In a fast-moving market, the most successful agents don’t wait for homeowners to find them—they secure their attention well before the sign goes up.
Winning a listing early requires positioning, presence, and consistent value. Homeowners often start thinking about selling weeks or even months before they take action, and that early awareness phase is where intelligent agents shine.
Stay Visible with Consistent Marketing
Top agents stay visible in their farm areas through consistent marketing: direct mail postcards, market update reports, and neighborhood branding.
But it’s not just about being seen once—it’s about being seen repeatedly over time.
The Multi-Property Series is shown above. To see more, Click Here.
Studies show that it takes an average of 7 to 11 impressions before someone remembers a brand or takes action. A single postcard or email might get noticed—but ongoing visibility is what makes a lasting impression.
This kind of repetition builds familiarity, and familiarity builds trust. When homeowners consistently see your name over weeks and months, they see you as the trusted expert in the area.
So when it’s time to list, you’re not just a name—they feel like they already know you. And that’s why you’re the one they’re most likely to call.
Build Relationships That Lead to Listings
Relationship-building is key. Agents who regularly reach out with valuable, relevant content—like recent sales, tips for preparing to sell, or equity updates—build trust over time.
Beyond mail and digital content, local engagement is a powerful way to connect. Hosting community events or sponsoring neighborhood gatherings shows you’re invested in the area and care about more than just transactions.
Simple events like block parties, local meetups, or seasonal celebrations can help establish your name as a trusted community figure.
You can also distribute high-quality brochures or personalized neighborhood magazines in high-traffic local spots like coffee shops, dental offices, medical clinics, or salons.
These print pieces should include homeowner tips, real estate updates, and contact info—subtly reinforcing your expertise and visibility.
These consistent, low-pressure touchpoints build familiarity and recognition over time. When homeowners see your name and face associated with community involvement and valuable insights, they’re much more likely to reach out when they’re ready to list.
Earn Trust Before the Sign Goes Up
The goal is to be top-of-mind before the listing conversation even begins. By the time the sign goes up—or before it even needs to—you’ve already earned their trust.
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 2025 Q1 Real Estate Marketing Guide
Kickstart the second quarter of 2025 with our 2nd Quarter Real Estate Marketing Guide, designed to help you achieve your real estate business goals. Packed with tools like a goal-setting sheet, monthly insights, tailored task lists, and marketing recommendations, this free guide is your ultimate resource for success—download it today for FREE! –Click Here
3. The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Plan
The Free Interactive 6-Month Real Estate Business Plan 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
In the ever-fluctuating landscape of the real estate market, certain principles remain constant, one of which is the significance of a real estate agent’s sphere of influence.
The sphere of influence becomes even more crucial in a low inventory market, where competition is fierce and properties are in high demand. Let’s delve into why a real estate agent’s sphere matters more in such challenging market conditions.
Trust and Personal Connection
A real estate agent’s sphere typically consists of past clients, friends, family, and acquaintances. These are individuals who have already established a level of trust with the agent.
This trust becomes invaluable in a low inventory market where buyers and sellers may feel anxious or uncertain.
Clients are more likely to rely on someone they know and trust to guide them through the process, especially when there are limited options available.
Off-Market Opportunities
In a low inventory market, not all properties are listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Some sellers prefer a more discreet or selective approach to selling their homes.
Real estate agents with a well-established sphere often have access to off-market opportunities through their network. This can give their clients a competitive edge by allowing them to explore unadvertised properties.
Word-of-Mouth Referrals
In challenging market conditions, word-of-mouth referrals can be a game-changer. When clients have positive experiences working with an agent, they are more likely to refer friends and family who are looking to buy or sell.
Animal Series is shown above. To see more,Click Here.
These referrals can generate a steady stream of business, helping agents thrive in a low inventory environment.
Local Market Expertise
Real estate agents who have built a strong sphere tend to have deep roots in their local markets. They know the neighborhoods, schools, property values, and market trends inside out.
This level of local expertise is invaluable, especially when helping clients make informed decisions in a competitive market.
Negotiation Skills
In a low-inventory market, multiple buyers often compete for the same property. This situation demands sharp negotiation skills.
Agents with a robust sphere can use their connections and local knowledge to negotiate effectively, increasing their clients’ chances of securing the property.
Preemptive Opportunities
Real estate agents with an active sphere are often the first to know when a potential seller is considering listing their property. They can seize preemptive opportunities, connecting buyers with sellers before the property officially hits the market.
This proactive approach can lead to successful transactions in a market where timing is crucial.
Agents who cultivate and leverage their spheres effectively are better equipped to navigate the challenges of a low inventory market and excel in this real estate landscape.
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
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
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
If you sell real estate in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or some other snow-prone state, you may feel you can’t be as busy in winter as you are in spring. But, if you play your cards right, you’ll find winter can be just as profitable a time of year in real estate.
The first step to building a winter book of business is to let potential sellers know just how much they stand to benefit from selling when the weather outside is frightful.
The proof is in the numbers
More homes sell in spring than in winter, according to the NAR. No surprise there.
Unfortunately, this is where the media usually stops when they write about selling a home in winter. What they neglect to state is although home sales can be down in the winter,
…the likelihood of selling a home in winter is better than at any other time of the year, they sell faster and for more than asking price according to a Redfin study.
Fence Sitter Series
Interestingly, this statistic holds true regardless of market.
If you want to make more money this winter, you’ll need to get the word out to sellers. “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” isn’t just a song title.
Let other sellers buy into the myth of winter-is-bad
Dahna Chandler at themortgagereports.com wrongly assumes that “… most people shiver” when considering a winter home sale. “It’s likely the hardest to sell a house in most areas.”
Then, there’s Natalie Campisi at bankrate.com who, when explaining why “… fall/winter is the worst time to sell a house,” says that “December is when homebuying activity comes to a standstill and there’s little inventory available.”
“Little inventory” sounds like the real estate market in general over the past year. Besides, “little inventory” means less competition for sellers, which might be why homes in popular areas, in good condition, sell for more than asking in winter.
Our point is that this is the type of stuff that other agents are reading that scares them away as we approach winter.
It’s time to dust off your blogging skills and make sure sellers in your area know the truth: if you need to sell, this can be a profitable time of year to do so.
Winter buyers are highly motivated to buy
Fence Sitter Series
Think about it: Especially in frigid winter areas, to trudge around town looking at homes for sale takes a certain level of motivation.
It turns out that the rate of job transfers is quite high in the early part of the year. This winter, however, the pandemic-caused migration may still be underway. Those are two groups of highly motivated homebuyers.
Then, there are the nearly 3 million homeowners who are still in forbearance, many of them with mortgages not backed by a GSE. Will they sell rather than bite that bitter pill of the catch-up payment?
Let them know that they’ll do well to sell this winter.
Inventory is even lower
Our squeaky tight inventory of homes for sale doesn’t appear to be loosening up. When winter hits and sellers take their homes off the market, the competition will dwindle even more.
Urgency is the overall feeling you want to convey whether your writing a blog, and email, sending direct mail, or speaking to someone in person.
As all of us have learned in 2020, there is a lot that we have absolutely no control over. Urgency will get those fence-sitters off the fence and into the market.
Take your main “urgency” points and add them to a Fence Sitter Series postcard from ProspectsPLUS!, then send it out to your listing of Fence Sitters. If you don’t have a Fence Sitter list, you can create a list in minutes with the demographic search tool.
Direct mail marketing is such an affordable way to put something tangible into the hands of your potential clients. For instance, on ProspectsPLUS.com you can send 150 Jumbo sized postcards, standard class for only $121.00.
Consider the potential return on investment of these 150 postcards – and it’s truly all upside.
Make sure to include the Timing is Everything brochure in your listing presentation folder. In fact, here’s a promo code (FREEBROCH) for you to download the brochure for FREE, for a limited time.
If you send a newsletter, publish an article on the topic of winter selling creating the same urgency.
Then, start writing about ways to make their homes more attractive in winter via staging, sprucing up the landscaping, etc.
Winter doesn’t have to be the doldrums for your real estate business. All it takes is an effort to counteract the naysayers by getting the word out that selling in winter has definite benefits.
Fence Sitter Series
Send the Time is Running out postcard from the Fence Sitter Series to your Fence Sitter prospect list.
Use the Demographic Searchtool, from a desktop or laptop, to generate your Fence Sitter prospect list in just minutes.
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!
Follow the 3-7-27 Law of Branding and send a series of Fence Sitter postcards over a period of time. Use the “Schedule Orders” tool to schedule months of mailings all at once.
And, remember with scheduled orders YOU DON’T PAY until the order goes out!
Just click the “Schedule for Later” button and pick your mailing date – it’s that easy!
Because what GETS SCHEDULED, GETS DONE!
Watch the video below to learn how to schedule a mailing in just minutes!
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
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
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
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
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
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”
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
