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Friday, October 2, 2026

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.

A BIG Thank You to Our Customers!

Inc. magazine recently ranked ProspectsPLUS!, Inc. number 3688 on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

This list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy and this is the third year in a row that ProspectsPLUS! has made the exclusive list.

According to James Ledbetter, the Editor in Chief of Inc. Media,

“Of the tens of thousands of companies that have applied to the Inc. 5000 over the years only one in four have made the list 3 times.”

Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Pandora, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other businesses gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.

“What an amazing achievement,” shared company President, Jim Morton. “In this digital age, we are extremely proud to provide REALTORS® with tangible products that have a 100% impression rate. By providing carefully crafted content and creatives, we ensure every agent gets the highest response rates possible. A big thank you to all our amazing customers. Let’s keep Making Marketing Work!”

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

Give Them the Facts

We are a nation of DIYers and fixer-uppers (or folks who think they are). We’re also a thrifty bunch, looking for any possible way to save a buck on purchases.

Put these two characteristics together and we end up with the real estate consumer seeking a bargain in the form of a fixer.

As an agent, you know which of your clients can take on all the work and money that a fixer might require.

“A fixer can be a perfect solution when your clients have long lists with a lot of requirements and if they’re willing to do the work,” David Bailey with Keller Williams, Beverly Hills tells HGTV.

So, yes, sometimes suggesting purchasing one is wise.

But it’s up to you to determine if it’s right for each client that hopes to buy one and then how to help that client make the decision.

Guess who likes fixers? Yeap the Millennials

 The National Association of Realtors conducted a study a while back and discovered, in their efforts to avoid “cookie cutter” homes, Millennials were interested in fixers.

In fact, “about 30 percent of millennials surveyed say they prefer a ‘fixer-upper’ home rather than a home that needs only a few repairs,” according to RealtorMag.

Since Millennials make up the lion’s share of the first-time buyer pool, counseling and supplying facts will be your most important task when working with them.

To get your client thinking realistically, ask the following questions:
  • Does your client or his family or friends have carpentry, flooring, painting, plumbing, electrical skills? They can hire professionals, but doing some work will keep costs down.
  • Speaking of costs, does your client have rehab funds set aside or do they need to borrow the money?
  • Is your client willing to wait to move into the home (maybe six months)?

If your client becomes fixated on a home in need of work, yank her back to reality by helping her understand the scope of the work required.

Bring in a contractor to help them determine if it’s possible to bring the home up to standards and to get an estimate of the cost.

Not only does this offer a reality check, but it gives your client an idea of how much to offer for the home.

How to finance the purchase

Unlike in the past, homebuyers have some attractive options when it comes to financing a home that needs work.

“Future value” loans are the most popular. These loans aren’t based on current market value but on the future value (after rehab) of the home.

First-time buyers and those on a budget typically opt for a government-backed mortgage that wraps the cost of the rehab into the loan. These programs include the Fannie Mae HomeStyle Renovation and the FHA 203(k) programs.Just Listed Just Sold Property Showcase Real Estate Postcards

If your client opts for one of these

These programs aren’t quick, easy or painless. If your client goes with the FHA 203(k) loan, he or she will need to come out of pocket to pay for a consultant.

The project must use the same contractor, from start to finish. If the client becomes dissatisfied with her choice, she’s stuck.

Then, the entire amount of money needed for the project is determined in advance and it’s a set amount. As one homeowner who used the FHA program notes “it is to the contractor’s benefit to do cheap work so they can pocket larger margins.”

Choosing a contractor will be one of your client’s biggest challenges.

Getting the loan

Rehab loans take far more time to complete than your typical residential purchase loan, so remind your client to get the loan process started as soon as possible.

You’ll have tasks to complete as well, such as helping your clients come up with a list of the work required and an estimate of cost. This will help you counsel them on how much to offer on the home.

You’ll need to structure the offer so that it’s subject to FHA 203(k) loan approval and the seller’s acceptance of any other HUD or lender-required improvements to the home.

Of course, FHA isn’t the only option for a client who falls in love with the idea of rehabbing a home to fit their lifestyle. Recommend that he or she meet with a lender and always consult their accountant.

Do you need to attract buyers interested in a fixer you have listed?

 Send a Property Series postcard with an offer for the Free Report, “Top Ten Renovations that Reap Returns”.
Extend the offer to your Facebook audience and on your website, as well.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 2 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1.  The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

Also…check out these cool tools 

 Three Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them, Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become their hero (BTW, you also get a $25 Gift Card too, now that’s what I’m talking about)!

Get ahead of the inevitable rate hike

Fannie Mae’s economists dusted off their crystal balls, peered into the housing market’s near future and came away upbeat.

In the overall economy, they predict strong growth and low unemployment rates to continue. So, bring on the rate hikes, right?

They predicted four rate increases in 2018 (up from the three they predicted in March) and then another three in 2019. Hopefully, this won’t impact too many of your buying clients.

Their housing market-specific news includes a continued tumble in the conventional mortgage application rate. Which is why, in a business so dependent on a healthy economy, it’s important to be strategically budgeting both your personal and business money.

I did a deep dive into the experts’ opinions on what it takes for an independent contractor to financially succeed during the tough times. Here are several of their basic tips.

Start with your personal budgeting

Taking care of your personal finances is job one. Once that’s done, you’ll have a clearer picture of how much money you need to make and how much of it you can devote to your business expenses.

When budgeting, you need to be flexible enough to accommodate your income swings and to allow for an emergency fund. Most financial pros suggest you’ll need enough to cover both your living and business expenses for six months.

Once complete, that budget may be a real eye-opener. Look for ways to cut needless spending and redirect that money elsewhere.

Forbes.com’s Laura Shin suggests taking a critical look at your recurring spending. “Are you really using all the offerings of your mobile phone plan …? Do you go to the gym often enough to justify the monthly cost? What if you took up running, played tennis with a friend or used exercise DVDs instead?”

She also mentions that you consider cutting the cord. Cable TV has become ridiculously expensive when there are other, less expensive options (streaming) out there.

Your business budget

If you don’t already have a business account, open one now. Your tax preparer will worship the ground you walk on.

And, if you do your own taxes, you’ll be immensely grateful every quarter that you don’t have to pick through your expenses to separate the business from the personal.

Your real estate business budget needs to include more than your listing expenses, gas, and auto maintenance costs. Among the other categories, ensure your budget includes money for: taxes, health insurance, disability insurance, website expenses, salaries, marketing your business, closing gifts, wardrobe, and professional fees.

Once you’ve created the budget, it needs to be maintained. Track your expenses and income and tweak the budget, as needed. 

Consider the bucket system

If you’re like a lot of us, you haven’t a clue where you spend your money and how much is wasted. Budgeting is a pipe-dream that you know will never meet reality.

So, make budgeting a game, of sorts. Divide your expenses into three “buckets.”

1: The first bucket holds all your ongoing expenses, such as utilities, house and car payment and other debt payments.

2: The next bucket is for expenses such as food (both dining out and groceries), entertainment and clothing.

3: The third bucket is for the money you’ll spend in the future for things like healthcare deductibles, retirement accounts, home repairs and maintenance and vacations.

Do the same with your business expenses.

Your business expense bucket

Start the system with bucket number three, decide how much of each commission check you’ll need to set aside for future expenses. Experts suggest that you open a separate account for your third bucket. The first payment you make from each commission check should go to this account. The rest of the check goes toward monthly personal expenses (bucket number one).

The amount left over after taking care of recurring expenses is what you can dump into bucket number two.

To remain on track, monitor your spending for two or three months to determine how much you’re spending from the second bucket. Take the average, multiply it by 12 and divide by 52. This will give you the amount of money you can spend, weekly, from the second bucket. Divide it again by seven to get your daily limit.

Remember to be mindful of your spending, especially for business items. “Expenses should create income. If an expense doesn’t create income, it should be eliminated,” Tom Wheelwright, CPA told Inman.com’s Dani Vanderboegh.

Question every purchase. If you don’t need to make it, don’t.

A smart way to utilize your marketing budget? Attract buyers with a proven method of marketing.
Send the Don’t Wait postcard from the Fence-Sitter Series to at least 100 prospects in an area where you want more buyers.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1.  The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here  – Click Here

2. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan  – Click Here

3. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

 Three Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them, Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become their hero!

Become a big fish in a small pond

If you’re of a certain age, you’ll remember the advent of email and the rhetoric surrounding it.

It was going to put the post office out of business, direct mail marketers would consider it the answer to their problems, and it was immensely less expensive than regular mail.

Well, the post office is still in business and direct-mail marketing is a booming business.

Think email is a more effective tool than direct mail to generate real estate leads? Read on to see the other side of the story.

Direct mail cuts through the clutter

“In the 1970s, it was extraordinary for a person to receive as many as 50 [email] messages a day. Today, it’s not unusual for someone to receive 1,000 messages in a day,” according to Dave Crocker, administrator of emailhistory.org.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever received 1,000 pieces of direct mail on any given day.

The truth is, the volume of direct mail has decreased, starting in 2016, according to the U.S. Postal Service and the Data and Marketing Association. While this may be bad news for the post office, it’s excellent news for real estate agents who use direct mail in their marketing mix. Why?

Direct mail has a better response rate than email.

Though the volume of mail sent decreased, the response rates increased. The decrease in the volume of “junk mail” that each American receives, means less competition for those who continue direct mail marketing.

For real estate agents, that’s even better news.

Go for the best ROI

Let’s face it, many real estate agents are thrifty and when a less-expensive marketing alternative presents itself, they’ll take it. So, these agents rely more on email than on direct mail.

“If competitors are abandoning the mailbox, they’re leaving you with a huge opportunity to dominate the channel that achieves the highest response rate,” says Debora Haskel of IWCO Direct.

According to the Data and Marketing Association, direct mail boasts response rates that are from 10 to 30 times higher than that of email. It also delivers 10 percent more customers than email (according to the Direct Marketing Association, or DMA) and it’s more effective than email at inducing brand awareness.

In fact, 75 percent of people could recall the brand immediately after seeing it in a direct mail piece while only 44 percent of them could recall the brand immediately after seeing a digital ad, according to Proactive Marketing. 

The millennial misconception

If you’re targeting millennial homebuyers in your marketing efforts, direct mail should be among your weapons. There’s a misconception that this generation is completely connected electronically in all aspects of their lives.

Studies show, however, that when asked whether they were more likely to read an email with promotional content or a direct mail piece with the same content, 12 percent more millennials said they prefer the latter.

Even more surprising, was their answer to this question: “Which is more effective at getting you to take action?” Thirty percent responded that direct mail prompts them to action, while only 24 percent said email.

Choose your direct mail pieces strategically

The perfect direct mail campaign starts with a plan. Define your goal, set objectives and determine your target audience. With this information, you can put together your mailing list and then design your marketing piece.

Whether you’re mailing newsletters, postcards or anything else, your pieces need to cut through the clutter and stand out. To do that, keep text to a minimum and go heavy on the images.

“Take as much time crafting the look of your mailer as you spend on crafting the words and messaging,” suggests exactask.com’s Adam Treiser.

What formats do consumers prefer? The DMA found that oversized envelopes are opened more frequently than other direct mail pieces, followed by postcards.

Most marketing experts recommend multichannel marketing. If direct mail isn’t among the mediums you use in your marketing efforts, perhaps it should be.

Start getting more seller leads now!
Send the Time is Right postcard from the Listing Inventory Series to at least 100 prospects in an area where you want more seller leads.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1.  The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here  – Click Here

2. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan  – Click Here

3. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

 Three Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them, Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become their hero!

 

Keep Buyers Interested

The importance of video within the real estate industry applies more to listing agents than buyers’ agents, at least according to a six-year-old study. Results of the study found that 73 percent of homeowners want a listing agent who uses video to market homes.

Avoid the top 3 mistakes

Despite knowing that videos may not be popular with all homebuyers, offering them to your listing clients is mandatory. As mentioned above, most want a video of their home and they expect it. Not giving your listing clients what they want is a big mistake.

As long as you are committed to creating a video, why not create one without the mistakes, so often seen online:

  • Overly-dark videos
  • Camera shake
  • Amateur/homemade look

The following are the three most common listing video mistakes and how to correct them.

Mistake 1- Penny-pinching

The old saying that “you get what you pay for” might not have been coined by a real estate agent who pinched pennies and obtained poor quality work, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.

Videographers do charge money for their services, but they may not be as expensive as you think. In fact, we did an informal, non-scientific, cursory web search for prices and find professionals offering their services for as little as $200.

There are some photographers who offer packages which include a video walkthrough of the home. For instance, one Phoenix, Arizona photographer charges a reasonable $400 for a package that includes 25 photos, HD walkthrough video, twilight photos and a virtual tour.

Remember, your listing videos will most likely become examples in the marketing plan you show potential listing clients. Will they be examples of how you cut corners or will they show home sellers that you will pull out all the stops to sell their homes?

Mistake 2 — Not ensuring your videos do double duty

Sure, the purpose of the video is to market your listing, but videos do double duty, according to Forrester Research. Videos are 50 times more likely to show up on the first page of Google search results than text pages, if they’re optimized, according to research.

Why not leverage the power of YouTube to benefit your business while also promoting your client’s listing?

The Fix:

Mashable’s Nate Elliot suggests doing the following:

  • Use your keywords in the video’s title, tags and description when you upload it to YouTube.
  • After uploading the video to YouTube, embed it on your website. According to Elliot, Google considers “how many times a video is viewed, and any views embedded videos receive on your own site get added to the ‘views’ tally on YouTube.”
  • Create a video sitemap.
Mistake 3 – Too long, didn’t watch

When something becomes such a common, annoying practice that an acronym is created (tl;dw) stands for “too long, didn’t watch”, you know it’s best to avoid the practice.

Americans are busy. We also tend to have the attention span of a kitten – and are as easily distracted. YouTube says that visitors typically watch for 3.5 minutes.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information, on the other hand, claims that the average amount of time spent on a single video is 2 minutes and 42 seconds.

And, if you don’t get their attention in the first 10 seconds, kiss them goodbye.

In fact, research shows that you’ll lose 30 percent of viewers within the first 30 seconds of your video and, when it reaches the one-minute mark, another 45 percent will leave.

So, plan on putting the most important stuff up front and keep the entire video as short as possible.

Nearly 90 percent of the homebuyers surveyed by NAR found “photos very useful,” while only half of them said the same for real estate videos. Don’t make the common mistakes of other agents that result in unwatchable videos.

Follow the above guidelines to produce listing videos that enhance your marketing and sales efforts and keep your clients smiling.

Another way to capture the attention of home buyers is to send Property Showcase Just Listed postcards to the area surrounding your new listing.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan  – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

3. The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here  – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

 Three Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them, Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become their hero!

Convert More Leads to Listings

If your blog isn’t performing in a way that is resulting in new potential listing traffic, it may be time for a tune-up.

Yes, we get that you’re busy, but this process is painless and can be done in pieces so you won’t have to take an entire day or evening to get it done.

Best of all, these tips will help improve your site’s visibility, your visitor’s experience and you won’t have to hire a web developer.

Fix broken links

Broken links on your blog return 404 errors to your users. They become frustrated and click away. As a result, you’ve lost them and probably for good. Broken links also impact your search engine ranking.

In essence, broken links are broken promises, so the first step in the blog tune-up is to check for and fix them.

There are several easy and free ways to do this:

  • WordPress site? Install “Broken Link Checker”. You can find a walk-through of the process (it’s quite easy) at Org.
  • Check My Links – a Chrome browser extension that checks all the links on a page. Find it in the Chrome Webstore.
  • Xenu Web Sleuth – it’s a rather odd-looking website, and you’ll need to download the software, but according to many, it’s one of the best, free ways to check for dead links.

Remove any dead links that can’t be replaced and update those that can.

While you’re in “link” mode

How is your internal linking structure? Linking from one blog post to another on your site keeps your reader engaged longer on your blog. In addition, search engine spiders love internal links.

Go through some of your most popular blog posts and find opportunities to link to other posts on your site.

Add some bling

Blog posts with compelling images are read more often than those that offer poor images. Therefore, check your blog post images and replace any that may be doing more harm than good.

Try using Canva.com to create overlays on your photos to give them that Pinterest look. It’s free and, once you get the hang of it, quite easy to use.

You can find free images online at:

  • Pixabay
  • Pexels
  • Morgue File
  • New Old Stock (vintage photos)
  • SkitterPhoto (click on “Browse Free Photos)
  • Unsplash

Fix blog format problems

The name of the game when writing a blog post is “white space.” Don’t torture your visitor with great, big blocks of text. Break it up with short paragraphs, the use of images, quotes, subheadings and bulleted lists.

Throw out everything you learned in English composition. You aren’t writing for a teacher, you’re writing for someone who typically scans text online. If it appears on the first scan to be too much of a chore to read, they’ll leave.

A good rule of thumb is to break up any paragraph that exceeds five sentences in length.

How’s your call to action?

If you hope to convert your blog visitors to leads, you’ll need effective “calls to action”. Any money and effort you expend to drive traffic to your blog is wasted if your posts lack this critical component.

Your call to action must consist of the following:

  • Make it unique
  • Use enticing offers
  • It must be prominent
Check your post titles

We get it, you’re not a copywriter. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should neglect the most important component of each post, the title.

A compelling, descriptive headline can mean the difference between the reader leaving or staying. It also impacts whether they click on the post’s link when you share it on social media.

Look at each headline and ask yourself if you would be compelled to read on if it weren’t your blog. If not, fix the ones that don’t work.

Magazine covers are ideal places to look for ideas on how to write catchy blog titles.

Order at least 100 of the Free Report, “5 Reasons Why Your House May Not Sell”, and use them as an opt-in on your blog site.
Also, for extra lift add them as a “call to action” on all of your marketing pieces.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan  – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

3. The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here  – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

 Three Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become their hero!

Engage the right audience

Ok, I’ll say it: some real estate clients are better than others. The qualities that go into the making of the ideal client are subjective, but the fact remains that your favorite clients, financially and otherwise, are head and shoulders above the rest.

So, how can you attract more like them and fewer of the others?

It starts with your branding. Since it’s the chief attractor of leads, improving your branding will help you attract more of the leads you are seeking.

You are your branding

Scary, right? Unless you are the agent that has spent a great deal of time working on your brand, what you are putting out there may appear unfocused and too general.

Let’s break it down and see where you might need a new strategy.

First, who is your target client? And, no, “anyone with a pulse” isn’t the correct answer. In fact, pursuing all real estate consumers is one of the most common mistakes real estate agents make. When you try to be the “every agent” to everyone, you lack focus and your brand gets watered down.

Instead of standing out, you blend in.

Take some time to think back on your past clients, picking out those you truly enjoyed working with and who were most profitable. See what each of them have in common and then write out their client profile, combining the commonalities among those on your list.

Focus in

Are you suffering a brand identity crisis? It happens frequently when agents don’t take the time to focus on a target client pool.

For instance, suppose the primary real estate consumers in your area are Gen Xers with a family and a home to sell before they buy another. However, your blog posts and social media shares are about condos and your happy hour cocktail client events don’t speak to the primary client pool at all.

Once you have narrowed down your ideal client, it’s time to customize your brand (and content is a main component) to appeal to and speak to that client.

When you strategically focus your brand’s “voice,” you’re more likely to attract the clients you prefer.

Keep it simple

Hopefully, your brand communicates to potential clients in a way that engages them. Unless you’re a strictly luxury home agent, this means keeping your web content and blog posts simple – writing in plain English and at a 9th-grade level.

Sounds weird until you understand that the average American adult reads at a 9th-grade level, although studies show that we prefer to read at a 7th-grade level, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy.

Other studies show that nearly 80 percent of us don’t really read the words but scan the content. Therefore, the average reader isn’t looking for flowery prose, real estate jargon they can’t decipher, clichés or self-promotion.

And, whatever you do, avoid trying to sound like every other agent in town.

“Would you go to a dinner party and repeat what the person to the right of you is saying? Would that be interesting to anybody? Why are so many businesses saying the same things at the biggest party on the planet — the marketplace?” Jason Fried, co-founder of Basecamp asks in an article at Inc.com.

Keep your content simple in vocabulary, friendly and engaging while you supply your ideal client with the real estate information he or she craves. How’s the current market? What step should I take next?

Your brand’s voice, evident in your content is important, but it’s speaking to an empty room if you don’t promote it. Use social media channels and direct mail marketing to push out your branded content and bring more eyes back to your website and more calls to your phone.

Brand voice is just one part of a brand, but, for real estate agents, it may just be the most important aspect.

Are you currently focused on attracting sellers? What do sellers want more than anything? Buyers!
Send the I Have a Buyer postcard from the Listing Inventory Series to 100 prospects in an area where you want more listings.

Need help targeting buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

3. The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

Three Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become a hero!

The right audience

Before you can sell anything to anyone, you must reach the right audience.

Your first step in creating a marketing plan for your new listing is to figure out and target the right buyer. The following are some avenues that will help you narrow down the buyer pool.

Go to the source

Talk to your listing client about their neighbors – are they primarily young families, older couples with kids still in the home, retirees, singles?

Location, as you know, is very important in determining a home’s value, but it can also help you pinpoint the likely buyer. Make note of it’s proximity to anything that is popular with homebuyers:

  • Quality schools
  • Shopping, dining and entertainment venues
  • Parks
  • Walking/biking paths
  • Beaches
  • Recreational opportunities, such as ski resorts, golf, equestrian center

The home holds clues

Everything from the price of the home to the square footage can serve as clues to help you narrow down your target market. For instance, smaller, single-story homes may be attractive to older clients while larger, roomier homes in the suburbs are hot with Gen X.

Also, consider any amenities the home offers. Homes with playrooms or a den are ideal for families. Backyards might lure pet owners, but backyards with space for entertaining are magnets for several different types of buyers (young professionals, families, etc.)

Then, use demographics to help you further define the buyer. Is this person single or married? Children? How old would you say the buyer is?

You can figure this out by using some of the various studies you’ll find on the internet.

  • Luxury home? A female between the ages of 50 and 60 may be your target. This group of Americans controls more than half of the country’s wealth. One study found more than 60 percent of luxury home clients were age 45 to 54.
  • A home with more than 2,000 square feet of living space, especially with close proximity to a decent school, your likely buyer will be a member of Gen X, with children.
  • Starter home: If it’s located in the suburbs you’ll be visited by both Millennials and baby boomers. If it features a walk-in closet in the master bedroom and a front porch, you’ll attract the former, while a dedicated laundry room, air conditioning, and a patio will attract the latter.

If you find your buyer will most likely be a Millennial, hire a professional photographer to snap the marketing photos. According to a Zillow study, nearly 60 percent of buyers in this generation say professional pictures are an important factor in their homebuying decision.

The bottom line

You may need to come up with profiles for two or more buying groups. If so, distill each one into one persona and keep those specific personas in mind when targeting your marketing.

Once you figure out who to target when marketing your listing, you’ll find that many of your other listing duties fall into place naturally. You can more confidently recommend which items need to be repaired, for instance, and how to stage the home to appeal to the likely buyer.

Now it’s time to determine your target market and create the perfect mailing list, Go Here.
Then send the Waiting, Waiting Waiting postcard from the Fence Sitter – Buyers Series to at least 100 buyers that you have targeted.

Need help targeting those buyers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

3. The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

Three Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Why They are so Important

Sure, you’ll have a chance to dance the night away, sightsee and maybe, if inclined, get tipsy when you attend one of the multitudes of real estate conventions and conferences held every year.

But that shouldn’t trivialize the value they offer you as a business owner and real estate agent. Building relationships, gaining new knowledge and soaking in inspiration—all in one place—is multi-tasking at its finest.

Learning new ways of doing real estate

The educational opportunities offered through the workshops and by attending the lectures from well-known trainers and successful agents are worth their weight in gold.

Think about it: how much time can you devote during a typical work week to bring yourself up to date on the various tech trends agents are utilizing in their businesses?  And also find out what’s coming down the pike that may relieve some of the pressure on your schedule?

Attending a real estate convention forces you to take the time to slow down and pay attention to ideas and trends that you can employ in your own business.

Then, there are the hands-on demonstrations at the trade expos where you can actually see new products and technology in action, rather than just read about them online.

Schmoozing is good for business

Most of us have a circle of colleagues that we occasionally socialize with over a drink or a cup of coffee. Typically, we discuss clients, rarely touching on and sharing new ideas (they may be friends, but they’re our competition as well).

Getting away from the office, out of town, where you can make new connections with agents from different markets, frees you to speak more candidly. You may learn new marketing ideas (or new twists on old ideas). You’ll definitely broaden your referral base and build new relationships.

Don’t limit your networking to the event’s venue, but “look out for vendor parties and other events outside of the main stage,” suggests Kayla Matthews at inman.com. “Those outside events are great ways to deepen the connection you’ve made with other professionals at the conference during the day.”

Get inspired

From motivational lectures by some of the country’s top real estate coaches to success stories from other agents, inspiration abounds at real estate conferences.

And, no, it’s not the same as listening to a motivation CD in your car. Being surrounded by like-minded people, the applause and bright lights ratchet up the excitement level unlike what you can experience listening to a CD.

If you plan on attending Inman Connect San Francisco this year (July 16 to 20), you’ll find a long list of speakers who are sure to inspire you to higher levels of tech use, to build a team, become a better leader and more.

Tom Ferry’s next Success Summit is happening in Anaheim, CA (August 6 to 9). There you can pick up tips on lead conversion, marketing strategies and get inspired to become more efficient.

If you’ve yet to attend a REALTORS® Conference & Expo, make it a point to attend this year when it’s held in Boston from November 2 through 5. Last year’s attendees learned about their successful competitors and what they bring to the table and information that inspired them to prospect “like never before.”

Or, step outside your box

If the thought of sitting in a room with 4,000 other people who work the same grind as you makes you want to curl up in a ball, consider different types of conferences.

For instance, if you want to utilize technology more in your business, get up to speed on what’s new and what’s coming down the pike at a Growth Hackers summit. While 2018’s was held in February, consider joining them next year. They promise to offer inspiration to “people looking to grow their businesses.”

Or, niche down even smaller and attend the next Traffic & Conversion Summit and learn how to convert your website traffic, content marketing, Pinterest promoted pins, Facebook video tests and more. The speaker’s list features leading minds from the digital marketing world. This is another that was held in February of this year, so make it a point to attend next year’s.

Attending industry and even non-industry conferences give you a chance to re-evaluate what you’re doing and find tips to learn how to do it better and more efficiently. Yes, they can be expensive to attend but consider it an investment in your business and don’t forget – they’re tax deductible.

To create growth in your business right now, send the Free List of Homes postcard from the Call to Action Series to at least 100 prospects in an area where you want more listings, today.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers or buyers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan  – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

3. The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here  – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

 3 Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

New agents, tortured by what feels like an enormously long wait between license application and receipt, typically tend to want to hit the ground running the minute that license is in the broker’s hands.

It’s only natural to want to jet down the runway to success, but how will you get from here to there?

That’s what a business plan is: a roadmap of how to reach your income goals from where you are right now. Once you’re familiar with the real estate terrain, and you know the shortcuts, the map may feel like an unnecessary encumbrance, but it’s not.

Business plans aren’t static and require tweaking as you move up in your real estate career. Your sphere of influence grows, requiring the use of good contact management software. Your personal expenses may change and you will no doubt need to adjust your marketing expenses along the way.

The process of creating a “roadmap for success” for the new agent is a bit challenging, though. I mean, you have no past expenses with which to estimate a budget. How do you plan for marketing when you don’t know how much money you’ll have to play with?

You estimate. It’s that simple.

Map out your first-year goals

Make a realistic determination of where you want to be in your new business by the end of your first year.

This should include both a financial goal (how much money you’ll make) and other goals as well. For instance, your goals may include adding 100 people to your sphere of influence or to come up with a killer listing presentation. A financial goal could be planning to put aside a certain dollar amount to buy additional tools.

Create a budget

To come up with an accurate budget requires understanding your personal as well as business expenses, both fixed and variable.

Start with your personal expenses, such as your house payment or rent, what you pay for utilities, groceries, entertainment and the like. This will give you an idea of the total amount of income you’ll need to cover these expenses.

Determining your business expenses will be a bit more challenging since you have no figures from last year on which to base your assumptions. Breaking these expenses into smaller chunks will help you get a handle on them.

Startup expenses: These include your NAR, state and local association fees, MLS dues, lockbox expenses and the cost of any tools you’ll need to buy to get going (laptop, software, website expenses, etc.).

Marketing expenses: You’ll need to market your business as well as any homes you may list this year. We offer a series of Agent Introduction, Listing Inventory and Just Listed postcards that will get you off on the right foot.

Ongoing expenses: Your automobile gas budget is about to explode now that you are part of the real estate industry. Plan on spending a good deal of your budget on your vehicle – maintenance and gas for starters.

Then, there are your phone, internet, web hosting and the other costs that will recur routinely throughout the year.

How much do you need to make?

This is the trickiest part of your business plan, but the most critical as well. You’ll want to estimate how many sides you’ll need this year to get the money you want to make. This means figuring out how many prospects it will take to get a transaction, knowing the average sales price in the area in which you work and crunching some numbers.

We have put together the perfect simple yet effective business plan worksheet to help you do these calculations. You can find it online here.

Once you know how many listings or sales you’ll need each month to reach your financial goals, you’re on your way to success.

It’s time to introduce your new status to the world (or at least your corner of it).

Send out the Neighborhood Specialist postcard from the Agent Introduction Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area you want listings.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers or buyers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan  – Click Here

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator. 

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

3. The 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 Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here  – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools 🙂

 3 Click Postcards – Just snap a home photo & create a postcard all from your mobile phone

MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Real Estate Door Hangers That Work

Door Hangers are the perfect tool for branding yourself as the neighborhood expert. They catch attention, provide the perfect reason for canvassing, and are an easy and effective leave behind.

Here are seven ways to SCORE BIG using Door Hangers.

1.  Content is key

The right door hanger for the right situation is key. Who are you trying to attract? Our Listing Inventory Series of Door Hangers are designed specifically to help agents find more sellers.

We also offer FSBO’s Door Hangers and Expireds Door Hangers, which are handy to have in the car when you come across a FSBO that just popped up or see an expired come off the market that’s close by.

In addition, you can use door hangers to brand yourself, spotlight a new listing, or advertise an open house.  The possibilities are endless.

 

2.  Include a call to action

Often agents will put time and energy into getting their message right, then forget to tell their prospects what they want them to do next.  Always make sure there is a call to action that’s simple and direct on your marketing pieces. For a memorable call to action select our Free Competitive Market Analysis Door Hanger.

3.  Know your neighborhood

Know how many homes are in the neighborhood you are canvassing. Then, based on the number of homes, come up with a strategic plan for conquering the whole area over time. An easy way to confirm how many homes are in a neighborhood is to use a tool available on our EDDM page (HERE). Once there click the “Get Started” link. On the next screen, there is a link to “choose your carrier route” this tool will allow you to find out how many homes are in a given area so you’re sure to order enough door hangers.

4.  Keep them readily available 

Keep a variety of door hangers available to address different niche markets so you are prepared for any opportunity that might cross your path. Many agents stock their trunks with various materials including, objection handling brochures, extra business cards, listing agreements, presentation folders, and door hangers.  As the saying goes, “To be prepared is half the victory”.

5.  Timing is everything

If you want to just get the hangers on the door without actually talking to many people, mornings (after people leave for work) are good.  If shaking hands and making connections with potential sellers and buyers is what you are after, then early evening after people have made their way home, is a smart choice.

6.  Blitz an Area

Take your team along and create a plan of attack that includes breaking up the canvassing in sections. Then blitz the neighborhood from all sides and begin the process of branding the area and officially introducing everyone to the new area experts.

7.  The layered approach

Prior to delivering door hangers to a specific neighborhood or in conjunction with this effort, make a few phone calls, send some agent introduction postcards or a community newsletter.  That way when you are meeting face-to-face, your prospects will be more likely to recognize you as the ‘neighborhood expert.’  If you’re using the listing inventory door hangers, we have Listing Inventory Postcards that compliment them nicely. You can find them here.

Get prepared for your next FSBO sighting by ordering 100 FSBO Door Hangers today to have available to leave on the door of the next home you see with a FSBO sign.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: Get Instant Access below to 3 FREE tools that will help you CONQUER Your Market this year!

1. An Easy & Effective Agent Business Plan – Treating your business like a business it is crucial to your success. Our one-page simple, yet powerful agent business plan is the answer! – Click Here

2. Marketing Dollars Success Tool – Enter your numbers into our Free online calculator to find out how to get the best ROI from your marketing dollar, instantly! – Click Here

3. Get a 12 Month Expert Marketing Plan – Get a free 12-month plan for What marketing to do when. Four key target markets included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

Also…check out these cool tools created to make YOUR life easier 🙂

Turn One Listing Into Many – All From Your Mobile Phone, Click Here

Automatically Send Your Just Listed/Just Sold Postcards – Work Smarter Not Harder, Click Here

Become a Neighborhood Brand – With the Market Dominator System, Click Here

 

Time vs Reward

While a lot of real estate agents know about Google AdWords, there are many who don’t understand how it works and why they should consider using it to advertise their business.

All advertising campaigns require careful consideration as to the amount of time they take, the cost and, most especially, the return on your investment dollar. Let’s take a closer look at these concerns and how AdWords fits in.

Learning Curve

Determining keywords, deciding how much to pay for them and tracking your ads takes time. For the busy real estate agent or those who are inexperienced with online advertising—especially advertising on Google—expect a huge amount of time on just the learning curve alone.

Then, tracking the ads’ effectiveness involves another huge chunk of time.

Cost

Since it costs nothing to set up a Google Adwords account, the cheapest way to get started is to do it yourself. Navigate to adwords.google.com and you’ll find step-by-step instructions on how to set up the entire program.

So, How Does it Work?

Google is the largest search engine in the world and, last month, it garnered nearly 92 percent of the search market share, worldwide.

Regardless of where you advertise online and whether you buy leads or clicks, the truth is that Google is so ubiquitous, whoever finds you probably uses Google.

The good news is that Google tends to offer a fairly high return on investment. It works on an auction model, so the more popular the keyword you want, the more you’ll pay.

Now, it’s not a straight auction model because they also care about relevancy, so if your landing page is judged highly relevant to your keyword, they’ll allow you to bid a little bit lower for the ad.

Not only that, but the more relevant pages are ranked the highest.

Google assigns what they call a Quality Score to every landing page for every keyword. Let’s assume that your landing page is generic and you want to bid on the keyword phrase “Portland Real Estate.”

Any agents whose landing pages have a higher Quality Score, also bidding on the same keyword phrase, will rank above your page in the search results.

Advantages

 In one sentence: Google AdWords is a fast, highly scalable, easy and somewhat predictable way to advertise – if you know what you’re doing.

  • Scalability: You decide how much you spend and when and how to adjust your ads.
  • Predictable: Once you know what you’re doing you can determine your ROI.
  • Quicker: You’ll see results faster than you will with trying to SEO your way to page one organically.
Disadvantages

Ok, so it’s not all perfect. The learning curve is steep and overly time-consuming. Then, there are the ongoing management and maintenance headaches. This combination can deter many from using Google AdWords.

The bottom line

If you choose to begin using AdWords, you’ll need to determine a daily budget and then keep up with prices, perform ongoing keyword research and understand the analytics well enough to figure out what is working and what isn’t.

In the end, since all of these tasks take time, many agents choose to outsource the management and maintenance of their AdWords account.

Start attracting new listings with a form of marketing that is studied to have a 75% brand recall – Direct Mail Marketing!*
Send 100 Take Advantage of the Market Postcards from our Listing Inventory Series to an area where you would like more listings now.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: Get Instant Access below to 3 Free tools that will help you Dominate Your Market this year!

1. An Easy & Effective Agent Business Plan 

Treating your business like a business it is crucial to your success. Our one-page simple yet powerful agent business plan is the answer! – Click Here

2. Marketing Dollars Success Tool

Enter your numbers into our Free online calculator to find out how to get the best ROI from your marketing dollar, instantly! – Click Here

3. Get a 12 Month Expert Marketing Plan

Get a free 12-month plan for What marketing to do when. Four key target markets included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

Also…check these out 🙂

Turn One Listing Into Many – From Your Mobile Phone

Automatically Send Your Just Listed/Just Sold Postcards – Work Smarter Not Harder

Become a Neighborhood Brand – With the Market Dominator System

(*Direct mail has a 75% brand recall. Source: DMA Response Rate Report)

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