niche marketing

Next-Level Real Estate Marketing. Fresh Ideas for Memorable Campaigns

Oct 23, 2023

Over the past few years, direct mail real estate marketing has seen a resurgence. Experts chalk it up to the overuse of email marketing, but direct mail outperforms most digital marketing tactics, according to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA).

Direct mail marketing’s “response rate ranges from about five to nine times greater than that of email, paid search, or social media,” according to the pros at datatargetingsolutions.com.

Pretty impressive, right? Yet, at least in the real estate industry, it’s still not utilized like it could be.

This leaves the door open for agents seeking an additional marketing vehicle and a way to stand out.

Niche real estate postcards

A few years ago, scientists at Temple University’s Fox School of Business Center for Neural Decision-Making teamed up with the Postal Service to study the circumstances under which email or direct mail was more effective.

Postcards were more effective in five of the nine tests performed.

The most popular postcard agents are familiar with are the time-tested Just Listed and Just Sold postcards, which are still highly effective. To stand out further in this market, consider a local market update on the postcard back or a QR code leading to a valuable direct response flyer opt-in.

To think outside the postcard box, there are a multitude of real estate niches that you can drill down and focus on to stir up interest.

Some popular niches include baby boomers, high-income renters, expired, absentee owners, FSBOs, move-up markets, and investors. The more obscure niches include divorce, foreclosure, estate sale, and notice of default.

ProspectsPLUS! has postcard designs available in all of the niches listed above, already done for you with the perfect message for the niche market.

Education Direct Response Reports

Direct response reports are a great educational tool, filled with valuable information homeowners appreciate.

You can share them on social media as a “free offer”, include them in your email newsletter as a free offer, add them to your website as an opt-in in exchange for an email address, or add them to your listing presentation folder and pre-listing packet.

Personally branded agent magazines

Consider a personally branded agent magazine to level up your real estate presence in a way that few agents do. Homes & Life Magazine is a done-for-you magazine with rich, full-color content.

It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles, and engaging lifestyle content, and costs less to send out than a greeting card!

Sphere or farm scheduled postcard campaign

When clients need a real estate agent, it pays to have an easily recognizable name at their fingertips. But coming up with fresh, eye-catching content and sticking to a regular schedule of sending this content out is incredibly time-consuming.

A scheduled, recurring postcard campaign is the easiest way to maintain brand exposure and stay relevant while freeing time for more high-level tasks.

According to Lenskold Group, 78% of marketers reported that marketing automation increased revenue.

And 75% of brands saw a return on investment within 12 months due to using automated marketing campaigns (Focus Research study).

Launching a scheduled marketing campaign is the best way to make every moment count in your business, raise your brand profile, and stay relevant.

ProspectsPLUS! offers over 40 scheduled postcard campaigns, including sphere, farm, renters, absentee owners, holiday, and other niche markets.

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 Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 6-Month Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The 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 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

Unlock the Hidden Potential of the Baby Boomer Real Estate Market

Aug 23, 2023

We’ve mentioned recently, and you’ve no doubt seen it in your real estate practice, that baby boomers are large and in charge of the housing market.

“In 2023, baby boomers overtook millennials as the greatest percentage of homebuyers in the U.S., making up 39% of the market compared to 28% for millennials (and 24% for Gen X),” suggests Dawn Allcot at Nasdaq.com.

This cohort makes up the largest share of home sellers as well, setting up a scenario where a whole bunch of agents will have the opportunity to get two deals out of one client.

They win bidding wars

Listing agents know well how challenging it sometimes is to calm down the seller who is receiving multiple offers. It’s heady stuff to have a group of people vying for your home, and visions of “over-asking” often dance through their heads.

Counseling the seller to also compare the terms of each offer is a wise move. Is the proposed closing date most convenient for your seller? What about the amount of cash the buyer is willing to put into the deal?

“With all this in mind, new research from Realtor.com shows that baby boomers have the upper hand when it comes to sealing the deal on the next home of their dreams,” according to Allcot.

The ideal next home for the baby boomer

It’s easy to make assumptions about what type of home our aging population is seeking. And many of those assumptions are valid. One-story homes, for instance, are in great demand, as are homes with wide halls and doorways to accommodate a wheelchair in the future.

A few other items that are on the wish list of older clients include:

A walk-in shower
Lowered countertops
No stairs, inside or out
A home office for those who haven’t yet retired

Think they don’t want to sell? Think again

It’s common knowledge and a bone of contention for younger homebuyers that our older generation refuses to budge from their family home.

A 2021 AARP survey found that more than three-quarters of adults ages 50 and older want to stay in their current homes, also known as aging in place.

There’s a problem with that, however. “A significant majority of adults want to continue living in their homes as they age, but the unfortunate reality is that many homes and communities weren’t built to support that desire,” according to Rodney Harrell, AARP Vice President, Family, Home, and Community.

AARP finds in another study that “About half of adults say they’d consider leaving their home if it meant finding one that would help them age independently,” said Anna Deen at TheMessenger.com.

I smell an amazing real estate niche in there, don’t you?

As you tour new listings, pay attention to the layout of the home to determine if it’s move-in ready for a boomer who wants to age in place. Even homes that require minimum renovation are attractive to this generation, so don’t ignore those, either.

Then, do consider reaching out to the baby boomers in your CRM.

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

4. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

Send Marketing From Inside Your CRM with the ProspectsPLUS! Manager

Oct 17, 2022

With our FREE Contact Manager, you can tag entire mailing lists or just one contact within a list, building one highly targeted list from many.

Now achieve better results from your marketing and ensure you are hitting the ideal target within your various lists with the right message at the right time!

This new tool is available to use right now on Prospectsplus.com, for free, just for being a ProspectsPLUS! member.

To check out the Contact Manager tutorial, CLICK HERE.

The Following are Five Ways You Can Start Using the New Contact Manager Today!

1.Compile Contacts From Your Just Listed Just Sold Lists

Move all your Just Listed Just Sold mailing lists to the Contact Manager. As you move them, “tag” the lists with the name of the neighborhood they are from.

Now you can send follow-up postcards or schedule a campaign to go out to specific contacts from various “tagged” neighborhoods. The Just Sold Follow-Up campaign or a postcard from this series is a great choice.

2. Create Monthly Customer Birthday Lists

Upload your SOI list or move your current one into the Contact Manager. Add birthdays to each contact’s personal information in the space provided.

Now mid-way through each month, you can select and send a birthday card to all of your contacts with a “Tagged” birthday for the upcoming month. You can even schedule these Birthday postcards to go out for the whole year in one sitting.

3. Create Monthly Home Anniversary Lists

Upload your SOI list or move a current one into the Contact Manager. Add the home anniversary date to the applicable contact’s personal information in the space provided.

Now mid-way through each month, you can select and send home anniversary postcards to go out to all of your “Tagged” contacts with a home anniversary in the upcoming month. You can even schedule these cards to go out each month for the whole year in one sitting.

4. Tag Your Past Clients for Special Mailings

When your current client becomes your past client, be sure to “tag” them with a “past client” tag. Now they are ready for you to be able to quickly pull together a targeted list to send out special Customer Appreciation postcards, thank you’s, and referral reminders.

5. Tag Your Buyers Across Lists For Special Mailings

Any time you create a list of buyers, be sure to tag them with the “buyers” tag. Now you can send a targeted mailing to all of your buyers across several lists.

To get started with the Contact Manager tool now, CLICK HERE.

Or check out our basic Contact Manager Tutorial, CLICK HERE.

A couple More Notes About the New Contact Manager:

This is not a free trial. Our Contact Manager will be free to our ProspectsPLUS! members indefinitely.
If you have a CRM you currently use, by all means, continue. However, if you are purchasing a mailing list from us at any time in the future, it’s worth your time to take a moment and tag that list in the event you may want to take advantage of that tag in the future.
We don’t share or sell your data. Please visit our privacy policy in the footer of the website and if you aren’t comfortable initially take a look at our reviews and maybe just start with lists that you are purchasing from us as we already have that data and are providing it to you.
We certainly hope you choose to stay with us, but you can always download any or all of your lists out of the website at any time you choose to, and we even allow you to download a string of data that shows you the tags you associated with your contacts so that it will make it easier for you to take it to your next list management CRM platform.

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

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

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts combined with engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you.

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 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 and when. Four key market segments include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

The most effective thing you can do to build a real estate business is to become more visible, more likable, and remembered more often. The BusinessBASE™ not only checks all of these boxes but is also 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

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

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Take a Listing Today Podcast

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPukXEEmt5v4mU3iZ_hqYZ-W2g_Z6Ufgu

Watch the ProspectsPLUS!, Take a Listing Today Podcast for actionable content to help you get more listings. – Click Here

Back Away From the Phone! Here are Three Alternatives to Cold Calling.

Jul 28, 2022

How many more hours will you sit in front of the phone, trying to gin up the motivation to pick it up and dial for dollars?

Is there anything more boring? Is there anything more stressful?

If cold calling is a mega lead generator for you, by all means, have at it. But, believe it or not, there are tens of thousands of agents who are sick of it (yes, we made up that number).

For these agents, we offer alternatives. No, they’re not unique or even new. But we’ve met plenty of agents who’ve used at least one of these strategies with great success.

1. ‘Til divorce do us part

“Every 42 seconds, there is one divorce in America,” according to statistics gathered by Wilkinson and Finkbeiner, a San Diego, CA law firm.

We must warn you that working with divorcing couples isn’t for the timid agent. It is, however, quite profitable for those agents who pride themselves on their ability to remain impartial and have tons of patience.

Once you’re up and running with it, you’ll likely find that lead generation is positively zippy compared to cold calling.

Since “Almost 50 percent of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce or separation” (Wilkinson and Finkbeiner), you’ll have a steady stream of business.

Aside from the aforementioned impartiality and patience, divorce real estate agents must be consummate communicators, have endless patience, and exhibit utmost tact. Add to that someone who thrives on working under pressure, and you have the perfect person to work with clients in a deeply acrimonious relationship.

How to find these folks?

Get in touch with local divorce attorneys and solicit referrals
Buy a list through Rebogateway
Run Google or Social Media ads

Get more tips from watching these videos at YouTube.com:

2. Market to landlords

Sure, landlords are making bank right now, but there will always be some who just want out from under the burden of being a landlord.

Like other lead gen techniques, marketing to landlords takes persistence and consistency to work.

Market Dominator is shown above; click here to learn more.

Again, direct mail is the most efficient way to build your pool of landlord leads. A current market report and/or CMA would be welcome and appreciated. Follow-up touches can include Just Listed/Just Sold homes near the rental and quarterly market updates.

3. Start a farm

Farming is an amazing way for people to become familiar with you and to build brand recognition.

Sure, you can create a real estate farm and cold-call homeowners, but the beauty of this lead gen technique is that you don’t have to. There are plenty of ways to keep in touch with the homeowners in your farm area that don’t involve using a phone.

Direct mail is the ideal vehicle, and you’ll find a variety of products (from Get More Listings postcards to a Market Dominator newsletter (sent through EDDM) to Homes & Life Magazines and more, right here at ProspectsPlus.com.

Check out this blog post to learn much more about farming in general and circle prospecting in particular.

None of these real estate lead gen strategies will make you an overnight sensation. But choose one or two and vow to give it your all—to be consistent and persistent — for the rest of the year, and you may just find you’ll never need to make another cold call.

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

1. Put Your Real Estate Business a Step Above with Your Own Branded Magazine

Homes & Life Magazine is a customizable magazine with rich, full-color content and a sharp, professional aesthetic. It includes compelling, direct response-driven articles written by real estate industry experts combined with engaging lifestyle content. Send out Homes & Life Magazine in Just Minutes – No Minimums Required. Or we’ll ship it to you.

Homes & Life Magazine is the ultimate “Coffee Table Lingerer”! …and it costs less than sending a greeting card! – Click Here

2. The Free 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 include niche Markets, geographic farming, sphere of influence, and past clients. – Click Here

3. The BusinessBase, SOI building system

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 Work with a Reluctant Home Buyer and Save a Faltering Deal!

Mar 31, 2022

One thing that hot and heavy real estate markets bring is anxiety for buyers. In slower markets, homebuyers have time to leisurely view homes for sale.

Today, they have to act so quickly they let common sense fall by the wayside. Remorse sets in and, can you blame them?

Buying a home is a huge financial commitment and feeling rushed or challenged in a bidding war can make even the strongest buyer develop lingering doubts.

Think about buying a car. Unless you walked onto the lot knowing exactly which make, model, and year you wanted, you may have had to do some comparison shopping. When you finally narrowed down the choices to one, did you hear that little voice in your head that questioned your choice?

The First Time Buyer Series is shown above. To send a one-time mailing, Click Here. To send a recurring campaign, Click Here.

“Am I making a huge mistake? Maybe I should choose the Nissan instead of the Honda.”

That, my friend, is known as “cold feet,” and it’s the first symptom of a full-blown attack of buyer’s remorse.

Knowing the signs puts you in a position to help your client and save the deal, so let’s unpack this.

Watch out for these warning signs

Not all buyers prone to remorse will exhibit the same symptoms, but do pay attention if any of the following occur:

The buyer is concentrating on the minutia when deciding whether to make an offer. “Asking about when the roof was replaced or how old is the water heater are good questions and the buyers are thinking straight,” suggests Conor MacEvilly at myseattlehomesearch.com.

“But when they start asking about the wine stain on the living room floor, the hairlike crack in the kitchen ceiling, and the dripping bathroom faucet before making an offer, you are probably going to end up with one extra picky buyer …,” he concludes.

The buyer complains of feeling “rushed” or pushed into making an offer. Whether this is because you are actually rushing them (please don’t) or market conditions are putting pressure on them, pay attention to this warning. This is the time to remind them that contingencies are their friends and that nothing is a done deal until those are removed.

Deal with it

Always insist on a buyers’ consultation session before viewing any homes for sale. This is your opportunity to learn more about them and to get a feel for their motivation. It’s an important factor when judging whether they will stick with a deal.

During the consultation, ask them their reasons for buying a home. Here is what you should hope to hear:

Their monthly housing payment will remain stable (at least with a fixed rate loan)
Build wealth
Tax advantages
Freedom to own a pet and make changes to the home
Starting a family or a growing family
Need a larger home to accommodate an aging parent
Just moved to the area and need to move quickly
Want to cut their commute time

While there are others, these are strong motivations for a homebuyer. When feet appear to be getting cold during the buying process, remind your client what motivated them to buy in the first place.

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

Build Your Real Estate Business for the Long Haul. Choose a Speciality

Oct 21, 2021

In the medical field, a physician that deals with the masses is a general practitioner. In the real estate industry, an agent that deals with the masses is . . . well, a real estate agent.

Just as there are medical specialties like neurosurgery and psychiatry, so are their specialties in real estate, yet the industry professionals have been slow to catch on.

Seth Godin, author, entrepreneur, marketer, and public speaker, in a speech to a group of real estate agents, talks about micro-specialization and claims that it’s the best way to build financial assets for the long haul.

Micro-specialization is drilling down into the various specialties you might offer and choosing just one. So, instead of being the guy or gal in town that handles everything from condos to ranches, you would be the Empty-Nest expert or the Move-Up Market, expert.

Then, you can employ hyper-targeted marketing until you own that specialty. It’s not a quick process, but if you stick with it, you will find long-term success.

Some Markets aren’t Conducive

Niche marketing in large real estate markets, such as Los Angeles or Chicago is easy. Agents in tiny markets, however, will probably find that the strategy narrows your potential client pool drastically and the benefits you might find in a large market just won’t present themselves.

Sure, it’s a Scary Thought

Many real estate agents are cut from the same cloth. They present like they’re unique in their market yet copy other agents. Does “It’s a GREAT time to buy a home!” ring a bell?

Why?

Because everyone else is doing it and because breaking away from the pack is frightening to many people. So, they allow the fear of driving away even one potential client to fuel their march, in lock-step, with every other agent in town.

Godin likens this fear to burning all other bridges in the industry. But to become memorable – to own a specialty – you must burn those bridges. You must step outside the safety zone of the pack.

The Bonus

Choosing a specialty comes with a bonus – branding and targeted marketing are a snap. Once you’ve settled on a niche, you know exactly who your audience is, you know where to find them and, sometimes, even their ages.

“Let me tell you, the day I decided to cut all the other specialties loose to concentrate on my niche, I was terrified. The future was so unsure, but I did it anyway,” one of our Florida clients recently told us.

“Am I sorry? No way!”

If you want to stop chasing business, choose a niche and own it. Become the First Time Buyer Specialist, the Absentee Owner Expert, or go after the Move-Up Market and let prospects come to you instead of you chasing after them — while competing with every other generalist in town.

You won’t be sorry.

Ready to own the Move-Up Market? Discover Move-Up Market Prospects in your area and get the first 100 prospects for free – for 3 MORE DAYS!

Right now, the first 100 on a **Move-Up Market Prospect List** are FREE TO YOU! (sale expires Oct. 23rd).

HOW TO FIND MOVE-UP MARKET PROSPECTS IN YOUR AREA.

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

USE PROMO CODE: MOVE100 to get the first 100 prospects free.

Discover Move-Up Market Prospects in your area, now, CLICK HERE!

This sale expires on 10/23/21. 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 Marketing, Get More Listings, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence. –Click Here

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

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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. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

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

Generate MORE LISTINGS by Going After the Probate Market

May 13, 2021

Probate is the legal process “through which a deceased person’s estate is properly distributed to designated beneficiaries. If any debt is owed it is paid off to creditors,” according to the experts at LegalZoom.com.

The probate process varies according to state. For instance, your potential new “listing client” is considered the contact person for the decedent in a probate case. However, the term used to define this person is just one of the aspects of probate that varies based on where they live.

In Hawaii, he or she is called the decedent’s “personal representative.” In California, you’ll need to find the name of the executor or executrix.

This representative is tasked with coming up with an inventory of the deceased’s estate and the disposal of the assets, including the home, according to the decedent’s wishes.

Findlaw.com offers a handy chart that displays specific probate laws and terms for each state, here.

Probate real estate is a growing niche

You, as a real estate agent experienced in probate sales (which you will be after your first probate transaction), are the decedent’s biggest assets.

All housing market eyes are on members of the baby boomer generation when it comes to potential, future probate cases.

And the interest is justified, considering that older Americans currently own 40 percent of the country’s housing stock.

Fannie Mae calls this the “departure of older adults from the homeowner market.” What they mean is their departure from the earthly realm, but they’re far too kind to put it that way.

Get More Probate Clients by Launching an *Agent Definition Series* Scheduled Campaign. Learn More, **HERE**

While Baby Boomers are living longer than previous generations, they will “exit homeownership” during this new decade. Statistics show they will exit at a rate of 42 percent higher than the previous decade, according to Fannie Mae’s Economic & Strategic Research Group.

The learning curve for real estate agents

If you lack enough first-hand knowledge of the process to get you started, you’ll need to learn all you can about the probate process in your area.

Start by visiting the Findlaw.com link we mentioned earlier. Then, call your MLS or local association to find out if they offer probate educational opportunities.

For instance, the Orange County Association of Realtors, in California, at one time offered probate training by a local probate attorney (not sure if they still do).

If you’re willing to pay the cost of online probate real estate courses, you’ll find them offered at AllTheLeads.com. They also have a podcast on the topic. We know nothing about the courses, so perform your due diligence before signing up.

Some of us prefer the self-taught method of learning. If you’re among this group, you’ll find loads of information online:

Then you’ll need to generate probate leads

Starting out, you may opt for buying leads, and that’s ok. While we don’t know anything about the following companies, it may be worth it to check them out.

DIY agents should know that probate records are public. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to access them.

There are two ways to approach the search, initially:

Choose a county you’re interested in working in. Call the probate court for that county and ask how you can obtain a list of probates. Can’t find a “probate court” in that county? Call the circuit court.
Do an online search for “[Name of County] probate records.” This should help you find the .gov site that will outline the steps to get copies of the court records.

An additional source for purchasing probate prospect lists is with Rebogateway.

Probate clients aren’t like other real estate clients

You’ll meet a variety of clients when you start specializing in probate real estate. Some will be grief-stricken over the loss of a parent and the loss of the family home. Others are happy to help you sell the home in the shortest amount of time possible.

Often, it becomes a group undertaking, where all the details need to be ok’d by all siblings.

Emotions may run high so if you aren’t good at dealing with them, you may want to reconsider this niche.

If, on the other hand, you’re not afraid of others’ emotions, probate real estate can be a lucrative and rewarding specialty.

Ready to generate more listings by going after the probate market?

After you grab your prospect list, launch a weekly Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign to let them know you’re ready to help them sell their home.

FARM, Get More Listings Campaigns are currently on sale 10% OFF the first month. But ONLY for 3 MORE DAYS! (sale ends 5/15/21).

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

TO LAUNCH A FARM CAMPAIGN:

Hit “CLICK HERE”, below, to get started on your FARM, Get More Listings 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 a FARM, 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

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”

How to Convert Renters Into Motivated Home Buyers – With LESS WORK

Dec 17, 2020

A new Joint Center for Housing Study from Harvard University calculated 12 million American’s spend more than 50% of their earnings on rent.

This reality is probably why more renters are waking, up fed up that their rent checks are lining their landlord’s pocket and are ready to considering buying.

In the past, Americans in the nation’s most expensive cities have chosen to rent because it appeared to be a feasible solution. In San Francisco, for instance, where the median starter home costs about $895,000, there are more high-income renters than homeowners, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

As rents rise, however, they’re realizing that perhaps a fixed-rate mortgage payment is far better than the wildly accelerating rental rates of late.

**Yet, some people still choose to rent. Why?**

Many are cash poor and don’t understand that they don’t have to have a huge chunk of money for a down payment and closing costs. Others assume they can’t afford to purchase, despite having a decent income.

To successfully pursue this real estate audience requires targeted marketing that dispels myths and speaks to their pain points.

Here are some suggestions on topics you may want to use to attract these tenants.

That up-front cost

“I was a long-term renter because I wanted to wait to buy until I could afford to stay in my current neighborhood,” a new homeowner tells Jennifer Bradley Franklin at BankRate.com.

So, why the long-term tenancy? “I didn’t realize that there were affordable options,” she told Franklin.

One would think that with all the information at our fingertips, real estate consumers would be better informed about down payment assistance, closing cost help, and the overall long-term cost advantage of buying over renting.

It’s the assumption that the costs are higher when you buy than when you rent that keeps many of them out of the housing market. Dispelling this myth is a worthy goal in your marketing efforts.

In addition, educate renters on the down payment assistance programs that are available to them.

Although many are reserved for low-to-moderate-income earners, there are some for those who earn more.

In fact, with more than 2,000 down payment/closing cost assistance programs nationwide, you are bound to find one for your higher-earning, home-buying prospects.

Or, let them know that the FHA-backed mortgage has a down payment that can go as low as 3.5% and there are no income limits for borrowers. You would be shocked to know how few consumers are aware of this.

What demographic of renters you should target?

When creating your rental prospect list, target renters who earn in excess of $70,000 per year. Especially the 1.35 million-plus American households who earn $150,000 per year or more and who “became renters between 2007 and 2017.” (US Census data).

If you’re in a market that doesn’t provide an adequate targeted prospect list when you target $70k and up, then grab an annual salary range that better fits your market.

ProspectsPLUS! has a demographic search tool that makes it easy to build a list of high-income renters based on an annual income range you choose, under the “custom search” option.

NOW, you can convert renters into home buyers with less work

The ideal way to communicate, educate, and build trust over time with renters is to launch a renter postcard marketing campaign.

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

In one quick sitting, you can schedule your renter postcards to go out over a period of time on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly basis.

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

To Launch a Renter Scheduled Campaign, Pick a Postcard Series, Then:

Choose Your Start Date (see image below)
Pick your mailing interval (weekly, bi-weekly, etc)
Then attach your renter prospect list (you can schedule as little as one postcard to go out).

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

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

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”

Want More Millennial Clients? Here’s Where they’re Buying

Oct 22, 2020

We’ve been hearing for years that Millennials are dominating the real estate market. But which markets are they choosing?

It’s not urban centers. A lot of the time the cities they choose aren’t even among the largest in the state. Over the past few months, with the ability to take their jobs with them and work remotely, we’re seeing increasing numbers of the cohort choosing ever-smaller cities in which to settle down.

The folks at Ellie Mae® periodically release their Millennial Tracker™ “… a web-based application that tracks closed loan application trends for U.S. homebuyers born 1980-99.”

Ok, we could quibble with their dates for the birth of Millennials (born 1977–1995, according to the Center for Generational Kinetics), but we won’t.

Obviously, this study is based on younger Millennials, who are just as active in the real estate market as their elders.

We thought it would be fun to take a look at the 5 hottest markets for Millennials over the past few months, according to Ellie Mae research.

1. Dumas, Texas

Dumas, Texas, with a population of 14,775 has, since 2010, experienced a population growth of 3.9%, according to BestPlaces.net.

So, why are folks flocking to this small Texas town?

The cost of living. It is more than 21% lower than the U.S. average.

Located in the Texas Panhandle, about 45 miles north of Amarillo, Dumas is the seat of Moore County and the energy and agriculture industries fuel Dumas’ economy.

If you sell real estate in the area, you’ve seen the influx of Millennials over the past year and locals expect it to continue. In fact, 70% of closed loan applications in Dumas, from May to July of this year, were from Millennial homebuyers with a median age of 30.

2. Eagle Pass, Texas

Another Texas city takes the number two spot in popularity with Millennial homebuyers. Google searches for the area include:

Is Eagle Pass TX safe? (you aren’t allowed to answer that one)
What is Eagle Pass known for? (the first American settlement on the Rio Grande)
How far is Eagle Pass TX from San Antonio? (143 miles)
How far is Eagle Pass TX from Houston TX? (336 miles)

Seventy percent of closed purchase loans in Eagle Pass, over the past three months, went to Millennial homebuyers.

The average age of these borrowers is 32, most are married (66%) and the largest share used a FHA-backed mortgage with an average loan amount of $162,205.

What makes the Eagle Pass real estate market to attractive? One factor is that folks get a lot more house for the money here.

For instance, there is an adorable home listed as of this writing, that features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in nearly 1600 square feet of living space. Price? $185,000.

Jobs in Eagle Pass are primarily in food manufacturing, import, freight forwarding/transportation and retail.

3. Hastings, Nebraska

Hastings’ high placement on Ellie Mae’s list doesn’t surprise local agents. For at least three years now, North Dakota has ranked as the nation’s city with the highest percentage of Millennial residents.

Located 2 hours and 22 minutes southwest of Omaha (or $24 on an Amtrack train), the city boasts a population of 24,822 (as of 2018).

Major industries in the region include:

Education & Health Services
Manufacturing & Construction
Wholesale & Retail Trade

Job growth in the city was a sluggish “… 0.0% over the last year,” according to bestplaces.net. “Future job growth over the next ten years is predicted to be 24.9%.”

So, Millennials aren’t moving here for the jobs. They are most likely bringing their jobs with them as so many are doing since the outbreak of COVID-19.

4. Midland, Texas

Midland, Texas is hot, hot, hot with Millennial homebuyers. The city showed up on Ellie Mae’s tracker as number one with Millennials as far back as November 2018 and it’s back in 2020 – at number 4.

It didn’t happen by accident, however. Midland city leaders understand that building a culture for new talent “… requires intention,” according to Nina Ignaczak with modeldmedia.com.

Some of the credit for Midland’s popularity with the cohort also goes to fact that “Per capita personal income in Midland is the highest in the state,” according to dallasfed.org. There’s a lot of money to be made in the Midland-Odessa region.

Millennials account for 65% of closed mortgage applications in Midland during the period researched. Sixty-two percent of these borrowers used a conventional loan for an average purchase price of $273,555.

5. Williston, ND

Another city that shows up just about every quarter on Ellie Mae’s list, Williston North Dakota is a Millennial magnet. In fact, the entire state is a hotbed for the generation.

Moneyrates.com chose North Dakota as the best state for the Millennial generation. “North Dakota’s rise as a great state for millennials is due to a mix of business and pleasure,” the report claims.

Williston, for many reasons, ranks high on the cohort’s favored North Dakota cities.

Over the past few months, 66% of closed loan applications for homes in Williston came from Millennials. They, by and large, used conventional loans (66%), and boast an average FICO score of 745. The average age of these homebuyers is 32.

Millennials began surging into Williston during the oil boom which, in turn, prompted city leaders to create more sports and recreational amenities.

That response paid off when new, Millennial-attracting businesses rolled into town.

Nearly 60% of these Millennial buyers in Williston secured a conventional loan for an average purchase price of $261,305.

Send the Mortgage Hits Low postcard from the Real Estate Times Series to your list of millennials or any area where you are interested in getting more buyers.

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. 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

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Struggling in real estate? Try breaking away from the herd

Sep 28, 2020

Never will you find a cardiac surgeon dispensing advice about gynecological problems. Nor will you likely find blog posts on pet websites counseling readers about DIY home projects.

Yet, many real estate agents have the notion that they can be everything to everyone. Those that typically sell single-family homes think nothing of listing a condo. Those that list mobile homes don’t hesitate to take on a luxury home listing.

While this may be ok for your bottom line, it does a real disservice to real estate consumers. In all other professions they have a choice of specialists.

They can consult a divorce attorney instead of a bankruptcy lawyer. When they need a root canal, they see an endodontist not an orthodontist and they can take their Porsche to a mechanic who specializes in them.

Remaining a real estate generalist is easier. It’s safer. After all, you don’t want to miss out on even one deal by narrowing your business focus, right?

What’s unique about that?

It’s unfortunate so many real estate agents harbor a reluctance to break away from the herd. The truth is, however, if you always follow the leader you will always be behind.

Then, there’s that lump in the gut when you think of closing off your business to some parts of the real estate industry and narrowing your focus to only one or two specialties.

This move away from being “a jack-of-all-trades but the master of none” is necessary if you’re to become the best in the market in your niche.

Seth Godin, blogging master and best-selling author, suggests that real estate agents should consider “micro-specialization.”

Choose a niche and work to dominate it.

Step away from the Herd

“… you’re either the best in the world (where ‘world’ can be a tiny slice of the environment) or you’re invisible,” Godin continues.

He says that to become “visible,” requires “… being Draconian in your choices. No, you can’t also do a little of this or a little of that. Best in your world means burning your other bridges and obsessing,” Godin says.

Scary thought, right?

Let’s look at a scenario:

You’re an agent in Las Vegas, chasing after every lead that comes your way – single family homes, duplexes, condos, whatever, you’ll take it. Your website even proclaims as much – “I can help you will all your real estate needs!”

If you consider yourself the average agent, you make about $45,610 a year, give or take a few dollars, according to Daniel Bortz at Realtor.com.

Suppose you decide to step away from being “average” and that you will specialize in listing and selling high-rise condos. Last year, 607 Las Vegas high rise condo units sold, with an average sales price of $598,728. This represents a commission of about $17,962 per side (based on 6 percent total commission).

As a generalist, how many of these condos would you have listed or sold? Be honest. The average Las Vegas agent was lucky to have listed one or two in an entire year.

The specialist that targets the high-rise condo market with a laser-like focus and dominates the brand as the niche expert in the area increases his or her chances of taking more than a handful of those sides from other agents.

Let’s be conservative and say that you only close one of these condo-deals a month. Even on a 50/50 broker split, you’d be making nearly $9,000 a month in GCI, give or take a few dollars and nearly $108,000 a year – almost three times what the average agent in the Las Vegas Valley brings home.

Remember, our scenario is based on conservative estimates. Your mileage may be a lot better.

The bonus is that the more you enforce your condo-specialist brand, the more condo leads you’ll get and folks that want to buy or sell high-rise condos will seek you out.

Imagine selling 5 of these condos a month.

If you’ve been casting as wide a net as possible in the hope of reeling in the maximum number of leads, consider setting yourself apart from other agents by claiming a niche and dominating it.

Send the Tired of Being a Landlord postcard from the Absentee Owner Series to a targeted list of Absentee Owners in your area.

Need help targeting a specific niche of buyers or sellers? Use our Demographic Search Tool to create the ideal list (it’s easy). Or call our support team for assistance at 866.405.3638!

PLUS: When you have time…here are 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

5. Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

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