Items to Include In Your Pre-Listing Package

In the home-selling process, the first step for you as a real estate agent is not to sell the house, but to sell yourself. One of the best ways you can do this is by creating an awesome pre-listing package. If you don’t have a pre-listing package or are looking to revamp yours, read on!

November 19, 2019 | Real-estate

By: Paige N.

Paige N. came to Acuity in 2015 as a commercial lines underwriter. Through her time in underwriting, she worked on a wide array of accounts, many in the service industry, including: automobile repair shops, apartments, beauty shops, and everything in between. In addition to her underwriting experience, Paige worked in advertising and is studying to obtain the Associate in General Insurance (AINS) designation. Thanks to her father, Paige drives a manual transmission and finds driving a manual much more fun than an automatic!

Author of Services & Retail Focus

What is it, and what purpose does it serve?

A pre-listing package is a robust document that provides all the details sellers would want to know about you and how you plan to sell their home. Traditionally, the pre-listing package is sent to sellers after a pre-listing meeting has been scheduled but before it takes place.

The pre-listing package serves several purposes, including:

Shares who you are. It familiarizes your sellers with who you and your brokerage are before you meet them in person.
Showcases your value. In a world where people are considering selling homes on their own, you want to highlight your industry knowledge, how you can ease the selling process, and your strengths and how they differentiate you from other agents.
Educates sellers. Selling a home is a complicated process, especially for first-time sellers. Your pre-listing package should educate sellers on the home-selling process. You can review these details in the pre-listing meeting, but all the details will be in your package for the sellers to reference.
Eases the pre-listing meeting. The pre-listing package should streamline the pre-listing meeting. It serves as a road map for the conversation and allows you to focus on the big picture rather than the details.

What should I include in my pre-listing package?

Introduction letter. Think of the introduction letter as your first impression to the seller. The letter should be personalized and customized to each individual seller to exemplify your strong desire to work with them. This is also your chance to explain the purpose of the pre-listing package and preview the information in it.
About you. Building upon the introduction letter, share more about yourself and your brokerage in an “about you” section. The main goal of this section is to build trust, so it’s important to share some personal details along with details about your experience, including how long you have been in the industry and what sets you apart from the competition. If you have a team the sellers will be working with, include details about your team as well.
Market stats. Sharing your market statistics will help sellers understand more about their market along with your numerical success. A few statistics you may want to consider including are total volume, average days on market, and a ratio of list versus sales price. You can also compare your statistics to those of the competition.
Marketing program. The purpose of this section is to share your strategy for selling the client’s home. Depending on how much information you are willing to share about your strategy, you could include either a sample of your marketing plan or the whole thing. You may also want to include examples of your sales flyers and your approach to signage, open houses, and any other marketing strategies. Be sure to highlight how your marketing strategy differs from and is more effective than the competition’s.
Educational information. Many sellers, especially first-time sellers, are not familiar with the home-selling process. In this section, include information to help educate the seller on the process. People retain images and charts better than text, so presenting the process in a flow chart may be beneficial. Consider adding information about pricing, such as why choosing the right price is important and some pricing strategies. Other things to include in this section could be staging tips and checklists of what the seller can do to aid in the selling process. You may also want to include a Q&A or FAQ section to anticipate questions people may have.
Testimonials. What better way to communicate what you do well than for your past clients to say it for you! Including testimonials and success studies is a great way to showcase the value you have brought to prior clients. You may also want to include references potential clients can contact for more information. When including testimonials and referrals, always remember to obtain permission from the references.
Contact information. Last, but certainly not least, include your contact information in an easy-to-find location. Be sure to include your name, company name, office and mobile phone number, email address, company address, hours, and social media pages.

How should I pull it all together?

Customization. To better target your clients, consider creating a pre-listing package for each of your markets. You could do this is by home value, geographical area, referral type, or first-time versus experienced sellers. You will always want to personalize the package for the specific client.
Design. When designing your pre-listing package, spend a little extra to make it look great. Rather than printing it on basic printer paper and stapling it, consider having your pre-listing package professionally printed and bound for a polished look. Remember that your pre-listing package is an example of the marketing you will be doing for your client, so make it special!
Delivery. You will also want to consider how to deliver it. Depending on how accessible your client is, you could hand deliver it. If this isn’t possible, another way to show the document’s importance is to send it via courier service. You will also want to ensure the client receives a digital copy. As for when to deliver your pre-listing package, target sending it to the clients a few days prior to your listing appointment so they have a chance to review and digest it.

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