Five Ways to Stay Top of Mind in Your Real Estate Market

Mar 14, 2017

The Sum of Small Things

by Julie Escobar

The market is hot and competition is hotter. One big secret to success is to stay top-of-mind with your book of business. And while that doesn’t have to be a HARD process – it does need to be CONSISTENT. That got me thinking about one of Floyd Wickman’s quotes, “Great results are the sum of small things, done well, repeatedly.” Boy isn’t that the truth? I once asked Floyd to expand on that a little for us – and here’s what he had to offer: “That’s one of my favorite sayings too, and it’s so true. In fact, nothing defines that more than a commissioned salesperson picking up the phone and making a simple call to folks in their book of business—even if for no other reason than to say hello. There is no higher thing they can do to shift their results in this business than to create those conversations. In fact, in our courses we teach agents that for every 12 conversations they have, they can expect a referral. To me, that’s the number one way to stay top of mind AND build your business.”

Great advice. Floyd also shared that you can’t ‘nurture’ everyone. So every agent should have two lists – one which is their book of business – those folks you are building a relationship with over time. Your second list should be your database. That’s a list of everyone who’s ever inquired, been on your mailings lists, or internet leads that you can send drip campaigns to until they are ready to make a move. Your database is your least expensive list to market to – but it also yields much lower results than your book of business.

So number one? Take Floyd’s advice. Pick up the phone to everyone in your book of business. Decide how you want to break that up – 10 a day, 20 a day or as Floyd used to say, “Call until you get one.” Block off that time just as critically as you would a listing appointment – because it IS that critical.

Number two? Get out of stealth mode. I can’t tell you how many agents rarely leave the office or their homes but call us to say – how can I get more business? Get OUT there in your community and get noticed! Take part in charity drives, school events, and host Q & A sessions at the local library or coffee shop. The more VISIBLE you are – the more likely people are going to say YOUR NAME when asked if they know anyone in real estate!

Number three? SEND them something tangible. For all the obvious reasons, we’re fond of direct response mail postcards– because they are easy to order, quick to send and don’t take up a lot of your valuable face-to-face or voice-to-voice time with prospects and those in your book of business or sphere. Monthly holiday cards, recipe cards, newsletters, or our content cards are a great ‘touch’ each month that are budget-friendly, can be ordered in minutes, and allow you to stay top of mind. Keep things mixed up as well. Check out our Master Marketing Schedule if you haven’t already for some creative and way outside the box ways to get in front of your clients in ways that are sure to have you REMEMBERED!

Number four? Be HYPER-LOCAL. There’s a reason this term is all the buzz right now – it’s because it is
EXACTLY what consumers are looking for in their resources. Home buyers and sellers need to know what is happening right there in YOUR market – rather than just get sucked into the national news of what’s happening nationwide or even globally. What are prices doing in their neighborhoods? What’s happening in the schools in your area? What new businesses are coming in or closing? Who are the trusted resources, business or service professionals in YOUR area that they can call. Start being the one to consistently deliver THAT kind of information – and your name, brand, reputation and referrals will skyrocket.

Number five? Expand your reach. If you’re not saturating the neighborhood or market area you want to dominate, then turn to Every Door Direct Mail (which gets you literally into every mailbox). Our Market Dominator System is becoming quite the differentiator for agents across the nation. In fact, one agent just shared this experience with us, “The monthly ordering process is easy. Some months I simply upload my photo and company logo and submit the already created newsletter. Other times I customize it. Either way, the newsletters are distributed to 527 of my neighbors. Over the 11 months since I started, the EDDM marketing pieces have resulted in 5 listing appointments. This month, I have a seller preparing their home to list with me and received a buyer referral from a neighbor who receives my newsletters. It’s great to see some fruit from the seeds I planted.” Our advice? Follow his lead and plant those seeds!

Now, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start getting your name, business and face recognized as the incredible real estate resource you are! And if you need help – give our team a shout at 866.405.3638 for systems that can help you do all of that and more!

Three Steps to Driving More Listing Inventory

Feb 6, 2017

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?

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!

Put YOUR BUSINESS On Your Holiday List

Dec 5, 2016

Gift Giving (and Saving) Just Got Easier!

Get or Give the Gift of Marketing with the ProspectsPLUS.com Gift Card!

Perfect for Today’s Busy and Competitive Real Estate Professional.

Here’s why:

There’s no need to store a credit card number
Reap the tax benefits of purchasing your marketing tools in advance
Perfect for allowing assistants access to your account without the need for a credit card
Great incentive item for teams or top producing agents
Save marketing dollars
Easy to purchase and to redeem
Use for one transaction or multiple transactions until balance is depleted
Never expires
No fees

Get yours today!

Prices:

$50 for $45
$100 for $90
$150 for $135
$200 for $180
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Visit us today to get yours! For higher denominations, or assistance, please phone our marketing team at 866.405.3638!

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Savings

Nov 22, 2016

This year we wanted to go all out to help agents across North America celebrate the season — and the savings! That’s why we have a very special offer to share.

Now, through December 13, 2016, you can save 25% off any Holiday Postcard or Holiday Photocard order, excluding postage, tax and shipping costs. (For timely holiday card delivery, please order your postcards, first class postage by December 13th.)

PLUS, we will donate 10% of every holiday card order to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital to help make a difference for children and their families.

To take advantage of this special offer, please use the promo codes below:

25offS: 25% OFF Standard Size Holiday Postcards + PhotoCards Mailed First-Class
25offJ: 25% OFF Jumbo Size Holiday Postcards + PhotoCards Mailed First-Class
25offP: 25% OFF Panoramic Size PhotoCards Mailed First-Class
25offJSC: 25% OFF Jumbo Size Holiday Postcards + PhotoCards Mailed Standard-Class
25offPSC: 25% OFF Panoramic PhotoCards Mailed Standard-Class
25offSH: 25% OFF Holiday Postcards + PhotoCards Postcards Shipped to You
25offM: 25% OFF Holiday Postcards + PhotoCards on Magnetic

*excluding postage, tax and shipping charges

Your business, your budget and your success are a top priority for the team here at ProspectsPLUS! It’s an exciting time to be in real estate and helping agents build their brands and their businesses is exciting as well.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

If you need us, call our team at 866.405.3638 or visit our site today at www.prospectsplus.com.

Building Your Brand and Business

Nov 14, 2016

With Geographic Farming Done Right

By Julie Escobar

Geographic farming has roared back to the marketing forefront for agents in our industry in ways we haven’t seen in years. Why? Because – when done right – it works.

And what exactly is “done right”? It’s when agents who are committed to consistency step up to make themselves known in a neighborhood in real and meaningful ways – getting out into communities, shaking hands, meeting people, making introductions and making a difference.

To talk about one creative tool for geographic farming, the Market Dominator, I sat down with Dominator Director Todd Robertson to learn a little more about the system, the agents who are using it and what it takes to really make an impact on a market area.

Q: Todd, you work with agents across the country who are growing their market share by doing smart geographic farming. Can you tell us a little about the Market Dominator?

A: Sure! This product evolved out of necessity. Agents around the country were asking for a consistency program that would allow them to truly dominate a neighborhood or piece of geography. After six months of research with our team, we came up with the product for our agents called the Market Dominator, which utilizes Every Door Direct Mail with the USPS. At 12” x 15”, it’s the largest legal size that can be sent through the mail, so it doesn’t get overlooked in the mailbox. The content is created every month by our team of writers, who do an outstanding job of weaving in the eight best practices of direct mail. And agents love it because it’s either 100% done for them or 90%, meaning they can make some changes to the back. And with our national sponsors on board now, we can literally send it for the price of a first-class postcard. The other great thing about it is that it’s a two-year campaign… kind of like joining the gym, your personal trainer makes you go.

Q: We both have been in this industry for a long time, and we both know that marketing alone is not what takes agents to the top of their game. It’s follow up and relationship building. Can you tell us some of the powerful ways Market Dominator members are going above and beyond to support their marketing mailing efforts by connecting with the folks in their farm neighborhoods?

A: In terms of what our best agents are doing supplementing the Market Dominator to increase their success rate in their numbers, we’re seeing them do things like canvassing their farms with door hangers, introducing themselves to everybody in the neighborhood, being consistent in sending out new on the market or Just Listed postcards when they get a listing and holding open houses in their carrier routes and making a splash in the area with signs and balloons on every street, every artery when they do. That way, when the Market Dominator shows up in that mailbox, the homeowners will see it and say, “Oh yeah, that’s Susie. I see her all over the place; she’s the neighborhood specialist.”

Q: We’ve talked about the tremendous opportunity agents have to reach out to the businesses that surround or are in their farm area to build reciprocal referral relationships. Can you share your thoughts on that?

A: Some of our Market Dominator members have given us ideas that we never thought about before that we try to share with our new members. One of them is to go after the local businesses in and/or around that carrier route. It’s really an outstanding strategy, because they can utilize the extra 20 Dominators that we give them each month in a clever way.

One of our great agents up in the Northeast simply takes her 20 and goes to every business where people have to wait, such as a hair salon, oil change shop and restaurants. She said the best was actually auto dealerships. What she would do in auto dealerships is first go in and make an introduction to the general sales manager that goes something like, “Hi, I’m Susie with XYZ Realty. I’m the neighborhood real estate specialist in this area. Would you mind if I leave a couple of these in the lobby of your service department?”

What’s great about that strategy is, number one, she’s prospecting the service manager, who becomes a mover and shaker on her SOI list – meaning she visits every month and has offered to let him or her know if a great listing comes on the market. Think about how most cities have what they call “auto dealership row,” where several dealerships are all on the same street. If you’re like Susie, you go right down that strip and pass out two or three Dominators in each dealership, meet some incredible new people and start establishing relationships in a pretty short period of time.

Number two, she’s leaving valuable content, with her name, face, contact information and calls to action in a place where a lot of people congregate. Think about when you have to have your car serviced, and you’ve had to wait anywhere from an hour to a full day in the guest services lounge. What are most people doing when they’re waiting? They’re looking at their phones or whatever magazines are sitting there, right? Imagine if two or three Market Dominators were sitting there with Ritz Carlton quality, filled with great information for people to peruse. Agents who are utilizing this tiny local business strategy with consistency, who have mastered their presentation skills and aren’t afraid to follow up, could find themselves with anywhere from two to 20 extra closings per year.

Q: What about agents who are afraid to follow up, either in person (door knocking) or on the phone? Any advice for them?

A: Some agents just want to send their marketing out, then sit back and see what happens. In my mind, to be great in real estate you have to be obsessed, or you end up being average. By “obsessed,” I mean you’ve already made a commitment to your neighborhood farm, so why not stretch yourself a little and go make an introduction? One way or another, knowing that you’re simply providing a great service to help these people buy or sell real estate is powerful motivation to meet people.

I also would say if somebody is still afraid or hesitant to follow up, spend a couple days and get so good at your listing presentation, get so great at overcoming objections, so great at your value proposition that you can’t help but have a relaxed sense of confidence. This will do a couple of things for you: It will get you excited to go out and meet people and prospect, which is the one thing most people hate doing (usually because they aren’t as confident in their presentation), and it will force you to fine-tune your skills, which will help you enjoy a long-term career.

Q: Consistency and sticking to a plan is a powerful combination for success in our business. Will you share why making the Dominator part of a consistent marketing plan is a smart strategy?

A: In terms of doing any marketing, consistency has to be part of the plan – whether it’s in real estate marketing, building wealth or getting in shape. The Market Dominator gives agents what they told us for many years they wanted: a two-year campaign. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, if your competition is going to do any marketing, history says they quit after the third contact. Yet we know that most activity doesn’t happen until after the fifth contact. So staying in the game for the duration is vital.

Q: Any last words of advice for our readers?

A: First, I would say that if you’re reading this article or reading our magazines or blogs and looking for real estate strategies and insights, you’ve already separated yourself from the competition. Because for you and me to get great at anything, we must remain a student of life. So I congratulate you on taking that step. Whether it’s the Market Dominator, one of our other great products or you just want to call our home office and brainstorm, our team is always willing to help you find the real estate marketing product that best fits your needs, your market and your area.

Thanks for the information and insight, Todd!

If you’d like to learn more about the Market Dominator System, visit www.prospectsplus.com/dominator, or call Todd directly at 855-383-6646.

Finding and Fueling the Right Marketing Lists for Your Business

Oct 24, 2016

Then Putting the Who, What, and When Together

By Julie Escobar

As we head into the final months of the year, a lot of agents are already wisely getting into planning mode. One sticking point that stumps a lot of real estate professionals is building the right marketing lists to fuel their pipeline of business. Let’s take a look at some simple strategies to put into place:

Sphere, Farm, Niche – it’s the real estate agent’s version of lather, rinse, and repeat. Success in this business stems from staying in touch, staying positioned, and top of mind for the folks in all three. I’m often asked by agents, “Where do I start?” The obvious is ‘the sphere’, aka – your sphere of influence or book of business.

Now, if I had a dollar for every agent that said ‘no” when asked if they had ever taken the time to actually put their sphere (those people that already know you, like you, trust you, and would do business with you) into a database, I could buy a very large piece of property – like an island or something! So don’t let yourself fall into THAT category! Savvy agents understand that their best customers, are the ones they’ve built and nurtured relationships with consistently. Who should be in in your sphere? Family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, past clients – and all those folks whose lives you touch and touch yours back.

Sphere: For a list of 250 people that SHOULD be in your book of business, download a pdf of our BusinessBASE^TM at no cost today. Then make THIS the week you make putting YOUR sphere into a working, viable, referral-generating database. Need help inputting all the data? There are lots of college students home for the summer already that would be perfect for that kind of task. Or hire a Virtual Assistant for the project. Your highest and best use of time is prospecting, presenting, and closing – so gather up the data – and delegate it to someone to make it happen.

Four great marketing pieces for your sphere:

Holiday postcards – there’s something every month that can be sent as a friendly hello.
Recipe cards – many agents swear by these as customer ‘keepers’.
Newsletters – these powerful tools are perfect for connecting with your sphere.
Content cards – these are content-rich, consumer-friendly postcards filled to the brim with valuable information that people love.

Farm: Pick an area – but not just ANY area. I asked Coach Todd Robertson for a little how-to advice for agents on choosing the right farm area for them. He shared, “I work with a lot of agents to help them really fine tune what area they want to market. Even if you find a geographic farm that you think works for you location wise with commission-friendly price ranges, you still need to be mindful of two other factors: The turn-over rate, and the competition. Ideally, we want to help position you to receive a 20% market share in a geo farm. If you start in a farm where another agent already has that or higher, you’re going to work much harder and have to be at it longer to see the results you’re seeking. Finding an area where any one agent has less than 10% market share is preferable, or if you see an area where a previously aggressive agent has slowed or stopped their marketing. In terms of turnover rate, ideally you want a one that is at least 10-15%. You can easily determine the turnover rate by dividing the number of homes in the farm by the number of homes which have sold.” That’s a great starting point. So take a snapshot of your market area – look at the neighborhoods that may fit that criteria close to you, then use our MapMyMail^SM system to easily capture mailings lists from those areas. You can choose a radial search by address, or choose to search by zip code or counties. Talk to your broker, look at your options – then map out your marketing list! Once you have that – then remember to stay CONSISTENTLY in touch with these folks – month after month. For a great read and more tips from Todd – read The Smart Scoop on Geographic Farming.

Three great tools for connecting with your farm:

Neighborhood Update/Free Offer series: People want two things: to know the agent they work with can get results – and that they have the resources they need. These cards present you as the agent with both!
Listing Inventory Series: These postcards speak to the mindset of potential sellers with the right questions and direct response offers.
The Market Dominator: For agents serious about dominating a geographic farm and earning a 20% market share. This powerful, direct-response piece is 12×15 and attention grabbing. It also takes advantage of Every Door Direct Mail, so the cost is even more affordable.

Niche: Top agents don’t stop at just marketing to a sphere and farm. They specialize in a demographic that resonates with them.

Here are some ideas for working a niche:

Investors: Use our MapMyMail^SM – choose the demographic search option, then custom, then choose records with a household income of $150,000 or higher. You can also look for REI or REIA websites to learn more about real estate investors. Use our Investor Series postcards to reach out to these lists each month.
FSBOS & Expireds: There are great services such as LandVoice that offer data for FSBOs & Expireds in market areas all across North America. Use our 7 Series for FSBOs or Expireds – send 3-7 postcards in rapid succession (every 3-5 days) as soon as you see a new prospect for these demographics, offer a free report such as 5 Factors That Cause a Property Not to Sell, and follow up after you’ve sent the postcards with a direct response offer. Offer to perform a Merchandising Review to ensure that the home gets sold for the best possible price in the fastest possible time.
First Time Home Buyers: Use the MapMyMail^SM system to find local renters. Offer a variety of free reports such as How to Save for a Down Payment, or Top Ten Checklist for Choosing an Agent. Send our First time home buyer/renter series of postcards monthly with a fair trade offer to connect.
Seniors: You can use that same MapMyMail^SM technology to find Baby Boomers and older. Send our Senior series of postcards to these fine folks!
Get creative: From motorcycle enthusiasts, to local sports team members, to boaters, to farmers, and everything in between. Finding the group of people that you really connect with and would love to serve and work with is a great way to get continuously better as an agent and build a powerful referral network. You can edit our holiday, inspiration, recipe, content cards, or even image series to alter your message for each and every demographic.

We also have powerful Specialty Data Selects Using Nielsen’s PRIZM Codes available on the site to help you tap into incredibly detailed data segments to help make their marketing easier – and more effective. What is PRIZM segmentation? According to Nielsen, “Segmentation links your customer data with household-level and neighborhood-level demographics, syndicated survey and primary research data to reveal exactly what types of consumers are currently using your products or services. Any customer files, lists or survey data with complete addresses or at least a ZIP code can be coded with Nielsen’s segmentation systems. This allows you to identify your best prospect segments with the greatest efficiency for effective marketing strategies that align with marketplace demands.”

Smart, right? So what does that mean to YOU as a real estate professional? It means that marketing just got more interesting. See our Nielsen PRIZM options here.

For all three marketing avenues – your sphere, farm, and niche – be sure to connect every 28-45 days consistently to ensure that you maintain that top-of-mind awareness. Armed with your database and marketing materials, and a reminder system to FOLLOW up with the folks in each will give you the competitive edge in your market that will allow you to develop and maintain a long and prosperous career. Ready, set – GO!

Need help getting started? Contact our marketing professionals today at 866.405.3638. They are an amazing resource – and they truly care about your success. Happy Listing!

October Marketing Tools Are Live!

Oct 6, 2016

It’s an exciting time to be an agent! Did you know? Each month we add powerful new tools to help sales professionals stay top of mind in their markets.

Here’s what’s new for October! Holiday postcards are a great way to reach out to your sphere each month. Savvy agent DON’T just wait for Christmas and Easter to stay in touch. When choosing holiday postcards, please allow two weeks for timely delivery.

Rules of thumb for postcard mailing timeliness:

Need it fast? Choose First Class Mail Option: Delivered by the Post Office in 3 – 5 days. Best for time-sensitive mailings, such as “Just Listed”, “Just Sold” or “Open House postcards.

Got a little more time? Choose Standard Class: Delivered by the Post Office in 14 – 21 days. Best for recurring mailings, such as Recipe or Inspiration postcards.

Our Content postcards are perfect for agents who like to use education-based marketing tools. An alternative to full newsletters, these gems are filled with insightful, timely information that consumers love to read (and share), they are a simple way to stay top-of-mind with both your sphere and farm — and present yourself as an expert in your field. You’ll find over 20 varieties in this series.

And our all new Community News newsletter series is a great way to stay connected with your sphere as well. Filled with timely information and done-for-you content! A new issue is released each month and perfect for staying time of mind with potential buyers and sellers.

Head over to our Specials page to get all your budget-saving promo codes which will save you 10% on your next orders.

Don’t forget! For every Holiday Postcard order placed through the end of the year, we’re donating 10% to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Get started today.

Need help? Call our team at 866.405.3638.

How to Cultivate Your Brand

Sep 12, 2016

3 Steps to Showing Up & Creating a Connection

By Julie Escobar

Raise your hand if you’ve ever sent a marketing mailing to a list of folks that don’t know you yet and got discouraged when you didn’t get a call. It’s frustrating for sure, but it is also one of the biggest marketing mistakes an agent can make. One and done has never been a recipe for success and in today’s world of over media saturation, it is certainly not the time to re-test that theory. Bottom line? Branding takes TIME. Repetition. Consistency. And follow up.

That’s the heart of farming, and just like traditional farming, the success goes to those who systematically plant the seeds, cultivate the crops and later reap what they have sown. Then repeat the process for as long as they want to continue to effectively farm. For agents the process is much the same.

Step One: Stake your claim. Start with a plot or a geographic neighborhood area that is…

Starting to see turnover
Has a high homeowner vs renter ratio
Does not have another agent already dominating market share
Has a price point that makes sense for your area

Step Two: Plant the seeds. For effective geo-farming, your monthly marketing should…

Capture people’s interest
Offers valuable content and fair trade items
Present you as the neighborhood specialist and real estate expert
Showcase your consistency and professionalism

Three of the most popular tools that many customers use to do this effectively are our:

Market Dominator System (Done for you content, 12×16 size, Every Door Direct Mail)
Neighborhood Update/Free Offer Series (Combines market stats and a fair trade offer)
Listing Inventory Series (Prompts action based on market conditions)

Step Three: Follow up. The best agents aren’t leaving anything to chance. They know that just as their marketing tools are the ‘seeds’ for market share success, they must also cultivate that farm with personalized attention. Here are some great examples of cultivation activities:

Walk your farm area with powerful collateral material. Our Market Dominator customers use their extra 20 Dominators. You can also use Free Reports or offer to do a Free Comparative Market Analysis.
Set up a meet-and-greet either at the local community center, library or even coffee shop to let neighbors in that area know you are there with answers to their questions.
Use a gentle approach. Instead of the “have you thought about selling your house” as your opening line, just introduce yourself. Let people know you’re in the area. Explain that during this changing time, a lot of people have questions and you just wanted to let folks know how they can find the answer when they need them.
Invite to an open house. Once you get a listing, be aggressive about hosting open houses in that neighborhood and inviting all the neighbors in.
Have some fun connecting! Bookmark our Master Marketing Schedule today and see all the fun and creative ways you can make a GREAT impression on the folks in your marketplace and have a great time doing it.

Once you’ve done all three, start over again. Branding and earning market share is much more of a long game – a marathon rather than a spring. But in the end, you’ll reap what you sow. Keep consistent. Talk to people. Make your face and name they think of when the idea of real estate pops into their head. That way? You are positioned perfectly as the one to call when they are ready to buy or sell or know of someone who is.

When should you start? The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll start seeing results. Plant those seeds. We can help. Call our team at 866.405.3638 today or head over to www.prospectsplus.com and get started!

Getting MORE for Your Money

Aug 22, 2016

Why So Many Agents Choose SupportPLUS! Memberships

by Julie Escobar

There’s a lot to be said for those agents who weigh out all their options and look for ways to get the most marketing for their money. We respect that and certainly want to help agents stretch their marketing dollars as far as possible, while providing the kind of tools that we know will reap them results each and every month.

That’s why we do all that we can to deliver powerful opportunities to the agents who have made the choice to be in our exclusive SupportPLUS! Membership program. Here’s what you may not know: ALL members of our ProspectsPLUS.com site have access to dollar saving promo codes and a chance to see what’s new each month on our Specials Page. Our standard savings codes usually will save agents roughly 10% on their orders.

Our SupportPLUS! Membership takes that a few steps further. For just $99 per year your benefits would be:

17% OFF! NO ONE gets a better deal or deeper discounts on products, services or tools than our SupportPLUS! Members. They are higher than ANY OTHER offer on our site month after month (think 17% off products rather than the standard 10%).
Free PDFs each month of every piece on our site! Valued at $19.95 each, you can choose from hundreds of marketing pieces that are easily customized and saved to your personal files as a PDF for you to print or use whenever you like! They make excellent calls to action, downloads on your site, or collateral at your open houses.
A Special VIP customer service line. Your satisfaction is our top priority. That’s why you’ll have access to our VIP service line to ensure that your questions get answered quickly and to help make your job so much easier!
No limits – our new site offers far more than postcards and flyers – you have access to direct mail solutions, business cards, stationery, newsletters, market dominators, door hangers, brochures and so much more!
List Assistance. One of the biggest challenges for today’s agents are getting the right LISTS to mail and market to. Our exclusive MapMyMail product is perfect for helping you find the right marketing list for your business. Our staff can help you manage your lists, purchase a specialty list or give you advice on how to build the perfect database foundation for growing your business.
Access to new pieces as soon as they come online! We add 6-8 new marketing tools EACH MONTH. So far this year, we’ve added over SEVENTY new pieces! You’ll have access to all of them and have the ability to download any at no cost with your membership!

If you’re ready to make your marketing dollar go farther, join the top agents who are SupportPLUS! Members for just $99 per year. Click Here to join this club or call our team today at 866.405.3638!

Back to School Strategies for Real Estate Professionals

Jul 25, 2016

Six Lessons for Success

By Julie Escobar

Back to School Real Estate Marketing

You can almost feel it — that anxiousness, excitement and uncertainty that envelopes us around this time year after year. Tens of millions of children headed back to classes, and even those without little ones can get caught up in the thirst for knowledge, need for more certain schedules and the never-too-old-for allure of new notebooks and supplies. All right, maybe that last one is just me, but you’ll have to admit there is something exciting about creating a clean slate, learning to the best of our abilities and growing as a sales professional as well as a person.

Ready to get started? You’ve had a healthy breakfast, donned your uniform (name badges everyone!) put on your thinking caps and you’re ready to learn – right? Here are the “classes” you must master in this market:

1. Direct response. Is your postcard asking your prospects a question? Are you raising their awareness? Are you giving them a reason and means to contact you? Are you just staying in touch or do you need them to take action? When you use your marketing to ask the questions that are already in the minds of your prospects, you create a connection that makes people want to reach back out to you.

Even holiday postcards can effectively raise awareness and include a message to not only have a great holiday but to call you should they need you or have questions. A Just Listed card too – is not just a just listed card. It’s an invitation to see a new listing, to get a list of other homes like it, answer questions or evaluate another potential seller’s ability to sell their home. Content cards offer valuable information consumers are looking for and offer an invitation for buyers and sellers to learn more or get free reports. The Neighborhood Update/Free Offer Series, a popular one for agents, offers free reports, valuable consultation, and other items of value to the consumer — as well as neighborhood stats that appeal to buyers and sellers on a hyper-local level.

2. Consistency. Again and again and again. That’s how often you need to “show up” in their mailbox, on their radar and in the lives of your prospects and customer base. Our market is too competitive and life is too short for one-shot wonders. Plus – it’s just too expensive to waste time, effort and of course, marketing dollars on a one-hit mailing. They don’t work. Never have, never will. And in today’s world – people want to see that you’ve got what it takes to stick with it and get results before they want to work with you. If you give up easily on your marketing – what message does that send to your customer base? Success comes to those who show up not once but over and over again. With the right message, the right attitude and the right promise of service. Show them you’ve got what it takes.

3. List care. Your mailing list is not just “a list.” It’s not just a spreadsheet of names and addresses. It represents the lifeblood of your business. It hosts the people that, if cared for, if catered to, if serviced right, if stayed in touch with, if impacted – will take care of you for the entirety of your career. In fact, studies show that one in twelve will result in a transaction per year of you consistently and effectively stay in touch. That said- how many do you want on your list and how committed are you to taking care of them like the VIPs that they are?

Find a database you’re comfortable with and don’t stop with names, addresses and phone numbers. Fill in the gaps. Who is their spouse? What are their kids’ names? What do they do? What do they like? When did they purchase/sell with you last? What referrals have they sent? What common interests do you have? It’s not easy at first – but once you’ve formed the good habit of contacting your list at least three times a year (not all at once, of course!) you’ll start to be able to feed the details into your database.

Don’t lose those lists you get when you purchase a just listed postcard either! Every time you send a postcard out with us and choose to do a radial or neighborhood search, that list is yours to keep so that you can continue to build your book of business. Add them to your list and start building a relationship with them as well. For more ideas of who should be in your sphere of influence – download our free BusinessBASE – and check out the 150 Questions to Help You Build Your Business Relationships. It’s a great ‘refresher’ course for remembering all the people you SHOULD be building relationships with!

4. Niche Marketing: Niche players fare better, earn more, usually are better at time management and can more quickly define themselves as an expert in their market area. Why? First, it gives you clarity of purpose, so you’re more efficient in the way you conduct your business, in the manner you build your skill sets and your knowledge base and in how you grow your customer base. You don’t need to be all things to all people. You just need to be the best at reaching out to, teaching and building relationships with that core group or niche. That not only builds your business faster, but it gives you a sense of certainty and confidence that you wouldn’t have if you were trying to work with any and all customer types.

So who do YOU want to work with most? Seniors? First time home buyers? FSBOs? Luxury Markets? Boaters? Golfers? Or maybe outside the box ideas like horse enthusiasts, Harley riders, yacht club members, golfers? Find the fit that’s right for you – then be the BEST for that niche! Now with new mailing list options that include specialty lifestyle interest data, or Nielsen Prizm codes you can easily find more the customers you most want to work with.

That’s not to say you ignore your sphere – just keep enhancing it by building niche markets that help it (and your business) to grow!

By the way – one really time-appropriate niche to start is working with your local school communities. The rewards are great – not just in your bottom line, but the experience you get and connections you create and the very real difference you can make in the lives of students and educators. Download our Free Report: 10 Ways to Prospects To and Support Your Local PTAs. (You’ll find it close to the bottom of the free reports page.) While you’re there – download a few more great reports to use in your fall marketing!

5. Leveraging Technology Tools: Leveraging technology and available networking to maximize your potential for lead generation, prospecting and keeping your pipeline of customers filled is crucial to your success. That means learning how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and the social networking tools that are available today. It can also mean hosting weekly or monthly conference calls, webinars and workshops for those in your niche, community or sphere of influence. These are great ways to inexpensively and effectively establish and reinforce your niche. Technology allows you to be in many places and in front of many people at one time, which helps you build relationships by using these tools to share information on a regular, consistent basis.

Technology also allows you to put systems in place such as automating the marketing of your listings using systems such as MLSmailings.com, www.GettingListingsSold.com which can take some of the daily, weekly and monthly marketing chores off your to-do list, freeing you up to spend more time at what you do best – getting face-to-face with customers and prospects.

6. Work High Priority Activities First. Real estate agents get paid to build relationships and provide exceptional service. There are plenty of ways to be BUSY in this business- but the activities that matter most are the ones that are directly tied to your bottom line. You need to have absolute focus on scheduling the time to prospect, present, close and build relationships before anything else. That means making and KEEPING that appointment with yourself every day.

The last thing we wanted to cover in our time together is how, as sales professionals, we can create good study habits that will also contribute to our success. Got down time? In the car, on the treadmill, during your commute? Make the most of it by ‘plugging in’ to top speakers, trainers and coaches that you can listen to on the go.

Need help? To learn more about how we can help you fuel your business, streamline your systems and take your career to the next level, call our marketing team today at 866.405.3638 or visit our website www.prospectsplus.com.
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