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Saturday, May 18, 2024

neighborhood expert

    It takes more than a statement on your website or business card to truly be considered a neighborhood expert.

    There are many agents using this title as a marketing tool, while not doing the necessary work to make the title a reality.

    Let’s consider some ways to prove to potential clients that you are what you say you are.

    1. Prove it in your marketing materials

    True neighborhood experts, by and large, market to farm areas.

    Whether that is a condo community, a specific zip code, or by subdivision, focusing on a smaller pool of homeowners is a brilliant way to become known as the expert in a community.

    The best way to reach these homeowners or tenants or whomever you are targeting is via direct mail. It’s quick, it’s inexpensive and it works.

    Shown above, FARM, Get More Listings postcard campaign. Learn more, HERE
    Geographic Farm marketing

    Here’s an idea of what to send to your chosen neighborhood: the Get More Listings postcard campaign.

    Be sure to include on the back of the postcards an offer for a free “local market stats” report, that details home listings and sales in that area.

    It shows them that you know your stuff and are on top of what’s happening in their area.

    And, when homeowners reach out for this report, ensure that your explanation is in plain English. Unless you explain the meaning, avoid insider jargon, such as:

    • “absorption rate”
    • “months’ supply of real estate inventory” (what does months’ supply and “inventory” mean?),
    • “the median price range” (explain median vs. average)
    • “time on market” or “days on market” (why is this important to the average homeowner thinking of selling?)
    We found lots of other examples online of what to AVOID in your Market Stats or CMA reports, such as:

    “During this quarter, sales dollar volume increased year over year by 3% to $599,080,374. New listings rose 22% to 2,820, active listings increased 21% to 5,840 and pending sales increased 11% to 2,452. Monthly housing inventory increased by 0.4 months to 2.3 months.”

    “Sales dollar volume” is meaningless to a homeowner. We would reword the paragraph to read more like a narrative than a dry list of statistics:

    During this quarter, 22 percent more homeowners put their homes on the market here in Any town than in October. As quickly as they’re listed, however, buyers snap them up. One indication of that is the increase in pending sales, which were up 11 percent more than pending sales during the previous quarter of 2021.”

    Since potential home sellers are your primary audience when farming, leave out the increase in inventory unless it’s significant (0.4 months isn’t). And, if you must express inventory in “months,” do the readers a solid and explain what that means.

    Additional effective farming pieces include:

    • Just listed and just sold postcards (even if you haven’t sold or listed the property, if the agent in question has chosen not to announce this news, use their loss as your gain and send these postcards out).
    • A Just Sold Follow Up Campaign
    • The Market Dominator, an automated mega-newsletter that’s sent to an exclusive carrier route monthly through the use of EDDM.
    2. Prove your neighborhood expertise on your website

    Your website provides the ideal platform to strut your neighborhood expertise. Start by ensuring it’s localized.

    So many agents pay the big bucks for a professional website and fail to remove or change the template text that comes with it.

    Add your market area everywhere possible, starting with the above-the-fold area on your home page. Don’t make visitors wonder where on earth you sell real estate.

    Create a neighborhoods section on your site and fill it with valuable, hyper-local content. In-depth neighborhood descriptions, quotes from folks who live in the neighborhood about why they love it, links to listings, and lots of photos are the bare necessities for neighborhood pages.

    Finally, if you don’t have a blog, start one. It’s the ideal place to post local content and, if promoted across your social media platforms, it will help drive traffic back to your site.

    Related: Ramp Up Your Website’s Neighborhood Page

    3. Prove it in person

    Get your face known around your chosen neighborhood(s). There are many ways to accomplish creating visibility. Here are a few:

    • Hold home seller seminars in the area.
    • Join the PTA.
    • Sponsor a community sports team and, in exchange, ask that your banner be displayed at games. And, do attend the games.
    • Join the neighborhood YMCA or gym.
    • Attend the HOA meetings.
    • Host a monthly coffee-and-pastry or happy hour event at the neighborhood café or watering hole.
    • Patronize neighborhood merchants and introduce yourself. Become a repeat customer.

    Your aim is for people to think that they see you everywhere they go. Talk to folks, hand out your business card.

    If you are truly the neighborhood expert, you need to prove it. It’s a brilliant way to stand out among the pretenders.

    Ready to prove You’re the REAL DEAL When it Comes to Neighborhood Expertise?

    Get Started by Creating Your Geographic Farm Prospects List While They’re on Sale 15% 0ff!

    Why Build Your Geographic Farm List Now?
    Because You Want The Following Things to Happen in 2022?
    • Strategic focus – Centralized sales in one area. No more driving across town for a listing.
      To become a neighborhood expert – You’re committed to a specific neighborhood where you will become known as the expert.
    • Increased growth – You’re building toward the future instead of “just getting by” working on whatever comes your way.
    • A branded business – You’re branding yourself and your business within a community and building relationships over time with the people who live there.
    • Increased demand for your service – Sellers and buyers want to work with real estate agents who are experts in the community where they are buying and selling, and that’s YOU.

    Build a geographic farm list (from a desktop or laptop computer) using the MapMyMail tool.

    Hit the “CLICK HERE” link, below (from a desktop or laptop computer) and choose the MapMyMail listing building tool.

    USE PROMO CODE: FARM15 to get 15% off of your geographic farm list.

    Get started building your geographic farm list now, CLICK HERE!

    For Help Creating Your Geographic Farm List, Watch This Video Below.

    This sale expires on 12/25/21. 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 Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – 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. 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

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Real-Estate-Mailing-List-Guide2-3-D-999x1024.jpg

    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. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

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

    6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ROI-calculator-b-233x300.jpg

    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” 

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is CRUSH-IT-Guide-3-d-298x300.jpg

    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

    While you’re online scheduling your Holiday postcards to go out, consider launching an annual Holiday scheduled campaign.

      Sure, you can continue to throw stuff against the wall to see what sticks. It’s a common practice among real estate agents.

      If you want to make more money, however, consider narrowing your focus to owning a specific real estate market or niche.

      A real estate niche can be plucked from a number of categories. Take home type for example. According to a study by the folks at McKissock, a real estate education and professional development firm, agents who specialize in luxury homes are among the highest earners in the industry.

      Aside from property type, there’s the location niche, type-of-client niche (first-time buyers, veterans, etc.), and others.

      There are a lot of specialties from which to choose. Let’s take a look at the potential of older Americans, aka “empty nesters & baby boomers.”

      Especially if you list and sell real estate in an area popular for retirees (Georgia, the Carolinas, and Florida, for instance), read on.

      Empty Nest Campaign shown above. See more under FARM Campaigns, HERE
      Why empty nesters & baby boomers?

      Age 58 to 76 in 2022, older Americans spent much of the past two years reevaluating their priorities.

      “We’re now seeing the ‘Great Retirement,’ a tsunami of Baby Boomers leaving the workforce,” according to Jack Kelly, the senior contributor at Forbes.com.

      In fact, “3.2 million more of them retired in the third quarter of 2020 than did in the same quarter of 2019,” said Kathy Gurchiek with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

      Most who want to sell, want to remain in close proximity to their adult children, but not necessarily in the same, large home in which they raised them.

      Another reason to consider older Americans is they currently hold the most real estate wealth, owning 44% of homes in the U.S.

      But, are they ready to sell?

      Not all of them. Some became so freaked out over the inventory shortage that they decided to keep the home, renovate it, and age in place.

      But, overall, those “… aged 65 to 73 … sold their homes at a higher rate than any other age group in 2020,” according to Natalie Campisi, a member of the Forbes Advisory staff.

      And your association agrees. The 2021 National Association of REALTORS® “Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report” finds that baby boomers and empty-nesters make up the largest share of home sellers and second-largest share of buyers.

      Millennials once again took the top spot in the buyers’ category.

      Another area to give your attention is geographic farming

      If you haven’t chosen a geographic farm to concentrate on yet, here are a few reasons to get started now,

      • Provides strategic marketing – You’re centralizing your sales into one area. No more driving across town for a listing.
      • Creates focus – You’re committing to becoming the neighborhood expert in a specific area.
      • Contributes to future growth – You’re building toward the future instead of “just getting by” working on whatever comes your way.
      • Brands you within a community – You’re branding yourself within a community and building relationships over time with the people who live there.
      • Increases demand for your service – Sellers and buyers want to work with real estate agents who are experts in the community where they are buying and selling.

      And, right now, Farm Campaigns are on sale 10% off the first month!

      Shown above: Get More Listings postcard campaign, available in the FARM Campaign section. Learn More, HERE.

      To Launch a Farm Campaign Hit the “CLICK HERE” link, below (from a desktop or laptop computer).

      USE PROMO CODE: FARM10 to get 10% off the first month of a FARM Campaign.

      Start now, CLICK HERE!

      Details: Take 10% off the first month of a FARM Campaign for a limited time (excluding tax, postage, data, EDDM. Sale ends at midnight Saturday, 12/18/21).

      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 Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – 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. 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

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Real-Estate-Mailing-List-Guide2-3-D-999x1024.jpg

      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. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

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

      6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ROI-calculator-b-233x300.jpg

      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” 

      This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is CRUSH-IT-Guide-3-d-298x300.jpg

      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

      While you’re online scheduling your Holiday postcards to go out, consider launching an annual Holiday scheduled campaign.

        Think back to the Great Recession. “Banks seized more than 1 million homes in 2010,” compared to 100,000 in 2005, according to the staff at theweek.com.

        Mysteriously, almost overnight, scores of real estate agents across the country became “short sale experts,” promising underwater homeowners that they could help them avoid foreclosure.

        Today, we have “neighborhood experts.”

        Many of these agents, however, pay lip service to the title. After all, it sounds like a good thing to say—everyone else is doing it—so they slap the phrase on their websites, hoping it’ll give them cred.

        It doesn’t. Within two minutes of speaking with them, real estate consumers figure out that it’s all smoke and mirrors.

        If you’re going to talk the talk you need to walk the walk. Trust us, it’ll impress even the most skeptical homebuyer or seller.

        The Market Dominator and Homes & Life Magazine shown above, learn more, HERE
        How to walk the walk

        Like many of us, real estate consumers have become suspicious of common marketing practices and expect proof that we aren’t merely paying lip service to a slogan.

        So, be prepared to commit yourself to yours in a substantial way:

        • Tour all new listings in your chosen neighborhood. This way, if asked, you’ll be able to answer, immediately, instead of having to look up the information in the MLS. Impressive.
        • Keep an eye on what city officials may be proposing for the area in which you specialize. Being able to share this info, off the top of your head, will be impressive.
        • Join the Next Door pages of your neighborhood. Become the resource for information about everything from the area’s recreational amenities to who to call to fix a broken window.
        • Consider holding an annual event for the entire neighborhood. One agent we know gives away pumpkins near Halloween, another holds an annual crab feed and, yet another, has a wreath decorating party at Christmas.
        • Publish local information such as a relocation guide or area resource guide.
        Get the word out that you’re their neighborhood real estate expert

        The best way to get the word out to the neighbors about your expertise is with direct mail. Provided the area you’ve chosen isn’t too large, it’s cheap and it’s quick.

        Then, keep the campaign ongoing to ensure that your name remains top-of-mind when it comes time for one of them to buy or sell real estate.

        What to send? The tried and true, of course:

        Ensure whatever you send is branded and includes your website’s URL to help generate traffic so they can learn even more about why YOU are the neighborhood expert.

        The bottom line? Build your image and reputation by becoming so closely woven into the neighborhood that you become part of its fabric.

        Ready to go after Baby Boomers in your area market? Right now, you can get 100 contacts on a Baby Boomer Prospect list for FREE!

        HOW TO FIND BABY BOOMER PROSPECTS IN YOUR AREA.

        Hit “CLICK HERE”, below (from a desktop or laptop computer) and choose the Demographic Search Tool.

        USE PROMO CODE: BOOM100 to get the first 100 prospects free.

        5 Reasons to Go After Baby Boomers RIGHT NOW –

        1. Two sales in one (downsizing & selling one home then buying another smaller home)
        2. Baby boomers make up nearly half the seller’s market
        3. They’re seasoned buyers/sellers. They’ve sold homes before and understand the process.
        4. They know what they want. Making for an easier transaction.
        5. They have a higher amount of equity in their home than most sellers, meaning more money to spend on a new home.

        Discover Baby Boomer Prospects in your area, now, CLICK HERE!

        This sale expires on 12/11/21. 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 Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – 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. 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

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Real-Estate-Mailing-List-Guide2-3-D-999x1024.jpg

        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. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook 

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Become-A-Listing-Legend-3D-Book-White-274x300.jpg

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

        6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is ROI-calculator-b-233x300.jpg

        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” 

        This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is CRUSH-IT-Guide-3-d-298x300.jpg

        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

        While you’re online scheduling your Holiday postcards to go out, consider launching an annual Holiday scheduled campaign.

        © 2024 ProspectsPLUS! | Real Estate Marketing Blog