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Friday, December 5, 2025

In Step with Awesome Agent Ariana Gillette

By Julie Escobar

How do top producers stay at the top and continue to grow their businesses? We got the answers to that and more when we caught up with top producing agent Ariana Gillette who shared her thoughts on what it takes to make it – and KEEP making it in this competitive business.

Here’s what she shared…

Q:  Thanks for sharing your ideas with us! Can you first tell our readers a little about yourself?

A:  Hi Readers! I am a Northern Virginia native. My Husband, two kids, two German Shepherds & I currently live in Loudoun County. Real Estate is my passion and I have handled a Gazillion issues as a Realtor in this fast-paced, yet rewarding business. I have been licensed since 2003 and do $10 million in production per year, yet I am always looking for fun and creative ways to expand my business. I have a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and am a Licensed Real Estate Broker.  I bring a depth of knowledge into every transaction as well as a solid sense of humor. My goal is to educate & empower my clients to make the best decisions they can while buying and selling. I want them to have the best experience possible.

Q:  You entered the Master Marketing Schedule contest – can you share what you like about using this agent tool and what your favorite strategy was?    

A:  Let’s be honest … the everyday practice of Real Estate is tedious. Yet, that is exactly what makes us successful running our businesses. If we don’t prioritize meaningful engagement with our clients it’s just NOT going to happen. The Master Marketing Schedule makes it easy to time block your calendar to do mailings, pop-by gifts, and farming pieces.

Q:  Are you working a geographic farm as well as your sphere – and can you tell our readers any tips you might have for staying top of mind?

A: My sphere is the life of my business. I door knock with door hangers, I do print for my Coming Soon, Just Listed, Just Sold marketing, and of course everyone’s favorite the Neighborhood Update. I mail the update one time per quarter, which reminds me, I’m due for Q3 mailing to my Farm! My advice? Get involved with your community and give back. That is how to make your Farm thrive with referrals.

Q: What are some of your favorite ways to stay in touch with the VIPs in your sphere of influence?

A: Coffee, lunch, pop-by gifts, invites to events and free stuff when I get tickets or passes, etc. Facebook shout-outs to customers on the anniversary of their home purchases.

Q: A lot of agents struggle with follow-up – do you have any words of wisdom for them?  

A: Order Thank You cards that are blank inside and start shooting them out, and have stationary made from ProspectsPLUS! to write handwritten notes. ANYONE who gives you their email, add to your database right away — not a month from now.  I am bad about this, but it does make a huge difference.

Q:  One of the reasons we created the Master Marketing Schedule was to put some fun into marketing for agents, and give them outside the box ideas for connecting with clients. Do you have any fun things you do to stay motivated and on track?

A: Accountability groups, a life coach, webinars, and conferences. I’m a busy mom – but I make time for all of these when I can.

Q:  If you had one piece of advice for a brand-new agent in today’s market, what would it be?

A: Use systems. Run your Real Estate business like any other business. Show up. Follow systems that every office provides or connect with one of the bigger named coaches. Create and maintain meaningful relationships with every client you work with. Go above and beyond to provide value. AND don’t TEXT all the time. Make phone calls, and meet with clients in person to develop those relationships that will be your referral business for years to come.

Q:  If agents have a referral for you, how can they reach you?

A:  Sure. I am available via email at Ariana@Dwellus.com, on Zillow at www.zillow.com/profile/Ariana-Gillette or Facebook — search Ariana Gillette Real Estate.

Awesome information — thank you SO much, Ariana!

Be like Ariana! Jump into the contest!  

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN WIN $10,000.

Need help with your marketing? Visit www.prospectsplus.com or call our marketing team at 866.405.3638 today! 

One Solid Strategy for Fall

by Julie Escobar

Successful real estate professionals will tell you that part of creating a continuous stream of referrals and new business is staying top of mind with the folks in your sphere and farm in consistent and creative ways. One popular postcard series that agents are using to kick start market-specific conversations is our Market Quote Series. This series of six postcards are perfect for agents who want to mail-market to their database every other month.

They are a fun way to remind potential buyers and sellers that you are a resource they can trust to answer their real estate questions or needs.

Step one:  Login to your free ProspectsPLUS.com account. (Or easily create an account and profile in a matter of minutes. Once your profile is ready – the system will automatically populate your information into all of the 800+ marketing tools on the site.)

Step two:  Select a card such as this week’s Master Marketing Schedule tip which is to send the Best Advice postcard from the Market Quote Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area where you want more listings.You can leave as is or customize to suit your marketing style.

Step three:  Add your mailing list or use our mapping tools to create a mailing list. If you need help with mailing lists – call our support team at 866.405.3638 or click here to see all of our comprehensive mailing list solutions.

Step four:  Place your order then track it. It’s that easy! Click here to watch a video on tracking your postcard order.

Making your job easier is our goal.  That’s why we created the Master Marketing Schedule to offer strategic and creative solutions for building your business faster, easier, more affordable and with way fewer headaches. In fact, if you’re in “marketing mode” – you may want to look at this month’s tip which is:

The weather is cooling down, and the market is heating up! Door hangers are a time-tested tool to help you get noticed, meet the folks in the geographic farm you’re working and market yourself and your listings. Learn three powerful ways to use them at blog.prospectsplus.com/door-hangers.

Putting systems for staying in touch in place don’t have to be tough – or time consuming.  Most of our top customers schedule 15-30 minutes at the beginning or end of every month to focus on what marketing tools they want to go out.  When they choose a campaign, it’s easy — they simply pick the next one in the series, order and get back to their high priority tasks. Some even delegate a member of their team to make it their priority that something is always being sent to their sphere and farm so top of mind awareness is always there.

Kudos to the agents that are working their systems and are willing to share their experiences with others. We so appreciate you all. Want to see what other agents are using to market themselves this season from the Master Marketing Schedule? Head over to our Facebook page to see their $10K Realtor Contest Entries! Perhaps one of these strategies will be part of YOUR contest entry!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN WIN $10,000.

Have questions or need help developing the marketing plan that’s right for you?  Call us today at 866.405.3638 or email us at pmc@prospectsplus.com.  We’re here to assist!

From the Master Marketing Schedule

by Julie Escobar

Build your collateral collection. Choose four or five of your favorite Content Cards, and have 25 of each shipped to you. There are more than sixty to choose from on a wide variety of consumer-friendly information. These panoramic-size postcards are perfect for helping you stand out as a resource that home sellers and buyers can turn to in your market.

Where can you use them?

  • Open houses
  • Add to your pre-listing packages
  • Collateral for buyer or seller workshop
  • Client pop-bys
  • Geo farming hand outs
  • Ask if local offices or car dealerships will let you leave some behind in waiting rooms

For any ship-to-you postcards (other than EDDM), this month use promo code AUG10SH to save 10% off your order, excluding postage.

While you’re on the site – peruse the free reports that are easily downloadable as pdfs for your site and social media content you might like to share!  Find them all here. 

Collateral tools such as free reports and content cards provide great visuals when presenting and as objection handlers. When working with consumers, often you’ll have both analytical customers as well as those who respond to visuals. The content gives you the analytic information you need, and the tangible piece gives you the visual. Both go a long way towards lending authority to you as a sales professional.

Oh — and as a reminder… As long as you’re ordering shipped-to-you material, you might want to get your hands on some Football Schedules with magnetic backs. They are a hot-ticket item this time of year, and right now they are helping us help the kids and families of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!

From now until September 15th, we will donate 10% of EVERY football series postcard order to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!  Help us help the kids — and stay top of mind all season long! Click the banner below to get started!st jude fb

 

Good luck this month and happy listing! We’re here if you need us. Call our marketing team at 866.405.3638 if we can assist you in any way! 

And Have Some Fun With Your Marketing

by Julie Escobar

Consistency is a powerful element in successful marketing. That’s why so many of our clients wisely choose to pick a postcard series to stick with for three to six months at a time. It’s also why you’ll see this strategy play out in our Master Marketing Schedule. We pick a series and make the postcards from it a monthly tip for reaching out to the consumers in your marketplace to build your book of business.

This week’s schedule strategy is to send the Waiting Could Cost You postcard from the Market Quote Series to at least 100 new prospects in an area where you want more listings. I love this series. It’s simple and effective and gives potential buyers and sellers insights into what is happening right now in the real estate market.

If you’ve thought about using it, here are some suggestions for the copy on the backside of the card. 

  1. Invite people to a real estate question and answer event. Have some fun with it.
  2. Offer something of value such as a Comparative Market Analysis, Home Price Analysis, or a Free Report.
  3. Share some hyper-local information such as listing and sale metrics, or even local event information such as school schedules, neighborhood event calendars, etc.
  4. Share your personal insights on what people need to know about real estate on a local level.
  5. Drive people to a blog post or social media page to learn more information.

Make sure you are writing your copy in a conversational and engaging way and don’t be afraid to let your personality show through! Be sure to spell-check before you finalize your postcard, then place your order. (It’s sometimes helpful to write out what you want in a Word document first and paste it into the system for less frustration and spell-checking.) Many of our top agent clients choose the first week of every month to spend 30-60 minutes to make sure their marketing is done and checked off the list for the month for each category of customers they want to reach or they break it down by week, based on the Master Marketing Schedule.  Be sure you are connecting with:

Need help putting your marketing in motion? Contact our team today at 866.405.3638! They are terrific at helping agents grow their businesses. 

by Julie Escobar

Do you know the biggest difference between the agents who not only survived but thrived during the market downturn? They had a book of business. A solid one. A database of people that they consistently connected with month-after-month. Year-after-year.  Why does that make such a difference? Because we know that statistically one in twelve of those people — the ones who already know you, trust you, and like you — will send business your way each year.  So, it SHOULD be on the top of every agent’s to do list – but it is not.

First, build it! If you’ve not yet put your sphere of influence database together, there’s no time like the present to start.

  • 20 Year Value of a Real Estate CustomerInclude every one of your past buyers or sellers. (Unless there are people you would truly never want to work with again, and we’ve all had those!) This is a top tier in your book of business.
  • Add friends, family and colleagues.
  • Get creative!  Start adding all the people that you connect with on a regular basis such as your children’s coaches, doctors, dentists, optometrist, car salesman, insurance salesman, hairdresser, mechanic, electrician, plumber, etc. Anyone you do business with, is a great candidate for referrals. You can find a list of the 250 people who should be in your sphere here. 

Next, grow it! As we head into a new month, remember to make an appointment with yourself every month to review for at least one hour where you are in terms of your book of business.  Ask yourself these four questions:

  1. How many past clients will I contact this month? 
  2. What is my focus? 
  3. Who can I add to my database?
  4. What’s working and what’s not? 

Lastly, nurture it!  Some of the best ways to nurture your list are…

  • Send: monthly postcards or newsletters.  Our Community News is very popular and agents love the done-for-you content. The Content Cards and Listing Inventory Series are also top performers.
  • Call: Connect with everyone in your book of business twice a year. Most agents break their lists down into weekly and daily increments, then hit the phones as part of their daily to-do list.
  • See: Host a customer appreciation event once a year. An end-of-summer picnic might be perfect for getting face-to-face with past customers and thanking them for their business (and referrals).

Building your book of business, for some, isn’t the exciting part of the business. But when your get the 20-year value of everyone on that list, you can start to see it as a priority! Look to our Master Marketing Calendar for some fun reasons to stay connected with your sphere and keep your conversations interesting!

You may also want to check out our Specials page which changes monthly as we add new content, tools and budget-saving promo codes! 

Need help? Contact our team today at 866.405.3638! 

 

 

To Drive Credibility and Customers

By Julie Escobar

Now with 65 different card choices, agents can’t seem to get enough of our powerful Content Card series. There are so many versatile ways of using them.  And in a world where ‘content is king’ – sometimes it’s just really nice to NOT have to come up with your own-right?

Here are five ways you can use the content cards to drive more customer leads, increase your credibility, and present yourself as the turn-to agent to call:

  1. Send one per month to your sphere or farm (or both) to easily stay in touch and brand yourself as an information specialist.
  2. Choose several of your favorites and have them printed and shipped to you to use as leave-behinds in local businesses, as open house collateral, or as fair trade offers when prospecting.
  3. Purchase as a PDF and use as a downloadable item of value on your website.  This allows you to build your email database.
  4. Each one of these is popular subject matter for consumers. Why not channel your inner Toast Master and create some local real estate workshops that you can present to area consumers?  Print and ship the card with the topic of your choice to hand out at your event.
  5. Share on social media.  For many agents figuring out WHAT to say on social media leaves them stumped.  These tools are perfect – with titles like ‘4 keys”, “5 ways”, “5 factors” – you can share one a day during the work week and invite followers to email you for the whole list (and you can send them the pdf you’ve downloaded!

Get started today and kick your fall marketing into high gear!  See our Content Cards, choose your favorites and start driving credibility and new customers!  Oh, and click here to get our latest promo codes and save 10% on your order!

As always, if you need help, contact us at 866.405.3638 – that’s what we’re here for!

Happy listing!

To Increase Market Share

By Julie Escobar

Capturing the top market share in a geographic area can be challenging in today’s competitive real estate climate.  It is completely doable however with the right tools and strategies in place.  To learn how top agents around the country are making their mark, I spoke with Market Dominator Director Todd Robertson to get his take on the topic.

Here’s an excerpt from our interview:

Q:  Hey Todd – you deal with agents every day who are eager to dominate in their market — what would you
say is the number one question you are asked, and how do you answer?

A:   The number one question agents ask is, “How much will it cost me?”   And I reply, “If you commit to dominate your market or if you talk yourself out of it?”   In all seriousness, however, the main question they ask outside of that “Hey, I’m overwhelmed with all of these options, in terms of marketing, how can I really dominate in my market?”   My answer is that in our current state of “Technology Overload” — direct mail has become more effective than ever before.   Basically I steer them to use the tools that will help them garner the best return on investment.

Q:  That said, I know you’re a big fan of Every Door Direct Mail®, because of its affordability and saturation element for a geo farm.  It can be a little complicated to wrap your head around for some agents though.  What do you tell agents who are interested in using EDDM for their marketing?

A:  In terms of Every Door Direct Mail, if an agent is not familiar, I can spend literally just five minutes with them to make sure they fully understand how it works.  I then help them pick an area, or geo farm, they want to really become the “Neighborhood Specialist”.   Additionally, once they have an area picked out, we spend an additional few minutes on the phone to see if the Market Dominator program is the right fit for them.

Q:  We challenge agents all the time to leave ‘nothing to chance’ when it comes to staying top of mind in their market area.  What are some additional ways they can support their direct response marketing efforts in their geographic farms – and their market?

A:  I’m glad you asked.  To remain “Top of Mind” the agents getting the best results in their geographic farm areas are doing the following every month – not just SOMETIMES – but EVERY MONTH:

1)   Send direct response mail – (people today are hungry for valuable information – be the resource that delivers that every month.)

2)  Just Listed / Just Sold postcards – (shares that you are the agent making things HAPPEN.)

3)  Very aggressive, very well marketed “Open Houses” – (Gets you out front of people in a very hands-on way, be sure to have great collateral material at your open houses that distinguishes you as a resource/information source – not just an agent sitting in a house.)

4)   Door Knocking – (NOT an old fashioned idea.)  Some of today’s top mega-producers are out in force with their teams in the geographic areas they want to dominate meeting the people, passing out door hangers, brochures, and business cards.  They are asking and answering all the right questions – and NOT in stealth mode like those agents back at the office still waiting for the phone to ring.  Want to INCREASE up your exposure and your results?  Remember this:  STP – See The People. If they don’t know who you are – they’re not going to call you first.  Make sure they KNOW who you are!

Q:  Todd, follow up is often the most neglected piece of the marketing puzzle for agents — how do you encourage agents to get off the fence and make that a priority?

A:  The truth is, follow-up is typically the downfall of 90% of agents in the country.  Because most of the time Fear and Uncertainty take over in the Real Estate agent’s mind.  Here’s what they forget however:  According to the National Association of REALTORS, if an agents commits to a campaign in a geographic area, most agents quit BEFORE the 5th contact.  They’ll market once, twice, maybe even three times in an area – but that’s it. They throw in the towel and say, “well this isn’t working”.  Most marketing campaigns don’t start even seeing a response until after that fifth contact. So, if when you think about it, this actually works in the favor of the agent who is COMMITTED to being the dominant player.  If you know that 90 % of agents bail before that 5th contact, we simply put agents on a two-year direct response mail campaign in that area to insure they brand themselves as that go to agent.  We encourage them and coach them to put those three powerful pieces in place we talked about in the last question, (Just Listed/Just Sold, aggressive open houses, and door knocking) so they can layer their marketing for best results.  And we remind them that NO marketing is thorough without follow up. If they truly want to dominate – to get the bulk of the listings, to get a lion’s share of the referrals, to brand themselves so well that they are the first agent consumers think of in their geo farm area – they have to fire on all cylinders, meaning – direct response marketing, results marketing (Just listed/just sold), face-to-face contact (door knocking, open houses, events), and FOLLOW up calls and visits.  When an agent commits to THAT for two years?  They go from “Uncertain to Unstoppable”.

Q:  Great advice Todd.  Any additional advice for agents who want to capture a 10-20% market share?

A:  I would say that Patience and Persistence win the game.   There is an interesting phenomena that occurs when an agent commits to an area, really commits.  Two interesting things happen:

1)   It makes them more assertive in that area in terms of other marketing.

2)  If another agent’s sign goes up in their neighborhood it bothers them.  They then begin to take ownership of that area, meaning they shift their thinking to – “Any sign that goes up in this area should be MY sign, MY listing.” And that?  Is a winning mindset.

Thanks so much Todd for sharing your insights.  If you have a question for Todd, you can email him here, or give him a call at 855-383-6646.  If you want to learn more about the Market Dominator System, join us for our next webinar here. 

Good luck!  If you have any additional marketing needs or questions, our team is always ready to assist!  Give them a call at 866.405.3638. 

3 Powerful Steps to Engage Customers

By Julie Escobar

You’ve probably heard it said a time or two (or more) that the business will go to those who show up not just once, but again and again.  To succeed in sales today, professionals have to dig in, refuse to cut corners, commit to consistency and the big key?  FOLLOW UP.  Engagement of your customers, your sphere, and your farm – isn’t something you can take a ‘stand-back’ approach to.  You can ‘warm’ the call, set up the stage for prospecting, and share the information that people need to see to consider you the expert they should turn to when they are ready to list or sell their home – but you have to go the EXTRA step – and follow up.  Voice to voice.  Face to face.  Belly to belly.

Is that always easy?  No, for many–not at first.  But for those who dive in and get it?  That their real job, true passion is to help people?  And they practice getting outside their comfort zones?  That’s when the game-changing happens.

So here are a few ways to engage, follow up and make the difference between what could be and what will be a rest of the year. 

  1. SEND! For most agents – from the brand new to experienced – warming that prospecting call is more buyers cardsomething that puts them at ease.  One direct mail series that is getting a lot of attention and results is our Listing Inventory cards.  They speak to what is happening in today’s market and get people’s attention.  Or you may want to go with a classic direct mail piece such as a holiday card (and don’t wait for the winter holidays – go ahead and send something every month and be different than your competitors.) Even recipe cards that feature great appetizers or dishes that people can share are great. You may also want to take a tip from top producers and send handwritten notecards to five VIPs on your SOI list each week.
  2. CALL! I can’t tell you how many agents I talk to that just have a hard time getting past this one.   Don’t worry so much!  Make the call.  ENGAGE.  Talk to people.  Be yourself.  Be helpful .  Ask questions.  It doesn’t have to be scary and it doesn’t have to be “salesy.”  It can be as simple as this:  “Hi!  It’s Julie from ABC Realty – just wanted to let you know we have a lot of things changing in our market — and to see if you have any questions about that or anything real estate related?” Then LISTEN and respond to what they say.  Some won’t need anything but odds are in your favor that some will.  Be sure to let people know that you’re expanding your business and that not only is every referral APPRECIATED, but you realize what an honor everyone is – and you can promise that each will be treated like royalty. Finish with the question,  “Is there anyone you know that might be looking to buy or sell now or in themerchandising review near future?”  You may also want to choose to offer a great free report or fair trade item to FSBO’s such as the Merchandising Review, who might be more than anxious about getting their homes sold. Many of our reports are a great conversation starter when you’re on the phone and a perfect reason to email or even stop by! Check them all out here.  Be the resource that goes the extra step for them and it will be appreciated.  Get something in front of your prospects and sphere that gives you a great ‘reason’ to follow up.  Break your calls down into manageable numbers so you don’t get overwhelmed – 15-25 calls per day is a good goal for agents who are in high-productivity mode.  Time block this prospecting into your schedule then commit to making it happen.
  3. SEE!  Get out there and SEE people.  As a professional real estate agent – meeting new people and adding to your sphere is a MUST DO not a SHOULD DO.  Walk your neighborhood farm, attend your community garage sales and meet the folks in the neighborhoods you service.  Go to the fall festivals at the schools.  Attend the neighborhood and community events. Wear your name badge, bring your business cards, and shake some hands.  Stop in a the local restaurants, delis, shops and businesses in the community you represent and get to know the people there and let them know you work on referrals – and you’d love to refer your clients back to them as well.  Share your stories about a great meal, terrific new shop, amazing customer experience, incredible health care providers and more in your area on your social media, blog or newsletter.  You’ll not only make new friends, you’ll gain new customers (and respect for being pro-active and a resource people can trust).  Be sure to SEE those in your sphere at least twice a year as well.  Take your top referral customers to coffee or lunch or stop by with a special treat.

The truth is, to stand out as someone who presents themselves as someone who will go the extra miles for their customers and clients – you have to SHOW that characteristic in everything you do – INCLUDING marketing your OWN business.  It’s that simple.  Ultimately it’s not the business of HOMES that we’re in – it’s the business of PEOPLE.  So show up again and again – and follow up over and over.   The results will take care of themselves!

Need help?  Call our marketing team to help get you started, restarted or fired up this fall at 866.405.3638.  They’ve got the experience, knowledge and solutions you need to succeed.  And they’re FUN!  Can’t beat that!  Have a good one and happy follow up!

To Reach More People In Your Sphere and Farm

by Julie Escobar

Agents often ask us for ideas on what to send and when. We’re happy to help so they can get back to what they do best:  Prospecting, Presenting and Closing.  We know there are LOTS of option to choose from, and no real one-size-fits-all. That’s why we put new marketing tools on the site each and every month.  It’s also why we have over 1,000 postcards in the standard-size alone, and thousands more in Jumbo and Panoramic.

What we’ve found is that postcard marketing makes it easy for agents to “pull the trigger”, get their marketing ordered and move on to the next task. Expediency and ease are two factors that agents tell us are important to them.  The fact that the content is done, customization is easy and data is readily available to create marketing lists all help make the process quick and easy.

One series that’s really popular right now is the Listing Inventory Series, because it highlights the need for more listings!  Agents love having a series that has a wide selection because they can send month after month to your sphere and farm with consistent branding and similar messaging.

Here are some suggestions for the next three months using this series with a little bit of a twist! Pairing a
postcard with a Free Report Offer is a great way to offer something of value, brand yourself as a resource, and get people to pick up the phone or text you for the offer.  

March:  Send the Buyers are Waiting postcard from the Listing Inventory Series. When choosing a back, choose the “Standard Back with Message” option so you have a little more room.

Change up the front if you like, and on the back, change the copy to say something like:

There’s never been a more important time to have resources you can count on when it comes to buying and selling a home.  We currently have more buyers than listings, which makes them motivated to pay top dollar while interest rates are low and demand is high. If you are interested in selling, or know someone who is, please call or text me today at (your cell number) to get a copy of my Free Report: 5 Tips for a Smooth Quick Home Sale.  

April:  Send the Take Advantage of the Market postcard. Again, choose “Standard Back with Message” option so you have a little more room.

Change up the front if you like, and on the back, change the copy to say something like:

Timing is everything in the real estate market, and the time to get more for your home is right now.  We currently have more buyers than listings, which makes them motivated to pay top dollar while interest rates are low and demand is high. If you are interested in selling, or know someone who is, please call or text me today at (your cell number) to get a copy of my Free Report: 9 Strategies for Getting Up to 17% More for Your Home.

May:  Send The Big Question postcard, and change up the back message to:

Selling your home is a big decision. One of the biggest for most people.  You’ll want to make sure you have every question answered before diving into this competitive market. I can help. If you are interested in selling, or know someone who is, please call or text me today at (your cell number) to get a copy of my Free Report: 5 On the Money Reasons to Use a REALTOR. 

Get the full impact from your marketing tools.  

  • Add the report PDFs to your blog.
  • Or as an opt-in on your site.
  • Print them out to share at Open houses.
  • Share the jpg’s on your social media with a link driving people to your site to download.
  • Or use when you are walking your farm to follow up on your mailings.
  • Add additional marketing “touches” by sending Just Listed/Just Sold or Open House postcards.

Be sure to block time to speak with at least 100 people per week from your sphere list as part of our March challenge.  The market is competitive. That means it will take bold ACTION to gain market share. We challenge you to do just that.  

Need help?  Contact our team at 866.405.3638. They are there for you! 

 

 

Staying Top of Mind With Your Sphere

by Julie Escobar

Consistency is key when marketing, but agents call us every week to ask, “What should I send?” So, we put together three suggestions to get you started.

  1. Holiday Postcards:  This week’s Master Marketing Schedule tip is to send your St. Patrick’s Day postcards to your sphere of influence.  Agents love Holiday cards because they are timely, can be easily customized with a fun message, and the consistency (sending one per month) is just what the doctor ordered for staying top of mind.  Just be sure to order the first class option for speedier delivery. Our St. Patrick’s Day postcard and Daylight Savings postcards are perfect for reaching out to that top tier of customers on your list in March. 
  2. Animal II Series:  There’s a reason the internet is filled with puppies and kittens.  They make people smile. As our friend Darryl Davis talks about – that’s one BIG key to building rapport and making connections with people – giving them reasons to SMIILE! We’ve recently added this new series option to our offerings because of agent demand.  You can look for many additional cards to be added to this series over the next few months.
  3. Market Quote Series:  This series is growing as well and is an easy way to communicate some of what’s going on in the market right now, and have a little fun!

To get the most from your postcard campaign follow these steps: 

  • Pick a postcard.
  • Choose a size.
  • Choose first-class delivery for holiday postcards, and your choice of delivery options for non-time sensitive postcards.
  • Choose the pre-written copy – or better yet, customize the back of the card with a message of your own. You can offer an item of value, invite customers to an event such as a home buying or selling workshop, or just send them well wishes.
  • Upload your sphere of influence list:  those who know you, like you and trust you. This list is usually compiled from your friends, family, acquaintances and past customers.  Statistically, if you stay in touch with these folks every month, one in twelve should produce a listing, sale or referral to you per year! If you need a list of the 250 people who should be in your sphere, head over to our resources page and dowload our BusinessBASE.
  • Use a promo code to save 10%! Here are the top postcard promo codes for the current month:
    • VAL10S – standard size, mailed First-Class
    • VAL10J – jumbo size, mailed First-Class
    • VAL10P – panoramic size, mailed First-Class
    • VAL10JSC – jumbo size, mailed Standard-Class
    • VAL10PSC – panoramic size, mailed Standard-Class

Next, a fun tip to help you have more fun with your sphere and farm:  Be sure to check in weekly to our Master Marketing Schedule. In the next few weeks you’ll see Pistachio Day, Dentist Day, Salesperson Day, Doctor Day, Pi Day and more. What do these all have in common?  Each includes interesting and fun ways to connect with the folks in your market and differentiate yourself from your competitors! Find out how! 

Need more help? Call our team at 866.405.3638! They’re happy to assist! 

 

A Formula for Success

By Julie Escobar

In today’s market (or any market for that matter) – if you’re not out there networking, making calls, reaching out to your sphere and farm, being PRESENT in your marketplace and even knocking on doors – then you are leaving your success as a real estate agent to chance.  The truth is?  It’s not LUCK — it’s LISTINGS.  And listings are STILL the name of the game.

So what are three things you can do to drive listing inventory in your market? 

Listing Inventory Cards

STEP ONE – SEND:  Use a direct response postcard or flyer to the folks in the hot-turnover neighborhoods or even those that are right on the cusp of turnover.  Let them know that the buying market is HOT and the time to sell is NOW.  Be sure to send any marketing you choose in increments of at least three.  (Remember that 3-7-27 rule – it takes 3 contacts for someone to recognize your name, 7 to put your name with what you do and 27 to become a brand or household name in the minds of the consumer.  Most transactions happen after FIVE contacts.) We’ve got a terrific series that speaks directly the mindset of sellers in this market called our Listing Inventory Series.

STEP TWO – CALL: Here’s where a lot of agents either fall down on the job or lose their muster.  Call people?  Talk to them?  Yikes!  Can it be nerve wracking for some?  Sure.  Will you get ‘No’s”? Absolutely.  But the numbers are in your favor.  If you call enough people, make enough contacts, you’ll get a yes. And that yes can turn into a listing and a listing into a sale and a sale into a commission – so no leaving it to chance.  Make a contact! (Or twenty, or more…)

Here is a sample dialogue  to help you get started:

  • Agent: Hi, my name is _____, and as you may know, our market is on the move and we’ve got more buyers than we have listings.  Have you thought about selling your home now or in the near future? 
  • Seller Question:  How much do you think I could get for my house?
  • Agent Answer (a la Floyd Wickman):  I don’t know, I haven’t seen your house yet, let’s get together!

STEP THREE – SEE:  Don’t knock the idea of old-fashioned door knocking!  Getting out there and visible in the neighborhoods and communities you are eager to service and become a brand name in is just good business.  Why?  It’s personal.  People can put the face with the name.  They can see that you are committed to making an impact and you get a chance to get the real lay of the land.  Door hangers or even shell-printed postcards are a great leave-behind for those who aren’t home – and a nice collateral piece for those who are.

I challenge you to take these three steps to grow your listing inventory, your market share – and your confidence!  Be consistent with it at least once a quarter and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.

Want to learn more about how to drive listing inventory and build a stronger market share?  Visit us online at www.prospectsplus.com or call our marketing team today at 866.405.3638!  They’re terrific at helping agents figure out exactly what they need to market themselves in a budget-friendly way! 

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