What happens at a listing appointment?

Meet your listing agent.

Date14.01.2025
Words byZak Khan
What happens at a listing appointment? hero imageWhat happens at a listing appointment? hero image
You’ve decided to sell your home, made an appointment to meet with a listing agent and today is the big day: your agent is set to arrive. But what will happen when they show up, and how should you prepare? In this guide to listing appointments, we’ll explain everything you need to know with the help of Janai York at Sotheby’s International Realty.

How should I prepare my home for the listing agent?


While you may feel compelled to clean and spruce up your home before the listing agent arrives, that’s not really necessary at this point. As Janai explains, “we see the bones. We don't see the mess.” That is, don’t worry if your home is messy and the kids' toys are out, your listing agent isn’t going to judge you. “We're really sensitive to people's lifestyles and time crunches,” says Janai. Rather, take the time before your listing agent arrives to finalize your thoughts. Are you upsizing or downsizing? Do you already have a new home in mind or are you unsure of where you’ll end up? Share these with your agent, and don’t fret the small stuff like dusting the baseboards.

There is something you can do before your listing agent arrives if you have time that will help, notes Janai. “One of the things that we recommend if you're going to list your home is to get a home inspection done first, unless you've bought it fairly recently,” she says. While it’s usually buyers who get an inspection as part of subject removal, knowing what they may find ahead of time gives you an advantage. For instance, if your inspector finds cracks in your foundation, you can repair these before selling and make your property more attractive to potential buyers.

Once your agent arrives, you’ll tour the home together. Your agent will take notes for their own reference and ask you questions along the way. These may be about any renovations you’ve done, known issues regarding your home and other related topics, such as the age of appliances and mechanical items (furnace, water heater, etc.), roof, windows and more.
“We're there to really understand what your needs are – what you're trying to achieve and if we're able to help you achieve it – and then to take a look at your home, to get a better understanding of the unique features of the home itself,” Janai says.

What documents and info will they need from me?


Your listing agent may not require any documents from you initially. If you have permits for any renovations readily available, that can be helpful, though your agent can usually access these through your municipality. The only situation where having documents up front might be preferred is if you built the home yourself rather than purchasing from a developer or builder. In that case, having all the paperwork related to the construction can streamline the process, because some of these documents aren’t available from municipalities.

Janai YorkJanai York

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We're there to really understand what your needs are – what you're trying to achieve.

Janai York
Sotheby’s International Realty

What information and documents will the agent provide?


Though not all agents have one, good agents will provide their home seller’s package. This will contain everything they’ll help you with during the process, their philosophy and methods and how they plan to sell your home. Take the time to understand this document and see if your agent’s methods and approach align with your goals. Ask questions as they come up.

Other documents you will see are the Disclosure of Representation in Trading Services (DORT), the Privacy Notice and Consent Form and Property Disclosure Statement (PDS). If you haven’t already, you will also sign the listing agreement. This contract outlines the commission structure for your listing agent and contains information regarding confidentiality and other topics. Once it’s signed, you’ll be exclusively working with this listing agent.

What will they handle for me?


Your listing agent will handle much of the marketing and preparation of your home. That’s one strong reason to use a listing agent, after all. As Janai states, “It's part of what we do, a concierge service.” Your agent will have connections with photographers, cleaners, stagers and other professionals who know how to set up your home to sell. They’ll determine the price of your home, too, but that likely won’t happen on the spot, since it takes some careful consideration and planning.

Your agent will list your home on MLS sites like REW.ca and others. The wording of the listing and the information it contains have to be accurate and attractive to potential buyers at the same time. Your agent will craft it and decide which photographs to include that best highlight the unique aspects of your home. They’ll also coordinate open house dates and home tours and let you know when visitors are coming so you can plan accordingly.

Once you start receiving offers, your listing agent will go over them with you to determine which best suit your goals. They’ll also help handle negotiations with potential buyers and their agents, saving you lots of headaches and stress if you’d done them on your own.

Don’t forget about finances.


Janai notes that though finances may not be directly handled by your listing agent, you should still bring them up. She says, “if they're selling for the first time, it's more making sure that they understand what they're going to walk away with – is their sale going to cover the cost of their mortgage if they had a high mortgage? Is there a penalty that they're going to get if they break their mortgage and sell it and redo? They may not have thought of those things.” While your listing agent can’t give you financial advice, they can advise you to consult a mortgage broker.

Selling your home can be an emotional and stressful process, so having a listing agent to help along the way will be invaluable. When you first meet your agent, you’ll get the chance to go over your goals and ideas together as the first step on the home selling process together.

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