The Get-More-Listings Solution: Launch a Neighborhood or City Blog

Jul 31, 2023

Here’s a question for you: Why is it called “a sellers’ market” when sellers aren’t selling?

We are facing nearly 26% “… fewer homes newly listed for sale compared to last year,” according to recent NAR research. This is despite a 7.1% rise in homes actively for sale compared to last year at this time.

OK, so how do we make this sellers’ market a true sellers’ market? To start, more listing leads would be nice, right?

One effective strategy is to become a neighborhood or city expert. Sure, tons of agents pay that title lip service, but you, my friend, are actually going to live it.

Not only will a neighborhood – or city-specific blog brand you as the area expert, but it will boost lead generation as well.

The Holiday Series is shown above. To see more, Click Here.

And how will it do that?

With the organic website traffic that comes from your neighborhood or city blog.

“Real estate had the highest monthly organic traffic, on average,” of all the industries in the finance category of a recent SEO report published by Conductor. They go on to state that “… searchers looking into real estate are most likely not tied to a brand. This makes investing in SEO and the website experience more crucial since the ROI could be significant if your site provides the desired property solution.”

In other words, done right, and with the current state of SEO, your little blog could pay off big by providing a steady stream of leads.

Remember, this website/blog is in addition to your IDX website

This website/blog will focus on showcasing your in-depth knowledge, expertise, and passion for the city or the neighborhood. Here are some topics you might want to cover:

Neighborhood Profiles: Provide detailed information on different neighborhoods within your target area, highlighting their unique features, amenities, schools, and local attractions. Including lots of photos.
Local Market Updates: Regularly update your website or blog with the latest trends, market statistics, and insights specific to the neighborhood.
Home Improvement Tips: Share practical advice on enhancing the value of homes in the area, such as remodeling ideas, landscaping tips, and cost-effective renovations.
Local Events and Activities: Promote community events, festivals, charity drives, and other neighborhood activities to foster a sense of belonging and showcase the vibrant community spirit.
Local Business Profiles: Where to get the perfect cup of coffee or a yummy breakfast or dinner. Best yoga studios, hair stylists, auto mechanics, etc. You can find ideas for these on Yelp.com or join your Nextdoor.com neighborhood and read neighbors’ reviews.

Consider inviting local business owners, experts, or community leaders to contribute guest posts or interviews on your website or blog. This not only adds diverse perspectives but also increases the likelihood of them sharing your content with their own networks.

Don’t forget to cross-post every piece of content to social media.

DIY a WordPress site or have one done for you?

While WordPress might be the least expensive way to set up a blog or website, there is another option and that is what is on offer at ParkBench.com.

Dubbed “the only service in the world that actually builds community websites for real estate agents” by the company’s CEO and co-founder Grant Findlay-Shirras, it’s certainly a service worth a look.

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 and engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you. Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

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

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

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

The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Review allows you to enter your business goals for the remainder of the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, 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

A Fun Way to Generate Real Estate Leads!

Mar 10, 2023

“A recent poll revealed 66% of Americans aren’t friends with their neighbors,” according to Susan Meyer at thezebra.com. More than one-fourth of those surveyed, however, took part in neighborhood groups online.

While the internet has whittled away many Americans ‘real-life relationships, all it takes is one person to rally neighbors into turning a neighborhood into a community.

Your position in the community as a facilitator in home purchases and sales makes you the perfect person to get the ball rolling.

Did we also mention that it’s an amazing lead-generation strategy as well?

Getting to know the neighbors

There are plenty of ways to get to know your neighbors. If you like to walk, make it a point when folks are out and about, working in the yard or the garage. Stop and say hi, introduce yourself, and ensure that you remember their names.

If this tactic doesn’t expose you to enough neighbors, try door knocking, leaving postcards, or door hangers introducing yourself on the doors unanswered.

The Photo Introduction Series is shown above. To learn more, Click HERE.

Become a one-person welcome wagon

Visiting new neighbors with a housewarming gift in hand not only makes them feel a sense of community but it’s something they won’t forget. You’ll be forever memorable.

The gift can be as simple as a list including contact information for:

Utility companies they’ll need to call
Pool service providers
Handyman/woman
Highly rated doctors, dentists, and veterinarians
Child care options
Any other mentions you think someone new to the neighborhood may appreciate

Create an event to bring everyone together

This idea can be used later in your relationship with neighbors or as a first step instead of visiting each one individually.

The type of event you create depends on how many neighbors you expect to show up and your budget.

It could be as simple as a barbecue at your home, a neighborhood cleanup event, or the ever-popular movie-in-the-park.

Whatever you choose to do, ensure you take lots of photos and then follow up with each attendee.

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

A Lucrative Niche You May Want to Consider -International Real Estate Clients

Feb 15, 2023

Real estate is local – how many times have we heard that one? Real estate buyers, however – especially in certain parts of the country – are increasingly global, and many real estate agents are turning the international real estate client niche into a lucrative living.

Consider this: foreign buyers spent $59 billion dollars on U.S. residential real estate in the last two years, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

The association also claims that the average sale price ($598,200) and the median of $366,100 were the highest on NAR’s record.

Where is all this money coming from? It depends on, again, local markets. NAR claims that most of it are coming from China, Canada, India, Mexico, and Brazil.

Despite the fact that South Americans are flocking to Miami’s luxury condo market, NAR says that most international purchases are for single-family residences. The study also says that the most preferred cities for foreign buyers are Florida, California, Texas, Arizona, New York, and North Carolina.

So, how does an agent get her fingers in the international real estate pie? Like most niches, it takes time, and it requires a system.

The Shifting Market Series is shown above. To see more designs, Click HERE.

How to break into the niche

Choose an area of specialization. “Because of the wide variation in customs, language, geopolitical and procedural considerations involved in serving international customers and clients, international specialists usually specialize in one or two countries, either related by language or belonging to the same global region,” says Coco Waldenmayer, former managing broker of Engel & Völkers in Naples, Florida.

To select a region in the world that you are best suited to serve, Waldenmayer suggests asking yourself the following questions:

Are you attracted to one continent over others?

What is your familiarity with one or more other cultures?

Does your sphere of influence already include individuals from a certain country?

Have you traveled to the region?

Do you speak the language?

Remember that many international clients come from English-speaking countries even if you don’t speak a foreign language. Aside from the United States, the countries with the highest percentage (not number) of English-speaking residents are:

Australia

United Kingdom

Ireland

Philippines

Canada

Germany

Once you’ve decided on an international farm area, consider obtaining the Certified International Property Specialist designation, which offers exceptional networking opportunities.

There is much more to know about successfully working with international buyers; we’ll be unpacking that in an upcoming article.

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

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

Generate More Listings Through Community Involvement

Feb 15, 2023

Some real estate agents enter the business with a huge sphere of influence to tap for their first deals. A lot of these agents are members of civic organizations, churches, or philanthropic groups. Even parents active in the local PTA come to the business with a list of potential clients.

Sound a bit mercenary?

On the contrary, using your community, social and familial contacts to help you cultivate potential clients makes sense.

“Involvement” is the operative word

One would assume that the busier the real estate agent – the more successful his practice – the less likely he is to volunteer within the community. That assumption is wrong.

Successful agents that understand the power of delegation and hire a staff, even if it’s one assistant, typically have a little time to devote to a community cause or to a personal passion.

When asked how they give back, those who claim they don’t have time to get into the community say they donate money.

While giving to non-profits, charities, churches, and other organizations is commendable, it is not really “community involvement.”

So, don’t let us stop you from writing those checks. We just hope you’ll consider giving some of your time as well.

The Comfort Food Series is shown above. To see more designs, Click HERE.

Mingling online doesn’t count either

The internet has changed many things about the way agents run their businesses, including how they stay in touch with past clients and their spheres. Much of it revolves around the use of social media.

But is social networking comparable to meeting face-to-face within the community?

Don’t get me wrong, being social via tech is valuable to your business. So, mingle online all you want, but it should be in addition to in-person involvement.

Meet and greet

This is where the meat of your community involvement campaign is – those organizations where you can contribute your time and talent and meet lots of folks from the community you serve.

Activities are more relaxed than the typical real estate transaction, so people get to know you as a person, not as a real estate agent.

Let’s face it – there isn’t much that distinguishes one agent from another, but on a personal level, it’s easy to set yourself apart.

Network with a passion

It’s important to pick a cause for which you feel some affinity – preferably a passion. This way, you can focus your efforts on the cause, not the leads. The leads will come – just give it some time.

Of course, if you have a passion – say for helping veterans or tutoring children – half the battle is won right there. If you have lots of interests, do some online research to help pare down the choices. Here are several places to start:

VolunteerMatch

AmericaCorps (ideal for Baby Boomers or those specializing in that niche)

Engage

There are numerous civic clubs to consider as well, such as

Finally, ask your local church or school what kind of help they may need, and if you’re athletic, become a volunteer soccer, baseball, football, or tennis coach.

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

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

Need More Brand Exposure? Try Real Estate Direct Response Reports

Sep 19, 2022

From billboards to Google ads, there are so many ways to expose a real estate brand to more eyeballs. Some of these, most of them digital, are hit-and-miss. Viewing your Google ads, for instance, relies on users clicking on your ad.

A compelling direct response report, however, offered on social media, in an email, or on your website has a much better chance of gaining those all-important eyeballs in a way that’s not confrontational.

Quit relying solely on a digital marketing strategy that may or may not be effective. Make your strategy multi-pronged (and far less expensive) with direct response reports.

Digital marketing is an overcrowded space

Let’s face it, especially in real estate, it’s tough to compete online.

It takes a lot of effort and, typically, money to stand out from the crowd online. First, you’ll need a digital marketing strategy; if you don’t hire an agency or try a DIY strategy, the learning curve is a monster.

For the average agent, real estate business marketing dollars can only go so far. Make efficient use of your time and budget by marketing to your target audience with engaging reports.

How to win with direct response reports

You’ll first need to decide which topics you want to cover with the flyers. If you’re a listing agent, there is no end to topics you can use:

3 Critical Steps to Take When Ready to Sell
Dangers of Overpricing
Should I buy or sell first?
How Likely is a Real Estate Market Crash

To see the direct response reports listed above and any of our 50 Direct Response reports, click HERE.

A few of our Direct Response Flyers are shown above. To see more, Click Here.

Looking for buyers? Targeting renters is a brilliant strategy, and you can find many of them in condos and apartment complexes. Here are a few topics to consider:

4 Mortgage Options with Low Down Payments
Rent vs Own
Common Reasons Home Purchases Fall Apart
How to purchase a fixer-upper

Check out the four buyer Direct Response flyers mentioned above HERE and many other reports targeted specifically for buyers.

If you decide to go the DIY route, use basic online formatting on your handouts. Keep your real estate flyers simple and employ:

Lots of white space (don’t try to cram your bio, for instance, on marketing handouts).
Use bullet points.
Use short sentences and paragraphs.
Use a compelling, colorful, attention-grabbing photo.
Keep a digital copy of your creation that you can include in your newsletters, emails, blog, and on social media.

Get them out and start generating motivated buyers/sellers

Although flyers work great in a door-knocking campaign, you aren’t limited to that marketing method. Consider using one of the most effective marketing techniques ever: direct mail. Offer your “free report” on your direct mail piece and provide an easy way to get it either through a link to a download (in exchange for an email address or by text).

Now you’re able to follow up with your new prospect via their email address or phone number to make sure they received their report and to ask if they have any questions.

Branded flyers containing interesting, valuable information, delivered consistently, is a brilliant way to expose your brand as the area specialist to the right audience.

If you’re looking for a way to stand out in a competitive market, consider adding them to your arsenal.

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

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

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Stop Fighting Low Inventory. Here are Three Ways to Work Around it

Sep 14, 2022

A for-sale sign went up in the front yard of a home down the street from me. Each time I drove by, I wondered what the listing price was. I finally looked it up online. I shouldn’t have had to do that. Nor should other neighbors have to do that.

A buyers’ agent with frustrated clients should’ve circle prospected around that listing. A postcard to every home in the subdivision, letting them know that a home just went on the market and the price of the home would put that agent front and center in the residents’ minds.

That is just where he or she needs to be if one of them is thinking of selling. And the chances are excellent that another home will go on the market soon.

It’s no longer enough to counsel clients on being patient, adjusting their expectations, and coming into the market fully prepared.

It’s time to get proactive. Not only is it a way to secure listings, but to expose your brand to a wider audience.

Direct mail as the centerpiece of a circle prospecting campaign is probably the best way to take charge. But, it’s not the only way, and this market demands a multi-pronged strategy.

*Just Listed* Postcards perfect for circle prospecting. See more **HERE**

1. Add a pinch of social media

You don’t need to be an influencer to obtain results on social media. Get busy posting and responding. Let your followers know what your buyers’ needs are. Share articles on the huge amount of equity that homeowners are sitting on right now and create a sense of urgency to get them off the fence and into the market.

I once read an inman.com article from seattlehome.com managing broker Sam DeBord. In it, he shared a story about how he dealt with a low inventory situation by blogging consistently and sharing his posts on Facebook.

It worked. He got a call from a stranger who read one of his Facebook posts and offered him the listing.

2. So, you didn’t take the listing

Go through your CRM and dredge up information on every listing presentation you’ve made but didn’t get the listing. Check to see if the home ever sold and, if it didn’t, reach out to the homeowner. This one is especially effective if the original market value is significantly higher today than it was when you made your listing presentation.

Chances are, it is.

3. Equity is a game-changer

Again, the equity angle will most likely move someone if they’re not opposed to selling. As I mentioned earlier, homeowners who keep up with the news understand that home prices are high.

Most, however, don’t have the vaguest notion of what their home is worth and how much equity they’re sitting on.

A proactive agent would’ve not only sent me a postcard when that home in my neighborhood hit the market, but she would’ve followed up a week or two later with an unsolicited, basic CMA. Again, circle prospecting around current real estate activity is one of the best ways to get listings.

No, these three steps aren’t new, but they may be game-changers for an agent who is struggling to find homes for their buyers. They are also terrific at getting you back to that coveted top-of-mind position with your sphere.

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

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

How to Network Your Way to More Real Estate Listings – Online and in Person

Aug 31, 2022

“… 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:

VolunteerMatch
United Way
Points of Light
Score
Google “volunteer opportunities in [name of your city or town]

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

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

3 Ways to Turn Your Hard-Earned Real Estate Prospects into Clients

Aug 17, 2022

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

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

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

Jun 7, 2022

Keep Those Listings Coming!

And, here’s how to do it:

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

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

Schedule another recurring postcard campaign!

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

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

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

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

And, you can launch your campaign in just minutes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

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

4. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Make 2022 the Year You Get Your Testimonials Working For You

May 4, 2022

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 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

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

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

Does Success in Real Estate Still Boil Down to a Numbers Game?

Apr 21, 2022

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 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

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

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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

3 Old-School Tips to Get Listings FAST

Apr 7, 2022

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.

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 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

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

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

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