Learn this system for how realtors manage listings that sit on the market for longer periods of time to gradually educate home sellers about the market & pricing to ultimately get homes sold.
In today’s shifting real estate market, we’re seeing homes stay on the market longer than they have in recent years. In some areas, we’re even entering buyer’s market territory, and it’s leaving a lot of agents, team leaders, and broker owners wondering: How do we manage these listings effectively? More importantly, how do we keep our sellers informed, satisfied, and motivated?
Let me walk you through exactly how realtors manage listings that sit on the market — because if you’re not proactive about this, you’re already behind. And trust me, in this environment, you can’t afford to be reactive.
VIDEO: How Realtors Manage Listings that Sit on the Market for Long Periods of Time
Setting the Right Mindset: Exposure, Not Sales
The first thing I tell every agent: You don’t sell homes. You expose them.
That may sound counterintuitive, but it’s the truth. Once the listing is up, the photos are polished, the description is dialed in, and your marketing is launched, your job becomes all about exposure. If the home doesn’t sell, it’s either the price or we need patience. Period.
This mindset is critical to set with your sellers from the very first listing appointment. When a home isn’t moving, the answer isn’t to panic. It’s to remind the seller of the two Ps: Price or Patience. You can adjust one or lean on the other.
Prove the Property Is Getting Exposure
One of the biggest mistakes agents make is assuming that exposure is obvious. It’s not. You have to prove the home is getting seen.
How do you do that?
Show online metrics from sites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Homes.com.
Use your MLS to pull agent views and public views.
Send weekly reports to your sellers that clearly demonstrate what activity is happening.
This isn’t just good service — it’s essential customer service. If you’re waiting until your seller calls to ask, “Why isn’t it selling?” then you’ve already failed in your communication.
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Admin & Operations Round Table Group Coaching Program
Introducing the Admin & Operations Round Table Group Coaching Program with Jamie Rauhut!
Join this versatile group of real estate operations and administrative staff to roundtable best practices, systems, processes and ways to support our real estate teams and brokerages at the highest level.
Weekly calls: Tuesdays at 10am CST
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Administrative & Operations Coaching Program
This Administrative & Operations Real Estate Coaching Program is for Administrative Assistants, Transaction Coordinators, Marketing Directors, Listing Managers, Administrative Managers, Operations Directors and any other administrative staff position on a real estate team or brokerage.
Get Ahead of the Customer Service Curve
The key to keeping your clients happy when listings sit longer is simple: communicate before they complain.
At Icenhower Coaching & Training, we teach real estate teams to have admin staff proactively send out marketing activity updates every week. I recommend sending them out on Thursdays, so if the seller wants to talk, you can handle it before the weekend.
The real benefit? Your sellers stop calling you. Not because they don’t care, but because they trust you have it handled. And that trust turns into repeat business and referrals.
Admin Systems Are Your Secret Weapon
If you’re only using admin staff as transaction coordinators, you’re leaving massive value on the table.
Great admin systems can:
Send weekly exposure reports.
Follow up with sellers.
Schedule open houses or marketing refreshes.
Track listing views and flag when momentum drops.
This is the difference between surviving and thriving in a buyer’s market. Teams that rely on a bare-bones setup with VAs or just TCs are at a disadvantage. Real success comes when you have listing managers and marketing directors who own this part of the process.
It’s not about trying harder — it’s about having the systems, communication, and mindset to thrive.
Brian Icenhower
The “Miracle Month”
Every listing has what I call a “Miracle Month” — that first 30 days on the market when a home gets the most exposure. That’s the golden window where you want to push the hardest.
Make sure your sellers know this from the beginning:
If we don’t get meaningful traction (showings, broker calls, offers) in that time, we may need to reevaluate price.
If exposure is high but activity is low, that’s a sign we’re overpriced by 10-15%.
If there are a few showings but no offers, we’re likely 5-10% too high.
If we have steady showings and inquiries but no offers, we might be just 0-5% too high.
Transparency builds trust. When sellers see that your predictions are accurate, they’re more likely to ask you for a price reduction rather than resisting one.
Carry More Listings in a Slower Market
Here’s the cold, hard truth: You need to carry more listings now.
In some markets, only 30% of listings are actually selling. So if you used to carry 30 active listings to hit your goals, you may need 60 now.
That means:
More lead generation
More listing appointments
More admin support to handle the volume
This is especially true for teams. We coach large teams that are used to carrying 300+ listings in slow markets. It sounds extreme until you realize that’s how you maintain production when the market slows down.
Use Scripts Preventatively, Not Reactively
You shouldn’t be searching for scripts to justify a slow listing. Those conversations should already be happening before the listing ever goes live.
In your listing appointment, explain:
Your job is to expose the property
You’ll track weekly views and activity
If interest slows, we discuss either price or patience
Set that expectation, then follow through with weekly emails and check-ins. That’s the kind of white glove service that actually prevents client anxiety rather than just managing it.
Conclusion: Show, Don’t Just Tell
This market is different. Homes are sitting longer. Sellers are getting anxious. Agents are feeling the pressure. But the solution isn’t to work harder trying to sell the home — it’s to work smarter proving that you’re doing everything you can.
Remember:
Show the exposure metrics
Set the price vs. patience expectation
Use your admin team proactively
Carry more listings to hit your goals
Educate your sellers up front
This is exactly how realtors manage listings that sit on the market. It’s not about trying harder — it’s about having the systems, communication, and mindset to thrive.
And if you need help implementing those systems, we’ve built entire training modules for Listing Managers, Marketing Directors, and Admins inside our Admin Course at Icenhower Coaching & Training.
Let’s lead our sellers through this market with clarity, confidence, and care.
