3 Ways to Generate Listing Appointments Now!

March 11, 2021

Every speaking engagement…

Every “Ask Me Anything”…

Every coaching session I conduct…

Every article, every discussion…

…I’m hearing the same thing: “How and where can I get listings today?”

It’s a real dilemma.

U.S. inventory is down 42% since this time one year ago.

If you’re wondering how to get more listings, you’re in the right place. In today’s market, the low inventory and rising home prices are making homeowners hold onto their homes in hopes they’ll receive top dollar. However, homeowners don’t have all the tools to help them analyze when prices are plateauing or dropping until it’s too late. As a realtor, you have the tools and expertise to get homeowners the most value out of their homes. But in a market this competitive, you need to know how to get more listing appointments.

So today, I have three strategies for you to implement. With these ways to get listings in real estate, you’ll be able to overcome the frustrations that come with being a realtor and grow your business.

And there’s more where that came from. I’m excited to share a brand new bundle we created that’s now available: Download Low Inventory Success Strategies for free today!

Listing Strategy No. 1: Time to Revisit the ‘Yikes’ Letter

If you’ve followed me for a while, you may have heard this one before, and now is the perfect time to utilize the “Yikes!” letter.

What’s that, you say?

It’s a letter you send to homeowners on behalf of a buyer who just can’t seem to find the right house to buy (or keeps getting beat out in bidding wars).

The idea is to use their story as an excuse to alert homeowners that you have a potential qualified buyer ready, willing, and able to buy their house – should they choose to put it up for sale. Targeting homes that aren’t for sale is an excellent way to generate listings. While this strategy may seem daunting at first, you’d be surprised at the number of homeowners who may take you up on the offer. However, it’s important to give them time to consider their decision. This means giving them your contact information to reach back to you with their answer.

The name “Yikes letter” comes from the headline many agents have successfully used with this approach, “Yikes, there are no homes on the market!”

The best versions of the Yikes letter go into great detail to inject emotion into the process and target homes that meet highly specific criteria. (Which, of course, you can tailor to the neighborhoods you target with your Yikes.)

Here’s an example:

“Dear Mr. & Mrs. Homeowner. I’m currently representing a wonderful family (describe them in detail) who desperately want to raise their kids in (specific community or type of property), and as you might know, there are none available. I’m writing because I’m just wondering… Have you had any thoughts of selling?”

To give your letter the best chance of being read and ultimately, achieving your desired result, mail it in a hand-addressed envelope with no logos on the envelope. (Or maybe you send it as a postcard to it can’t “not” be seen.) The more personable your “yikes” letter is, the higher the chance the homeowner may be willing to sell their home to your client.

However, if this way to get listings as a real estate agent doesn’t work, it’s a great way to boost your brand recognition and get your name known. Then, if that homeowner decides to sell their home in the future, they may turn to you to help them list.

Listing Strategy No. 2: Call Your Entire Database

I’ve been sharing this tip for a few months now, and I know those who are actually doing it are seeing successful results.

Are you calling everyone in your database? Every contact in your phone?

If not, start today!

Here’s the beauty of it… It’s not a tough conversation.

It’s just a matter of checking in, rebuilding rapport, giving them an update on the crazy market conditions, and then asking the magic question:

“With everything that’s happened in the last year, how has the pandemic changed the way you view your house?”

No hard sell. No twisting of arms. It’s just a conversation. See where it leads.

What’s stopping you from doing this?

Once you establish a dialogue with leads in your database, you’ll be able to build a rapport to generate more listings. From there, you can build on that dialogue and begin asking more pointed questions that generate leads, such as:

Assuming you selected me to represent you, how soon can we begin marketing your
property? Tell me again, what are your main reasons for selling this property?
What price do you want to sell your home for?
How did you determine that price?

So, how do real estate agents get listings? They conversate. Showing leads in your database that you care for them and want them to get the most out of their property will establish a sense of trust, which can translate to them asking you to list their home.

Listing Strategy No. 3: Target Investors/Non-Owner Occupied Properties

Homeowners living in their house have a lot to think about when potentially putting their home up for sale right now… subjecting their family to a move during a pandemic, chief among them.

That’s one reason why investors/non-owner occupied properties are great – there’s none of that emotion involved in the process.

And another reason: The market is hot and they may be ready to cash out for top dollar.

I’d find their names and call them individually using this script:

“Hi, it’s [Your name] with [your company]. I was looking at your rental property at [insert address here], and I’m curious… With everything happening in the world today, have you had any thoughts of cashing out at these prices?”

If they say no, be sure to ask about any other properties they might own that you might’ve missed.

“Do you have any other properties that you’d like to trade up or 1031 exchange at this time?”
If you’re competing with other local realtors, it’s important to know how to get more listings over them. This can be done with the following dialogue:

What are you looking for in the agent you choose to represent you?
Do you have any questions for me before I arrive to prepare for our meeting?
If you are as confident as I am that I can sell your home, will you be ready to list with me at the appointment?
(If no) Tell me about that? (discover and resolve)
(If yes) Wonderful! Please have a copy of your key and your mortgage information handy for me, okay?
This sounds great. I have everything I need to prepare. Again, I’ll be sending over my marketing plan and more. Will you take a few moments and review it?

With a dialogue like this, you’ll be able to connect with investors and those who specialize in non-owner occupied listings. These are just some of the many low inventory success strategies that can help you get more listings and close more deals.

At Tom Ferry, we have a wide range of real estate agent tools you can implement into your practice that can help you generate more leads. Sign up for our real estate coaching services today to see how our 8 Levels of Performance can help you and your business thrive.

Want More? Download Our Brand-New Bundle!

For more on absentee owners, plus three more highly effective listing strategies, be sure to download our brand-new Low Inventory Success Strategies bundle!

You’ll get a quick video featuring some of our top coaches talking about each winning strategy, and you’ll also be able to download a PDF filled with ad samples to “rip-off and duplicate” as well as step-by-step instructions for implementing these strategies.

Best of all, it’s our free gift to you! Download it today!

Let me know in the comments what you’re going to do to book a listing appointment this week!