Increase your email open rate with these two critical fixes

Jul 24, 2019

If you’re spending time and money on email marketing, there are “best practices” that you can follow to ensure that your emails are opened, read, enjoyed and that they produce business.

Let’s walk through the two most critical parts of an email and look at ways to ensure both do their fair share of the heavy lifting.

Your real estate email subject line

Most marketers we’ve spoken with claim that the subject line of an email is critical – more important than even the substance of the email.

They have a point. The subject line determines whether the recipient opens or tosses the email.

Regardless of how interested your recipients are in what you’re selling, they’ll skip over your email unless you entice them not to.

For instance, since I firmly believe that baby boomers are the wave of real estate’s near future, I’ve joined several boomer website’s email lists.

One of them uses the same subject line on every email. Identical. Never varies:

“First Look: Baby Boomers”

As interested as I am in baby boomer real estate attitudes, I seldom open these emails. I always think I’ll find the time later on but I seldom do.

Today, I opened one and the first link to a story on their website is “Are You Making This Big Retirement Mistake?”

Send out the Too Much House postcard (available in the postcard section under Life Event Series)

What a brilliant title! If I were close to retirement, I would find this topic so compelling I would click on the link.

Had this been the subject of the email, it would’ve been opened immediately. Think of the website visits this company is missing out on by being so lazy with their email subject lines.

According to Olivia Allen at Hubspot.com, there are seven key concepts to keep in mind when writing email subject lines. The three most pertinent to the real estate agent include:

Urgency: It’s the old FOMO concept at work here – the “fear of missing out.” Agents use this often when discussing low interest rates and low home prices, stressing (hopefully) that they won’t last forever.
Curiosity: The baby boomer story about the big retirement mistake fits this concept.
Personalization: Smart agents who segment their databases are most likely quite familiar with personalizing content according to a lead’s position in the pipeline, whether a buyer or seller, looking for a condo or a house, etc. Email open rates improve when subject lines are personalized to recipients’ interests.

You can find all seven concepts and more information about email subject lines at Hubspot.com.

Your real estate email signature

Recently, an agent in a Facebook real estate group posted his email signature, asking for feedback from the group. And, did he get feedback!

Here’s a look at his email signature, with identifying information changed:

Advice he was given that we find spot on includes:

Dump the designations. Studies show that real estate consumers neither understand what they mean or care. Unless it’s an academic designation, such as a JD or PhD, they’re just distractions and clutter.
That magazine recognition is quite impressive, until you get to the dates. Has he slacked off since 2016? We think he should leave off the dates.
Unless it’s law in your area, leave off your license numbers. Also, we would suggest he add “Real Estate” before “Associate Broker” and leave off mention of his appraiser’s license. To the basic consumer, “Associate Broker” doesn’t mean anything. . .broker of what? With the addition of his appraisal license, it appears he may be a broker of appraisals.
There are far too many telephone numbers in his signature. Also, what’s the difference between “direct” and “cell?” Isn’t a cell number a direct line? Dump the eFax number completely.
The mission statement should go as well. Use that space for an amazing client testimonial.
Where’s his website URL, his Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media links?
There are several technical errors as well. These include inconsistencies in phone number format; some numbers have the area code in parenthesis while others don’t. Punctuation bloopers (serial commas in the mission statement, etc.).

His colleagues also reminded him that most emails are opened on mobile devices with small screens and doubt that this will show well on such. They also suggested his phone number should be first so that people don’t have to wade through all the self-serving hype to find it.

One agent saw what the rest of us missed: too many links in an e-signature may trigger spam filters. All of the blue text in his signature are links.

The bottom line, from that brilliant agent, is to keep your email signature “simple and license law compliant.”

Send the Retiring Soon postcard (available in the postcard section under Life Events Series).

Attract Baby Boomers by sending out the Retiring Soon postcard from the Life Event Series.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. 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. “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. – Click Here

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

Understanding the Needs of the Affluent Homebuyer

Jul 22, 2019

Last year at this time, the news was full of the gloom and doom the president’s new tax plan was going to drop on the real estate market – especially the high-end second-home market.

Some experts predicted that owners who can’t find a tax loophole may end up selling, thus adding to the luxury home inventory.

Selling any home requires an understanding of the buyer pool. When the home is high-end, it’s even more important, as this pool is significantly smaller and those swimming in it are much more specific in their wants and needs.

While the list changes frequently, a few features that attract affluent homebuyers remain the same decade after decade. These include privacy and security, a personalized or custom space and a home that helps build “happy memories with family and friends,” according to a 2018 Luxury Portfolio International® study.

Putting these qualities into words and highlighting them is critical when marketing a luxury property.

What else are today’s wealthy homebuyers seeking? Read on to learn more.

What are the affluent homebuyer’s hot buttons?

It’s challenging to lump together any group of individuals and assume they all want the same things. The luxury homebuying pool is no exception. International buyers, for instance, have vastly different desires than the luxury buyer planning to live in the home full-time.

Then, the more expensive the home, the longer the list of must-haves.

Available in the postcard section under the Luxury Series.

But, when studying domestic luxury homebuyers, certain themes become apparent. These include their desire for privacy, energy efficiency and a spa-like master suite, among others.

Privacy

Privacy tops the list of concerns of affluent homebuyers, according to the Luxury Portfolio International study of the top 10 percent (by income) of real estate consumers.

This is particularly evident in land-starved areas, such as Silicon Valley, where Mark Zuckerberg bought four of his neighbor’s homes to provide a buffer between his family and the rest of us. He also walled off his neighbor’s ocean views near his Hawaii home, trying to create even more privacy.

Wealthy homebuyers want tech-friendly homes

When we think “tech-friendly” we typically picture a millennial homebuyer. Recent surveys show, however that 87 percent of buyers shopping in the luxury market won’t purchase a home that doesn’t offer tech features.

App-driven security systems are the most in-demand feature (with more than half of high-end property buyers requesting them), followed by automated climate control.

If your luxury listing’s tech system also extends to controlling other home systems, you’ll want to hit the feature hard in your marketing materials.

Scaled back swimming pool

A Redfin study finds that luxury buyers, for the most part, still insist on a swimming pool, but they want it to be smaller. This makes sense when we understand their desire for more backyard entertainment features. A smaller pool leaves more room for these additional features.

What the affluent seek in a real estate agent

According to a 2017 Luxury Portfolio International white paper, there are three qualities that the high-end home shopper or seller is seeking in an agent.

The first is trustworthiness. Let your testimonials do the heavy lifting on this one. Ensure that you place your best one above the fold on your website and that the others are easily accessible.

The second quality you’ll need to attract affluent real estate consumers is proof that you understand the “details that distinguish the best.” This means understanding “artistic craftsmanship.”

Yes, it’s something that can be learned, but it takes time. Immerse yourself in architecture and art. Tour high-end homes to get a feel for what constitutes “aesthetic quality.” Get to know the luxury brands that this pool of homebuyers finds valuable.

Finally, when asked about their ideal real estate agent, luxury homebuyers say they want to work with someone who is willing to “take the time to understand my needs.”

Now that one is universal.

A great resource for agents interested in entering the luxury market is Michael LaFido’s Luxury Blueprint Video Series. It’s a three-part series on how to break into and sell more high-end and luxury homes.

You can also listen to his podcast “Luxury Listing Specialist” on iTunes or Stitcher. For information on Michael’s Luxury Listing Specialist Certification Click Here.

Luxury Property Flyers (available under the Luxury Marketing tab on our website)

If you have a luxury property listing be sure to order Luxury Property Flyers to enhance your client’s property and highlight its outstanding features.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

5 simple rules of writing real estate content for the web

Jul 17, 2019

Content is the cornerstone of your online presence and your brand’s biggest ambassador. Done right and shared frequently, it will deliver visitors to your website where you can work your conversion magic.

Writing isn’t easy for those who don’t do it every day. But you don’t need to bend it like Dostoevsky or Shakespeare. Once you realize that, you free yourself of that little nag in your head that tells you that you suck at writing.

Let’s take a look at some of the basics, as applied to your blog posts but transferrable to most website content.

Know your audience

It’s crazy to try to target every conceivable real estate consumer in one blog post. You won’t succeed.

Before setting fingers to keyboard, take the time to think about to whom your topic will appeal. That is your audience for this particular post.

That’s the person you’ll imagine as you write. For instance, when writing a post on downsizing, your audience is most likely:

A homeowner
A member of the baby boomer generation
Someone who owns a large home
Someone who needs help both selling and buying

Draw an imaginary picture of this person, sitting at his or her computer reading your article. Keep that picture top-of-mind while writing.

Remain focused on the topic

Nothing will tick your readers off more than a snappy title luring them into reading a post that ends up having little to do with the title. The anger will be worse if your post offers no solutions and few answers.

Their anger toward you is well deserved; you’ve effectively ripped off their time.

It’s a common problem with folks who don’t write for a living. A solution to this is to create the title of your piece last.

Free Report for Real Estate Marketing to sellers — available under the Free Report tab on our website.

Then, when you’re finished writing and you proofread it, determine your main theme, come up with a brilliant title and remove anything in the post that strays from it.

Short and simple

This rule applies to sentences as well as paragraphs and even words.

Don’t use a $5 million word when a $2 word will suffice

For example:

We will accompany you – We will go with you
When you relocate to – When you move to
The optimum time to buy (or sell) – The best time to buy (or sell)
Obtain a mortgage – get a home loan
Purchase a home – Buy a home

The same holds true for sentences and paragraphs; keep them short and easy to read.

Looks matter

When a visitor lands on your blog post, it’s the visual appeal that he or she will notice first. If your post appears too wordy, too challenging to read, the chances are good your visitor will leave.

Aside from that snappy title, one of the best ways to “trick” them into staying is by making the post appear to be a quick, easy read. Use the following in each post:

Lots of white space. You can get this by keeping your paragraphs short – no longer than five sentences, but shorter is better.
Bullet points
Numbered lists
Stand-alone quotes

Proof and edit – a couple of times

Congratulations! You’ve got yourself a first draft. Keep in mind that

“The first draft of anything is sh#$”

According to the late Ernest Hemmingway.

Now, you need to hone that blog post. Read through it, looking for spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. Then, check it for factual and logical errors. Ensure that claims you make are backed up by facts.

We found the perfect example of a logical error on a New Jersey luxury agent’s blog. He opens it with a question, asking the reader if he or she is considering “knocking down the walls of an existing property.”

As opposed to a non-existing property? Hopefully, had the agent proofed his post, he would’ve caught this. Obviously, he didn’t proof.

After making your edits, read the post once more for flow. Organize the information so that each thought leads logically to the next.

Then, set it aside for a few hours and repeat the process. You may be surprised how many mistakes you missed on the first-read.

available under the Free Report tab on our website.

Your final task is to share your content — in as many places as possible.

Offer the Free Report, “Five Ways Waiting to Sell Can Cost You Thousands” as an opt in our your blog in exchange for email addresses.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

How to stop wasting time and start selling more real estate

Jul 14, 2019

If you’re of a certain age you may recall when the personal computer was brand spanking new to the world and all the promises it held out to us.

It would usher in a paperless society, they said. It will transform our work environment, saving tons of time and making us more productive, they promised.

Sure, personal computers have caused the demise of the video store and we no longer have to stand in line at the bank, but many of us still deal with piles of paper and spend way too much time online.

Both of those (paperwork and the internet) are major time thieves, but they aren’t the only ones you may routinely face during the work day.

Email is supposed to be a tool

A recent Michigan State University study found that we spend more than 90 minutes a day – “or seven-and-a-half hours every week – recovering from email interruptions.”

Have you ever figured out what your time is worth? Take your annual commission amount and divide it by 2,000 (the average number of hours most people work each year, with two weeks deducted for vacation time).

That’s a rough estimate of your hourly rate. That is how much money you lose, per day, by allowing yourself to be a slave to your email. Multiply that out over the course of a year – shocking, isn’t it?

Think about how much more productive you would be with an extra hour and a half each day. Then, stop being reactive when it comes to email. Turn off email notifications and only check for new emails during specific times.

Or, assign email-checking to your assistant. No assistant? Why not?

Social media marketing as a rabbit hole

Yes, social media marketing is important. But it is entirely too easy to stop by Facebook to share your latest blog post and end up chasing shiny objects. Minutes can easily turn into an hour, or more.

In fact, studies by eMarketer claim that we spend 40 minutes a day on Facebook. Add that 40 minutes (if it’s not spent solely on business marketing) to the 90 you lose checking email and you’ve lost more than 2 hours a day to non-income-producing distractions.

Use Free Reports as opt ins and sellers calling you (available under our Free Report tab).

If the shiny objects are far too attractive to you, plan on saving your social media marketing for the end of the day. Then, discipline yourself to save the socializing for after you take care of the marketing stuff.

Temptations in the home office

You can’t beat working from home. Wear whatever you want, eat lunch whenever you want and take breaks whenever you please.

It’s a blessing, yes, but it’s also a curse. There are so many distractions when working from home—distractions that can ruin your productivity.

Not only does the pile of clean laundry call out to you to be folded and put away, but other household chores suddenly seem more interesting than the work at hand. Besides, it’ll only take a few minutes, right?

Staying focused on your work can be challenging. If it is for you, try the “rule of 52 and 17.” John Rampton at Inc.com says.

The study apparently found that “the most productive people take a 17-minute break every 52 minutes.” Rampton adjusted the rule to fit his attention span and works “in shorter, 30-minute sprints,” breaking for 5 to 7 minutes.

Set a timer or ask Alexa to remind you when your time is up, but vow to remain focused during the work period. Then you can fold that laundry.

But, there’s more

Home office workers don’t know this but they have a sign on their backs that says “I’m at home so I’m not really working. Feel free to ask me to pick up your dry-cleaning, run your daughter to ballet class or drop your dog at the vet.”

Find a local professional errand runner and keep his or her phone number handy. Every time your sister calls with an errand for you to run, give her the number.

Setting boundaries is actually the key to success. It may take time, but the more often you meet these requests by reminding the people making them that you are working, the less it will happen.

These time-wasters only scratch the surface of what a real estate agent may face during the work day. Add time-wasting clients, disorganized work spaces and cars and working without a plan to the list.

Learning how to be more self-disciplined isn’t easy but it’s critical to the success of your real estate business. Plus, it makes you happy, according to a study published in the Journal of Personality.

“Exerting self-control can make you happier not only in the long run, but also in the moment,” Time.com’s Maia Szalavitz says, citing the study.

Apparently, “managing conflicting goals” successfully makes us feel good. In real estate, it also helps you make more money.

Get hands raising with an attention-getting free report (available under the Free Report tabe on our website).

Educate your target market and get them leaning forward to work with you by adding the Free Report, “9 Ways to Get More Money, Less Time, With Less Headaches“ as an opt in to all of your marketing.

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

June $250 Gift Card Drawing Winner!

Jun 30, 2019

We have two winners!

A first place $250 Gift Card winner & a second place $100 Gift Card winner!

1.Congratulations Joanne Gillet on winning our 1st Prize $250 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card!

Joanne shared the following feedback with ProspectsPLUS!

“Fast and easy, or if you have any questions a representative is there to help with custom cards or to get a quick automatic postcard sent out! Love it!”

Joanne’s latest marketing pieces she’s sent out include – A Just Listed postcard and a Upload Your Own design postcard.

Send out Just Listed and Just Sold postcards to multiply your results (Available in the postcard section)

2. Congratulations Phyllis Staines on winning the 2nd Prize $100 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card

Phyllis shared the following feedback with ProspectsPLUS!,

“Easy to use, prices are affordable and delivery is fast!”

Phyllis’ latest marketing pieces she’s sent out include – The Call To Action postcard and the Neighborhood Update postcard.

Send the Call To Action Series or Neighborhood Update Series and get them excited to call you (available in the postcards section)

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

You might also like to read:

How to Harness the 5 Key Traits of ‘Rock Star’ Agents

Agent Facebook Success: Rules of Engagement

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!

Difficult real estate listing? Appeal to their senses

Jun 26, 2019

Even in the fastest-moving real estate markets, some homes just don’t sell. You know the reasons this happens and chief among them is that the home is overpriced. When a listing is priced right, however, it’s usually the home’s condition that keeps buyers from swooning over it.

If investors are swooping in on your homeowner with rock-bottom offers to purchase, perhaps it’s time for you to step in and politely demand that the homeowner make some changes.

Even basic fixes can help move a home. But perception drives value, so consider some of the psychological aspects of staging a home.

Take a cue from the retail and restaurant industries

In fine dining restaurants, presentation of the meal is critically important. It has, in fact, been elevated to a culinary art form.

When plating a meal, a fine dining chef combines color, texture and even space to make the meal attractive to the diner. Compelling plating has other benefits too:

It adds value to the dining experience
Increases the restaurant’s profits by making it easier to upsell
Helps build the restaurant’s reputation

Retailers have also long valued the benefits of presentation. More than two-thirds of consumers interviewed in a Morpace Omnibus survey said that they’ve avoided a retailer based solely on how it appeared from the exterior.

Get there attention with content that matters to them (available in the postcard section under the Content Card Series)

Curb appeal apparently is just as important in retail as it is in real estate

Even once they’re inside the store, the retailer isn’t safe from consumers’ negative perceptions. A couple of years ago, Harris Interactive surveyed 1,000 Americans about what features of a store most negatively impact their perceptions of the store.

“A surprisingly high 86 percent of those surveyed pointed to the floor,” according to Daniel Frimmel, at CSNews.com.

He explains that “a store with soiled or poorly maintained floors would definitely be a factor in their decision to revisit that store again.”

Remind you of any other consumers? How many times has ratty carpet or holes in vinyl turned a homebuyer off even when everything else about the home is ideal?

Curb appeal, staging and cosmetic repairs are all visual cues for homebuyers. But they aren’t the only ones.

If you have a difficult listing, it may be time to dig deeper into the arsenal.

The nose knows

To compete with online retailers, the brick-and-mortar guys (and gals) are using something the online shopper just isn’t provided: a sensory experience.

“Sensory marketing targets a consumer’s basic senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell,” explains David Anzel at RetailCustomerService.com.

After sight, the next most commonly used of our five senses when viewing homes for sale is scent. When the front door opens, what do your clients smell? Yeah, there are some pretty nasty smells out there.

But, it doesn’t have to stink.

If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas you know that cigarette smoking is prevalent in the casinos. In fact, a study done a few years ago found that more than half of casino patrons smoke cigarettes.

Unless you’re sitting next to a smoker, however, the air smells surprisingly smoke-free. That’s because almost two decades ago, casino owners brought in experts in air filtrations systems who provided devices that were attached to the ventilation system and pumped out “highly aromatic and shockingly expensive oils into the ducts,” according to PaceVegas.com’s Pesach “Pace” Lattin.

While the cost of these devices is a bit more than the average homeowner or real estate agent would be willing to pay, there are other ways to rid homes of pet, baby, cooking, smoking and other stenches.

It all starts with a thorough cleaning, paying special attention to those items that attract and cling to odors”

Range hood filter
Draperies and curtains
Bedspreads
Carpet
HVAC filters

Then, have your client paint the entire home. If they smoke in the home, tell them to grab a can of KILZ Primer when they buy their paint.

As the paint dries, look around the home for common items that many homeowners use for odor control. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension offers a list that includes the usual baking soda, vanilla extract and fabric softener sheets, but it also offers some you may have not heard of before:

Listerine for cleaning
A solution of citronella oil and a half cup of rubbing alcohol in a gallon of water for cleaning the bathroom.
Hang DIY sachets of cat box filler or potpourri in the closets to rid them of stale smells.

Suggest that when your clients install the new HVAC filter, they sprinkle a few drops of a lightly-scented essential oil on it. Apparently, the scent only lasts for a week, so reapplication may be necessary.

Remember that even the most heavenly scent to one person may be downright disgusting to another so caution your clients to keep cover-up smells light.

Open the lines of communication with valuable content (available in the postcard section under the Content Card Series)

Ready to spread the word on curb appeal?

Send at least 100 Making the Most of Curb Appeal postcards from the Content Card Series to an area where you want more listings.

You might also like:

Master the Art of Writing Listing Descriptions That Sell

Downsizing: How to Help Your Older Real Estate Clients

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

New Agent? Here’s how to spend your first 30 days (Part 1)

Jun 24, 2019

Welcome to real estate, rookie! Those world’s-most-boring-classes and the licensing exam were the prelude to what may just turn out to be a very lucrative and fulfilling business.

But only if you get off to a good start and that’s just what we hope to help you with today. So, forget about sitting in a cubby, staring at a blank wall or a quiet phone and the background conversations that sound like a foreign language.

You’ve got work to do!

Choose your broker carefully

You’ll need to “hang” your license with a real estate broker and, depending on the size of your town you may have slim pickin’s or so many you have no idea where to start.

First, decide if you want to work for one of the big national companies, such as RE/MAX or Keller Williams, or if you prefer the small, boutique-style local brokerages. They both have their pluses and minuses.

Since we advocate that you interview more than one broker, why not interview a couple of each of the above?

Here are some questions you’ll want answers to:

What split are you offering?

This refers to your commission split. For each transaction (unless the broker represents both the buyer and the seller), the commission paid by the seller is split two ways. This means that the listing broker and the selling broker each get half the commission.

Then, each broker pays their listing/buyer agent their agreed-upon share. Splits vary, but the typical rookie agent is offered around 50 percent.

Is there a desk fee?

This is basically rent for the space you use at the office. Not all brokers charge this fee.

Do you offer floor time to agents?

Floor time is a predetermined amount of time that you agree to be in the office to field calls (some questions can’t be legally answered by the receptionist, unless he or she is licensed) and to speak with walk-ins.

Yes, it’s a hassle. But it may result in generating a lead or two and maybe even a buying client. It’s worth it if for no other reason that you’ll become accustomed to speaking with real estate consumers.

Related: 5 Ways Agents Sabotage Their Careers

What type of marketing are you doing?

While you will definitely want to come up with a plan to market your business, marketing the company is the broker’s job. The more exposure the company gets, the better for each agent.

Finally, ask about the broker’s training program for new agents. My first broker didn’t have a program but he spent lots of time with new agents weekly, teaching us everything from how to read the contract upside down and compiling fake CMAs to some scripts and dialogs he felt were effective.

Once you’re with a broker you can join the NAR and the local association, so be prepared to shell out some significant bucks.

Get business cards

Many new agents order business cards through their broker, which is fine in the beginning. You will soon grow out of those, however, so don’t order too many.

Get the word out and stay connected with a personalized business card (available under the Business Card tab)

Once you’ve settled into the daily real estate business routine you’ll want to work on your branding and, most important, get your own website set up. Once this is finished, order new, Business Cards, complete with your website’s URL.

Purchase CRM software

Customer relation management will be one of the more critical tasks in your real estate business and, thankfully, there are software solutions to help streamline the process.

Ask around the office to get a feel for the best CRM solutions and you’ll find the same names pop up repeatedly.

LionDesk
pipedrive
Market Leader
Wise Agent
Follow Up Boss
realvolve
Top Producer

When you’ve found one or two that sound right, run your choices by your broker to help you decide. He or she has worked with enough rookies to understand what they need in a CRM and how to choose one that will grow with you.

Get the software up and running and start populating it with the contact information of family, friends and close acquaintances. This is your sphere of influence, and they’ll be important in your efforts to harness the power of referrals.

Contact everyone you know who lives in the area

You know a lot more people than you may think:

Doctor
Dentist
Veterinarian
Dog Groomer
Dry Cleaner
Barista
Hair Stylist or Barber
Nail Technician
Folks at the gym where you work out
Landlord/lady and former landlords/ladies
Your kids’ friends’ parents
Teachers
Former colleagues

This list represents just a small fraction of groups of people that you may know; use it to brainstorm additional sources.

It doesn’t matter how you contact these people – call, email, snail mail – but reach out to them and let them all know that you’re now in real estate.

Consider sending an Agent Introduction postcard to those people you won’t be calling on the phone. And be sure to mention, whether in person, by phone, email or snail mail, that you’re happy to help anyone they know who may be thinking of buying or selling a home.

Create a business and marketing plan

It’s a rare rookie who prepares a business and marketing plan. Hey, we get it, it’s a complete hassle and other parts of the new business which are more attractive, beckon.

Every successful agent we know, however, has a plan, even if rudimentary and written on post-it notes.

Check out the Real Estate Marketing Planner for 12 months of strategic marketing ideas. This Planner is a free resource provided by us for you.

Our One Page Real Estate Business Plan is another free resource that we have made available for you. It’s simple, yet gives you a direct path to achieving your business goals.

Watch this space next month for Part 2 of How to Spend your First 30 Days as a new real estate agent. See you then!

Let everyone know how to find you when they are looking for real estate help (available in the postcard section under Agent Introduction Series)

Send out Agent Introduction postcards to your newly created Sphere of Influence.

Make sure they know who to call when they are ready.

You might also like:

The Biggest Client Complaint and How Not to Be That Agent

Agent Facebook Success: Rules of Engagement

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

To attract home sellers, you need to understand them

Jun 17, 2019

There’s one thing I don’t get about the real estate industry: If it’s true that “When you list, you last,” why is the vast majority of real estate advice addressed to homebuyers?

From how to get a mortgage to down payment assistance programs and explanations of every step in the buying process, buyers seem to be every agent’s holy grail. The poor seller is left in the dust.

In a quick tour of real estate blog posts, most of the seller stuff I read had to do with how to choose a listing agent and admonitions to “clean, declutter and stage” their homes.

Agents seem to have forgotten that there are also first-time sellers who have just as many questions about their part in the process as first-time buyers have. They lose just as much sleep at night worrying about what they don’t know and how they’ll learn it.

Sadly, the same can’t be said for first-time seller advice. Because of this, these clients are filled with anxiety and have plenty of questions they may be too embarrassed to ask.

Even worse, the number of posts I found centered around how they can get “top dollar” for their homes vastly outnumbered the posts about what is truly of concern to them.

You can’t be of service to someone when you make assumptions

How many blog posts and articles have you read that claim some variation of “Your home may be your largest financial asset?”

First, do agents think that homeowners don’t know this? Second, do agents think this is a home seller’s biggest concern?

Guess what? Getting the home sold “fast and for top dollar” is far down on the list of home seller concerns. At least according to a recent survey by Homes.com.

If you truly want to attract listing leads, help home sellers understand the pre-listing projects they should undertake. In fact, according to the previously mentioned survey, the vast majority of sellers crave information about which repairs and home renovations they should perform.

Of course, somewhere in the back of their minds they are most likely hoping to get “top dollar” by undertaking these projects. But when asked what concerned them the most, getting the home ready for the market was twice as concerning as any financial aspect.

They’re also concerned about the emotional aspects of the sale

Next on the list of home seller concerns is “the stress and anxiety of moving,” according to a press release of Home.com’s survey results.

More than a quarter of the respondents skipped right over the selling process and closing to thinking about the move.

When was the last time you offered valuable information about moving? Moving with kids, moving with pets, moving in winter or a moving checklist? DIY or hire a moving company? How to find the best moving company.

Sellers are concerned about how to ease their young children into a new school and a new neighborhood. Older Americans voice concerns about leaving a neighborhood in which they’ve lived for decades and leaving behind neighbors who have become longtime friends.

As a potential listing agent, offering solutions to ease these concerns gives you a leg up on other agents in your market who are too busy catering to buyers to dig deep into topics that attract sellers.

Yes, money is a concern

All of the above doesn’t mean that home sellers don’t have financial concerns. Indeed, they do; they just don’t happen to be at the top of the list of what worries them.

The Homes.com study found that two aspects of the selling process were the most troubling when asked about financial concerns:

Nearly a third worry about how they will coordinate the timing of selling their current home and buying their next one.
Almost as many home sellers are confused about the tax implications of selling.

The latter isn’t easy to address. With all of the recent tax code changes it’ll take some research. And, don’t forget the admonition for readers to “always consult your tax advisor.”

The key to laser-focused marketing is to know – not make assumptions about — your audience. That so many of your colleagues seem focused on following assumptions offers you a leg up.

Get your phone ringing with interest with this Free Report (available under the Free Reports section of our website).

Take it.

Order the Top Ten Renovations That Reap Returns Free Report and add it as an opt in on all of your marketing (email, website, direct mail).

You might also like:

The Biggest Client Complaint and How Not to Be That Agent

Downsizing: How to Help Your Older Real Estate Clients

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

5 Ways Agents Sabotage Their Career

Jun 12, 2019

Although it depends upon whom you ask, estimates vary about the average length of time a real estate agent stays in their career. Trainer Tom Ferry says that 87 percent wash out within five years and others say that the churn rate is around 95 percent.

If you’re a new agent who hopes to be in it for the long haul or an established one who is facing challenges, read on to understand some of the stumbling blocks you may face and how to overcome them.

Let complacency take hold

When that sense of security settles over you, when you decide that being average is good enough – wake up!

NAR’s member survey claims that fewer than one-fourth of real estate agents earn more than $100,000 annually. The median earnings, at least according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $44,090.

What’s interesting, is how the business behaviors of the lowest and highest earners differ. Rich agents, for instance, aren’t afraid to spend money. And, no, it isn’t because they have more of it to spend. Most claim that they started their careers with the mindset that “it takes money to make money.”

An Active Rain survey of these agents finds that they spend more of their incomes on tech upgrades and 10 times more on marketing than the poorer agents.

Refuse to spend money

Remember the NAR member survey we mentioned above? Ever wonder what separates the two groups of earners (aside from experience)?

Those who earn more aren’t afraid to spend the money necessary to set them apart from the rest of the agent-pack in their area.

The wealthier agents spend their money on their websites, their CRM, and email marketing. In fact, this group of agents spends 10 times more on marketing than the lower-earning agents.

Keep hanging on to every last nickel and you’ll fail. It’s as simple as that.

Don’t grasp “When you list, you last”

The holy grail in academia is to publish. It’s one of the few ways to promote yourself as an authority and, thus, further a career. In fact, the admonishment is “Publish or Perish.”

We have one of those in real estate: “When you list, you last.” When you consider that your listings will generate far more clients than your buyers will (if you work them properly), you understand the dictum.

Servicing a listing is also a lot less labor-intensive than working with a buyer. Focusing on listings “will allow you to get what you want a lot faster and allow you to have a life,” according to real estate trainer Knolly Williams.

In his book “Millionaire Real Estate Agent,” Gary Keller claims that listings are vital if you hope to build your business to its highest level, “with the lowest costs and highest net.”

Finally, Matt Williams at Realtor.org challenges agents to walk into any real estate broker’s office and ask to meet their most successful agent. The chances are pretty good, he says, that “you’ll soon be shaking the hand of someone whose income comes mostly from listing.”

How much is “mostly?” The experts recommend that 60 percent of your business should be listings.

Ignore past clients

One of the most amazing real estate statistics to come out of the NAR is that the majority of real estate consumers (85 percent, according to the latest survey) loved their agent so much that they promised to use them again in the future.

Yet, fewer than 25 percent actually do use the same agent

This is a direct result of a failure to follow up on the agent’s part. The most awesome closing gift ever given won’t make these people remember you five years down the line when it’s time to sell their home. Especially if another agent has been farming them or otherwise getting their name in front of them more often than you do yours.

Inconsistent or non-existent follow-up is like throwing money away and a surefire way to sabotage your business.

Consider this: a 5 percent increase in your client retention rate can bump your income as much as 95 percent, according to research by Harvard Business School.

Don’t neglect others in your sphere of influence, either. According to NAR, as much as 65 percent of your business can come from that pool if you consistently reach out to them.

Don’t worry about how to keep in touch. Put these people on a drip campaign and send out postcards, newsletters, market updates, free reports and anything else that will keep you top-of-mind.

Fail to plan for success

It’s difficult to remain focused on your goals if you lack a plan. Guessing or hoping that you meet your objectives isn’t smart. An assumption of where you stand at any given moment is about as accurate as a Zestimate of a property’s value.

Avoid the hit-or-miss chaos and make a business plan. Yes, it’s boring and yes, it’s time-consuming. There are lots of guides online to help you, but we’re rather partial to the Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan.

Don’t accept being an average agent, spend the money it takes to market your business, chase listings instead of buyers, send past clients lots of love, and create and follow a business plan.

Answer their burning question and get them reaching out (available in the postcard section under the Get More Listing Series)

THAT is how to ensure your success and tenure in real estate.

Send at least 100 Should I Stay or Should I Go postcard from the Get More Listings Series to an area where you want more listings.

You might also like:

The Biggest Client Complaint and How Not to Be That Agent

Professional Agent Behavior: 101

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Real Estate Marketing That Leaves No Money Behind

Jun 10, 2019

The reality is, there is never enough time in the day to get all of your necessary work done, including marketing.

And certain important aspects of your work can only be done by YOU. This forces you to make hard choices about where to dedicate your time.

But what happens to the rest of the work?

Go from overwhelmed to an opportunity multiplier

Lets look at marketing activities.

The success of direct response marketing for branding and generating new clients is well known. This is especially true for Just Listed and Just Sold postcards.

However, the effort involved in uploading home photos, adding copy, and creating a targeted mailing list can drain you of valuable time.

We know the importance of getting Just Listed and Just Sold postcards out with every listing and sold. It’s the road map top agents follow to maximize each opportunity and ensure no money is left on the table.

And we also understand that you can’t stop in the middle of an already over-booked day to send out a Just Listed or Just Sold postcard.

Which means, very often, these postcards just don’t go out…and money gets left behind.

Therefore, automating this important area of your business plays a big role in cultivating ongoing business success…and growth.

Meet your problem solver – MSLmailings.com.

It’s the answer that frees you from this time-consuming work, yet provides you with the desired results.

You continue doing the work most important to your business – prospecting and going on appointments. MLSMailings.com takes care of sending out your Just Listed and Just Sold postcards – ensuring no money is left behind.

MLSMailings.com is like your own “invisible marketing assistant”.

It really is easy to maximize your opportunities

You may be thinking, “but I’m so busy, I don’t even have time to execute a process like this”.

Not so, using MLSMailings.com is easy.

Here’s how it works.

MLSMailings.com automatically generates postcards for your listings when they are active and sold. The data is received directly from your MLS and a postcard is generated automatically.

You receive an email 24 hours prior to printing, giving you the option to opt out. If you want the postcard to go out, you do nothing and the postcard is mailed to surrounding home owners of the property address.

That’s it!

There is no commitment for you to use this service and you can stop using it when ever you want.

However, it’s doubtful you’ll stop.

Once you’ve been freed of a time consuming activity and able to focus all of your attention on growing your business there will be no turning back.

There’s no longer a reason to leave money on the table. Your opportunity multiplying Just Listed and Just Sold postcards can go out EVERY TIME.

Go Now to MLSMailings.com and start freeing up time for the important tasks ONLY YOU can do for your business!

Order Free printed sample postcards from MLSMailings.com, here.

You might also like:

Creative Marketing: Be Daring, Be Memorable

Avoid These 4 Common Real Estate Agent Marketing Mistakes

Need help targeting the perfect niche of buyers or sellers? Use our mailing list too l to create the ideal list (it’s easy) or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free killer tools to help your success this year!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. “Get More Listings” Free Online Webinar

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

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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Your real estate email subject line

“First Look: Baby Boomers”

Your real estate email signature

Advice he was given that we find spot on includes:

Attract Baby Boomers by sending out the Retiring Soon postcard from the Life Event Series.

What are the affluent homebuyer’s hot buttons?

Privacy

Wealthy homebuyers want tech-friendly homes

Scaled back swimming pool

What the affluent seek in a real estate agent

If you have a luxury property listing be sure to order Luxury Property Flyers to enhance your client’s property and highlight its outstanding features.

Know your audience

Remain focused on the topic

Short and simple

Looks matter

“The first draft of anything is sh#$”

Offer the Free Report, “Five Ways Waiting to Sell Can Cost You Thousands” as an opt in our your blog in exchange for email addresses.

Email is supposed to be a tool

Social media marketing as a rabbit hole

Temptations in the home office

But, there’s more

Educate your target market and get them leaning forward to work with you by adding the Free Report, “9 Ways to Get More Money, Less Time, With Less Headaches“ as an opt in to all of your marketing.

We have two winners!

A first place $250 Gift Card winner & a second place $100 Gift Card winner!

You might also like to read:

Take a cue from the retail and restaurant industries

The nose knows

Ready to spread the word on curb appeal?

Send at least 100 Making the Most of Curb Appeal postcards from the Content Card Series to an area where you want more listings.

You might also like:

Choose your broker carefully

What split are you offering?

Is there a desk fee?

Do you offer floor time to agents?

Related: 5 Ways Agents Sabotage Their Careers

What type of marketing are you doing?

Get business cards

Purchase CRM software

Contact everyone you know who lives in the area

Create a business and marketing plan

Send out Agent Introduction postcards to your newly created Sphere of Influence.

Make sure they know who to call when they are ready.

You might also like:

You can’t be of service to someone when you make assumptions

They’re also concerned about the emotional aspects of the sale

Yes, money is a concern

Order the Top Ten Renovations That Reap Returns Free Report and add it as an opt in on all of your marketing (email, website, direct mail).

You might also like:

Let complacency take hold

Refuse to spend money

Don’t grasp “When you list, you last”

Ignore past clients

Fail to plan for success

Send at least 100 Should I Stay or Should I Go postcard from the Get More Listings Series to an area where you want more listings.

Go from overwhelmed to an opportunity multiplier

It really is easy to maximize your opportunities

Go Now to MLSMailings.com and start freeing up time for the important tasks ONLY YOU can do for your business!

Order Free printed sample postcards from MLSMailings.com, here.

You might also like: