Getting a new listing is exciting. It’s also when the real work begins. The first 48 hours after you sign that listing agreement set the tone for everything that follows. How you use that time has a direct impact on how the listing launches, how buyers perceive the home, and ultimately how the sale goes.
Here’s what we do every single time.
Have the seller info call before you do anything else
If you haven’t already had a thorough conversation with your seller, do it now. How long have they lived there? Why are they moving? Do they need to purchase a new home? Have they done any upgrades? All of this shapes how you price and position the property and it’s information you need before you pull a single comp.
This is also the time to make sure your listing agreement is signed. It’s the most important thing to have in place before you spend any of your time or money helping a seller get their home ready. Don’t skip this step.
Build your CMA
With the address in hand and the seller conversation behind you, now you build your CMA. When was the home last sold and for how much? What do the most recent listing photos look like? What are the most comparable recent sales in the neighborhood? What’s currently sitting on the market and why?
This is what gives you a well-supported price range to bring to the seller. Come in with data, not a guess. The pricing conversation goes a lot smoother when you’ve done the homework.
Walk through the home like a buyer
Before anyone else sees this home you need to know it inside and out. Walk through every room with fresh eyes. Note anything that needs to be addressed before photos. Flag anything that could come up in an inspection. Look for the things sellers have stopped seeing because they’ve lived there too long.
This is also when you have the staging conversation. Is the home vacant or occupied? Does it need a full staging or just a home edit with the seller’s own furniture? Walk room by room and talk through what needs to go, what needs to be added, and what needs to be cleaned or repaired before photo day. The sellers who take this seriously almost always have a stronger launch.
Lock in your photographer immediately
Professional photography is the single most important thing you will do to launch this listing and it needs to be scheduled the moment you leave the listing appointment. Good photographers book out fast. Waiting even a day can cost you a week.
Before the photographer arrives your seller needs a clear list of what to do to prepare. Send them a photo prep checklist as soon as you book. Clear the counters, deep clean the home, touch up the paint, open every blind, turn on every light, move the cars out of the driveway. Remove the guesswork so nothing gets missed and you don’t end up having to reshoot.
Start your coming soon campaign
While the home is being prepped and photos are being scheduled, start your pre-marketing. Create a coming soon campaign to generate activity before the listing even hits the market. Share it in your real estate networks. Send an email to your database. Post it on social media.
The agents and buyers who feel like they’re getting early access to something show up differently than the ones who stumble across it on the MLS three days after it lists. Build that anticipation on purpose.
Write your listing copy before the photos come back
Don’t wait until the photos land in your inbox to start writing. Use the seller info call, the walkthrough, and everything you’ve learned about the home to draft your listing description now. Have it ready to go so the moment the photos arrive you can get the listing live without delay.
Your listing description is the first thing buyers read after the photos. It shapes how they feel about the home before they ever schedule a showing. Write it like it matters because it does.
Keep your seller in the loop
Your seller is excited and anxious and wondering what’s happening. A quick call or message after the listing appointment goes a long way. Walk them through what you’ve done, what’s coming next, and what you need from them to make this launch as strong as possible.
As the National Association of Realtors has consistently found, seller satisfaction is closely tied to how well their agent communicates throughout the process. It starts here, in those first 48 hours, before the sign ever goes in the yard.
If you’re an agent who wants to talk through how to build a stronger listing process, we’re always happy to connect.
The bottom line
The first 48 hours after you get a listing are some of the most important hours in the entire transaction. Have the seller conversation. Build the CMA. Walk the home. Lock in your photographer. Start your pre-marketing. Write your copy. And keep your seller informed every step of the way.
What you do right now directly affects what happens when that listing goes live.