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Sunday, December 22, 2024

Agent Tools

Take it to the next level

7 tips to take your real estate business to the next level

If indications are right, 2018 should be quite the interesting year in real estate.

If you’ve decided it’s the year you’ll take a giant leap forward in your real estate business, well, I’ve got your back, read on for tips on how to do just that.

Treat your business as a business

It is not only a business, but it is one in which you are the CEO. So, act like a CEO.

Do you have a business plan? If not check out our Free Online Realtor Business Plan.

“If I asked you to drive from Omaha, Nebraska to San Diego, California what would be the first thing you would do? Probably mapquest and plan out the directions!” suggests Bubba Mills of Corcoran Consulting and Coaching.

“If I ask you how to do 50 transactions in one year, then shouldn’t you do the same thing?” he continues.

Those “directions” can be found in a business plan – the roadmap for your real estate business.

And, if you do have a plan, does it still require the use of outdated strategies? Update your Real Estate Marketing Plan to meet the needs of today’s real estate practice and today’s real estate consumer.

Next, build a budget, itemizing how much you’ll spend on your car, your dues, desk fees, E&O insurance, your listings and all the other things you spend money on in your business.

A budget is the only way to ensure you’ll meet your income goals by the end of the year.

Let the past guide you

Decide to focus on what has brought you success in the past and do more of it.

Perhaps choose the one tactic that worked best for you as a new agent and concentrate on that for a time.

Was it cold calling?

Sending postcards or newsletters? Door knocking? Whatever it was, resurrect those skills that worked in the past and put them to work helping you jump to the next level.

Start one new thing this year

Try your hand at something you haven’t done before such as automating your Just Listed/Just Sold Postcard mailing.

Free up time from manually handling your Just Listed Just Sold Postcard mailing and automate it instead.

It’s easy to do, affordable and takes the ongoing stress of getting those cards out in a timely manner off of your shoulders.

This leaves you more time to focus on other areas of marketing that need your attention.

How about trying your hand at sending a newsletter?

Las Vegas agent Debbie Drummond tells the story of how a newsletter helped her snag a client for a luxury high-rise condo after an agent who lived in the building failed miserably.

The couple ended up calling Debbie after they received her newsletter. “The newsletter has proven to be a money maker,” she tells Tyler Zey at easyagentpro.

Hire help

The quickest way to move your real estate business to the next level is to stop doing things that don’t make you money.

Hire an assistant to do them for you.

“If I had to touch every single piece in my system myself, I would never be able to produce multiple amounts of volume,” one of Las Vegas’ top producers tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“You have to be efficient, and you have to leverage the system (by hiring).”

Think you can’t afford an assistant? Try going the virtual route first. If you choose a virtual assistant who specializes in real estate you’ll do away with the time and effort involved in training him or her.

Two to consider are Kim Hughes & Company and Real Support. Both companies specialize in supporting real estate agents.

Pay tribute

To truly move your business to the next level, you need to admit that it’s time to stop ignoring your past clients.

To drive this point home, did you know the cost to acquire a new client is five times higher than pursuing someone you’ve already worked with.

Ready for another powerful statistic? Nearly 40 percent of home sellers found their agent through a referral (according to the NAR).

If your website isn’t effective, fix it

Who in your market ranks organically for your preferred keywords?

If it isn’t you, maybe you have some website issues. Check out the sites of those who do and vow to beat them at the Google game.

What are they doing that you aren’t? Typically, it’s the agents who post content consistently that get the best organic rankings, but go through the sites, page-by-page and learn from them.

Take time off

Taking time off actually increases our productivity by 80 percent, according to researchers at Alertness Solutions.

They are a company founded by former NASA scientists that provide fatigue management consulting services.

Research from Harvard University, however, cautions that unless your vacation is planned (at least one month ahead) and you travel far from your work, you won’t get a good ROI on that time away.

Unplug – completely – while you’re away and your focus will be stronger when you return to work, according to researchers at Boston College Center for Work and Family.

Rest and recharge your way to the next level in your real estate business.

Choose a Newsletter or the Market Dominator to send to 200 homes in your Geographic Farm in the month of January! Make sure they know YOU are their neighborhood expert.

The ProspectsPLUS! Team are your biggest fans! We are here to help you succeed in 2018. Please reach out to us if there is any way we can help you at  866.405.3638.

Time to bring your A game

New Year – New Game!

If there ever were a time to up the ante – it’s right now at the start of a New Year.

Stakes are high, competition is fierce and anyone eager to be the expert resource in their market needs to bring their A-game.

Here’s how to come out swinging

Update your headshot

Your photo is your first impression, make sure it’s current and professionally done, so you are seen in the best possible light. A great photo is money well spent. Remember your goal is for consumers to visualize your face and name first when thinking of real estate.

And, don’t forget to smile in your photo.

Studies from photofeeler.com show that people who smile in their head-shots are considered more likable, influential and competent than those who don’t.

Craft a killer bio 

On many of our marketing tools, agents have the space to share some “about me” information. You should have a long and short bio version available for different purposes. The long bio is great for your website and the short and sweet bio works perfectly for real estate brochures, flyers, and postcards.

Be sure to choose your words wisely.

Define what differentiates you from other agents in the industry and why you do what you do. Then have both long and short bio versions proof-read before you start using them.

Having these bio’s ready makes it much easier when you’re creating new marketing pieces. You aren’t trying to come up with something on the fly, which can lead to typos or inconsistent copy.

Branding that works

Too often you see agents all over the map in terms of their marketing. Different styles, colors, messages from piece to piece. While it’s good to test, you’ll find better results if you stick to a campaign that has some uniformity.

That’s why agents love our series of postcards, they have the same look and feel throughout the entire series.

For example, our popular Market Quote Series has the same branding style, with a series of messages that are both educating and compelling for the home seller.  Send one per month and keep your branding consistent for better results.

Be consistent

Sending one marketing piece then deciding you’re done has never been an effective marketing strategy in any industry. The key to becoming a brand name is 27 impressions (3-7-27 rule).

Keep showing up, and the next time someone is asked if they know anyone who sells homes, your name will be top of mind!

Don’t forget your contact information

Would you be surprised to learn how many times people do not put their phone number or contact information on their marketing materials?

They send thousands of pieces out and wonder why they don’t get a response.

Make sure people know how to reach you. And if you are inviting people to your social media platforms, don’t just say, “find me on Facebook”.  Give them a unique URL they can go to such as Facebook.com/yourrealestatepage.

Be Creative

Many of our customers use our Free Reports as a lead capture opt-in on their website. There are lots to choose from, they’re easily customizable, and they serve multiple purposes.

Use them on your site, at your open houses, in your listing presentations, or as collateral for the popular consumer meet and greets that so many agents are doing today.

Build on what you already have

Take the lists you’ve purchased for your Just Listed postcard orders and reuse them.

Put them on a drip campaign of postcards so they know you’re always in the game.  Alternate your Just List/Just Sold postcard mailings with other postcard series that we offer.

Remember, every listing is full of unlimited opportunities to gain attention.

Check out our ThreeClickPostcards.com tool – where you can order your Just Listed/Sold/Contract Pending cards on the fly — right from your phone!

Try something new

Sometimes life can start to feel like the ‘Groundhog Day Movie’ – the same day repeating over and over again.

Trying something new can add life to your day and create a fresh surge of excitement. Our Real Estate Marketing Planner is the perfect solution to a stale schedule.

Our Planner provides 12 months of strategic marketing including new ideas every month for top niche marketing segments such as your sphere and farm.

This Month’s Real Estate Marketing Planner Tip: Handwritten note cards are making a comeback. Make a commitment to send at least one a day this month.

Start Now
Order a stack of our Real Estate Note Cards and make a commitment to send them out to 100 of your past clients this month!

It’s a great time to be a real estate professional and to tap into resources that make your life easier.  We’re here to help you. Call our team today at 866.405.3638.

How long is long enough?

Heading into the new year with visions of grandeur floating in your head?

How this year is going to be the year that’s…

BIGGER, BETTER and BRIGHTER than ever.

If only you could figure out the answer that nagging question swirling around in your head, “I spent time and money on a bit of marketing last year and it went nowhere, how will this year be any different?”

Well, here’s what statistics tell us —

If you’ve sent out a few marketing pieces throughout the year in the past, it’s going to take much more than that, to get the results you are after.

But how much more?

A strategic ongoing focus

A strategic focus that includes mailings, phone calls, emails, door knocking and community involvement — to be specific.

Don’t forget the 3-7-27 marketing rule of success discussed in the last blog (3 contacts for name recognition, 7 to associate your name with your business, and 27 to be known and trusted enough to do business).

The bottom line,

Don’t be tempted to stop your marketing efforts after a few sporadic tries. Understand the science and psychology behind marketing.

Historically most transactions or calls happen after five to seven contacts or more.

An effective month by month plan

A successful marketing plan includes a combination of the following:

Ongoing monthly direct mail with periodic direct response offers, interspersed with email marketing, phone calls, and neighborhood visits.

Follow this strategy and you are well on your way to putting yourself on the map.

What to send for impact 

Holiday Postcards:

Every month you have the opportunity to add a seasonal timely touch to your marketing.

Be sure to include a personal message on the back and follow this card up with a friendly, “anything I can do for you?” phone call every few months.

 

Free Offer Postcards:

These are great direct response pieces to send that highlight compelling free offers such as, free market analysis, list of homes and list of resources. These offers encourage interest and low-risk hand raising.

Content Postcards:

These powerful, content-rich cards have timely topics with consumer-friendly information that sets you up as the expert resource in your market.

When to scale back?

How about never?

During the holidays many agents slow down their marketing as social obligations gear up and the industry appears to take a breather.

Be the agent who takes the opposite approach.

Stay top of mind without any lag in exposure so you can hit the ground running in January while other agents are just getting back in the game.

This coming year CAN be your BIGGEST and BRIGHTEST ever!

By expanding your ongoing marketing actions and touch points throughout the year, to ensure your business continues to thrive and grow.

Start making a great impression today, then do it again next week, next month, and so on.

Your business and your bottom line will thank you for it.

Interested in a strategic one year marketing plan that has already been done-for-you? Take a look at our Master Marketing Schedule. Need our assistance?  Our team at ProspectsPLUS! is available at 866.405.3638 and excited to answer your questions.

Spend Time Here, Not Here

There’s only one you. There are just 24 hours in a day. Put those two together and you have an insanely busy schedule.

And, it’s all too easy to get distracted by the next shiny object.

Social media is shiny. It’s distracting. And, some platforms are completely unnecessary – at least for real estate professionals.

As we head into 2018, and you’re contemplating your business plan, you’ll be prioritizing where to spend your time and money.

Take a hard look at which social media platforms you use and whether or not your time is better spent elsewhere.

Facebook – it’s not free

You may think that marketing your business via social media is a fabulous free way to get your brand in front of people.

If done strategically, it can be.

But, consider this: The majority of agent’s average about three hours a week spent on Facebook, according to a 2016 Inman.com survey.

Sadly, that doesn’t tell the whole story because more than 21 percent spend twice that amount of time – a whopping six hours a week – on the social media giant.

Ask yourself this question:

Is six hours each week better spent chasing after new business on Facebook or reaching out to former clients and those in your sphere?

Both are “free” in terms of money, but the latter isn’t as much of a time stealer and the return on time invested has a better chance of being higher.

Multiply your time spent by the number of social media platforms you’re currently using. While they all have something to offer, they aren’t all worth an agent’s time.

Instagram – A waste of time?

Unless you have an in-house marketing person, don’t feel guilty about not being on Instagram, and don’t listen to the hype saying you should be.

Here’s why.

Most online articles pushing the use of Instagram for businesses point out “In 2016, Instagram grew its daily user count by 100 million users and now has more than 600 million active users.”

What they fail to do is dig deeper. So, let’s do that right now. First, however, let’s take a look at your average homebuyer.

According to the NAR, “the typical home buyer is 44 years old, married, no children at home, and has a median income of $88,500.” Keep these statistics in mind while taking the deep dive into Instagram.

Who’s hanging out on Instagram?
  • 80 percent of Instagram users don’t live in the U.S.
  • Of the users who do live in the U.S., only 28 percent of them are on Instagram, according to Pew Research.
  • The largest demographic of Instagram users are between the ages of 18 and 29 while only 18 percent are between the ages of 30 and 49 – the most likely buyer pool.
  • The largest demographic earns less than $30k
  • The average Instagram user “misses about 70% of the posts” in their feed, according to Influencer Marketing Hub.

Until Instagram begins attracting an older, wealthier demographic, it’s an ineffective use of time. Your time is better spent on other lead-generation strategies.

LinkedIn – A good investment

No, it doesn’t have the largest share of online users (only 29 percent of American adults), but LinkedIn’s demographics are ideal for real estate marketing.

  • 77 percent of users are age 30 and older
  • 50 percent are college graduates
  • 45 percent of LinkedIn users earn more than $75,000 per year and only 21 percent earn less than $30,000.

Again, recall the profile of the average homebuyer and seller and you’ll realize that this is the demographic you should be chasing.

Not only are the demographics ideal on LinkedIn, but Hubspot gathered data from more than 5,000 companies and found “LinkedIn 277% More Effective for Lead Generation than Facebook & Twitter.”

Hubspot’s Rebecca Corliss points out that “because most of the content posted on LinkedIn is of a marketing nature, as opposed to family photos or social ‘chatter,’ there is less clutter…

…so business’ marketing posts are more likely to be noticed on LinkedIn than somewhere else.”

Social media is an ever-evolving resource.

What’s hot this year may die next year.

When choosing where to spend your marketing time, don’t judge a platform by its number of users – that figure is useless for real estate agents.

Do a deep dive, periodically, into the demographics of each to decide when the time is right to jump in.

Related: 3 Tools That Drive More Business

Need help?  Call our team today at 866.405.3638 to put the best marketing tools in place to build your business easily, and cost-effectively.

Get Their Hand to Raise

More often than not, today’s consumer learns everything they can about a product or service on the internet, before making a decision.

So how do you get them to raise their hand and turn to you for help?

By being the expert who consistently gives them what they want—valuable information that can help them:

  • Become more educated
  • Solve a problem
  • Make an informed decision

So whether you are delivering your content via phone call, email or direct mail – deliver what your customers want most.

3 success strategies

Make it about them – Think about the things that your customers want and are interested in most.

Make your interaction compelling, relevant and —honest. Our Newsletters and more precisely our Market Dominator are great marketing tools to use on an ongoing basis that highlight you as the expert resource to turn to in their area.

This type of marketing puts you in the position of educator, which innately denotes a level of trust. Once you are trusted you will be rewarded with happy, loyal customers.

Don’t establish trust and you have consumers who are wary of your products or services because you haven’t eliminated their fear.

Give something of high value – This can be a tough thing for some people. The idea of giving something away for free can be bothersome or make them feel as if they are de-valuing their product or service.

In reality, offering a product such as a Free Report can be an effective, value-boosting investment in your long term customer relationship.

When you consider acquiring a new customer remember it’s 4-6 times harder than keeping your current customers engaged, happy and loyal, giving value on the front end just makes sense.

Free reports are perfect hand-outs at your Open House

Make it ongoing – Before launching into this form of marketing, consider your long term goals and draw up a plan to consistently reach out to your clients month after month.

You want your customers and prospects to come to rely on your information and updates.

Become Their Resource

If they come to count on you for the answers and resources they need, it stands to reason they will turn to you for help when the time comes.

Whatever strategy you deploy, make sure your message is clear and your marketing consistent. Connect with your base of business at least every 30 days through phone calls, visits and direct marketing, and you will find your profitability, referrals and commissions right on track year round.

Related: Marketing That Pays for Itself

Need help?  Call our team today at 866.405.3638 to put the best marketing tools in place to build your business easily, and cost-effectively.

What are you thankful for this year?

We know what we are thankful for.

We’re thankful that you have placed your trust in us to provide you with the marketing materials, services and content to aid in your success.

We know you have choices and are grateful you have chosen us.

Expressing and acknowledging gratitude is an addictive experience. The results of time spent on this wonderful subject are far reaching.

Did you know…

..taking 5 minutes to write down or think about what you are grateful for increases long-term well-being by more than 10 percent?

The following is a list of the top 10 studied results from expressing gratitude on a regular basis:
  1. Better night’s sleep
  2. Less pain
  3. Reduced stress
  4. Increased self-esteem
  5. Increased physical and mental vitality
  6. Reduced feelings of envy
  7. Helps with relaxation
  8. Helps foster new relationships
  9. Increases goal achievement
  10. Increases productivity

I think gratitude and giving go hand in hand. And we all know the resulting high that we receive anytime we have an opportunity to give.

Our Turkey Mission

Recently the employees of ProspectsPLUS!  were filled to the brim with wonderful feelings. We were on a mission to purchase 50 turkeys from surrounding grocery stores to donate to the Salvation Army and our local Food Bank.

Finding 50 turkeys 3 days before Thanksgiving was not an easy feat, but we were determined.

…and, our efforts paid off.
 The Result…

It was all smiles and warmth on the faces of the ProspectsPLUS! staff as we delivered the turkeys to the Manatee County Food Bank and The Salvation Army of Manatee County.

The Manatee County Salvation Army has plans to feed over 500 people on Thanksgiving day. They also provide Thanksgiving dinner baskets for families in need to take home and cook.

The Manatee County Food Bank provides food for over 60 food pantries in Manatee County. They also offer a Meals-on-Wheels program to Manatee County.

 Sharing in the Spirit of Gratitude & Giving

If you are thinking about catching our high, and sharing in the spirit of giving and gratitude, I have a couple easy ideas for you.

We currently are conducting a Dollar for Dollar campaign for St Jude Kids. If you donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® through our website we will match your donation.

Another great way to show your gratitude, that’s really close to home, is to send a hand-written personal note to your past customers. Express your heart-felt gratitude that you were chosen to help them in the past with the important task of buying or selling a home.

Placing the focus on appreciating the customers you already have served will feed your spirit and do wonders to inspire you to connect with more people in the hope of serving them in the same rewarding way.

Sending you wishes for a rewarding 2018 full of experiences to be grateful for!

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at ProspectsPLUS!

Remember, if you ever need our assistance? We are here to help you! Call our support team a 866.405.3638. 

Time is Non-Refundable…Use it With Intention

It’s amazing how easily we can get distracted and before you know it hours have been lost and your day is behind you.

Time seems to have the ability to expand and contract based on how we fill it.

If only two items need to be accomplished in a day, those two items somehow end up taking most of day. Yet when a day is packed with 5 or 6 important tasks to complete somehow it takes the same amount of time.

Einstein believed that time wasn’t linear.

In fact he’s quoted saying, “The separation between past, present and future is only an illusion, although a convincing one.”

Maybe that’s not a bad idea to live by. It certainly makes it easier to focus your attention on the present moment.

However you decide to focus, make sure you focus with intention.

Prioritize the tasks that you need to complete each day. Then keep your list handy and in front of you to help you stay focused. If you find yourself getting distracted ask if your distraction trumps the importance of the items on your list.

With intention guiding you, accomplishing your daily goals becomes easier and more rewarding…

…and there’s nothing like the feeling you get from crossing items off your list at the end of the day.

Need help?  Call our team today at 866.405.3638 to put the best marketing tools in place to build your business easily, and cost-effectively.

Average More Transactions Every Year

The difference between always chasing commissions, or having a reliable referral base to count on, depends on your investment in a sphere of influence.

Want to build a business that is strong, sustainable and competitive, and that you can sell when you’re ready to retire?

Start by creating your SOI.

It’s easier than you think – and will help you get on track to average more transactions every year.

Think about this, if you had 250 people in a database you consistently stay in touch with and develop a relationship with, who will they call when they have a real estate question, need or referral?

YOU.

If just 10% of your database sold or referred to you every year, what would that mean for your income?

Building a database doesn’t have to be hard.

It just needs to be a consistent part of your weekly business habits.

Not having a sphere of influence is hands-down, the single biggest obstacle to agent success.

It will keep you in the endless cycle of always chasing new business, without the benefit of ever gaining any traction.

And think about this, statistically, 1 in every 12 people in your SOI will either do business with you or refer business to you each year.

Not bad odds. Is this worth your time now?

Related: Four Strategies For a Stronger Sphere of Influence

Time to Create Your List.

Begin with the following names (including email, address, phone):

Family, spouse’s family, extended family, neighbors, past customers

best friends, close friends, children’s friends parents, church congregation

Children’s teachers, coaches, principal

Family dentist, doctors, optometrists, business coleagues

Employees/owners of retail establishments and restaurants you frequent

PTA board at your children’s school, Sunday school teacher

Manicurist, facialist, hair dresser, dry cleaner

Auto maintenance/repair shop, tire shop, mailman

Once you have compiled your list – Take Action

Start a touch marketing campaign every 21-35 days. 

Send our done-for-you newsletters every month. They’re designed to be eye-catching, informational, and are filled with direct response offers that get results.

Or consider a series of postcards such as holiday, recipe postcards, customer appreciation cards, or listing inventory cards that will keep you top of mind until you have the opportunity to see or speak to them.

Even if your list is small, don’t wait to start your marketing.

Momentum doesn’t just happen. But over time you can build something powerful.

The 20 year value of a client is roughly $49,647.

With that number in mind – how many people do you plan to put in your book of business?

Need our assistance? We would love to help you! Call our support team a 866.405.3638. 

The Success Mind-Set

Success begins with the right mindset. Real estate sales is not just a job; it is a business. A business that requires planning, organization and systems to maintain balance, accountability and forward momentum. The following details the 3 steps to epic success.

Step 1: Have a Plan

Planning is critical to realizing your goals, generating consistent income and creating an exit plan. The proper exist plan ensures you have a valuable “book of business” that you can sell when you are ready to retire. Your plan should:

  • be written out and clearly defined
  • have a realistic and comprehensive budget
  • be based not only on your goals, but also on your family’s goals (very important to maintaining the support system necessary during long days or tough weeks!)
  • outline the number of transactions you need to reach those goals based on commission dollars, list-to-close ratio and fall-through rate
  • outline the number of contacts, appointments scheduled/.attended you need to realize your transaction goal
  • break your numbers down into daily, weekly and monthly activities so that you ALWAYS know where you are in relation to your goal

Be sure to share your plan with a manager, coach or partner so that you can set up a system of accountability.

Step 2: Employ Smart Marketing

In today’s competitive arena, effectively marketing yourself and your business requires both consistency and laser focus.

Countless agents send single marketing pieces to thousand of consumers, with no intention of following up. This approach is a waste of time, energy and valuable marketing dollars.

The truth is, you should be in contact with your sphere of influence at least every 30-45 days. One month, send a postcard, letter, newsletter or flyer. Many of our customers find the Listing Inventory Series, Content Cards, and Market Dominator among their favorites.

The following month, call with a friendly event reminder, helpful hint, or just to say hello.

During the third month, arrange to see them via a networking event, social gathering or in-person visit. Drop off a small token, informational item or card. Then start the “rotation” over again.

Such consistency creates vital ‘top-of-mind’ awareness. This awareness becomes “the key to the kingdom” when growing your referral base and creating a reliable income.

Gone are the days when agents could afford to take a “shotgun” approach-casting a wide net in the hopes of “catching a few”.

Response rates increase dramatically when you speak directly to the needs and interests of a particular group.

Wise agents seek out demographics or geographics that they relate to or have a history of success with.

The more comfortable you become speaking to a particular group or segment, the more you become recognized or thought of as a specialist in that field.

Related: Niche Marketing and the Law of Attraction

mailing list
Targeted marketing examples:

  • First-time homeowners – Try MapMyMail to quickly create a list of local renters. Send a postcard that explains the advantages of home ownership.
  • Builders – Offer to help builders eliminate their #1 worry: standing inventory. Create a list of every builder in your area and send a flyer explaining how you can find their perfect customer.

lifestyle

  • Find a new niche – With our Lifestyle Interest data, you can reach consumers who are just the demographic you want to work with. Think Golfers, Boaters, Fitness Lovers and more.
  • FSBOs – There are many effective search products for this demographic. Fear leads many agents to steer clear of FSBOs, which eliminates at least a portion of your competition.

real estate fsbo marketing postcards

  • A New Geographic Farm – Find an area in your market that is beginning to see turnover, but doesn’t currently have another agent with more than a 10% market share.  Start connecting month after month using the Neighborhood Update/Free Offer series. This series will present yourself effectively as the turn-to agent in your market.
Step 3: Put Solid Systems in Place

Without systems, you’re like a hamster on the wheel-spinning without really getting anywhere. Systems are the only way to maintain the delegation, automation and streamlining that will continuously work on your business. Systems allow you to:

  • manage your time effectively
  • create a consistent standard of service
  • assure clients that their needs are being met by a “team”
  • provide checks and balances for fine tuning your business
  • promote efficiency and accuracy
  •  reduce training time when bringing on new team members

What systems should you have in place?

The success mind-set requires dedication and a commitment to the activities that earn you top dollar and allow you to “feed” the career you’re building.

Related: 3 Tools That Drive More Business

Need our help?  Contact our support team today at 866.405.3638. They’re more than happy to help you.

Gear up For selling real estate to Generation Z

85 Million Strong & They Want Homes

Here’s a hot tip: While the rest of the real estate industry is distracted — lusting after millennials, ignoring Gen Xers and barely tolerating baby boomers – get to know the next big thing, Generation Z.

Gen Z is expected to count nearly 85 million members by 2020, making up almost 25 percent of the nation’s population, according to a study published by Fung Global Retail & Technology.

The oldest members of this generation turn 23 in 2018 and there are already statistics showing that they will be buying homes.

Known as “digital natives,” this generation is the first to be oblivious to “life without technologies and services such as smartphones, iPads, Facebook, Instagram,” according to the study.

Who they are

If you’re an agent of a certain age, I have some scary news for you: your grandkids are about to enter the housing market.

What’s even more frightening is that, according to The Center for Generational Kinetics, members of Gen Z think millennials are “old.” Imagine what they think about their grandparents – the baby boomers.

If you’re a member of the latter, the good news is that your grandkid can be your laboratory when you decide to pursue this younger generation. The rest of the real estate industry has a steep learning curve ahead of them because members of Gen Z, although more like boomers than millennials, have little in common with any generation that came before.

What they’re like

To the so-called “super entrepreneurs of tomorrow,” business and making money are already top-of-mind, but don’t look for them to get there using the same, conventional methods.

Non-conformists, much like their grandparents’ generation, these digital natives are “a generation whose entire world and self-views are crafted by technology, immediacy and access,” Sherry Chris, president and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate tells RISMedia’s Maria Patterson.

Although young, they seem to be learning from their predecessors, already socking away money for retirement. In fact, according to the Center for Generational Kinetics, nearly a quarter of Gen Zers had a savings account before they turned ten.

How will this group’s fiscal responsibility impact the real estate market?

Almost all of the Gen Zers surveyed in a Better Homes & Gardens ® survey say they will buy a home and 80 percent believe that homeownership will lead them to the American Dream.
What will it take to work with them

It’s amazing the things scientists are able to measure. Attention spans, for instance. Apparently Gen Zers’ attention spans (eight seconds) are four seconds less than millennials’, according to Anna Fieler, executive vice president of marketing at POPSUGAR.

Remember, this is the demographic that dominates on Snapchat and Instagram (they claim Facebook is for “older people,” according to Andrea V. Brambila at Inman.com), so communicating with them means getting to the point almost immediately. They are practically attached to their smart phones, so texting will get you a lot further than an email.

“In fact, the rise of Gen Z should sound the alarm for all that a targeted Internet strategy is vital for reaching this cohort …,” warns Allen Shayanfekr, CEO and Founder of Sharestates.

While social proof is important to millennials, gen Zers won’t consult Yelp or Zillow reviews to find an agent. It’s their friends’ opinions they rely heavily on, so providing the kind of customer service that garners referrals will be more important than ever.

Gen Z represents a pool of very motivated real estate consumers. Start gearing up for them now and you’ll be a step ahead of your competition. Take advantage of our Mailing List Page Option 2 Demographic Search to create a targeted mailing list of Gen Z’s.

Related: Great Customer Care Equals Long Term Results

Need help creating your targeted list or anything else? Contact our marketing team at 866.405.3638. They’re incredibly knowledgeable, and ready to help get you suceed!

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