Listing Presentation Manuevering

Playing the Card(s) You're Dealt

When you have the facts on your side, argue the facts. When you have the law on your side, argue the law. When you have neither, holler.

--Al Gore

Whenever I compete against another Realtor for a listing (as I did earlier this week), I always like to find out as much as I can about my competition.

Not only does that let me tailor my own presentation, but it gives me a chance to rebut any arguments the other Realtor is making.

So what was my competitor touting in their sales pitch?

The value of a broker with national reach, to attract relocation Buyers.

Great Opening

Why emphasize that?

Because that's what their Broker had to offer.

What they omitted -- and I happily filled in -- was the following:

--Relocation sales, perhaps only 3%-4% of all deals normally, are even less in a soft economy because fewer big companies want to spend the money.

--Of that already small slice, the typical relocation sale is usually a more expensive home (think, big companies and senior executives).

--No one relies on brokers -- relo specialists or not -- to check out housing inventory anymore; they go to Google, Edina Realty, Trulia, Zillow and a hundred other Web sites.

Which was a nice segue into Edina Realty vs. the "national broker": if you want to sell your home quickly, for top dollar, you're much better off going with the company with the highest Twin Cities market share (about 20%) and most local Realtors (about 1,700).

And that would be . . . Edina Realty.