Real Estate Listing Activation Checklist

Verify the exclusive right to sell agreement is fully executed with term dates, price, and commission structure. Post-NAR-settlement, buyer-agent compensation is negotiated separately — confirm what the seller is willing to offer cooperating brokers and document it in writing, not just in MLS.

Pull the deed and most recent tax assessment from county records. The MLS legal description must match the recorded deed — typos here cause title-commitment objections later.

Homes built before 1978 require the federal lead-based paint disclosure, the EPA pamphlet, and a 10-day inspection opportunity (waivable). Missing this triggers EPA fines and buyer rescission rights.

Send the seller the LBP disclosure form and the EPA "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home" pamphlet. Both seller signatures and any known-hazard acknowledgments must be in the file before the listing goes active.

Don't email the SPDS and hope for the best. Sit with the seller (in person or video) and review each item — foundation, roof, water intrusion, prior repairs, permits. Sellers leaving items blank that they actually know about is the leading source of post-closing lawsuits.

Use Cloud CMA or RPR with active, pending, and sold comps from the last 90 days inside a tight geographic radius. Include days-on-market and price-to-list ratios so seasonality and market velocity are visible. Six-month-old comps in a cooling market is the classic overpricing trap.

Walk the property room by room with the seller. Note specific actions — depersonalize the family photos in the den, touch up the trim in the primary bath, mulch the front beds. Vague "clean it up" guidance gets ignored.

Book the photographer for after staging and any seller prep is complete — never before. Confirm Matterport or iGuide add-ons if the price point or market expects a 3D tour. If drone is planned, confirm the photographer's Part 107 status and that the property isn't in restricted airspace.

Most photographers deliver in 24-48 hours. Curate to your MLS's photo cap (commonly 25-50) and order them as a buyer would walk the home — exterior front, living, kitchen, primary, secondary rooms, baths, outdoor, then bonus.

Describe the property, never the buyer. Avoid "perfect for families," "walkable to churches," "safe neighborhood," or anything tied to protected classes under the Fair Housing Act. Stick to features, finishes, school district by name (factual), and proximity to named landmarks.

Some sellers want a quiet listing or limited syndication. Confirm Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and Homes.com opt-in vs. opt-out before MLS input — auto-syndication of a quiet listing violates the seller's instruction and is hard to claw back once feeds pick it up.

Input all required fields in Bright / Stellar / your regional MLS: bedrooms, baths, square footage with source, year built, lot, room dimensions, features, tax info. Square footage source matters — "public record" vs. "appraiser" vs. "builder plan" carries different liability.

This step only applies if the listing went straight to Active. Coming Soon listings can't be shown — wait for go-live before scheduling the open house in MLS and ShowingTime.

Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn at minimum. Include brokerage attribution and agent license number in the post or bio per state advertising rules. Tag the photographer and stager for cross-promotion.

Pull showing count, agent feedback, and online traffic (Zillow saves, MLS views) from ShowingTime and the MLS dashboard. Quiet first 72 hours is a leading indicator for a price discussion at day 14.