Thursday, March 28, 2024

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.

    There are an estimated 18 million U.S. military veterans, an undisclosed number of surviving spouses, and 1.4 million men and women currently serving on active duty.

    This means that there are in excess of 20 million Americans who may be eligible to take advantage of the VA home loan program.

    The good news for an agent who specializes in VA buyers is that millions of veterans feel that 2021 is a good time to buy a home.

    Nearly 60% say they intend on buying in the next five years and 34% say they will definitely buy a home this year, according to research conducted by data and consulting company Kantar (for Veterans United Home Loans).

    Sounds like a lucrative niche market, right? Not so fast.

    “Real estate agents who aren’t familiar with the details of the VA loan program could waste time showing you properties that have little chance of meeting VA and lender guidelines,” warn the pros at veteransunited.com.

    If this is a niche you are considering in your real estate business, get up to speed on the VA loan now, because half of the veterans surveyed say they will definitely consider applying for one.

    How to become a military-friendly real estate agent

    No, you don’t need a background in military service to work effectively with military homebuyers. Sure, it helps when it comes to communication. The real knowledge you’ll need, however, is about the nuts and bolts of the VA loan program.

    You’ll also want to get to know the needs of this group of people. Many, for instance, don’t know that they are offered a unique home loan program as part of their benefits. In other words, they are completely unaware of the VA loan program.

    “If you have not used the VA home loan program, what was the main reason you did not?” was a question put forth to veterans for the VA’s 2010 National Survey of Veterans. Nearly 34% responded that “I didn’t know about the program.”

    Your first job, then, is to create a direct mail piece letting these folks know about the VA mortgage guaranty and singing the praises of its benefits.

    Learn what’s important to veterans

    Nearly half of the aforementioned survey respondents who did use a VA loan in the past said they did so because there is no down payment required.

    Another big handful of them chose the loan for its “favorable interest rate,” and, coming in third, one group said that they felt their loan was more likely to be approved if it was guaranteed by the VA.

    Since these features of the program are of such high value to applicants, these are points you need to feature in your marketing pieces.

    Especially when it comes to comparing the FHA-backed mortgage with that of the VA (which a substantial number of veterans do), the lack of private mortgage insurance is a biggie.

    Although they didn’t mention closing costs (as is typical with most homebuyers), let your leads know that the VA puts limits on the amount that the lender can charge the borrower.

    It’s not all rosy, however. The VA loan comes with a funding fee. The amount varies and you can learn more at va.gov.

    There is a lot to learn about the VA loan, but it’s all well-worth knowing. The VA makes it easy for you to learn by devoting a section of va.gov to real estate professionals. You’ll find that information at benefits.va.gov.

    RIGHT NOW! Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaigns are on sale 10% OFF the first month (sale ends 4/3/21).
    Launch an Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaign, HERE

    TO LAUNCH AN ABSENTEE OWNER CAMPAIGN:

    Launch an Absentee Owner Campaign by clicking the “GO NOW” button, below (from a desktop or laptop computer).

    And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY until each mailing goes out (cancel or change up until the night before each mailing. The price shown at check out is per mailing, not campaign total).

    Launch an Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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


    PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

    The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

    2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

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

    3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

    Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

    4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Real-Estate-Mailing-List-Guide2-3-D-999x1024.jpg

    The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

    5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

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

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

    6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

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

    7. The Free Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is CRUSH-IT-Guide-3-d-298x300.jpg

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

      (Shown above: Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign similar to the ones Chan Wiley sent out)

      Chan Wiley, You’re This Week’s $120 Gift Card Winner!

      Chan had the following words to say about his success using ProspectsPLUS! marketing materials as part of his strategic marketing plan to get more clients,

      ProspectPLUS! Offers a great variety of professional marketing tools that are easy to customize and easy and efficient to reach my farm area”.

      Thank You, Chan!

      NEW CONTEST: Get the FIRST MONTH of a Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign FOR FREE! ($120 value)

      Farm Scheduled Campaign shown above
      Enter this week’s contest for a chance to win a $120 gift card covering the first month of a Get More Listing Scheduled Campaign.

      The scheduled campaign includes 150 jumbo-sized postcards, sent standard postage (excluding data and tax. Includes only first month free).

      HOW TO ENTER: Just leave a review regarding how using marketing from ProspectsPLUS! has impacted your business, and you’re automatically entered into our next contest.

      Mention a “scheduled campaign you’ve launched” in your review and your entry into the contest is doubled.

      Leave a review on Google, HERE.
      Leave a review on Facebook, HERE.

      Don’t forget to watch out for next Friday’s email announcing the weekly winner!


      Ready to Schedule an SOI, Farm, Get More Listing, or Absentee Owner Campaign?

      Farm Scheduled Campaign shown above, schedule HERE
      Launch a Scheduled Campaign today and save time on your marketing by automating it!

      You Can Launch a Scheduled Campaign to any of the following Markets in Just Minutes:

      Sphere of Influence
      Geographic Farm
      Renters
      Absentee Owners
      Expireds
      FSBOs
      Fence Sitters*
      Get More Listings*
      Empty Nesters*
      Move-Up Market*
      (*Located under Farm Campaigns)

      And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before mailing goes out. The price shown at check out is per mailing, not campaign total).

      TO GET STARTED:

      STEP 1: Create your prospect list using our mailing list tools, HERE.

      STEP 2: Then, once you have your list, choose your Campaign, select your start date, and add your list, HERE or hit “Launch a Scheduled Campaign”, below.
      Launch a Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

        Last year, the folks at Chicago Agent Magazine conducted their annual survey, “Truth about Agents.”

        When asked which business activities they planned on doing more of, the number one response was “Making better use of social media.” It’s a goal worthy of pursuing, but only if you plan on working on it consistently and intelligently.

        Although there is no mention of which platform these agents hope to devote more time to, we think Facebook is a safe bet.

        Maybe 2020 will be the year you widen your social media horizons? If so, consider Pinterest.

        Why Pinterest?

        Women truly do make the world go ‘round.

        “As a market, women represent an opportunity bigger than China and India combined,” according to Michael J. Silverstein and Kate Sayre at Harvard Business Review.

        “They control $20 trillion in consumer spending, and that figure could reach $28 trillion in the next five years. Women drive the world economy, in fact,” they continue.

        Silverstein and Sayre call this “The Female Economy” while the folks at Pinterest refer to the women in the U.S. as “Deciders.”

        Any agent who has carted buyers around to view homes for sale understands just how much power women have in the decision of which home to buy.

        This makes Pinterest a social media platform ideal for agents.

        • Nearly 75% of Pinterest users are female (ominicoreagency.com)
        • The median age of Pinterest users is 40 (business.pinterest.com)
        • More than 40% of American females on Pinterest say they plan on purchasing a home in the next five years
        Getting started is easy

        The steps to get set up on Pinterest are easy:

        • Create a business account. It’s free. You can do so at business.pinterest.com. Click on the red “Sign up” button.
        • Upload your profile picture. Ensure that the photo you choose is “… something that catches people’s attention, clearly demonstrates who you are, and stands out in the visual realm that is Pinterest,” cautions Ryan Pinkham at constantcontact.com. He goes on to recommend that, to avoid the photo becoming distorted, keep to 165×165 pixels.

        Create your profile. The trick with your profile is to make it catchy without being salesy. Ensure that your website URL is in there, preferably first. Here’s Massachusetts agent Bill Gassett’s profile:

        Notice that he gets a link to his website in there first, which is perfect. We like everything about this except the last sentence. He won that award three years ago. Readers may wonder if, perhaps, his success is waning.

        If you have something impressive and current to say, by all means, add it here. Ensure you also add your location somewhere in your profile.

        Finally, you’ll want to “claim” your website or landing page on Pinterest. You’ll find an easy tutorial on Pinterest.

        There’s more to learn about using Pinterest for your real estate business, but this should get you started. Happy pinning!

        RIGHT NOW! Fence Sitter Scheduled Campaigns are on sale 10% OFF the first month (sale ends 3/27/21).
        Launch an Fence Sitter, FARM Scheduled Campaign, HERE

        TO LAUNCH A FENCE SITTER CAMPAIGN:

        STEP ONE: Create your Fence Sitter prospect list using the Demographic Search tool. Choose homeowners 7+ years, click HERE.

        STEP TWO: Then, click on “FARM” on the Campaign page, and select the Fence Sitter Seller Series, then follow the prompts, HERE.

        And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out. The price shown at check out is per mailing).

        Hit “CLICK HERE”, below, to get started on your Fence Sitter, Farm Scheduled Campaign (from a desktop or laptop computer).

        Launch a Fence Sitter, Farm Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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


        PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

        The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

        2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

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

        3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

        Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

        4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Real-Estate-Mailing-List-Guide2-3-D-999x1024.jpg

        The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

        5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

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

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

        6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

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

        7. The Free Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT” 

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is CRUSH-IT-Guide-3-d-298x300.jpg

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

          (Shown above: Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign similar to the ones Mark Lynch sent out)

          Mark Lynch, You’re This Week’s $120 Gift Card Winner!

          Mark had the following words to say about his success using ProspectsPLUS! marketing materials as part of his strategic marketing plan to get more clients,

          Super easy to set up a farming campaign! I’ve picked a specific area and the folks at ProspectPLUS! were super helpful in helping create my mailings. Simple set up and then it’s all automatic! I can even change/edit my campaign at any time. Thanks, ProspectPLUS!”

          Thank You, Mark!

          NEW CONTEST: Get the FIRST MONTH of a Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign FOR FREE! ($120 value)

          Farm Scheduled Campaign shown above
          Enter this week’s contest for a chance to win a $120 gift card covering the first month of a Get More Listing Scheduled Campaign.

          The scheduled campaign includes 150 jumbo-sized postcards, sent standard postage (excluding data and tax. Includes only first month free).

          HOW TO ENTER: Just leave a review regarding how using marketing from ProspectsPLUS! has impacted your business, and you’re automatically entered into our next contest.

          Mention a “scheduled campaign you’ve launched” in your review and your entry into the contest is doubled.

          Leave a review on Google, HERE.
          Leave a review on Facebook, HERE.

          Don’t forget to watch out for next Friday’s email announcing the weekly winner!


          Ready to Schedule an SOI, Farm, Get More Listing, or Absentee Owner Campaign?

          Farm Scheduled Campaign shown above, schedule HERE
          Launch a Scheduled Campaign today and save time on your marketing by automating it!

          You Can Launch a Scheduled Campaign to any of the following Markets in Just Minutes:

          Sphere of Influence
          Geographic Farm
          Renters
          Absentee Owners
          Expireds
          FSBOs
          Fence Sitters*
          Get More Listings*
          Empty Nesters*
          Move-Up Market*
          (*Located under Farm Campaigns)

          And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before mailing goes out. The price shown at check out is per mailing, not campaign total).

          TO GET STARTED:

          STEP 1: Create your prospect list using our mailing list tools, HERE.

          STEP 2: Then, once you have your list, choose your Campaign, select your start date, and add your list, HERE or hit “Launch a Scheduled Campaign”, below.
          Launch a Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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