business success

Happy New Year! What Will You Do Differently in Your Real Estate Business This Year?

Jan 2, 2024

Although the attribution is under debate, Albert Einstein famously defined insanity as “… doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Regardless of who truly gave that one to the world, it sure is true, isn’t it?

As we head into a fresh, new year, it’s time to do a lookback at 2023. What worked? What didn’t? What did you hope to accomplish that you didn’t? Where are the gaps in your marketing plan that need to be filled?

Is this the year you’ll hire help?

Today we throw out some ideas. No, nothing new, but perhaps new to your business in 2024.

Understand your audience

“Census data shows that 4 in 10 Americans are finding it difficult to cover their expenses,” according to Emma Newbery at Fool.com.

“On average, Americans need an additional $11,434 to afford the same standard of living in October 2023 compared with January 2021 …,” suggests Aimee Picchi at CBSNews.com, citing a study by the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee.

Sadly, the media doesn’t seem to understand the plight of average Americans in this economy. They deliver the news as if we’re doing peachy, making money hand over fist without a care in the world.

Naturally, those struggling the most are not likely in the market to buy a house right now. But, rest assured that a chunk of the higher earners in that 40% of Americans just may be.

The Get More Listings II Series is shown above. To learn more, Click Here.

Are you online enough?

Strengthen your online presence via social media and a robust offering of advice and information on your website.

The secret? Ensure that what you post is irresistibly sharable.

These topics don’t all have to be real-estate related. In fact, those that are shared the most tend to be community-related, such as those about local coffee shops, restaurants, dog groomers, etc.

Yes, you’ll want to throw in educational real estate pieces to show your expertise and educate your followers. But social media is a place for them to get to know all aspects of who you are.

Get a Niche

Have you considered specializing in a real estate niche? Focusing on one group of people, type of property or neighborhood is an amazing way to stand out from the crowd of other agents in your area.

Popular and lucrative niches include:

People – veterans, ethnic, foreign buyers, generational (for instance, baby boomers, or Gen X), new-home buyers.
Geographic – as mentioned earlier, this might be specializing in a particular neighborhood, condo community, or beach-front properties for instance.
Property type: luxury, starter homes, condos, multi-generational homes, new construction, waterfront, golf course.

Use your content, both website and social media, to show them you’re not blind to their plight. Keep them abreast of the local market, but have some fun too. Any positive news you can provide will have them coming back for more.

When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct, response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you. Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 6-Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review

The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review allows you to enter your business goals for the remainder of the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closings, and so on are needed to reach your goals. – Click Here

4. The 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

Is Your Postcard Campaign Ending Soon? Avoid a Break in Your Listing Activity!

Jun 7, 2022

Keep Those Listings Coming!

And, here’s how to do it:

By ensuring homeowners are thinking of you so they call you when they’re ready to list.
Reminding people in your sphere that you’re the area real estate expert so they’ll refer you more often.
Keeping the marketing activity going all year that will ensure you achieve your annual business goals.
Completing a multitude of tasks that need to happen in your business in the most time-saving manner because “time equals money”.

And, there is ONE THING that you can do that will help accomplish everything we’ve mentioned above,

Schedule another recurring postcard campaign!

Ready to launch your next postcard campaign and keep those listings flowing? CLICK HERE.

What if You Haven’t Launched a Recurring Postcard Campaign Before?

The *Get More Listings* Postcard Campaign is shown above. See more, **HERE.**

There’s NO Better Strategy for Kicking off the Second Half of 2022 than with a Recurring Postcard Campaign!

And, you can launch your campaign in just minutes.

Here are 5 ways a scheduled postcard campaign can help you meet your goals for the second half of 2022:

You’ll get More Done – now that your marketing is on auto-pilot, you can focus on other areas of your business.
You’ll Stay in Continuous Contact – your sphere and farm will get the attention they deserve throughout the year so YOU get the listings you deserve.
You’ll Stick to your Marketing Plan – you’ll reap the rewards that a long-term marketing campaign is proven to provide.
You’ll Build New Relationships – you’ll cultivate new clients and expand your business and earning potential.
You’ll Brand Yourself an Area Expert – through continuous touches you’ll become known as the neighborhood expert in a specific neighborhood or community.

So Choose a campaign From one of our 10 categories listed below:

SOI, Farm, Holiday, Absentee, Renters, Expireds, FSBO, Investors, Recruiting, Just Sold Follow-Up.

And, remember, you don’t pay for each month’s mailing, until it goes out (and you can cancel or change your campaign at any time up until the night before each mailing – no penalties).

To get started now and keeping those listings flowing, CLICK HERE.

PLUS: When you have time…below are some marketing tools to help support your success.

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine, with rich, full-color content, and a sharp, professional esthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts, combined with engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you.

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and, it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 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 Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes, but it is a business building machine. In two easy steps, you can begin to build a robust sphere of influence that will provide you a lifetime of repeat business and referrals. – Click Here

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan allows you to enter your business goals for this year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closing, and so on are needed to reach your goals. – Click Here

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

3 Things You Can Do To Make Every Day a Great One

Aug 24, 2021

Some days are diamonds, some days just downright stink. The good news is that you can take the stinky ones and make them better, more productive, happier and, even more tolerable.

You don’t need gobs of cash or even a lot of time to change your day for the better. All you need is the desire and will to put simple strategies into action.

1. Develop an attitude of gratitude

Barbara Koltuska-Haskin, Ph.D., neuropsychologist, and author of “How my Brain Works” suggests that you prevent having a lousy day as soon as you wake up in the morning.

Practice gratitude.

Keep a journal next to the bed and, every morning, record several things, people, situations, etc. for which you are grateful. Can’t think of anything? How about the fact that you woke up? Add to that any of the other conditions of your life that make you better off than others in the world.

Journaling once or twice a week for six weeks leads to happiness and it just so happens that happiness leads to success.

“Happy individuals are predisposed to seek out and undertake new goals in life and this reinforces positive emotions, said Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D.

“Happy people are more likely to achieve favorable life circumstances,” she concludes.

2. Then, set aside “me” time before you start the day

“It is important to take time for yourself in the morning,” according to Koltuska. If you enjoy exercising, this is the perfect time for it.

“Physical activity may help bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins,” said the staff at mayoclinic.org. It doesn’t take jogging or working out at the gym to achieve a rush of endorphins, either.

“… any aerobic activity, such as a nature hike, can contribute to this same feeling,” they continue.

Plan a morning neighborhood walk before you begin your workday.

3. Make prioritizing a habit

Most real estate agents have more tasks to accomplish than a day has hours. Stop attempting the impossible and prioritize accomplishing the three to five most important tasks to get done each day.

“Setting the right kind of goals not only lifts our performance but also makes us feel good,” according to Caroline Webb, author of “How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life.”

What’s a “right kind of goal?” Something important, that will impact your business or life. Have at least one of these goals on your list and, at the end of the day, achieving that goal (or making a big dent in it) will bring you a sense of accomplishment according to Leo Babauta at zenhabits.net.

The number of goals you set is important as well. “Have a full schedule today? Cut it in half. You don’t need to do everything on that list,” said Babauta.

“If you cut your list down and do only half the things you want to do for today, you’ll have a much better day.”

Here’s hoping that tomorrow is your best day yet!

DID YOU KNOW WE’RE HAVING A WE HEART YOU 10% OFF POSTCARD SALE?

Use Promo Code – HEART10

at check out to take advantage of this limited-time offer (excludes postage, data, EDDM, and scheduled campaigns).

Hurry! This offer expires Saturday, August 31st at midnight!

GO NOW, CLICK HERE!

Please reach out to our support team at 866.405.3638 with questions or if there is anything we can do to help you with your success.

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

1. The Free 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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

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The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. 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

7. The Free Real Estate Marketing Guide “CRUSH IT”

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The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted prospect list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

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

“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

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

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

Apr 22, 2019

And, find out what trait helps guinea pigs make money (under creativity)

Success in any endeavor is in the eye and mind of the beholder. My idea of personal success may mean something completely different than yours.

Some folks use money as a benchmark while others don’t feel successful unless they are fulfilled in what they do for a living.

In real estate, money has a lot to do with success. Without it, you won’t stay in business for long. The keys to making money – financial success — in the industry involves a combination of certain personality and character traits and ingrained habits.

Let’s take a look at some of the traits that the most ‘Rock Star’ agents exhibit.

1. Tenacity

Successful real estate agents don’t let go. They treat every contact from a potential client with a ferocious tenacity, returning calls and emails immediately and following up relentlessly.

This doesn’t mean they become the fatal attraction of the local real estate industry, it means that the agents make their leads feel attended to and that they are ready and able to assist.

The same treatment is given to former clients, with consistent follow-up to ensure they remain top-of-mind when the topic of real estate comes up. Sending a Customer Appreciation Thank You postcard is a great way to stay connected and let your clients know you appreciate them.

Show your clients you appreciate them (available in the postcards section under Customer Appreciation)

2. Creativity

“Best practices.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing that phrase a lot lately. Applied to the real estate industry, the term should make you wary.

Sure, it sounds quite professional. The problem is, what old-school real estate agents call “best practices” are often nothing more than old, worn-out tactics.

It means doing the same stuff all the other agents are doing and have done for decades.

Best practices? Wipe that from your memory chip as the established go-to resource.

Sure, there are some conventional real estate marketing tactics that still work but to rely on them exclusively in lieu of trying something new is just plain stupid.

The flip side is that following the herd to every new tactic that comes along is equally silly.

Once upon a time, there was a real estate agent who decided to do her video blogs from her car on her way to the office in the morning. I’m not absolutely sure who that was, but I have a good idea.

I often wonder if she resents the fact that thousands of other agents decided to allow her to be the guinea pig with this new technique. And then when they saw it worked, generated revenue, and created new clients, they brazenly stole her idea. It’s to the point now that those agent dashboard video blogs are as trite as some agent taglines and just as ridiculed by the public.

Help them choose YOU (available in the postcard section under Market Quote postcards)

Don’t be afraid to be different and to stand out from the rest of the agents in town. Do something new, novel and fun and forget about “best practices.” Don’t rely on any one technique to remain unique for long. Keep on your toes.

3. Communication

Successful real estate agents know when to hold em’ and know when to fold ‘em. They walk their clients through every last thing that can possibly be expected to occur in the transaction and then they shut up and listen.

They gain an understanding of and pay attention to what the client expects out of the relationship. They listen to what the client wants and needs. Then, they act on that, not some supposition of the client’s desires.

Both sellers and buyers that are dissatisfied with their real estate agents typically claim that their agents didn’t communicate enough. Rich, fulfilled agents keep in contact with their clients at all points during the process, even when there’s nothing new to communicate.

Clients also expect you to communicate in the manner they prefer. So, text the texters, email the emailers and phone the phoners. And send direct mail when you are after a lasting impact. Even if there is nothing new to talk about, reach out and touch.

4. Congeniality

Successful real estate agents are, for the most part, easy to be around. They are network- builders and relationship retainers.

If the Rolodex were still a staple on every agent’s desk, theirs would be the biggest. Since they understand the value of being pleasant, they have vast networks. They can set a client up with the best trash-out guy in town, the best contractor, plumber, lender, and title company.

5. Not afraid to spend

A couple of years ago, real estate social network Active Rain site conducted a survey of 1,758 real estate agents to determine what separates rich real estate agents from poor ones.

Successful agents understand that they need to spend money to make money. In fact, according to the study, agents earning more than $100,000 a year spend 10 times more money on marketing than their less successful counterparts.

They also spend six times more money on technology. Whether spending the money made them a rich agent or it took being rich to be able to spend it, is another question.

Agents that succeed approach their real estate career as a business. They begin each year with a plan which is updated and tweaked throughout the year.

Most of all, they are somewhat fearless, willing to take risks and tenaciously devoted to their success.

Start building good habits today by sending at least 100 Please Allow Me postcards from the Agent Introduction Series to an area where you would like more business.

Let them know who the neighborhood expert is (available in the postcard section under Agent Introduction)

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

Take it to the Next Level

Business Success

Jan 10, 2018

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.