Is your listing process a 2 step approach or a 1 step approach?

Question

I’ve heard that some agents will meet with potential clients to look at the property then go on a second appointment to discuss price and fill out the paperwork while other agents will give a price and push for the sale on 1 appointment.

What’s your listing process?

Abel Curiel · Answer

Hello Mike,

Great question! The approach depends on the type of seller, urgency, and agreement on terms.

Heres what I mean...Type of seller: - Cold sellers (i.e. FSBO, expired or folks that agents cold call) may require multiple appointments because it takes more time to develop trust, identify the ideal timeline to sell and agree on pricing/commission/etc.- Warm sellers (i.e. referrals and people from agent's database) may already trust you and just want to meet to get an understanding of the process/next steps. In these cases, I typically close on the first appointment provided the seller is ready to hit the market and we've agreed on terms.Urgency:- If a seller is ready to sell asap and NEEDS to liquidate the asset I would go for the close then and there as long as we're on the same page regarding pricing, commission and other terms.- If a seller has a flexible timeline or is 'not in a rush', I play it by ear & I play it cool... I first look to understand more about their situation and potential motivators/pain points. If I truly believe selling now is in their best interest, I will share my thoughts and support my opinion with some kind of data. If not, I share information that will help the seller prepare for hitting the market in X weeks/months, etc. Then, I keep in touch and schedule the follow-up appointment.Terms:- Asking Price: If a seller and I cannot reach an agreement on asking price for the property, I work towards a second appointment in a couple of weeks. - Length of agreement: I usually look to list a property for at least 1.5X the Average Days on Market for that area/property type. If seller and I cannot reach agreement on this, I follow up.- Commission: same as above. Keep in contact and look to have a follow-up.- Property Condition: I will sign paperwork if someone is ready BUT I make it clear that marketing will not commence until the property is walkable, cleaned/tidied up, and presentable. *Someone who is ready to sign a listing contract on first visit is awesome because it allows my team and I to get to work right away. I've also learned to have a healthy level of skepticism when someone is TOO eager to move fwd quickly after/during a first meeting. I've seen some shady stuff happen but maybe that just pertains to selling a home in New York haha!