4 Tips to Attract Sellers and Win More Listings

Housing inventory is low in many parts of the country, and competition is high among agents looking to win their area's best listings. What can agents do to ensure they're the one that sellers contact first? Here are a few ideas.

1. Claim Your Profile on Property Search Portals

We know--agents sometimes have a fraught relationship with property search portals. Regardless of your personal feelings, however, consumers love portals because they offer information in a way that's more user friendly and accessible than many agent and broker sites. Portals rank well in search engines, too, and are often the first result consumers see when searching for real estate information online.

Because of portals' dominance with consumers, it's crucial that you have a presence on each of the top sites. Don't worry, though; this is as simple as setting up a free agent profile so sellers can learn more about you. Here are some crucial elements that you should be sure to complete on your portal profiles:

• Profile photo - A recent, professional looking headshot is the first step to winning sellers' trust. Consumers want to know who they're considering hiring--and profiles without a photo are typically passed up in favor of those with a photo.
• Contact information - When brokers send their listings to portals, your contact information is usually bundled in with data. However, it's not uncommon for the contact information that the brokers send to be incomplete or incorrect. That's why claiming your profile is so important--it gives you a chance to correct any errors and add other vital details, like your agent website or alternate phone numbers.
• Agent reviews and ratings - What's your sales track record like? That's what sellers want to know when researching listing agents online. By building a robust collection of reviews from past clients, you're letting prospective clients know that you're an agent they can trust. Don't have reviews yet? Reach out to satisfied past clients and ask for a review. Then, going forward, make asking for reviews as routine as giving a closing gift.
• Claim your listings - The major search portals will let you claim your listings, both active and solds. It's another big way you can show consumers your track record of success. If you are unable to claim your past listings (a crucial part in wowing sellers), ask your broker if they're including sold information in the data feed they send to portals.