Listing Agent Advice
The Listing Life Cycle — and Why the “Retain” Phase Matters More Than Ever
Carey Armstrong
Retention: The New Battleground
Two-thirds of listing cancellations have nothing to do with pricing or marketing. They come from communication breakdowns.
And as days on market rise, the communication stakes get higher.
According to Realtor.com, listings are slowing every month: 58 days on market in July, 60 in August, 62 in September, and 63 in October — roughly a full week longer.
Every extra week means more:
seller anxiety
second-guessing
frustration
and ultimately, cancellations
One large team told us their listing close rate dropped from 80–90% to the high 60s. For a listing agent, that’s a painful shift.
In today’s market, retention is a performance metric, not a bonus.
Why Sellers Leave (and What Great Agents Do Differently)
Sellers cancel when they:
don’t see progress
don’t feel informed
don’t understand what’s happening
Great agents prevent churn by showing, not telling.
They give sellers a clear window into:
activity
feedback
marketing
competition
market trends
and what happens next
Even in slow markets, those agents keep sellers confident — and keep their listings.
How Truelist Strengthens the Retain Stage
The Truelist Weekly Seller Update turns communication into a system.
Every Monday, your seller gets a polished, data-rich update that includes:
Traffic: Listing views and saves across major portals
Showings: Weekly activity and buyer response
Marketing: What you executed this week (ads, open houses, social posts, etc.)
Market Activity: New, pending, and sold comps
Market Trends: ZIP-level pricing, DOM, inventory, reductions
Next Steps: A short preview of your recommendations
It replaces vague reassurance with visible proof — the kind that builds trust and retains listings even when the market slows.
Agents tell us Seller Updates have become their “don’t fire me” email — but one they no longer have to build manually.
Want to protect your listings this week?
Start a free trial today and send your first Weekly Seller Update on Monday.
Check out a real example here: View Sample Weekly Seller Update.
You earn retention through consistent communication — Truelist helps you deliver it.