09.7.2026 PropStream
Disclaimer: PropStream does not offer legal advice. This article is for informational purposes only. We recommend conducting your own research or consulting legal professionals before contacting homeowners.
| Quick Answer: While working with buyers can open the door to meaningful opportunities, working primarily with sellers can give agents greater control over their time, a clearer path for managing their business, and an easier way to identify promising leads—often with less competition from other agents. |
For a real estate agent—especially in a competitive market—consistently finding clients is nonnegotiable. While there are many different client niches you could go after, they all boil down to two basic types: buyers and sellers.
Focusing on either one is a valid way to build a client base, but some experienced agents, like Loida Velasquez, recommend going all in on sellers.
“If you want to last, you have to list,” she says in an interview on the PropStream Pros Podcast.
Loida would know. Since jumping into real estate 11 years ago, she’s successfully built a business that has transformed her peace of mind and her family’s financial future. She says the key to her success is zeroing in on listings—especially the ones most agents might shy away from.
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Key Takeaways:
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3 Reasons Experienced Agents Like Loida Focus on Listing Leads
1. Listings Give Agents More Control Over Their Business
After an eight-year advertising career, Loida was tired of her job consuming her life. Soon after getting into real estate, she realized that pursuing listings gave her more control over her time.
“If I’m working with a buyer, I’m pretty much an employee to them and their schedule,” Loida says. Meanwhile, working with sellers gives her the opportunity to set her own marketing and client meeting schedule.
2. Many Leads Have Already Indicated a Readiness to Sell
It’s not uncommon for buyers to shop around for months without making a purchase. Meanwhile, many listing leads—especially expired listings and FSBOs (For Sale By Owner)—are already marketing their homes but struggling to get results.
“Expireds are the lowest-hanging fruit,” Loida says. “They have already raised their hand that they want to sell.”
This makes it easier for her to reach out and begin building relationships with frustrated or burned-out sellers.
3. Agents Often Shy Away From Challenging Listing Leads
Sellers who feel frustrated, burned out, or confused can be challenging to work with, which deters many agents from reaching out. But Loida knows that these leads are often the most motivated to sell, and less competition from other agents is an added benefit.
Choosing Clients: Buyers vs. Sellers |
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| Buyers | Sellers |
| Aren’t always serious about buying | Are likely already serious about selling |
| May have demanding property wishlists and limited schedules for showings | More flexibility around marketing and meetings |
| Can be picky, but are often hopeful and easier to work with | Can be frustrated with past efforts or current financial situations |
| High agent competition | Lower agent competition, depending on the niche |
How to Find & Win Motivated Listing Leads
Ask Open-Ended Questions to Uncover Seller Motivations
Anyone can pitch their services over the phone. But it takes a skilled problem-solver to draw a homeowner out. This, Loida says, is key to winning client trust.
“Ask open-ended questions: ‘Hey, I know your home came off the market. What happened?’” she says. “Typically, when I ask what happened, that's when they'll start venting.”
For example, one seller insisted on selling his property for $1.5 million—far above market value. When Loida dug deeper, she found that what he really wanted was to net $650,000 in profit. Understanding this, she sold the property at a competitive price while still helping the seller accomplish his ultimate goal.
Role-Play Seller Conversations to Become a Pro at Handling Objections
Nowadays, Loida navigates seller objections with ease, but it didn’t start out that way. It’s taken her thousands of phone calls and texts—and thousands of rejections—to reach this level.
“You need to have at least four to five different objection handlers for every one objection that you hear,” she says. “Because if you know how to maneuver different ways for that same objection, then you're gonna be flawless over the phone.”
To achieve this, she recommends role-playing different objections for 1-2 hours a day, preferably with various agents.
Pro Tip: Want to keep your marketing materials in one location? PropStream Connect is an add-on bundle that offers free skip tracing and Lead Automator access, Click-to-Dial and Dialer Campaigns, and discounted direct mail. Streamline your marketing workflow and elevate campaign efficiency by eliminating unnecessary subscriptions and browser clutter!
Find the Money-Making Listing Opportunities That Others Overlook
Most listing leads are either already trying to sell or are in difficult situations that require them to sell soon.
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PropStream’s dedicated filters and Lead Lists can help you identify:
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Listing leads may not be the easiest clients to work with, but with hard work and the right skills and technology, agents can turn listing challenges into new business opportunities.
*PropStream engages an independent third party to perform skip-tracing.
