CLOSE
Saturday, July 26, 2025

Lisa Gray

823 POSTS 0 COMMENTS
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.

    Can someone point out where it’s written that real estate agents need to be active on every social media platform?

    I didn’t think so.

    Real estate agents, if they’re doing it right, have insanely busy schedules and little help with the scut work.

    Not that marketing your business is necessarily scut work, but the actual implementation of social media marketing methods often is.

    Since demographics on these platforms ebb and flow, it’s challenging to figure out which ones are worthy of your precious time and money and which to cut loose.

    The Valentine’s Day postcards are available under the Holiday Series in the Postcard Section

    So, we thought we’d help you out a bit by doing some of the research for you.

    It’s all about the demographics

    “Popularity was fickle and elusive, like trying to catch fireflies in a jar,” according to author Melissa de la Cruz. While she wasn’t referring to social media, the quote certainly fits.

    It’s important to not buy into the hype when researching social media platforms. That Twitter boasts 330 million monthly active users means nothing other than that a whole bunch of people use it.

    The two most important statistics for real estate agents to know are:

    • How many of these users are located in the U.S.?
    • A breakdown of these U.S. users by age group

    For instance, of those 330 million monthly Twitter users, only 20 percent are located in the U.S. There are other social media platforms that offer a larger U.S. user base.

    The age of the average user is critically important for real estate agents when choosing where to market their businesses.

    The NAR breaks down buyers and sellers according to generational cohorts:

    Millennials will be between the ages of 25-43 in 2020. They represent:

    • 37 percent of buyers
    • 20% of sellers

    Gen X members are between the ages of 44 and 55 this year and they represent:

    • 24% of buyers
    • 25% of sellers

    Baby Boomers are age 56-74 in 2020 and they make up:

    • 32% of the buyer pool
    • 43% of sellers

    Keep in mind that the average age of a homebuyer is 47 and the average age of a home seller is 57, according to the NAR.

    Obviously, if you are a listing agent you are going to want to put your marketing money and time into the platform that attracts baby boomers and older members of Gen X.

    The Valentine’s Day postcards are available under the Holiday Series in teh Postcard Section

    Buyers’ agents should go all-in on platforms that are popular with Gen X but figure out where millennials hang out as well.

    Facebook

    Every year when we take a look back at social media user statistics Facebook comes out the clear winner and, although its popularity is waning, 2020 should be no exception.

    Last year, the largest group of U.S. Facebook users were millennials, at 84 percent. The next largest age group, 30 to 49, includes younger members of Gen X.

    Older generations are well-represented as well, with two-thirds of older Gen Xers and boomers and nearly half of older boomers (older than 65) using Facebook.

    Facebook remains a no-brainer for real estate agents, whether trying to boost organic traffic to websites or using targeted advertising.

    Instagram

    Our opinion? For real estate agents, Instagram is mostly not as effective as Facebook.

    • Of the platform’s 1 billion users, only 11 percent reside in the U.S.
    • Only one-third of the most-viewed stories are from businesses.
    • Instagram ranks sixth in global popularity (Hootsuite).
    • Instagram’s largest user base (64 percent) is between the ages of 18 and 34.

    Consider this as well:

    If your looking to target a younger demographic this is a great platform.

    Don’t be sucked in by the number of businesses that use the platform. Their targeted demographics are most likely not nearly as narrow as yours. For instance, they may be after a global audience or want to appeal to teens and young adults.

    If you are already creating posts for Facebook, it should be fairly easy to copy them and post to Instagram as well. The more reach and visibility you can generate from posting your brand or listings the better!

    Remember to keep a close eye on your targeted audience and make sure your content matches the demographic.

    The Valentine’s Day postcards are available under the Holiday Series in teh Postcard Section

    Check back soon when we compare two more popular social media platforms.

    Send Valentine’s Day postcard from the Holiday Series to your Sphere of Influence. Let them know you are thinking about them.

    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 Free killer tools to help your success this year!

    1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

    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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

     

     

     

    2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

    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. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

    The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

     

     

     

    4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

    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 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

     

     

      Bathrooms and kitchens. Anyone who has been listing real estate for more than a minute is aware that these two rooms dominate the consciousness of every homebuyer. Or, so we’ve been led to believe.

      Sadly, the adherence to the perceived need to sell these two rooms leaves the rest of the house feeling like the neglected stepchild.

      Nobody expects your listing descriptions to read like they came from the fingertips of the world’s greatest copywriter.

      What buyers do expect, and seldom get, is value for the time they spend reading them. That value remains undelivered when important information is left out. And the good news is that the information doesn’t need to eat up your valuable MLS word count if you can convey it with photos.

      The Neighborhood Update postcard is available under the Postcard section.

      We’ve noticed that there are three areas of a home in particular that agents tend to ignore. Three areas, we assure you, buyers want to know about.

      1. The Backyard

      Why does a homebuyer prefer a single-family residence over a condo?

      There are several reasons, as you know, and chief among them is the backyard. Even a tiny backyard is better than a condo’s lanai. If the buyer entertains a lot, loves to tinker in the garden or has kids/pets that crave the outdoors, a condo won’t work.

      For the past few years, outdoor living spaces have been in-demand with homebuyers. Last year, however, became the year of the patio, at least according to studies by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

      More than 80 percent of homebuyers surveyed said that a patio in their new home is a must.

      How often are patios staged? More important, how often do you see patios featured in listing descriptions?

      Convince your listing clients to stage the patio. Then, ditch two or three of the 500 kitchen photos you’d planned on posting and use patio photos in their place on your next listing description.

      Get patio staging tips at Pinterest.com.

      The Free Local Market Statistics postcard is available under the Call to Action Series in the Postcard section.

      We’re willing to bet your efforts will build traffic through the listing – especially if you also highlight the rest of the areas of the home most listing agents neglect.

      1. The Garage

      We’re going out on a limb here to guess that the reason listing photos don’t include any of the home’s garages is because most garages we’ve seen are akin to the kitchen junk drawer, but on a larger scale.

      It’s going to take a lot of convincing to get your clients to clean out the garage. Maybe if you let them know that nearly 90 percent of homebuyers say that garage storage is essential, they’ll act.

      In other words, there’s a real good chance that if your clients’ homes don’t clearly show potential buyers how much storage space there is in the garage, they’ll find a home that does.

      Decluttering is a good first step, but staging the garage will wow potential buyers. If your clients already have storage solutions built in, use them in the staging. Otherwise, convince them to buy racks, shelves and ceiling storage units.

      Online ideas abound, but nobody does it better than Pinterest.com.

      Your listing’s garage is so much more than home to two or three cars – so prove it to garage-hungry buyers.

      1. The Laundry Room

      It’s a rare agent’s remarks space that includes mention of a laundry room. Typically, one needs to look beyond the listing description into the features section where you will or won’t find an “X” in the box next to “Laundry Room.”

      When one considers that the number one feature that most homebuyers claim is essential in their new home is a laundry room, according to the NAHB survey, neglecting to play up the feature is nuts.

      By the way, nearly three quarters of repeat buyers say that a laundry room is more important to them than a living room.

      A lot of this desire has to do with the storage a laundry room provides – at least enough room to stack folded laundry and stow dirty stuff.

      Even the smallest room, however, will please would-be homeowners. If your client’s budget allows for the addition of a laundry room, suggest a basement remodel.

      Paul Sullivan, president of a Massachusetts remodeling firm explains to the editors at Kiplinger.com that since the “utility lines are already there” and the addition most likely won’t involve demolition, the cost can run as low as $1,000.

      The Neighborhood Update postcard is available under the Postcard section.

      Make 2020 the year your listing descriptions and photos show buyers the features they’re truly interested in.

      Send the Neighborhood Update postcard from the Neighborhood Update Series to an area where you want more listings.

      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 Free killer tools to help your success this year!

      1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

      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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

       

       

       

      2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

      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. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

      The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

       

       

       

      4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

      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 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

       

        Ellen DeGeneres, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Lady Gaga. There is something oddly similar about those three. Love them or despise them, they all have great-big personalities.

        And, they were all, at one time, employed in the food and beverage industry (DeGeneres and Ocasio-Cortez bartended and Lady Gaga waited tables).

        If you’ve ever worked in the hospitality industry, you know that there is a direct correlation between building rapport with your customers and your tip income.

        After all, do you tip the grumpy waitress, the bartender who ignores you or the bouncer who makes you wait until the “important” people are let into the club?

        Like real estate, many of the jobs in these industries have a low bar of entry. Let’s face it, waiting tables is easy to learn. Waiting for them with elegance, with class and with customer service top-of-mind is a bit harder.

        The House Feeling a Little Empty postcard is available under the Life Event Series in the Postcard section.
        Being personable leads to the bigger bucks

        Even the bartender who mixes a mean Manhattan won’t build a following without a bit of personality. It’s the same in real estate.

        An agent can have an expert-level understanding of contracts and marketing but, without the ability to build rapport, will fail to build a referral base. Without that, he or she will be forever chasing after new business.

        Think about the waiters and waitresses you’ve over-tipped – it was their personality, their ability to interact that compelled your generosity, right?

        Sure, you can be a ho-hum agent, do the minimum required and still make as much on a transaction as an agent who goes above and beyond in providing customer service.

        And, if you don’t want or need repeat business and referrals, go ahead and be that agent otherwise read on.

        The approach

        “When greeting a guest I always approach the table with a smile,” Jenna Paul, server and assistant general manager of The Peached Tortilla in Austin Texas tells Jane Ko at Seasoned.co.

        Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But the advice also applies to real estate agents. Whether you’re knocking on doors, schmoozing at community events or greeting who you hope will be your next listing client, a smile is imperative.

        Smiling puts a potential client at ease and builds that first step toward genuine rapport. “People like that warm and inviting welcome,” says Chance Ramsey, assistant general manager at Contigo, also in Austin.

        Step two to blissful rapport

        “Don’t worry – he’s one of us.” You know that feeling you get when you’re sure you’ve just met a like-minded individual and everything clicks?

        My “one of us” may be vastly different than yours. But we know, instinctually, whether or not someone is like us or not like us.

        The Ready to Sell the Lawnmower postcard is available under the Life Event Series in the Postcard section.

        “Rapport is established by creating a common ground with your guests that enable them to put you in the “like me” category,” David Hayden explains to food and beverage employees at TipsSquared.com.

        He goes on to explain that being perceived as one of your potential clients’ “good guys (or gals)” … “puts them at ease” and builds trust.

        So, how do you become a member of their tribe? Consider mirroring. Tony Robbins suggests that mirroring is the ideal technique to help you learn something new, be it a new habit or strategy.

        Author, trainer and business speaker Jeff Mowatt, takes it a step further by applying the technique to building rapport in sales and uses food and beverage workers trained in the technique, as examples.

        “Match your customer’s style,” he begins. “Pay attention to how your customer prefers to communicate and get in step. Does your customer prefer to get right down to business, or warm up by engaging in small talk?”

        “If your customer talks quickly and loudly, make an effort to match that energy,” and “if the other person talks softly, then you talk more softy,” he suggests.

        “If they lean forward, then you lean forward … In other words, you ‘mirror’ the other person’s tone of voice and body language.”

        Think about DeGeneres today. Aside from the big, bold personality, she’s someone with whom people connect. The same can be said for another one-time hospitality worker, Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

        A one-time nightclub bouncer in Buenos Aires, he is known today as Pope Francis. “The People’s Pope,” to many, he has made it his mission to build rapport across the globe.

        Being personable in the hospitality industry leads to immediate gratification in the form of higher tips.

        The Want More Time for Play postcard is available under the Life Event Series in the Postcard section.

        In real estate, the gratification is delayed. But, when it comes, it pays off in big bucks.

        Go after the Empty Nest niche market by sending the Want More Time for Play postcard from the Life Event Series.

        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 Free killer tools to help your success this year!

        1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

        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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

         

         

         

        2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

        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. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

        The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

         

         

         

        4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

        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 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

         

         

          We have a first and second place winner!

          A first-place iPhone 11 winner & a second-place $100 Gift Card winner!

          1. Congratulations Jesse Baxley on winning the iPhone 11!

          Jesse shared the following feedback with ProspectsPLUS!.

          “Fantastic service for real estate agents. Extremely user-friendly. Great customer service! I send out 100s of postcards a month and they haven’t let me down yet!

          If you’re a real estate agent and need to send out just listed or just sold postcards then this is the place!!”

          Jesse’s latest marketing pieces he’s sent out include – Property Showcase, Just Listed, and Just Sold Postcards.

          Property Showcase postcards, Just Listed and Just Sold postcards

          2.Congratulations Kurt Clements on winning our 2nd Prize $100 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card!

          Kurt shared the following feedback with ProspectsPLUS!

          “Thank you, Kristin Morris, at ProspectsPLUS! Kristin walked me through my first mailer from start to finish.

          I can’t say enough good things about the customer service and hands-on approach I received. Thank you, Kristin Morris, and thank you ProspectsPLUS!”

          Kurt’s latest marketing pieces include – Free Reports and Get More Listings postcards.

          Free Reports and Get More Listings postcards.

          Take the lead from Jesse and Kurt send at least 100 marketing pieces to an area where you want more buyers and sellers!

          You might also like:

          Meet Your New 2020 Clients

          Meet Your 2020 Homebuying Client

          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!

            Just schedule any campaign listed, here, beginning today (December 29th, 2020) and we will automatically send you Unlock Success in the mail (allow 5 to 10 business days for delivery). This offer is available only while supplies last.

            Unlock Success contains 101 of Floyd Wickman’s greatest dialogues in audio format (on USB flash drive).

            Topics include negotiating commission, building trust, overcoming objections, mastering prospecting skills, and more.

            Launch your Scheduled Campaign today and get Floyd Wickman’s Unlock Success for Free, click the “GO NOW” button to get started.

            GO NOW

              The new year is closing in, a time for resolutions and new beginnings; the ideal time to kick bad habits to the curb and create a kinder, gentler you.

              I once read a stream of responses to a Trulia blog post about real estate agents behaving badly. Responses from agents to the post included words such as “arrogant,” “inconsiderate,” and “dishonest” when describing the bad apples in their market.

              One agent commented that there are a number of agents in her market that she hopes she never has to do another deal with. “Those agents’ reputations are tarnished,” she said.

              I think it’s safe to say that the majority of real estate agents work diligently to protect not only their own reputations but that of the industry as a whole.

              But even one instance of having to make an excuse to a client for another agent’s actions is too many.

              If you’re an agent that finds it challenging to play nice with colleagues, make 2020 the year you rescue your reputation.

              The Agent Introduction postcards can be found in the postcard section under the Agent Introduction Series.

              Respond to voicemails and texts

              When I enter “Listing agents don’t return phone calls” into Google, the search engine returns “about 120,000,000 results.”

              One hundred twenty million results

              Embarrassed yet?

              Ben Sears, a flipper commenting at BiggerPockets.com, complained about one listing agent who ignored repeated messages left for her. In the end, “It took three weeks for my realtor [sic] to get a lockbox code on a property we’re looking at.”

              Can you imagine being the owner of that property, finding out that Ben wanted to make an offer but his agent’s calls to his or her agent went unanswered?

              “The listing agent won’t answer the phone,” he said. “Calls to the broker have been dead ends. They promise to forward messages but no calls back.”

              Ben’s agent is going to think twice about subjecting her future clients to the actions (or inactions) of this particular agent. Would you work with her?

              When agents don’t extend the professional courtesy of a return phone call to other agents, they are also doing irreparable harm to their clients. Ben, for instance, is an investor. His offer could’ve saved the homeowner from having the dreaded “foreclosure” on his credit record. As it is, the lender eventually took the home. All because the listing agent couldn’t be bothered to return phone calls.

              Open House/Property Flyers are located under the Flyers in the Property Flyer section.

              This is not only a breach of an agent’s fiduciary duties, but it’s a reputation crusher as well.

              Don’t even consider fluffing up property descriptions in the MLS

              Lying listings. Most agents who’ve been around a while have seen them. They describe a teardown as a “handyman special” and a dinky, claustrophobic condo as “cozy.”

              How is the buyer’s agent going to feel about you when she shows your listing that boasts of being “close to transportation” only to find that the home isn’t on public transportation, but backs to an airport runway?

              The one that truly drives other agents over the edge though, is the purposeful misclassification of townhomes and condos as single-family residences in the MLS.

              THAT one should be illegal. It’s sneaky and dishonest and a total time suck for the buyer’s agent who has to wade through the bulk they add to a listing search.

              If you are among the guilty, vow to do better this year. Your reputation will thank you for it.

              Don’t ghost other people’s clients

              If you’re strictly a buyers’ agent, and a new one at that, you can be forgiven (once) for not understanding the gyrations a homeowner goes through immediately after agreeing to a showing. Especially if the showing is last-minute and even more so if the homeowner has children and/or pets.

              It’s a race around the house, picking up, wiping up, dusting off, stowing, shoving, airing out – all the while trying to keep the kids and pets from undoing what he or she is so frantically trying to accomplish.

              Then the race to the car, the loading kids and pets into it and the drive off with no destination. Just driving, around and around, until they think the showing is over.

              Imagine how the homeowner feels when told that, after all that stress and effort, the agent and the buyer never showed up – and didn’t take the time to call and let the homeowner know they wouldn’t make it.

              Were I the homeowner, I’d leave a note on the door the entire time the home was on the market stating “Welcome Agents – Except Mary Smith with Whatever Realty. You are not allowed in my home. Ever.”

              The good news is that the real estate profession, which used to rank at the bottom of most-trusted lists, now sits slightly lower than the middle of the pack.

              We can thank journalists and members of Congress for sliding so far down that real estate agents were propelled upward in esteem.

              But agents, too, are trying harder, and that’s a good thing.

              Begin building new agent relationships with a ProspectsPLUS! holiday gift card.
              Give the gift of free marketing to the agents in your life.

              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 Free killer tools to help your success this year!

              1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

              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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

               

               

               

              2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

              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. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

              The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

               

               

               

              4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

              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 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

                A HOLIDAY GIFT FOR YOU
                To Ensure You Crush It in 2020!
                Get Them Calling YOU!
                With This Powerful Real Estate Direct Response Marketing Guide.

                There’s no better way to start the new year than armed with the tools that will make your 2020 goals happen!

                Discover the Following Insider Tips to Effective Direct Response Marketing Including:

                • Crucial steps to take before launching a campaign.
                • The number one ROI game-changer.
                • How to build trust and increase clients with ONE campaign.
                • Tricks to multiply your opportunities with Just Listed postcards.
                • Diagrams showing how to layout effective direct mail pieces.
                • Seven opportunities to target in your market – right now.
                • How to calculate the number of people you need in your Sphere of Influence.
                • How to calculate the ROI of your direct mail campaigns.
                • And much, much more.

                Take advantage of this FREE HOLIDAY GIFT from us and ensure your New Year is filled with compelling marketing that GETS RESULTS!

                GET YOUR FREE GIFT HERE

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

                Happy Holidays!

                Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

                  January is a productive time of year for listings that have expired. And in most cases, these home sellers are still motivated to sell, have a sense of urgency, and are in need of a new plan.

                  What a great combination for the right agent to take a listing and better still – create a client for life, but you have to move fast.

                  Your strategic plan of attack 

                  During the first days of January, contact every expired in your extended area by sending a postcard from the Expired Series every 5- 7 days. Then follow that up with a phone call. This strategy is so successful because it’s timely. Most of the competition will not have implemented something so quickly.

                  Remember to approach sellers of Expired listings with patience and most importantly – a real plan to get their home sold. Good people skills and the ability to bring real solutions to the table will make you the front-runner.

                  Now, there’s no doubt you’ll run into all kinds of people. Some will jump at the opportunity to get their home sold, while others will want to wait. And many will take some real salesmanship to prove that you’re the agent for the job.

                  How you react to all three will determine your success or failure at not just getting the listing – but getting it sold.

                  Get their attention

                  Continue to pull the new Expireds in your market, at least twice a week for the coming months and send them a postcard. Use the back to announce that you have a highly effective tool, “The Merchandising Review” that will help determine what went wrong with their home sale and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

                  When you receive inquiries, explain the Merchandising Review allows you to make a comprehensive analysis of whether their home is salable in today’s market. Then schedule a 20 minute time to meet with them to go over the Review.

                  Walk them through each item and negotiate the issues that might keep the property from selling.  Correct these issues, and ask if they would allow you to show them your marketing plan.

                  Educate & inspire

                  The next step is to get the listing is priced right and make sure the seller knows you’re ready, willing and able to meet their needs, but that they play a role in the successful sale of their home as well.

                  The Top Five Common Mistakes Report is a great tool for helping you to educate your seller regarding pricing their property right. Share this and other valuable Free Reports with your seller to inform and inspire them.

                  Another great opportunity to display your expertise in action is to invite your expired sellers to a weekly conference call hosted by you on the topic of selling listings fast and for the most money. Or put together a nice presentation on how you will market their home differently, and drop it off at their house.

                  The Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen postcard from the Expired Series is available in the postcard section.

                  Consider these great ideas for landing the expired listings in your market over the next couple of weeks! Then make these strategies a monthly habit to continue your success.

                  Start your campaign now by pulling the current Expireds in your market and sending out the Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen postcard from the Expired Series.
                  Then set a reminder on your phone for your next mailing seven days from that date.

                  Need help targeting Expired listings? 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 Free killer tools to help your success this year!

                  1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

                  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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

                   

                   

                  2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

                  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. Get the ALL-NEW Direct Mail Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

                  The “Crush It” Insider Guide to direct mail marketing includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

                   

                   

                   

                  4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

                  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 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

                    Many real estate agents routinely write that check to the IRS in April, June, September, and January and do little to nothing more to take the sting out of those payments.

                    Are you leaving money on the table? Most likely, says a Canadian study.

                    We’ve rounded up some of the best year-end tax planning strategies we could find. As a bonus, we have some tips on tax strategies to implement in 2020.

                    Make an IRA contribution 

                    Have you maxed out your IRA contribution for 2019? Those you make to a traditional IRA may be deductible in the year you contribute, according to the IRS (Roth IRA contributions aren’t tax-deductible).

                    There are several limitations and you can read about these (and find 2019’s limits) at Investopedia.com.

                    The best part of this tax-saving strategy is that it doesn’t expire at year-end. You have until April 15, 2020, to make your contribution.

                    Pre-pay expenses

                    If the devil is truly in the details, then he feels right at home in IRS Schedule C.

                    Most of your real estate business-related costs are listed in Part II of the schedule, so use it as a roadmap for your year-end tax planning.

                    If you are planning to hold an event in 2020, consider pre-paying for as many of the expenses as possible. The caterer most likely won’t balk at a prepayment, so if you have the money now, let it flow.

                    If you regularly spend $2,000 a month for website content, consider pre-paying your writer for the next three months. Pre-pay for Doorhangers, Newsletters, ProspectsPLUS! Gift Cards, and Free Reports, website hosting, your association dues, lockbox fees and the cost of continuing education.

                    Again, take a look at Schedule C to figure out what you can pay for now that will help boost your deductions.

                    “By making a bulk purchase at year-end, you’ll get a deduction in the current tax year for that business expense,” according to the TurboTax pros.

                    Naturally, the IRS has rules around this strategy. “In general, the tax code says that if your prepayment creates an asset, you can’t deduct it until you get the benefit,” according to the pros at wealthfactory.com.

                    Strategies to implement in 2020

                    It’s a bit late in the year for some of the best tax-saving strategies, so consider implementing them in 2020.

                    Work from home

                    If you’ve been working out of your broker’s office, you’re missing out on one of the best tax savings tactics for small business owners, the home office deduction.

                    Now, if you’ve considered your broker’s employee and not an independent contractor (or self-employed, whichever you choose to call yourself), the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) took away your ability to use this deduction.

                    Since most agents are self-employed, however, it pays to move from your broker’s office to a home office. And, by the way, you can still work part-time from your broker’s office. As long as your office at home is where most of the work takes place, you can take the home office deduction.

                    Hire Your Kids

                    It’s not a well-known tax-saving strategy, and it requires diligent record-keeping, but hiring your kids to help out in your real estate business will have you writing significantly lower checks to the IRS each quarter.

                    “The deduction reduces your federal income tax bill, your self-employment tax bill (if applicable), and your state income tax bill (if applicable),” according to Bill Bischoff at marketwatch.com.

                    Plus, there are benefits for your child as well. “… you can hire your under the-age-of-18 child (as a legitimate employee) and his or her wages will be exempt from Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and federal unemployment (FUTA) tax,”

                    Your child also won’t pay taxes on the first $12,000 of income (unless he or she has other income).

                    Yes, there are rules, such as “that the child’s wages must be reasonable for the work performed,” according to Bischoff. In other words, $50.00 an hour to your 8-year old to clean mud off your signs or for your 12-year old to dust the office won’t cut it.

                    Learn more about hiring your kids at the aforementioned Market Watch link, IRS.gov, and cripca.com.

                    Attend a conference or convention

                    Conferences and conventions offer so much to the real estate agent. From inspiration to tips on how to generate leads to how to run your business more efficiently, they’re worth the price of admission. And, that price, by the way, is tax-deductible, as is part of the cost of travel and meals.

                    Get started now to save money on your 2020 taxes.

                    Order at least 100 Free Market Report Door Hangers from the Door Hangers Series before year-end and keep them in your car to hang on the doors of prospective clients.

                    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 Free killer tools to help your success this year!

                    1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

                    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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

                     

                     

                     

                    2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

                    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. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

                    The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

                     

                     

                     

                    4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

                    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 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

                      It may seem like buyers are buyers, from one year to the next. Buyers’ agents understand, however, that no two clients are alike, and that “buyers,” as a group, hold certain commonalities.

                      We’ve already officially entered the decade of the first-time buyers, as millennials aged into the housing market. Classifying “buyers” became immensely easier. We know a whole lot about the largest group of them in the market.

                      Of course, whether buying or selling real estate, who reaches out to you for help depends on the types of consumers you’ve been stuffing into your pipeline this year and last.

                      And, how consistently you’ve kept in touch with these real estate leads.

                      In a perfect world, your CRM is impeccably organized, your leads segmented, your follow-up spot on and you perform multiple touches throughout the year.

                      The Ready to Own postcard from the First Time Buyer Series is available in the postcard section.

                      Since the world isn’t perfect (nor are most agents’ CRMs), 2020 may be feast or famine time (as usual, right?).

                      Here’s what the “experts” are saying

                      Don’t you love reading the year-end prognostications about next year’s real estate market? While in late 2018 the experts were far more committed to their guesstimates of the 2019 market, this year, they are all hedging their bets.

                      Nobody is really sure what the real estate market will be like in 2020. Except for Nobel-prize winning economist Robert Shiller.

                      In September, he stated “that the U.S. housing market could start to see a fall,” according to Harsh Chauhan at CCN.com. Chauhan bases his predictions largely on the fact that existing home sales fell 2.2 percent in September.

                      Hey, isn’t that the time the market slows every year?

                      The Six Move-Up Mistakes Homebuyers Make Report is available in the Free REport section.

                      The truth is, Americans, by and large, are optimistic about the economy. NAR’s latest quarterly survey finds that 63 percent of buyers “feel optimistic” and 52 percent are happy with the way the economy is humming along.

                      So, will 2020 be a buyers’ market or a sellers’ market?

                      I really wish that the media would survey the country’s real estate agents when putting together their year-end roundup of expert opinions.

                      What are the chances that an economist or other “expert” sitting behind a desk, set in front of a wall of framed college degrees, has actually worked with real estate clients? Day in, day out, over the past year?

                      It’s agents who are closest to the market’s pulse, who feel the changes as they happen. It often takes a month or more for the media to catch on.

                      Agents across the country have told us they agree with Freddie Mac’s forecast of “a projected upward tick in housing supply” next year. While it may not be upward enough to balance the market, it will bring relief to many buyers.

                      Speaking of which, look for demand to remain high for homes in the lower price ranges. In Chicago, for instance, this includes anything priced lower than $325,000

                      Who are these buyers and what do they want?

                      “If you’re selling a house next year, expect to see a lot of young couples walking through your doors during open houses,” claims an unnamed writer at AZBigMedia.com.

                      Oops. Millennials, by and large, don’t like open houses. Members of Generation X, on the other hand, love them. According to NAR studies, 63 percent of Gen X homebuyers claim to have visited open houses before buying.

                      Which is great news for open-house holders

                      Unlike Millennials, Gen Z clients are more likely to have a home to sell before buying, giving their lucky agents a twofer.

                      They’re buying more expensive homes as well. They require less hand-holding. Hopefully, you’ve been pursuing this cohort because they and baby boomers will be the clients who bring you the best commission checks.

                      Yes, Millennial first-time buyers are expected to still loom large in the 2020 real estate market, so if the cohort is among your target clientele, relax.

                      If, on the other hand, you’re pursuing the more-bang-for-the-buck type of Gen X transaction, get to know the master-planned communities in your market. Specifically, those that offer homes with:

                      • Three to four bedrooms in a minimum of 2,300 square feet
                      • Single-story homes for the older members of the cohort (many hope to age in place)
                      • Plenty of nearby amenities, such as parks and good schools
                      • Quick commutes to the nearest city

                      Baby boomer homebuyers, on the other hand, are typically looking to downsize, so they’re competing with Millennials for those low-priced smaller homes.

                      Many in the cohort have decided to rent while others are aging out of the housing market entirely.

                      Boomers’ hot buttons?

                      • Efficient floorplans with lots of storage options
                      • A laundry room is a must
                      • Energy-efficient appliances and windows
                      • Homes that offer smart-home technology
                      • Home office
                      • Lots of natural light
                      • Single-story homes with no stairway access
                      • Homes in walkable neighborhoods near shops and eateries

                      The cohort’s cold buttons are just as important, so don’t show them:

                      • Homes in golf course communities (unless they voice a preference for them)
                      • Homes with an elevator or wine cellar
                      • Anything with more than one story

                      The Perfect Timing postcard from the First Time Buyer Series is available in the postcard section.

                      Fortunate is the agent who steadfastly targeted the older demographics this year and last. Next year may just be your most prosperous yet.

                      Send the Perfect Timing postcard from the First Time Buyer Series to a targeted list of renters.
                      Need help targeting the perfect list of renters? 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 Free killer tools to help your success this year!

                      1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

                      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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

                       

                       

                      2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

                      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. Get the ALL-NEW “Insider Secret “Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

                      The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

                       

                       

                       

                      4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

                      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 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

                        Realtor.com is out with its 2019 hottest ZIP code list. And, no, a California ZIP code is nowhere to be seen among the top 10. In fact, nothing along the west coast made it into this elite bunch of hot real estate markets.

                        The list seems to make the case for how downright unaffordable many markets are today. It appears that folks are fleeing Seattle, Boston, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego for the saner-priced regions, mainly in our country’s midsection.

                        Homes for sale in the ZIP codes we’re about to highlight spend, on average, 17 days on the market and get 3 times more views than homes in other markets.

                        Lucky you if you serve one of these ZIP codes.

                        1. Grand Rapids, Michigan (49505)

                        Knocking Colorado Springs out of the top spot (it now sits at number 10), Grand Rapids, Michigan is the belle of the nation’s real estate ball. So much so that it’s driving the state’s steady population growth.

                        The 49505 ZIP code covers an area north of downtown Grand Rapids. It “includes a portion of the Grand River, Kent Country Club and four large parks,” according to an unnamed writer at MLive.com.

                        The “Did You Know” postcard from the Expired Series is available in the postcard section of ProspectsPLUS.com

                        So, who is moving here and why?

                        Millennials, according to the Realtor.com study, make up nearly half of purchase mortgages in 49505 and they comprise 73 percent of the people who recently moved into the area.

                        This population boom is most likely the result of all the good press the city has received over the past year or so, such as Insurify.com naming Grand Rapids the Best City for Singles in Michigan.

                        Then, there’s the CNN kudos to the city as one of the 15 Best Beer Cities Around the World.

                        We think one of the biggest draws, at least for millennials, is the jobs market. “Business Facilities named Grand Rapids the top mid-sized city in the U.S. for economic growth,” according to MLive.com.

                        The area’s largest employer is Spectrum Health, with about 25,000 employees.

                        This particular ZIP is popular with families and they’re snatching up homes for sale within 10 days of them hitting the market, willing to fork over $178,050 (median list price).

                        If you aren’t familiar with the area, take a look at what’s listed for sale. It’s no wonder millennials are flocking to this area of adorable homes.

                        1. Omaha, Nebraska (68144)

                        Folks looking for a snappy commute to work may be part of the reason this Omaha ZIP code ranks number two in hotness. Seventeen minutes, door-to-door, according to ZipDataMaps.com.

                        Here, folks can buy a home at an average list price of $238,950, and the pace of the real estate market isn’t quite as frenzied as the one in Grand Rapids. Here, homes stay on the market for 21 days, on average.

                        Just 12 miles from downtown Omaha, it’s far enough away for millennial homebuyers to feel isolated from the hustle and hum of the city, but close enough to take advantage of the conveniences.

                        Jobs abound in the area, especially for those in the healthcare arena and they tend to pay better than in other parts of the country.

                        The “Four Questions” postcard from the Expired Series is available in the postcard section of ProspectsPLUS.com

                        “Millennials in 68144 make significantly more than the national median for millennials at $73,902 and $62,280, respectively,” according to the Realtor.com report.

                        1. Boise, Idaho (83704)

                        It’s no surprise that Boise has moved up three notches since last year’s Hottest ZIP Codes survey. Folks are moving there in droves, driving up home prices.

                        This particular ZIP is west of downtown Boise and boasts a number of amazing ethnic eateries and plenty of parks. While it was once a mecca for retirees, the past few years have seen more young professionals moving in, taking advantage of the nearby family-type amenities.

                        Jobs are primarily of the tech variety, so if you work in this market, you’re most likely seeing a lot of Silicon Valley “refugees,” fleeing the high-tax, high-home price atmosphere of the Golden State.

                        Most homebuyers in 83704 are 35 to 44 years of age (older millennials and younger Gen Xers). They’re picking up homes for a median list price of $289,950. DOM here is 14 days.

                        1. Shawnee, Kansas (66203)

                        There’s Shawnee, Kansas and then there’s Old Shawnee, which is tucked away in the 66203 ZIP code. Realtor.com calls it the “quintessential Midwestern suburb,” with a “walkable downtown.”

                        It also has a robust real estate market without the over-inflated prices in so many other markets. In fact, buyers are picking up homes with a median list price of $220,050.

                        The lure, according to the study, is the area’s proximity to Kansas City and its various amenities. But the jobs picture is nothing to sneeze at. Unemployment in Shawnee is at a 20-year low, several companies are choosing to relocate to the area and the proposed Project Homeland industrial park is projected to add another 1,500 jobs to the market.

                         Rochester, New York (14609)

                        This ZIP code includes Homestead Heights, the “Most Diverse Neighborhood” and the neighborhood with the second-lowest-cost of living in Rochester.

                        While the Wall Street Journal chose Rochester as “the city with the worst job market among top metros,” Realtor.com’s IDX is getting lots of views from folks looking to move.

                        What do they see that belies the high unemployment rate and bleak jobs outlook?

                        The president of Rochester’s Chamber of Commerce claims that the city’s growing healthcare industry, coupled with the local colleges and universities act as a magnet for tech companies.

                        The city is going through a renaissance of sorts, he claims.

                        Then, there are the exceptionally low home prices — $125,050 is the median list price. For young professionals seeking to get a start in life, 14608 may just be the place to consider.

                        Don’t fret if your market didn’t make Realtor.com’s list. Ellie Mae’s Millennial Tracker tells an entirely different story.

                        Millennials (the largest homebuying pool) bought 68 percent of the homes for sale in Hobbs, New Mexico between July and September of this year. Coming in behind Hobbs is:

                        • Batavia, NY – 63%
                        • Laurel, MS – 63%
                        • Dodge City, KS – 62%
                        • Platteville, WI – 62%

                        In fact, none of Realtor.com’s hottest real estate markets got a large enough share of millennial homebuyers to rank on Ellie Mae’s list.

                        The “Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen” postcard from the Expired Series is available in the postcard section of ProspectsPLUS.com

                        Next year is looking rosy for the fortunate agents who work in these ZIP codes.

                        Send the Make Sure it Doesn’t Happen postcard from the Expireds Series to home sellers with expired listings.
                        Need help targeting the Expireds? 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 Free killer tools to help your success this year!

                        1. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan – NEW 2020!

                        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, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

                         

                         

                        2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan – NEW 2020!

                        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. Get the ALL-NEW Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

                        The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted mailing list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

                         

                         

                         

                        4. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

                        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 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

                        Prev1...535455...69Next Page 54 of 69
                        © 2025 ProspectsPLUS! | Real Estate Marketing Blog