1. Objective

This SOP defines how a Virtual Assistant (VA) executes the listing launch — from the morning the listing goes active through the end of Day 1 — so the property receives maximum exposure in the critical first 24 hours.

The first day a listing hits the market is the most important day of the entire campaign. Buyer agents and active buyers have search alerts set. The MLS notifies them the moment a new listing appears. The database email goes out, the social posts go live, the internal brokerage announcement goes out — all within hours of each other. That coordinated wave is what creates urgency and showing momentum. A listing that goes live quietly, with a delayed email and posts uploaded the next afternoon, loses that window permanently.

The VA's job on launch day is to execute a specific sequence, in order, without gaps or delays, and then confirm to the agent that everything deployed correctly.

Where this SOP starts: The confirmed go-live date arrives and the agent (or authorized VA) activates the MLS listing.
Where this SOP ends: The Day 1 activity report is delivered to the agent and all launch tasks are confirmed complete.

Success looks like: The listing goes live in the morning, every marketing channel deploys the same day, syndication confirms within 24 hours, the seller is notified with links, and the agent receives a concise end-of-day report.

2. Your Role & Boundaries

2a. What you handle independently

• Running the pre-launch final confirmation checklist before activation
• Executing each step of the launch sequence in order
• Verifying syndication to Zillow, Realtor.com, and the agent's website
• Notifying the seller the listing is live and providing syndication links
• Monitoring the showing platform for incoming requests on Day 1
• Compiling and delivering the Day 1 activity report to the agent

2b. What requires agent approval before acting

• Activating the MLS listing — unless the agent has explicitly authorized the VA to activate
• Any deviation from the launch sequence (skipping a channel, delaying a step)
• Any changes to the Just Listed email or social content on launch day
• Responding to any inquiry or showing request outside the VA's standard approval process
• Publishing any paid ad campaign if the agent has not pre-approved the creative and budget

2c. What you never do

• You never negotiate on the agent's behalf under any circumstances.
• You never provide pricing, legal, or strategic opinions to any party.
• You never sign or initial any document on behalf of the agent, client, or any party.
• You never communicate directly with the other party's client.
• You never activate the MLS listing without the agent's explicit authorization — even if the draft is complete and approved.
• You never launch marketing materials without the agent's pre-approved versions — do not write or design on the fly on launch day.
• You never tell the seller the listing is live before you have confirmed it is actually active in the MLS.
• You never delay the launch sequence to afternoon — if MLS activation happens in the afternoon, flag the timing risk to the agent.

When in doubt: Stop before executing any step that requires agent-approved content or agent-authorized access. A delayed launch is recoverable. A launch with wrong content or unauthorized activation is not.

3. Schedule & Trigger

Trigger: The confirmed go-live date arrives and the agent confirms launch-day authorization. If the VA is authorized to activate, the trigger is the morning of the go-live date — typically between 7:00 and 9:00 AM. If the agent activates personally, the trigger for the VA is confirmation from the agent that the listing is active.

Optimal launch day: Thursday or Friday. This creates weekend urgency — buyers who see the listing Thursday or Friday are likely to schedule showings for Saturday and Sunday. Avoid Monday launches unless the agent has a specific reason — traffic drops on Monday-Wednesday and the first-weekend momentum window is missed.

Time-sensitive: The entire launch sequence should complete within the same business morning as MLS activation. Do not spread the launch across multiple days. If a step cannot be completed the same morning (e.g., a paid ad platform requires a processing delay), note it in the Day 1 report.

High-volume note: If the agent is running multiple active listings with overlapping launch dates, confirm the launch day sequence and timing with the agent in advance. Do not attempt to run simultaneous full launches without explicit scheduling coordination.

Sequence context: This SOP runs after MLS Data Entry, Photo Upload, and all pre-launch marketing asset creation. It feeds into ongoing listing management and Open House Coordination if an open house is scheduled.

If you are unable to complete this task: Notify the agent at the start of your absence or as soon as possible. Flag any open or time-sensitive items. The agent will determine whether to delegate or defer. Never let a recurring deadline pass without flagging it to the agent in advance.

4. Pre-Launch Final Confirmation

Run this checklist on the morning of launch — before activating the MLS — to confirm every element is ready. Do not activate if any item is not confirmed.

MLS & Listing
- ☐ MLS draft is complete and agent has reviewed and approved it
- ☐ All photos are uploaded, sequenced correctly, and primary photo is set
- ☐ Status field is set to the correct pre-activation state (Draft/Private — not accidentally set to Active)
- ☐ Listing price, co-op commission, and remarks are confirmed as of this morning

Marketing Assets
- ☐ Just Listed email is prepared and staged in the email platform — ready to send after activation
- ☐ Just Listed social graphics are ready (at minimum: one Facebook/Instagram image with property details)
- ☐ Agent-provided social post copy is ready — do not write copy on launch day
- ☐ Any paid ad creative is staged and ready to launch after MLS goes live

Logistics
- ☐ Showing platform is active and configured — agent has confirmed showing approval process
- ☐ Lockbox is installed and confirmed (see Vendor Scheduling)
- ☐ Yard sign is installed and confirmed (see Vendor Scheduling)
- ☐ Agent is reachable on their preferred urgent channel — launch day is not a day for gaps in communication

If any item is not confirmed, notify the agent before activating:

Hi [Agent Name] — I'm doing the pre-launch check for [Address] ahead of today's go-live. Before I activate, I want to flag:

- [Item not confirmed]
- [Item not confirmed]

Please advise on how to proceed. Everything else is ready.

[VA Name]

5. Launch Sequence

Execute these steps in order. Do not skip steps or reorder them. Each step builds on the one before it — you cannot send "listing is live" communications before the listing is actually live.

Step 1: Activate MLS listing

Activate in the morning — 7:00–9:00 AM is optimal. Do not wait until afternoon. A listing that activates at 3:00 PM on a Thursday is effectively a Friday listing for buyer agents checking their morning alerts.

• Log in to MLS
• Change listing status from Draft/Private to Active (or Coming Soon if applicable)
• Confirm the listing is visible by searching for the address — do not assume activation succeeded
• Take a screenshot of the active listing in the MLS and save to the transaction file

If the agent activates personally, wait for their confirmation text/email before proceeding to Step 2.

Step 2: Post Just Listed social media

Post to the platforms the agent uses in the order they prefer — confirm platform order during onboarding. Typically: Facebook business page first, then Instagram.

• Use only the agent-approved Just Listed graphic and copy
• Include the property address (most agents confirm this is acceptable) or a neighborhood reference if the agent prefers to omit the exact address from social
• Tag the agent's personal profile if the agent requests it
• Do not add hashtags, call-to-action copy, or commentary beyond the agent-approved version

Step 3: Send Just Listed email to database

Send to the agent's buyer list and/or full database as the agent has configured. Confirm the send list before deploying — do not send to a list the agent has not approved for this property.

• Send from the agent's email marketing platform (confirm platform during onboarding)
• Use the agent-approved template and content — no edits on launch day
• Record the send time and approximate list size in the Day 1 report

Step 4: Announce internally within brokerage

Send a brief internal announcement to the brokerage office group or email list per the agent's preference. This puts the listing in front of buyer agents within the same brokerage who may have a client match.

• Confirm the agent's preferred format for internal announcements during onboarding (some offices use a shared email, some use a group chat)
• Keep it brief: address, price, bed/bath/sq ft summary, showing instructions

Step 5: Agent personal social media

The agent handles this personally. The VA's role is to prepare the content:

• Have the agent's personal post copy, graphic, and any relevant links ready before launch day
• Send the agent a reminder with the prepared content on launch morning:

Hi [Agent Name] — [Address] is live. Here's your personal post content for today:

[Prepared copy]
[Graphic attached]

Post whenever you're ready. Let me know if you'd like any changes.

[VA Name]

Do not post to the agent's personal profile without explicit authorization to access and post on their behalf.

Step 6: Launch paid ad campaign (if applicable)

If the agent runs paid advertising on launch day:
- Launch the pre-approved campaign in the ad platform (Facebook Ads, Google, etc.)
- Confirm budget, targeting, and creative match what the agent approved — do not adjust on launch day
- Record the campaign ID and launch time in the Day 1 report
- If the agent does not run paid ads, skip this step

6. Syndication Verification

After MLS activation, verify that the listing has populated on key syndication portals. Allow appropriate time for each platform.

When to check: Check Zillow and Realtor.com approximately 2 hours after MLS activation for early syndication, then again the following morning. Do not wait 24 hours before the first check.

If syndication has not appeared within 24 hours of activation: Notify the agent. There may be a feed delay, a portal account issue, or an address formatting problem.

Documentation: Take a screenshot of the listing on each confirmed portal and save to the transaction file. These screenshots are evidence of the launch for the seller report.

7. Seller Notification

Notify the seller the listing is live. Use this template after MLS activation is confirmed — not before.

Hi [Seller Name] — great news: [Address] is officially live on the MLS!

Here are your listing links:
- Zillow: [link — once live]
- Realtor.com: [link — once live]
- MLS listing: [confirm with agent whether to share direct MLS link]

If you have any questions or hear from interested buyers directly, please direct them to [Agent Name] at [agent contact].

We'll be in touch with a showing activity update soon.

[VA Name] on behalf of [Agent Name]

Send the Zillow and Realtor.com links once they confirm — do not include placeholder links in the seller notification. If syndication isn't live yet when you send, note that "listing links will follow once Zillow and Realtor.com confirm (typically within 24 hours)."

8. Day 1 Showing Activity

Confirm the showing platform is active: On launch morning, verify the showing platform (ShowingTime, CSS, or equivalent) is configured and receiving requests. Do not assume this is working — test it or confirm with the agent.

Showing request approval process: Confirm with the agent at onboarding how showing requests should be handled. Some agents approve all requests themselves. Some authorize the VA to confirm directly. Some use automated approval settings. Know this before launch day.

First showing request: When the first showing request arrives, confirm the process is working correctly and the agent receives the notification. If anything looks wrong (request not routing correctly, confirmation not sending), escalate to the agent immediately.

9. Day 1 Report to Agent

At the end of Day 1 (by 5:00 PM, or the VA's scheduled EOD communication per VA Daily Shutdown / End-of-Day Wrap-Up), send the agent a brief report:

Hi [Agent Name] — Day 1 wrap-up for [Address]:

Launch completed:
- MLS activated: [time]
- Just Listed social posts: [posted / not posted — note if delayed]
- Just Listed email: [sent at time / list size if known]
- Internal brokerage announcement: [sent / not applicable]
- Paid ad campaign: [launched / not applicable]

Syndication:
- Zillow: [confirmed live / pending — will check tomorrow AM]
- Realtor.com: [confirmed live / pending]
- Agent website: [confirmed live / pending — IDX delay expected]

Showing activity:
- Showing requests received today: [number]
- First showing scheduled: [date/time, or "none yet"]

Seller notified: [yes — sent at time]

Flags or issues:
- [Any issues encountered, or "none"]

[VA Name]

If the agent has access to online view counts from Zillow or other portals, include them. If not, note that analytics will be included in the weekly seller report per the agent's reporting cadence.

10. Checklist

Pre-Launch (morning of go-live)
- ☐ Pre-launch final confirmation checklist complete (Section 4)
- ☐ Any gaps flagged to agent before activation

Launch Sequence
- ☐ MLS listing activated (morning) — confirmed visible in search
- ☐ Screenshot of active MLS listing saved to transaction file
- ☐ Just Listed social media posted
- ☐ Just Listed email sent to database
- ☐ Internal brokerage announcement sent (if applicable)
- ☐ Agent personal post content delivered to agent
- ☐ Paid ad campaign launched (if applicable)

Verification & Notification
- ☐ Zillow syndication checked — confirmed or pending noted
- ☐ Realtor.com syndication checked — confirmed or pending noted
- ☐ Agent website checked (if IDX) — confirmed or pending noted
- ☐ Syndication screenshots saved to transaction file
- ☐ Seller notified with listing links

Day 1 Activity
- ☐ Showing platform confirmed active and receiving requests
- ☐ First showing request handled per agent's approval process
- ☐ Day 1 report sent to agent by end of business

11. Tools & Access