7 Insider Tips to Creating a Killer Real Estate Listing Book
Are you sure buyers’ agents are fully representing your real estate listing? A simple Real Estate Listing Book–a three-ring binder left on the kitchen counter showcasing important information about the property–can help buyers make an informed decision and increase the likelihood of a sale. After the sale, you can gift it to the buyers and leave an indelible impression of professionalism–and better your chances of getting tapped for the listing when it comes time to sell.
Create your “Killer” Real Estate Listing Book with these 7 tips:
First things first – To avoid creating unnecessary questions with buyers, be sure to include any property disclosures. If your seller plans to make a termite or roof repair before the close of escrow, make sure the buyer knows.
Curiosity kills – Include copies of all utility bills with the average monthly dollar amount to help put your property on the short list. Don’t worry if you think it’s “too much,”–not everyone’s utility costs are the same. Make sure to add homeowner’s association information (and a newsletter if available) to include in your Listing Book.
It’s affordable – Ask your loan officer to provide a summary of various financing options. It’s always a good idea to place the same information on the back of your listing flyers (and leave enough copies for buyers to take one home.)
Buried treasure – Don’t expect anyone to read the entire real estate MLS listing–they often don’t. Make sure to include all the property features a buyer or agent might easily miss, including upgrades and improvements (with receipts, if available).
Four seasons come standard – If your real estate listing is shown in the dead of winter, include photos of how it will look in spring. Anything that can spark a buyer’s imagination about living in the home can ignite a sale!
Showcase the neighborhood – People want to know about shopping, restaurants, churches, local events, and of course, school districts, so be sure to include a complete list. But consider adding a GoogleMap or MapQuest insert showing distances to airports, train stations and other transportation.
CMA, you say? – Let buyers know how you arrived at the sales price whether the selling agent has prepared a Comparative Market Analysis or not–you might end up justifying a full price offer for your sellers.
In today’s market you have to stand out. It’s important that you look at your competition to see what they are doing and say to yourself…”I’m going to do something different.” Creative “out-of-the-box” thinking is what it takes to really stand out and capture attention with so much noise in the real estate market. Make a plan, follow through with it, and stay consistent even if it doesn’t yield results right away. So many people, too often abandon their plans after they’ve put them into action; their expectations were not in line with reality. Stay with it! Give it time to show you what needs tweaking and continue with it until you see the results.
Give us a call if you need help with designing and building a co-branded real estate listing book. Here at Sun American Mortgage we’re committed to helping our Real Estate Agent friends succeed!
Happy listing!
