The Real Estate Listing Checklist for a Smooth Sales Process (+ Free Download)

Sales listings are a lucrative source of income for any real estate agent, but it can be difficult to manage marketing, negotiations, deadlines, seller expectations, and other tasks without a real estate listing checklist. Download our free real estate listing checklist that outlines the procedures from initial listing to close to ensure you fulfill your professional duties and establish a trusting relationship with your clients throughout the sales process.

Free Real Estate Listing Checklist Download

To save you time creating your own checklist, we compiled a detailed real estate listing checklist you can download and use. It outlines the tasks that occur within the pre-listing, active listing, and closing stages that you need to confirm are completed during the transaction. You can also download and print this free real estate listing checklist to share with clients so they are aware of each stage of the process and what each entails.

Choose which stage of the listing checklist you’d like to focus on from the drop-downs below or take a look at all three stages to fully prepare yourself for a successful property sale:

Select to learn moreStage 1: Pre-Listing ChecklistStage 2: Active Listing ChecklistStage 3: Closing Checklist

Stage 1: Pre-Listing Checklist

There are several steps you need to take before a property becomes your exclusive listing. The pre-listing stage requires you to establish trust, build rapport, and demonstrate your value as a real estate professional to potential sellers. By being organized and prepared during the pre-listing stage, you will be able to secure the listing and instill confidence in your abilities to provide a seamless transaction for your clients.

Present Your Pre-listing Package

First impressions are everything, especially when it comes to the stressful and complicated process of selling a home. When you first encounter a potential seller, your first instinct should be to send them a pre-listing package or pitch deck.

The goal of a pre-listing package is to introduce yourself and your real estate services so the prospect will decide to work with you or will at least invite you to continue the conversation. A well-organized and comprehensive pre-listing package can be the catalyst that turns a random lead into a loyal client. Your real estate pre-listing packet should include the following items:

Introduction: A personal letter to the seller, professional biography, and introduction to your brokerage and team
Statistics: Numbers based on performance; for example, how many homes you’ve sold, the average number of days on the market, percentage of homes sold over ask, and so on
Marketing and advertising: The basics of your marketing plan showing how you plan to gain maximum exposure for the property, and the tools you employ to generate qualified buyer leads
Sales process: An overview of the sales process so clients are aware of what happens during each stage, what they will have to do, and what you and your brokerage will do throughout the process
Information about the seller’s property: Include market trends in the seller’s area and an overview of the techniques you will use to price the property in your comparative market analysis (CMA)*
Paperwork: Samples of contracts and disclosures the seller needs to sign to employ your services and checklists with questions to expand their knowledge

*The CMA will be produced after you present your full listing presentation, or may be produced as part of your presentation if you’ve had a chance to fully examine the seller’s property.

The pre-listing package is typically sent to a potential client by email, mail, or delivered in person. The right pre-listing package can set you up for success, so it’s important to make sure it stands out from the crowd. If you need graphics and images for your pre-listing package, use Canva’s pre-made templates and customizable images. Canva can take your simple pitch deck and elevate it to a work of art with stunning design elements that will impress clients.

or more information about the structure and organization of your pre-listing package, take a look at our article What to Include in a Winning Pre-listing Package.

Deliver Your Listing Presentation

Example slide from the Fit Small Business **FREE downloadable Listing Presentation**

After your prospect has reviewed your thorough pre-listing package, they’ll be ready to invite you to prepare and deliver a full listing presentation. Although this is similar to the pre-listing package, and may contain some of the same elements, there are distinct differences between the pre-listing package and listing presentation.

The listing presentation is more specific to the seller’s home than the materials presented in the pre-listing package. It will be presented in person or live through virtual means like Zoom, so dress your best and practice your pitch before you present it to the sellers. Other differences include a more in-depth description of your marketing strategy and samples of past materials, adding market statistics specific to their home and area, and talking in further detail about your pricing strategy for their home.

Most importantly, during the listing presentation, you will focus on the client and uncover their experience with the sales process, their motivation for selling, any fears they have, and their unique pain points. For instance, they may be moving because they purchased a home elsewhere and need to sell quickly so they can close on their new home within the next three months.

The pain point is the need to sell quickly, and they may fear not being able to do so and losing out on the home they want to buy. Focus your attention on that pain by telling them how to expedite the sales process and alleviate their fears by detailing the steps you’ll take to make their transition between homes seamless. The ultimate goal is to show how your value as a real estate professional will complement their needs.

Do-it-yourself agents should check out our Ultimate Real Estate Listing Presentation (+ Free Template) to download a free listing presentation template and for creating winning presentations. To make your listing presentation visually appealing as well as informative, employ the services of the experts at 99designs. Whether you need help with a few graphics or the entire package, 99designs can assist with logos, websites, presentation design, and personal branding to make your listing presentation unique.

Produce a Comparative Market Analysis Report to Determine Price

Once you know your clients better and they have a deeper understanding of your services, you will produce a comparative market analysis (CMA) report to help them price their property correctly. The importance of this report can’t be understated, as pricing the home correctly the first time saves you and your client time and money in the long run.

Your CMA will take into account the home’s size and number of bedrooms and bathrooms, condition, overall property size, outbuildings, unique features, finishes and flooring, renovations, updates, and more, as well as current market trends and homes that recently sold or are currently on the market. By using all of these elements, you can compare the subject property to others in the area to determine the most appropriate list price.

It is in your best interest to review the CMA report with your clients, rather than send it via email, so they have a complete understanding of the thought process behind the facts and figures you’ve gathered. Allow them to ask questions and make comments to clarify the details. Also, allow them to weigh in and be comfortable with your suggested price to settle on the definitive list price as a team.

Sign the Listing Agreement

Example listing agreement (Source: **eForms**)

The final stage of the pre-listing process is for all parties to sign the listing agreement, solidifying the relationship between you and your client. The listing agreement gives you the exclusive right to list, advertise, market, and assist in selling your client’s home within a certain time frame.

Once the listing agreement is fully executed, other agents will not be able to advertise or assist your clients without your consent. Showings, open houses, offers, communication, and all other aspects of the process must go exclusively through you as the seller’s agent.

Each state and brokerage has its own versions of a listing agreement document. You can ask your brokerage where to find it and you can also find and download generic listing agreements online like this one from eForms.

Bottom Line

While being a sales agent does not come easily, practice over time makes perfect. Download our free real estate listing checklist and use it to keep track of the pre-listing, listing, and closing tasks needed to seamlessly get you and your clients to a completed transaction. Knowing the ins and outs of the listing process and having the ability to guide a client through this process will produce positive reviews and word of mouth, ensuring a pipeline of sellers that can grow your real estate business.