The Only Marketing Method That Matters (to your seller)

Have you ever noticed how some “celebrity” agents boast about how much money they spend on “marketing?”

Oh, they spend a pile! 💰

But those agents could blow literally millions on radio and TV ads, billboards, bus benches, and social media ads, and here’s the total net benefit to their seller client:

Zilch

Hey, I’m not knocking anyone for promoting themselves. I do it too. Just make sure your sellers understand the difference between “Marketing Yourself” and “Marketing the Listing.”

Agents who spend the most on “marketing” tell their sellers, “We spend bazillions marketing your property!” But you already know this is complete bullshit nonsense, right?

When it comes to marketing your listing, there’s only one thing that matters to your seller:

A compelling presentation on the MLS System

After all, how else do people find out about your listing? 🤷🏽

One way or another, virtually 100% of potential buyers find out through the MLS System. Even if it’s by some other obscure method at first, like driving by your For Sale sign, where do they go to get more information? The MLS System!

And what exactly is the purpose of marketing your listing on the MLS?

It’s to generate as many quality showings as possible.

So, doesn’t it make pure logical sense that one of the most critical aspects of your job is to produce the most compelling presentation possible on the MLS System?

Think about the MLS Presentation from the buyer’s perspective on the other end of the Interwebs. Those buyers are scrolling through listings, deciding which properties to view and which not to view. 💻

Many factors need to come together for a potential buyer to make the critical decision to take time out of their day and drive across town to view your listing.

For example:

1. What does the property actually look like? 🏡

How much guidance did you give your seller on this critical factor? For example, did you provide a professional home-staging consultant to help prepare their home and maximize its impact (on the MLS and in-person)?

2. How magnificent are the images? 👀

The images are the first thing potential buyers see. Therefore, they need to be of the highest possible quality, follow a logical order, and clearly and efficiently demonstrate the property’s best features. 

Hot tip: Sometimes, fewer images makes for a more powerful presentation. Don’t use “filler” images. And please never use 50 photos on your listing, unless it’s a multi-million dollar property!

3. What about the write-up? 📜

Is it dull, repetitive, predictable, boring, and repetitive? Or have you learned how to get straight to the point and describe the property’s best features in a way that genuinely piques the reader’s excitement and curiosity?

Side note: Did you know that many agents don’t even write their own descriptions? They hand this critical task off to someone who has never even seen the home! That’s why so many MLS descriptions sound like the same boring robot wrote them.

If you’re not a great writer, I understand. It’s OK to hire someone to write for you. But make sure you’re involved in the process, so the writer understands the essential features of the property and highlights them in the first one or two sentences.

The more care and attention you put into all the tasks listed above (and numerous other fine details), the more success you (and your sellers) are likely to have. Even if only one additional person comes to view the home, they could be the one!

__________

If the MLS Presentation is so important (it is), why do so few agents even talk about it during their listing presentation (I sure do) or put any real effort into producing the most compelling presentation they can?

Why do so many “celebrity” agents brag about all the money they spend on “marketing” and then put little to no effort into what really matters to the seller?

It’s because their focus is on getting more business rather than attending to the business they already have.

Agents ask me all the time, “How do I become successful?” 

My answer? Focus on delivering excellence to each and every client, and before you know it, the business will come to you.

It’s the most rewarding way to be, both personally and professionally.