What does it take to get a property from appraisal to settlement?
What happens between winning a listing and settlement? Explore practical tips for managing appraisals, buyers, vendors and the sales process.
You’ve won the listing, the vendor’s happy, the paperwork is signed and you’re ready to get the property on the market.
Now you’ve got to find a buyer.
There are inspections to organise, enquiries to answer, buyers to chase and a vendor who wants to know how the campaign is going.
Meanwhile, you’ve got another appraisal tomorrow and three people you promised to call back yesterday.
There’s a lot that happens between winning the listing and getting paid $$$
And when you’re juggling several properties at different stages of the pipeline, it’s easy for something small to slip through.
That’s exactly what Matt Woods and John Moussa explored in our recent Win It. Sell It. Settle It. sales masterclass
Across three sessions, they followed one property from the first appraisal opportunity right through to settlement, sharing practical advice on what agents should be doing at each stage.
Here’s what we took away:
WIN IT: A good appraisal is only the beginning
Imagine your property management team passes you a lead.
One of their landlords is thinking about selling an investment property.
You’ve got their details, you know which property they’re considering selling and there’s a good reason to pick up the phone.
What happens next?
In the first masterclass session, Matt and John started with this exact scenario.
They showed how to create a prospect property, assign a follow-up task and book an appraisal.
Simple enough, but think about how often a promising conversation ends with someone saying, “I’ll give them a call next week.”
Next week arrives, things get busy and suddenly it’s been a month.
Keeping a record of the opportunity, who’s responsible for following up and when that needs to happen gives you a better chance of getting through the front door.
Once you’re at the appraisal, there’s plenty more to consider.
- What does the vendor want to achieve?
- Are they ready to sell now or still weighing up their options?
- Does the property need some work before photography?
Matt and John showed how agents can record those details during an appraisal using the Reapit Sales Mobile App, then use that information when preparing the proposal and listing.
They also explored something that could make an interesting talking point with a potential vendor: how many buyers in your database are already looking for a property like theirs?
Being able to show matching buyers during an appraisal gives the vendor something useful to consider before their property even goes live.
Of course, winning the business is only part of the job.
There’s still the proposal, vendor verification, listing details and marketing prep to work through.
The takeaway? Know what needs to happen after the appraisal, and make sure someone is responsible for doing it.
SELL IT: Twenty groups through the door. Now what?
The property’s live and Saturday’s open home has just finished.
You’ve had twenty groups through.
A few seemed interested, one asked for the contract and another wants to bring their partner back for a second look.
Your vendor calls that afternoon.
“How’d it go?”
You could tell them twenty groups attended, but that doesn’t really explain what’s happening with their sale.
- Which buyers are serious?
- What did people think about the asking price?
- Did anyone raise the same concern about the property?
- And who’s worth calling first on Monday?
During SELL IT, Matt and John walked through what happens before, during and after an inspection.
They showed how agents can register attendees through the Reapit Sales Mobile App, record buyer feedback, organise private inspections and keep track of who’s requested documents.
One example involved a buyer who wanted to inspect the property again with his wife.
That’s the sort of conversation you’d want to remember.
Especially when you’re trying to work out which buyers are showing genuine interest.
John also showed us how to find buyers already in the database who matched the listing but hadn’t enquired or inspected yet.
Because sometimes the right buyer hasn’t seen your listing at all.
Then there’s the vendor report.
Matt shared how, during his time as an agent, he’d sometimes have 30, 40 or even 50 groups through an inspection.
With that many conversations happening, remembering every detail wasn’t always easy.
Having inspection activity, follow up notes and buyer feedback recorded made it easier to review what had happened and explain it to the vendor.
And that’s where a good vendor update earns its place.
A vendor wants to understand whether the campaign is working, what buyers are saying and what might need to happen next.
The work you do after the inspection can be just as important as getting people through the door in the first place.
SETTLE IT: The offer is accepted. What’s left to do?
Good news! The property’s sold.
Maybe it went under the hammer at auction.
Maybe you’ve spend the past week negotiating between the buyer and vendor.
Either way, you’ve got an accepted offer.
There’s still a fair bit to organise before settlement.
In our final masterclass session, Matt and John followed their property through the sales process, covering everything from recording the offer and purchaser details to sales advice, verification, deposits and settlement.
One thing that stood out was how much easier these steps can be when the information has been recorded properly along the way.
If the purchaser and solicitor’s details are already in the system, for example, you can use that info when preparing the sales advice rather than starting again.
We also covered purchaser verification using Reapit Verify, and why it’s worth getting those checks underway early rather than leaving them until settlement is approaching.
But one of John’s most practical tips had little to do with paperwork.
Once someone buys a property, update their requirements.
Think about it. Your purchaser has just spent months searching, attending inspections and finally securing a home.
The last thing they probably want is another email telling them about a property that matches their old search criteria.
John recommended removing outdated buyer requirements and updating their contact details so the communication they receive remains relevant.
It’s a small bit of housekeeping, but it makes sense.
Your buyer has moved into a different stage of their property journey.
Your database should reflect that.
The sale is finished, but the relationships aren’t
Here’s something worth thinking about.
What happened to everyone else who came through that open home?
The person who offered a little too low.
The couple who loved the property but missed out at auction.
The buyer who asked for the contract and then decided it wasn’t quite right.
Many of them are still looking.
In SETTLE IT, John showed how agents can contact buyers who enquired about or inspected a recently sold property and introduce them to other suitable listings.
You’ve already met these people.
You may know their budget, what they’re looking for and how ready they are to buy.
Why wouldn’t you keep helping them?
Matt also discussed using a recent sale to start conversations with other homeowners in the area.
After all, a strong result down the street might be exactly what gets someone thinking about their own property.
And then there’s the vendor and purchaser.
The vendor might recommend you to a friend.
The purchaser might need an agent again when they’re ready to upsize in a few years.
Of course, there’s no guarantee they’ll come back.
But keeping in touch, remembering important dates and making yourself useful after settlement gives you a reason to stay part of the conversation.
The next listing you win could come from someone you met during the last sale.
Missed the masterclass? Watch all three sessions
Across three sessions, Matt Woods and John Moussa followed aproperty through the full sales journey.
Matt shared advice from his experience working as a real estate agent, while John showed how to manage each stage using Reapit Sales.
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