At some point, a first-time home buyer becomes a first-time seller. The home selling process can be confusing and complicated for most first-time sellers. For this reason, sellers should hire a real estate agent to put any home selling anxieties at ease.
A first-time seller is a valuable client for real estate professionals. If you do an exceptional job as their real estate agent, you may have secured a referral and a client for several decades to come.
Most first-time sellers find their listing agent through a referral or a listing appointment or interview. Listing presentations and referrals are both essential components of your real estate business.
Below, we discuss the three real estate marketing techniques to win more real estate listings from first-time sellers.
Find Potential Sellers
First-time sellers come from all lifestyles and backgrounds, but many are millennials, and members of Generation Z. First-time sellers may also be young, growing families needing more space.
There are several ways to find first-time sellers. Most likely, you will generate a first-time seller lead from a social media sponsored post, by the referral of a previous client, or through an agent at your brokerage.
Sponsored Social Media Posts
If you decide to create sponsored social media posts targeting first-time sellers, include messages that speak to their needs. Show first-time sellers that you understand how stressful selling a first home can be and highlight your “customer service” skills. Turn your social media lead list into an email campaign, and remember to nurture your first-time seller leads and encourage them to set up a listing appointment with you when they’re ready to sell.
Your previous clients probably have friends or family eager to sell their first home. That’s why it’s crucial to maintain consistent communication with your clients by email, through social media, or by phone. You are more likely to stay top of mind when someone your client knows says they’re ready to find a listing agent. Your online presence can help you find both an individual seller and potential buyers.
Referrals
Another way to find potential first-time sellers is through your real estate team. Sometimes an agent on your team knows or has a first-time seller client they want to refer to you instead. You can find first-time sellers by doing some digging online, too. Join and engage in Facebook groups dedicated to communities in your farm area.
Local Property Records and Zillow
Additionally, search your local property records and Zillow for homes purchased within the last ten years. This datapoint filter is helpful as 60% of homeowners younger than 38 stayed in their first home for less than eight years. Property records can give you insight into the homeowner’s life history, including marriage, divorce, and births. For example, a young homeowner who just got married or had a child may be interested in listing their home within the same year.
Prepare for Listing Appointment
Expect to book some listing appointments from nurturing your potential first-time seller clients. Preparing for the listing appointment is an essential step in winning the listing.
First-time sellers need a confident and straightforward listing agent. Before the listing appointment, spend some time creating your slide deck, finding area comps, designing and printing leave-behind materials, and practicing your presentation.
Detail Selling Process
During your listing appointment, you need to detail the selling process. In your listing presentation slide deck, include a simple outline of the home selling process. You can dive deeper when you present your slide deck. Additionally, leave behind materials further detailing the home selling process.
These small but impactful gestures show your potential clients that you understand their needs and that you’re willing to go above and beyond to help them be confident sellers.
First-time home sellers want a knowledgeable and reliable real estate agent to help them market their homes at a competitive price and allow them to walk away with the most money possible.
Once you find a potential first-time seller through social media, referrals, or property records, you need to prepare for the listing appointment. Remember to keep the listing appointment focused and informative by detailing the home selling process and leaving behind educational materials.
