1. Objective
This SOP defines how a Virtual Assistant (VA) executes the Just Listed announcement across all channels on launch day — so the listing reaches the agent's database, social following, and surrounding neighborhood simultaneously, in a coordinated campaign that looks and sounds like one agent, not three different assistants.
The first 24–48 hours after a listing goes live are the highest-traffic window the property will ever see. The Just Listed campaign is the VA's job to fire at the right moment, in the right order, with every asset already built and approved.
The standard: Every channel launches on Day 1. Social in the morning, email mid-morning, postcard already in the print queue before the MLS goes live.
Where this SOP starts: MLS listing is confirmed active.
Where this SOP ends: All three channels executed — social posted, email sent, postcard ordered and confirmed in production.Success looks like: By noon on launch day, the agent's social media shows a professional Just Listed post, the database has received a well-designed email, and the postcard is already printing.
2. Your Role & Boundaries
2a. What you handle independently
- Building all Just Listed assets during the pre-launch phase (social graphics, email template, postcard design)
- Scheduling or posting the social media announcement on launch morning
- Deploying the Just Listed email to the confirmed database list
- Ordering the Just Listed postcard from the print vendor
- Confirming postcard delivery timeline with the vendor
2b. What requires agent approval before acting
- All copy and graphics before they are used — agent approves during pre-launch per Listing Marketing Campaign (Pre-Launch through Just Sold)
- The email database list — agent confirms which list(s) receive the Just Listed email
- The postcard mailing list — agent confirms whether to use EDDM, county records, or a specific target area
- Any deviation from the launch-day sequence (delay, change in channels)
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 publish the Just Listed announcement before MLS is confirmed active.
- You never use listing photos that have not been approved by the agent.
- You never publish content that has not been checked against the Brand Style Guide.
Timing rule: Confirm MLS is live before posting social or sending email. Do not pre-schedule social to go out before checking MLS status.
3. Schedule & Trigger
Trigger: MLS listing confirmed active. Confirm by viewing the live public listing — not just checking that the submission was accepted.
All assets should be pre-built and approved during the pre-launch phase per Listing Marketing Campaign (Pre-Launch through Just Sold). Launch day is execution day, not preparation day.
Sequence context: This SOP feeds from Listing Marketing Campaign — pre-launch asset build and runs in parallel with Listing Launch Day Checklist. The social and email channels are part of the launch sequence in LIST-10; this SOP governs the execution detail for each channel.
4. Social Media Just Listed Post
Platform Order and Timing
Post to platforms in this order on launch morning:
- Facebook — first, because Facebook's audience tends to be the agent's sphere and community contacts (buyers, past clients, referral sources)
- Instagram — second, immediately after Facebook
- LinkedIn — third, if the agent maintains an active LinkedIn — appropriate for professional network and agent-to-agent visibility
Timing: Post between 8:00 and 10:00 AM on launch day. Do not wait until afternoon — the morning is when buyers are checking their feeds before the workday begins.
Post Content
Visual: Use the pre-approved Just Listed graphic from the pre-launch build. At minimum: best exterior photo with the listing address, price, and agent branding. Square format for Instagram; landscape or square for Facebook.
Caption structure:
1. Hook: Lead with what makes this listing worth stopping for
2. Key features: 2–3 property highlights (specific, not generic)
3. Logistics: Full address, list price, showing availability or open house date
4. CTA: "DM for showing | Link in bio | Call [Agent Name]"
Caption template (adapt to agent's brand voice):
Just Listed in [Neighborhood].
[1–2 sentences about the standout feature — make it specific, make it real]
[Address]
[Beds] bed / [Baths] bath | [Sq ft] sq ft | $[Price]
[Open house date if applicable, or] Showings available now.
DM us for a private tour or visit the link in our bio.
#JustListed #[City]RealEstate #[Neighborhood]Homes #[AgentBrandHashtag]
Hashtags:
- Local: #[City]RealEstate #[Neighborhood] #[City]HomesForSale
- Property type: #JustListed #HomeBuyers #SingleFamilyHome (or relevant type)
- Agent brand: Agent's personal or brokerage hashtag — confirm during onboarding
Fair Housing compliance: All content created or published under this SOP must comply with the Fair Housing Act. The guiding principle: describe the property, not the people. Never use language that references, implies, or targets any person based on a protected class.
The seven federally protected classes are: Race, Color, Religion, National Origin, Sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), Disability, and Familial Status (presence of children under 18, including pregnant women).
Prohibited language examples: "Perfect for a single professional" or "Great for empty nesters" (Familial Status); "Great Christian neighborhood" (Religion); any reference to neighborhood demographics (Race/National Origin).
Brokerage identification rule: The brokerage name must appear clearly and conspicuously in all advertising and marketing materials. Flag any content that describes a buyer type or neighborhood demographics to the agent before submitting for review.
5. Email to Database
Subject Line
Use one of the following (agent selects or A/B tests):
- Just Listed: [Address] — [Beds]BD / [Baths]BA in [Neighborhood]
- New on the market: [Address] — $[Price]
- [Neighborhood] — Just Listed: Your clients will want to see this
Send timing: Mid-morning on launch day — 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Send after the social post is up so the listing is already appearing in feeds when the email hits inboxes.
Email Content
The Just Listed email should be short, visual, and action-focused — not a property description essay.
Structure:
1. Feature photo — best exterior or hero interior shot, full-width
2. Headline — property address + neighborhood
3. Key highlights — 3 bullet points (the 3 most compelling facts about this property)
4. Price and basic stats — list price, beds, baths, square feet
5. Call to action — one primary CTA button: "View Listing" or "Schedule a Showing"
6. Agent contact — name, phone, email, photo (in footer or sidebar)
Keep total copy under 200 words outside of contact info. Buyers will open this on their phone — every extra sentence is a scroll they may not complete.
List Selection
Confirm with the agent which database list(s) receive the Just Listed email. Common lists:
- Active buyers — highest priority, always include
- Past clients — often appropriate; they refer, and they may be ready to move again
- Full database / newsletter list — confirm with agent whether every Just Listed goes to the full list or just a subset
Do not send to any list the agent has not confirmed. Confirm the approved list by email or text before sending.
Delivery Platform
Use the agent's confirmed email marketing platform (Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, etc.). Confirm access and approved templates during onboarding.
After sending, screenshot the campaign summary (open rate will come later — just confirm it deployed) and file to the campaign folder.
6. Just Listed Postcard
Purpose
The postcard targets the surrounding neighborhood — homeowners near the listed property who may be thinking about selling, or who may know someone who is.
Design
Use the Canva Brand Kit. Build during the pre-launch phase so it is ready to order on launch day.
Postcard content:
- Property photo (best exterior — the same hero shot used in the social graphic)
- Property address (full street address — neighborhood mailers need to see what's nearby)
- List price
- 2–3 brief feature highlights (beds/baths, standout feature)
- Agent name, phone, email, photo
- CTA: "Thinking about selling? Call [Agent Name] for a free market analysis."
- QR code linking to the property listing (optional but effective)
Size: 4×6 standard postcard (economical, easy to produce) or 5.5×8.5 jumbo (more visual impact for higher-end listings — confirm agent preference)
Mailing List
Options for the neighborhood mailing list (confirm which the agent uses):
| Option | How to Get It | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| USPS EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) | USPS.com — select routes by zip code/carrier route | Low cost per piece, no list needed — delivers to every address on selected routes |
| County records | County assessor's website — search by property address radius | Requires list pulling and formatting — allows more targeted radius |
| Agent's proprietary list | Agent maintains their own neighborhood list | Ask during onboarding |
Lead time: Allow 5–7 business days for design approval → print vendor → mailing. Order the postcard on launch day so it arrives in mailboxes within one week of the listing going live.
Print Vendor
Confirm the agent's preferred print vendor during onboarding (Canva Print, VistaPrint, PostcardMania, Corefact, or local print shop). Different vendors have different minimum quantities, turnaround times, and EDDM handling. Know the vendor's process before the first listing so launch day is not spent researching vendors.
After placing the order, confirm the production and delivery timeline with the vendor and log it:
Postcard ordered: [Date]
Vendor: [Name]
Quantity: [X]
Expected delivery: [Date range]
Mailing area: [EDDM routes / county radius / list description]
7. Checklist
Before Launch (Pre-built per Listing Marketing Campaign (Pre-Launch through Just Sold))
- ☐ Social graphic(s) built and agent-approved (square + landscape)
- ☐ Email template built with all content — agent-approved
- ☐ Postcard design complete — agent-approved
- ☐ Mailing list confirmed (EDDM route, county records, or agent list)
- ☐ Print vendor identified and ready to receive order
Launch Day Execution
- ☐ MLS confirmed active (view live public listing before any announcement)
- ☐ Social media: Facebook posted (8:00–10:00 AM)
- ☐ Social media: Instagram posted (immediately after Facebook)
- ☐ Social media: LinkedIn posted (if applicable)
- ☐ Email: deployed to confirmed database list (9:00–11:00 AM)
- ☐ Email: deployment confirmed — screenshot filed
- ☐ Postcard: order placed with print vendor
- ☐ Postcard production timeline confirmed and logged
8. Escalation Protocol
Escalate to the agent immediately in any of these situations:
- The Just Listed post or email requires publication within 24 hours but agent approval has not been returned
- The listing goes under contract while the Just Listed email is queued to send — pause and notify agent
- A Just Listed postcard has already been sent to print but the listing price or address was incorrect — notify agent; a reprint or correction may be needed
- The agent's buyer database has an error that causes the email to fail or bounce at a high rate
- Any Just Listed asset includes language that could be interpreted as a Fair Housing violation — hold immediately and flag
Hi [Agent Name] — Just Listed campaign issue for [Address] needs your decision.
Issue: [Approval pending / listing went under contract / print error / delivery failure / compliance concern]
Status of assets: [What has been published / what is in queue / what is held]
Needed: [Your approval / cancel print / pause email / review language]
[VA Name]
If the agent is unreachable: Hold all unpublished assets. Do not send the buyer database email without approval. If the listing has already gone under contract and an email is queued, cancel or hold the send — publishing Just Listed content for a pending property creates confusion and credibility problems.
9. Tools & Access
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Social media platforms | [Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn — confirm active platforms during onboarding] |
| Social media scheduler | [Buffer / Later / Hootsuite — confirm during onboarding] |
| Email platform | [Mailchimp / Constant Contact / kvCORE / Follow Up Boss — confirm during onboarding] |
| Canva | For social graphics and email visuals — agent's Brand Kit must be connected |
| Postcard print vendor | [ProspectPlus / Corefact / SendOutCards — confirm during onboarding] |
| Property photos | From the approved photography set — confirm photo access and storage location during onboarding |
| Google Drive / transaction folder | For filing sent assets and email copies |