Securing a listing: how to stand out from the crowd

Real Estate

Team MONEYME|19 July 2022| 2-minute read

Behind every great sale, is a great real estate agent. 

But how do you become that agent, the one that nails a sale?  It’s not easy. In fact, it’s competitive. Securing a listing in Australia’s hot property market is no easy feat. 

What can you do to ensure your name is the one vendors remember and ultimately choose to manage their property?

First impressions count

It’s up there with meeting the parents. Meeting the vendors is an important step and the first opportunity an agent has to stand out.

McGrath sales agent, Marnie Seinor has been working in Sydney’s sought-after South Eastern suburbs property market for 20 years. 

“When listings are low and you’re in a market where you’re getting great results then agents are really competitive. They’re aggressive, dropping their commissions, dropping their advertising costs just to secure the business,” said Seinor.

To set herself apart Seinor makes sure to get across the detail, bringing hyperlocal knowledge, recent comparable sales, and research on the property to every meeting.

“They’ve got to feel confident in you and your experience and what you have to offer,” she said. 

A make or break property proposal

Selling a home is a scary, life-changing step for most. For that reason, vendors think long and hard before choosing their representation.

The property proposal – outlining the strategy to sell – will heavily influence a vendor’s decision. 

It’s also the second opportunity an agent has to impress. To secure a listing, an agent first needs to sell the vendor on their game plan.

For Torsten Kasper, managing director of Bayside’s Chislom & Gammon it’s an opportunity to prove that your services can bring in the best outcome.

“That can come down to some styling solutions to make a bedroom or living room look bigger. It might be where a deck is half the size it should be so having the ability to get them to see that increasing deck size lends itself to indoor-outdoor living so is worth the investment,” he said.

Agents can use the proposal to flex their expertise and demonstrate their experience by making recommendations around pricing, preparing a property, and the timing of a sale. 

Everyone’s a future client

Each open house, each auction, and each interaction with a vendor is an opportunity to connect with people, become a part of the community, and secure future listings.

After 20 years in the business, Seinor’s developed a firm client base. 

“A lot of my clients met me at opens or we’ve had connections throughout the year,” she said. “I do get a lot by referral from open house sections or by past clients that I’m really grateful for.”

Forming connections and building relationships have also been a point of difference for Kasper. 

“75% of my personal business is repeat business. So it’s a high statistic, but that’s based on a lot of hard work over 20 years in the industry and being consistent with really good outcomes,” he said.

In November Kasper sold a repeat client’s Edwardian home in the Victorian suburban of Elwood, securing the second-highest price in the suburb’s history.

“The benefit that I enjoy is that every weekend I’m dealing with people I’ve known for 10 or 15, or in some cases 20 years where I’ve sold them an apartment, they’ve gone to a townhouse, they’ve gone to the family home and now they’re downsizing, he said.”

Secure your next listing with the help of ListReady.