8 Secrets to Get More Real Estate Listings and Grow Your Business

What real estate agent does not want more listings?

Listings can be one of the most efficient ways to build a successful real estate business, particularly in markets like Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, where correctly priced homes continue to attract buyers. But getting more listings requires more than waiting for someone to call and ask you to sell their home.

In a recent Tuesday Training, Mike Ferrante of the Mike Team at LPT Realty, based in Solon, Ohio, shared some of his favorite strategies for generating seller leads, improving listing conversations, and demonstrating greater value to prospective clients.

Here are eight strategies Realtors can start putting into practice today.

1. Remember: Buyers Are Often Sellers

One of the biggest missed opportunities in real estate is failing to recognize that a buyer may also have a home to sell.

Ask the question.

At open houses, buyer consultations, and initial lead conversations, find out whether the person currently owns a home. Even if they are not ready to list today, you may have just uncovered a future seller.

Open houses are particularly valuable for generating listings. Neighbors often attend because they want to know what homes are selling for in their neighborhood. Other visitors may be buyers who need to sell their existing home before making their next move.

Do not think of an open house as simply a buyer lead-generation activity. It can be a powerful source of seller leads and future listings.

2. Stop Asking Yes-or-No Questions

Consider the difference between these two questions:

“Are you thinking about moving?”

and

“When do you think you might be making a move?”

The first question makes it incredibly easy to say “no.” The second invites a conversation.

The same strategy works when talking with visitors at an open house. Instead of relying on questions that can be answered with one word, try:

• What brings you in today?
• Where are you coming from?
• What has you considering a move?
• Where would you like to move next?

Open-ended questions help Realtors learn more about motivation, timelines, other properties that may need to be sold, and potential referral opportunities.

3. Find the Seller's Real Motivation

Motivation is at the heart of nearly every real estate transaction.

An expired listing might tell you, “I am not selling anymore.” A homeowner may initially say they are not interested in moving.

Do not immediately end the conversation.

Instead, ask what originally motivated them.

If the home had sold, where would they have gone? Were they planning to downsize? Move closer to family? Relocate for work? Cash out an investment?

Understanding the why behind the move allows you to have a completely different conversation.

It also builds trust because you are no longer simply trying to get a listing appointment—you are trying to understand what the homeowner actually wants to accomplish.

4. Become an Expert at the Buy-and-Sell Conversation

Many homeowners throughout Cleveland and Northeast Ohio need to sell one property before purchasing another.

That can create tremendous anxiety.

Should they buy first? Sell first? Can they qualify for two mortgages? Should they make an offer contingent upon selling their current home?

A knowledgeable Realtor should be prepared to walk clients through those possibilities and coordinate with a qualified lender to determine what is financially realistic.

Agents who can confidently explain how to buy a home while selling another home demonstrate significant value to prospective sellers.

5. Be Prepared to Answer the Experience Question

Sooner or later, a seller is going to ask:

“How many homes have you sold in my neighborhood?”

For a newer Realtor, that question can be intimidating.

Do not pretend to have experience you do not have. Instead, explain the resources, systems, brokerage, and team supporting you.

If you work with an experienced real estate team, talk about the team's collective experience. Explain the marketing systems, transaction support, training, technology, and expertise available to help sell that homeowner's property.

The seller is ultimately trying to determine whether you are capable of getting the job done. Your job is to clearly demonstrate why the answer is yes.

6. Have a Real Marketing Plan

Sellers have more options than ever.

They can attempt to sell themselves, choose a flat-fee service, hire a discount brokerage, or interview several traditional Realtors.

So, if a homeowner asks:

“How are you going to market my property?”

you need a better answer than, “I will put it in the MLS.”

MLS exposure is extremely important, but what else do you provide?

Your listing presentation should clearly explain your complete marketing strategy, which may include professional photography, video, social media, database marketing, open houses, neighborhood outreach, online exposure, direct marketing, and other strategies appropriate for that property.

Even better, put the marketing plan in writing.

Whether you are listing a home in Solon, Beachwood, Shaker Heights, Strongsville, Medina, Westlake, Hudson, Chagrin Falls, Cleveland, or elsewhere in Northeast Ohio, sellers should understand exactly what you are going to do to expose their property to potential buyers.

7. Shift the Commission Conversation From Cost to Value

“How much do you charge?”

Agents hear the question and immediately brace themselves for a commission objection.

But it may not be an objection at all. The seller may simply be gathering information.

Instead of immediately turning the conversation into a negotiation, determine what the homeowner really wants to know.

Are they primarily concerned about the fee, or are they trying to determine how much money they will walk away with after the sale?

One useful approach is to prepare a seller net sheet showing common expenses and estimated proceeds. Then explain your fee structure along with the services and value you provide.

The goal is not to avoid the question. It is to put the cost into the context of the seller's overall financial outcome.

8. Create a Powerful Pre-Listing Package

Mike's bonus strategy may be one of the most valuable: prepare a pre-listing package before the appointment.

A good pre-listing package begins establishing your professionalism before you ever sit down at the seller's kitchen table.

It can include information about you and your team, your marketing strategy, the selling process, testimonials, market information, and research specific to the homeowner and property.

Customization is key.

When a homeowner sees that you have already invested time researching their property and preparing for the meeting, you begin demonstrating your value before the listing presentation even starts.

As Mike puts it, you want to start becoming their Realtor before they even realize you are their Realtor.

More Listings Start With Better Conversations

There is no magic button for generating listings.

Successful listing agents consistently ask better questions, uncover motivation, demonstrate expertise, communicate their marketing strategy, and show homeowners why working with them provides value.

And those skills require practice.

The more comfortable you become discussing seller motivation, pricing, marketing, commissions, buying while selling, and your own experience, the more confidently you can handle a listing opportunity when it appears.

Grow Your Real Estate Business With the Mike Team

Mike Ferrante and the Mike Team at LPT Realty provide ongoing Realtor training covering scripts and dialogues, lead generation, listing strategies, negotiation, marketing, artificial intelligence, buyer and seller consultations, and other practical topics agents can immediately use in their businesses.

Based in Solon, Ohio, the Mike Team serves buyers and sellers throughout Greater Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and Central Ohio, including communities throughout Cuyahoga, Summit, Medina, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and surrounding counties.

If you are a Realtor looking for training, coaching, administrative support, or an opportunity to grow your business with a team, or if you are considering buying or selling real estate in Northeast Ohio, contact the Mike Team at LPT Realty.

Call 216-373-7727 or visit www.21Mike.com to schedule an appointment with Mike Ferrante or another member of the Mike Team.