Creative Marketing: Be Daring, Be Memorable

Marketing Success

Feb 11, 2019

Quick! What’s the one thing all home sellers expect their listing agent to do for them?

You got it – market the home so it sells for the most money the market will allow.

They expect, and sure sometimes they receive, the services of an ace marketer. Most of the time, however, they’re getting someone who has had to learn marketing on the fly.

The truth is, how effectively you market yourself is an indicator to consumers of how well you’ll market their home.

Gain their interest with a Free Offer. (Available in the Postcard section of our site, under the Call to Action Series.)

It’s tough to find the time to figure out creative new ways to promote yourself and your business. However, the tail-end of the so-called “winter slowdown” that’s upon us right now, may just provide you with the time necessary to enter the spring market with guns blazing.

A born extrovert?

When someone is considered “bold,” she exhibits confidence, courage and a willingness to take risks, according to the dictionary.

If this even partially describes you, the world is your proverbial oyster when it comes to ways to market yourself in the real estate industry.

Unlike many of us, you aren’t afraid to step away from the pack, you aren’t concerned that one potential client might be alienated and your biggest fear is being lumped into the rest of your town’s “pack” of real estate agents.

Instead of running from the spotlight, you run, headlong, smack-dab into the middle of it.

Before Silicon Valley’s Ken DeLeon became Wall Street Journal’s number one agent in the country, he did some deep thinking about what would set him apart from the masses.

Now, this is a guy who, if he likes the song the DJ is playing, thinks nothing of getting up on the dance floor at the local dance club without a partner. And, he’s not even that great of a dancer, according to his own admission (“but I am the fastest” he boasts).

Naturally, his personality fought to be featured in any marketing he did for his brand. “I did some pretty crazy ads,” in the beginning, he admits, “such as a two-page spread in the local newspaper with me dressed as the Village People.”

“Instead of ‘Y-M-C-A,’ I was singing ‘S-O-L–D.’” A little Orphan Black-esque, It got the phone ringing and, when last we heard (which was a couple of years ago), DeLeon sold about 12 percent of the available homes in his market.

He’s not always crazy in his marketing, but he meets his goal of standing out from the crowd. Instead of a one-page market analysis, the former attorney beefs his up to 200 pages which includes neighborhood guides along with current market statistics.

Then, there are the spotlight-driven brokerages, agents and teams who shine best in the YouTube realm, with branded videos. One of our favorites is, “Teach me How to Dougie” from The Smith Group in Newport Beach, California and Santa Clarita, California’s Real Estate Rockstars.

Show off their property with style (Available in the Postcard section under Property Showcase Series).

Grab some inspiration and hog that real estate spotlight!

For the less-outrageous agent

OK, so you’re not outrageous. You’re not alone. And, thankfully, there are understated yet wildly effective ways to stand out from the other agents in your market.

In fact, to some, nothing is funnier or more entertaining than not taking yourself seriously. Self-deprecation, dry wit and irony, if you can pull it off, can be your key to uniqueness.

When People magazine dubs a video “the most inventive video advertisement the real estate world has ever seen,” you understand that people get this type of humor.

They’re referring to the brilliant work of New York City agent Brian Keith Lewis. You may have seen Lewis on stage at a past Inman Connect. If not, get inspired by more of his videos on his YouTube channel.

If real estate videos (even the understated variety) are a bit elaborate for your budget, there are other easy and inexpensive ways to promote your brand.

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorns have roses,” claimed the late French journalist and novelist Alphonse Karr.

It’s all in how you look at things, right? Try looking at those “things” through a new or different lens.

Use that lens to check out tasks that you can perform in your real estate business better than any other agent in town. Open house? Make yours different. Or, focus on broker’s opens and make them the talk of the local MLS meetings and tours.

Something as simple as returning phone calls within minutes of receiving them sets you apart from the masses.

Become amazing at one thing that’s important to real estate consumers. Brag about it, become amazing at it and you’ll be known for it.

Offer them something they value (Available in the Postcard section under the Call to Action Series)

Refuse to be average

Successful people, according to Zen Habits’ Leo Babauta, harbor one similar trait, “the willingness to challenge mainstream ideas … the ability to not only question what others do, but the courage to try new ideas, different ideas.”

So, what if a tactic doesn’t work? Try another. Push the boundaries, be brave, be bold and vow to be successful in promoting your brand.

Send at least 100 Free Market Analysis postcards from the Free Offer 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 ways we can help you have an INVINCIBLE 2019!

1. 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

2. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

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

3. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

“Get MORE Listings & Begin to Dominate Your Market!” Free online webinar. Learn the 3-7-27 strategy for explosive growth, why 95% of agents have less than 20% market share, and how to become the agent everyone competes against. Watch it in-demand. – Click Here

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

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

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

Avoid these 4 common real estate agent marketing mistakes

Marketing Success

Jan 21, 2019

Turn on the marketing “light bulb”

It’s a safe bet that the percentage of real estate agents who come from a background in marketing is quite small. Therefore, it’s understandable that marketing can be a challenge.

Fortunately, learning by example is an effective way to overcome this lack of knowledge. Let’s take a look at the following four common real estate marketing blunders so that you can avoid making them in the future.

Marketing Mistake 1: The lack of a plan

Planning isn’t as interesting or fulfilling as doing almost all things in life. So, we get it that creating a marketing plan isn’t something you put at the top of your to-do list.

But, that’s marketing mistake number one. Just as you caution your buying clients to enter the process prepared, with a plan, so too should you, when marketing your business.

Even a rudimentary plan can help keep you on track and on budget, but the more detailed the plan, the better it will perform.

The Real Estate Marketing Planner Free Download

A powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when is our Free Real Estate Marketing Planner. It includes weekly strategies for Four key market segments including, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence.

Please take advantage of this Free 12-month Marketing Planner, go here to download.

Marketing Mistake 2: Not understanding where the money is

One of the biggest myths about homebuyers is that the largest group of them are first-time buyers.

You’ll find this misinformation online on agent websites, sites trying to sell stuff to agents and even news stories.

“ … the majority of people looking to purchase a new home are first-time buyers.”

NAR tells us that first-timers make up only 33 percent of all homebuyers (and that number is down from the previous year). Therefore, diversify your marketing dollars to include target markets in addition to first-time home buyers. Some of the other top target markets include Baby Boomers, Move-Up Market, Lifestyle & Interests, Empty Nesters, High-Income Consumers, and Investors.

Notify the move-up market to turn to you for help. (Available in the Move-Up Market postcards section)

Marketing Mistake 3: And who are they?

NAR breaks buyers and sellers into generations and Gen X (born 1965 to 1976), according to the association, makes up the largest home seller pool at 27 percent.

In reality, baby boomers (between the ages of 54 and 72) in the market far exceed that number, at 43 percent. NAR, however, cuts the generation in half, making it appear to be a smaller group of consumers.

But, since both generations own homes and are likely to move, a smart agent will target both.

When you understand where the money is, and vow to strategically target those with it, everything else marketing-related, from the social media platforms you utilize to your content, falls into place.

Marketing Mistake 4: Going it alone

Assist an Empty Nester Achieve an Important Transition (Available in the Life Event postcard section)

Marketing involves a whole host of talents that most real estate agents don’t possess. Sure, you may be an ace photographer or may have studied graphic arts in college, but an agent who has all of what it takes to market his or her business would be a rarity, indeed.

There’s not a thing wrong with outsourcing your marketing needs, be it from the creative side (writing, photographing, videography, etc.) or the hands-on side (managing bulk or email lists, website work and social media management) or the design side by trusting in an industry marketing expert like ProspectsPLUS! for all of your real estate marketing materials.

Your job is to generate the leads required to make deals. Save time and frustration by hiring experts for the rest of the work including turning to industry expert marketers, such as ourselves, for marketing materials that speak specifically to the market you are targeting.

We understand the possible fear of committing the appropriate budget for this important area of your business. First, outsourcing marketing tasks is tax deductible (as are marketing materials). Second, it frees up more of your time which, in turn, means you’ll be working more on the money-making activities.

Offer decision-making assistance to baby boomers (Available in the Life Event postcards section)

Time for you to go after the “current” largest target market, Baby Boomers!

Send at least 100 Downsizing, Retiring Soon postcards from the Life Event 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 4 free ways we can help you have an INVINCIBLE 2019!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

3. The 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

4. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Also…check out these game-changing tools!

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

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand & achieve 20% market share

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