Lisa Gray

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Lisa is an accomplished marketer with years of expertise in direct response marketing, digital marketing, data analytics and business development working with both B2C and B2B.

Create a Time-Saving Social Media Strategy for Your Real Estate Business

Sep 8, 2022

Without a strategy, your social media marketing plan may just be both a huge time suck and utterly unsuccessful.

Without a strategy, you are more likely to chase all those shiny objects that make social media so enticing.

Discipline is what it takes when you’re using social media to promote your business.

Do you have a social media marketing plan?

A social media marketing plan will help you stay focused on the reasons you’re using social media for your business. These reasons might include:

Consistent exposure for your brand.
To keep in touch with those in your sphere and remain top-of-mind with them.
Generate new leads.

The first step in your plan should be the judicious choice of which social media platforms you’ll spend time on for marketing purposes.

The Animal Series is shown above. To see more, Click Here.

Sure, it’s easy to fall back on the ones you most enjoy personally, but if you research those platforms, you may find that the audiences don’t at all fit those you should be targeting.

“… demographic data is key to understanding which networks and campaigns deserve your attention,” cautions Brent Barnhart at sproutsocial.com.

For instance, we’ve seen several online real estate agent advisors tout Tik Tok as a place to market your services. Yet nearly half of TikTok’s users are members between 10 and 29 years old.

More than half of Instagram users in the U.S. are between the ages of 18 and 34.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had a 10-year-old or an 18-year-old reach out to me with real estate needs.

As a real estate agent, your target demographic is age 33 and older for buyers and age 43 and older for sellers.

Here’s a tip for you: While slightly more than 23% of Facebook users are between the ages of 25 and 34, 53% are aged 35 and older (statista.com).

Choose your social media platforms carefully based on the user demographics most similar to your target client.

Put that social media marketing plan to work

Schedule your social media marketing just as you would door-knocking, cold calling, or any other marketing activity. Determine not only what days you will post but how much time you will allot.

If you need help with setting up a strategy and then implanting it, visit hootsuite.com, sproutsocial.com and digitalmarketinginstitute.com.Remember, it’s called social media for a reason, so be social, not salesy.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts combined with engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you.

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes but is also a business-building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan allows you to enter your business goals for this year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closing, and so on are needed to reach your goals. – Click Here

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

Effective Client Thank You Strategies: Enhancing Real Estate Agent Etiquette

Aug 31, 2022

The average American says “thank you” 2000 times a year, according to a 2016 study from Merci Chocolates. Sadly, “… more than half of the time, we don’t actually mean it,” according to an unnamed writer at the NY Daily News online.

More often than not, we imagine that busy real estate folks may just forget. Whatever the reason, it’s never too late to go back to a client or prospect and thank them for their time.

Put some effort into it

Yes, dashing off an email is a quick and easy way to get it done, but it’s not very personal and it may not even be read by the recipient.

Make the recipient feel appreciated by putting some effort into expressing your gratitude. Pop by their office or home or, better yet, mail a thank-you card or a postcard.

Yes, by mail. With stamps. Addressed by hand to the recipient. Ah, now we are talking!

The Get More Referrals Series is shown above. To learn more, Click Here.

The benefits of direct mail in real estate marketing

A good real estate email will have an “open rate” of 21.7%, according to the folks at CampaignMonitor.com.

Why does this matter? “Tracking open rates will give you a better understanding of how often people look forward to your emails …,” they conclude.

That sounds like an okay number until it’s compared to the 42.2% of Americans who open and read or scan the direct mail they receive.

Not only is direct mail more personal, it has less competition for the recipients’ attention. Best of all, it shows that you value the relationship so much you are willing to spend money to maintain it. Email doesn’t do that. Email is lazy. Email is impersonal.

When to thank your clients

This may sound like one of those “duh” kinds of questions, but whenever someone does something for you, it’s a good idea to show your appreciation.

And we aren’t talking just about the big stuff; even the everyday, small kindness should be responded to. Here are a few examples:

You showed homes to buyers. Thank them for their time and for choosing you to be their agent.

A former client referred you to a buyer or seller. This one is huge and deserves a huge “thank you!”

You gave a listing presentation. Say thanks for giving you a chance to represent them in the sale of their home. Even if you aren’t chosen as the listing agent, this is a classy response to being given at least the opportunity.

Every attendee at a client appreciation event, a charitable event, or a seminar you host needs to understand how grateful you are that they showed up.

Every client should understand your appreciation when a deal closes.

There are myriad opportunities to show prospects, leads, clients, and former clients how much you appreciate them. Direct mail just happens to be one of the best ways to do it.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you. Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 6-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review

The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review allows you to enter your business goals for the remainder of the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closing, and so on are needed to reach your goals. – Click Here

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

How to Network Your Way to More Real Estate Listings – Online and in Person

Aug 31, 2022

“… interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional contacts” is the ideal real estate lead-generation technique. Especially if you happen to have a gregarious, outgoing personality, then networking could be the gold mine of your business.

Even agents who are more introverted can benefit from networking– not only by exposing their brands to more potential clients but by building social skills as well.

Networking opportunities are everywhere

Any event that brings people together provides a golden networking opportunity. Let’s take a look at some of the more common events you may want to attend:

Charity events
School events
Civic club events (Rotary, Lion’s Club, etc.)
Alumni events
Community events
Local sporting events (both professional and school-aged athletes. Pop Warner, Little League, youth soccer leagues)
A client appreciation event that you organize

In reality, any event or any time a group of people is gathered can be considered a networking event.

Sprinkle in some online networking

Online networking presents the perfect solution for the tends-to-be-somewhat-shy agent. It’s also a must-add to any agent’s in-person networking calendar.

Three of the best social media platforms for those in the real estate industry are:

Facebook groups
LinkedIn
NextDoor

Facebook has tons of groups that you can join, including real estate groups, neighborhood groups, and groups that align with just about any interest or hobby.

Using these groups for networking, however, doesn’t mean you should spam people with your listings. Be Sociable, respond to and like their posts, and engage consistently. There are subtle ways of letting your followers know that you’re a real estate agent, but avoid being salesy.

The Inspiration Series is shown above. To see more, click Here.

Volunteer

To be considered the area real estate expert takes massive exposure to your brand and getting to know as many people as possible.

One of the best and most rewarding ways of getting this exposure is through volunteering at:

Civic clubs
Schools
Church
Non-profits
Community youth athletic teams
Humane societies/Animal shelters
Food Banks

Find a cause that you’re passionate about. Stuck for ideas? Check out these websites:

VolunteerMatch
United Way
Points of Light
Score
Google “volunteer opportunities in [name of your city or town]

The fortune truly is in the follow-up

It’s vital to get as much information as possible from the folks you come into contact with while networking.

Aside from volunteering, what do they enjoy doing in their spare time?
What do they do for a living?
Where are they originally from?

You may want to spread these information-gathering questions over time so that you don’t come off as creepy.

Get all of this information into your CRM as soon as possible so that you don’t forget it. Now you have what you need to follow up with people.

If you plant seeds in your garden and leave them alone, the chances are excellent that they won’t germinate. Water, fertilizing, weeding, and ridding the garden of pests are some of the ways we nurture seeds to sprout and thrive.

The same can be said of our relationships with others. Maintaining the new relationships you build through networking is critical if you hope to do business with them in the future.

Just as your seeds may rot if you overwater and over-nurture them, so it goes with those you meet through networking. Don’t be spammy. Be someone they look forward to seeing at the next event.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

Guess What Product Homebuyers Treasure Most from Real Estate Agents?

Aug 24, 2022

A Real Estate Referral List!

Nearly half of homebuyers surveyed (49%) by the NAR said that the third most important benefit that a real estate agent can provide is “. . .a better list of service providers,” such as a home inspector and other services. (NAR 2022 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends)

While homebuyers consider this a benefit, the industry understands it as “value-added.”

Who would’ve thought that something as simple as a list of vendors could be a treasured service?

No, it’s not a new service, but it’s become an in-demand one and a way for agents to set themselves apart while offering value to your services.

It beats a closing gift

A real estate vendor referral service is the gift that keeps on giving. If set up properly, it brings your brand before their eyes multiple times into the future. It can also benefit you by giving you “touch” opportunities down the line.

Content Card Series is shown above. To see more, click Here.

How to put together a real estate vendor referral service list

Whether you call them vendors or affiliates, the people on your list should be many and varied. Oh, and highly vetted, which we’ll discuss later.

Let’s take a look at some of the vendors you might want to include on your list:

Accountant
Appliance repair/installation
Carpet cleaner
Countertop Company
Electrician
Flooring installer
Garage door installer/repair tech
General contractor
Handyman
Handyman/woman
Home inspector
Home warranty company
House cleaner
Insurance agent
Interior designer
Landscaper
Lenders/mortgage broker
Moving accessories
Moving company
Painter
Pest inspector
Pet pooper scooper
Plumber/HVAC technician
Pool Service
Popcorn ceiling removal
Professional home organizer
Property Manager
Real estate attorney
Roofer
Septic Company
Stager
Tile contractor
Title company
Trash hauling
Well inspector
Window washer

Luxury agents might want to include:

Architect
Audio/visual services
Engineer
Home security systems technician
Home watch/Housesitting services
Landscape architect
Trust attorney

Vendor list research

If you’re just starting a real estate vendor referral service, you’ll need to do some research in your quest to figure out who to include. Start at yelp.com, read reviews, and jot down the names of those you want to interview.

Join your neighborhood at NextDoor.com. One of the main topics of conversation on the platform is “Who do you recommend for [insert the service].”

In fact, if you enter any service into the search bar at the top of the page, you’ll find every conversation having to do with it.

Finally, ask for recommendations for your real estate vendor referral service from colleagues, family members, and friends.

Once you’ve compiled a list of names, move on to the Better Business Bureau to check for complaints.

Then, ensure that the vendors you’ll interview are licensed and bonded by consulting the appropriate state licensing board’s website.

This step is very important. “… the Realtor is not responsible for the work of a properly licensed contractor, or pest inspector for that matter. When a Realtor calls a licensed professional, they are doing so only in their capacity as a representative of their client,” according to Tim Jones at DailyRepublic.com.

Still, consider putting a disclaimer, in writing, on your website.

Now, you’re ready to interview each candidate. Don’t forget to ask for references. Get the references’ phone numbers and contact each one.

There’s more to the compilation of this list than meets the eye. Avoiding RESPA violations is tricky, and we’ll cover that in Part II, so be sure to check back soon.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

How to Write a Bio Page that Builds Rapport with Your Prospects

Aug 20, 2022

The three most important pages on a real estate agent’s website:

Home page
Testimonial page
Agent (and team) bios

You can add an IDX page to that list if you’re a buyers’ agent.

Today, however, we’re going to take a look at agent bios and the do’s and don’ts when writing yours.

The importance of your agent bio

“Your bio page is where you can build rapport with your potential customers if done right—something that can be difficult if you’re not face-to-face with them,” according to Daryl Johnson, founder of Frontier Marketing.

And doubly difficult if the two of you are total strangers.

The purpose of your bio is to connect with you not as a salesperson but as a human being. It’s a tall order but critical if you hope to earn their trust enough to pick up the phone and call you.

If writing your bio is easy, you’re doing it wrong

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes agents make when composing their bios is to use other agent bios as a template of sorts.

If what you hope for is to appear like every other agent in town, use that strategy.

If not, the initial steps to writing your bio should include:

Knowing your audience
Knowing yourself

Research performed by crm.com.au found that websites that stand “… out from the crowd in favorable ways used tactics that helped them appear authentic and transparent.

Those tactics included:

Using real photographs, not stock
Offering various ways to get in touch with you
Storytelling
Showcasing testimonials from previous clients

“People favor companies that showcase themselves as being customer-focused, human, and easy to understand,” they concluded. And, we might add, they do so without being overtly salesy.

Most of all, an agent’s bio should help the reader feel like they’ve gotten to know you better and should give them a clearer understanding of how you attend to your client’s needs.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

3 Ways to Turn Your Hard-Earned Real Estate Prospects into Clients

Aug 17, 2022

The following are three ways to ensure you get the biggest bang for your buck after generating some real estate leads.

We’ll call them the three “T”s of lead conversion.

1. Trust

As you can imagine, confidence is a trust-builder. However, the opportunity to show off this confidence to a prospect may not appear. So, how else can you build trust? Testimonials.

There is just no substitute for a glowing review of your services, especially if it highlights your knowledge of all things real estate.

Think again about possible challenges that may be causing your prospect to hesitate jumping into the market:

The need to sell a home before buying
Closing date challenges
Showing challenges
Equity challenges
Problems with the home, neighborhood, etc.

Testimonials that address these common challenges and how you dealt with them are like gold.

Use them on your website, in your email signature, on your business card, and on every direct mail piece you send.

Convert MORE leads into listings with the Famous Market Quotes Series. To see more designs Click Here.

2. Time

This is a lesson for agents who hope to convert more leads than their competition: be the first person to return calls.

NAR studies show that 75% of real estate consumers sign up with the first agent they interview.

Did you know, the average first call response time of all companies that responded by phone is 40 hours and 56 minutes (Xant Research Lead Response Report).

Nearly 41 hours doesn’t seem hard to beat, right?

How about five minutes? Studies show that’s the sweet spot. Conversion rates are 8X higher if contact is made within 5 minutes.

“Measure your response times in seconds and minutes, not hours and days,” cautions Dan Sincavage, co-founder of Tenfold.

That lightning-fast first touch and an automated recurring postcard campaign will help convert prospects the rest of the way: into full-fledged clients.

3. Tenacity

When you plant a seed, does it immediately spring from the soil in full bloom? Of course not.

By the same token, do we dig up seeds to ensure that they’re germinating? Nope. For some reason, we have faith that the seed will sprout.

We also have faith that if we nurture the seedling, it will grow, and we’ll realize a return for all our time spent on it.

Yet, when it comes to prospects, so many agents tend to give up after a short nurturing period; the results weren’t immediate.

“The average incubation period of a lead is 6 to 24 months,” according to coach Kevin Ward.

Knowing this should give you the patience to hang on, with faith, that many of them will convert to clients.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

This Week’s Real Estate Industry Survey Question is about CRM Success!

Aug 9, 2022

There seem to be two camps when it comes to using CRM’s the “believers” and the “non-believers”. Even NAR has weighed in with their own statistics on CRM use and success.

Now we want YOUR opinion! Please make sure you’re voice is counted in this nationwide survey by responding below!

Change is Coming in the Real Estate Market. Are You Ready to Shift Gears?

Aug 1, 2022

It’s been one heck of a ride, right? An amazing decade or so of a hot, hot, hot sellers’ market.

Imagine the relatively new real estate agent who joined the ranks during this period. The only market they know had homes selling within a week, bidding wars, multiple offers, and staggeringly high prices (and, thus, commission checks).

Buyers’ agents during this period were, to say the least, stressed out. Clients were repeatedly disappointed with refused offers, having to compete against other, often deep-pocketed, buyers and those whose housing budget was so stretched to the max that they dreaded the results of each Fed meeting.

How will those new agents, and listings agents in general, adapt to the “new normal” that’s about to smack us upside the head?

The First Time Buyer Series is shown above. Click Here to see more.

It’s survivable, and you can still thrive

Since back in the day, listing agents have known that any real estate market has two sides, and the sellers’ side of a switch to a buyers’ market is tough to navigate.

Being shoved out of the driver’s seat into riding shotgun is frustrating, so these sellers are hard to convert.

They’re not going to go easy into that goodnight of lower home prices when just a month or two ago, their neighbor’s home sold for $50,000 more than your CMA’s suggested list price.

Agents may find it challenging to deal with buyers who now have the luxury of being able to nit-pick over price and terms. They’ll relentlessly compare desirable homes to the 5 others nearby that are for sale, knowing that time, for once, is on their side.

It’s all in how you manage expectations

Flex your relationship-building muscles because instilling trust with clients and potential clients is critical in the early stages of a market shift.

Earning their trust through being candid, honest, and up-front can help you manage their expectations and lead them to make better decisions.

You can do this.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

Back Away From the Phone! Here are Three Alternatives to Cold Calling.

Jul 28, 2022

How many more hours will you sit in front of the phone, trying to gin up the motivation to pick it up and dial for dollars?

Is there anything more boring? Is there anything more stressful?

If cold calling is a mega lead generator for you, by all means, have at it. But, believe it or not, there are tens of thousands of agents who are sick of it (yes, we made up that number).

For these agents, we offer alternatives. No, they’re not unique or even new. But we’ve met plenty of agents who’ve used at least one of these strategies with great success.

1. ‘Til divorce do us part

“Every 42 seconds, there is one divorce in America,” according to statistics gathered by Wilkinson and Finkbeiner, a San Diego, CA law firm.

We must warn you that working with divorcing couples isn’t for the timid agent. It is, however, quite profitable for those agents who pride themselves on their ability to remain impartial and have tons of patience.

Once you’re up and running with it, you’ll likely find that lead generation is positively zippy compared to cold calling.

Since “Almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation” (Wilkinson and Finkbeiner), you’ll have a steady stream of business.

Aside from the aforementioned impartiality and patience, divorce real estate agents must be consummate communicators, have endless patience, and exhibit utmost tact. Add to that someone who thrives on working under pressure, and you have the perfect person to work with clients in a deeply acrimonious relationship.

How to find these folks?

Get in touch with local divorce attorneys and solicit referrals
Buy a list through Rebogateway
Run Google or Social Media ads

Get more tips from watching these videos at YouTube.com:

2. Market to landlords

Sure, landlords are making bank right now, but there will always be some who just want out from under the burden of being a landlord.

Like other lead gen techniques, marketing to landlords takes persistence and consistency to work.

Market Dominator is shown above; click here to learn more.

Again, direct mail is the most efficient way to build your pool of landlord leads. A current market report and/or CMA would be welcome and appreciated. Follow-up touches can include Just Listed/Just Sold homes near the rental and quarterly market updates.

3. Start a farm

Farming is an amazing way for people to become familiar with you and to build brand recognition.

Sure, you can create a real estate farm and cold-call homeowners, but the beauty of this lead gen technique is that you don’t have to. There are plenty of ways to keep in touch with the homeowners in your farm area that don’t involve using a phone.

Direct mail is the ideal vehicle, and you’ll find a variety of products (from Get More Listings postcards to a Market Dominator newsletter (sent through EDDM) to Homes & Life Magazines and more, right here at ProspectsPlus.com.

Check out this blog post to learn much more about farming in general and circle prospecting in particular.

None of these real estate lead gen strategies will make you an overnight sensation. But choose one or two and vow to give it your all—to be consistent and persistent — for the rest of the year, and you may just find you’ll never need to make another cold call.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

Reasons Behind the Current Nationwide Paper Shortage and How to Forge Ahead

Jul 26, 2022

Before the pandemic, the demand for paper products across multiple markets within the industry had been decreasing steadily, causing many mills to shift their focus to other types of paper or shut down completely.

Then, COVID-19 caused significant and complex supply chain disruptions as many borders closed and facilities were forced to slow or shut down to protect workers’ health.

The paper industry is a global network weaving together raw material sources, manufacturers, shippers, and suppliers. The legacy of the COVID-19 disruption is likely to linger for years to come, but there are other factors contributing to current paper shortages to consider.

Overseas challenges affecting the US

However, new challenges are adding to the current difficulties in providing clients with high-quality paper products.

Because paper production is a global industry, political unrest and supply chain breakdowns resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have further threatened an already precarious issue.

Russia is the source of a significant amount of raw materials, but the loss of global certifications has impacted the amount of readily available pulp inventory.

The Content Card Series is shown above. To see more, Click Here.

The changing paper industry

In the US, increasing labor costs, environmental restrictions, and aging, expensive equipment replacements resulted in multiple mill closings.

Overseas mills supplied by overseas raw materials markets stepped into the paper production gap but are scrambling to pick up the slack in raw material supply but lack the infrastructure currently to take on additional capacity.

Additionally, many US and large overseas mills had already shifted toward paper board production as a more profitable product. Demand for certain types of paper, such as print and magazine, had declined for years.

During the pandemic, the need for cardboard and packing materials soared, and more mills shifted to accommodate this surge.

“Just in Time” paper production

Many manufacturers in the paper industry had migrated to a “just in time” (JIT) model of production, which emphasizes a reduction in long-term inventory that can be costly to maintain in favor of relying on a nimble and responsive supply chain.

However, the combined effects of COVID-19 and multiple areas of unrest globally have exposed breaks in the chain, resulting in shortages. Post-COVID, demand across all paper products skyrocketed, and inventories are now depleted.

Companies are now shifting away from JIT as they attempt to meet the ever-increasing demand for every type of coated and graded paper.

Analysts are even raising concerns about election ballots and materials as local and state governments scramble to find sustainable suppliers.

Serving customers in a time of uncertainty

Unfortunately, geopolitical issues, global health emergencies, supply chain disruptions, and changing consumer demand have all united to create perhaps the most challenging position the paper industry has ever seen.

However, manufacturers, suppliers, governments, and others are working tirelessly to right the ship and stabilize the industry, and there is hope on the horizon as organizations continue to work together.

Real estate marketing going forward

You’ve heard the saying, “when they zig, I zag?”

Many marketers, including agents, have decided to step back from direct mail marketing during this paper shortage, waiting for a point down the road when their “dream” postcard paper returns.

Be sure to thank those agents if you run into them because their decision to stop marketing has resulted in less competition in the mailbox for you.

In other words, is there EVER a good time to disappear from sight when you have a business? I’ll answer that question with another famous saying, “out of sight, out of mind.”.

Don’t let your real estate business become a victim of this reality.

If COVID taught us anything about business survival, it’s that you can always find a way to overcome and adapt no matter what mountain is in front of you, as long as you keep forging ahead.

Final thoughts:

Regardless of whether direct mail is printed on 120-pound paper or 100-pound paper, the following statistics still apply:

73% of people nationwide prefer to be contacted by brands via direct mail.

90% of direct mail gets looked at and read.

Direct mail offers a 29% return on investment.

59% of consumers say they enjoy getting mail from brands

Advertising mail is kept in a household for 17 days on average.

Studies show a 125% increase in inquiries from consumers who received mail.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine, with rich, full-color content, and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts, combined with engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you.

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and, it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes, but it is a business-building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

5 Creative Ways to Use QR CODES to Increase Your Marketing Response Rate

Jul 20, 2022

QR codes are everywhere—in magazines, on supermarket shelves, and even in TV ads.

While QR codes (quick response codes) have been around since 1994, they have only recently become an integral part of advertising and marketing for businesses.

Fast forward to 2022—QR codes are more ubiquitous than ever in business marketing. But can QR codes be an effective marketing tool in real estate? You bet!

Here are five ways to effectively integrate QR codes into your real estate marketing.

1. Hyperlink Your Signs

Most smartphones can read QR codes and immediately route the user to a landing page or website.

Listing your agent website on the For Sale sign may generate some online traffic, but placing a QR code on the sign, as well, is more efficient. It will quickly send potential buyers directly to where you want them, such as an appointment signup form.

2. Show the House to Anyone, Anywhere

QR codes enable prospective buyers to instantly arrive at a virtual tour they can take anytime, anywhere.

Real estate agents can use virtual tours to show homes to a limitless number of people any time, day or night.

More people are buying homes they have never seen in person than ever before. QR codes bypass several steps and funnel people exactly where they want to go.

Call To Action Postcards with QR Code free offer URLs added. See more designs, HERE. Add a Free QR Code to your Photo Gallery, HERE.

A strong call to action is the foundation of high ROI marketing.

Use a QR code on your marketing as a quick and easy way to send people to a free home market analysis offer.

Check out the Call to Action Series of postcards for done-for-you templates that have free offers already included, HERE.

3. An Interactive Aspect in Advertising

Adding a QR code to a traditional tool like a business card adds dimension and fully engages prospective buyers’ attention.

In the last three years, nearly three-quarters of people surveyed stated they turned to their phones to gather information before making a purchase. For many, a smartphone is an indispensable tool that can help them compare and contrast home features and details. Even in-person visitors will scan a QR code to ‘revisit’ the home later.

4. Make Mailers More Dynamic

Recent studies show that 70% of consumers say mail is more personal than the internet and 40% say they will try a new business after they’ve received direct mail. Clearly, direct mail marketing continues to be one of the most effective ways to generate interest.

Recipients who receive your direct mail piece now have an opportunity to capture your QR code and store your contact information for future use.

Additionally, QR codes on direct mailers can deliver critical information to real estate agents, who can then capture this data and determine the campaign’s effectiveness.

5. Gather Feedback for Retargeting

Placing a QR code at a home showing or after bringing buyers in for a tour can encourage more honest feedback about what worked and what didn’t.

Potential clients may be reticent to talk in person and prefer leaving their impressions online. A QR code that takes people directly to a simple feedback form offers the opportunity to gather essential data, leading to more conversions.

Get More Listings II Postcard with QR Code contact info added to front & back. See More designs, HERE. Add a Free QR Code to your Photo Gallery, HERE.

Adding QR codes to your marketing toolbox can help you reach a wider audience and connect buyers and sellers more quickly. QR codes allow people to skip extra steps, saving time and making them more likely to complete the action or task.

Power up your current marketing tools like business cards and postcards with a QR code.

In the most competitive housing market in years, QR codes could give you the edge you need to beat out the competition and close the deal.

HOW-TO: Watch the “How to add a QR CODE to Your Marketing” Video, Below.

FOR YOU: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and, it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes, but it is a business building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

Are You on Track to Hit Your Year-End Goals?

Jul 12, 2022

We recently conducted a survey asking real estate agents nationwide if they were on track to meet their 2022 goals.

The results were surprising.

16.8% said they will surpass their goals. 25.5% said they will meet their goals, 21.7% said they will be within 20% of their goals, but a resounding 36% of agents stated they may not even get close to hitting their goals.

We Want to Help with the Following Free Resources

The following are three tools that will help you lay the foundation for some attainable six-month goals and then help you stay on track for the rest of the year.

As the late Yogi Berra has said, “If You Don’t Want to End up Someplace Else you need to
know where you’re going”.

Unless, of course, you want to spend the rest of this year flailing about for leads, clients, and income.

Therefore, decide on your six-month goal to shoot for achieving by year’s end. Whether that’s a specific GCI or a certain number of closed deals, this goal should define how you run your business for the remainder of the year.

And, how about making a vow that the journey to that destination is one that you enjoy regardless of where the market goes?

Learn from the Past and Build for the Future

To get started, dig out your business plan from the beginning of the year and take time to ask yourself some questions:

Did you reach your goals for the first half of the year?
If not, why? Were they unrealistic, not clearly defined? Understand why.
What is within your power to change so that you hit your year-end goals?

Then, get clear on how many contacts you need to make to get the closings required to hit your income goal.

The free One-Page Business Plan is a quick and easy way to figure out what you need to do every week to reach your year-end income goals.

Just plug in a few easy numbers, and you are pointed to the weekly contacts, listing appointments, and closings needed to make your income goals a reality.

6 Months of Marketing Strategies Made Simple

Another survey question that we asked agents was what marketing challenges consumed most of their time on a monthly basis.

39.5% of these agents stated that “deciding what to focus on each month” was their biggest time stealer. The second highest response at 27.2% was, “creating new marketing materials”.

This is not the first time we’ve heard these responses to this question. That’s why we created the 2022 Real Estate Marketing Planner (and made it available to you for free).

The 2022 Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful guide that defines what marketing to do and when. This planner offers a monthly calendar with holiday observances and weekly SEND, CALL, SEE activities.

Four key market segments are included in the weekly plan: Niche Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence, along with their recommended corresponding campaigns.

Set Your Marketing Budget Based on Revenue Goals

Determining how much to allocate for your 6-month marketing budget can be challenging. However, understanding this number can dramatically increase your chances of achieving your bottom line.

The Free Online ROI Calculator, allows you to discover how much to
spend on your marketing based on your revenue goals.

Outlining your goals and how you will reach them financially is the backbone of any successful real estate business plan.

The time is now to let go of areas you fell short of your business goals in the first half of this year and move forward armed with the resources and a plan to dominate for the rest of this year!

PLUS: When you have time…below are some more marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and, it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes, but it is a business-building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

3. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

4. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

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