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Creating the ultimate listing package requires tenacity, creativity and insight. Sellers want to know your presentation is based on a keen sense of the market, your expertise in determining value, and your ability to bring a deal to close in the shortest time possible and at the highest price.

The key to nailing your next listing is to prepare … more thoroughly, more accurately and more creatively than your competition.

First, don’t let your prospect get away with just an appointment. Use this opportunity to capitalize on your uniqueness, if only, leaving the prospect with one key takeaway—that you listen and act.

A casual yet pointed conversation between you and the homeowner should confirm the basic facts about the home (number of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.) and identify what steps the homeowner has taken to improve the property.

Real estate speaker Jared James has some great tips in this regard. Jared urges agents to give sellers an assignment—something that will give you an idea of what kind of seller you’re dealing with, and allow you to subconsciously take control of the transaction.

“When you put someone to work, it subtly asserts your control, while also building trust, because you are working on something together,” said Jared, a frequent contributor to REALTOR^® Magazine. The strategy also provides insight into the seller’s motivation and expectations of what they want to sell for, which, as all REALTORS^® know, is not always in line with market values.

For example, while on the phone, ask the sellers to email you the following information about their perceptions of the home, letting them know that their contributions to the process will be used in consideration of your marketing strategy:

The more details you capture about the home’s condition and enhancements, the more equipped you will be to determine the its value.

Also consider that a good CMA tool will help you acquire market statistics to find data on similar properties, the neighborhood, and the local economy.

RPR’s Realtor Valuation Model^® (RVM^®) sets the standard for real estate valuation models. Available exclusively to REALTORS^®, the RVM goes beyond the traditional AVM by incorporating listing and sales data from the MLS into the equation.

The RVM is accompanied by a Confidence Score—a value between zero and five stars that indicates the level to which each of the multiple models agrees with other estimated values for a given property. High confidence scores indicate that other models yield similar estimates for the property.

Once you’ve secured insight into your seller’s motivation, what is important to him or her, and the property’s condition, conduct your search for comps, determine a pricing and marketing strategy, and package your presentation in the most professional way possible. You should include:

You will also want to be creative about how to deliver your listing package. Distance and personal schedules can get in the way of meeting your client face to face. Instead, find a creative way to convey your professionalism and expertise, such as personalized video messages.

Lastly, never underestimate the power of consistent communication and its impact on persuasion. Sellers are known to respond positively to REALTORS^® who tactfully keep in touch. Want to make a lasting impression? Within 24 hours of your presentation, send a thank you to the homeowners. In this digital age, a handwritten note means a lot.