Call to Action postcards

Back Away From the Phone! Here are Three Alternatives to Cold Calling.

Jul 28, 2022

How many more hours will you sit in front of the phone, trying to gin up the motivation to pick it up and dial for dollars?

Is there anything more boring? Is there anything more stressful?

If cold calling is a mega lead generator for you, by all means, have at it. But, believe it or not, there are tens of thousands of agents who are sick of it (yes, we made up that number).

For these agents, we offer alternatives. No, they’re not unique or even new. But we’ve met plenty of agents who’ve used at least one of these strategies with great success.

1. ‘Til divorce do us part

“Every 42 seconds, there is one divorce in America,” according to statistics gathered by Wilkinson and Finkbeiner, a San Diego, CA law firm.

We must warn you that working with divorcing couples isn’t for the timid agent. It is, however, quite profitable for those agents who pride themselves on their ability to remain impartial and have tons of patience.

Once you’re up and running with it, you’ll likely find that lead generation is positively zippy compared to cold calling.

Since “Almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation” (Wilkinson and Finkbeiner), you’ll have a steady stream of business.

Aside from the aforementioned impartiality and patience, divorce real estate agents must be consummate communicators, have endless patience, and exhibit utmost tact. Add to that someone who thrives on working under pressure, and you have the perfect person to work with clients in a deeply acrimonious relationship.

How to find these folks?

Get in touch with local divorce attorneys and solicit referrals
Buy a list through Rebogateway
Run Google or Social Media ads

Get more tips from watching these videos at YouTube.com:

2. Market to landlords

Sure, landlords are making bank right now, but there will always be some who just want out from under the burden of being a landlord.

Like other lead gen techniques, marketing to landlords takes persistence and consistency to work.

Market Dominator is shown above; click here to learn more.

Again, direct mail is the most efficient way to build your pool of landlord leads. A current market report and/or CMA would be welcome and appreciated. Follow-up touches can include Just Listed/Just Sold homes near the rental and quarterly market updates.

3. Start a farm

Farming is an amazing way for people to become familiar with you and to build brand recognition.

Sure, you can create a real estate farm and cold-call homeowners, but the beauty of this lead gen technique is that you don’t have to. There are plenty of ways to keep in touch with the homeowners in your farm area that don’t involve using a phone.

Direct mail is the ideal vehicle, and you’ll find a variety of products (from Get More Listings postcards to a Market Dominator newsletter (sent through EDDM) to Homes & Life Magazines and more, right here at ProspectsPlus.com.

Check out this blog post to learn much more about farming in general and circle prospecting in particular.

None of these real estate lead gen strategies will make you an overnight sensation. But choose one or two and vow to give it your all—to be consistent and persistent — for the rest of the year, and you may just find you’ll never need to make another cold call.

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

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Two Common Real Estate Objections and How You Can Overcome Them

Sep 8, 2021

Don’t be surprised if, at least at the beginning of a new client relationship, you’re treated with skepticism and mistrust.

This is specifically true during uncertain times.

Building trust is a barrier that must be scaled for every agent when developing a new client relationship.

And, even after you’ve won them over, there are plenty of new objections you may have to overcome.

Objection Handling Brochure, *Pitfalls of Overpricing*

The following are two of the biggies you might encounter that prevent consumers from moving forward, specifically during a pandemic.

The commission negotiator

Agent commissions are the most common area of negotiation, specifically during a time when market stability is uncertain.

First, most consumers know that, by law, commissions are negotiable. What they don’t typically know is that you don’t pocket the entire commission. So your first objective is to educate them. Use numbers they can relate to in your example.

“Joe, suppose I earned $20 in commission. Half of that, $10, right off the top goes to the broker whose agent brought in the buyer for your home. The other $10 goes to my broker who then pays me my share, $5.”

If all else fails, fall back on a time-tested commission objection handling technique:

“Sure, Joe, you may well find another agent who is willing to cut her commission right now. But, ask yourself: If she can’t negotiate with you over keeping her earnings, how can you expect her to negotiate with the buyer when it comes to you getting the highest price possible? If she can’t convince you she is worth her full commission, she can’t very well convince anyone of anything”

The market challenged

Objection Handling Brochure, *Timing is Everything*

Then there are the consumers who have a misunderstanding of what’s happening in the market and how it might affect them. “We’d love to sell and buy another home, but prices are too unstable right now.” In the current housing market, you may be hearing this objection frequently. The alternative to this one is “We’ve decided to wait until the market gets better.”

Either way, if the market truly is conducive to selling and/or buying, crunch the numbers for them.

In the current market, most sellers will still get what they want for their homes. It’s the buy-side they’re concerned about.

What they’re often overlooking are two very important factors:

They have loads of equity right now
Mortgage rates are at all-time lows

Combine the equity with the savings from low mortgage rates and you most likely have a situation where they can afford to buy a replacement home.

The bottom line

Objection Handling Brochures, *Think It Over*

Objection handling requires a delicate balance – one that can be achieved through empathy. Dan Lok, entrepreneur, author, and founder of Closers.com uses what he calls the “3 Fs,” Feel, Felt, Found.

I understand how you feel
Others felt the same way
Here’s what I found

An example of this is the following statement, “I understand that you’re frightened you won’t be able to afford a replacement home. Others feel the same way. But this is what I’ve found.”

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Now that you’re armed with an Objection Handling Brochure, it’s the ideal time to launch a marketing campaign.

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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…below are some helpful tools 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. The Automated Way to 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

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Real-Estate-Mailing-List-Guide2-3-D-999x1024.jpg

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. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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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

3 places to find inspiration for your website blog posts

Apr 17, 2019

I hate to sound like a nag, but if you aren’t blogging in 2019–why?

I recently read a blog post directed at real estate agents about various forms of marketing. One of them was blogging and the writer listed the pros and cons:

It is time-consuming or “costly” (if you hire someone to write your posts)
The results aren’t instant: It takes time and a commitment to a strategy to build traffic to your blog.

Neither of these “cons” should be a consideration. In 2019, blogging is non-negotiable. You simply must have a blog on your website. Then, you simply must promote it.

And, by the way, which real estate marketing method is “instant,” I wonder?

So, clear a spot on your daily “to-do” list for either the writing or the hiring of someone else to write your real estate blog posts. Then, take a look at our 3 places to find inspiration to get you going.

By the way, your blog posts don’t all have to be about real estate. In fact, the best agent blogs offer a mix of items of local interest, real estate and homeowner topics. All three offer a ton of opportunities to show your expertise and personality and to engage with potential clients.

Realtor marketing postcards for neighborhood updates with a free offer — Keep them up on area trends (Available in the postcard section under Neighborhood Update Series)

1. Amazon.com

Knowing your audience (what they’re thinking about, their pain points, etc.) is critical to crafting a winning blog post. A brilliant way to find out what’s currently on many homeowner’s minds is by checking the best-selling products on Amazon.com.

For instance, high on the best-selling products list right now is a gadget that keeps hair from going down the shower/tub drain. A post on clogged drains, how to unclog them and prevent them in the future would work well.

Several floor cleaning products make the list, from vacuums to mops. A post on caring for different types of flooring may be interesting to your audience. Or, write about the different types of floors and how they stack up against one another.

It’s spring, so don’t neglect checking out Amazon’s patio and garden category to get a feel for what potential clients are doing around the home’s exterior.

Right now, for instance, their battles seem to be with flying insects, ants and cockroaches. Write a post about DIY Spring Pest Control. You’ll find inspiration at Angieslist.com, FamilyHandyman.com and Clark.com.

To get started, go to Amazon’s best sellers list. On the left side of the page are the various categories you can browse. Home & Kitchen and Patio, Lawn & Garden are two good places to start.to discover what subjects are currently on peoples minds.

Get your phone ringing with a valuable Free Offer (available in the postcard section under Free Offer Series)

2. National real estate sites

Since you should rotate homeowner-focused blog posts with real estate-related posts, use your current clients’ questions and concerns for blog post topics.

When you get stuck, visit national real estate sites for inspiration. Zillow.com, for instance, offers Porchlight, its consumer-facing blog.

Current topics include many addressed to sellers:

Curb appeal boosters
To-dos before listing
How to negotiate the counteroffer

Check the site’s Tips & Advice section in particular. Redfin has a busy blog as well, and you’ll find endless inspiration for your blogs.

Today I took a spin around it and found posts about the best day to list a home for sale, home staging tips and digital home closings.

3. Local flavor

The most share-worthy posts you will write will be hyper-local and one of the best is published in spring: a guide to local summer camps for kids. No time to research your area’s summer camps? Hire someone to do it for you. Find inexpensive freelance researchers online at Fiverr.com and Upwork.com.

Keeping with the spring/summer theme, and keeping it local, check with your local parks and recreation department to learn about upcoming events.

Then, head to Yelp.com. Find the best eateries that offer patio dining, the best ice cream or fro-yo shops, places where kids eat free or dog friendly restaurants and create a listicle around each one.

Create a perfect Father’s Day scenario, complete with brunch or lunch and his favorite local activity. Or, choose a summer month and show how it’s celebrated locally. For inspiration, check out Anchorage, Alaska’s Unity Home Group blog.

Inspiration for your real estate website’s blog posts is everywhere. All you need to do is get them written, posted and then shared on social media.

Beats cold calling.

Send at least 100 Free Home Market Analysis postcards from the Call to Action Series to an area where you want more listings.

Get hands to raise with a popular Free Market Analysis Offer (available in the postcard section under Call to Action series)

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are Free ways we can help you have an INVINCIBLE 2019!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

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

Achieve Killer Listing Presentation Skills

Presentation Skills

Jan 7, 2019

Presentations that close

You can blink your eye three times in the time it takes a person to judge your trustworthiness and competence just by looking at your face, according to research conducted by Princeton University.

Yet, the real estate industry is confounded that most real estate consumers go with the first agent they meet and that so many homeowners spend only one day choosing a listing agent.

As with all things real estate, time is of the essence during the listing appointment, so let’s take a look at how you can ensure the homeowner’s first impression is a winning one.

It starts with fact gathering

Whether it’s a cold call or a response to a Free Offer postcard, how you handle that first contact with a potential seller will pave the way to a successful listing presentation. In fact, this is the time to gather as much information as possible about the home and the owner.

The National Association of Realtors offers a list of questions to have ready for your next listing appointment:

Why are you selling your home?
How soon do you need to sell?
Do you have a ballpark price in mind?
Tell me about your home – how long you’ve lived there, what you like best about it and whether you’ve performed any renovations or major repairs.
In your opinion, what makes your home different from others in the neighborhood?

When you set the appointment, let the homeowner know that all decision-makers should be present.

Before compiling the CMA, take a tour of every home currently for sale in the seller’s neighborhood and a drive-by of sold comps.

As most listing agents know, potential home sellers are keenly aware of current listings in the area and will many times bring them up during a listing appointment. Rather than being embarrassed that the homeowner knows the local market better than you do, be the agent who is completely up-to-date on the local market.

Now you have the information necessary to put together the CMA. For the rookies out there, here is a list of quick tips to help you out with that:

Generics won’t make you stand out. Every home and every seller is different. Customize your presentation to a specific home and neighborhood.
Even if you use a digital presentation, ensure that everything in your hard copy is professionally printed. Your competition won’t bother using the color printer, which is why you must. From your branding to the graphics and photos, color grabs attention and gives the impression that marketing is your forte.

Powerful first impressions

Remember how quickly we form first impressions? One of the best ways to ruin your chances is by being late for the listing appointment. No excuse on earth will work just show up on time. Before you leave your car, turn off your phone, take a deep breath and relax. Remind yourself to smile and make eye contact as the homeowner opens the door.

Steer the participants to a place where it will be easier to maintain eye contact with everyone who is present. A round dining table is ideal. Then, break the ice with a statement such as, “Driving over here, I was thinking about how excited I am about this meeting,” this lets them know that you’re confident and have exciting things to share.

Another suggested ice-breaker is to ask a question. Engaging the homeowners immediately will help you make a quick connection. While every listing agent is different in how they conduct a listing presentation, most that we’ve spoken with share the following:

Homeowners want to know that you’re truly listening to them. Making eye contact conveys that and taking notes as they speak shows you are serious about remembering what they’re saying.

Assume the close

While some agents we’ve spoken with wait until the end of the presentation to assume the close, others do so throughout the presentation.

Here’s a brilliant example we read about at ActiveRain. Draw up two lists of services – one the basics, and one with the extra services you offer your listing clients.

Then, when explaining your services during the presentation, start with the basics – the stuff that is standard in your area. Then, whip out the second list and, as you tick them off, stop occasionally to ask if this is a service they want you to provide.

For instance, “Will you want aerial photography as well as the 3-D home tour?” Or “Do you want me to hold open houses?”

Although we don’t expect these tips to be everything required to beat the listing presentation willies, they offer ideas on how to prepare. And, knowing you’re prepared is calming. And, when you’re calm, you’re confident and unbeatable!

Send out at least 100 Free Market Statistics postcards from the Call to Action Series to an area where you would like more listings and get that killer presentation ready.

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are 4 free ways we can help you have an INVINCIBLE 2019!

1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

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

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

4. The Free Online ROI Calculator

Also…check out these game-changing tools!

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

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

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

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Time for a Real Estate Blog Tune-up

Website Marketing

Jul 9, 2018

Convert More Leads to Listings

If your blog isn’t performing in a way that is resulting in new potential listing traffic, it may be time for a tune-up.

Yes, we get that you’re busy, but this process is painless and can be done in pieces so you won’t have to take an entire day or evening to get it done.

Best of all, these tips will help improve your site’s visibility, your visitor’s experience and you won’t have to hire a web developer.

Fix broken links

Broken links on your blog return 404 errors to your users. They become frustrated and click away. As a result, you’ve lost them and probably for good. Broken links also impact your search engine ranking.

In essence, broken links are broken promises, so the first step in the blog tune-up is to check for and fix them.

There are several easy and free ways to do this:

WordPress site? Install “Broken Link Checker”. You can find a walk-through of the process (it’s quite easy) at Org.
Check My Links – a Chrome browser extension that checks all the links on a page. Find it in the Chrome Webstore.
Xenu Web Sleuth – it’s a rather odd-looking website, and you’ll need to download the software, but according to many, it’s one of the best, free ways to check for dead links.

Remove any dead links that can’t be replaced and update those that can.

While you’re in “link” mode

How is your internal linking structure? Linking from one blog post to another on your site keeps your reader engaged longer on your blog. In addition, search engine spiders love internal links.

Go through some of your most popular blog posts and find opportunities to link to other posts on your site.

Add some bling

Blog posts with compelling images are read more often than those that offer poor images. Therefore, check your blog post images and replace any that may be doing more harm than good.

Try using Canva.com to create overlays on your photos to give them that Pinterest look. It’s free and, once you get the hang of it, quite easy to use.

You can find free images online at:

Pixabay
Pexels
Morgue File
New Old Stock (vintage photos)
SkitterPhoto (click on “Browse Free Photos)
Unsplash

Fix blog format problems

The name of the game when writing a blog post is “white space.” Don’t torture your visitor with great, big blocks of text. Break it up with short paragraphs, the use of images, quotes, subheadings and bulleted lists.

Throw out everything you learned in English composition. You aren’t writing for a teacher, you’re writing for someone who typically scans text online. If it appears on the first scan to be too much of a chore to read, they’ll leave.

A good rule of thumb is to break up any paragraph that exceeds five sentences in length.

How’s your call to action?

If you hope to convert your blog visitors to leads, you’ll need effective “calls to action”. Any money and effort you expend to drive traffic to your blog is wasted if your posts lack this critical component.

Your call to action must consist of the following:

Make it unique
Use enticing offers
It must be prominent

Check your post titles

We get it, you’re not a copywriter. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should neglect the most important component of each post, the title.

A compelling, descriptive headline can mean the difference between the reader leaving or staying. It also impacts whether they click on the post’s link when you share it on social media.

Look at each headline and ask yourself if you would be compelled to read on if it weren’t your blog. If not, fix the ones that don’t work.

Magazine covers are ideal places to look for ideas on how to write catchy blog titles.

Order at least 100 of the Free Report, “5 Reasons Why Your House May Not Sell”, and use them as an opt-in on your blog site.

Also, for extra lift add them as a “call to action” on all of your marketing pieces.

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are 3 free ways we can help you CRUSH IT in 2018!

1. The Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan.

2. The Free Online ROI Calculator.

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

Also…check out these cool tools

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

MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become their hero!