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.

Four Ways to Generate Listing Leads on Next Door You May Not Have Considered

Feb 24, 2022

Ready to Look at a New Path to Listings?

If you’re interested in casting a wider net with your listing generating methods, you may want to consider hanging out at nextdoor.com, if you aren’t already.

What is Nextdoor?

Nextdoor.com is a neighborhood forum with homeowners comprising 75% of the members. Furthermore, at least 25% of the conversations on Nextdoor involve real estate topics.

One must be a resident of a specific neighborhood or own a second home there, to join.

From there, the platform works like most other social networking sites, with a few important distinctions.

How can agents generate real estate listings on Nextdoor?

Ok, you won’t become a listing-generating superstar overnight on this platform. The emphasis here is on building relationships and trust is key.

There are rules about how businesses can and can’t advertise and the most important one to remember is that promoting your business is prohibited in the news feed. UNLESS it is in response to a post asking for an agent recommendation.

Lucky you, however, because recommendation requests make up the bulk of Nextdoor posts in the news feed.

The NEW Get More Referrals Series is shown above. See more, HERE.

Four ways to generate listing leads on Nextdoor include:

Creating a free business page.
Post about open houses in the Events section.
Join groups. Don’t just stick to the obvious real estate-related groups, join some that match your interests. Post and respond often so that neighbors can get to know you.
Create your own group. In my neighborhood a local handyman started a group he calls “Ask your Handyman for Home Repair Tips.”

What not to do

Whenever someone posts about possibly buying or selling a home, agents naturally jump into the thread. It’s embarrassing, really, because they all pretty much have the same spiel.

One agent in my neighborhood, however, chimed in with her response to a post from a tenant in the area. The tenant wanted to know if she could negotiate with her property management firm for a lower rent increase.

The agent responded that, by law, the landlord cannot increase the rent over a certain percentage.

“. . . if you would like to talk to me about making a plan for buying a house that’s why I am an expert in then you don’t have to deal with these landlords anymore.”

There are several things glaringly wrong here. First, our city doesn’t have rent control. If this agent is such an “expert,” as she claims, why doesn’t she know this?

Then, there is the fact that her entire response is one huge, ugly sentence and there is a sad grammar problem toward the end.

Get More Listings II Series is shown above. See more HERE.

Before you respond to a post, read the responses from other agents. Make yours as different from theirs and as engaging as possible. Then, ensure that your advice is accurate. Finally, proof your post before publishing.

Nextdoor may not be for everyone, but if you currently farm your own neighborhood it just might be the place for you.

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

1. 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

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 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

4. 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

5. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you in your success.

We’re here to support you.

Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

How to Knock Their Socks Off BEFORE the Listing Appointment

Feb 22, 2022

You counsel your listing clients about staging their homes and improving their curb appeal.

Now it’s your turn to take your own advice. Amp up your professional curb appeal with a brilliant pre-listing package that will knock any prospective client’s socks off.

New to the biz?

A pre-listing packet contains information about you, your services, your track record, and what you do to successfully market homes.

Just as you want your clients’ homes to offer a brilliant first impression, so it goes with creating the same for yourself.

And you won’t have a lot of time to do that during the listing presentation. In fact, you’ll have exactly one-tenth of one second to make that first impression in-person, according to research by Princeton psychologists and researchers Janine Willis and Alexander Todorov.

So, knock their socks off before the listing appointment.

What to include in your pre-listing packet

Naturally, everything you include in the packet should be branded. Here are a few ideas on what to share with your potential listing clients:

About you and your team (if you have one)
Impressive sales statistics. Lacking those, consider using the brokerage’s statistics. Again, if they are impressive.
Success stories with testimonials as proof.
Your marketing plan, including examples of past marketing efforts, a list of websites and other vehicles you will turn to in your marketing efforts.
Anything that makes you stand out from other agents. For example, if you offer free staging and few others do in your market, that’s a value proposition worth mentioning.
Consider including the contracts and other paperwork that they will be signing when they list with you. Yes, you should still explain them when they list, but they’ll be familiar with the documents, allowing you to save time during the presentation.
A diagram or infographic of the steps they can expect to take during the sales process.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it should give you an idea of what to include in a pre-listing packet.

Pretty it up

Upload Your Own Folders. See more **HERE**

The pre-listing packet doesn’t necessarily need to be a physical, bound handout. If you prefer, make it virtual. Many agents like to include their marketing videos, listing videos, and other virtual goodies, creating a virtual introduction to their services is ideal.

If you decide to go the other route, ensure that the presentation is professional, polished and reflects your business style and values, and is targeted to your potential client.

If you need help with design, check out fiverr.com. For a virtual pre-listing presentation, visit highnote.io. And don’t forget to check out our pre-designed presentation folders or design-your-own, HERE.

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

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

2. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

5. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you in your success.

We’re here to support you.

Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

More and More Buyers Won’t Look at a Home Without Seeing This First

Feb 17, 2022

Congratulations on that new listing. And those photos that your pro photographer snapped are gorgeous. Also looks like you put a lot of thought into writing the listing description.

It’s a pity that you hit the submit button before you uploaded a floor plan. But you don’t use floor plans in your listings, do you? Most agents don’t, and those who do want to thank you for not using them.

Maybe this will convince you: One in 10 buyers surveyed said that they wouldn’t even look at a home for sale if they hadn’t seen a floor plan first, and this number continues to increase. (Rightmove).

Attract Buyers with the Rent By Numbers Campaign shown above. Learn more, **HERE**

NAR’s latest Generational Trends Report says that the third most important feature of an agent’s website (according to buyers) is a floor plan in listings. It ranked third last year as well.

Numbers one and two are photos and the listing description.

It’s a new era. We’re in a worldwide pandemic that’s turned the way you do business upside down.

Consider including floor plans with your listings. The process isn’t as expensive and time-consuming as you might assume.

Besides, buyers want them.

Let’s take a look at two of the most popular floor plan vendors.

Matterport

The OG of real estate agent floorplans, Matterport is typically what we think of when the topic comes up.

Matterport’s 3D interactive floor plan offers clients what they truly crave: the ability to “walk through” a home and view what they want to view, not what a videographer wants them to see.

According to the company’s website, using Matterport floor plans in your real estate listings will result in:

A 4-9% higher sales price
DOM decrease of up to 31%

Matterport currently offers four price points:

Free
$9.99 a month
$69 a month
$309 a month

Along with the price of the plan, you’ll need to purchase a 360 camera. Learn more about that process at matterport.com/camera.

Agent reviews are all over the map.

Build your High-Income Renter prospect list now. Learn more **HERE**

One Las Vegas agent claims that although Matterport’s “… virtual tours are the gold standard when advertising properties online … The price of the equipment and storage is expensive.”

Read additional reviews online at g2.com.

RoomSketcher

Around 2007, you may have known about RoomSketcher’s software as “Home Designer.” While “The tool is still the same … our new name emphasizes our focus on creating both the best floor plan tool, as well as the best home design tool, on the market,” according to the company’s website (roomsketcher.com).

With RoomSketcher you have options:

Draw the floor plans yourself using the app
Order them from RoomSketcher’s Floor Plan Services
Hire a freelancer to draw them for you

With a drag and drop interface, it couldn’t be simpler.

Finally, choose between 2D and 3D.

Prices start at $49.99 a year for the VIP package or step up to the Pro plan for $99.99 a year. If you’ll be creating more than 100-floor plans a year, go for the Hi-Volume plan. You’ll need to contact the company for the price of this one.

RoomSketcher garners excellent reviews at g2.com.

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

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

2. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

5. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you in your success.

We’re here to support you.

Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

Words, Words, Words! Spice up your Website by Choosing the RIGHT Words.

Feb 15, 2022

Agents are always looking for ways to stand out from the crowd in their local marketplace.

Yet one look at any market’s real estate websites disproves this claim because most agent websites look pretty much the same.

Value propositions are the way many agents try to set themselves apart. However, there are more subtle ways to show the public that you’re different and make a lasting impression.

The Get More Listings Campaign is shown above. Learn more, **HERE**

To send a one-time postcard mailing from the Get More Listings Series click HERE

Use your words

Have you considered dropping the word “testimonials” from your website? There are so many other, more exciting ways to grab your visitor’s attention.

How about “success stories?” I’d be much more likely to click on a success story link than one labeled “testimonial.”

Consider changing your “about” or “About the Team” to “Meet Joe Smith” or “Meet the Team.” Or, consider “Get to know Joe Smith.”

You might also consider titling your first open house as a “Launch Event.”

Finally, let’s ditch the word “Blog.” From now on, use “Learn” in the navbar. After all, that’s what they’re trying to do by visiting your website, right?

Want an alternative? How about “Discover?”

Use your client’s words

Many agents treat testimonials, or “success stories” as we mentioned earlier, like throwaways. It’s amazing because they are the single most important marketing tool you have yet they’re tucked away on a dedicated page on your website.

Not used in marketing materials. Not used above the fold on the front page of your website.

Be generous with those tidbits of valuable, free marketing. Ensure your best one shows up, above the fold, on your home page, so it’s among the first things your visitors see.

Then sprinkle others throughout the pages of your website. Keep what’s left for the dedicated page.

Sure, these are subtle changes, but when real estate consumers are visiting multiple agents’ websites, they’ll make a positive and lasting impression.

The Real Estate Times Campaign is shown above. Learn more **HERE**

To send a one-time postcard mailing from the Real Estate Times Series click HERE

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

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

2. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

5. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you in your success.

We’re here to support you.

Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

Conversations you Must Have with your Buying Clients

Feb 10, 2022

To Become That Stand-Out Agent

Crazy business, isn’t it? You studied, got your license, paid all those fees, found a broker, and GOT TO WORK.

If you were lucky, once onboard, your broker had some sort of training program for new agents. Most, however, teach a few rudimentary tasks and send agents on their way.

What is universally lacking is training on how to work with clients – especially buyers. In many cases, this leads to a less than stellar experience for home buyers.

Want to become a stand-out with your buyer clients? Here are three things you absolutely must share, that many agents won’t.

Rent By Numbers Campaign, see more **HERE**

Closing costs

Have you ever wondered why there is so much focus on educating buyers about the down payment while details about closing costs are rarely mentioned? I have a theory about that.

Buying a home is expensive. That’s a given. Telling a client who is on a budget that they’ll need thousands of dollars in cash to put down on a home almost feels like we’re scaring them off.

Once past the down payment hurdle, who wants to say “Oh, yeah, by the way, you’ll need about that much more in cash for closing costs?” It’s much easier to let the lender take the hit for that one, right?

But we owe our clients much more than this. There is nothing worse than meeting with the lender and learning you’ll need twice as much cash as your agent told you that you’d need.

So, vague references to closing costs don’t cut it. Be the agent that helps change the perception of the industry by being upfront and honest about all aspects of the transaction – especially financial aspects.

Give them more information about the loan process

First-time buyers have a tendency to think that loan preapproval is an iron-clad guarantee that they’ll get the loan. It’s the lender’s job to tell them otherwise but how many do so?

Since you, as the agent, have a vested interest in the buyer’s successful closing, don’t assume the buyer’s lender is going to do this.

What is especially important for your buyers to understand is that their loan can fall apart right up until the moment the loan is funded.

Quitting a job, moving money, buying anything on credit, applying for new credit can doom the entire purchase.

First Time Buyer Campaign, see more **HERE**

Treat the final walkthrough seriously

I once had a friend who bought a house and used a well-known local agent. It was her first home so she relied heavily on the agent’s experience.

During the final walkthrough, my friend allowed her agent to take the lead and, it’s a good thing because all of the appliances which were to remain with the home were gone. Refrigerator, washer, dryer – all missing.

Since the walk-through was scheduled the day before closing, the closing had to be postponed while the seller replaced the appliances.

After my friend moved in she found that the garbage disposer was also missing, plants were removed from the landscaping and several other fixtures were gone. At that point, it was too late to remedy the situation and she was forced to replace everything out of her own pocket.

The agent fell down on her duty to her client.

Make a walk-through checklist of every aspect of a home and use it during the final walkthrough. Counsel your client to move slowly and inspect everything.

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

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

2. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

5. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you in your success.

We’re here to support you.

Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

An S.O.S. Sphere of Influence Intervention. No More Excuses

Feb 1, 2022

It’s Time to Take an Easier Path

Imagine what the future would look like if you could stop cold calling, door knocking, or chasing after FSBOs indefinitely – or at least cut way down on those activities?

Ditching the more distasteful aspects of your real estate lead generation routine may be possible. If you vow, right now, to get serious about your CRM database.

Warm calls are so much more pleasant. Making phone calls and having happy people answer the phone beats a cold call any day.

It’s time to make building better relationships with people you already know, your priority.

Are you only fishing for a day?

Have you ever heard the adage “You can give someone a fish and they have food for a day or you can teach them to fish and they’ll be fed forever?

I look at an SOI database in a similar way.

You can get by living “listing to listing” just making ends meet or you can build a robust SOI database that will feed you ongoing listings, indefinitely.

The Holiday Scheduled Campaign is shown above. It’s the perfect way to stay in touch with your sphere. Learn more, **HERE**

The first method is all about instant gratification and takes a smaller amount of effort.

The second method is about building something for the future, something substantial, that will take ongoing effort, but the rewards will be significant and lasting.

So the question is, how do you want to live your life – fish by fish or with an endless stream of dinners?

That being said, how’s your sphere of influence going?

Agents who have been in the business for more than a minute tell horror stories about friends and even family members who “forgot” that they were in real estate and listed their homes with another agent.

I guarantee you at some point this has happened to you, whether you’re aware or not.

In fact, NAR states,

“The typical real estate agent, sadly, earned 13 percent of their business from repeat clients and 17 percent from referrals.”

Look at those numbers – they’re frustrating, aren’t they?

Especially when NAR also states that nearly 90 percent of real estate consumers say they would use their agent again in the future.

If past clients liked their experience with their agent shouldn’t agents be getting more than 17 percent of their business from them?

Did they forget about you because you’ve forgotten to stay in front of them and nurture them?

What has neglecting your sphere REALLY cost you?

If your strategy has been only chasing new leads instead of working on your sphere, you may have lost sight of the lifetime value of your client.

Take a past client for who you earned $4,000 in commission. Assume (by staying present in their life) you are their agent for four more buying and selling transactions (of the same value) over time that’s $16,000 in revenue.

Now let’s say they send you two referrals per year for the next 10 years (of a similar value) that’s $80,000. This ONE client has a potential lifetime value of $96,000. How many clients, just like this, have you let fall to the waste side over the years?

What has that decision cost your real estate business?

Time to refocus your attention

We get it, agents have a ton of irons in the fire during the typical work week, and keeping in contact with their SOI typically ends up as a low priority.

What would happen, though, if you moved your SOI up on the “To Do” list? Made those warm contacts (instead of contacting strangers) a priority?

You’ll end up on the minds of the people in your sphere, including your past clients, and when someone mentions to them they’re thinking about buying or selling a home, guess what happens next?

So, how to get your real estate business on the referral track?

Step 1: Organize your database

Yeah, it doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun, but it’s necessary to keep you on track. If you already have an organizational method, you’re one step ahead. If not, let’s create a simple one.

Start by grouping your contacts. There are many ways to group them, so choose labels that make sense to you. Some suggestions include:

Hot leads (new incoming leads)
Cold leads (people you haven’t been able to reach)
Family, friends, past clients
Vendors
People you know through your kids
Neighbors

Step 2: Go through all of the contacts and verify the information

At a minimum, you should have the contact’s full name and the name of immediate family members. Naturally, you won’t have family member info for some contacts, such as leads, and that’s okay.

Step 3: Pick up the phone and start calling people

Start with people you know, like past clients, relatives, and friends. Let them know you’re thinking of them and checking in to see if you can help them with anything.

While on the phone, tell them you’re updating your database and want to ensure you have their correct contact information. Verify that their addresses (mailing and email) are current and that you have the best phone number to contact them.

Birthdates are important too (people LOVE getting birthday cards and it’s a great excuse to call). You don’t need a year, just ask for the month and day.

When you make these calls, listen carefully to their end of the conversation for any tidbits you can add to the database. Great information to note in their record includes important family milestones, news on their business/job, or events involving their children or spouse.

Then, as soon as you hang up, DO THIS! Update their information in the database, don’t “think” you’ll remember, just do it.

And, schedule a follow-up call in your database, and a reminder to prompt you to send them a birthday card, anniversary card, etc.

If they told you about an important event that’s coming up, wouldn’t it be great to mark your calendar with a reminder to shoot them an email and ask how everything went?

Step 4: Committ to a time in your weekly schedule to work your Sphere

You’ve started the process of building toward a future don’t stop now. Before you know it, you’ll have an organized, clean database, making your real estate lead generation a much more enjoyable and rewarding process.

Two free tools that will make the process of building up your database much easier:

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

2. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

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

The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you in your success.

We’re here to support you.

Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

Instill Calm in Your Prospective Clients Instead of Fear

Jan 28, 2022

If only I had a dollar for every online article and blog post I’ve read about home buying and how “difficult”, “scary” and “challenging” it is.

“Buying a house is exciting, intimidating, and, honestly, a bit complicated,” says one agent.

“The first time you undertake a home purchase, the complexity of the transaction can be particularly frustrating because there are a number of unknown rules and procedures that you are generally forced to learn through ‘the school of hard knocks,’” says another.

The combination of highfalutin’ words and the imagery of the “school of hard knocks” is enough to scare any real estate consumer into staying put.

My initial reaction to these fear-inducing blog posts and articles is, “If the process is this difficult, scary, or complex, it may be time to find another agent.”

Be the expert who soothes their fears

If clients aren’t completely familiar with the buying/selling process going into it, the best agents counsel them so that they learn and ultimately feel more comfortable.

Unfortunately, there are agents that think scaring potential homebuyers about the complexities of real estate is a way to win their business.

The first quote above is from a national real estate company’s website. It’s fine to caution folks that buying a home because it’s an unfamiliar process, might be challenging. However, a better statement would be to mention that it won’t be challenging if they work with you.

Because you, the superhero of the real estate world, will teach them what they need to know and be with them every step of the way.

You are an awesome communicator who wouldn’t dream of allowing your client to enter into the process without being armed with all the information he or she needs.

You are the expert and are happy to share your expertise with your clients. Want proof, you might ask? “Here’s my testimonials,” (list of former clients saying how amazing you are and how you explained everything and made the process so easy).

Think what a breath of fresh air your website, blog posts, and other marketing materials will be to a consumer who has surfed all the negative and scary agents’ sites.

When they land on your website and read words of encouragement and simplicity they will breathe a sigh of relief.

Looking for the right words to instill confidence? How about:

“Buying (or selling) a home doesn’t have to be scary, intimidating, confusing, or challenging. Allow me to show you how it’s done.”

Imagine THAT phrase added to all of your real estate marketing materials.

6 Reasons to Go After Baby Boomers Right Now

They own 26 million homes in the U.S.
They control 70% of all wealth in this country.
They hold more than 50% of all owner-occupied homes.
41% state they will definitely purchase another home.
They are almost completely ignored by the real estate industry.
And, we’re giving you the first 100 prospects on a Baby Boomer list for free right now!

That’s Right, Discover Baby Boomers in Your Area and GET THE FIRST 100 FREE!

To get the first 100 on a Baby Boomers Prospect List FREE USE PROMO CODE: BOOM100.

CLICK HERE to create your list (From a desktop/laptop computer) with the Demographic Search tool.

This offer expires on January 29th, at midnight.

Do You Need Help Creating Your Baby Boomer List? Watch This How to Video Below.

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

Grow Your Real Estate Business and Overcome Your Fear of Spending

Jan 25, 2022

There seems to be this fundamental fallacy among many real estate agents that the more money they spend on their businesses, the less there will be for their personal use.

That simply isn’t the case, according to Heidi Sloss, author of “Fortune is in the Follow-Up: Five POWER Strategies to Grow Your Business.”

“Too many business owners under-spend on marketing, thinking that not spending is the same as saving,” claims Sloss. While it’s an annoying adage, it really does “take money to make money.”

Want proof?

An older study by ActiveRain determined how much real estate agents made and how much they spent.

Top producing agents earning more than $100,000 per year spent five to 10 times more money on marketing than lower-earning agents.

Let’s face it, there are a number of money pits in the average real estate practice, from keeping up with the latest technology to what you drive or what you wear.

The truly important stuff, however – most of what’s in your business plan – is where to focus if you’re looking for ways to gain more clients and grow your business.

So, while it’s important to invest money in continuing education, professional development, and ensuring you have the office systems in place to make your job easier, none of it means a thing without clients.

Overcome your Fear

Remember the scene in the motion picture “Ghost,” where Whoopi Goldberg’s character is forced to endorse a $4 million check “to a bunch of nuns?”

She struggles, claiming to “… just want to touch it one more time.” Finally, at the point of almost hyperventilating, with tears streaming down her face, Whoopie’s character, Oda Mae, hands the check to one of the nuns but then refuses to let go of it. A tug-of-war of sorts ensues until she finally releases it and dissolves into sobs.

Is that not exactly what you do in your mind when it comes time to part with your hard-earned money? Especially in a commission-based business, parting with money is frightening. Who knows when you’ll close another deal?

It’s only natural then that you might question whether any particular investment is really the right thing to do. Marketing dollars are particularly hard to spend.

What if the campaign doesn’t work? What if I lose this money? These are perfectly valid questions as you tenaciously hold on to your dollar.

One of the best ways to overcome the fear of spending is by paying close attention to the annual budget every year when you revisit your business plan. Once the money is budgeted, consider it spent. Then, make careful, informed decisions about where to spend the money when it comes time to do so.

To help you make better buying decisions, visit review sites. Here you can read opinions – both good and bad – about the products real estate agents use in a typical day. Here’s our Google reviews page. Knowing what works for other agents arms you with the information you need to make sound spending decisions.

The bottom line is that if you really want to grow your real estate business, you’re going to have to spend some money investing in it – whether it’s on marketing, staff, or technology. So, overcome the fear and lose the death grip on the pocketbook.

6 Reasons to Go After Baby Boomers Right Now

They own 26 million homes in the U.S.
They control 70% of all wealth in this country.
They hold more than 50% of all owner-occupied homes.
41% state they will definitely purchase another home.
They are almost completely ignored by the real estate industry.
And, we’re giving you the first 100 prospects on a Baby Boomer list for free right now!

That’s Right, Discover Baby Boomers in Your Area and GET THE FIRST 100 FREE!

To get the first 100 on a Baby Boomers Prospect List FREE USE PROMO CODE: BOOM100.

CLICK HERE to create your list (From a desktop/laptop computer) with the Demographic Search tool.

This offer expires on January 29th, at midnight.

Do You Need Help Creating Your Baby Boomer List? Watch This How to Video Below.

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

What’s the Definition of Risk-Free?

Jan 20, 2022

The ProspectsPLUS! “3 Extra Closings a Year Guarantee”, That’s What!

Not many companies offer guarantees anymore, but when they do it’s clear it’s because they know their product works.

This is the case with our SOI Scheduled Campaign.

We believe so much in what our SOI Scheduled Campaign will do for your real estate business we’re guaranteeing it.

Here’s How it Works:

Launch a one-year SOI Scheduled Campaign with a minimum of 150 postcards per month and if after one year you haven’t generated 3 extra closings, and have incorporated the Free BusinessBASE, we will refund the money spent on your campaign.

It’s that simple!

Plus, with our SOI Scheduled Campaign,

There are no contracts
You pay-as-you-go
And, you can change or cancel the campaign at any time up to midnight the night before a mailing goes out.

What does it mean to you to get 3 extra closings this year risk-free?

So, what are you waiting for? CLICK HERE, to get started.

Below are a Few of the Exciting SOI Campaigns You Can Launch Today!

**A QUOTE SERIES SOI CAMPAIGN**

Inspire and engage your Sphere with thought-provoking quotes from The Quote Series.

Schedule any length SOI campaign using the Quote Series. Or schedule a one-year SOI campaign and take advantage of the 3 Extra Closings a Year Guaranteed.

**A CONTENT SERIES SOI CAMPAIGN**

Educate and inform your Sphere while providing valuable content with the Content Series.

Schedule any length SOI campaign using the Content Series. Or schedule a one-year SOI campaign and take advantage of the 3 Extra Closings a Year Guaranteed.

**A GET MORE LISTINGS SERIES SOI CAMPAIGN**

Excite, educate, and inspire action with your Sphere with the Get More Listings Series.

Schedule any length SOI campaign using the Get More Listings Series. Or schedule a one-year SOI campaign and take advantage of the 3 Extra Closings a Year Guaranteed.

A RECIPE SERIES SOI CAMPAIGN

Share fun recipes, that everyone appreciates, with your Sphere with the Recipe II Series.

Schedule any length SOI campaign using the Recipe II Series. Or schedule a one-year SOI campaign and take advantage of the 3 Extra Closings a Year Guaranteed.

These are just a few of the many SOI campaigns available to schedule. To see more CLICK HERE.

Are you ready to start growing your real estate business risk-free?

Take advantage of our 3 Extra Closings a Year Guarantee! CLICK HERE to get started.

Because WHAT GETS SCHEDULED – GETS DONE!

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

Winter Blog Topics Every Agent Should Consider

Jan 13, 2022

If you find yourself craving a piping hot peppermint mocha, going home and lighting a cozy fire, and wishing you could wear your hoody to a listing presentation, it must be winter.

Winter this year started on December 21 and lasts until March 20, 2022. Before the winter season ends, there is a lot happening, although local pandemic regulations may restrict some winter events.

These festivals and other celebrations make welcome blog post topics. Today we take a look at some of what your readers are craving.

1. Winter blog posts for homebuyers

“3 must-have tips for buying a [name of town] home this winter”

Need more ideas?

What’s going on in the local market? Is inventory still low? Are prices softening or rising? What are interest rates like? Warn readers that interest rates are expected to rise in 2022, so choosing to buy now is a wise decision. Check out this example Neil Kearney of Boulder Real Estate.
Handy with Canva? Head on over there and create an infographic addressing the age-old question of whether to buy now or wait.

2. Fishing for sellers?

“3 must-have tips for selling a [name of town] home this winter”

Most potential sellers want to know what’s happening with home prices. A market update, such as the one for buyers, mentioned previously, will most likely be quite welcome.

Few agents do reader-friendly and hyper-local market updates like Kirkland, Washington’s Jim Badgley. Check it out at badgleyhomes.com.

Don’t forget to add local keywords throughout all blog posts.

3. Winter events in the community

Winter events and festivals abound in the US. There’s Wintersköl in Aspen, CO, the amazing Winter Carnival in St. Paul, MN, the Winter Festival in Portland, OR, and more.

Even non-snowy regions have winter events, like the Borrego Springs Film Festival in San Diego, CA, and Gasparilla Music Festival in Tampa Florida.

Details about these events are ideal for a hyper-local blog post. Plus, they’re immensely sharable.

Use various smaller holidays as topics. For instance, January 27th is Chocolate Cake Day. Write a listicle naming all the places in town one can get a great piece of cake.

Other holidays that are easy to hyper-localize include:

National Frozen Yogurt Day (February 6, 2022)
National Pizza Day (February 9, 2022)
Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2022)
National Puppy Day (March 23, 2022. Great opportunity to write about the various pet shelters and rescues in your area).
St. Patrick ‘s Day (March 17, 2022. Who has the best corned beef and cabbage?)

Then, there is the old standby “Best places” in your town to (or nearby):

Take out-of-town guests
Sled, ski, etc.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
Ice skate
Indoor and Mall walking tracks in your town

There is far from a shortage of hyper-local winter real estate blog topics. Write ‘em up and don’t forget to link to them on social media.

Discover Move-Up Market Prospects in Your Area and GET THE FIRST 100 FREE!

5 Reasons To Go After the Move-Up Market Right Now!

Two sales in one (they’re selling their current home and buying another larger home.
They’ve purchased real estate before and understand the process, making for an easier transaction.
They know what they want, so less guesswork on your part.
They typically have a nice amount of equity in their home, meaning more money to spend on a new home.
They’re excited to enter the marketplace and take advantage of the low mortgage rates and buy bigger.

To get the first 100 on a Move-Up Market Prospect List Free use PROMO CODE: MOVE100

CLICK HERE to create your list (From a desktop/laptop computer) with the Demographic Search tool.

This sale expires on January 15th.

Watch this video: to learn how to create a Move-Up Market prospect list with the Demographic Search tool and launch a campaign.

Once You Have Your Move-Up Market List, Launch a Campaign

*FARM, Move-Up Market* Campaign shown above, **learn more**

Schedule a Move-Up Market Postcard Campaign in Just Minutes!

Scheduled postcard campaigns not only save you time, they’re sent standard class postage saving you money.

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY until each month’s mailing goes out (cancel or change up until the night before mailing).

CLICK HERE (from a desktop or laptop computer) to get started on your campaign.

To send a one-time postcard mailing to the Move-Up Market postcard series, CLICK HERE

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

The New Year is HERE: Let’s Get That Real Estate Success Plan in Motion

Jan 5, 2022

Goodbye, 2021!

I think 2022 is going to be an amazing year, both for real estate agents and for the rest of us.

But it won’t be if we don’t plan. And, no, it’s not too late. Consider an old Chinese proverb:

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”

So, let’s get to it.

Go back before moving forward

To get a clear starting point, planning for the new year requires looking back at your efforts and outcomes from last year.

What went well?
What activity should you be doing more?
What didn’t go well?
Is there a way to tweak the unsuccessful efforts or should you drop them?

Then, take stock of your systems and tools. Are you using all of them? Could your CRM use some love? Perhaps you need to update to newer, better tools or systems.

Money, money, money

An assessment of your end-of-year finances, and how you got there, will be a huge help in determining what you need to do in the coming year. Look at not only your income and outgo but the number of transactions it took to bring in the money.

Then, come up with a transaction count required to meet your 2022 financial goals. The Real Estate Business Plan is an ideal free tool to help you do this.

It takes consistent effort to increase performance.

Ensure you have the infrastructure, tools, and systems to support you. Then, go out and slay some real estate dragons.

Real estate marketing tools to help you write your 2022 success plan

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Free Online ROI Calculator

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ROI-calculator-b-233x300.jpg

Consistency and automation are the keys to success. Discover how effective direct mail marketing can dramatically increase your bottom line. Enter your statistics in our Free online ROI Calculator and click the ‘CALCULATE MY ROI’ button to see your results instantly! –Click Here

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

3 New Year’s Resolutions for Hungry Real Estate Agents

Dec 30, 2021

If you’ve been in the real estate business for at least 5 years, congratulations! It’s a testament to your tenacity.

If you’re still struggling to achieve the level of success you desire, you’re not alone. However, now is the time to put the past behind you and start off 2022 committed to making your real estate business dreams a reality.

You can do this by executing at least one of the following 2022 New Year’s resolutions listed below.

Or adopt them all and truly DOMINATE IN 2022!

1. Resolve to let go of old expectations

Remember your pre-agent days when you thought that, to make the big bucks, all a real estate agent had to do was buy a fancy car, dress like Serhant, and schmooze with folks?

Not only that but there’s no boss in charge of your workday. You can come and go as you like and it won’t matter to anyone. Your pocketbook may take a hit, but you’re free and in control of your life.

Here’s a sample of some additional rookie agent assumptions and expectations:

Your broker will supply you with what you need to become wildly successful.
You’ll receive expert training on the day-to-day business aspects of real estate.
You are not accountable for your success.
You can work short days and weeks, take lots of vacations and still make a killing in real estate as a newbie.

If you still harbor any of these misconceptions, do yourself a favor and let them go. They aren’t serving you or your business growth.

2. Promise yourself to pursue more listings in 2022

2022 Real Estate Marketing Planner, **HERE**

Why? Because “when you list, you last.”

Sure, buyers are abundant in the current market, and finding a homeowner willing to sell is like trying to find gold in a silver mine.

But if you’re going to focus on one area of your business in 2022, and you hope to be wildly successful without putting in so many hours that you become a stranger to family and friends, concentrating on becoming a listing agent is critical.

Yeah, it’s a bit like trying to eat an elephant, but start slow and start small, taking one bite at a time.

The 2022 Real Estate Business Plan will walk you through just how many more listings you will need in 2022 to meet your goals.

3. Resolve to enter the new year with a solid marketing plan

Every business needs a roadmap for the upcoming year. Marketing goals and objectives are part of this roadmap. To meet them, you’ll need to know how to get there and the 2022 Real Estate Marketing Planner is the ideal guide to help you.

Check Out Two More Free Marketing Tools to Help You achieve Your Goals:

Online ROI Calculator
Online SOI Calculator

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you with your success.

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