Get more Listings using Seller Seminars

Marketing directly to sellers is typically a tough, long slog which but the payoff is usually worth it since you’ve “gotta list to last” in real estate.

But a seller seminar can “hack” the typical seller marketing funnel by skipping the less effective top of funnel technics – skip the TOFU – and jumping right to the bottom of the funnel attracting prospects that are already considering selling.

It’s as a powerful lever to effectively skip the line and out maneuver your competition to generate a pipeline of seller leads. It’s also a golden opportunity to showcase your industry expertise and keep prospects engaged with valuable content.

But a successful seller seminar requires planning and execution… and this blog post will be a compact guide to help you orchestrate a winning seller seminar. Here’s what we’ll get into:

• When and Where to Hold a Home Seller Seminar?
• Picking the Seller Seminar Curriculum
• Seller Seminar Event Marketing and Engagement
• Frequently Asked Seller Seminar Questions

When and Where to Hold a Home Seller Seminar?

Let’s start here because once you’ve mentally committed to a time and a place, you’ll be mentally committed and motivated to working through all the other logistics we’ll cover below.

Setting the date and time for your seller seminar

Yes seems like a mundane decision but scheduling shouldn’t be underestimated. Count on attendees’ schedules to be filled with personal, professional and community commitments.

Also count on a surprising number of “no-shows”, each of which will likely have a previous commitment to blame.

With these factors in mind here are some tips for picking the best time for a seller seminar:

• Pick a day 4-6 weeks away so you have plenty of time to prepare and promote
• Aim for mid-week days such as Tuesdays or Wednesdays when people are more likely to be available (definitely avoid Fridays and weekends, as these are typically reserved for personal and family activities)
• Evenings (7-8pm) are almost always the most suitable period to conduct your seller seminar because work and childcare interferences are minimized.

Picking a location for your seller workshop

As for location, first we strongly suggest in-person events here…because it’s much better not only for prospecting, but for sharing valuable information.

If you can use your office (or an associate’s office), great. Otherwise find a community space like a Library, Church, or other community recreation center.

Coffee shops, restaurants, and bars are also options but beware of introducing too many distractions.

If you have a home that can accommodate your audience and still feel professional, then great.

Pricier options include hotel meeting rooms and professional events spaces (including co-working spaces).

Seller Seminar Curriculum

Much of the success of your seller seminar lies in the format and curriculum and there are a few key decisions to make before deciding what content to prepare for your audience.

Large format vs small format events

While many agents opt for a larger turnout, there’s value to smaller groups or even individualized one-on-one consultations. This approach allows potential sellers to have their unique concerns addressed in an intimate setting and stimulates more in-depth conversations.

But the benefits of smaller events don’t immediately get realized just because you had less-than-expected turnout. The event’s agenda and structure should be geared for smaller groups in order to maximize results. This means more time allotted for one on one time with you and/or your team.

This is why a clearly articulated curriculum is crucial for a seller seminar…large or small

Seller seminar curriculum to consider

Here are a set of options that you can pick from in crafting your seller workshop agenda:

• Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful Home Sale: Detailed walkthrough from listing to closing, ensuring a smooth and profitable experience.
• Best Time to Sell and Understanding Current Market Trends: Are prices going up or down? Learn how to read market trends like a pro, including how interest rates impact home values. Tips for mastering perfect sale timing for maximum returns.
• Updates That Give the Biggest Return on Investment: Discover what buyers are looking for today and which home improvements can significantly boost your selling price.
• To Update or Sell As-Is: Explore the best updates to yield returns, staging tips, and handling clutter. Understand the advantages and disadvantages of selling your home “as-is.”
• Costs Associated with Selling Your Home: Breakdown of typical expenses and cost-saving strategies to maximize your profits.
• Tax Savings: Learn about portability and capital gains to minimize taxes on your home sale.
• Understanding New Regulations Impacting Your Sale: What the NAR commission settlement means for your bottom line and how new industry regulations affect you.
• Proven Custom Marketing Campaigns: Effective marketing strategies tailored to your property to attract the right buyers.
• Attract the Right Buyers: Learn what buyers are looking for and how to create strategies that draw in serious, qualified buyers.
• Create Your Custom Timeline: Develop a personalized timeline to keep your home sale on track and aligned with your goals.
• What Questions Should Seller Ask a Real Estate Agent: Key questions to ask to ensure you hire the right agent for your needs and maximize your sale (btw this should lead them right back to you)

Consider these as core ingredients to craft your seller seminar with…but also feel free to add in other topics that are specific to your audience.

On that note, it’s often the niche topics which most resonate with an audience…and you should know your audience best. Are they second home sellers? Do they prioritize tax avoidance? Are they typically selling investments that they plan to do a 1031 exchange on?

By focusing on the most relevant specialized areas, you’ll multiply the engagement with sellers… and be much more likely to one day represent them.

Questions that come up during a seller workshop

During the event, there will be questions but very often the same common themes re-emerge. Below are a few common questions, objections and high intent questions and ways to address them:

• Where Will I Move if I Sell My Home with Such Low Inventory? Response: Provide strategies for Buying and Selling Simultaneously and specifically on winning offers in a tight market and managing the logistics when selling your current home is necessary to buy your next one.
• Do I Still Need to Hold Open Houses to Get the Best Price: Response: Discuss the effectiveness of open houses but also cover alternative methods to showcase a property.
• How Do I Determine What Price to List My Home for Sale: Response: Propose either that you set up an appointment to visit the property or that they use your CMA tool as a starting point for pricing intel.

Seller Seminar Event Marketing and Engagement

While you’re dialing in your content for the actual event, you’ll also need to fill those seats! Here are some tips to maximize turnout (and further below we’ll get into broader engagement tips).

Promoting your seller seminar

The success of a seller seminar lies not just in its informative content, but also in reaching the right audiences. And we suggest an omnichannel approach because, while a well-thought-out digital strategy gets your seller seminar into the feeds of potential attendees, an offline approach has the benefit of increased engagement especially when targeting a community of sellers.

Here are the various marketing tactics to consider as part of a multi-faceted approach to promoting your seller workshop:

• Promote to your sphere of influence and especially database of past clients (who presumably all own a home) either via email, text or direct phone calls
• Use geo-farming techniques such as: Door knocking, Eddm post cards, and other mailers
• Use social media and consider creating a Facebook Event for the workshop…and if you have budget employ ads that are targeted to home owners.

When using social media or email, you can include a video to both introduce yourself and what the seller workshop is all about. Here’s a great example of what to include in the video:

Since you want to maximize turnout pick the most viable marketing techniques based on your existing audience and the target audience for the event…and don’t underestimate the power of traditional marketing techniques.

Should you use a digital events platform?

The short answer is YES. For agents and teams that regularly hold seller workshops, Eventbrite is commonly used. But a Facebook event can also work especially if you plan to promote the event on Facebook.

However, if these high-tech solutions might seem a bit daunting at first, take a deep breath. Google Forms offers a straightforward interface for creating a simple, yet functional registration form.

No matter which registration solution you choose make sure to think about the content included both from a marketing and logistics standpoint.

You’ll absolutely need all the event details (date, time, and location) but also will need an engaging title that hooks potential attendees’ attention immediately. The sales copy too needs to be information-packed, providing future participants a sneak peek into what knowledge and value they’ll gain from your seller seminar.

How should I follow up with attendees after the seller seminar?

The success of your seller seminar is not defined solely by the event itself. It’s really what happens afterwards…which is why follow-up is key.

Converting attendees into clients starts with data collection on attendees…which hopefully was made easier through using an events platform (See above).

Then you need an effective follow-up strategy. At a minimum you want to add and tag these attendees appropriately in your database so you can easily send regular newsletters and mailers with related content and foster a lasting relationship with them.

Other Seller Workshop Tips

Here’s another great seller workshop strategy session that covers a LOT of relevant topics for agents that we didn’t get to.

Seller Seminar FAQs

How can setup a virtual seller workshops via Zoom?

Here’s a video from our friends at Real Geeks that shows all of the details needed in conducting a virtual seller seminar.

How should I factor no-shows into my promotion effort?

Experienced agents that have conducted these events usually assume a 30% no-show rate so try and overbook your event space by 40-50% to ensure you hit your turnout target. These percentages will vary though as some commitments are easier to make than others. For example, a prospect clicking “Attend” on a Facebook event is less of a commitment than a prospect that makes an in-person verbal commitment when you’re door knocking.

What if the response to promoting the seller seminar is underwhelming and low turnout is expected?

Most agents will admin that turnout is almost always lower than expected especially for the first few attempts at these seller or buyer workshops. But each seminar serves as a stepping stone. Even if there’s NO turnout, consider it an opportunity to do a “dress rehearsal” and hone your skills as a presenter and industry expert. Also there’s the possibility of unregistered attendees showing up.

Is it better to include co-presenters and other experts in your seller seminar?

Yes, introduce vendors and other presenters that specialize in certain areas. Not only does it create better content, it makes your businesses appear as well resourced and trustworthy AND it’s a way to delegate the content to others. Just make sure your “experts” are prepared for their presentation.