S t r a t e g i c   T i p :

Implement a system that results in 100% consistent quality listing service, then make sure your sellers know they're getting it. You'll have happier sellers, get price reductions more easily, have less expireds and get more referral business. To turn this lovely vision into a reality, use TOP PRODUCER's electronic Listing service checklists to systematically provide quality service on all of your listings.

R e a l   T i m e   B e n e f i t s :

Most trainers and mega-producing agents will tell you that high-quality listing service is a master key to long term success. But quality service doesn't happen by itself.

In fact, all but the most sophisticated agents face three serious problems in hitting high quality levels in servicing their listings:

1. They haven't clearly defined what quality service is -- i.e. exactly what they'll do to market a listing, and when and how often they'll do it.
   
2. They don't have an organized system that regularly reminds them to perform these activities, guaranteeing their sellers receive quality service.
   
3. They don't have an iron clad, time-based system for reporting their activities to their sellers, ensuring their sellers can appreciate the high level of service they are receiving. 

TOP PRODUCER's Listing plan feature solves these problems by giving you a comprehensive electronic service checklist . This checklist provides an excellent framework for defining quality service on a day-by-day, task-by-task basis and can be instantly assigned to any new listing you take, thereby starting a quality assurance plan.

You customize your plan or plans so they systemize YOUR definition of quality service. Typically a plan will include reminders like sending the sellers a copy of the MLS listing for their feedback, scheduling an office and MLS tour, notifying buyers, mailing postcards, running ads, creating flyers for other agents and telling the sellers you distributed them to other offices for maximum exposure, holding opens, providing the sellers with progress and service reports, updating the CMA and requesting price adjustments at regular intervals.

In short, this checklist defines a logical, step-by-step process for getting a home sold and should include all predictable service tasks and a time limit for performing them, so you're automatically reminded as they become due.

TOP PRODUCER includes a default Listing plan that gives you a running start. You can customize it by adding or deleting activities from the quality checklist and scheduling them to occur on a days-from the listing date basis. Example: schedule your 1st progress report for 7 days-from the listing date.
All these activities will automatically appear in your Today's business as they become due, so you'll have a reliable reminder system of what you need to do each day.

In addition, TOP PRODUCER's Listing plan feature enables you to:

1. Save your custom-created listing plans so you can build a library of plans for use with different types of sellers, homes and markets. Example: an overpriced listing calls for a different plan than a well-priced listing, just as a new home calls for a different plan than a resale condo.
   
2. Link to the flyer library through each listing file, so you can quickly and easily create first-class flyers and home highlight sheets that include information from your listing notes.
   
3. When a seller is due for a progress report, you can auto-dial your seller right from the listing record that accompanies the listing service reminder.
   
4. Mark activities done as you complete them, track your expenses, and print regular Marketing service reports that show your sellers everything you've done and spent to market the listing. (More on Marketing service reports in next week's Hot Tip .) 

Using TOP PRODUCER's Listing plan not only gives you everything you need to provide quality service on a given listing, it streamlines and organizes the process so effectively that you'll be able to provide quality service to everyone, no matter how many listings you are carrying. However busy you get, you'll be confident that all your sellers are being properly serviced, based upon a logical and comprehensive plan designed to speed the sale and make the experience
more enjoyable for your sellers.

Think of how much stronger you'll be in listing presentations when you know your services are truly of a higher quality than your competitors, because you always go the extra mile and implement a quality assurance system.

This is good news, because if you use this feature consistently your past clients are going to be giving you a lot of referrals.

R e a l   W o r l d   S c e n a r i o :

You take a listing and the sellers are motivated, but they insist on listing 10k higher than you recommend. You know that if the home is not sold in 60 days the sellers will have to lower the price because they've already bought another home. You also know, however, that these sellers have lots of friends and represent a potential goldmine of referrals. And so, if you want to ensure that the sellers retain their loyalty and obligation to you if the listing needs extending, you'll need to:

1. Do an excellent job of marketing their home.
   
2. Communicate with them frequently so they know everything you're doing and can readily conclude that their excessive asking price -- and not
   you -- is the reason their home has not sold. 

Knowing these facts, simply select the high-maintenance Listing plan you specifically designed to make motivated but overpriced sellers feel they're receiving the VIP treatment.

Perhaps the first thing on the schedule is a letter thanking them for the opportunity to sell their home. And maybe you know you're going to update them at least every five days about the listing and the market, so you adjust your progress reports accordingly. In addition, your plan includes a reminder to make a CMA update appointment at 21 days, which is when you'll ask for the price adjustment.

The point is that once you get this system in place, all you have to do is to open up Today's business each morning and all of the required listing activities will automatically appear like clockwork. What more complete system is there for ensuring that you remember to do everything required to give your demanding sellers the kind of high-quality service that will lead to repeat business and referrals?

So why not use Listing service checklists to ensure all your sellers receive quality service? Don't they all represent a potential goldmine of referrals and repeat business?

Q u o t a b l e   Q u o t e :

"Good enough rarely is."
            - Anonymous

P r a c t i c a l   T e c h n i q u e:

To create a new listing and apply a Listing plan simply do the
following:

• Click on File/Listings/Create new listing
• Click on Seller
• Highlight the contact name and click on OK
• Highlight Listing services checklist or select a desired Listing plan and click on OK
• Fill in the listing fields
• Scroll through the Listing service checklist to determine which activities you want to include in your Listing plan
• To delete an activity, highlight the activity and click on Delete activity/Yes
• To add an activity, click on Add activity. Enter your reason for the activity in the Reason field, and the name of who the activity is assigned to in the Assign to field
• Enter the activity in the Activity field, or double-click on the desired activity icon (Appt., Call, Todo , etc.)
• Fill in the Date and time field. Click on the desired radial buttons (Fixed date, After listing date changes auto-adjust , etc.)
• If you wish to make notes, click on Notes, make your notes and click on OK. If desired, fill in the Contact field by entering the contact's name or clicking on Contact, highlighting the contact's name and clicking on OK
• Click on OK to observe the added activity in the Listing service checklist
• To update an activity click on Change activity, update the desired fields and click OK
• To mark an activity done when you have completed it, click on Change activity, click on Mark done/Yes and click on OK

To delete, modify or add an event to a Listing plan in your library,
simply do the following:

Click on File/Listings/Modify listing activity plan

• Highlight the desired plan and click on View/modify plan
• Click on New event, Modify event or Delete event as desired
• Click on the desired icon (Call, Todo, etc.), fill in the fields and click on OK

To create a new plan from an existing plan, simply do the following:

Click on File/Listings/Modify listing activity plan

• Highlight the plan you wish to create from and click on Copy plan
• Name your new plan and click on OK
• Highlight the plan in the Listing plans window and click on View/modify plan
• Delete, modify or add an event to the plan as desired

N e t w o r t h y:

For details on how to get even more out of the Listing plan feature, refer to the Managing listings and closings section in VOLUME 2 of the TOP PRODUCER video training series

"Hot Tips" are designed to provide you with smart sales and marketing ideas in a format that’s quick and easy to use. If you have any innovative ideas or experiences you'd like to share, or if there are any topics you'd like to see covered, feel free to e-mail us at: hottips@topproducer.com