Tuesday, February 18, 2025

get more listings

    “… interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional contacts” is the ideal real estate lead-generation technique. Especially if you happen to have a gregarious, outgoing personality, then networking could be the gold mine of your business. 

    Even agents who are more introverted can benefit from networking– not only by exposing their brands to more potential clients but by building social skills as well.

    Networking opportunities are everywhere

    Any event that brings people together provides a golden networking opportunity. Let’s take a look at some of the more common events you may want to attend:

    • Charity events
    • School events
    • Civic club events (Rotary, Lion’s Club, etc.)
    • Alumni events
    • Community events
    • Local sporting events (both professional and school-aged athletes. Pop Warner, Little League, youth soccer leagues)
    • A client appreciation event that you organize

    In reality, any event or any time a group of people is gathered can be considered a networking event.

    Sprinkle in some online networking

    Online networking presents the perfect solution for the tends-to-be-somewhat-shy agent. It’s also a must-add to any agent’s in-person networking calendar.

    Three of the best social media platforms for those in the real estate industry are:

    • Facebook groups
    • LinkedIn
    • NextDoor

    Facebook has tons of groups that you can join, including real estate groups, neighborhood groups, and groups that align with just about any interest or hobby. 

    Using these groups for networking, however, doesn’t mean you should spam people with your listings. Be Sociable, respond to and like their posts, and engage consistently. There are subtle ways of letting your followers know that you’re a real estate agent, but avoid being salesy.


    The Inspiration Series is shown above. To see more, click Here.


    Volunteer

    To be considered the area real estate expert takes massive exposure to your brand and getting to know as many people as possible.

    One of the best and most rewarding ways of getting this exposure is through volunteering at:

    • Civic clubs
    • Schools
    • Church
    • Non-profits
    • Community youth athletic teams
    • Humane societies/Animal shelters
    • Food Banks

    Find a cause that you’re passionate about. Stuck for ideas? Check out these websites:

    The fortune truly is in the follow-up

    It’s vital to get as much information as possible from the folks you come into contact with while networking.

    • Aside from volunteering, what do they enjoy doing in their spare time?
    • What do they do for a living?
    • Where are they originally from?

    You may want to spread these information-gathering questions over time so that you don’t come off as creepy.

    Get all of this information into your CRM as soon as possible so that you don’t forget it. Now you have what you need to follow up with people.

    If you plant seeds in your garden and leave them alone, the chances are excellent that they won’t germinate. Water, fertilizing, weeding, and ridding the garden of pests are some of the ways we nurture seeds to sprout and thrive.

    The same can be said of our relationships with others. Maintaining the new relationships you build through networking is critical if you hope to do business with them in the future.

    Just as your seeds may rot if you overwater and over-nurture them, so it goes with those you meet through networking. Don’t be spammy. Be someone they look forward to seeing at the next event.


    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


        Brenda’s recent Comfort Food Recipe postcard is shown above. To see more postcards in this series, CLICK HERE


        Congratulations Brenda Koeller on winning this week’s contest!

        Brenda had the following words to say about her success sending marketing out from ProspectsPLUS!,

        “I have been sending out postcards each month for 7 months. I received 3 transactions from them (2 sellers and 1 buyer) and comments on Facebook from people who received the recipe postcards and appreciated them. I feel like it is really helping me to get clients and get my name recognized in the community since I am a newer agent”.

        -Brenda Koeller

        Brenda, thank you for your wonderful feedback!


        Don’t Forget to Enter For Your Chance to Win a $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card! (see how below)*
        What Can You Do With a $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card? Here are 5 Things:
        • Launch and pay for the first month of a Sphere or Farm Scheduled Campaign consisting of 130 jumbo postcards.
        • Send 130 jumbo Just Listed or Just Sold Postcard to a radius surrounding your listing.
        • Send 130 Jumbo Get More Listings postcards to an area where you want more listings.
        • Create a niche prospect list (empty nesters, move-up market, etc.) and send a mailing of 130 jumbo postcards.

        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.

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

        *If you’ve already entered our contest in the past and haven’t won, you don’t need to enter again. Your entry remains valid and you still have a chance to win.

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


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

        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


        The Take a Listing Today Podcast


          Keep Those Listings Coming!
          And, here’s how to do it:
          1. By ensuring homeowners are thinking of you so they call you when they’re ready to list.
          2. Reminding people in your sphere that you’re the area real estate expert so they’ll refer you more often.
          3. Keeping the marketing activity going all year that will ensure you achieve your annual business goals.
          4. Completing a multitude of tasks that need to happen in your business in the most time-saving manner because “time equals money”.

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

          Schedule another recurring postcard campaign!

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


          What if You Haven’t Launched a Recurring Postcard Campaign Before?
          The Get More Listings Postcard Campaign is shown above. See more, HERE.

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

          And, you can launch your campaign in just minutes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


          2. The Free 12 Month Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

          The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

          3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

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

          4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

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

          5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

          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

              The odds of winning a Powerball lottery jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

              The very best professional baseball player hits the ball once for every four attempts. This means that the crème of the crop succeeds only one time out of four.

              Life is full of numbers games, but is the practice of real estate one of them? Old school agents were told by their brokers that, yes, real estate is nothing but a numbers game. Younger agents, however, are challenging that idea.

              The Old Days

              Back in the day, new agents fresh out of real estate school, if they were lucky enough to hang their licenses with a broker that offered training, were typically told to determine something along the lines of the following:

              • How many cold calls does it take to get a contact?
              • How many contacts does it take to get an appointment?
              • How many appointments does it take to get paid?

              While this is great information to have, it was challenging for new agents, with no history of lead generation, to determine any of that. What the brokers were getting at, though, is that real estate is a numbers game. Figure out the numbers and you win the game.


              The Looking For Listings Series is shown above. To see more, Click Here.


              Some of those numbers could be pretty hairy, especially for inexperienced agents with no sales skills. How disappointing it was to learn that it might take upwards of 100 cold calls (or “smiling and dialing” as it was known) or door knocks just to get one lead.

              Then, it may take another big number of “touches,” over a significant time period, to convert that lead to a sale.

              Jun Choo, Senior Vice President, Buyer and Seller Products at Zillow Group, is a firm believer in real estate’s numbers game label.

              I spoke with him a few years back and he claimed that once an agent determines how much money she wants to make, she then needs to figure out the numbers required to obtain it.

              “The average agent makes $35,000 a year” he begins. “. . .to get that, your average commission will need to be about $6,000, one closing a month, with 12 transactions a year,” Choo continued (I believe he is assuming a 50/50 broker split.)

              “Then the question becomes: to reach that goal, how many prospects do you need in your database?”

              So, even though Choo is not from the old school, he still finds that keeping track of your numbers pays off.

              How many leads you need also depends on how well you convert them, he said.

              “On average, four percent will convert,” he explains. “Online leads will be less while referrals will be more,” Choo continued.

              He went on to figure that the agent in his scenario will require 300 leads over the course of a year, or 25 a month.

              That is “the reason this is a numbers game,” Choo claimed. “You can challenge the assumptions, but this is just math.”

              Today

              Times have changed, according to Darrin Persinger of Productivity Junkies. He claims that “Real estate is not a numbers game. It’s a relationship business.” Well, that sounds nice, but what does it mean?

              “It’s not about how many calls you made today it’s about, did you connect with anyone?” asked Persinger. He likens the old school numbers game concept to “A woodpecker that pecks one time on a thousand trees.”

              He then goes on to further poo-poo the “numbers game,” and provides the readers with an alternative involving their sphere of influence, but a numbers game nonetheless.

              Sigh.

              Basically, what has changed is the daunting number of cold contacts that agents of yore had to make to get a deal. With technology, that number is whittled down to where agents are now making warm contact with lots of prospects at once – think social media here.

              It appears that lead generation truly is a numbers game. As we’ve seen by those that insist it’s not, it always comes back to numbers. Ignore them if you like, but they aren’t going away.

              Start now getting the numbers game working in your favor.


              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


                Ah, spring. Unfortunately, this one looks a lot like last spring, with tons of buyer demand and a small supply of homes for them to buy.

                Homeowners who do decide to sell are the big winners while buyers and real estate agents are hungry for more homes to hit the market.

                Getting listing leads quickly in this market may seem impossible, but it’s not. No, it isn’t easy, but it is possible.

                1. Go after starter homes

                Starter homes are not only in high demand right now, but, as you know, they’re in very short supply.

                Sure, a homeowner’s reluctance to sell has a lot to do with the shortage, and many of them are afraid they can’t afford their next home. Would they feel the same if they had an idea of how much equity they’re sitting on?

                Farming, via direct mail, is the best way to reach out to and educate these homeowners. Start by narrowing the audience to those who’ve owned their homes for more than 10 years.

                Then, create a very simple direct mail piece that highlights the equity these owners have accumulated. The ProspectsPLUS! Call To Action Series has a postcard that offers a “Free Home Equity Analysis”, an ideal marketing piece for this situation.

                Call to Action Series, see more HERE

                For instance, Maurie Backman at fool.com (quoting stats from Black Knight) says that “At the end of 2021, home equity grew to $9.9 trillion on a national level. That’s a 35% increase from the previous year. It also leaves the average homeowner with $185,000 of tappable equity.”

                If you can localize those stats, all the better. But, overall, don’t you agree that $185,000 sounds good right about now to a lot of homeowners?

                2. Do more socializing

                With the weather outside no longer frightful, and millions of Americans have had, or will receive, the anti-COVID jab, it may be time to consider a client appreciation event.

                This one, however, will have a twist: it will be a potential client appreciation event.

                The goal here is to extend your brand recognition to those potential sellers in your farming area. Hold the event outdoors, preferably in a park near their homes.


                The Get More Listings II Series is shown above. To send a one-time mailing, Click Here. To send a recurring campaign, Click Here.


                Agents we’ve spoken with offer up the following ideas:

                • A barbecue 
                • Movie night
                • Ice cream social
                • Block party
                • Outdoor concert
                • A day at a sporting event (this is best for your two or three most promising leads)
                • Seller seminar

                The invitation sent to your farm should be, again, simple yet attractive. If the event is family-friendly, let them know.

                3. Take a dip into your CRM

                When was the last time you went fishing in your CRM? It’s a rich source of possibly quick business that too many agents ignore.

                Since warm calls are always easier than cold calls, start with past clients and call each of them. Explain the lack of inventory and ask if they know anyone who is thinking of selling.

                Then, dive deeper into old leads, especially those for whom you supplied a listing presentation and they ended up not selling. All seller leads in your database, regardless of age, should get a phone call.

                Finally, call everyone in your SOI to see if they know anyone who is thinking of selling.

                End this project by ensuring that everyone you’ve spoken with is put on a scheduled campaign.

                Yes, these are old-school techniques, but they are also tried and true. If you need listings relatively quickly, try one. What have you got to lose?


                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


                  Ready to Look at a New Path to Listings?

                  If you’re interested in casting a wider net with your listing generating methods, you may want to consider hanging out at nextdoor.com, if you aren’t already.

                  What is Nextdoor?

                  Nextdoor.com is a neighborhood forum with homeowners comprising 75% of the members. Furthermore, at least 25% of the conversations on Nextdoor involve real estate topics.

                  One must be a resident of a specific neighborhood or own a second home there, to join.

                  From there, the platform works like most other social networking sites, with a few important distinctions.

                  How can agents generate real estate listings on Nextdoor?

                  Ok, you won’t become a listing-generating superstar overnight on this platform. The emphasis here is on building relationships and trust is key.

                  There are rules about how businesses can and can’t advertise and the most important one to remember is that promoting your business is prohibited in the news feed. UNLESS it is in response to a post asking for an agent recommendation.

                  Lucky you, however, because recommendation requests make up the bulk of Nextdoor posts in the news feed.

                  The NEW Get More Referrals Series is shown above. See more, HERE.

                  Four ways to generate listing leads on Nextdoor include:

                  1. Creating a free business page.
                  2. Post about open houses in the Events section.
                  3. Join groups. Don’t just stick to the obvious real estate-related groups, join some that match your interests. Post and respond often so that neighbors can get to know you.
                  4. Create your own group. In my neighborhood a local handyman started a group he calls “Ask your Handyman for Home Repair Tips.”
                  What not to do

                  Whenever someone posts about possibly buying or selling a home, agents naturally jump into the thread. It’s embarrassing, really, because they all pretty much have the same spiel.

                  One agent in my neighborhood, however, chimed in with her response to a post from a tenant in the area. The tenant wanted to know if she could negotiate with her property management firm for a lower rent increase.

                  The agent responded that, by law, the landlord cannot increase the rent over a certain percentage.

                  “. . . if you would like to talk to me about making a plan for buying a house that’s why I am an expert in then you don’t have to deal with these landlords anymore.”

                  There are several things glaringly wrong here. First, our city doesn’t have rent control. If this agent is such an “expert,” as she claims, why doesn’t she know this?

                  Then, there is the fact that her entire response is one huge, ugly sentence and there is a sad grammar problem toward the end.

                  Get More Listings II Series is shown above. See more HERE.

                  Before you respond to a post, read the responses from other agents. Make yours as different from theirs and as engaging as possible. Then, ensure that your advice is accurate. Finally, proof your post before publishing.

                  Nextdoor may not be for everyone, but if you currently farm your own neighborhood it just might be the place for you.


                  PLUS: When you have time…below are some free tools to help 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


                    Chris’s recent Get More Listings Series postcard is shown above. To see more Get More Listings postcard designs, CLICK HERE.

                    Congratulations Chris St. Peter on winning this week’s contest!

                    Chris had the following words to say about his success sending marketing out from ProspectsPLUS!,

                    “I decided that 2022 was going to be the year I get my marketing automated. I’m tired of spending countless hours designing & printing postcards, then typing addresses onto labels, printing labels, affixing postage, and delivering postcards to the post office.
                    “I like to stay regular (monthly) with my mailings, so it quickly became way more work than I wanted to do.

                    I spent one day on the ProspectPLUS! website and I now have my entire year of mailers scheduled. In addition to that, I received a nice phone call from the CEO and a gift card for $25 off my order. The website is easy to use, and the tech support is quick to respond when I had questions. I will definitely recommend ProspectPLUS! to my colleagues”.
                    – Chris St. Peters

                    Chris, you are a marketing master and a smart business owner as well! I can only imagine how much time you freed up this year for other important tasks, like listing presentations and closings 😉. Thank you for your wonderful feedback!


                    Don’t Forget to Enter For Your Chance to Win a $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card! (see how below)*

                    What Can You Do With a $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card? Here are 5 Things:
                    • Launch and pay for the first month of a Sphere or Farm Scheduled Campaign consisting of 130 jumbo postcards.
                    • Send 130 jumbo Just Listed or Just Sold Postcard to a radius surrounding your listing.
                    • Send 130 Jumbo Get More Listings postcards to an area where you want more listings.
                    • Create a niche prospect list (empty nesters, move-up market, etc.) and send a mailing of 130 jumbo postcards.

                    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.

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

                    *If you’ve already entered our contest in the past and haven’t won, you don’t need to enter again. Your entry remains valid and you still have a chance to win.

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


                    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


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

                    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


                    The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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


                      Agents are always looking for ways to stand out from the crowd in their local marketplace.

                      Yet one look at any market’s real estate websites disproves this claim because most agent websites look pretty much the same.

                      Value propositions are the way many agents try to set themselves apart. However, there are more subtle ways to show the public that you’re different and make a lasting impression.


                      The Get More Listings Campaign is shown above. Learn more, HERE

                      To send a one-time postcard mailing from the Get More Listings Series click HERE


                      Use your words

                      Have you considered dropping the word “testimonials” from your website? There are so many other, more exciting ways to grab your visitor’s attention.

                      How about “success stories?” I’d be much more likely to click on a success story link than one labeled “testimonial.”

                      Consider changing your “about” or “About the Team” to “Meet Joe Smith” or “Meet the Team.” Or, consider “Get to know Joe Smith.”

                      You might also consider titling your first open house as a “Launch Event.”

                      Finally, let’s ditch the word “Blog.” From now on, use “Learn” in the navbar. After all, that’s what they’re trying to do by visiting your website, right?

                      Want an alternative? How about “Discover?”

                      Use your client’s words

                      Many agents treat testimonials, or “success stories” as we mentioned earlier, like throwaways. It’s amazing because they are the single most important marketing tool you have yet they’re tucked away on a dedicated page on your website.

                      Not used in marketing materials. Not used above the fold on the front page of your website.

                      Be generous with those tidbits of valuable, free marketing. Ensure your best one shows up, above the fold, on your home page, so it’s among the first things your visitors see.

                      Then sprinkle others throughout the pages of your website. Keep what’s left for the dedicated page.

                      Sure, these are subtle changes, but when real estate consumers are visiting multiple agents’ websites, they’ll make a positive and lasting impression.


                      The Real Estate Times Campaign is shown above. Learn more HERE

                      To send a one-time postcard mailing from the Real Estate Times Series click HERE


                      PLUS: When you have time…below are some free tools to help 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