Tuesday, November 19, 2024

marketing mistakes

    On a popular website devoted to helping small businesses, an agent and “Real Estate Sales and Marketing Analyst” offers up an article that includes several examples of expired listing letters “that work.”

    Letter number two is my least favorite. It begins, “Dear Homeowner.”

    If I received that letter, I would think that if the agent couldn’t even take the time to personalize his marketing letter, how much better will he do when marketing my home?

    But the best one of the bunch is when the agent explains that he offers “clients a different, unique approach to getting their home sold despite the market conditions.”

    And, what does he offer clients that’s so “unique” and so “different?” Here it is, in a nutshell:

    • “The effective use of the internet to maximize exposure for your home”
    • a CMA
    • an MLS listing
    • a virtual tour
    • and a bunch of other stuff that every single listing agent on the planet offers.

    Then, there’s the advice on a Trulia thread from an agent who suggests agents should always visit the expired listing homeowner in person. 


    The Just Sold Follow-Up Campaign is shown above. To see more, Click HERE.


    He describes the conversation you should have right up to what he calls his “big closing question,” the “money maker.”

    He tells the homeowner that he never had a chance to visit the home while it was listed. “ … would it be okay if I had a quick peek at it right now?”

    As a homeowner, my question when he asked to look at my home would be: If you’re the neighborhood expert and a mega-agent, why didn’t you look at the home during the 90 days it was listed? 

    Should you visit the homeowner? Sure, if you want to truly cement the idea that real estate agents are a bit aggressive. 

    Thankfully, you’re different

    The one indisputable fact about expired listings, you will have a ton of competition when pursuing them. But, your competition will often approach the homeowner using ineffective advice offered by real estate gurus.

    This should make it much easier to create a positive impression for the agent who can manage to come off as human, as empathic, and professional.

    Those three qualities alone will set you apart from the agents you’ll be in competition against. So, personalize all communications with the homeowner, don’t be salesy, and come up with your unique value proposition – that “stuff” you offer or do that makes you better than most.


    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 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 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 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, closings, 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


    Turn on the marketing “light bulb”

    It’s a safe bet that the percentage of real estate agents who come from a background in marketing is quite small. Therefore, it’s understandable that marketing can be a challenge.

    Fortunately, learning by example is an effective way to overcome this lack of knowledge. Let’s take a look at the following four common real estate marketing blunders so that you can avoid making them in the future.

     Marketing Mistake 1: The lack of a plan

    Planning isn’t as interesting or fulfilling as doing almost all things in life. So, we get it that creating a marketing plan isn’t something you put at the top of your to-do list.

    But, that’s marketing mistake number one. Just as you caution your buying clients to enter the process prepared, with a plan, so too should you, when marketing your business.

    Even a rudimentary plan can help keep you on track and on budget, but the more detailed the plan, the better it will perform.

    The Real Estate Marketing Planner Free Download

    A powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when is our Free Real Estate Marketing Planner. It includes weekly strategies for Four key market segments including, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence.

    Please take advantage of this Free 12-month Marketing Planner, go here to download.

    Marketing Mistake 2:  Not understanding where the money is

    One of the biggest myths about homebuyers is that the largest group of them are first-time buyers.

    You’ll find this misinformation online on agent websites, sites trying to sell stuff to agents and even news stories.

    “ … the majority of people looking to purchase a new home are first-time buyers.”

    NAR tells us that first-timers make up only 33 percent of all homebuyers (and that number is down from the previous year). Therefore, diversify your marketing dollars to include target markets in addition to first-time home buyers. Some of the other top target markets include Baby Boomers, Move-Up Market, Lifestyle & Interests, Empty NestersHigh-Income Consumers, and Investors.

    Notify the move-up market to turn to you for help. (Available in the Move-Up Market postcards section)

    Marketing Mistake 3: And who are they?

    NAR breaks buyers and sellers into generations and Gen X (born 1965 to 1976), according to the association, makes up the largest home seller pool at 27 percent.

    In reality, baby boomers (between the ages of 54 and 72) in the market far exceed that number, at 43 percent. NAR, however, cuts the generation in half, making it appear to be a smaller group of consumers.

    But, since both generations own homes and are likely to move, a smart agent will target both.

    When you understand where the money is, and vow to strategically target those with it, everything else marketing-related, from the social media platforms you utilize to your content, falls into place.

    Marketing Mistake 4: Going it alone

    Assist an Empty Nester Achieve an Important Transition (Available in the Life Event postcard section)

    Marketing involves a whole host of talents that most real estate agents don’t possess. Sure, you may be an ace photographer or may have studied graphic arts in college, but an agent who has all of what it takes to market his or her business would be a rarity, indeed.

    There’s not a thing wrong with outsourcing your marketing needs, be it from the creative side (writing, photographing, videography, etc.) or the hands-on side (managing bulk or email lists, website work and social media management) or the design side by trusting in an industry marketing expert like ProspectsPLUS! for all of your real estate marketing materials.

    Your job is to generate the leads required to make deals. Save time and frustration by hiring experts for the rest of the work including turning to industry expert marketers, such as ourselves, for marketing materials that speak specifically to the market you are targeting.

    We understand the possible fear of committing the appropriate budget for this important area of your business. First, outsourcing marketing tasks is tax deductible (as are marketing materials). Second, it frees up more of your time which, in turn, means you’ll be working more on the money-making activities.

    Offer decision-making assistance to baby boomers (Available in the Life Event postcards section)

    Time for you to go after the “current” largest target market, Baby Boomers!
    Send at least 100 Downsizing, Retiring Soon postcards from the Life Event Series to an area where you want more listings.

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

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

    1. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

    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 

     

    2. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

    Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan  – Click Here

     

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

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

     

    4. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

    Also…check out these game-changing tools!

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

    MLSmailings.com – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

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

    Want to Refer a friend or colleague? Refer them, Here. THEY get a Free $25 Gift Card and YOU become their hero. BTW, you also get a $25 Gift Card too (now that’s what I’m talking about)!

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