Listings are the bread and butter of every real estate agent’s business, especially in a competitive market.
Laura Gillott, of The Gillott Home Team, has grown her business to impressive heights by embracing listings as a centerpiece. Last year, Gillott’s team of 28 hit $134 million in closed volume and served 526 clients in Lebanon, Oregon – a predominately rural area.
Her secret ingredient: the 100 Listings Challenge.
Several years ago, Gillott kicked off the listing challenge as a way to enhance her business. She started small with 50 listings (up from 25) in 30 days. Five years later, her team has topped over 100 listings in just one month. In March, they closed 111 listings from 29 past clients. The rest were from sources including call-ins, referrals, walk-ins, cold calls, and mailers.
So how did they do it? She lays out her strategy below:
1) Set a realistic goal.
“For the challenge to work, every team member has to be committed,” she shares. That begins by setting an attainable goal and building from there. “Don’t start with 100 listings if you’re struggling to hit 10. Increase your goal year-by-year.”
2) Share listing leads.
Gillott offers her team several ideas on sourcing listings:
- Ask friends and family who they know who may want to buy or sell a home
- Search for “CMA” in text messages, emails, and on Facebook
- Talk to potential clients about pre-listing their home and offer incentives
- Comb through expired and FSBO listings
- Listen to saved voicemails for leads
- Look at your CMA Cloud and go back years
She encourages her team to “look under the cracks and cushions,” and to share their ideas as well. It’s an important piece reflective of KW’s culture of sharing.
3) Create team incentives.
Gillott makes the challenge fun with periodic prizes for her team. This year, Gillott provided the following when her team hit specific milestones:
- 25 listings by March 6 – New name badges
- 50 listings by March 13 – A catered team lunch
- 75 listings by March 20 – A bowling and poker event complete with food
- 100 listings by March 27 – Team members were able to vote on a paintball outing, a casino night, a boat cruise, or an escape-room activity
She also gave a noise-canceling headset with a removable microphone to the agent with the most 20/20 contacts and the agent with the most CMA appointments set.
4) Offer client perks.
Creating client incentives is equally important for Gillott. This year, she organized a free Spring Spruce Up service, where clients who listed or pre-listed during the challenge received a $150 credit. The credit could be used toward a service from a local business partner – a moving company, a house cleaning service, a handyman, or a pressure washer. A script made it easy for agents to share the perk:
Hey, [Seller Name], this is Laura Gillott from Keller Williams. Our team has partnered up with four local companies that will help sellers sprucing up their homes to get them ready for market this year. This is a free service to our clients if they list or pre-list with us in [X]. Who do you know that is thinking of selling this year that could use some extra help?
Gillott also researched and wrote a longer note with details on the current state of the local and national markets, chock-full of statistics. Agents shared the bird’s-eye view with clients, reinforcing their expertise. They also let them know in their monthly newsletter about the challenges and perks.
Likewise, KW agents can now access hyperlocal market reports in Command and send them to their clients in seconds.
5) Motivate with daily countdown.
At the end of the day, team members update Gillott with their total number of listings signed, listings sourced, and, most importantly, sellers in the pipeline. The next day, Gillott sends progress updates via email, which keeps her agents motivated and excited. Keller Williams’ pipeline report makes the goal obtainable because there always seems to be a lag on signed listings. It fills in the gap and lets you know how many new sellers you need to find.
6) Celebrate successes.
Every milestone deserves a celebration. Back when their goal was 50 listings, Gillott’s team celebrated their success with a 1950s-themed client/agent lunch … costumes and all. At 100 listings, team members and their spouses were treated to a dinner cruise and bowling.
Finally, Gillott reminds agents not to lose focus and to keep their eye on the goal, no matter the outcome.
“You can do it,” she says. “Stretch the rubber band – ask your database for help, get out of your comfort zone, break your systems, and then put them back together stronger.”