Saturday, October 12, 2024

Fence Sitters

    Think back to the days before you got involved in the real estate industry. Did you truly understand the workings of the housing market? 

    Sure, there are the economic geniuses among us, but many, many agents come from careers far removed from that. It’s safe to say that the teachers-turned-real-estate agents didn’t have the time or energy to pay attention to the real estate market.

    Congratulations! You’ve just put yourself in the typical homebuyer’s and seller’s shoes.

    Imagine how they’re feeling right now, and you can understand why “housing market bubble” has been a highly-searched term on Google.com in recent months.

    This is despite agents across the country doing their best to let folks know that the odds that we’re facing another burst real estate bubble are slim to none.

    If you have clients who have decided to watch the market instead of getting in it to sell their homes, you have some convincing to do.

    As we all know, if they hope to sell for a reasonable price, the time to jump into the market is right now.


    The Fence Sitter Campaign is shown above. To learn more bout this series, Click Here.


    If I were you

    I’m not. But if I were, I’d send a postcard to every potential home seller in my CRM.

    It would be simple yet effective.

    Perhaps the front of the card would say, over a lovely real estate-ish graphic, something along the lines of:

    “Home prices continue to climb”

    Under that headline, I would place this recent quote from Devon Thorsby at US News and World Report:

    “Home prices are down month-over-month but still up year-over-year annually.”

    Additional salient points to make, space permitting, of course, include:

    • Ignore month-to-month figures. As Thorsby says, “… month-to-month data is more volatile and does not signal a drastic shift in the market on its own.”
    • Home price growth is slowing, but it’s a sign of current economic conditions (higher mortgage rates, inflation, etc.), not a housing bubble.
    • The national median home sale price in November “… is 3.5% higher than the same month the year before. This represents “… the 129th consecutive month of a year-over-year increase in the median home price, the longest-running streak of increasing year-over-year prices, per NAR data.” According to Thorsby.
    • Finally, Realtor.com’s economists claim that the median list price nationwide was $416,000. This represents an 11% increase compared to the same month last year.

    Express the urgency of listing sooner rather than later. Few economists expect the price growth to last, so getting the home on the market now gives your clients the advantage of getting the most money possible for the foreseeable future.

    And this good news comes just in time for these folks to take advantage of the spring market. 

    Reach out if you need help with your postcard campaign. We are happy to help.


    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 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


      Shown above: Wendy Clausen’s Upload Your Own design. Learn more, HERE

      Congratulations, Wendy Clausen you are the winner of this week’s $120 gift card!

      Wendy had the following words to say about her success after sending marketing from ProspectsPLUS!,

      “It was easy to set up and customize my postcards. I was able to upload my own mailing list which was nice. The turnaround was quick and a good quality product”

      -Wendy Clausen

      Thank you, Wendy!


      NEW CONTEST STARTS NOW: Get the FIRST MONTH of Any Scheduled Campaign For FREE! ($120 value)

      FARM, Fence Sitter Scheduled Campaign shown above. Learn more, HERE
      Enter this week’s contest for a chance to win a $120 gift card covering the first month of ANY Scheduled Campaign.

      The scheduled campaign includes 150 jumbo-sized postcards, sent standard postage (excluding data and tax. Including only the first month free of a new campaign).

      HOW TO ENTER: Just leave a review regarding how using marketing from ProspectsPLUS! has impacted your business, and you’re automatically entered into our next contest.

      Mention a “scheduled campaign you’ve launched” in your review and your entry into the contest is doubled.

      Leave a review on Google, HERE.
      Leave a review on Facebook, HERE.

      Don’t forget to watch out for next Friday’s email announcing the weekly winner!


      Ready to Schedule an SOI, Farm, Get More Listing, Holiday or Absentee Owner Campaign?

      Holiday Scheduled Campaign shown above, learn more HERE
      Launch a Scheduled Campaign today and save time on your marketing by automating it!

      You Can Launch a Scheduled Campaign to any of the following Markets in Just Minutes:

      Sphere of Influence
      Geographic Farm
      Just Sold Follow-up
      Holiday
      Renters
      Absentee Owners
      Expireds
      FSBOs
      Fence Sitters*
      Get More Listings*
      Empty Nesters*
      Move-Up Market*

      (*Located under Farm Campaigns)

      And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before mailing goes out. The price shown at check out is per mailing, not campaign total).

      TO GET STARTED:

      STEP 1: Create your prospect list using our mailing list tools, HERE.

      STEP 2: Then, once you have your list, choose your Campaign, select your start date, and add your list, HERE or hit “Launch a Scheduled Campaign”, below.

      Launch a Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

        Social media. Pay-per-click. Email.

        Digital marketing is hot with real estate agents. This provides an amazing opportunity for the agent who decides to take a different approach and become a BIG FISH in a small pond.

        How do you do this? with direct mail.

        Oh, I know what you’re thinking. “She works for a direct mail marketing company, of course, she will say this.”

        Statistics, however, don’t lie. Direct mail marketing is not only strategic, but it can also be laser-focused to a particular audience and it works.

        Why fish for listing leads in the huge ocean that is digital? Think about it; doesn’t it make more sense to cast your net in a smaller pond filled with people who you are certain ACTUALLY OWN HOMES?

        Some things to consider

        In a recent survey of real estate agents, 82% said their marketing goal this year is to “improve their social media presence,” according to Becky Brooks at theclose.com.

        A worthy goal, but not very focused. Think about this: while they are chasing after Facebook leads, you’ll have little competition vying for attention in homeowners’ mailboxes.

        With targeted direct mail you will not only reach homeowners. If you narrow your mailing list to only homeowners who have lived in their homes a certain number of years, or who live in starter homes or any other preferred criteria, you will have a far greater chance of taking listings than by randomly posting on social media.

        For instance, by targeting homeowners who have been in their home for seven or more years, you’re creating a great list of potential fence-sitters to go after.


        Fence Sitter postcard campaign shown above. To learn more, click HERE

        Another thing to consider is the pandemic. In a recent USPS study, slightly more than 40% of Americans said that since the pandemic began, their excitement about receiving mail increased.

        Nearly half of respondents said that a direct mail piece prompted them to go online to get more information about the sender.

        The volume of direct mail plummeted from “… 213 billion pieces …” in 2016 to 120 billion last year. Interestingly, despite the drop in volume, the response rate skyrocketed nearly 200%.

        You’ll have far less competition for eyes on your mail pieces and a better response rate than ever before.

        Who makes up your potential seller audience?

        Now that we’ve got you looking for listings in all the right places, what will you be sending? Keep in mind your audience – older generations, such as Baby Boomers and Gen X make up 75% of the real estate market combined.

        When considering your direct mail marketing piece, don’t take valuable time out of your day to create marketing from scratch.

        ProspectsPLUS! offers hundreds of marketing templates targeted specifically to your niche audience and designed by direct response experts.

        Next, determine your recipient’s needs (boomers may want to downsize or move near their grown children) and offer a solution that is compelling (don’t worry ProspectsPLUS! has this covered for you as well). Check out the Empty Nest Series located under Farm campaigns.

        Decide on the compelling offer to get those homeowners reaching out

        A market update is always a good way to break the ice. Yes, it may be time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be.

        Direct Response Report, Advice For Cash-Strapped Landlords.

        A simple chart of recently listeds, under contracts, and solds, along with bedrooms, baths, square footage, and prices, is something that hits my mailbox once a quarter. Do I read it?

        You bet I do!

        Then, there are the absentee owners to consider. Many have been hit hard by the rent moratorium and want out from under their investments. Take a look at what we offer to market to these possible listers.

        If you have a freebie they can download or you can deliver, all the better. Offer them the Direct Response Report, Advice For Cash-Strapped Landlords.

        Consistency is key in any lead generation campaign, so send just-listed and just-sold postcards when appropriate. Keep reminding them just how much their neighbors are getting for their homes in this on-fire sellers’ market.

        FOMO (fear of missing out) is real.


        Another way to keep those listings flowing? A YEAR ROUND Holiday Postcard Campaign. Staying top of mind with Your Sphere & Farm is easy with a Monthly Holiday Campaign.

        And, Holiday Campaigns are ON SALE 10% OFF the first month – 3 More Days!

        Holiday Postcard Campaign (shown above). Learn more, HERE

        TO LAUNCH A HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN:

        Hit the “CLICK HERE” link, below, to schedule your campaign (from a desktop or laptop computer).

        USE PROMO CODE: HOLIDAY10 to get 10% Off at check out.

        And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change up until the night before the mailing goes out). This sale expires 10/2/21.

        Launch a Holiday Campaign Now, CLICK HERE!

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


        PLUS: When you have time…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

        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

        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 

        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 Free Online ROI Calculator

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ROI-calculator-b-233x300.jpg

        Consistency and automation are the keys to success. Discover how effective direct mail marketing can dramatically increase your bottom line. Enter your statistics in our Free online ROI Calculator and click the ‘CALCULATE MY ROI’ button to see your results instantly! –Click Here

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

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is CRUSH-IT-Guide-3-d-298x300.jpg

        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

          (Shown above: Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign similar to the ones Chan Wiley sent out)

          Chan Wiley, You’re This Week’s $120 Gift Card Winner!

          Chan had the following words to say about his success using ProspectsPLUS! marketing materials as part of his strategic marketing plan to get more clients,

          ProspectPLUS! Offers a great variety of professional marketing tools that are easy to customize and easy and efficient to reach my farm area”.

          Thank You, Chan!

          NEW CONTEST: Get the FIRST MONTH of a Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign FOR FREE! ($120 value)

          Farm Scheduled Campaign shown above
          Enter this week’s contest for a chance to win a $120 gift card covering the first month of a Get More Listing Scheduled Campaign.

          The scheduled campaign includes 150 jumbo-sized postcards, sent standard postage (excluding data and tax. Includes only first month free).

          HOW TO ENTER: Just leave a review regarding how using marketing from ProspectsPLUS! has impacted your business, and you’re automatically entered into our next contest.

          Mention a “scheduled campaign you’ve launched” in your review and your entry into the contest is doubled.

          Leave a review on Google, HERE.
          Leave a review on Facebook, HERE.

          Don’t forget to watch out for next Friday’s email announcing the weekly winner!


          Ready to Schedule an SOI, Farm, Get More Listing, or Absentee Owner Campaign?

          Farm Scheduled Campaign shown above, schedule HERE
          Launch a Scheduled Campaign today and save time on your marketing by automating it!

          You Can Launch a Scheduled Campaign to any of the following Markets in Just Minutes:

          Sphere of Influence
          Geographic Farm
          Renters
          Absentee Owners
          Expireds
          FSBOs
          Fence Sitters*
          Get More Listings*
          Empty Nesters*
          Move-Up Market*
          (*Located under Farm Campaigns)

          And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before mailing goes out. The price shown at check out is per mailing, not campaign total).

          TO GET STARTED:

          STEP 1: Create your prospect list using our mailing list tools, HERE.

          STEP 2: Then, once you have your list, choose your Campaign, select your start date, and add your list, HERE or hit “Launch a Scheduled Campaign”, below.
          Launch a Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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