A listing presentation is a free, no-obligation presentation that highlights how the agent will prepare and market your home for sale, and why you should work with that broker. The agent will take the time to justify their suggested list price.
As a homeowner, you have several options to sell your house: FSBO (For Sale By Owner), at auction, to an investor (online or conventional) — or you can sell your home with the help of an agent. Selling with an agent is by far the most popular way. After all, only 8% percent of home sales in 2016 were FSBO.
Not all real estate agents are the same, of course. Like many professionals in sales, real estate agents have specific focuses: Whereas some agents work on the buyer’s side of the transaction, other agents focus on helping sellers. (Some in the industry with real estate licenses never even see a client!)
Listing agents, also known as seller’s agents, work with home sellers. Their specialty is helping homeowners through the selling process by coordinating repairs and staging, putting the home on the Multi Listing Service (MLS), handling offers, and negotiating the deal. But before the home is ready to be sold, and well before any contracts are signed, listing agents will demonstrate their expertise using a listing presentation.
What is a Real Estate Listing Presentation?
A real estate listing presentation is a literal presentation designed to give you an overview of how the agent will prepare your home for sale, how they will market it to potential buyers, and at what price. The listing agent may prepare a powerpoint slide, create a video, or print out a booklet for you to keep. The real estate listing presentation includes suggestions for exterior upgrades and fixes, landscaping, interior upgrades, staging, and any suggestions for major remodels.
Real estate listing presentations are often conducted on-site at the brokerage. While at the office, other agent’s will not approach you, or may seldom speak to you, out of respect for your potential agent who wants your business.
The presentation will also highlight how the agent will market your home with actionable items, including a mockup of the property website, how the agent will generate interest, and how the agent will handle negotiating offers. Each agent you speak to will have their own philosophy and style, but the most important things to consider are who they identify as stakeholders and how they will manage each stage in the home selling process.
How Much Does it Cost? Am I Obligated to Work With This Agent?
As a potential seller, the listing presentation is free. Keep in mind that the real estate agent is pitching their services with the listing presentation, hoping to get the opportunity to sell your home. Whether it’s done onsite at their broker’s office or even in your own home, listing presentations are always face-to-face.
The real estate listing presentation will go beyond the materials pertinent to your home. The listing agent will also pitch why you should list with an agent and why you should list with that specific agent. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the brand which will represent your interests and more about the person who will be representing you legally. Each broker is different and each agent has their own personality.
During the listing presentation, ask for a list of past clients. You should conduct your own research by getting opinions from those who have worked with this agent in the past.
After the listing presentation, you may be presented with a listing agreement, which is the binding contract allowing the broker to exclusively serve as the principal agent for all real estate activity regarding your transaction. (In the eyes of the law, and depending on the state, the listing agent is obligated to “fulfill” the listing agreement by finding a buyer on behalf of the broker who represents you.) A piece of the sale will be used to compensate the broker for their services, and the agents involved will receive the commission.
At no point in the listing presentation have you agreed to work with the listing agent. You are free to speak to multiple agents and listen to multiple presentations. Only after you sign a listing agreement are you locked into working with that agent.
