opinion about what’s coming up in the housing market. They want to hear expert predictions about what lies ahead.
From prospecting to follow-up to presentation, take care to infuse every step of your client’s experience with market data and hard evidence. Not only does this supply value, but it creates trust. And trust is the most valuable commodity a real estate agent can provide.
The takeaway: Confidence is key when it comes to getting new listings. We’ve all seen how this year’s alarming headlines have created confusion, especially about the economy and the housing market. You can comfort your prospects with the facts — a simple, timeless strategy you can use to earn trust and build confidence in your skills as an agent.
Short on time? Let us help you create your content.
Partnering with a Cornerstone loan officer makes producing new content easy — a big help for agents who’d rather focus on connecting with new leads. Pick from a wide selection of cobranded content containing up-to-the-minute housing market insights, including blog posts, social graphics, infographics, videos, e-books, flyers, and more. Reach out right now.
For educational purposes only. Please contact a qualified professional for specific guidance.
Sources are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.