marketing strategies

Hire a Real Estate Website Builder Who Knows How to Attract Organic Traffic

Mar 21, 2024

As promised, here’s part two of our walk-through on how to find a real estate website builder that builds websites that convert…

Do their websites convert?

Remember: “… simple designs have higher conversion rates.”

And, again, the home page should be the simplest of all.

We know how tempting it is for agents to tell visitors right off the bat that they’re the best agents on the planet and why.

But leave that for the About page. Consider using your best, short testimonial instead.

Understand what’s important to your visitors and jettison the rest, again, at least on the site’s homepage. You can’t convert visitors who leave the second they land on your site.

So, what’s important to them? Here are the no-brainers:

Buyers are looking for an agent, listings, and knowledge about the buying and mortgage process.
Sellers are looking for an agent and knowledge about the selling process. They, too, may be looking at listings to find their next home.

They want to find this information easily, so don’t make them guess where it is on your site.

Do they have the ability to attract organic search engine traffic?

So, how do you turn your website into an even bigger lead-generating monster? Start by performing small changes to several pages on your site.

Localize blog posts as much as possible. It only takes minutes to add local search terms. Here’s an example from a recent post about appraisal problems in hot markets:

Fiery real estate markets such as what we’re experiencing are a dream come true for sellers unless prices are rising so fast that the market can’t keep up.

Stick the name of your market in that post to boost its SEO value.

Fiery real estate markets such as what we’re experiencing here in Vallejo …

For even more value, link the name of the city to its page on your site. These types of links are called “internal linking” and each of your blog posts should contain at least one.

“… using the right internal linking strategy can boost your SEO.” Learn more about internal linking and how you can use it to boost your site’s visibility in organic searches at Yoast.com.

Then, work on your neighborhood pages by adding local photos.

Right about now you’re wondering “What happened to help me find the right real estate website builder?”

Regardless of the real estate website company you choose, your site will need to be localized.

Does the website builder get you through the entire process?

Compare vendors on whether or not they offer the “goodies” to help make your workday easier:

Template-based pages that make adding and deleting information a snap
Help to build landing pages
CRM integration that will help you convert website visitors into leads
A slew of apps to help with everything from lead capture and management to boosting SEO and increasing website traffic.

The best real estate agent website maximizes an agent’s brand and optimizes his or her online activities with one simple goal in mind: To help you get more leads, sell more houses, and improve your professional and personal brand.

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 Magazin

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 Planner

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 Online Real Estate Business Plan

The Real Estate Business Plan allows you to enter your business goals for the year and get a breakdown of how many prospects, listings, closings, and so on are needed to reach your financial 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

This Week’s $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card Winner is Samantha Coggins!

Mar 15, 2024

Samantha recently sent ordered a Direct Response Report (shown above). To learn more, Click Here.

Congratulations, Samantha on winning this week’s contest!

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

“I love using the flyer for my mailers and especially for door knocking. Many homeowners love the brief information given to them.”

-Samantha Coggins

Samantha, thank you for your review. We truly appreciate you and your support!

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

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

Leave feedback on Google HERE.

Leave feedback on Facebook, HERE.

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

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

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 Strategic Marketing Planner

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

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

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

This Week’s $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card Winner is Deveisha Shedden-Brown!

Mar 7, 2024

Deveisha recently sent out a Spring Begins Postcard (shown above). To learn more, Click Here.

Congratulations, Deveisha on winning this week’s contest!

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

“My Real Estate business has grown tremendously since using ProspectsPLUS!. Thank you for helping me to market myself in this industry.”

-Deveisha Shedden-Brown

Deveisha, thank you for your review. We truly appreciate you and your support!

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

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

Leave feedback on Google HERE.

Leave feedback on Facebook, HERE.

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

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

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

2. The Free 6-Month Strategic Marketing Planner

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

This Week’s ProspectsPLUS! $125 Gift Card Winner is Roxane Morrison!

Feb 29, 2024

Roxane recently sent out a Recipe Series Postcard (shown above). To learn more, Click Here.

Congratulations, Roxane on winning this week’s contest!

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

“I have been using Recipe postcards for my SOI for almost two years now. I have received many positive comments from this list about how they look forward to receiving the cards each month and have tried some of the recipes.”

-Roxane Morrison

Roxane, thank you for your review. We truly appreciate you and your support!

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

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

Leave feedback on Google HERE.

Leave feedback on Facebook, HERE.

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

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

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

2. The Free 6-Month Strategic Marketing Planner

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

The Pros and Cons of Real Estate Closing Gifts

Feb 28, 2024

“I think I’ll send my new patient a $50 Macy’s gift certificate to thank her for allowing me to perform her annual physical,” said no doctor, ever. Come to think of it, my hairdresser, accountant, and lawyer have never gifted me either.

Yet real estate agents, somewhere along the line, came up with this notion that they absolutely must provide a closing gift to their clients.

Obviously, the agent who first gifted a client must’ve found the practice successful because it was quickly copied and has now become standard practice.

Does giving a gift to a client make you memorable? If that were the case, more service industries would take up the practice, don’t you think? I don’t know about you, but I return to my hair stylist every month because I love the way she cuts my hair.

My accountant saves me money on my taxes. So, is it the gift that makes them remember you, or was it your performance?

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of giving closing gifts, to real estate clients.

Pros

I’m not a tax expert or an accountant, but the IRS says agents can deduct up to $25 for each person they gift during the year. No, that’s not a whole lot of money and if you make the big bucks, you’ll need to buy a whole lot of gifts throughout the year to even put a dent in your tax bill.

If you feel you must give a gift, consider handing your clients the keys to their new home on a quality (meaning, not plastic) keychain. With your branding on it, you’ll be able to deduct it as a marketing expense and possibly get a larger deduction. Talk to your tax professional.

A swanky annual client appreciation event, on the other hand, will give you a bigger tax deduction as well as put you right back there at the top of their mind.

The Content Card Series is shown above. To learn more, Click Here.

Cons

Since referrals are the lifeblood of a successful real estate practice, and keeping them coming in requires remaining top-of-mind with former clients, it would have to be a major gift to make you memorable throughout the years.

What will make you memorable is frequent contact throughout the year — the birthday cards, the client appreciation events, and the ongoing direct mail campaigns.

Here’s something else to consider: you are a buyer’s agent. You have been at your client’s beck and call, spending weeks or even months driving your clients to house after house before they finally found one they wanted.

You submitted the offer, you coordinated your client’s end of the transaction, and you smoothly paved the way to a successful close. All parties are satisfied with the outcome. In return, you are paid a percentage of the sales price of the home.

You did your job and you got paid. Shake hands, as business people do, thank them for their business, and move on to your next client.

The subject of closing gifts, as you know, is a point of contention among agents. How about you? Do you gift?

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

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

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, closings, and so on are needed to reach your goals. – Click Here

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

This Week’s ProspectsPLUS! $125 Gift Card Winner is Michelle Huffman!

Feb 23, 2024

Michelle recently sent out Just Sold Postcards (shown above). To learn more, Click Here.

Congratulations, Michelle on winning this week’s contest!

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

“ProspectsPLUS! is my “go-to” for marketing. Tons of products to pick from, easy to use, effective, and GREAT customer service. Try it, you won’t be disappointed, it’s a winner!”

-Michelle Huffman

Michelle, thank you for your review. We truly appreciate you and your support!

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

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

Leave feedback on Google HERE.

Leave feedback on Facebook, HERE.

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

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

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

2. The Free 6-Month Strategic Marketing Planner

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

Have you Heard? USDA Home Loans Just Got More Attractive to Buyers

Feb 19, 2024

Back in October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture enlarged its map of eligible areas for USDA home loans. In fact, “… they added 1,131 areas to its USDA mortgage footprint for 2024 and removed thirty-six,” according to Dan Green at Homebuyer.com.

Even better, is that, while the program still restricts the loans to those buying in rural areas, some of these added areas are now closer to large cities, such as Los Angeles, CA, and San Antonio, TX.

This is important news for agents working with credit- and financially challenged buyers who can’t qualify for a traditional mortgage.

A quick refresher course on what the USDA offers to homebuyers

The USDA home loan programs reside under the umbrella of the Rural Development Agency. This office provides money to low-to-moderate-income families to build, rehab, purchase, and refinance homes within the rural areas it serves. This money comes in the form of direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants.

The two most popular USDA home-buying programs include a direct loan and a guaranteed loan. The former is restricted to those borrowers with low to very low incomes.

Since the applicant borrows the money to purchase the home directly from the USDA, not only is there no down payment required, but closing costs are kept to a minimum.

SOI scheduled campaigns are shown above. To learn more, Click Here.

The guaranteed loan, on the other hand, appeals to those with moderate incomes. Although the guaranteed loans are backed by the USDA, they must be obtained through a USDA–approved conventional lender.

Qualifying for a USDA loan involves two aspects. Not only must the borrower qualify, but the house the borrower wishes to purchase must be eligible as well.

Aside from the fact that the home must be located in a USDA-designated rural area (more on that in a moment), it must be considered “modest” for the area. In other words, no swimming pools and no other features that might be considered extravagant or unnecessary.

The USDA has additional requirements that the home must meet, as well.

Borrower eligibility is determined mainly by income and ability to repay the loan. The USDA will look at your client’s credit reports. Late pay and delinquencies may not disqualify a borrower, it depends on the entire financial picture.

Finally, each program has different income requirements.

Understanding the USDA mortgage zones

The USDA divides eligible areas for its mortgage programs into different zones based on population density and other demographic factors. These zones determine the eligibility of properties for USDA-backed loans, which offer favorable terms, including low interest rates and zero down payment requirements.

Historically, these loans have been key to facilitating homeownership in rural areas, serving as an amazing resource for low- to moderate-income homebuyers.

Check the USDA website to find out if the market you serve is among, or near those added to the map. Interested in seeing some of the new rural areas opening up? Check this out!

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 Magazin

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

3. The Free Online Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

This Week’s $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card Winner is Jackie Rogers!

Feb 15, 2024

Jackie recently sent out Just Sold Postcards (shown above). To learn more, Click Here.

Congratulations, Jackie on winning this week’s contest!

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

“I love how fast your service is – once I submit my postcard it’s mailed within a day or two. Very easy to do and convenient!”

-Jackie Rogers

Jackie, thank you for your review. We truly appreciate you and your support!

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

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

Leave feedback on Google HERE.

Leave feedback on Facebook, HERE.

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

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

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

2. The Free 6-Month Strategic Marketing Planner

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

Simple Methods for New Real Estate Agents to Track Marketing ROI

Feb 12, 2024

As a new small business owner navigating the marketing of your business can consume a lot of your time.

Sure, determining a budget should come first, followed by how you’ll allot that money.

Over time, however, it’s also important to track how well those dollars are working for you and which marketing methods give you the biggest bang for your buck.

Fortunately, there are several easy and practical methods you can employ to track the ROI of your marketing dollars without breaking the bank or requiring advanced analytics expertise.

Before you do anything else

Before diving into any marketing campaign, it’s essential to establish clear and measurable objectives. When it comes to marketing, whether it’s marketing to increase eyes on your website or making the phone ring, the end goal is to generate leads.

Define your goal with each marketing vehicle you plan on using. Whether it’s increasing website traffic, generating leads, or boosting sales, defining specific goals will provide you with a benchmark against which you can measure your ROI.

The Empty Nest Series is shown above. To learn more, Click Here.

Use Google Analytics to track your marketing performance

For instance, if you are considering social media marketing, you might want to use Google Analytics.

The service, “… under search traffic, will tell you where your visits are coming from. You will be able to see returning visitors through that tab, which will allow you to then calculate your related ROI,” according to a Quora.com user and social media agency owner.

Other metrics to track, such as website traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rates, will help you assess the impact of your marketing efforts on your online presence.

Put your email marketing platform to work

Plan on marketing via email? Platforms such as Constant Contact and Mailchimp make it easy to track the performance of your email campaigns and identify areas for improvement.

Take the time now, before you become the busy agent we know you’ll be, to get to know your platform, inside and out.

Regularly Review and Adjust

Tracking ROI is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and tweaking. Regularly review what you’re doing to identify what’s working well and what areas need improvement.

When you find a marketing method (or several) that works, pour more money behind it and dump the stuff that isn’t working. You can always revisit them in the future. Right now, though, as a new agent, every penny should count.

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 Magazin

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

3. The Free Online Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

This Week’s $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card Winner is Amy Call!

Feb 8, 2024

Amy recently sent out Just Listed Postcards (shown above). To learn more, Click Here.

Congratulations, Amy on winning this week’s contest!

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

“ProspectsPLUS! is something I do with just pretty much every listing I have even when I have the buyer side! It is super easy and quick to do the postcards and they look so professional! I know I have received listings from the neighbors getting postcards. Thank you!”

-Amy Call

Amy, thank you for your review. We truly appreciate you and your support!

Don’t Forget to Enter For Your Chance to Win a $75 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card! (see how below)*

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

Leave feedback on Google HERE.

Leave feedback on Facebook, HERE.

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

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

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

2. The Free 6-Month Strategic Marketing Planner

3. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

How to Calm Homeowner’s Fears about a Problem Listing and Find Success

Feb 5, 2024

“There’s someone for everyone,” an old adage, but nevertheless accurate.

And it’s true for houses as well. There’s a buyer for every house; sometimes, it just takes longer to make the match.

But there are other reasons aside from being overpriced that homes don’t sell, as you well know.

Dated homes, from layout to easier-to-fix problems like nasty wallpaper, ugly carpet, or just plain filth, may send buyers fleeing back out to their cars.

It’s not only the home you’ll need to work with but your client as well.

What is a problem listing?

Aside from the obvious (filth, outdated features, bad layout), there are other reasons a home may end up on the hard-to-sell list. These include:

Location of the home

Unreasonable or unacceptable HOA rules

Cosmetic problems

Poor renovation choices

Bad neighbors

Yes, other problems may pop up that make a home a problem listing, but these are among the most common.

Offer solutions

“Some problems with properties require more work than others,” say the Chicagoagent.com editors. We would add that some require more money as well.

Agent Jolenta Averill of Madison, Wisconsin’s Lake & City Homes knows this first-hand.

Averill took a listing for a circa 1940s home. It had been gutted and remodeled, removing all traces of the charm of the period.

The Call to Action Series is shown above. The learn more, Click Here.

In the process, the front door had also been removed and the space walled over, creating a major psychological barrier for potential homeowners.

The homeowner fired her original listing agent and hired Averill before leaving the state to get to her new job in Florida.

With an absentee owner, the agent was forced to take control of the situation. She requested architectural renderings and price quotes from several contractors, tasking them with designing a walkway, a stairway, and, of course, a formal front entryway.

Rather than becoming overwhelmed by how much work might be required, Averill reviewed her analysis with an eye toward what might concern buyers the most. In the end, “There wasn’t an objection I didn’t consider and couldn’t handle,” she said.

Be their pillar

Sellers of problem homes are often frightened, and can you blame them? They worry about how much work and money it will cost to make the home competitive in the market. They worry that the home may not sell at all.

They have no idea where to start the process. That’s where you come in.

“You have to take the time to investigate and tell them nothing is impossible,” according to agent Julie Brown at chicagoagentmagazine.com.

“Some things are harder than others, but you should be able to reach out and find resources to help you … It’s constant communication and just telling them that you’re there for them. You’re not just there to help them make a sale. You’re there to help them through the entire process, whatever comes up,” She concludes.

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 Magazin

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

3. The Free Online Real Estate Business Plan

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

This Week’s $125 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card Winner is Marianna Jacobs!

Feb 2, 2024

Marianna recently sent out Just Sold Postcards (shown above). To learn more, Click Here.

Congratulations, Marianna on winning this week’s contest!

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

“ProspectsPLUS! has so many great options for postcards, newsletters, magazines, business cards, and more. I love sending their holiday-themed postcards to my past clients to help them celebrate the holidays and to remind them that I am still in the real estate business.”

-Marianna Jacobs

Marianna, thank you for your review. We truly appreciate you and your support!

Don’t Forget to Enter For Your Chance to Win a $75 ProspectsPLUS! Gift Card! (see how below)*

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

Leave feedback on Google HERE.

Leave feedback on Facebook, HERE.

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

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

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