1. Objective

This SOP defines how a Virtual Assistant (VA) executes a price reduction — accurately, promptly, and with all downstream marketing updated — after the agent instructs the change.

A price reduction is a significant marketing event. Buyers who passed on the listing at the original price will see a price change alert. The property re-enters the "recently updated" window on major portals. If the reduction is executed correctly, it works. If the MLS shows one price, the flyer shows another, and Zillow hasn't updated — the credibility of the listing is damaged and the reduction loses its impact.

The VA's job is to make the price change happen cleanly, quickly, and consistently across every platform.

The rule: The VA executes the reduction. The agent decides the reduction. These roles never cross.

Where this SOP starts: Agent provides written confirmation of the new price.
Where this SOP ends: All platforms reflect the new price, all marketing assets are updated, and the price reduction is logged.

Success looks like: Within 24 hours of the agent's confirmed instruction, every place the listing appears shows the correct new price.

2. Your Role & Boundaries

2a. What you handle independently

• Confirming the written instruction from the agent before making any change
• Updating the MLS listing price
• Updating any active paid advertising to reflect the new price
• Regenerating the listing flyer with the new price
• Preparing a price reduction social post (if the agent uses this strategy — confirm)
• Verifying the price has updated on Zillow and Realtor.com within 24 hours
• Logging the price reduction in the price reduction log

2b. What requires agent approval before acting

• Every price reduction — no change is made without written confirmation from the agent
• The effective date of the reduction — confirm whether the change should happen today or on a future date
• Whether a price reduction social post is part of this agent's strategy for this listing
• Any communication to the seller about the price change — the agent handles this directly

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 suggest a price reduction to the agent or seller — pricing strategy is the agent's domain.
• You never input a new price without written confirmation from the agent — verbal instructions are not sufficient.
• You never contact the seller about a price reduction — the agent delivers that conversation.

When in doubt: Wait for written confirmation. A 10-minute wait for a written instruction is better than a price change made on a verbal that turns out to be a different number.

3. Schedule & Trigger

Trigger: Agent provides written instruction to reduce the listing price. Written means: email, text, platform message, or any digital record the VA can save. A phone call alone is not sufficient authorization.

Urgency: Price reductions should be executed same day — ideally within 2 hours of receiving the confirmed instruction. Buyers receive price drop alerts from the major portals. The sooner the MLS reflects the change, the sooner those alerts fire.

Sequence context: This SOP is triggered during an active listing, typically after feedback patterns from Showing Feedback Collection & Reporting or market data have led the agent to recommend a reduction. Post-reduction syndication monitoring continues for 24 hours.

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. Confirming the Instruction

Before making any change:

Confirm in writing:

Hi [Agent Name] — confirming the price reduction for [Address]:

New price: $[amount]
Effective date: Today / [date]
Additional changes: [Updated remarks / photo swap / none — per your instruction]

Please confirm and I'll execute immediately.

[VA Name]

The agent's reply confirming those details is the authorization. Save it to the transaction file before making any change.

If the agent gave a verbal instruction without confirmation: Request the written confirmation before proceeding — do not execute on verbal alone.

5. MLS Price Change

After written confirmation is received:

1. Log in to the MLS
2. Navigate to the listing
3. Edit the list price field — enter the confirmed new price
4. Update the status history / price history as required by the MLS
5. If the agent requested updated remarks or a photo swap, make those changes at the same time
6. Save and confirm the change

Verification: After saving, view the public-facing listing and confirm the new price is displaying correctly. Take a screenshot and file it:

[Address] - Price Reduction - $[New Price] - [Date]

File location: Transaction file → 02 - Marketing

6. Marketing Updates

Active Paid Ads

If there are active paid social media ads running for this listing (Facebook, Instagram, or other), update the ad creative or body text to reflect the new price. An ad showing the old price after a reduction looks like an error and confuses buyers.

Confirm with the agent: is the current ad running? If yes, update the ad copy immediately. If the agent wants a new ad launched with the new price as the hook ("Just Reduced"), that is a separate paid ad action — see Paid Social Media Ad Management.

Listing Flyer

Regenerate the listing flyer in Canva with the updated price. Replace the old version in the campaign folder. If the agent distributes physical flyers, notify the agent that a new version is ready.

File as: [Address] - Listing Flyer - $[New Price] - [Date] in 03 - Graphic Assets.

Price Reduction Social Post

Some agents use a "Just Reduced" announcement post as part of their listing strategy — it serves as a re-announcement to people who saw the listing at the original price.

Confirm with the agent whether this is their preferred approach. If yes:
- Build a social graphic using the Brand Kit (same template as the listing graphic, with "Just Reduced" or "Price Improvement" text)
- Write a draft caption
- Submit to agent for approval before publishing

Caption example:

Price improvement on [Address] — now offered at $[New Price].

[1–2 sentences about the property and what makes it worth looking at now]

Questions? DM us or reach out to [Agent Name] directly.

[Hashtags]

7. Syndication Verification

After the MLS price change:

Check all three within 24 hours of the MLS change.

Zillow note: Zillow sometimes holds a price that the listing owner has manually edited, even after an MLS feed update. If the Zillow price is not updating, log in to Zillow Premier Agent, navigate to the listing, and confirm whether a manual price override is blocking the MLS feed. If yes, update manually.

8. Seller Communication

The agent communicates the price reduction to the seller directly. The VA does not contact the seller about price changes.

After the MLS change is confirmed live, notify the agent:

Hi [Agent Name] — price reduction for [Address] is live.

MLS: Updated to $[New Price] — confirmed
Flyer: Regenerated ✓
Paid ads: [Updated / No active ads]
Price reduction social post: [Published per your instruction / Ready for your approval]
Zillow/Realtor.com: Will verify within 24 hours

[VA Name]

This gives the agent the confirmed information they need before notifying the seller.

9. Price Reduction Log

Track all price changes for each listing in a simple log:

File location: Transaction file → 02 - Marketing → Price Reduction Log — [Address]

This log is useful for the weekly seller update, for any listing history documentation, and if the seller ever disputes the history of price changes.

10. Checklist

Authorization
- ☐ Written confirmation received from agent (new price, effective date, additional changes)
- ☐ Confirmation saved to transaction file

MLS Update
- ☐ MLS price updated to confirmed new price
- ☐ Public-facing listing verified — new price displaying correctly
- ☐ Screenshot filed to transaction file

Marketing Updates
- ☐ Active paid ads updated with new price (if applicable)
- ☐ Listing flyer regenerated and filed
- ☐ Price reduction social post prepared (if applicable) — agent approval received before publishing

Syndication
- ☐ Zillow price verified within 24 hours
- ☐ Realtor.com price verified within 24 hours
- ☐ IDX/agent website price verified within 24 hours

Completion
- ☐ Agent notified of all completed updates
- ☐ Price reduction log updated

11. Escalation Protocol

Escalate to the agent immediately in any of these situations:
- Written confirmation has been received but the new price cannot be entered into the MLS due to a system error or access issue — time is critical because buyer price-drop alerts depend on prompt MLS update
- Zillow is showing the old price 48 hours after the MLS update and the manual override is not resolving it
- Any paid ad is still running with the old price and the agent cannot be reached to authorize the creative update
- The agent's written confirmation contains an ambiguous price (e.g., "$450K" vs. "four fifty") — confirm exact figures before entering anything
- The seller contacts the VA to ask whether the price reduction has been entered or is visible online — do not answer; route to agent

Hi [Agent Name] — price reduction issue for [Address] needs your immediate input.

Issue: [MLS system error / Zillow not updating / ambiguous instruction / ad still running old price]
Current status: [What platforms reflect the new price vs. old price]
Needed: [Confirm exact price / authorize ad update / check MLS access]

[VA Name]

If the agent is unreachable: Hold any action that has not yet been executed. If the MLS update is already live but other platforms are lagging, document the lag and recheck every 2 hours. If a paid ad is actively misrepresenting the price, pause it as a precautionary step and notify the agent immediately.

12. Tools & Access