Question 1

How do agents become listing agents instead of buyer’s agents?

Accepted Answer

On Mike Darda’s team, agents take a two-week listing certification course meeting an hour a day, covering prequalification forms, CMAs, the listing appointment and servicing the listing. The exam is presenting the full Mike Ferry listing presentation, with objection handlers, to two team leaders before they receive listing leads.

Question 2

What are the top three skills of a successful listing agent?

Accepted Answer

Mike Darda’s top three: master the scripts and skills, including the pre-call script, listing presentation and objection handlers; master a systematic schedule with specific daily prospecting time and set appointment times; and learn to service listings, from negotiating offers to price reductions and weekly seller calls.

Question 3

How many listings can a prospecting-focused team take per month?

Accepted Answer

Darda’s team of over 20 agents lists around 45 to 55 homes a month. Callers work past clients, new expireds, FSBOs and website leads at 300 to 350 dials a day each, producing three to four good qualified listing appointments on a typical day.

Question 4

How should agents handle price reduction conversations with sellers?

Accepted Answer

Darda says sellers aren’t any happier when the listing expires, so make the call. Like a doctor, tell them what they need to hear to cure what ails them, which is getting the home sold. They trusted you with their biggest sale and need your advice, so you owe them the call.

Question 5

Does pricing matter more in a buyer’s market?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Darda’s Cape Coral-Fort Myers market there are more sellers than buyers and average days on market run about two and a half months, so his team trains on accurate pricing right from the start and averages 30-plus price reductions a month on its inventory.