How to Win Listings Now Before The Appointment

You’re prepared to dazzle them with your market knowledge and confident handshake. But what if I told you the most successful agents today know how to win listings by winning the listing before they even ring the doorbell. They are using tools you might just be starting to explore?

The pressure to put on a show is exhausting, and it’s not what modern sellers are looking for. They can spot a canned presentation from a mile away. They aren’t hiring an actor. They’re looking for a tech-savvy guide who can navigate the complexities of today’s digital marketplace. The secret isn’t how to win listings with a better performance. It’s a deeper, tech-enabled connection.

This is the powerful shift we need to talk about. Moving from an outdated mindset of performing to one of connecting using video, ads, and AI.

Learn more about:

• Ads for Real Estate
• Video for Real Estate
• AI for Real Estate

In this post, we’re going to break down exactly how to win listings and how you can build that trust. Trust shown by your value long before the formal presentation. When you do walk through their door, it will no longer feel like an audition. Now you are walking through the door for a strategy session with a partner they already know, respect, and are impressed by.

Key Takeaways on How To Win Listings Before The Appointment

• The “Performance Trap” on how to win listings is Outdated. Relying on an old-school “performance” feels inauthentic. It also fails to showcase your modern marketing skills.
• Shift from Performer to Tech-Savvy Partner. The goal is to win the listing before the appointment by using video, ads, and AI to build trust and demonstrate your unique value.
• Use AI for Deeper Insights. Leverage AI-driven research to understand your potential client on a deeper level before your first conversation.
• Provide Value with Video and Ad Strategy. A personalized pre-listing “Trust Package,” featuring a personal video and a sneak peek of your ad strategy, proves you are a modern marketer.
• The Appointment Becomes a Strategy Session. When you do the work upfront, the in-person meeting transforms from a high-pressure pitch into a collaborative planning session with a partner who is already sold on your methods.

The “Performance Trap” and Why It Doesn’t Work

I remember my early days in real estate like they were yesterday. I’d spend the hour before a listing appointment practicing my presentation in the car. I had my “power poses” down, my market stats memorized, and a perfectly polished script ready to go. I was convinced that if I could just deliver a flawless performance is how to win listings and it would be mine.

One time, I walked into a beautiful home, hit every single one of my talking points, and presented a CMA that was a work of art. I felt like I had nailed the listing presentation. And then… they went with someone else. Someone who, as they later told a friend, “just seemed more in tune with us.”

I was crushed. I had done everything “right” according to the old playbook, so what went wrong? I was so focused on my script that I forgot to connect and show them I was approachable and be more than just a listing agent.

How to Win Listings By Auditioning or Advising?

This is the “Performance Trap,” and it’s where so many well-meaning agents get stuck. We believe our value lies in having the slickest presentation or the most persuasive closing lines. But modern sellers are worried about different things. They’re thinking:

• “How will anyone find my home in this crowded online world?”
• “Is this agent just going to put my house on the MLS and pray it sells?”
• “Does this person understand how to use tools like Facebook, Instagram, and AI to get my home in front of the right people?”

When you walk in with a 20-page binder and a canned speech, you aren’t addressing these core anxieties. You’re just performing. This naturally brings up a fear that keeps many agents stuck: “If I don’t stick to the script, how will they know I’m the best agent for the job?” The answer is to prove it with the tools you use, not just the words you say.

How To Win Listings From Performer to Pre-Appointment Partner

The solution lies in a fundamental shift in your mindset. It’s about moving from a performer to a tech savvy partner. The real work, the work on how to win listings, happens in the quiet moments. In the moments of the connection you build in the days leading up to the appointment, powered by the tools of today.

The One Thing That Changes Everything: Building Trust with Modern Tools

Your new goal is simple but profound. How to win listings is by establishing yourself as the trusted, modern marketing expert before you ever walk through their door. This is where your expertise in real estate through your videos, ads, and AI becomes your unfair advantage.

When a seller feels you’ve already provided genuine value, they see you as a partner. But when you use tools like personalized video and share insights, you’re not only building trust. You’re demonstrating that you are the agent for them and that is how to win listings.

Since we all like to compare our industry to doctors and lawyers imagine a doctor visit. The doctor, after reviewing your chart, has a consultation with you. They’ve watched your health shart and made decision based of it. Now imagine a doctor who didn’t review anything and start talking to you without knowing why you are there. This is the exact shift you can make.

Your Pre-Appointment Playbook: 3 Steps to Win with Video, Ads, and AI

1. The “Discovery” Call (Powered by AI Insights)

The goal remains the same. Understand your sellers story. But you can go into this call better prepared. Use AI tools or even advanced social media searches to get a sense of their digital footprint. Do they have a public LinkedIn profile that mentions a job change? Did they post on a community Facebook group about needing more space? A little AI-driven research allows you to ask smarter, more empathetic questions. This is because you have a sliver of context. This isn’t about being invasive. It’s about being prepared to listen on a deeper level.

2. The Pre-Listing “Trust” Package (Where Video and Ad Strategy Shine)

This is where you put your expertise on full display. Your “Trust Package” becomes a showcase of how you work differently.

-> A Short, Personalized Video Message. This is your hero tool. Record a quick 60-second video on your phone. It’s the ultimate connection-builder and a direct demonstration of your comfort with video. Video is the most powerful medium in real estate marketing today. It could sound like this: “Hey [Seller Name], it was great talking with you. I was thinking about your concern about finding the right buyer quickly. That’s exactly why I use a targeted video ad strategy, and I’m excited to show you how it works. See you Thursday!”

-> A “Sneak Peek” of Your Ad Strategy. Don’t just tell them you run ads. Show them. Include a simple, one-page visual that says, “Here’s how my targeted ad strategy finds buyers for a home like yours.” You can use a screenshot of a sample Facebook Ad or a simple graphic showing how you target specific demographics (e.g., “People in [City] interested in ‘First-time homebuyer grants'”). This makes your marketing tangible and immediately addresses their fear of the “post and pray” agent.

-> Relevant Social Proof (Delivered via Video). Instead of a written testimonial, send a link to a 30-second video testimonial from a past client. Hearing and seeing a happy client is infinitely more powerful than reading their words. Now you understand why I always push video testimonial’s, they just feel different.

Want to see how property videos fit into a bigger authority system? Explore Video for Real Estate

3. The “Just Checking In” Confirmation (Hinting at Your Digital Prowess)

Your final touchpoint on how to win listings can also subtly reinforce your skills. Send a quick text or email that sounds like this:

“Hi [Seller Name], just confirming our chat tomorrow at 3 PM. I was actually looking at the latest buyer activity data for your area, and I have some interesting insights to share on how we can position your home with a targeted “ad campaign”. See you then!”

How To Win Listings and Bringing It All Together

The Appointment Is a Strategy Session.

When you walk into that listing appointment after following this playbook, everything changes. The pressure is gone. You walk in with the calm confidence of a modern marketing expert arriving for a strategy session.

Because you’ve laid this incredible groundwork, the appointment itself is transformed. It becomes a natural, collaborative conversation where you talk with them about strategy.

“So, based on our call, I know your biggest priority is [their goal]. Here’s the video strategy I’ve designed to highlight the features that will attract the right buyers…”

“This is a sample of the ad I’d run on Instagram. Notice how we can target people who have shown interest in homes in this school district…”

You’ll find you spend less time “selling” yourself and more time co-creating a plan with them. The contract isn’t a finish line you have to race towards. The listing is the natural next step in a partnership they are already excited about.

Final Thoughts On How To Win Listings and Your Next Appointment

For years, we’ve been told that winning in real estate requires a bigger, better performance. But your clients aren’t looking for a performance. They are craving a genuine connection with a modern guide who can get their home seen by the right people, on the right platforms.

The pressure you feel before a listing appointment is a burden you no longer have to carry. The real work happens before you ever step foot in the house, powered by the tools that define marketing today.

Stop auditioning. Start connecting, that is how to win listings.

Your next listing appointment doesn’t have to be a source of anxiety. Make it a simple, human conversation about digital strategy, a conversation you’ve already won.

*Results depend on market conditions, budget, and execution; this content is not legal or financial advice. Always align your targeting and messaging with Fair Housing rules, platform ad policies, and privacy regulations for lead handling.

About the Author

Annett T. Block is a U.S. Business Broker and Real Estate Marketing Strategist specializing in video-first authority, paid distribution systems, retargeting architecture, and AI-supported visibility workflows for established real estate professionals and international investors.

Experience: 29+ years of U.S. Market Tenure | Licensed Florida Broker since 2011.
Outcome: recognition → trust → qualified inbound conversations.
Framework: Florida Connects Inc (E2 Acquisitions) & The Digital Adopters (Authority infrastructure)
Proof points: 2000+ agents/teams/brokers served (2020–2026) through training, implementation workshops, and/or paid distribution engagements.
Featured in: Inman News
Author: From Listings To Legends (Mastering the transition from visibility to authority).
Case Studies: Real estate ad and authority system results.
Author profile: About Annett T. Block
LinkedIn: LinkedIn profile