listing presentation objections

15 Real Estate Objections and Scripts in 2023

Published by Brian E Adams on March 17, 2023 March 17, 2023

Rejection sucks.

When a sales prospect is giving you objections, it feels like they are rejecting you.

But that is not the case. Instead, they have genuine objections that often have nothing to do with you. If you have confidence in your value proposition, you can handle objections and deliver win-win solutions for their problems.

Below is a list of common sales objections that confront real estate professionals when prospecting on the phone or at the listing presentation.

I included several real estate trainers’ perspectives and scripts on each objection.

You will want to rehearse your sales process and common objections with a colleague to get comfortable. Role-play a cold call and an entire listing presentation.

If you’re looking for a cold-calling script to get you started, I have some articles on expired and FSBO scripts as well!

• Expired Scripts
• FSBO Scripts

Table of Contents:

Objections getting the appointment, my friend/relative is an agent., i have an agent already., we’ve already gotten 20 other calls., i want to try selling it fsbo first., you’re too new an agent..

• Do you have a buyer?

You’re too successful to have time for us.

I want to find a house first., you don’t have listings in our neighborhood/price range., i’m busy right now., we’re waiting for the market to improve., objections at the appointment, your price recommendation is too low., will you cut your commission, we still need to interview other agents., we need to think about it., buyer objections, i’m just looking..

• Objections vs Conditions

List of Real Estate Objection Handling Scripts

“I hope all my friends are as loyal as you are! But let me ask you a question: Are you serious about selling your house, or just helping your friend get a listing? “If this is your most expensive asset, don’t you want to choose the best agent and not the agent you’re friends with? “It’s important to be loyal to your friends, but because your home is probably your most valuable asset, you owe it to yourself to choose the professional who can best market the house and best represent you to get you the highest and best price and terms for your house. Wouldn’t you agree? “Plus — if you have a problem with your friend’s performance or services, how will you be able to criticize or fire your friend? Who would you rather yell at — me or your friend? “And then there’s the fact that you might need to reveal more about yourself to your friend than makes you feel comfortable. When you start to negotiate and prepare for the settlement, you’ll be discussing your finances, life, your bottom line and opening up some warts and blemishes in the process. Are you sure you really want to expose that much to your friend?” Inman

“Great! So, you have already signed a listing agreement?” (Well, no) “So, you are not committed, you are just promised…right?” (Right!) “You know…I really don’t care if you list your house with me… “If you’re thinking of interviewing more agents for the job of selling your home…it is vitally important that you understand the different marketing approaches so you don’t get burned the next time… “You don’t want to get burned again…do you?” “So let me ask you this…Do you know the difference between passive marketing and active marketing?” (No) “You don’t!” “Passive marketing is basically sitting around doing nothing like, holding open houses, sending out flyers or advertising in the newspaper. Did your last agent use any of these methods?” (Yeah) “I was afraid of that!” “These methods have been ineffective! Yet, your last agent sold it to you as if this was the answer to all your problems…right? “Do you understand what I mean by passive…basically, sitting around with you’re fingers crossed…waiting for the buyer? “Active marketing, on the other hand, is literally getting on the phone every single day and personally contacting as many people as I can 25, 50, even 100 a day. “The key is…asking them if they would like to buy your home, if they know someone who would like to buy your home, or if they would like to sell their house…” “Do you know why I ask if they would like to sell their home? Because the more signs I have the more buyers’ calls I get to show your home…that makes sense…doesn’t it? “Now, which way passive or active do you believe will get more homes sold? “And you understand that I am doing active marketing on you as we speak, right?” Mike Ferry

“That’s great, I can appreciate your loyalty and that is a quality that I respect in people … So I’m curious, let me ask you this … Has there ever been a time when you decided to buy something or do something and because a friend said, hey no problem, when you need help, I can do it and in the end, because you didn’t check around, you really didn’t get what you wanted … have you ever been there before?” (Yes) “Well this time is just like that time, and with that in mind, I’m sure you can see the importance of having me over just to give you a second opinion … that wouldn’t hurt anything, would it?” Tom Ferry

That’s awesome! That’s great that there are X hardworking agents who want to help you sell your home! Have you set an appointment with any of those agents? Would you be interested in sitting down with me on Tuesday at or Wednesday at if I could show you a way to get your home sold at top dollar this time? The REDX

No problem. That’s great, what do you plan on selling it for? The nice thing is that our appointment is more of a complimentary lesson than a sales pitch. If you like the things that I have to say you can incorporate them into your own strategy or if you’re really impressed you can put me to work to get top dollar for your house. So, when can I come by to take a look at the home? What’s better for you, Tuesday at or Wednesday at ? The REDX

– Be very confident here. This is an opportunity for you *Never say 3 months, say I’m in my first year and doing very well* – Re-establish confidence and control. – Come back to why you are in real estate (EX – I was very successful in XYZ with sales and with negotiations so I had to get into real estate and it’s paying off for my clients!) – Co-Brand and use Stats (with your broker/team/brokerage) – Example “I’m new but my tenacious sales skills and hard work are really paying off. I also have a broker/team member/ etc that sells X number of homes in a year and can deal with any situation. The major benefit is that I have an experienced team behind me PLUS because I’m newer your awesome listing gets more attention. It’s frustrating when your listing doesn’t get the attention it deserves and busier agents sometimes just don’t have the time to give you this much dedication. Rev Real Estate School

Do you have a buyer or not?

Great question, And I’m sure you’re getting a ton of calls from agents, I don’t want to mislead you and tell you I have a buyer right now when I don’t, I’m previewing some homes that just went up for sale just like yours and was hoping to see yours too, are you around tomorrow between 4-6pm to show me the home quickly? Brandon Mulrenin

“I can appreciate that and you probably haven’t had a chance to think about the advantage I have over my fellow agents in town. You see, the more listings I have the more signs I have on the street.  The more signs I have on the street, the more calls I get from buyers … and, of course, most of those buyers don’t buy the home they call about and many will be interested in your home. If you were a buyer would you want to talk to an agent who had 2 homes for sale or 50 homes for sale? Can you see the advantage of listing with an agent that has 50 or more homes for sale?” Tom Ferry

“I can appreciate that and you probably haven’t had a chance to think about the advantage I have over my fellow agents in town… “You see, the more listings I have, the more signs I have on the street. The more signs I have on the street, the more calls I get from buyers…and, of course, most of those buyers don’t buy the house they call about and many of them will be very interested in our house. “Can you see the advantage of listing with an agent that has 20-30 signs on the street working for you?” Mike Ferry

“I agree, finding your new home is important and the unfortunate thing is it may take as long as 3 to 5 months for your home to sell.  Then it will take another month to get the closing done and by that time, any home that you would have found will likely already be sold.   Does that make sense? Let’s get your home on the market right now and get to work on getting your home sold so you don’t have to wait any longer than is necessary to get moved into your new home … sound good?” Tom Ferry

I understand.  How are you planning on finding your next home?  Would it help if you could see all of the homes for sale that fit your criteria at home on your computer first?  That way you could just contact me when you want to see the inside of one? I see. Have you spoken to a lender to determine a price range and monthly payments yet? May I ask what expectations you have for the agent that ultimately represents you? Many of my clients have felt the same way at first.  Until they discovered that searching for homes by driving around and looking at scattered listings on line was not very efficient.  What if I set you up on your own customized online search so that you could see all of the homes for sale by all REALTORS® that fit your criteria? You would also receive email notifications for homes the instant they come up for sale so that you would be one of the first to see them before they sell? The Real Estate Trainer

“You’re right, I don’t sell a lot of homes in your price range and that’s exactly why I’m here tonight… “I usually sell homes in lower price ranges and what I find is…after I sell my client’s homes, a great many of them move up to your price range, therefore, it only makes sense…that the next logical step for me is to start to sell your price range as well, considering I already have a relationship with many of the buyers that will be interested in your home…does that make sense?” Mike Ferry

Try to get a small commitment here – ask if they can answer 4 quick questions in less than 2 minutes. This will set you up for further conversations later, where you can offer more detailed help. “I understand, if I can just ask you 4 quick questions I can have you off the phone in less than 2 minutes. Would that work?” Boomtown ROI

To overcome this objection you have to ask them questions about their process or plan. “You say you want to wait until the market gets better, what do you mean by better/what is your definition of ‘better’?” In other words, learn what “better” means to this lead. You can also ask, “How do you think waiting to list your home will benefit you?” Get to the crux of what they really want and offer the lead a route to get there that doesn’t involve waiting for the market to “improve.” Lab Coat Agents

You know, I’ve found that a lot of times the price I could sell your home for today, is often greater than what I could sell your home for in a couple of months, because of foreclosures, homes being sold for less, new homes going up or similar factors.  I also understand that you want to sell your home for a little more. When you sell your property are you potentially going to be buying something else? Is that property going to cost a little more? So, what happens if you wait to sell your property for a little more and everybody else is selling their homes at that time for a little more? What you’re saying is that you’re willing to make a little more money on your home, just to spend a little more for a home, which doesn’t make sense.  The price that you sell your home for, is not based on the value of your home but on the interest rates. Brivity

“Here’s exactly what’s happening in the market. We have X houses on the market right now, and we have X selling per month. That means we have X months of supply for buyers to choose from. You told me you wanted to sell your house in X months — correct? “With X properties coming on the market every month, not to mention the number of foreclosures and short sales, wouldn’t you agree that accurately pricing the property is important today? “Your home does have many upgrades; and many of the houses I showed you have similar upgrades. That demonstrates what buyers are willing to pay. Do you have any reason to believe that buyers are offering more than the recent closed sales? “The MLS data is all the same — but some agents will tell you what they think you want to hear just so they can get the listing because they’re desperate to land your business. What kind of agent do you want to work with?” Inman

There are plenty of people around who will tell you what you want to hear and stop at nothing to get a signature on the dotted line. A lot of agents you’ll come across, don’t have many listings at any given time. So, they are desperate to sell you on their services and say anything to win you as a client. This sweet talking and high pricing may seem appealing now, but isn’t so ideal in half a year when you still haven’t received a single offer. Follow Up Boss

“You know, you’re right, there are a lot of desperate agents out there and I’m a little concerned … can I tell you why? Do you own anything more valuable than this home?  (No) Could you say that it is your most valuable possession?  (Yes) If an agent is so desperate that they are willing to broadcast the fact that they don’t think they have value as a Realtor, then I’m confused. Is that the type of person you want sitting across from the negotiating table trying to negotiate you a better price? We are talking about a person who has already admitted that he or she doesn’t even see value in himself or herself. Is that the type of person you want to represent you in the most valuable transaction of your life? Good. If that was the case, then I should not even come over, considering I work 14 hours per day and my assistant works 8 hours a day to get your home sold and that’s very valuable … don’t you think.” Tom Ferry

“You know, I can appreciate that, and I want to be up front with you and say NO, I will not cut my commissions, and for one very simple reason”. “As a professional my time has a certain value and I only work with people, like you, that realize the value of my service….and before you say anything, think about this… “If an agent is willing to cut his or her commission, just like that, how well do you think they will hold up when it comes to negotiating the best possible price for your home?” I want to demonstrate, up front, how tough I am going to be for you…Therefore, cutting my commission is not an option…does that make sense?” Mike Ferry

“I’ll call in a day or two to see if you have additional questions. Is there something in my presentation you’d like me to cover in more detail right now? “I understand this is a big decision — but I know you’re looking to sell quickly. If you sign a listing agreement tonight, I’ll have the time to do an open house this weekend. “Here’s a thought: We can do the paperwork now, and I’ll postdate it. If you don’t want to work with me, I’ll rip it up. And if you do, we’ll be ready to go. “I can appreciate that you want to compare real estate agents. Let’s set up a follow-up appointment so I can answer any concerns or questions you may have after you meet with the other agents. Inman

“Great! I think that is one of the best things that you could do and before I go…Tell me, what is it specifically that is stopping you from picking up that pen and signing your home with me?” (We’re just a little shocked by the price) “Hey, I understand and let me ask you this…If I can help you to realize that your home will not sell for a dollar more than what I have told you…If you felt completely satisfied that it was true…would you still want to waste your valuable time talking to another Realtor or would you just list we me tonight?”” (Well, I guess if we felt comfortable, we would list with you tonight) “Great!” Mike Ferry

“I can appreciate that, making a logical decision is important…so tell me, what is it specifically that you’re going to have to think over?” Mike Ferry

“I love looking at homes too. It’s why I got into the business. What made you decide to look at homes today? I see…  continue with LPMAMA . ” BoomTown

Reply:  I’m pleased to hear that. You should look at all your options before buying anything. [Just curious], what type of home are you looking for? Reply:  OK. How many houses have you seen so far? Real Estate Express

Script Resources and Coaches

Kevin Ward is the real estate scripts guru and has an inexhaustible amount of content worth browsing and exploring.

He’s also the author of The Book of YES: The Ultimate Real Estate Agent Conversation Guide .

Bryan Casella is a coach and trainer with sales training available on YouTube. He has numerous live sales calls you can view there as well.

Tom Ferry is the son of Mike Ferry and prolific real estate coach and content creator with loads of scripts resources.

Mike Ferry and his coaching organization is a mainstay of the real estate industry and the original trailblazer on some of the best known objection handling scripts in use today.

Brandon Mulrenin is a prolific YouTube resource for real estate agents who is a must-follow if you are spending time on the phone. He has a free script book on his site you can download.

Tips on Handingle Objections

• Agree with them . Avoid fighting and confrontation. If they say they hate Realtors, empathize! Why would anyone enjoy spending $10,000s for a transaction? Admit it – we’re expensive! Dismissing their concern is not a path to building a relationship.
• Be honest . But don’t take it too far. These are hopefully your future clients. You are at the beginning of a relationship, not selling toasters. You need to be mindful that you are building trust. Be honest about yourself, the market, and what they can expect from the process.
• Listen . Don’t just rattle off your scripts. Show that you are actively listening by engaging them with their objection and demonstrate that you understand their perceived problem, perhaps by repeating their concern back to them. Ask open-ended follow-up questions.
• Empathize . Address their concerns; don’t delegitimize them. For example, if you are a new agent who just got their license, that is a very valid concern for a home seller! Don’t pretend that it isn’t. Instead, demonstrate how you are going to overcome their objection instead of denying the validity of the objection.
• Tell stories . If you have past clients you have helped in similar situations, telling their story and how you helped them can help. The human mind is designed to think in narratives. Tell a good story, just as you learned about in high school. Introduce characters, then the conflict, rising action, and the heroic climax where their conflict is defeated, leading to the exposition of happiness and triumph!
• Get their verbal buy-in . This is where neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) can come into play. You may or may not ascribe to the specific principles of NLP. But asking open-ended questions and confirming whether they agree with you or not can still keep the conversation positive and fruitful. Kevin Ward does this all the time by including words like “Right?”, or “Does that make sense?” at the end of statements. That way the conversation is also not one-directional.
• Give them choices with pros and cons . Instead of forcing them to a decision, walk them through the pros and cons of the different decisions and then invite them to choose. For example, if they want to price high, that is okay! Just explain the pros and cons of pricing high versus low. Then you are a resource but they still feel in control and that you’re not being pushy.

Difference Between Objection and Condition

This isn’t called “condition handling”. You can’t “handle” conditions. Conditions are constraints. Don’t be pushy trying to make someone move who doesn’t want to, purchase a home they cannot afford, or list a home they won’t net enough to pay off their mortgage.

Objections represent resistance to your value proposition .

Conditions , on the other hand, are genuine barriers to using your service and not just skepticism as to whether you are a good fit.

Example conditions include:

• They’ve already signed an agreement with another brokerage.
• They don’t want to list until such-and-such date due to their moving schedule.
• They are underwater on the mortgage and don’t have the resources to come to closing to sell.
• They aren’t interested in selling or buying.

Hopefully, you’ve found some nuggets of gold among these real estate objection scripts for clients to help you better sell yourself and your business.

Updated March 17, 2023; Originally published August 24, 2019.

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How to Overcome Common Listing Objections and Win the Listings

We’ve all been there. You arrive at a listing presentation, confident and ready to sell the clients on working with you. 

You think everything is going well until you get to the close — and suddenly, the homeowners come up with some reason they can’t list with you right then and there.

It’s beyond frustrating, and if you don’t know how to overcome common objections, you could miss out on a lot of listings. 

This isn’t just a problem for new agents — even experienced top earners struggle with tough objections. They just have more sales opportunities, more case studies, and generally more confidence to overcome hesitations. 

I’ve met lots of amazing agents, and very few of them can work “miracles” and win “impossible-to-get” listings. So stop beating yourself up (and be thankful you won’t have to work with clients who would likely give you a headache). 

Instead, focus on the objections you can overcome and become more confident in overcoming them. In today’s blog, I’ll give you the tools to improve your approach. 

The number one way to handle objections is to reduce the odds of them ever coming up in the first place. 

How can you do that?

Always try to “oversell” the seller on listing with you. You’re always better overselling than underselling. People who are undersold often change their minds, throw out objections or delay making decisions. 

If you think someone is ready to list with you, don’t stop your presentation. 

Instead, use a trial close to make sure they’re ready to list with you. A few good trial closes are: 

• “Does this sound like what you’re looking for?” 
• “Are you ready to move forward today?”
• “If I can get you what you want, do you want to move forward today?”  

Use every tool at your disposal to “oversell” the seller. Here are some examples: 

• Give the seller your book as soon as you walk through the door.
• Whenever you talk about something, reference it in your book. (I recommend bringing a second copy with post-it notes on the pages with your talking points.)
• Use a Powerpoint or Flipchart listing presentation. 
• Show the seller case studies and/or lists of other homes you/your company have sold. 
• Build rapport as soon as you walk through the front door. 
• Use the assumptive close.  

Talk about how your marketing will generate more buyer interest so the sellers get a higher price. If you can demonstrate how you’ll get the homeowners both, you’ll separate yourself from agents who only talk about how many homes they’ve sold. 

Practice your presentation until you’re amazing at it. After all, practice makes perfect. 

Sell yourself 100%, and it will be easier to sell others on how great you are. Sales is the transference of belief from one party to the other. If you don’t believe in what you’re selling, neither will the sellers. 

One of the best ways to sell yourself on the value you provide is to go through all of your successful case studies. Look at the homes you sold that other agents couldn’t sell. Look at the homes you sold for a record high price. When you reflect on your successes, you’ll realize the value you bring to the table. 

Stop the negative self talk and focus on positive self talk. Tell yourself, “I’m the best Realtor in my town,” “I sell homes for top dollar,” “Sellers want to hire me,” etc. Yes, I know this sounds arrogant and almost like magical “voodoo.” But, it works.

If a seller is resistant, tell them they can fire you at any time if they change their mind. I’ve won lots of listings because I was willing to do that. And in today’s review-driven real estate environment, you’d probably allow a seller to cancel at any time anyways. It’s not like you’re really losing anything. 

Practice handling objections. The mere act of practicing objections reduces the likelihood of them ever coming up. I know this sounds strange, but it’s true. Confidence can prevent people from voicing their hesitations.  

How to handle specific objections:  

Objection: “i want to think about it.”  .

When someone voices that objection, what they’re really saying is: “I’m not 100% convinced that you’re the right agent to hire.” In that situation, you want to identify what is holding them back, address it, and then ask for the sale again.  

How to address it: “I’ve shown you how I can market your home to attract more buyers and sell it for more money. What’s specifically stopping you from moving forward with me today?” 

Usually, the seller will voice their specific objection or hesitation. Then you can address it and ask for the listing again. 

Objection: “We want to pray about it.” 

This is basically the same objection as the one above. There are a few different ways to address it. 

If you’re comfortable doing so, offer to pray with them. Most clients who use this objection will be swayed by your willingness to relate to them and appeal to their beliefs. 

Otherwise, you can use the objection handler above to see if there is anything stopping them from listing with you. 

How to address it: “You want to pray about it? Then let’s pray.” Start your prayer out loud, go through it, and finish it. “OK, ____, I’ve shown you how I can market your home to attract more buyers and sell it for more money. Will you list your home with me today?”

Objection: I want to find my next house before I put this one on the market. 

How to address it: “You know, ________, this sounds like a great way to sell your home and buy your next one. But, do you want to risk losing out on your perfect dream home?” 

Pause and wait for the seller to say “No.” Then continue below.

“Here’s the problem with finding your next house first. As you know, it’s probably going to be a really great house. And because it’s great, lots of other people will be interested in it, which means the sellers will be able to pick and choose which offer they want to accept. 

“And if you were that seller, which offer would you want to accept? An offer from a seller who hasn’t even listed their house, or an offer from a seller whose house is sold and who has everything lined up to buy your home? You’d probably take the offer from the seller whose house is sold, and the person selling your home probably feels the same way. So let’s get your home on the market, get it under contract, and then I’ll go to work to find the perfect home for you. Let’s move forward and get started today.” 

Then, just assume they want to move forward and continue. 

Objection: Another agent told me they can get me a higher price.  

Remember that you can always ask for price reductions in the future. If the seller is insistent on a higher price, tell them you’ll list it at that price but warn them that you don’t think it’s realistic. Let them know that some agents just tell you the highest price to get you to sign with them, but they rarely actually deliver. 

How to address it: “We can list your home at that price, but I want you to be aware that I believe that price is too high for this area. I worry your home won’t be seen by the right buyers if it’s listed at an unrealistic price point, but we can start there and see how it goes if you’d like.”  

Objection: Have you sold any homes in this area/neighborhood?  

Agents often run into these objections with sellers in a high-end area when they don’t have an established track record there. 

How to address it: “No, I have not sold any homes in this area. But, that’s exactly why you should hire me. Let me explain. You see, I work with a lot of people who are selling a lower priced home who will then be buying a home like yours, which means I’m going to be working with more buyers than an agent who works exclusively in this area. Does that make sense?”  

Wait for them to say “Yes” and then ask for the listing. 

Objection: I’m going to sell it myself. 

Most people have no idea how much work it takes to sell a home — especially for top dollar.  

How to address it: “I can appreciate that. And on the surface it really looks like you can sell your home yourself and save a lot of money. It sounds like you really just want the most money in your pocket, is that right?” 

Pause and wait for the seller to say “Yes.” Then continue: “And that’s exactly why you should hire me. I’ve shown you how I can market your home to attract more buyers and sell it for more money. My strategies will make your home sell for 2-3% more money, save you over 100 hours of work, keep you safe, and make the whole process much more seamless. I NET you the same amount of money and save you over 100 hours of time. Based on that, will you list your home with me today?” 

Objection: Your commission is too high.

How to address it: “I agree there are a lot of desperate agents out there who will happily drop their commission. And I’ve shown you how I will market your home to attract more buyers and sell it for 2-3% more money. So, you will NET more money with me. Can I show you why? 

Pause and wait for the seller to say “Yes.” Then continue: “Here’s why I’ll NET you more money. Not only will I do a better job marketing your home and attract more buyers, but I’ll also fight for you. I’ll fight to get you the highest price and the best terms. Do you really think those agents who were so quick to fold with you will fight for you when a buyer wants to get a better deal?” 

Pause and wait for the seller to say “No.” Then continue: “That’s why you need me. Let’s get started today.” 

Another great way to combat this objection is by showing the seller how much money they will save by selling faster. Check out how Rusty handles questions about his commission rate.

Objection: I have a friend in the business. 

If the seller has met with you, then they aren’t “dead set” on hiring the friend. In my experience, this is usually a smokescreen objection the seller is using to try and get rid of you. So don’t get flustered. Here are some different ways to handle it:

1. Ask if they want to mix business and friendship.

It's never a good idea to work with someone you know when there’s a lot of money at stake. 

How to address it: “I have a lot of friends in the real estate business, too, which is why when I look to hire someone, I look for the best. Obviously, you chose to interview me because you want to get your home sold for the most money possible. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

2. Offer a referral fee to their friend.

This can allow the owner to hire you and feel good about not working with their friend.

When you offer this and remind them that mixing business and friendship can be difficult, it works a lot of the time.

Pause and wait for the seller to say “Yes.” Then continue: “I’ve shown you how I can market your home to attract more buyers and sell it for more money. Your friend wants what’s best for you, and I’ll call and give them the news. Let’s get started today.” 

Objection: We need to interview more agents before we decide who to hire. 

How to address it: “___ I can appreciate that. And I’ve already done that for you. I shopped all the best agents in the area and compared what they do to what I do. And you know what was surprising to me?” 

Pause and wait for the seller to say “No.” Then continue: “None of those Realtors took marketing as seriously as I do. And that’s why I’m going to get you top dollar. Which leads me to believe that somewhere along the way, I haven’t convinced you 100% that I can get you top dollar. So, what specifically is stopping you from moving forward with me today?” 

Usually the seller will voice their specific objection. You can then address it and ask for the listing again. 

Final Thoughts

Overcoming objections is about making a decision to become the best. Set a goal and then start working on it. Real estate is one of the best businesses in the world — if not the best. Where else can you make more money than a dentist, without going to 12 years of school, without being trapped inside people’s mouths all day, and without the risk or overhead a dentist has to deal with?

You decided to get into this business because you realized how awesome it is. So you might as well get really good at it and crush it! 

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Overcome Objection with the Top 10 Objection Handling Scripts

Real estate objections & scripts to deal with them.

Objections exist in any sales profession, as customers have to overcome them to be ready to make a purchase. In this post, we explore the top seller objections in real estate, specifically. The key real estate scripts  provided will help you craft a quick and efficient response to some of the top objections faced in the industry — ensuring that you are able to meet with prospective sellers and seal the deal on-site. Once you’ve answered a seller’s objections, they will decide to list their home with you on the spot.

We’ve helped scale the businesses of tens of thousands of real estate agents.

When you start with a free real estate coaching consultation, chances are we can help scale yours as well. Schedule yours today!

What is an Objection Handling Script?

Whether buyer objections or seller, objection handling scripts in real estate focus on the different reactions that can take place in regard to somebody selling or buying a home. An objection-handling script is a guide for addressing and overcoming customer concerns in sales or customer service. It includes responses to common objections , helping individuals respond confidently and persuasively. The goal is to turn objections into opportunities by demonstrating your value and closing the deal. 

Scripts for the Most Common Objections in Real Estate

Here are some of the top seller objections in real estate and how you can overcome and handle them.

Every listing presentation objection will include a personalized aspect of the argument, mentioning relevant comp sales, names, reiterating their situation and concerns, and making a push toward closing the deal.

1. “I have to keep my promise to a friend or previous agent I talked to/bought the home from.”

• “That’s great, I can appreciate your loyalty and that is a quality that I respect in people …
• So I’m curious, let me ask you this …
• Has there ever been a time when you decided to buy something or do something and because a friend said, hey no problem, when you need help, I can do it and in the end, because you didn’t check around, you didn’t get what you wanted … have you ever been there before?” (Yes)
• “Well this time is just like that time, and with that in mind, I’m sure you can see the importance of having me over just to give you a second opinion … that wouldn’t hurt anything, would it?”

Buying a home is a big money decision, and they know it’s important to be smart about it, and not let emotions guide them. This real estate objection suggests a simple solution: getting second opinions is a wise move. Doing what’s best for you and your family is good for business. Just choosing someone you know doesn’t guarantee the best financial results.

2. “We are waiting to see if our loan modification goes through.”

• “That’s great … let’s start premarketing the home as coming soon while you’re waiting.”  If your modification goes through, you stay put.  If for some reason it does not go through, well will have a list of buyers ready to make an offer”

Today’s market is super competitive. Using pre-marketing to tackle objections in your listing presentation just makes sense. If the price is right and the opportunity is too good to pass up, why not give it a shot? You might be overlooking the perfect time to get the best value for your property.

3. “You’re too busy, you have so many listings, we want someone that can give us the attention we deserve.”

• “It’s funny that you say that … Benjamin Franklin said, “if you need something done, ask a busy person.”

Level Shift:      

• “I can appreciate that and you probably haven’t had a chance to think about the advantage I have over my fellow agents in town.
• You see, the more listings I have the more signs I have on the street.  The more signs I have on the street, the more calls I get from buyers … and, of course, most of those buyers don’t buy the home they call about and many will be interested in your home.
• If you were a buyer would you want to talk to an agent who had 2 homes for sale or 50 homes for sale?
• Can you see the advantage of listing with an agent that has 50 or more homes for sale?”

In this objection script, highlight your successful track record that’s moving you ahead. If you’re selling 50 homes, your results speak for themselves – the kind they want for their deal. Those with fewer properties might lack the same experience. Don’t penalize efficiency; focus on getting the best for your property in today’s market.

Take It Up a Notch. Explore Our Real Estate Agent Tools, Resources, and Case Studies!

At Tom Ferry, our team has decades of experience helping realtors grow their businesses. Discover invaluable insights, customized strategies, and expert guidance to supercharge your lead generation, marketing, and more!

About the author

As founder and CEO of Ferry International, the real estate industry’s leading coaching and training company, Tom’s ever-growing influence impacts professionals in a wide variety of ways – including rigorous accountability coaching, his popular YouTube channel delivering free, fresh and relevant real estate tips weekly, highly engaging training events, two best-selling books, and his legendary keynote speeches. Tom has more than 35,000 hours of coaching experience and works daily to help agents and brokers grow a prosperous business while simultaneously balancing — and loving — their personal lives.

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The top 12 real estate objections + scripts for every situation

Great real estate agents know an objection is little more than an opportunity hidden in plain sight. In fact, handling real estate objections with empathy and expertise might just be the quickest way to turn uninterested prospects into engaged and loyal customers.

But with local markets and homebuying preferences shifting at lightning speed, how do you memorize objection-proof replies to hundreds of different responses?

Two words: you don’t.

While there are countless variations of real estate objections, the real reasons behind them are few. All you need to do is to find the core reason your prospect is resisting so you can answer their deepest questions and help put them at ease. 

In this article, we’ll share four main types of objections and twelve scripts to help you generate more opportunities from every interaction. Ready to nip those objections in the bud and boost your bottom line? Let’s dive in!

Table of contents

• The Money Objection: Overcoming real estate commission objections
• The “Not On The Market” Objection: Responding to leads who have already made up their minds
• The “Other Agent” Objection: Building trust and rapport with your prospects

Other Scenarios: How to handle unforeseen real estate objections

How to handle real estate objections in the age of uncertainty.

The scripts you’re about to see are responses to a combination of the classic real estate objections that have been around for decades and new, game-changing factors like the influence of Zillow and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Before we launch into each of the objections and scripts, we wanted to offer up some advice from real estate coach and ace objection handler, Dale Archdekin.

Here’s Dale’s take on handling objections in a post-2020 world:

“Coronavirus has taught us all a new level of objection handling in our business. Dealing with ‘I'm not doing anything until the crisis is over’ is a pretty tough statement to handle for most sales people, or even just people in general. We have had to really improve and upgrade our ability to not be selling but instead be helping and consulting with clients. It requires that we uncover what a person's true desires and needs are and reconcile that with real life obstacles. That is the nature of today's professional salesperson. It's not about selling, it's about helping people achieve success in spite of adversity.”

Before you pick up the phone, remember that we’re all in this together. And if you need help creating a sales strategy fit for a whole new normal , check out our free users-only resource platform, Conversion University.

The money objection: Overcoming real estate commission objections

Naturally, the majority of your prospects will want to save money. Problem is, some of them will see a real estate agent as someone who’s taking off their plate . 

The good news is, the financial objection can be one of the easiest to overcome—if you play your cards right. Let’s cover some of the different forms the money objection can take.

1. “Can you lower your commission?”

When you are faced with the “lower commission” scenario, the natural instinct is to start proving your worth by explaining what you do and why you’re worth it.

But doing this can make it seem like you’re making excuses.

Instead of turning the whole conversation into self-presentation, focus on the prospect and their main goal: saving money while working with you.

Prospect: I’m not sure I can afford your services right now. Perhaps we could rearrange your commission?

You: I understand your desire to save more money, but let me ask you this: would you want to work with an agent that sells your house or would you want to work with an agent that will sell your house for the best price on the market? At every step of the process I’ll be in your corner, making sure that you are paid your fair price, but I can only do that when I know that you trust me and know my value. Do you want to sell your house for the best price?

2. “Other agents are willing to take less.”

The truth is, most of the time there are no other agents. Prospects typically assume they can find a cheaper agent, because many view real estate agents as a service that they can receive elsewhere, for less money.

Your goal here is to reframe their mindset. Show prospects that you’re not a service, but an opportunity. 

Prospect: I’ve talked to other agents. They like me and are willing to lower the commission. 

You: Got it. Thank you for being direct with me, and I perfectly understand your intent to save money. I am always honest with my prospects, so there’s a reason I won’t be changing my commission. You see, when I work with you, I bring many promising buyers to your doorstep. But to be honest, almost everyone interested will want it for less. I intend to negotiate the best price for your house every time. In a way, I will protect my earnings the same way I’ll be defending yours. Does that make sense? If you want someone in your corner who won’t back down, I’m the agent for the job.

3. “I want to sell it myself.”

This one frequently means a prospect has underestimated the amount of work real estate agents do in order to sell a house. 

They probably read about the process on the internet and decided that it doesn’t seem that tough after all. Or, maybe they had a negative experience with an agent in the past. Whatever the case, try to gently uncover why they want to sell on their own and encourage them to see how they can win bigger if they choose to work with you. 

Prospect: Honestly, my house is so good I think I can sell it on my own. It’s just a yard sign and a couple of phone calls, after all.

You: Hey, I’m going to tell you the same thing I’m telling everyone who is willing to sell their house on their own: do it. Because I know you’re not doing it for the money. My work is to help you get the best price for your house and earn you more on the sale. The selling process takes quite a long time so let me send you a cheat I’m using to keep everything organized. It's on me. 

Or, follow with a question to prompt them to get more specific.

You: Oh, sure! Listen, you have a great house, and I think you will be able to sell it pretty quickly. The only question is: what’s the price you're going to list it for? [If the price is below the market, prove you can earn them more money / If the price is above market, explain how you will save time and money on expired listings.]

4. “Zillow says it’s worth...”

Zillow is the most widely used real estate platform in the world, so prospects are inclined to trust it, and trust their Zestimate.

Remember, even though you’re going toe-to-toe with Zillow in this scenario, you shouldn’t frame the platform as your competition. Instead, present yourself as a Zillow partner, someone who helps people to get the most out of the platform. 

Once you gain a prospect's trust, then you can begin to educate them on why a Zestimate is not the most accurate assessment of their property and what makes you a better choice. 

Prospect: Zillow says my home is worth $500,000. 

You: Yes, I’ve seen that Zestimate! In fact, that’s something I wanted to explain a bit. After all, we listed 30 houses with Zillow last year. It’s a great platform. But I wanted to share with you that with all 30 houses, the initial Zestimate was off by at least 15%. In one case, by 40%. Why? Because there are no Zillow agents that live in the area, or come by your house to evaluate it! Zillow just tries to calculate a market average based on an algorithm. But your buyers will not care about a Zestimate, because their agents won’t. If a Zestimate is 15% lower, you will lose 15% on the sale. If it’s 15% higher,  no one will buy the house, and then you’ll lose money on negotiating. Wouldn’t you rather just sell your house for the best price and get the most money?

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The “Not On The Market” objection: Responding to leads who have already made up their minds

Real estate leads can come from any number of sources and depending on their situation, there can be many reasons why a prospect is currently deciding to be off the market. 

Try to uncover their current situation. The following scripts will help you reveal the real reason they’re not in the game.

5. “I’m renting a house.”

The age old debate of rent vs. own is a tough one unless you know exactly why people prefer to rent. Does the process of purchase seem too stressful? Do they prefer flexibility over equity? 

Learn as much as you can about the mindset of your prospects and act accordingly.

Prospect: You know, I really like the place I rent right now. 

You: Yeah, I’ve seen that place, and I like it too! Let me ask you though: why pay someone’s else’s mortgage, when you can pay for yours and get an even better house for less monthly? 

6. “I don’t think I’m ready.”

As is the case with the majority of the “not on the market” objections, you can usually get to the bottom of why people don’t think they’re ready to buy or sell. 

For example, if you find out that they think they can get the property for more money in the future, show how you can provide great value, even before the selling process starts. This way, no one has to feel like they’re committing to something they’re not really ready for.

Prospect: I like what you say, but I’m not sure I’m ready to list right now. Need to clean my house, prepare...

You: That’s perfectly fine. And I think that’s a very healthy approach that will help you get an even better price on the sale. So we don’t need to list it now. Instead, how about I warm up the market for you? I have a few buyer agents that might be interested in the property. I can create some buzz for your property before it’s listed and have some qualified buyers already lined up. When do you think you’ll be ready?

7. “Not interested.”

Let’s be honest. Most of the time “not interested” just means “not interested in agents”. As soon as you uncover exactly what it was that constituted a bad previous experience for the prospect, make sure to pull that out into the light and address it directly in your pitch. 

Prospect: Not really interested in selling my house now. And I’m not sure I want to deal with agents anyway. 

You: Sounds like you had a bad experience. Yeah, for better or worse your experience depends a lot on the agent you work with. Mind my asking what the issue was?

Pro Tip: Prove your value by keeping in touch with your prospects more consistently than any other agent in your area. With the right sales platform, staying in touch is a lot easier than you’d think. Check out our guide to choosing the best real estate CRM for a (mostly unbiased) review of the current sales automation tools on the market.

The “Other Agent” objection: Building trust and rapport with your prospects

With these objections, it’s best to try to learn what kind of commitment the prospect has and whether you can become a part of it, or offer a better one. 

8. “I already committed to another agent.”

When other agents are mentioned, always check to see if there’s an arrangement in place. After that, build your case and don’t be afraid to compete a bit.

You: Great! Have you already signed a listing agreement? It’s only natural to have a choice of what agent to work with, and I think that’s the only way to find the agent that gets you the best deal. I’d love to share a marketing plan that I lined up for your house. What do you think of that? 

9. “A friend is helping me...”

Friendship commitments are great, and should be respected. But you can use them to your advantage when you become a part of the commitment . For example, demonstrate that you can help your prospects’ friend get them the best offer possible.

You: You owe your friends a friendship, and I can totally relate to that. But if my friends wanted the best for me, I think they’d want the best agent working for me. Let me contact them on your behalf and offer some assistance!

Or, you can try the following script:

You: I’m sure your friends will be trying their best to help you. I can only help that cause. Can I contact them and see if I can provide some additional value on your behalf?

Some objections are not easy to characterize, but they’re ones you’ll certainly bump into when reaching out to prospects.

Here are a few of the most common, yet unexpected objections.

10. “Not sure my credit allows.”

Some prospects want to buy or sell, but just haven’t had the right type of support in their corner. Sometimes all you need is to gently educate leads and become a part of the solution. 

You: I sincerely encourage you not to stop looking for a better house because of that. There are credit repair companies I’ve worked with that have successfully helped my prospects boost their credit scores. Would you like me to ask [Company] to look at what they can do for yours?

11. COVID-19 related objections

There’s no question that the recent pandemic has had a very real impact on the real estate market. 

The process of buying and selling a house is stressful even at the best of times, so it’s important to understand that your prospects may experience plenty of additional doubt and anxiety when buying and selling in an uncertain market.

Try to provide as much support as you can before going in for the sale. Educate your prospects on how business is conducted during these times, eliminate uncertainty, and above all—don’t hesitate to offer your assistance.

Prospect: Not sure I want to do anything till this crisis passes.

Client: Absolutely! Believe me, I don’t want to add to your plate. In fact, I want to make it as easy as I can. We’re currently holding virtual tours for our sellers and giving some tips on how to make better sales during weekly webinars. Would you like me to send you an invitation? 

12. “I haven’t heard of you or your company!”

There’s an illusion that big companies automatically do things better.

For example, the most common perception is that bigger brokerages spend more money on marketing houses. While this may be true if you count all the properties in their pipeline, it probably isn’t the case in terms of how much they are investing in marketing individual houses. 

Carefully educate your prospects and prove that it’s all about the agent , not the company.

You: You see, I don’t have to share my commission with the brokerage just to put their name next to my profile. Trust me, I’ll spend much more time and effort to get the best offer for your house, and I will always be one phone call away. In fact, how about we go over a detailed plan for selling your house tomorrow?

Remember, the savvy real estate agent sees every objection as a possibility. By addressing your prospects’ core objections and proving your value, you can create an opportunity where many other agents may have failed.

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Looking for other types of seller objections in real estate? Check out 5 realtor® responses to the most common seller objections.

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How to Overcome Listing Presentation Objections

Learn the listing presentation scripts to overcome seller objections about commission, price, condition of the home and the need to interview other agents.  I was able to interview three top real estate listing specialists to discuss the these objections frequently stated by sellers in listing presentations.   Matt Graham , Ken Smith and Shelleen Wienke then revealed their favorite scripts and dialogues for handling and overcoming these objections.  Throughout our discussion about overcoming listing presentation objections an underlying theme seemed to continuously surface: make it about the client’s needs .  In the following video these three real estate professionals explain how they are able to tap  into their clients’ true motivation for moving and how they overcome some of the most frequent seller objections in listing presentations:

Listing Presentations: Ask Questions

No matter whether an objection be about price , commission , condition of the home , or the need to interview other agents , it is essential for a real estate agent to illustrate how a desired activity is in alignment with a client’s needs in a listing presentation.  Experienced real estate professionals understand that this is never accomplished by telling or arguing, but instead by coming from curiosity and asking questions. More specifically, agents must ask questions about why clients want to move to determine a homeowner’s true motivation in a listing presentation. Once clients self-discover that their minor objections are hindering their major motivators, they soon become willing to take the necessary actions to turn their needs into reality.

Listing Presentations: Determine the Motivation

It is important to understand that most client objections stem from a general resistance to take action.  Action requires uncomfortable behavior, and objections are simply a way to justify not having to take the uncomfortable steps necessary to move.  This is why it is imperative to take the time in a listing presentation to ask questions and explore why it is they want to move in the first place.  This way agents can remind them of their motivators when the objections arise.  For example, a smoker may tell a doctor that he wants to quit smoking to live a healthy life long enough to watch his grandchildren grow up.  Yet the smoker will later object to actually taking the steps necessary to quitting smoking. Quitting smoking is uncomfortable, so the doctor must remind the smoker that if he doesn’t make the sacrifice and stop smoking he will not be as likely to watch his grandchildren grow up.  Then simply let the smoker make the choice between smoking and his grandchildren.  Similarly, top agents will uncover why homeowners want to move and allow them to make the choice between their motivation and their objections .

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When & How Realtors Should Make their First Administrative Hire

Top Producing Realtor Prospecting Scripts

The 3 Primary Duties of a Top Producing Realtor

Scripts for Overcoming Listing Presentation Objections

How to List For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Homes

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Real Estate Listing Presentation Scripts

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Brian Icenhower

Brian Icenhower is the CEO and Founder of Icenhower Coaching & Consulting (ICC), which provides customized coaching and training programs to many of the highest producing real estate agents, teams, and brokerage owners in North America. This progressive company also produces online courses, podcasts, training materials, white label training portals, speaking events, video modules, and real estate training books. ICC is one of the largest real estate coaching companies in the world with thousands of clients and a large team of the most accomplished coaches in the industry.

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The Complete Guide for Effective Listing Presentations (+Template)

Brittany is a licensed real estate agent in Illinois with over 12 years of experience in the industry. She uses her sales, marketing, and business development background to educate agents and help them find sustainable ways to build their businesses. See full bio

• What Is a Listing Presentation?
• Benefits of a Listing Presentation
• Components of an Effective Listing Presentation & What to Include
• Extra Tips for a Successful Listing Presentation
• Bringing It All Together

We’ve all been there—getting a call from a potential seller eager to know how you can help them sell their property. But then you find yourself scrambling to put together or update your presentation so you can win the listing. Creating a presentation that showcases your skills, expertise, and ability to sell a home is a must for every agent. So, I’ve put together some tips and tricks to help you amp up your game and rock your listing presentation every time.

Download The Close’s Listing Presentation Template

Make a copy of this template and edit on Canva

A real estate listing presentation is like the championship finals of selling homes; we want to claim victory. Normally, a potential seller shortlists a few real estate agents to meet with before selecting who will represent them in selling their property. This meeting is your opportunity to demonstrate your skills and expertise. You will have the chance to explain what makes you stand out and how you will assist the sellers in achieving their goals.

It’s important to understand the value of having a strong listing presentation. It’s not just about being prepared—there are so many benefits to having one ready to go. If you haven’t nailed yours down yet, here are some great reasons to consider putting one in place. 

• It builds credibility, trust, and rapport with potential clients. 
• It gives you a chance to set clear expectations.  
• It gives you the opportunity to increase your income and commissions.
• It improves your confidence and performance as a real estate agent.
• It showcases your expertise and experience in the real estate industry.
• It helps you stand out from other agents who may be competing for the same business.
• It highlights your marketing strategy for selling a home.
• It demonstrates your attention to detail and professionalism.

Components of an Effective Listing Presentation & What to Include 

When it comes to your listing presentation , it’s important to feel confident and prepared. Everyone has a unique approach, so using tried-and-true methods customized to your personality will ensure you feel your best when presenting. Let’s break down the essential factors of each part of the listing presentation to give you a solid yet flexible structure to work with.

1. Introduction & Competitive Advantage

Let’s be real. The true first impression happened when you nailed down the listing appointment. Take the confidence from knowing they’ve shown interest in you and run with it. This is your opportunity to really connect and earn the seller’s trust. Share more about yourself and your background to show them how you can help sell their home.

Examples of What to Include:  

• Years in the industry and any awards and accolades you’ve received 
• Your expertise and knowledge of the local market
• Any relevant stats that show your sales history and the list-to-sale price ratio you get your clients 
• Don’t be afraid to include past client testimonials. 
• Explain the benefits of your brokerage, including the tools and resources provided to you to sell this house.

💡Pro tip: If you are a high-volume agent, that’s great! It’s totally fine to talk about the busy business you’re running to demonstrate to potential sellers that you are in demand and fully capable. Just remember that some might be concerned that they won’t have your undivided attention if you’re juggling a lot. Use this chance to highlight how you effectively run your business, including any talented team members or agents who assist you in closing deals.

✋On the other hand: If you’re a new agent and don’t have a portfolio of sales to showcase, highlight your determination to put in the work and give your full attention to their home sale. You can also invite a more seasoned agent to join you to show that you have support and experience on your side. Or, if you’re on a team, leverage the expertise and accomplishments of the team. 

2. Client Questions  

Now that your client knows a little bit about you, give them a chance to share more about themselves, their home, and their goals. This is your opportunity to demonstrate genuine interest and care, showing that your focus goes beyond securing the listing. This may also allow you to discover valuable information that will enable you to customize your presentation as you go.

• When do you need to move by?
• Why are you moving?
• Are you purchasing another home? If so, do you need this home to sell in order to purchase? 
• Let’s talk about your backup plan if your home doesn’t sell in the timeframe you need. 
• Are there any issues with your home that I should know about? 

3. Tour the Home 

A realtor listing presentation is not just about showing the client what you can do to sell their home but also about building a relationship. Starting the presentation with some conversation that helps you get acquainted is a way to allow everyone to let their guard down and feel more comfortable. 

Taking a tour of the home will then ease into pricing and strategy conversations. It’s important to allow the seller to guide you through their home before you get into these conversations so that you can get an idea of how the property stacks up to the competition and adjust as needed.

Examples of What to Do While Touring:  

• Compliment the positive aspects of the home. 
• Make a note of things that could be improved to help the sale. 
• Take pictures to remind yourself of things you may want to address. 
• Discuss or take room measurements. 
• Talk about any updates that have been done to the home.  

4. Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)

Now that you’ve had a chance to check out the home, it’s time to review your CMA with the seller. This is the part where you really get into the nitty-gritty of the numbers. Use all the info you gathered during the home tour and apply it to the comparables you share. 

It’s your chance to show the seller how important it is to price their home appropriately and how that directly impacts market time. Since sellers often have a specific price in mind, this may involve some back-and-forth, so make sure you have the data to back up your pricing strategy.

• Include roughly three to five homes sold within the past three months. If you need to adjust because of the time of year, try to stay within six months. 
• Look within a half-mile radius of the subject property. If you need to look further out to get comps, increase by half a mile if you’re within the same zip code or school district. 
• Homes that are of similar types of properties
• Square footage and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms
• Include your price range estimate. 

5. Marketing Strategy 

When it comes to listing a property, it’s all about marketing. This is your chance to impress the sellers with your creative ideas to get their home sold. Besides the standard MLS listing, professional photography, video tours , and just listed mailers, show them what makes your selling strategy unique. 

Talk to the sellers about the many different ways you can market their home for sale. This includes off-market options such as promoting their home as a pocket listing before going live on the public market. How about hosting fun-themed broker opens or open houses? Do you have a standout social media strategy? Share some examples, and remember to be transparent about the cost associated with your services.

Examples of What to Include: 

• Package options for professional photography , video, and floor plan  
• How you’ll use direct mail marketing and social media campaigns to get in front of more buyers   
• Home staging and virtual staging options 
• When and how you’ll use reverse prospecting  
• Any additional tools and resources that you can access will help you sell their home. 

6. Home Selling Tips

In addition to showcasing your creativity with marketing, give the sellers some tips on how they can enhance their home’s appeal to potential buyers. Involving sellers in this process will also ensure they actively contribute to selling their homes. Encourage decluttering and suggest small yet impactful changes like a fresh coat of paint, which can help the home sell faster.

• Explanation of how decluttering and depersonalization help buyers visualize a home being theirs 
• Before and after pictures of home staging
• How to improve curb appeal  
• Why it’s good to do things like tighten loose screws and replace lightbulbs and outlets before an inspection 
• Staying in the habit of keeping the home clean while showings occur 

7. Your Role & Responsibilities

You’ve discussed your experience, built a solid rapport with the seller, learned more about the property, and discussed your winning strategy. Now is the time to drive home and explain why you’re the right agent for the job. Take this moment to highlight the exceptional support and guidance you’ll provide the seller throughout the transaction. This will give them a better understanding of your responsibilities and what they can expect from you.

• Thoroughly review the listing agreement and sales contract that will be used and address any questions. 
• Review your open house strategy . Discuss dates and times so that the seller is in the mindset of working with you.   
• Explain how you will conduct home showings and ask if they have any restrictions on days or times. 
• Reassure the seller that you will provide regular feedback on listing updates and showings. 
• Detail how you will handle price adjustments . 
• Explain the process of presenting offers and negotiating . 
• Reassure the sellers that you will guide them through every step, including during the inspection, appraisal, and closing. 

8. Call to Action

Once you have reviewed and gathered all of the necessary information, it’s time for the final push. Wrap up the real estate listing presentation with a call to action, encouraging the seller to sign the listing agreement. Be prepared for possible objections, as some sellers may not want to sign anything right away. Give them a taste of your negotiating and persuasive skills that you use when working on a deal. 

Examples of What to Ask: 

• Based on the information presented today, are you confident in moving forward with signing the listing agreement?
• I’d be honored to represent you in the sale of your home. Are you ready to kick-start this process by signing the listing paperwork today?
• After reviewing everything today, do you feel confident I can sell your home quickly and for the best price?

💡Pro tip:  During this last part of the listing presentation, you may experience seller objections like “The Zillow Zestimate is higher than your suggested list price” or “You’re charging more commission than another agent.” Learn how to tackle these objections in our article, “ 10 Real Estate Objections + How to Overcome Them .”

Overcoming Seller Objections

Although you may boast confidence and feel like you covered all your bases, the decision to sell is big, and some sellers may feel unsure for various reasons. If the seller you are meeting with is struggling to move forward, be prepared to tackle some objections they may throw your way. Here are just a few common examples you may encounter: 

• The Zillow Zestimate is higher than your suggested list price. 
• You’re charging more commission than another agent they met with.  
• They’re considering selling without an agent. 

9. Master the Follow-up

Although this is not part of the actual presentation, following up is a crucial step, regardless of the outcome of your listing presentation. The type of follow-up you send will depend on whether or not the seller signed the listing agreement with you. 

Even if you didn’t secure the listing this time, you never know when the sellers might want to work with you directly or refer you to someone in the future. And if they did sign with you, now is the time to start wowing them and proving why you were the perfect choice.

• You got a signed listing agreement. Send a thank-you and the next steps in the listing process. This would include things like scheduling photography and drafting the MLS listing. 
• The sellers have not signed with you yet. Even though you didn’t get the business this time around, be sure to thank the sellers for their time and encourage them to reach out if they have any questions. You can also add them to an email drip campaign if they have not yet decided to list and sell. 

You now have everything you need to truly impress potential sellers! Just remember to focus on the little details that will help you hone your skills and improve your presentation. Keep these extra prep tips in mind before meeting with clients.

• Practice the presentation beforehand with a colleague or record yourself. 
• Keep the length of the real estate presentation between 30 and 90 minutes. 
• Leave behind a copy of the presentation or any marketing samples. 
• Leave time for questions and provide an FAQ sheet with commonly asked questions. For example, “Do you work as a dual agent ?” or “What mistakes should I avoid in this process?”
• Conduct yourself with confidence. 
• Make sure to follow up after the appointment.
• Use a graphic design program to ensure that your presentation looks professional. 

What are the steps to planning a listing presentation in real estate?

First things first—you have to lock in the listing appointment. Once you have the date and time set, it’s time to gather as much info as possible from the seller. This will help you put together a CMA without even setting foot in the home. Once you have all the data you need for a list price estimate, add it to your listing presentation. Be sure to include all the steps in your selling strategy. Depending on how you like to present, you can prepare your listing presentation in a digital or print format. Also, get together any marketing materials and other samples you’d like to bring along.

What is the difference between prelisting presentation and listing presentation?

A prelisting presentation isn’t always necessary, but if you decide to use it, it’s the information you’d give to the potential seller before the actual listing presentation. This might include details about you, your team, or your brokerage. It could also help you fully focus on building the relationship with the seller and your sales pitch on the day of your presentation.

You may have heard the phrase “list to last,” which means having a strong inventory of listings is essential for long-term success in the real estate industry. Listings play a crucial role in attracting potential buyers and help boost your marketing efforts. So, honing in on your listing presentation can significantly improve your chances of securing more listings and expanding your business.

While you’re sure to find plenty of listing presentation examples online, keep in mind that what makes it unique is you. What is your favorite aspect of your listing presentation?

Brittany is a licensed real estate agent in Illinois with over 12 years of experience in the industry. She uses her sales, marketing, and business development background to educate agents and help them find sustainable ways to build their businesses.

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How To Overcome The Most Common Objections In Real Estate

Handling objections in real estate .

Welcome back to Mike Ferry TV . My name is Tony Smith.

I am thrilled that Mike Ferry asked me to step in on this edition of Mike Ferry TV . Here we are on the week of May 22nd. Okay? And Mike asked me to really bring forward a very specific topic today. We’re going to talk about handling objections. Okay. Don’t leave. We’re going to talk about handling objections. But before we get into that, I want to have you think about something here. We are approaching the end of May. Okay. Five months of the year is pretty much in the bag. We have seven months left to achieve your goals. I wrote it down this morning.

“We have seven months left to achieve your goals.”

Are you passionately and aggressively pursuing your transaction and income goal for the year? Are you passionately and aggressively pursuing your income and transaction goal for this year? Right. What we know is many people kick off the year with some high expectations and then most people give up on their business plan, they start giving up on their goals, they start giving up on their income and they settle into things just being the way they’re going to be. We don’t want that to be you. I want you to commit, recommit, recommit to the goals that you’ve set for yourself. How many times have you heard Mike Ferry say, “Keep going? There’s a lot of business to be done.” That applies here today at the end of May. All right.

Handling of Objections

So let’s talk about handling objections. Okay. Handling objections. This is one of the most interesting things to me and one of the most intriguing topics that we have in MFO. This one intrigues me. Okay, let’s start with a little setup on this. Back when Mike Ferry started selling Real Estate a long, long time ago, okay, when he went back and he was in the Real Estate business and he started in the mid-70s, right? He came into Real Estate. Now what we know is Mike Ferry was an incredible salesperson trained by some of the best people in the world. There was no problem with Mike being a great salesperson. So Mike Ferry went right to work for a small independent company in Southern California, and he went out and started knocking on 100 doors a day in the Huntington Beach area. Okay, first of all, I hope you can grasp that. Knocked on 100 doors every workday in Huntington Beach. Are you doing that?

Okay, Well, what happened is Mike is an aggressive salesperson. He started talking to all of the other agents in this small company and said, “Okay, so when you lose a listing, why do you lose it? Well, what happens when you don’t get a listing? Why?” And he started getting all the answers . Well, some people say they want to wait and then I miss the opportunity , some people say they have a friend in the business and they list with the friend, some people say they tell me they want to sleep on it and then they list with somebody else, some people tell me they want to cut the commission and our company doesn’t cut commissions, so I lose the listing.

Handling objections in the sales process

And what came from that dialog is Mike Ferry knew how to generate business. He was going to go out and prospect, no question. But then he figured out that in Real Estate, one of the problems that agents are faced with is they don’t know how to handle the objections they receive. So when Mike did all this research, he gathered the ten most common or excuse me, 12 most common objections that people give as a Seller when it comes to listing property. And Mike said, Well if I can figure out the responses to the 12 most common objections and I can learn how to overcome those, will I then win the listing over my competition? And of course, Mike Ferry started selling 100 homes a year when nobody was selling 100 homes a year in those times.

“Well if I can figure out the responses to the 12 most common objections and I can learn how to overcome those”

So the reason this baffles me is I personally am baffled by this because, in my own personal career in selling Real Estate, this one made sense to me when I heard this. There are 12 common objections. They never change. Why not learn the answers to them so you can succeed? It’s so simple. Like why not learn the answers to the things you’re going to get for the rest of your life? So I’m going to ask you directly, the person watching the person in your seat right now, how strong are you in handling the most common objections you receive? How strong are you right now? Is there work to be done? This one is crazy because I just don’t see why we wouldn’t do this. And at the same time, most agents, when we talk about handling objections are I don’t want to deal with that. Interesting to me.

1) Handling objections is a simple process

So here are some points I made for this. Okay. The first point I wrote down, it’s a simple process. Don’t complicate it. Handling objections is a simple process. Don’t complicate it. Gosh, there are times when we’ll see these people send us these scripts all the time, these objection-handling scripts that are like pages long. There are like five, six, and seven paragraphs trying to handle the objection. Why would we make it so complicated? I don’t believe people want it that complicated. If you notice Mike Ferry’s objection handlers. They are direct, right, they are logical, they are to the point and they work. Why would you complicate it?

Pro-Tip #1 – Just memorize and internalize our objection handlers

I made these notes under it. Just memorize and internalize our objection handlers. Don’t skip over those and go to some really technical, you know, some incredibly creative approach to handling an objection. Just memorize our scripts.

Pro-tip #2 – Understand the logic of our scripts

I wrote down work to understand the logic in our scripts . If you’ll take time with the objection handlers we have and you’ll really work to understand the logic in them, they make sense, they’re logical, but you need to work on it personally.

Pro-tip #3 – The client will believe you when you believe you

And then the last thing I wrote down on this point, remember, the client will believe you when you believe you. We want you to cut the commission. Okay? If you don’t believe you’re worth the full commission when you go to handle that objection, they won’t believe you. The client will believe you when you believe you. You have one major job when it comes to objection handling, and it’s for you to build the belief behind them, to understand them, to believe it, to trust it, and as soon as you do, your belief is what makes the objection handler work. So work on it.

2) Direct correlation between the number of objections you receive and the strength and quality of your presentation

Number two, I wrote down, there’s a direct correlation. You’ve heard this a thousand times for Mike. If you’re new to us, you may not have heard this, okay? But there’s a direct correlation between the number of objections you receive and the strength and quality of your presentation . Okay. If you’re getting a lot of objections, you must point the finger back at the strength and quality of your presentation . If you show up, you’re dressed to the nines, you’ve got a big smile on your face, you’re perfectly manicured, your car is clean, you’ve got a big smile on your face, you know how to nod your head right? You walk in with confidence and authority. You become the obvious choice for listing the home. So the number of objections decreases. But if you show up and you’re unconfident and you’re scared and you’re nervous and you can’t smile naturally in public and you’re catatonic and you’re awkward, then the objections go through the roof, don’t they? So if you work on your presentations, the number of objections you receive shrinks. Would you like fewer objections? Presentation. Okay.

3) Always agree, always smile, always nod your head, and never argue

The next point I wrote down. It’s really simple. Always agree, always smile, always nod your head, never argue. Think about it. Always agree, always smile, always nod your head, and never argue. Mike used to say this the first time I heard it, I answered incorrectly. Mike said, “Can you win an argument with the Seller?” And I said, “No.” Right. But then I came to realize he was so true. Can you win an argument with the Seller? Yes. You just won’t get the listing. So do you find yourself arguing with the Sellers as part of objection handling? That’s not going to get you where you want to be, does it? It’s not the answer. So here it is. Here’s a little I want to give you a little formula for it. Here’s a little formula for objection handling.

Remember this formula? Smile, nod your head, smile, nod your head, repeat their objection, approve, which means agree, repeat, approve, ask a question, ask a question, and close for the signature. Smile, nod your head, repeat, approve, ask a question, ask a question, and close for the signature. It’s a fun little process that you can start training yourself to go through when you get objections. It starts with this. When someone says, We want to cut the commission, does your face get catatonic? Do you get mad? Do you get upset? Well, we have a friend. Do you get upset about it? Do you get nervous? You smile and nod your head. This is normal. This happens all the time. I get this. I’m so comfortable with this, right? It’s a secret to it.

4) Prequalify the Seller in depth

I wrote this point down. Your success in objection handling is often found by prequalifying the Seller in depth. You’ve got to connect the dots between handling objections and prequalifying. Right? When we prequalify a Seller, we get all the answers. If we do a good job, we get the possible objections that they may have. Now we have a chance to prepare. Now we have a chance to perfect our presentation. Now we know what we’re in for. But if you don’t prequalify and you go in blind, what if you go in blind? Now you get hit with an objection. Blindsided, right? I always think about this thought almost everything we do in MFO you get to read. I’m using a script right now. For almost everything we do, we’ve got great scripts and dialogs for prospecting. You can read them over the phone, right?

We’ve got a great prequalification for a Seller. You’ve got all the questions, you can read the questions and write down the answers. We have a great Listing Presentation. We ask You to read it to the Seller. So, so much of what we can do, you get to read. Okay. But when it comes to objection handling, it’s the one place, the one place that you have to be completely prepared for them all. And they can come from different angles. You have to memorize and internalize them, don’t you? It’s the one place where you have to have those responses down pat. I think that’s one of the reasons so many agents resist it. It’s one place where you actually have to memorize, rehearse and internalize the script. It’s interesting, right?

5) Post answers to the toughest objections you receive in your prospecting area

I made this note to post the answers to the toughest objections you receive in your prospecting area. If your prospecting area doesn’t have the objection handlers posted here, if you prospecting away and they object to something, if you don’t have a response here, then you’re making it harder than you need to make it. Why wouldn’t you just then go ahead and have it here in front of you so you can refer to it when you’re prospecting? Interesting, isn’t it? I hope you have. If you haven’t, make sure and get it done.

6) Write down your 12 most common objections 

Okay. Now, here’s what I would ask you to do If I were to give you any advice at all, I would ask you from today, I would ask you from today to take either a 6 or 12-week window, 6 weeks or 12 weeks if you’re a fast learner, 6 weeks if you’re a little bit slower learner like I was 12 weeks. And then I would ask you to create a little curriculum for yourself, a little curriculum with the 12 most common objections we have. And I would ask you to take 1 or 2 of those objections per week and master them. Can you imagine 6 weeks from now or 12 weeks from now, with your objection, handling skills through the roof? How much confidence will you have? How much authority will you have? How strong will your presentation be? And then how much more money and how many more listings will you take?

7) Put this skill to work and reduce the number of lost deals to objections 

You have to consider this thought. How many listings have I lost over one objection or another? You know, I lost one this year because of the commission. I lost another one this year because they said they wanted to wait and they listed when I wasn’t looking, I lost one because they had a friend in the business and I didn’t handle it. We could be losing two and three and four and five and six listings so far this year over one objection or another. So we need to know them all, don’t we? Can you consider yourself a master of handling objections? I believe you could if you put your body and mind to work and do the job. Thanks for your time. Let’s all become incredible objection handlers. Thanks.

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