Need help securing more listings? Check out our comprehensive 16-point premium marketing plan.

March is Marketing and Branding Month here at Inman. As we enter spring selling season, let’s explore which tried-and-true tactics and cutting-edge innovations are getting deals done in today’s market. We’ll also recognize the industry’s marketing and branding leaders with Inman’s Marketing All-Star Awards.

After much apprehension, sellers are finally coming off the sidelines, and agents are clamoring for their business after the long pause.

So on your next listing appointment, how can you beat out the competition by showing sellers why you’re the best agent to help them get their property sold for the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time? A “premium marketing plan” is your secret weapon to not only winning the listing but earning your commission as well. 

How to create a premium marketing plan

To create a premium marketing plan, begin with the list below. As you go through it, select the services you would like to offer to your sellers. The more of these you use, the more likely you will be to get the listing. 

In some cases, there are several different resources to choose from. Review each of them to see which one is best for your business. Use the following format to display your list, which also allows your sellers to compare your offerings to those of any other agent the sellers may be interviewing. 

Here’s the list of services you can include to differentiate yourself from the competition: 

1. Offer the Five “P’s” all agents do: Put up a sign, put it in the MLS, put an ad online, post about it on social media, and pray it sells.
2. Never miss a lead. Automabots Chatbot not only captures leads but can schedule showings as well. (Luxury Presence has a list of the 10 other Top AI Chatbots for Real Estate for 2025).
3. Transcend language barriers. Xomio translates your listing into 19 different languages, and then indexes them on sites such as google.mx (Mexico), google.fr (France), Google.jp (Japan), etc., serving up to 72 percent of U.S. digital searches that take place in languages other than English. Agents who post their listings only in English fail to reach this huge market segment.
4. Craft a social media marketing plan that posts your listing on a Facebook business page, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, Oodle.com (over 2 million listings), Pinterest, YouTube and other social media sites.
5. Utilize a QR-coded sign and brochure box on your property provide buyers with all the details about your listing digitally while also immediately sending their phone number to your mobile.
6. Craft a customized print marketing campaign, including targeted, niched strategies with “Coming Soon” and “Just Listed” cards with QR codes, allowing the recipient to generate all the detailed information about your listing. (FlowCode, My QR Code,  QR Code Generator.)
7. Use virtual and professional staging services to showcase your home at its best (BoxBrownie, Virtual Staging AI).
8. Offer high-quality professional photography of your home, including drone shots of your neighborhood.
9. Create Immersive 3-D virtual tours and AI-generated video tours with detailed floorplans. (Matterport, Asteroom).
10. Leverage interactive maps so buyers can see what’s nearby, including schools, places of worship, recreational activities, etc.
11. Shoot bite-sized marketing videos on Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube showcasing your new listing and the benefits of the local lifestyle.
12. Use Spac.io instant open house lead conversion system to get accurate names and numbers for both traditional and broker open houses.
13. Host a “choose your new neighbor” neighborhood open house with refreshments before your first public open house.
14. Create a customized single property website and Facebook business page using your property address as the URL (123 Main Street, Your City, Your State).
15. Craft a targeted print marketing campaign to reach high-probability buyers based on the market area and price range where the property is located.
16. Create a comprehensive disclosure system and written seller service guarantee to minimize your exposure to costly litigation.

Item No.s 2-6 are the most important because they address the issue of obtaining the maximum amount of exposure to the marketplace, which results in the maximum price. 

Second, Automabots, QR-coded print and digital marketing materials, and Spac.io all allow instant lead conversion if the person scans the QR code since their contact information is sent immediately to your mobile device. 

The listing appointment questions to ask to introduce your ‘premium marketing plan’ 

The most effective way to build a connection with sellers on listing appointments is to ask them questions about their property, their motivation for selling, their lifestyle, what they have enjoyed about living in the property, what they like about the area, etc. 

The next set of questions, however, should be focused on how the unique services that you provide can help the seller obtain maximum exposure to the marketplace that results in the maximum price.

Here’s how to start the conversation:

Agent: I assume you would like to get the highest possible price in the least amount of time for your property — is that correct? 

Sellers usually answer this question: “Yes.” Nevertheless, I’ve had two times where the answer was “no” due to an on-going divorce proceeding. Assuming the answer is “yes,” continue the conversation by asking: 

Agent: Would you like to see a copy of my premium marketing plan that outlines the exact steps required to create the maximum exposure for your property that results in the maximum price?

At this point, hand them a copy of your premium marketing plan. After they have had a chance to review it, explain your top three to five unique services that most of your competitors don’t provide. 

Closing for the listing

The next step is to ask the sellers, “Which of these services would you like to use in marketing your home?” Most sellers say, “All of them!”

If the sellers ask you later to reduce your commission, here’s how to respond:

Seller: I would like you to reduce your commission.

Agent: Seller, I only work with sellers who want to obtain the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time by using our premium services. If you would like to reduce the commission, I would be happy to give you a referral to a limited services agent who does not offer this level of service.

While people love discounts, virtually no one wants limited service. 

The bottom line is that a well-thought-out and executed premium marketing plan is one of the most powerful ways to turn listing leads into signed listings.

Go through the list above, select the services you want to include in your premium marketing plan, and watch how much easier it is to get your listing signed — and close the deal.

Bernice Ross, president and CEO of BrokerageUP and RealEstateCoach.com, and the founder of RealEstateWealthForWomen.com is a national speaker, author, and trainer with over 1,500 published articles.