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Sunday, May 4, 2025

customer service

    “America’s housing dream is broken,” claims a CNN.com headline. The New York Times wants us to know that “The Housing Market Is Worse Than You Think.” Finally, CNBC.com resorts to the scary stuff with an article about “… how much equity U.S. homeowners have lost since May.” 

    Is it any wonder that homebuyers, already fatigued by competing with multiple buyers, watching home prices skyrocket (seemingly overnight) and, now, escalating mortgage rates, are beyond frustrated?

    Is it impossible, as many think, to buy a home? While it may be challenging, you and I both know it’s not impossible. At least not for many Americans. They just need a lot of educating, counseling, and, maybe, a whole lot of hand-holding.

    Are they aware of the ins and outs of mortgages?
    Direct Response Reports. See more Here.

    Naturally, you’re hesitant to get too deep into the mortgage weeds when advising clients. After all, you’re most likely not a financial expert and, therefore, shouldn’t be counseling clients about financial subjects. 

    You can, however, suggest that they get to know and understand the following concepts and strategies and talk them over with a lender:

    • Discount points – Discount points, also known as points, lower a borrower’s “… interest rate in exchange for paying an upfront fee,” according to the experts at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. Pass the link on to your clients for an excellent description of buying points and the pros and cons of doing so.
    • Adjustable-rate mortgage – The loan of choice for the past few months, adjustable-rate loan applications have “… more than quadrupled since the start of the year,” according to Melissa Dittmann Tracey at nar.realtor. This may be the ideal solution for a buyer who plans on staying in the home for a reasonable length of time. Get the house with an ARM and then refinance into a fixed mortgage when rates drop. This strategy is not without risks, however.
    • Help them strategize coming up with a heftier down payment  – Yes, this is a tough one for an agent to suggest. It may mean putting a hot buyer on hold for a time. April, however, is right around the corner, and if your client is expecting an income tax return, depending on the amount, it could go a long way toward helping to lessen the impact of a higher-than-expected mortgage rate. 
    Keep an eye on the news

    If ever there was a time for Congress to act quickly, it would be now. Several bills remain in the works from last year that can greatly ease the pressure on hard-hit, moderate-income homebuyers. 

    Direct Response Report, See more Here.

    Keep an eye on Congress because if any of these passes, it could be a boon for your clients.

    • The First-Time Homebuyer Act of 2021. Introduced in late April 2021, this act revises the IRS code to provide first-time buyers up to $15,000 in tax credits. At the time of this writing, the act sits with the House Ways and Means Committee.
    • Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2021. This program will be administered by HUD to “… states and other entities to provide qualifying assistance to certain first-time, first-generation home buyers in purchasing their first homes,” according to the bill’s text.
    • LIFT Homebuyers Act of 2021.  Introduced in September 2021, The LIFT Act will provide 20-year fixed-rate mortgages for “… first-time, first-generation homebuyers whose incomes do not exceed a certain amount,” according to the bill’s text. These loans will be offered by Rural Housing Services or the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

    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 aesthetic. 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 and when. Four key market segments include 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 is also 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 

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

    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

    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

      Have you ever watched those YouTube videos of agents making cold calls, FSBO calls, and expired listing calls? 

      Most of them use the same script or at least parts of the same script. 

      “I’m just calling to see when you’re going to be interviewing agents for the job of selling your home.”

      You could build a drinking game around that one line, shared by almost all the video agents I watched.

      Does this script, in the hands of thousands of agents, in any way raise the bar? Or does it perpetuate the myth that “all real estate agents are alike?”

      Dump the scripts and dialogs and come up with a way to make this conversation authentically yours.

      How to approach your expired listing homeowner

      First, don’t assume, as so many do, that the homeowner with an expired listing is “angry” or “frustrated.” You don’t know why the listing expired. You don’t have any idea how this person is feeling.

      Maybe he or she is elated that the home didn’t sell. Maybe the agent is her Aunt Maggie, and she could never be angry with her. Maybe they’re chalking the failure of the home sale up to the market and feel it’s nobody’s fault.

      Go in with guns blazing, telling the homeowner that you know exactly how they feel and that “there are only three reasons a home fails to sell” is for other agents. You’re smarter than that. You are better than that.

      The goal of this first conversation is to set an appointment to meet with the homeowner to find out exactly what happened. Only when you know can you provide a solution. Guesses don’t count.

      And, yes, you should empathize. But empathize with what you actually know is happening: 

      The Expired Listing Postcard Campaign is shown above. To see more, Click HERE.

      This homeowner is being hounded by real estate agents trying to get a listing.

      And, yes, you want the listing too, but you aren’t about to add to the cacophony and annoyances of being called all day, every day, by people spouting the same “scripts,” offering the same solutions without knowing what the problem is. 

      Bullet points to cover over the phone

      In your own words, start by saying you understand that they’re being beaten up by real estate agents who all say the same thing, give the same promises and assume to know how they’re feeling.

      Apologize on behalf of your colleagues and explain that some will go to any lengths to make a buck.

      Then, admit that you’d like the listing, too, if and when they decide to sell. But you can’t begin to offer a solution until you understand what happened with the previous listing.

      If you have a particularly awesome testimonial that speaks to your ability to sell expired listings, include it in your conversation.

      If you don’t have a testimonial, resist the urge to lay down your resume or any stats you think are particularly impressive.

      You want an appointment, and the way to get one is by being human and by being empathic.

      Check back next month when we’ll take a look at how not to approach the expired listing and whether or not to visit, in person, the homeowner with an expired listing.

      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 aesthetic. 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 and when. Four key market segments include 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 is also 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 

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

      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

      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

        If you’re like a lot of Americans, you avoid listening, reading, or watching the news as much as you once did.

        Hey, we don’t blame you. News stories seem to be more focused on shocking behavior than ever before.

        Yes, Americans are misbehaving more than ever, and this makes for stress and tension among everyone.

        This includes the real estate world as well.

        It’s evidenced by agents who don’t pay attention when clients are speaking to them, who drop the ball when it comes to returning calls, and that small minority who lack morals and ethics.

        We know that you aren’t in that group, but for those who think small gaps in stellar customer service don’t matter, let’s look at how playing nice with others can change your reputation and allow you to gain some positive word of mouth.

        1. Be considerate of the other agent’s client

        Yes, your fiduciary duties are to your buyer or seller. But you also have a duty to extend consideration to the other agent’s client.

        Take the multiple offer situation, for instance. Although there isn’t as much of that happening now, it was common over the past few years. Tons of buyers’ agents were gnashing their teeth over the lack of basic courtesy extended to their clients when their offer wasn’t accepted.

        The Get More Listings II Series is shown above. To see more, Click HERE.

        It takes 20 seconds to dash off a text or email to the buyer’s agent, letting her know that her client’s offer wasn’t accepted. “It’s a decided lack of professionalism,” one agent said about listing agents who fail to extend this basic courtesy. 

        “Think of the anxious buyer,” she added. 

        Send this text or email or make a phone call before you update the property’s status in the MLS. It’s not fair or courteous to other agents to have to learn the bad news from anything or anyone other than the listing agent.

        Then, the buyer’s agent makes an appointment to show a home and ghosts the seller.

        Many homeowners run around like crazy, tidying up their homes in anticipation of a showing. When you don’t show up or don’t call to reschedule or cancel the appointment, you become one of ‘those’ agents, the bad apples who make the rest look bad.

        2. Use your words

        One issue we heard about from several agents is that there is almost a complete lack of feedback on showings.

        Remember, the average agent is a woman in her fifties; she’s been in the biz for way more than a minute. She recalls the days when soliciting feedback from showing agents was so commonplace that listing agents wouldn’t think of not doing it and then passing it on to their clients.

        After all, isn’t communicating with the seller part of the listing agent’s job? Letting your client know how buyers feel about their home is critical.

        If buyers’ agents don’t offer feedback, which is courteous, it’s the listing agent’s job to solicit it. 

        “Politeness … can be used to signal respect and consideration for others,” according to Matteo Bonotti & Steven T. Zech. (Understanding Civility). 

        Politeness and communication. It’s what you need to win the exacta in the race to set yourself apart from other agents in town and truly have a chance at growing your business through word of mouth.

        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 aesthetic. 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 and when. Four key market segments include 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 is also 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 

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

        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

        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

          With our FREE Contact Manager, you can tag entire mailing lists or just one contact within a list, building one highly targeted list from many.

          Now achieve better results from your marketing and ensure you are hitting the ideal target within your various lists with the right message at the right time!

          This new tool is available to use right now on Prospectsplus.com, for free, just for being a ProspectsPLUS! member.

          To check out the Contact Manager tutorial, CLICK HERE.

          The Following are Five Ways You Can Start Using the New Contact Manager Today!
          Just Sold Follow-Up Series

          1.Compile Contacts From Your Just Listed Just Sold Lists

          Move all your Just Listed Just Sold mailing lists to the Contact Manager. As you move them, “tag” the lists with the name of the neighborhood they are from.

          Now you can send follow-up postcards or schedule a campaign to go out to specific contacts from various “tagged” neighborhoods. The Just Sold Follow-Up campaign or a postcard from this series is a great choice.

          2. Create Monthly Customer Birthday Lists

          Upload your SOI list or move your current one into the Contact Manager. Add birthdays to each contact’s personal information in the space provided.

          Now mid-way through each month, you can select and send a birthday card to all of your contacts with a “Tagged” birthday for the upcoming month. You can even schedule these Birthday postcards to go out for the whole year in one sitting.

          Happy Birthday Postcards

          3. Create Monthly Home Anniversary Lists

          Upload your SOI list or move a current one into the Contact Manager. Add the home anniversary date to the applicable contact’s personal information in the space provided.

          Now mid-way through each month, you can select and send home anniversary postcards to go out to all of your “Tagged” contacts with a home anniversary in the upcoming month. You can even schedule these cards to go out each month for the whole year in one sitting.

          4. Tag Your Past Clients for Special Mailings

          Customer Appreciation Series

          When your current client becomes your past client, be sure to “tag” them with a “past client” tag. Now they are ready for you to be able to quickly pull together a targeted list to send out special Customer Appreciation postcards, thank you’s, and referral reminders.

          5. Tag Your Buyers Across Lists For Special Mailings

          Any time you create a list of buyers, be sure to tag them with the “buyers” tag. Now you can send a targeted mailing to all of your buyers across several lists.

          To get started with the Contact Manager tool now, CLICK HERE.
          Or check out our basic Contact Manager Tutorial, CLICK HERE.

          A couple More Notes About the New Contact Manager:

          1. This is not a free trial. Our Contact Manager will be free to our ProspectsPLUS! members indefinitely.
          2. If you have a CRM you currently use, by all means, continue. However, if you are purchasing a mailing list from us at any time in the future, it’s worth your time to take a moment and tag that list in the event you may want to take advantage of that tag in the future.
          3. We don’t share or sell your data. Please visit our privacy policy in the footer of the website and if you aren’t comfortable initially take a look at our reviews and maybe just start with lists that you are purchasing from us as we already have that data and are providing it to you.
          4. We certainly hope you choose to stay with us, but you can always download any or all of your lists out of the website at any time you choose to, and we even allow you to download a string of data that shows you the tags you associated with your contacts so that it will make it easier for you to take it to your next list management CRM platform.

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

          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 aesthetic. 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 and when. Four key market segments include 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 is also 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 

          This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

          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

          6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

          https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPukXEEmt5v4mU3iZ_hqYZ-W2g_Z6Ufgu

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

           

           

            Call it something fancy, such as a “Concierge Service,” or for what it is, a vendor referral service, but if you plan on offering this service to your real estate clients, learn how to avoid legal and other problems.

            First, however, head on over to part one in this series. You’ll find it here.

            RESPA refresher course

            The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, or RESPA for short, contains several land mines for agents that you’ll want to avoid at all costs.

            One goal of the Act was to crack down on kickbacks and other “abusive practices” which were common in the industry.

            While the heaviest regulations fall on those in the mortgage and title industries, real estate agents can run afoul of the rules.

            It’s a wise agent who will make the following a steadfast practice.

            I will not request, require or accept “a payment for the referral of business” from anyone for making a referral.

            The word “payment is used synonymously with the giving or receiving of a ‘thing of value,’” according to the experts at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

            The Content Card Series is shown above. To see more, Click HERE.

            It’s a fine line you’re walking

            Consider not publishing the list until you have at least two companies in each section. For instance, two landscapers, two electricians, etc.

            Then, cover your backside with an additional layer by displaying a disclaimer on the vendor list and anywhere it is published, such as on your website.

            “When offering vendor recommendations to clients, include in writing that it is their responsibility to review vendors and select one that best fits their needs. Add language that indicates you’re providing a few recommendations for consideration, but you advise they review additional options to find the right fit,” cautions the pros at cresinsurance.com.

            We found several disclaimers online, including “We do not require a fee to be on our preferred vendor list. Instead, we require a proven track record of customer satisfaction.”

            Also, check out this disclaimer at sarealtywatch.com

            Let’s call it something else

            Dump the word “preferred” in the title’s list and never refer to a mortgage service provider by that word.

            Ken Trepeta, president of the Real Estate Services Providers Council Inc. (RESPRO) told Inman.com that he thinks “… the term ‘preferred’ has become a minefield.” 

            “Do not designate a settlement service provider as the broker’s or agent’s ‘preferred’ company.” 

            Continued due diligence is a must

            A one-time vetting of vendors isn’t enough. In fact, they should be vetted on an ongoing basis. The last thing you need is to have one go sour and provide crummy customer service to one of your clients or former clients.

            These people reflect on your professionalism, so follow up with clients who use them. If in doubt about any vendor’s responsiveness and overall customer service, dump him/her. 

            While actual closing gifts are still a “thing” in real estate, we believe that brilliant customer service is the best gift you can offer. A vendor referral service is a gift that keeps on giving.

            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 aesthetic. 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 and when. Four key market segments include 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 is also 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 

            This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

            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

            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

              A Real Estate Referral List!

              Nearly half of homebuyers surveyed (49%) by the NAR said that the third most important benefit that a real estate agent can provide is “. . .a better list of service providers,” such as a home inspector and other services. (NAR 2022 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends)

              While homebuyers consider this a benefit, the industry understands it as “value-added.”

              Who would’ve thought that something as simple as a list of vendors could be a treasured service? 

              No, it’s not a new service, but it’s become an in-demand one and a way for agents to set themselves apart while offering value to your services.

              It beats a closing gift

              A real estate vendor referral service is the gift that keeps on giving. If set up properly, it brings your brand before their eyes multiple times into the future. It can also benefit you by giving you “touch” opportunities down the line.

              Content Card Series is shown above. To see more, click Here.

              How to put together a real estate vendor referral service list

              Whether you call them vendors or affiliates, the people on your list should be many and varied. Oh, and highly vetted, which we’ll discuss later.

              Let’s take a look at some of the vendors you might want to include on your list:

              • Accountant
              • Appliance repair/installation
              • Carpet cleaner
              • Countertop Company
              • Electrician
              • Flooring installer
              • Garage door installer/repair tech
              • General contractor
              • Handyman
              • Handyman/woman 
              • Home inspector
              • Home warranty company
              • House cleaner
              • Insurance agent
              • Interior designer
              • Landscaper
              • Lenders/mortgage broker
              • Moving accessories
              • Moving company
              • Painter
              • Pest inspector
              • Pet pooper scooper
              • Plumber/HVAC technician
              • Pool Service
              • Popcorn ceiling removal
              • Professional home organizer
              • Property Manager
              • Real estate attorney
              • Roofer
              • Septic Company
              • Stager
              • Tile contractor
              • Title company
              • Trash hauling 
              • Well inspector
              • Window washer

              Luxury agents might want to include:

              • Architect
              • Audio/visual services
              • Engineer
              • Home security systems technician
              • Home watch/Housesitting services 
              • Landscape architect
              • Trust attorney
              Vendor list research

              If you’re just starting a real estate vendor referral service, you’ll need to do some research in your quest to figure out who to include. Start at yelp.com, read reviews, and jot down the names of those you want to interview.

              Join your neighborhood at NextDoor.com. One of the main topics of conversation on the platform is “Who do you recommend for [insert the service].”

              In fact, if you enter any service into the search bar at the top of the page, you’ll find every conversation having to do with it. 

              Finally, ask for recommendations for your real estate vendor referral service from colleagues, family members, and friends.

              Once you’ve compiled a list of names, move on to the Better Business Bureau to check for complaints. 

              Then, ensure that the vendors you’ll interview are licensed and bonded by consulting the appropriate state licensing board’s website.

              This step is very important. “… the Realtor is not responsible for the work of a properly licensed contractor, or pest inspector for that matter. When a Realtor calls a licensed professional, they are doing so only in their capacity as a representative of their client,” according to Tim Jones at DailyRepublic.com.

              Still, consider putting a disclaimer, in writing, on your website.

              Now, you’re ready to interview each candidate. Don’t forget to ask for references. Get the references’ phone numbers and contact each one.

              There’s more to the compilation of this list than meets the eye. Avoiding RESPA violations is tricky, and we’ll cover that in Part II, so be sure to check back soon.

              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 aesthetic. 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 and when. Four key market segments include 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 is also 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 

              This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

              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

              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

                The following are three ways to ensure you get the biggest bang for your buck after generating some real estate leads.

                We’ll call them the three “T”s of lead conversion.

                1. Trust

                As you can imagine, confidence is a trust-builder. However, the opportunity to show off this confidence to a prospect may not appear. So, how else can you build trust? Testimonials.

                There is just no substitute for a glowing review of your services, especially if it highlights your knowledge of all things real estate.

                Think again about possible challenges that may be causing your prospect to hesitate jumping into the market:

                • The need to sell a home before buying
                • Closing date challenges
                • Showing challenges
                • Equity challenges
                • Problems with the home, neighborhood, etc.

                Testimonials that address these common challenges and how you dealt with them are like gold.

                Use them on your website, in your email signature, on your business card, and on every direct mail piece you send.

                Convert MORE leads into listings with the Famous Market Quotes Series. To see more designs Click Here.

                2. Time

                This is a lesson for agents who hope to convert more leads than their competition: be the first person to return calls.

                NAR studies show that 75% of real estate consumers sign up with the first agent they interview.

                Did you know, the average first call response time of all companies that responded by phone is 40 hours and 56 minutes (Xant Research Lead Response Report).

                Nearly 41 hours doesn’t seem hard to beat, right?

                How about five minutes? Studies show that’s the sweet spot. Conversion rates are 8X higher if contact is made within 5 minutes.

                “Measure your response times in seconds and minutes, not hours and days,” cautions Dan Sincavage, co-founder of Tenfold.

                That lightning-fast first touch and an automated recurring postcard campaign will help convert prospects the rest of the way: into full-fledged clients.

                3. Tenacity

                When you plant a seed, does it immediately spring from the soil in full bloom? Of course not. 

                By the same token, do we dig up seeds to ensure that they’re germinating? Nope. For some reason, we have faith that the seed will sprout. 

                We also have faith that if we nurture the seedling, it will grow, and we’ll realize a return for all our time spent on it.

                Yet, when it comes to prospects, so many agents tend to give up after a short nurturing period; the results weren’t immediate.

                “The average incubation period of a lead is 6 to 24 months,” according to coach Kevin Ward. 

                Knowing this should give you the patience to hang on, with faith, that many of them will convert to clients.

                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 aesthetic. 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 and when. Four key market segments include 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 is also 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 

                This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

                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

                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

                  “Do You Even Need a Real Estate Agent to View a Home Anymore?” asks Robert Farrington at thecollegeinvestor.com.

                  While he admits that “… viewing properties online will never replace checking out a property in person,” he offers two ways to view homes without an agent: “open houses, or you could simply go to the house and peek in the windows!”

                  Yes. He. Did.

                  Imagine the homeowners at the effect of this advice, with potential buyers creeping around their property, peeking in their windows.

                  “The only time you actually need to call a real estate agent is if you want to get inside the house without breaking in!” Farrington concludes.

                  One agent bravely responded to Farrington in the comment section: “Getting people who don’t know you to trust you and understand your value is hard enough without articles like this.”

                  So true.

                  When you meet a new client, there is most likely mistrust from the get-go and your first job is to win them over.

                  Let’s take a look at what some of the experts suggest to help you win this battle. 

                  1. It all starts with the buyers’ consultation

                  Your first lengthy interaction with potential buying clients is an ideal opportunity to distinguish yourself from other agents they may have spoken with. It’s also the start of building the rapport required to instill trust.

                  Aside from the routine questions (when they plan on buying, whether or not they’ve seen a lender, etc.) consider asking why they are buying a home. 

                  The answer to this may give you valuable information on which to start building a relationship, so pay close attention to what they say.

                  Whether your potential buying clients are getting married, growing their families, or just want a suitable space for Fido, the information gleaned from asking this question is something you can use to help build rapport.

                  The First Time Buyer Series is shown above. To see more designs, Click Here.

                  2. Which aspects of the home/neighborhood are non-negotiable? 

                  Don’t be the agent so many real estate consumers complain about– “he kept showing us homes that were too big” “too small” “that didn’t have a pool” or “we’re in the wrong school district.”

                  3. You can’t build rapport in separate cars

                  As a buyer’s agent, think of all the rapport-building time that’s lost when your buyer takes a separate car and follows you from listing to listing.

                  Stop taking separate cars to view homes for sale. Use the driving time to get to know the client:

                  • Familial status (married, children?)
                  • Pets?
                  • Hobbies? Your client tells you she loves to golf. “Have you played [name of golf course]?”
                  • Job? Your client tells you what he does for a living. “What made you decide to work in [career choice]?”
                  • Where did he or she grow up? “So, what was it like growing up in [name of town]?”

                  The time between viewings is so valuable. It provides the perfect opportunity to get to know your client and for him or her to get to know you. 

                  In real estate, rapport is the basis of trust. The more that leads and clients get to know and like you, the more they will trust you enough to refer you.

                  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 aesthetic. 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 

                  This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

                  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

                  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

                    The following are several housing market headlines from the past few weeks,

                    “Is the US Housing Market Headed for a Crash?”

                    “Will US House Prices Go Down this Year?”

                    “This Might be a Housing Bubble.” 

                    “Yes, this is likely the worst housing market ever for first-time buyers. But it still may be a good time to buy a home (really)”

                    Is it any wonder that American real estate consumers are confused? Even some who work in the industry (especially new real estate agents) are a bit befuddled, not knowing which way to point their marketing dollars.

                    Calm and focused are qualities to hang on to with all your might during these times of uncertainty.

                    This is your wheelhouse 

                    Many people equate being calm in the face of adversity to being fearless. The difference between the two is that “… you can’t control your fear response. Remaining calm, however, is the choice to respond a certain way despite the fear,” according to Tanner Christensen at creativesomething.net.

                    And, frankly, this is something you have experience doing. Consider this, you decided to join the ranks of an industry that offers little certainty when it comes to getting paid. That, my friend, is the perfect display of a calm, focused individual if you ask me.

                    That’s a memory worth hanging on to and bringing to mind when you need a boost in confidence during these crazy market headlines and industry predictions.

                    The Looking For Listings Scheduled Campaign is shown above. To see more, Click Here.
                    Learn more about the stuff you should know

                    Becoming somewhat of an expert in the various aspects of your business will do wonders for your psyche, as well. When you’re confident in your answers to questions and solutions to problems, the unshakable factor is built-in.

                    So, what do you need to expand your knowledge about? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

                    Marketing: A combination of online and offline marketing is an amazing strategy. They require, however, different approaches and may have different audiences.

                    Drill down to the basics, such as choosing to understand why so many agents are spending their marketing dollars on direct mail marketing as well as, choosing to automate their marketing. Once that’s mastered and direct mail marketing campaigns are in place, move on to the next marketing strategy.

                    Finance: Don’t count on your clients’ lenders to teach them about mortgages. Learn or brush up on, different forms of financing a home and what the various GSEs offer. Get to the point where you can explain the mortgage process, start to finish, in just a few minutes.

                    Construction basics: A NAR study finds that 60% of buyers want their real estate agent to be able to point out possible problems with a home.

                    To become that agent, learn all you can about construction regulations in your area. What permits are required for various improvements? If septic systems and wells are common in your market, get to know everything you can about them.

                    Much of the research can be done online. Just ensure that the source is credible.

                    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 aesthetic. 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 

                    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

                    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

                    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

                      When real estate consumers visit your website they are typically searching for three things:

                      • Listings
                      • Knowledge of the selling/buying process
                      • Information about what it’s like to work with you

                      The latter includes answers to certain burning questions common among these visitors, such as will you sell their house for what it’s worth and in the time frame they desire? Will you make the process smooth and easy for them? 

                      Oh, you may be thinking, “so all I have to do is fill my website with my sales stats, my tenure in the business, and brag about community expertise.”

                      Nope. It’s not that easy

                      We live in a world where consumers are overly bombarded with sales pitches and have learned to not only tune them out but to distrust them.  

                      Tell them until the cows come home that you’re the “neighborhood expert” or the king or queen of local real estate and they may or, more likely may not, believe you.

                      Steer them to a website full of helpful information that shows your expertise and provides a sprinkling of strategically placed client testimonials that prove your real estate chops, and now we’re talking.

                      How to choose testimonials that will attract buyers

                      It’s easy to get carried away when posting testimonials to your website. Many agents post all of their positive reviews, which results in a TLDR (too long, didn’t read) situation. The visitor becomes overwhelmed and, if they read any of them, it will most likely be the first three or four listed.

                      Many visitors won’t read any of them.

                      Real Estate Times Series is shown above. To see more, Click Here.

                      If you’re wondering which of your testimonials have the most power with consumers, take a look at these takeaways from NAR’s Homebuyers and Sellers Generational Trends study:

                      • “… an agent who is honest and trustworthy” is the most important criterion used when homebuyers choose their agent.
                      • When working with a buyers’ agent, helping them understand the buying process “… was most beneficial to buyers 30 years and younger at 84 percent and for buyers 31 to 40 years at 71 percent.”
                      • When asked about the most important benefits their agent provided, 61% said that their agents “Pointed out unnoticed features/faults with the property.” Slightly less than half appreciated their agent’s ability to negotiate “… better sales contract terms.” 

                      You can find NAR’s entire study at nar.realtor.

                      Now, go through your buyer testimonials and select only those that mention the aforementioned. For instance: “Jack helped us understand the entire process, from start to finish.” 

                      Testimonials to attract sellers

                      Now you’ll want to do the same with your testimonials from sellers. 

                      When choosing an agent, homeowners look at the agent’s reputation, evidence of honesty and integrity, and the agent’s knowledge of the seller’s neighborhood.

                      Once they choose a listing agent, they expect the following: 

                      • the agent to get the home sold within the client’s timeframe
                      • their agent to suggest an appropriate and competitive listing price
                      • the agent to aggressively market the home to buyers

                      Finally, go through all of your testimonials to find the very best, either buyer or seller. This is the one you’ll want to place, prominently, above-the-fold on the home page of your website.

                      The rest can be sprinkled on your other pages.

                      Sure, there’s a time and place for self-promotion, but when every page of your website is devoted to describing your accomplishments you become the Selfie King or Queen of real estate.

                      Skip the self-hype and let your past clients speak for you.

                      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 

                      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

                      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

                      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

                        To Become That Stand-Out Agent

                        Crazy business, isn’t it? You studied, got your license, paid all those fees, found a broker, and GOT TO WORK.

                        If you were lucky, once onboard, your broker had some sort of training program for new agents. Most, however, teach a few rudimentary tasks and send agents on their way.

                        What is universally lacking is training on how to work with clients – especially buyers. In many cases, this leads to a less than stellar experience for home buyers.

                        Want to become a stand-out with your buyer clients? Here are three things you absolutely must share, that many agents won’t.

                        Rent By Numbers Campaign, see more HERE
                        Closing costs

                        Have you ever wondered why there is so much focus on educating buyers about the down payment while details about closing costs are rarely mentioned? I have a theory about that.

                        Buying a home is expensive. That’s a given. Telling a client who is on a budget that they’ll need thousands of dollars in cash to put down on a home almost feels like we’re scaring them off.

                        Once past the down payment hurdle, who wants to say “Oh, yeah, by the way, you’ll need about that much more in cash for closing costs?” It’s much easier to let the lender take the hit for that one, right?

                        But we owe our clients much more than this. There is nothing worse than meeting with the lender and learning you’ll need twice as much cash as your agent told you that you’d need.

                        So, vague references to closing costs don’t cut it. Be the agent that helps change the perception of the industry by being upfront and honest about all aspects of the transaction – especially financial aspects.

                        Give them more information about the loan process

                        First-time buyers have a tendency to think that loan preapproval is an iron-clad guarantee that they’ll get the loan. It’s the lender’s job to tell them otherwise but how many do so?

                        Since you, as the agent, have a vested interest in the buyer’s successful closing, don’t assume the buyer’s lender is going to do this.

                        What is especially important for your buyers to understand is that their loan can fall apart right up until the moment the loan is funded.

                        Quitting a job, moving money, buying anything on credit, applying for new credit can doom the entire purchase.

                        First Time Buyer Campaign, see more HERE
                        Treat the final walkthrough seriously

                        I once had a friend who bought a house and used a well-known local agent. It was her first home so she relied heavily on the agent’s experience.

                        During the final walkthrough, my friend allowed her agent to take the lead and, it’s a good thing because all of the appliances which were to remain with the home were gone. Refrigerator, washer, dryer – all missing.

                        Since the walk-through was scheduled the day before closing, the closing had to be postponed while the seller replaced the appliances.

                        After my friend moved in she found that the garbage disposer was also missing, plants were removed from the landscaping and several other fixtures were gone. At that point, it was too late to remedy the situation and she was forced to replace everything out of her own pocket.

                        The agent fell down on her duty to her client.

                        Make a walk-through checklist of every aspect of a home and use it during the final walkthrough. Counsel your client to move slowly and inspect everything.

                        PLUS: When you have time…below are some additional 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 Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

                        2. 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

                        3. 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

                        4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

                        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

                        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

                        5. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

                        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

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

                        We’re here to support you.

                        Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

                          It’s Time to Take an Easier Path

                          Imagine what the future would look like if you could stop cold calling, door knocking, or chasing after FSBOs indefinitely – or at least cut way down on those activities?

                          Ditching the more distasteful aspects of your real estate lead generation routine may be possible. If you vow, right now, to get serious about your CRM database.

                          Warm calls are so much more pleasant. Making phone calls and having happy people answer the phone beats a cold call any day.

                          It’s time to make building better relationships with people you already know, your priority.

                          Are you only fishing for a day?

                          Have you ever heard the adage “You can give someone a fish and they have food for a day or you can teach them to fish and they’ll be fed forever?

                          I look at an SOI database in a similar way.

                          You can get by living “listing to listing” just making ends meet or you can build a robust SOI database that will feed you ongoing listings, indefinitely.

                          The Holiday Scheduled Campaign is shown above. It’s the perfect way to stay in touch with your sphere. Learn more, HERE

                          The first method is all about instant gratification and takes a smaller amount of effort.

                          The second method is about building something for the future, something substantial, that will take ongoing effort, but the rewards will be significant and lasting.

                          So the question is, how do you want to live your life – fish by fish or with an endless stream of dinners?

                          That being said, how’s your sphere of influence going?

                          Agents who have been in the business for more than a minute tell horror stories about friends and even family members who “forgot” that they were in real estate and listed their homes with another agent.

                          I guarantee you at some point this has happened to you, whether you’re aware or not.

                          In fact, NAR states,

                          “The typical real estate agent, sadly, earned 13 percent of their business from repeat clients and 17 percent from referrals.”

                          Look at those numbers – they’re frustrating, aren’t they?

                          Especially when NAR also states that nearly 90 percent of real estate consumers say they would use their agent again in the future.

                          If past clients liked their experience with their agent shouldn’t agents be getting more than 17 percent of their business from them?

                          Did they forget about you because you’ve forgotten to stay in front of them and nurture them?

                          What has neglecting your sphere REALLY cost you?

                          If your strategy has been only chasing new leads instead of working on your sphere, you may have lost sight of the lifetime value of your client.

                          Take a past client for who you earned $4,000 in commission. Assume (by staying present in their life) you are their agent for four more buying and selling transactions (of the same value) over time that’s $16,000 in revenue.

                          Now let’s say they send you two referrals per year for the next 10 years (of a similar value) that’s $80,000. This ONE client has a potential lifetime value of $96,000. How many clients, just like this, have you let fall to the waste side over the years?

                          What has that decision cost your real estate business?

                          Time to refocus your attention

                          We get it, agents have a ton of irons in the fire during the typical work week, and keeping in contact with their SOI typically ends up as a low priority.

                          What would happen, though, if you moved your SOI up on the “To Do” list? Made those warm contacts (instead of contacting strangers) a priority?

                          You’ll end up on the minds of the people in your sphere, including your past clients, and when someone mentions to them they’re thinking about buying or selling a home, guess what happens next?

                          So, how to get your real estate business on the referral track?

                          Step 1: Organize your database

                          Yeah, it doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun, but it’s necessary to keep you on track. If you already have an organizational method, you’re one step ahead. If not, let’s create a simple one.

                          Start by grouping your contacts. There are many ways to group them, so choose labels that make sense to you. Some suggestions include:

                          • Hot leads (new incoming leads)
                          • Cold leads (people you haven’t been able to reach)
                          • Family, friends, past clients
                          • Vendors
                          • People you know through your kids
                          • Neighbors
                          Step 2: Go through all of the contacts and verify the information

                          At a minimum, you should have the contact’s full name and the name of immediate family members. Naturally, you won’t have family member info for some contacts, such as leads, and that’s okay.

                          Step 3: Pick up the phone and start calling people

                          Start with people you know, like past clients, relatives, and friends. Let them know you’re thinking of them and checking in to see if you can help them with anything.

                          While on the phone, tell them you’re updating your database and want to ensure you have their correct contact information. Verify that their addresses (mailing and email) are current and that you have the best phone number to contact them.

                          Birthdates are important too (people LOVE getting birthday cards and it’s a great excuse to call). You don’t need a year, just ask for the month and day.

                          When you make these calls, listen carefully to their end of the conversation for any tidbits you can add to the database. Great information to note in their record includes important family milestones, news on their business/job, or events involving their children or spouse.

                          Then, as soon as you hang up, DO THIS! Update their information in the database, don’t “think” you’ll remember, just do it.

                          And, schedule a follow-up call in your database, and a reminder to prompt you to send them a birthday card, anniversary card, etc.

                          If they told you about an important event that’s coming up, wouldn’t it be great to mark your calendar with a reminder to shoot them an email and ask how everything went?

                          Step 4: Committ to a time in your weekly schedule to work your Sphere

                          You’ve started the process of building toward a future don’t stop now. Before you know it, you’ll have an organized, clean database, making your real estate lead generation a much more enjoyable and rewarding process.

                          Two free tools that will make the process of building up your database much easier:


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

                          2. 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

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

                          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

                          The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

                          This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

                          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

                          The Take a Listing Today Podcast

                          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

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

                          We’re here to support you.

                          Your ProspectsPLUS! Team

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