How to Become a More Productive Real Estate Agent in 2 EASY Steps

Sep 2, 2021

Much of your daily activity may be necessary, but some tasks may be keeping you from being the top-producing real estate agent machine that I know you can be.

And, some of the suggested methods for becoming a high-yielding agent might surprise you.

For instance, Sir Winston Churchill, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, insisted that he got twice as much done after napping (I’ve always liked that man).

“Don’t think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day,” he said. “That’s a foolish notion held by people who have no imaginations. You will be able to accomplish more,” he concluded.

Fellow napper geniuses include Leonardo Da Vinci, who snoozed for 15-minutes, every four hours. President John F. Kennedy made it a habit to doze off every afternoon for one to two hours and who can forget the many photos of President Clinton, fast asleep, at some pretty inopportune moments?

So, go ahead and take a nap, but not before finding out other ways to become more productive.

1. Say “no” to overtime

Back in 2008, the powers-that-be at Microsoft Japan gave employees “five consecutive three-day weekends.”

While this cut operating costs for the company, it also increased sales. In fact, sales increased, per employee, 40% overproduction from the previous year.

Then, there is the study from a construction company wanting to figure out how scheduled overtime impacts their projects.

It turns out that working 60 hours or more per week over the course of two months correlated with a significant drop in productivity. Working more than 8 hours a day, 48 hours per week tanked productivity to the point where it was taking 3 hours to accomplish what had been done in 2 hours.

As a real estate agent, you need to be even more cautious of how much time you spend working. Without someone scheduling your work, it’s far too easy to keep working until you’re doused in that ‘midnight oil.

Set your schedule, keeping in mind the aforementioned studies. It may take some time to train yourself to turn off the lights and close the door at a set time each day, but it’s imperative if you hope to become a more productive real estate agent.

2. Take more breaks

You are your boss. As such, it is amazing how many agents treat themselves like sweatshop workers.

If you had a boss, you would be granted, by law, a number of breaks from work, scattered throughout the day.

Yet more than 60% of Americans claim to eat lunch at their desks.

Our brains need rest, according to Meg Sellg at psychologytoday.com. And to achieve it, avoid “Doing activities that don’t rely heavily on prefrontal cortex function [the area of your brain you are using when you work] but rely on different brain regions instead …,” says Nir Eyal, author of “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life,” tells Sellg.

Need a tip to turn off that prefrontal cortex?

Get up and move. Whether it’s a 5-minute walk or any other physical activity, Stanford researchers have learned that movement makes us more creative and, thus, productive.

Eat your lunch at the park or even on a bus bench. Views of nature and streetscapes relax and rejuvenate.

Whether you work remotely or in a brick-and-mortar brokerage, stop chaining yourself to your desk. Take naps, take breaks and close your “office” at a specified time each day. Then, watch your productivity soar.

Looking for an attention-grabber? How about sending a Real Estate Times Scheduled Campaign to your Sphere of Farm? The Series contains trending real estate news and statistics.

And, guess what? The Real Estate Times Scheduled Campaign is currently on sale 10% OFF the first month – but only for 3 MORE DAYS!

Real Estate Times Scheduled Campaign (shown above). Learn more, HERE

TO LAUNCH A REAL ESTATE TIMES CAMPAIGN:

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

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY until each mailing goes out (cancel or change mailing up until the night before it goes out).

USE PROMO CODE: TIMES10 to get 10% off at checkout.

Launch a Real Estate Times Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

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

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

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

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a NEW 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically every month to an exclusive carrier route (membership includes your own online Homes & Life Agent Magazine). Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

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The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

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Ready to take a vertical leap in your real estate career? If you’re looking for inspiration…and the tools and methods to dominate a market and go to the top in real estate…you’ll find them in this free book. – Click Here

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

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

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The “Crush It” Guide includes easy steps to launching an effective direct mail marketing campaign, how to create a targeted prospect list, the perfect way to layout marketing materials for success, seven opportunities available to target in your area right now. –Click Here

Become Unforgettable with the RIGHT Elevator Pitch. Here’s How

Aug 31, 2021

What do you tell people when they ask what you do for a living?

“I’m in real estate” is a common answer to the question. So is “I’m a real estate agent (or REALTOR®). Sure, those are answers to the question, but they aren’t exactly memorable.

Here’s how to craft a real estate agent elevator pitch that will make you unforgettable.

20 to 30 seconds

According to a Princeton University study, people form an opinion based on facial appearance within one-tenth of one second. Pass that test and then you’ll have a mere 20 to 30 seconds to wow them with your real estate elevator pitch.

Yup, it’s not much time, but if you can squeeze vital home information into the puny word count the MLS allows, you can certainly sell yourself in half of a minute.

It’s a tool you’ll use a lot

From responding to online leads to introducing yourself at cocktail parties and in marketing materials, a real estate elevator pitch is something you’ll find quite useful.

I love NextDoor.com, especially when a neighbor posts that he or she is looking for a real estate agent. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to see a really compelling response from agents. And, even sadder is that the agent responses are so similar they could be mistaken to have come from the same person.

“I go the extra mile” and “I go above and beyond” are common refrains. If that is your USP as well, please, do the industry a favor and dump it.

Agents can buy a NextDoor Neighborhood Sponsorship and, in my neighborhood at least, only three have done so. What they pay for, is an ad that looks like this (image left):

I haven’t come across an agent-sponsored ad yet that answers the questions suggested by the platform. Yet, they pay for the space.

Here’s a Sponsorship ad from another business (image right):

This phone and computer repair person understands the value of what he’s paying for and uses the space for all it’s worth with his or her elevator pitch.

Create your own real estate agent elevator pitch

“You know [the real estate pain point]? Well, I [solution]. In fact, [proof].”

That’s the formula for the ideal elevator pitch, according to author Allan Dib. “Good marketing takes the prospect through a journey that covers the problem, the solution and, finally, the proof,” according to Dibs.

Keep it quick. Keep it simple. Ensure it’s not too promotional.

Put in real estate terms, Dibs’ formula may look like this:

“You know how people who want to buy a home are having a hard time finding one? What we do is reach out to the homeowners in our database with a list of our buyers’ needs. This has been so successful that we have found homes for 25 of these clients just in the past 30 days.”

Go ahead and plug your elevator pitch into the formula or feel free to steal ours, if it fits.

Another way to grab your audience’s attention and keep it is with a Real Estate Times Series Campaign. The Real Estate Times Series has timely real estate news and statistics that is of value to homeowners.

Did you know, the Real Estate Times Scheduled Campaign is currently on sale for 10% OFF the first month?

Real Estate Times Scheduled Campaign (shown above). Learn more, HERE

TO LAUNCH A REAL ESTATE TIMES CAMPAIGN:

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

USE PROMO CODE: TIMES10 to get 10% Off at check out.

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out). This sale expires 9/4/21.

Launch a Real Estate Times Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

2 Tips on Writing for Real Estate Consumers

Aug 26, 2021

It’s safe to assume that most home sellers and buyers don’t know the meaning of “LTV,” they may have never used the word “contingency”, and the word “title” is just a name of a book.

Studies show that the average adult reads at a 9th-grade level and that we actually prefer our reading material to be at a 7th-grade level.

The words you choose to use on your website, in your listing descriptions, and direct mail pieces can make or break the visitor’s or recipient’s experience.

The good news is that writing for an audience of everyday people isn’t at all like what you learned in high school or college. It’s easier, and it’s more fun.

1. Ditch the insider lingo

Unless your audience consists solely of other real estate professionals, using real estate lingo is like writing in a foreign language to an English-only reader. Check out this real-life example:

“If you’re buying a home and apply for a mortgage, one critical factor in

whether you secure financing is your loan-to-value ratio.”

There’s no crime in using normal, everyday American English. So, let’s redo it:

“Something you’ve probably never heard of may stand between you and the interest rate of your dreams: The loan-to-value ratio, or LTV for short. Welcome to the world of real estate, my friend, this is just the beginning of a list of terms you’ll be hearing a lot in the months to come. So, what is the LTV?”

Don’t’ assume that your reader understands commonly-used words and acronyms used in real estate, such as LTV, CMA, contingency, addendum, consideration, and one that we see frequently in the current market, absorption rate.

Take the time to explain them, in plain, friendly English.

2. Why so overly-formal?

“Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is to use the first word that comes to your mind if it is appropriate and colorful,” author Stephen King cautions in his book “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.”

Let’s take another look at our first example. Check out the formal-yet-clunky vocabulary. “Critical factor” can easily be replaced with “an important factor” and “secure financing” should be changed to “get a loan.”

After all, when one of your clients gets the mortgage he wants, that’s exactly how he describes it: “I got a mortgage,” not “I obtained” “procured” or “secured financing.”

Take off your real estate hat for a minute and imagine that you’re a consumer, wanting to buy a house. You run across this on an agent’s website or a direct mail piece:

“Our agents will apply their extensive community knowledge and professional

resources to find your dream home.”

Is there anything in that sentence that would make you pick up your phone and ask to hire one of their agents? All we can imagine is sitting in a car, hour after hour, with someone who speaks like this.

No thanks.

Consider replacing some of the most common formalities you find in real estate blogs and other written content:

“Use our services” rather than “utilize” them.
“Talk about the process” instead of “discussing” it.
Dare we suggest this one? “home loan” instead of “mortgage.”
Finally, can we all agree that “real estate” and “properties” are things investors buy and that everyday people buy homes, condos, houses?

An engaging, friendly writing style will help potential clients get to know and like you, and offering them valuable information in an easy-to-understand form gets their trust.

Use the same, short, easy-to-understand sentences you use when speaking with a friend and you’ll be on your way.

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BUT ONLY FOR 3 MORE DAYS!

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at check out to take advantage of this limited-time offer (excludes postage, data, EDDM, and scheduled campaigns).

Hurry! This offer expires Saturday, August 31st at midnight!

GO NOW, CLICK HERE!

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Fall Real Estate Blog Topics Every Agent Should Consider

Aug 12, 2021

What agent doesn’t relish the thought of ranking high in Google searches? Doing so without having to pay for ads is even better.

The best route to that end is by blogging, consistently.

Choosing topics can be challenging. They should be local and, when possible, timely. To help you out, we’ve come up with some topics for fall that you’re welcome to steal.

Topic if Your Audience is Home Buyers

“3 Things you Must Know About Buying a Home in [name of your market] this Fall”

This will be a post of what you expect from the local real estate market this fall. Remember, the keyword here is “local.”

Don’t be general like the Minneapolis agent we came across who reiterated what the national media is forecasting.

His introduction to the piece was: “Here’s what a few industry experts have to say about the housing market …”

Wait—aren’t agents supposed to be the industry experts?

Additional homebuyer-focused topics to consider:

The importance of preparing to enter the market. Urge them to get preapproved early in the process. Talk about ways to keep motivated during multiple offer situations. How about backup offers?
The most popular neighborhoods for homebuyers and the challenges of shopping for a home within them.
Any COVID-related restrictions in place in your market.

Holiday Series, *Autumn* Postcard shown above. Learn More, HERE

Topic if Your Audience is Home Sellers

“3 Things you Must Know about Selling your [name of your market] Home this Fall

This should be an easy topic since we’re still in a hot seller’s market. Many homeowners, however, have concerns about being able to find a replacement home. Address this concern and any others that are prevalent in your market.

Other fall home seller topics to consider:

The importance of curb appeal in fall. Offer suggestions (again, keep it local) with mentions of local gardening outlets.
- Recommended repairs to make before the home hits the market.
- What to expect when offers roll in. Remind them that sometimes better terms trump a higher price.

Topic if Your Audience is Your Social Media Followers

Community Content

Although you should share all of your blog posts to your social media feeds, community content is immensely more sharable. Check out some of these ideas:

Have COVID restrictions changed in your market? Share what’s open, what’s closed, and alternatives to the latter.
A post on local parks, with a quick review of each one.
Activities for kids during fall break. Your local Parks and Recreation Department and school websites may offer ideas.
Suggest day trips for weekends.
Best places in town to have brunch on the patio.
How to start a vegetable garden.

Posts on the best places in your market to:

Ride a bike
Go hiking
Camp out
Fish
Shop at flea markets or go antiquing
Dine outdoors
Picnic
Swim
Golf
Take your dog (dog-friendly dining, beaches, parks, etc.)
Best beach
Have a staycation

Finally, one of our favorite local topics is “Why we love fall in [name of the market].”

Did you know our Get More Listings Campaigns are on sale right now?

If you’re considering reaching out to homeowners in your area in search of potential sellers, right now’s the ideal time (sale ends in 3 days on August 14, 21).

Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign (shown above). Learn more, HERE

TO LAUNCH A GET MORE LISTINGS CAMPAIGN:

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

Get 10% Off, Use Promo Code: LIST10

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY until each mailing goes out (cancel anytime or change up until the night before it goes out).

Launch a Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

The Most Valuable Features to Include on Your Real Estate Website RIGHT NOW

Jul 28, 2021

Once upon a time, the word “value,” in the real estate industry meant only one thing: how much a property is worth.

Today, it also applies to marketing your services. Your “value proposition” tells the world why they should hire you instead of the agent down the street. It’s what you offer potential clients that few others do.

“Unfortunately, many businesses either bury their value proposition in buzzwords or trite, meaningless slogans or don’t bother highlighting it on their site and in their marketing campaigns – or they don’t figure out what it is at all!” according to Dan Shewan at wordstream.com.

We think it’s safe to say that most agents want to succeed and some mimic their fellow agents in the hopes of making that success a reality.

Thus, real estate blog posts end up full of duplicate messaging (“Now is the Best Time to Sell!), overused slogans (“Everything I Touch Turns to Sold!”), and websites are devoid of a value proposition or with one every other agent offers.

Let’s talk about the latter—your website.

Figure out what real estate consumers think is valuable

To figure out your value proposition, you need to understand your target client, especially his or her pain points. Your value proposition should quickly explain how your service solves the biggest problem.

Another way to come up with a value proposition is to determine how the benefits of using you as their agent differ from what other agents offer. Do you offer free staging to your listing clients? Discounted commission?

I see that look on your face, but a discounted commission to a listing client is quite valuable, as is free staging or free handyperson service to help get the home ready for the market.

In fact, your entire website should answer a visitors’ needs, from the site loading quickly to fuss-free navigation.

The NAR’s “Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends” report compiles an annual list of what homebuyers find the most valuable on real estate agents’ websites. Here are the top 5:

Photos of homes for sale and neighborhoods
Detailed information about homes for sale
Floor plans
Virtual tours (not video; those came out near the bottom of the list)
Real estate agent contact information

Your MLS listings will hopefully fulfill the first two wishes. Do you offer floor plans to listing clients? Buyers want them. What about 3-D tours or virtual walk-throughs?

Finally, and it may seem quite basic, but ensure that your contact phone number is at the top of every page on your website.

Stay in Touch With Your Sphere, Effortlessly, With a Holiday Campaign.

They’re Currently on SALE 10% OFF the First Month – FOR 3 MORE DAYS!

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

TO LAUNCH A HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN:

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

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out).

Launch a Holiday Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

New Agents: Fill Your Pipeline Quickly with Facebook Real Estate Leads

May 26, 2021

Has cold calling officially become a thing of the past? There are more than a few agents out there and several well-known real estate coaches that would say NO.

I would say minimally, it might not be the most efficient option. Unless you consider spending 7.5 hours to make 209 phone calls to get one appointment efficient.

Generating real estate leads on social media, if done right, is not only efficient but pleasant as well.

Facebook can be a goldmine for new real estate agents.

Why Facebook?

The platform’s demographics are one of the most compelling reasons to use Facebook for real estate lead generation. The largest age group among Facebook users is 35 to 54 (right in line with the average real estate consumer). Next, nearly 75 percent of users earn more than $75,000.

Finally, a study of CRM data from various companies across the planet finds that while the highest lead conversion rates come from referrals, the second-highest can be attributed to leads generated on social media.

If you understand the power of Facebook when it comes to real estate lead generation but haven’t quite figured out how to tap it, consider starting with Facebook groups.

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Use promo code: MEMORIAL10 (excluding postage, data, tax, and EDDM. Offer expires 6/4/22).

To get started saving, Click Here.

Join some groups

Start by finding some groups that Facebook thinks you might like. You can do that by going here and then clicking on “Discover.”

Naturally, if you post frequently to Facebook, the algorithm is going to assume you are interested in real estate so be prepared for lots of real estate-agent-related groups among the suggestions.

There’s nothing wrong with joining these groups but to generate real estate leads, however, go where consumers hang out.

You’ll find a “Categories” list on the left side of the page. And, since “all real estate is local,” the best category for a real estate agent to peruse is “Local.”

Here you’ll find some interesting groups. Mine includes one for a popular neighborhood in my city (with 31,000 members). As an agent, I would join that one. But there are tons of others to join as well.

Choose groups with interests that you can blog about because that’s one of the ways in which you’ll be using these groups to generate real estate leads.

Don’t be “that annoying real estate agent”

When interacting in your Facebook groups, keep your focus on the “social” aspect of social media. You’re not there to sell yourself or your business but to build relationships and get your name in front of people.

Don’t just use the groups to share your blog posts; interact with other group members.

And, keep in mind that some groups have rules, so learn them and abide by them.

It’s also important to keep in mind that interacting in groups is not about getting a flood of leads right now. Like most lead gen strategies, you’re building future business.

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

How to Attract Home Sellers and Whip up New Listings

Apr 15, 2021

In March 2021, the average list price reached an all-time high of $370,000, up 15.6% compared to this time last year.

Home sales were 9.1% higher than one year ago and although the mortgage rates have increased slightly to the highest levels this year at 3.09% for a 30-year fixed, there are reasons to believe the housing market will continue to be strong throughout 2021 (NAR source).

This means it’s still a seller’s market, which is the key point you’ll want to make when communicating with the homeowners in your CRM.

1. Nothing better than a warm call

Comb through your CRM for the warmest leads among your homeowners and start your campaign with these people as your target audience. Yes, even friends and family and past clients.

Pick up the phone and start dialing for dollars. And, naturally, during the conversation you’ll want to let them know how desperate homebuyers are for homes in the area and, oh, by the way, “Do you know anyone who might be considering selling their home?”

You’ll most likely not get the name of a red-hot listing lead, and that’s ok. You are now top-of-mind with these people.

2. Go back after lost listings

Not taking the listing after a presentation is painful. But, remember another old real estate lesson: “Stay in touch until they list – and beyond.”

St. Paul, MN broker Teresa Boardman once spoke about one of her most cost-effective listing generating techniques that you can copy.

Go through your CRM, looking for homeowners for whom you gave a listing presentation over the past three years.

Check the MLS to find out if the home ever sold with another agent. If not, take this condensed list of sellers and send them a Real Estate Times postcard. Catch them up on the current hot market and explain why now is the perfect time to join it.

Or stay in front of this hand-picked list for six months or more with a scheduled FARM, Get More Listings campaign. Learn more, HERE.

Remember, #StayHome made millions of homeowners overly familiar with their homes, and many have found that the home no longer fits their needs.

Always let these potential listings know how ideal the market is for sellers, how much equity they’ve built up, and about the super low current mortgage rates.

Very early in her campaign, Boardman had taken one listing and another homeowner felt like a “real strong possibility.” A third was debating renting out her home or selling it.

3. Don’t forget social media, especially now

Connecting with people on social media is so easy right now. Since the outbreak of the pandemic over one year ago, internet usage has increased 70%, according to Mark Beech at Forbes.com.

Studies from Pew Research claim that more than half (53%) of “… Americans say the internet has been essential in the past year.

The amount of time that Americans spend on social media platforms, in particular, has increased from 79 minutes per day in 2019 to 86 minutes per day in recent months.

There is a lot of engagement to be had right now online, particularly on social media.

Use all that important information you have up your sleeve to let sellers know that they won’t find a better time to sell their homes and to convince buyers that they should remain in the market.

Yes, inventory is super tight and many homeowners still aren’t getting what an amazing time this is to sell their homes for top dollar.

This is also the ideal time for real estate agents to market to niche prospects such as empty nesters, high-income renters, move-up market, fence-sitters, and more.

With nine campaign categories to choose from, it’s now quick, easy, and affordable to schedule a targeted campaign.

Hurry! FARM Scheduled Campaigns are on sale 10% OFF the first month for ONLY 3 MORE DAYS! (sale ends 4/17/21).

Fence-Sitters Series, one of 19 FARM Scheduled Campaigns (shown above). Learn more, **HERE**

TO LAUNCH AN FARM CAMPAIGN:

Hit “CLICK HERE”, below, to get started on your FARM Scheduled Campaign (from a desktop or laptop computer).

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

Launch an FARM Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Need More Buyers? Consider Marketing to Veterans

Mar 30, 2021

There are an estimated 18 million U.S. military veterans, an undisclosed number of surviving spouses, and 1.4 million men and women currently serving on active duty.

This means that there are in excess of 20 million Americans who may be eligible to take advantage of the VA home loan program.

The good news for an agent who specializes in VA buyers is that millions of veterans feel that 2021 is a good time to buy a home.

Nearly 60% say they intend on buying in the next five years and 34% say they will definitely buy a home this year, according to research conducted by data and consulting company Kantar (for Veterans United Home Loans).

Sounds like a lucrative niche market, right? Not so fast.

“Real estate agents who aren’t familiar with the details of the VA loan program could waste time showing you properties that have little chance of meeting VA and lender guidelines,” warn the pros at veteransunited.com.

If this is a niche you are considering in your real estate business, get up to speed on the VA loan now, because half of the veterans surveyed say they will definitely consider applying for one.

How to become a military-friendly real estate agent

No, you don’t need a background in military service to work effectively with military homebuyers. Sure, it helps when it comes to communication. The real knowledge you’ll need, however, is about the nuts and bolts of the VA loan program.

You’ll also want to get to know the needs of this group of people. Many, for instance, don’t know that they are offered a unique home loan program as part of their benefits. In other words, they are completely unaware of the VA loan program.

“If you have not used the VA home loan program, what was the main reason you did not?” was a question put forth to veterans for the VA’s 2010 National Survey of Veterans. Nearly 34% responded that “I didn’t know about the program.”

Your first job, then, is to create a direct mail piece letting these folks know about the VA mortgage guaranty and singing the praises of its benefits.

Learn what’s important to veterans

Nearly half of the aforementioned survey respondents who did use a VA loan in the past said they did so because there is no down payment required.

Another big handful of them chose the loan for its “favorable interest rate,” and, coming in third, one group said that they felt their loan was more likely to be approved if it was guaranteed by the VA.

Since these features of the program are of such high value to applicants, these are points you need to feature in your marketing pieces.

Especially when it comes to comparing the FHA-backed mortgage with that of the VA (which a substantial number of veterans do), the lack of private mortgage insurance is a biggie.

Although they didn’t mention closing costs (as is typical with most homebuyers), let your leads know that the VA puts limits on the amount that the lender can charge the borrower.

It’s not all rosy, however. The VA loan comes with a funding fee. The amount varies and you can learn more at va.gov.

There is a lot to learn about the VA loan, but it’s all well-worth knowing. The VA makes it easy for you to learn by devoting a section of va.gov to real estate professionals. You’ll find that information at benefits.va.gov.

RIGHT NOW! Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaigns are on sale 10% OFF the first month (sale ends 4/3/21).

Launch an Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaign, **HERE**

TO LAUNCH AN ABSENTEE OWNER CAMPAIGN:

Launch an Absentee Owner Campaign by clicking the “GO NOW” button, below (from a desktop or laptop computer).

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

Launch an Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Lessons from million-dollar real estate agents

Feb 18, 2021

There’s a funny thing about oft-repeated truisms: many of them aren’t actually true.

Take this one for instance: “10% of all real estate agents perform 90% of all transactions.”

No-one is ever given credit for this statistic; no study has been published proving it to be true. Yet, it’s repeated over and over.

Sure, it’s true that some agents make tons more money than others. RealTrends annual rankings of agents and teams, “The Thousand,” prove that. Sort of.

Take a look at the top 10% of these agents and you’ll notice that they all sling luxury property. Naturally, the more expensive an agent’s inventory is, the more money she’ll earn.

This status may have nothing at all to do with talent, expertise or any other quality than to have made a wise decision early on in a career.

The first lesson is simple: if you truly want a sales volume of $761,653,743 a year, sell luxury property.

In reality, to make the big bucks requires patience, tenacity, self-discipline and the understanding that it takes money to make money. Stop taking the cheapest route. Demand quality for you and for your clients.

Related: Learn from the Master of real estate success, Floyd Wickman. Watch his latest guest appearance on our podcast (below).

There are few overnight successes

Tony Robbins, über-successful personal development coach, often tells the story of how, at age 19, he lived in a studio apartment, cooked on a hotplate, and washed dishes in his bathtub.

He considers this period his “rock-bottom” and tells audiences how it compelled him to begin to create goals. “The timeline I gave myself for achieving these goals was any time from tomorrow to the next twenty years,” Robbins says in “Awaken the Giant Within.”

Robbins claims that he hit his first goal, to make one million dollars, five years later.

We’ve all read or heard similar stories, those rags-to-riches tales that inspire us to do likewise. The one thing that so many of us miss, however, is that there is no magic formula. No cute little fairy will land on our shoulders and “poof” us into success.

These people struggled, often for years, to reach their goals. They worked long and hard, they enlisted help and they never stopped learning and trying new things.

Just as you know that nurturing leads and prospects takes time and persistence, so does nurturing your business.

Check your attitude

“A positive attitude makes success easy; a negative one makes success pointless,” according to Geoffrey James, author and contributing editor for Inc.com.

Sure, it’s challenging to feel positive during a worldwide pandemic, when the way you do business has been turned upside-down.

James suggests that you can change your attitude in a number of ways. One of these is to surround yourself with positive people and “… and shun those who are excessively negative.”

Find the rest of his tips on how to improve your attitude at Inc.com.

Mimic the successful agent

If you’re new to the real estate industry or ready to take your game to the next level, it’s well worth your time to find a mentor. At the very least, approach one of the most successful agents in your office and request a shadowing opportunity.

A week or two following this agent around, observing his or her attitude, habits and approach is time you will never regret spending.

RIGHT NOW! ABSENTEE OWNER Scheduled Campaigns are on SALE 10% OFF!

*Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaign, Get More Listings Series*, **HERE**

TO LAUNCH AN ABSENTEE OWNER SCHEDULED CAMPAIGN:

Click the “GO NOW” button, below (from a desktop or laptop computer).

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY until each mailing goes out (cancel or change up until the night before mailing).

GO NOW

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

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Shifting Your Real Estate Marketing Strategy to Work Under Any Condition

Jan 28, 2021

It’s a new year and if one of your strategies is to create a real estate listing generating system to fit the “new normal,” consider a mix of the old-fashioned and the new-fangled.

The best marketing plans include both direct mail and digital marketing, and linking the two is even better.

We’ve come up with some safe ways to get closer to potential clients during the pandemic – some ideas to kick around as we move through 2021.

Forge stronger links with your community

Real estate agents generally tend to be quite generous with their money, frequently offering to give a percentage of each commission check to a favored charity.

Other agents are a bit more hands-on and feel that cutting a check, while admirable, isn’t enough. These are the agents who host school supply drives, winter sock collections for the homeless and actively volunteer their time and labor to local charitable organizations. The list is long and impressive.

And, they have a point, especially during the pandemic when consumers need and actively search out “warm and fuzzy” stories.

Yes, giving should be altruistic. And, we agree that using it to generate leads seems a bit mercenary.

But, it’s a win-win. Charities that are clamoring for help receive it and, if promoted appropriately, giving your time to a worthy cause can also be good for business.

Find a local group with a philosophy and cause that you can get behind and join them. Let your social media followers know how they can help too. Be passionate about the cause by letting consumers know about your acts of humanity.

But do avoid an overly-promotional “look-at-me” approach.

Who are you marketing to?

Launch a *Renter Scheduled Campaign*, Click **HERE**

“Right now, the ability to forecast is a superpower for business leaders as consumer sentiments and behaviors change,” notes Sam Acuna and Sofia Kluch at gallup.com.

They add that “Some of these changes are likely permanent but many changes are temporary … and localized.”

Thankfully, the real estate industry is quite hardy right now and forecasted to remain this way.

In fact, the folks at mansionglobal.com say that 2021 will bring “… the most robust housing market in 15 years.”

They also mention a Redfin forecast that more new homes will be built this year than during the past 16 years.

Leverage your listings

While coaches advise that agents door-knock around new listings, this isn’t an appropriate time to do so.

Direct mail, on the other hand, is not only safe but rising in consumer popularity during the pandemic.

Listing agents should send at least three cards to each household in their target audience for each listing taken:

Just listed
Open house (if you’re holding one)
Just sold

Each postcard should include the URL to the home’s dedicated landing page and, to your virtual open house, if you’ll be hosting one.

The home’s landing page should clearly communicate your contact information and a lead magnet. A popular choice for a lead magnet is the “Mortgage Options With Low Down Payments” Direct Response Report, click HERE.

We love Tom Ferry’s brilliant addition to the typical “Just Sold” postcard.

“… add a section that says ‘How we did it’ that lists out all the steps you performed to generate offers, AND all the details of the results your efforts created… how many showings, how many offers, sale price vs. list price, etc.”

View an example of what Ferry’s referring to at tomferry.com.

*Mortgage Options with Low Down Payments* Report

People haven’t changed. Some priorities have, many of our lives may have, but inside, we’re still the same human beings with the same wants and needs, with just a few new ones added to the mix.

Download the Direct Response Report, “Mortgage Options with Low Down Payments“ and keep copies on hand for listing appointments and open houses.

Also add as an opt-in/free offer on your website, your emails, and all of your direct mail.

Need help targeting a specific niche of buyers or sellers? Use our prospect list tools 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 some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Want to OWN THE FSBO MARKET? Send Daily Postcards for the Next 27 Days & BAM!

Dec 15, 2020

You can own 100% mindshare of the FSBO market by sending daily postcards.

The reason most FSBOs have decided to try and sell themselves is usually they are eager to save money. Many also don’t trust agents due to a bad experience from their past.

However, the truth is…

Most FSBOs do end up using an agent. According to NAR, statistics show only 8% of the homes sold are FSBOs. And 31% of FSBOs don’t market their properties. They need someone like you to lend your expertise for a headache-free sale that achieves the most money.

Other tasks that NAR has shown are difficult for FSBOs include: pricing the home right (18%), preparing the home for sale (13%), understanding the paperwork (12%), helping the buyer obtain financing (6%), timely selling (3%) and time to devote to the sale (3%).

Therefore, it is your job to earn their trust by demonstrating how your expertise can be of help.

How you accomplish this is through consistent, daily communication, professional marketing, and effective presentation tools.

The Merchandise Review

A great strategic tool that allows you to walk sellers through all the components of the saleable listing is the Merchandising Review. It even helps to answer some questions before they’re raised. The Merchandising Review is available as a Free Download Here.

As soon as you see a new FSBO, contact them to offer to complete a ‘no obligation” Merchandising Review. Explain the tool allows you to make a comprehensive analysis of whether their home is salable in today’s market. Then schedule a 20-minute time to meet with them to go over the Review.

Walk them through each item and negotiate the issues that might keep the property from selling. Correct these issues, and ask if they would allow you to show them your marketing plan.

Compelling marketing

Getting the attention of a FSBO can be challenging. Often their guard is up, and they aren’t open to talking to agents.

You can begin to open the lines of communication with something as simple as a door hanger.

Keep a stack of FSBO Door Hangers in your car trunk for a quick leave-behind any time you see a For Sale By Owner sign.

Then, add that new For Sale By Owner to your daily FSBO scheduled campaign.

To encourage inbound calls, offer a Free direct response report with all of your FSBO marketing. The report, For Sale By Owner First Aid is the ideal tool to encourage FSBOs to reach out to you.

The report contains persuasive statistics and educational content that will pique the seller’s interest and open their mind to an agent solution.

Now, you can send a FSBO postcard every day for the next 27 days & OWN THE FSBO MARKET

To own 100% mindshare in the FSBO market, every new FSBO you encounter should be put on a daily marketing campaign with the FSBO Series of 27 postcards.

And, now, your ability to do this just got TEN TIMES EASIER with the ProspectsPLUS! FSBO Scheduled Campaigns.

In one quick order, you can schedule FSBO postcards to go out for 27 days in a row and own 100% mindshare of the FSBO market.

And YOU DON’T PAY until each mailing goes out (change or cancel up until the night prior to mailing)!

To Launch a FSBO Scheduled Campaign:

Choose Your Start Date (see image below)
Pick your mailing interval
Then attach your FSBO prospect list (you can even schedule a series to go out to just one seller).

To get started on your FSBO scheduled campaign from a desktop or laptop computer, click the “Go Now” button below.

GO NOW

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get done today because, What GETS SCHEDULED, GETS DONE!

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

1. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent each month automatically to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

2. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

The Real Estate Mailing List Guide outlines the top tools for generating targeted prospecting lists, including Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters, Investors, Lifestyle Interests, High-Income Renters, Move-Up Markets, and more. The Guide also defines done-for-you marketing campaigns to match these markets. –Click Here

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

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2020-Planner-3D-999x1024.jpg

4. The Free One-Page Real Estate Business Plan

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Business-Plan-3D-Book-New1-270x300.png

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

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Christmas Has Come Early! The NEW MASTER MARKETING MAGAZINE IS OUT!

Dec 10, 2020

The NEW MASTER MARKETING MAGAZINE is the ultimate educational and inspirational guide for real estate agents ready to catapult their business to the next level through highly effective real estate marketing tactics and easy, actionable steps.

Be sure to waste no time turning to the ProspectsPLUS! first time ever, “3 EXTRA CLOSINGS A YEAR GUARANTEE”. It’s an absolute game-changer for you and your real estate business!

Make sure the contents of this magazine are a “MUST INCLUDE” in your 2021 marketing success plan.

A Few Surprises That Await You Inside the Magazine Include:

The 50 people to add to your sphere to get more referrals
7 local market opportunities in your area right now
How to prove you’re the neighborhood expert & dominate
Go from one new listing to becoming a market maker
How to use Direct Response Reports to get more listings
How to uncover a goldmine with absentee owners
And, more…

Click the button below to check out the NEW MASTER MARKETING MAGAZINE, NOW!

And, don’t forget to thank Santa!

GO NOW

PLUS: When you have time…here are some helpful resources we’ve made available to support your success.

1. Become a Neighborhood Brand

Become branded in a specific neighborhood with a 12X15 marketing piece sent automatically each month to an exclusive carrier route. Watch this video to learn more or Click Here.

2. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

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

4. 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

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

marketing strategies

1. Say “no” to overtime

2. Take more breaks

20 to 30 seconds

It’s a tool you’ll use a lot

Create your own real estate agent elevator pitch

1. Ditch the insider lingo

2. Why so overly-formal?

Topic if Your Audience is Home Buyers

Topic if Your Audience is Home Sellers

Topic if Your Audience is Your Social Media Followers

Figure out what real estate consumers think is valuable

Why Facebook?

Join some groups

Don’t be “that annoying real estate agent”

1. Nothing better than a warm call

2. Go back after lost listings

3. Don’t forget social media, especially now

Hurry! FARM Scheduled Campaigns are on sale 10% OFF the first month for ONLY 3 MORE DAYS! (sale ends 4/17/21).

How to become a military-friendly real estate agent

Learn what’s important to veterans

RIGHT NOW! Absentee Owner Scheduled Campaigns are on sale 10% OFF the first month (sale ends 4/3/21).

There are few overnight successes

Check your attitude

Mimic the successful agent

RIGHT NOW! ABSENTEE OWNER Scheduled Campaigns are on SALE 10% OFF!

Forge stronger links with your community

Who are you marketing to?

In fact, the folks at mansionglobal.com say that 2021 will bring “… the most robust housing market in 15 years.”

Download the Direct Response Report, “Mortgage Options with Low Down Payments“ and keep copies on hand for listing appointments and open houses.

Also add as an opt-in/free offer on your website, your emails, and all of your direct mail.

However, the truth is…

The Merchandise Review

Compelling marketing

Now, you can send a FSBO postcard every day for the next 27 days & OWN THE FSBO MARKET

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get done today because, What GETS SCHEDULED, GETS DONE!

And, don’t forget to thank Santa!