Yvette - SPOT ON!  Great post - you left nothing out other than to follow through or 'Practice what you preach' which I think many fail to see.  Thanks for the excellent post.

This is one of the best blogs I have seen in a while, seriously.  It was laid out very well.  I bet you do just as well in those listing presentations too!  I am taking some pointers from you, thanks.

Yvette - This is exactly the type of medicine that is needed....... Lol

Yvette, Great post.  You are right on the money.  I think the biggest thing is educating our clients as to how we work and managing their expectation.   Clear communication is key. 

Yvette- Good tips. I like the first one about letting sellers know how and when to contact you. That could save a lot of hassle on everyone's part.

Yvette, in this market, your post is very appropriate. Setting expectations and then of course making sure your partners on the same song book as you is the key to a low stress and easier transition into or out of a home.

Nice post

Bo

Yvette,

This is so frustrating to me. No matter how often I try, I am never happy with my full presentation. sigh..

Yvette- Very nice presentation!

We never do a full presentation, they are canned, boring and the sellers just sit there grinning and bearing it. We discovered long ago that you have to listen. The number one rule is to listen. The number 2 rule is to ask questions. If you don't do those two things you can talk until your are blue in the face showing facts and it will fall on deaf ears.

Yvette- This post deserves a feature. Hope you get the gold star:)

Most of the time listings are won and lost at the presentation. It looks like you are on the right track Yvette.

Yvette, this is just awesome. Excellent and educational. Why isn't this on Diary? Sup? How are the boys? Ready for the holiday? Me either...Hugs, Deb

This is a great post with some really useful tips.  Thanks!

Excellent post.  I find that Sellers have unrealistic expectations that are often difficult to overcome.

How right you are it is to us to prepare the sellers on all this important information-Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Yvette.

I would add one more thing to your meeting with a prospective seller client.

Strap them in and drive them to a couple of properties actively listed that will be competition for their home for sale.

I have always found that, when a seller really sees the competition, they become much more realistic.

Well done, I have been taking this approach for the last year or so and it has been awesome.

Great post, very succint. I wish wecould put this in a bottle and ask sellers to drink it. 3 afters the end of a sellers market these battles are still being fought every day.

Hi Yvette:

Yep, you got it...this sounds right to me.

To determine each seller's motivation, is the tough question.

That is a wonderful breakdown full of information and explanations for easy reading and education regarding statistics and numbers. So often we forget that the consumer doesn't understand all the mumbo jumbo. When we first started did we? Good one Yvette!

TIM & PAM - AMEN to that!  Thanks for the reblog!

REBECCA - Why, thank you so much!  I must admit they still give me butterflies, but I survive:o)

JENNIFER - Yup, cuz it's a lil' sick right now :o)

AUDREY - Dito and how much we work too!

ILYCE - Yes, very important.  If you set that straight up front, there will be no worries about "I couldn't get a hold of you!"

HI BO!!  Right now we're seeing so many stressful situations anyway.  To remove as much stress as can be removed, for the seller it is a relief.

GREG - I bet your presentation ROCKS!

KAT - Thank you for the star!  I admit, I've seen that look before.  I knew that I needed to make an adjustment.  I think it's important to contact w/seller right away...don't want to loose them w/ too much "stuff"

BILL - Thanks!  I hate losing...it's my nature.

DEB - Hi girlie!  I didn't think that it "Diary" material!  My bad, I'll post now.  Everyone's well & yes I'm busy buying Pokeman stuff!

STACEY - Your quite welcome!

BEST SPOT - And if you can't overcome them, do you still take the listing?  I wouldn't!

PAT - We must prepare them for the road ahead (sometimes long road).

LENN - Nothing like a good jolt of reality.  That's a great idea!

KEITH - Good for you!  I'm on the right path now!

J & C - Yes, like I wish there was a magical drink to lose weight :o)

TOULA - I think you just have to ask them.  Why do they want to sell right now?  I think that's an important question to ask.

SALLY - I still don't understand some of the mumbo jumbo!  I think it's important to find the balance of giving the information, but at the same time, not overwhelming or confusing them.  Thank you!

Well said!  (And nicely presented, too).  

Loved your post! 

Some in the business would say there are two types of realtors. 

One tells the seller's what they want to hear. 

The other tells the seller's the way it is.

I'm the latter and have lost listings because so many of the seller's are not emotionally ready to accept the facts even when the facts are supported by MLS data.

I try to educate them as to how much stress there is for them when their property is listed. 

They look like deer in the headlights at this point in time because they haven't accepted the fact it may take a year or more to get the first offer!

I would rather do my best to educate them to the current market conditions to lower their expectations.  I figure this is a better way than tell them everything they want to hear and when there are no showings and no offers launch into a song and dance to keep the listing.

Great post Yvette!  I'm bookmarking this so I'll have it handy when the time comes.

I missed the article about the death of the listing presentation.  I do have an opinion on that, however, and I would say it has evolved into something different than 20, 15, 10, 5 or even 2 years ago - But it does live in a format that works in 2008.  Your suggestion about "education" is an example.

That makes sense! I don't always get the listing but I have followed something very similar for a long time. Thanks.

Terrific Yvette,

I loved it, and will print and refer back to it.  It could be the best blog I have seen since I have been on AR Education is the key, not just spouting numbers and facts, but asking questions and follow-up,and a clear understanding of everyones expectations as well.

Thanks for the great insights.

Mike Nastri

Yvette, Nicely done and paramount in this market!

Great post.  I like the idea of education, if the customer understands what they are getting into they can have more realistic expectations.

Yvette...great post!  Finding out the sellers expectations upfront is so key to your relationship going well.  Great tips!

Yvette, excellent post.

I do exactly what Lenn Harley does. If I feel the sellers  are bit off the mark in regard to market conditions...in the car they go. Unrealistic sellers soon change their tune when faced with the facts. When they can touch, see and feel what buyers see. When we arrive back to their house, I make them start at the front door and take a tour just as a buyer would who has seen the previous three home. (it works!) 

At that point,  I let them know they control three things when trying to Sell : Price, Terms and Condition. The Listing Agent controls Marketing,  Interprits  and Coaches the seller about Market Conditions and Handles Negotiations. 

Great timing I'm working on revamping my pre-list and actual presentation and I like the EDUCATION versus presentation. I'm here to help not entertain! LOL.  Great tips as always.

Yvette!

This is great stuff.  I have learned that a great listing presentation like this is pertinent.  Some sellers don't like to hear the truth though.  This weeds out the serious sellers and the ones who are just looking to try to sell their house on terms are not the reality of todays market.

BTW I love your new blog format.  The header looks great!

Nice work Yvette! I loved reading this and am glad many Realtors are keeping up with today's market and are trying to educate our clients instead of just getting them to list, no matter what. We all need to adjust our thinking, presentations, views in order to survive and help the homesellers and buyers out there survive as well.

Congratulations as well on getting the recognition you deserve for this post.

Yvette, you are so right, it all is about EDUCATION. The better you are at that, the better you will succeed.

Yvette, thanks for the pointers.  You are exactly right, it is an education process and many times the students think they know the subject and understand the material when they don't know how much they don't know.  That's the challenge.

Yvette - What a great idea taking your client to their competition. I'm sure that will do the trick in getting the listing or walking away if they are still reluctant. Congratulation on your gold star - well deserved.

FABULOUS POST...packed full of essential information! It is so important to get past the hype and get down to business. I love it! ~GBU~

Absolutely terrific. Expectations, expectations, expectations. How many problems can we avoid by properly managing expectations?

Woooo we. Something call the Fire Department. This blog is caliente-HOT!

Yvette congratulations on your featured post woman. Well written. I really enjoyed this one. Also like the graphics to this post. Is that Istockphoto.com? I am curious. And I am going to be following you too on Twitter. Great post.

Excellent points.  I think some of the groundwork can be laid with good blogging... the rest can be cemented with the sellers at the listing meeting. 

Great points. In this market if we don't educate our sellers, they'll just be frustrated.

Good advise!  After all, we can't sell the house unless the seller is willing to sell.

Great information here... Keep up the great blogging.  Sellers hire us to help them... The need to be Ready, Able and Willing !

Wonderful post -- probably the best I've read in weeks!  I think it is so important to understand the seller's true motivation for selling the home -- many agents overlook this one.

This is one of the best I've read in a whle. We are moving to put up numbers on a big screen in the office. Getting the sellers out of their comfort zone (the kitchen table) and into the office and let the numbers do the educating. It's powerful

Yvette, What a great post. I am Bookmarking this for discussion at our next sales meeting. You have put details into a great post.

Yvette,

Great post!  I never quite understood why everyone makes such a big deal out of the listing presentation...If we give the sellers the facts and numbers then we've done our job and hopefully they can see through the sugar coated fluff that some of our competition is dishing out.

Yvette~Hi! You've been awarded a gold star...and for good reason! This is a very informative post that is well written and easy to understand! Congrats!

Hi Yvette!

Liked your post so much I shared it along with a few other articles about the same subject on my recent post! Hope you don't mind. =) Sooo worth sharing.  Though I'm not there yet, I completely agree with what Lenn Harley and Peggy James shared regarding getting those sellers in the car. Will do, will do. Thanks for your wise words...

Great info. It takes a lot of scrolling down past good comments to leave one. Congradulations-Dinah Lee

Yvette, Very good post, well done, informative and right on the mark!  Thanks!

Debi

I took some of what you said and put it into my presentation for educational purposes. Hope all is going well.