Walk into enough listing presentations and a pattern quickly becomes clear. An agent introduces themselves, lists production numbers, outlines a marketing package, and promises clear communication. The seller listens politely. The next agent repeats essentially the same script.
Andrew Fogliato has been rethinking that familiar format and developing an alternative. In a recent episode, he presented an early version of a framework that reshapes the listing presentation around the buyer’s experience instead of the agent’s credentials.
Fogliato is clear that the framework is a work in progress and is being refined publicly. What follows summarizes the first iteration and the core ideas he and his guests discussed.
The problem with agent-focused presentations
The common failure of standard listing presentations isn’t dishonesty — it’s irrelevance. Agents naturally lead with credentials because they feel persuasive, but most sellers aren’t primarily concerned with resumes. Sellers want to know whether the agent understands how to attract the right buyers and actually sell this specific home.
“It’s very generic and agent-focused,” Fogliato observed. “They say things like, ‘I communicate well’ or ‘I’ll market your property,’ lines you’ve heard a million times.”
Taylor Hack added that sellers often reduce their choice to price because it’s the one aspect they can easily compare. When agents sound the same on everything else, price becomes the deciding factor. An agent who frames the conversation differently can avoid competing solely on price.
Ray Ellen summarized the seller’s mindset: they are juggling three questions simultaneously — is this the right time to sell, is this the right agent, and what is the right price. The agent who helps answer all three stands apart from the agent who focuses on only the middle question.
The framework: three buyer decisions
Fogliato’s model centers on one organizing idea: a buyer makes three sequential decisions when looking for a home. The agent’s role is to help the seller win each decision.
Decision one: Is this home worth seeing? Decision two: Can I picture myself living here? Decision three: Am I ready to make an offer?
Each decision corresponds to different responsibilities — some the agent controls, some the seller, and some require collaboration. Explaining this map at the kitchen table demonstrates what success looks like at every stage and clarifies the steps the seller must take.
Decision one: discover
The first decision happens before the showing. Buyers scroll through listings and decide which homes merit a visit. The agent’s job is to ensure the seller’s property is included in the set buyers consider rather than being skipped.
Three elements determine this: price, the digital presentation, and the reach of that presentation among active buyers.
Price functions as a filter. It determines who sees the home in search results, how it stacks up against competing listings, and whether buyers feel urgency or comfortable waiting. “Pricing is how you choose who sees it,” Hack said. If buyers don’t fear losing the property, their main concern becomes paying too much.
The digital presentation — photos, listing copy, social posts, and ads — is everything buyers see before booking a showing. It’s also the first tangible example of the agent’s work that other sellers will evaluate. A compelling online listing both markets the home and demonstrates the agent’s competence.
For newer agents, this stage is often the best place to compete. An agent without a long track record can still present a thoughtful digital strategy that more experienced competitors may not articulate.
Decision two: desire
The second decision takes place in person. Once a buyer arrives, they decide whether they can imagine living in the space — whether interest turns into emotional investment.
Hack calls this emotional ownership. The moment a buyer mentally places their furniture, the sale is already moving toward a close. Creating that response requires managing the in-person experience as carefully as the listing photos.
Fogliato pointed out that agents often conflate strong digital presentation with strong showing experience, but they’re not the same. Virtual staging that looks great online can backfire if the buyer arrives and the real space doesn’t match expectations; that mismatch erodes trust.
The showing experience includes many subtle details: ease of booking, first impressions, scent, background music and tempo, natural light, and how well minor maintenance issues are addressed. Examples cited included agents who use a signature scent or place small cards highlighting notable features around the home. These small touches reduce friction and help buyers feel more comfortable and engaged.
Research into human decision-making shows how much our physical state influences choices. Decision fatigue and other physical factors push people toward the safest option, often inaction. Every point of friction in the showing process can cost interest and reduce the chance of an offer.
Fogliato used a Chick-fil-A example to show how small, continuous process improvements can dramatically improve outcomes. Removing tiny frictions in the listing and showing process accumulates into a meaningful advantage.
Decision three: decide
The third decision is what agents usually call negotiation, but by this point the critical work has mostly been done. The quality of marketing, the showing experience, and the trust built by the agent shape the buyer’s readiness. What follows is largely deal management.
Fogliato advocates pre-listing inspections not because every house has problems but because disclosure before offers gives agents leverage. Discovering a problem during a conditional period creates a crisis; disclosing it upfront and handling it transparently builds trust and reduces leverage for last-minute renegotiation.
Managing the conditional period well — having documentation ready for inspectors and lenders, anticipating objections, and running a calm, organized process — increases the likelihood a conditional offer becomes firm.
How newer agents can use the framework
The framework is especially useful for newer agents who can’t compete on sales history. Sitting across from a seller alongside a veteran agent, a newer agent may lack transaction numbers but can still demonstrate deep, buyer-focused thinking.
Walking a seller through the three decisions, detailing what wins and loses each stage, and using concrete examples or training-based stories shows understanding in a way credentials alone cannot. “I almost want to be the first one in,” Fogliato said — to set a higher bar and reveal gaps when others arrive.
Experienced agents should incorporate their market knowledge into this structure rather than leading with it. Share client stories tied to each decision stage to bring the framework to life beyond slides and statistics.
The gap nobody is filling
Near the episode’s end, Fogliato noted a broader industry gap: most coaching focuses on how to get clients or how to encourage referrals and repeat business. There’s little emphasis on improving the service experience once a client is on board — the “middle” of the relationship.
“How to improve the service you’re giving. How to improve the process. Helping you create more value — almost nothing covers that,” he said.
The 3BD framework aims to fill part of that gap by giving agents a practical way to structure the listing process around buyer behavior instead of traditional agent talking points. It’s evolving; future versions are expected to expand content for before, during, and after the appointment, provide a pre-listing package, and offer a preparatory question list agents can send sellers so meetings start with momentum.
Join the conversation live
Each week, The Leads Are Sh*t brings working agents together to examine what’s actually working in real estate right now. Be part of the live recording, ask questions, and join the after-show discussion. Register for the next live session through the program’s registration page.