What Is a Qualified Listing Appointment?

What Is a Qualified Listing Appointment?

A qualified listing appointment is another phrase that gets thrown around the industry a lot with a mixed bag of how it’s used. Let’s start with a basic definition:

A qualified listing appointment is a scheduled meeting between a seller and a real estate agent where the homeowner has already confirmed that they are a legitimate and motivated prospect for the sale of their home before the meeting takes place.

In lead generation, a listing appointment is often considered qualified only after certain criteria are met. Typically:

1. Verified contact information,

2. Confirmed intent to sell,

3. Appointment date & time confirmed,

4. Property ownership verified.

An excellent appointment will include a few more pieces of information, such as:

1. Timeline for the sale,

2. Motivation for the sale,

3. Plans post-sale.

The key to understanding what “qualified’ means is to understand that the word gets thrown around freely in lead generation (and often a little too liberally). So many lead generation companies talk about how their leads are “qualified” but the reality is that, in order to be a properly qualified lead, a conversation needs to have taken place. Even the best marketing funnels are by definition incapable of properly qualifying someone through a form.

So why is qualification so important to the conversion rates in lead generation and appointment setting? Obviously the more you know about a person, the easier it is to help them. But it goes deeper than that…

Clients often don’t buy from you because they don’t feel their advisor truly understands them. This often comes as a result of “feature” pitching. For example, pitching the features of a property or a neighborhood without adequately understanding what’s important to your client often comes across as commission-breath. For instance, taking 10 minutes to explain how incredible the school district is to a down-sizing retirement couple probably isn’t going to land, nor will it make them feel like you understand their needs. Qualification not only helps you close your listing appointment by understanding why someone is selling their house - it helps them understand that you understand.