scheduled campaigns

Before Believing THIS Real Estate Myth, Check Your Sources

Nov 8, 2021

Here’s a real estate myth doled out to agents from the pros at Investopedia.com:

“A lot’s proximity to things like busy roadways and community centers may make it less desirable for resale.”

REALTOR® Magazine gives us something similar: “If your seller’s home is in a part of the neighborhood that borders a highway, train tracks, or an industrial area, it’ll likely fetch a lower price.”

While Investopedia is flat-out wrong (read why below), REALTOR® Magazine got it partially right.

The takeaway from this for real estate agents is to always check with more than one source when it comes to helping a client with an investment as large and important as real estate.

Believe it or not

University studies about several aspects of the housing industry litter the internet. Why take advice that is, on the face of it, either agenda-driven or based on anecdotal evidence? You owe your clients more than that.

The truth is, although “location” is critical to the present and future value of a home, the truth of the specifics of the location are a bit more complicated.

If you truly are your area’s “real estate expert, put in the time to perform proper research. You may be surprised by what you learn.

Location Myth: Homes near a railroad fetch a lower price

In 2007, researchers studying the issue of rail transit’s impact on home prices cited previous studies and claimed that the conclusions were “… not uniform.”

In other words, “location,” as you know, includes many variables. When it comes to a railroad, some of the considerations include:

Is the property commercial or residential?
Is the railroad a commuter line or heavy rail?
Is “railroad” referring to the proximity of railroad tracks or a station?
And, naturally, the addition or deduction of value for these properties depends on the region.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, for instance, a study reveals that a home “… immediately adjacent to BART [Bay Area Rapid Transit] would sell for close to 38% more than an identical house not near any BART service.”

Other studies find that a home located near the commuter rail in the suburbs of New Jersey and in Philadelphia also saw higher sale prices than homes further away.

On the flip side, homes located closest to a station area in Portland were worth less, “… due to the traffic and noise.”

We’ll feature additional location myths in the future. In the meantime, next time you hear or read that one of the drawbacks of living near a railroad is that it depresses property values, do some research on homes in the community you serve.

You and your client may be pleasantly surprised by what you learn.

The Fence Sitter postcard campaign is the perfect direct mail marketing tool to get prospects motivated to move forward. And, right now you can get 10% off Fence Sitter Campaigns.

Shown above: Fence Sitter postcard campaign, available in the FARM campaign section. Learn More, **HERE**.

HOW TO LAUNCH A FENCE SITTER CAMPAIGN.

Hit the “CLICK HERE” link, below (from a desktop or laptop computer) and choose the Fence Sitter Series.

USE PROMO CODE: FENCE10 to get 10% off the first month of a Fence Sitter Campaign.

Schedule a Fence Sitter postcard campaign, now, CLICK HERE!

This sale expires on 11/13/21. 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

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

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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

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

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

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

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

Why NOW is the Time to Re-Think Real Estate Handouts

Nov 4, 2021

Once upon a time in real estate land, agents used handouts as a large portion of their business marketing.

Today’s real estate consumer demands and expects “value” from those with whom they do business, even down to the stuff they get free.

While handouts may seem unnecessary to you, they’re actually an effective marketing tool to increase engagement and perfectly complement your marketing strategies.

Real estate handouts cut out the middle-man or woman

It’s probably not much of a stretch to claim that the average real estate agent will never make it to page one of Google’s search results for the most common real estate search terms, organically.

Instead of going after that holy grail, the marketing experts at clientexpand.com suggest advertising within the sites that do show up on page one. An example would be Houzz.com.

While that may make a nifty addition to your digital strategy, we think it’s best to cut out that middle step and go direct to the consumer.

Some possible topics for real estate handouts

The benefits of owning versus renting.
4 low down payment mortgage options.
Neighborhood real estate statistics (sold, pending, listed). Still one of the most-read pieces of information that homeowners receive. Especially valuable to out-of-town owners.
Client testimonials.
Community entertainment calendar.
Target tenants with a list of ways to improve credit scores.
Magnetic Football schedule cards and calendars
Tips for the FSBOs in the area.

How to use real estate handouts

Handouts can be one page (a typical flyer) or multiple pages, depending on the topic and your goal. Many agents find that direct response reports make ideal flyers.

Use them in:

Pre-listing packets
Listing presentations
Buyer packets
On your website
On doorknobs
As direct mail pieces
On windshields in parking lots
Use digital copies in your emails, on your blog, in your newsletters and as social media posts

Offered consistently, real estate marketing handouts not only supply valuable information to homeowners or tenants but cement your brand as the area specialist.

Going after baby boomers? The ideal handout to offer them is the direct response report 3 Easy Steps to Pain-Free Downsizing.

And, right now, you can get 100 Baby Boomer prospect list contacts for FREE – For 3 MORE DAYS!

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.

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

This sale expires on 11/6/21. 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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

3 Essential Branding Tips For The New Real Estate Agent

Oct 27, 2021

Welcome to the world of real estate, you soon-to-be-wildly successful agent. Your spanking new license, hung with a broker you probably just recently met, is your ticket to the big bucks – or so the story goes.

Between now and then, you may be hungry. You may be frightened about the future. You most likely will be financially challenged. Your sole focus will definitely be on securing one client – one deal – to help you stay in business long enough to get to the next one.

The ideal vehicle to get you to that deal – indeed, the very bedrock of your nascent real estate business — is personal branding.

Creating an impression, and the reputation you will eventually build, combine to generate your personal brand. Constructing your brand is job number one as soon as you’ve hung your license. Everything else falls into place once this is accomplished.

Read on for three essential tips guaranteed to help you fire up the iron and stick it strategically to your hide.

1. What makes you Remarkable?

“Unique” is a word that gets tossed around a great deal when it comes to discussions on branding. Among real estate agents, however, commonalities are more obvious than differences.

Let’s face it; the basic duties of every real estate agent are the same: you list homes, fill out paperwork, show houses and act as your client’s intermediary.

This is where personal branding comes into play. What makes you different from most of the others? Perhaps it’s your education – an agent with a Juris doctorate or even a staging certificate has an angle that many other agents lack.

Previous careers often play into an agent’s branding efforts as well.

As a former TV news anchor, Bob Sokoler with Re/Max Properties East in Louisville, KY is undoubtedly the best real estate video producer among the agents in the area. It makes him stand out, and he uses that as part of his branding.

Answer the following questions to help determine what makes you different:

What are your interests and passions? What motivates you?
What are your strengths? What behaviors, attitudes and abilities have consistently produced positive outcomes in your life?
Consider your education and previous work experience.

Get clear on what makes you remarkable. Those qualities, those aspects of you, are what will keep you from being a dime-a-dozen agent.

Then, state those qualities, commodities, or even quirks in a declarative statement that helps you get a handle on your brand. “I am a high-end real estate agent giving the sophisticated consumer a stylish and tailor-made real estate experience,” wrote a luxury agent.

2. Who is your Target Client?

Radio DJs are taught early in their careers to get a clear image of who they’re talking to every time they open the microphone. They’re told to imagine one person and to speak directly to him or her.

Define your target client. It may help to create an actual profile of this person. For instance, if your passion for golf has led you to decide to concentrate on golf course homes, your ideal client is, obviously, someone who plays a lot of golf. Is he retired with lots of spare time or a weekend warrior that hits the links as soon as the tie comes off? Golf isn’t cheap, so this client most likely has disposable income.

Once you know who your target client is, you’ll be in a better position to start thinking about how you’ll brand yourself to attract this client and others like him.

“A brand has to resonate with the target market by standing out in the sea of sameness, and fit like a glove based on one’s personal preferences,” suggests Ron & Alexandra Seigel of Napa Consultants, International

3. Try it on

You know what sets you apart, you have a handle on the types of clients you’ll attract, now you need to try some stuff on and see how they fit and how they’ll be perceived in the marketplace.

“Are you flashy, edgy, comforting, or sophisticated? Does that fit the consumer base you’re looking for?” asks Seattle broker Sam DeBord.

The “feel” you want to promote dictates how you’ll build the basics of your brand, such as “logos, fonts, colors and graphics that fit the theme and relate it to your customers,” DeBord says

Once you’ve found a good fit, you’ll need to build that brand into your website, blog, business cards, brochures, and everything else that makes up your business’s public face.

“Not every agent can be the top salesperson in town, but each can find their own branding niche: dog-friendly agent, houseboat sales team, modern design brokerage, stone-cold investment-negotiation expert,” DeBord explains.

“Then find visual guidelines and a business process to inform your specific customers that you are the right professional for their needs.”

What will you be known for in the marketplace? It pays to take the time to figure that out.

Are you ready to go after a specific generational niche? If so, create your targeted list HERE, then launch a scheduled Campaign in just minutes.

The Call to Action postcard campaign is the perfect direct mail marketing tool to get prospects reaching out to you. And, for 3 more days, get 10% off Call To Action Campaigns.

Shown above: Call to Action postcard campaign, available in the FARM campaign section. Learn More, **HERE**.

HOW TO LAUNCH A CALL TO ACTION CAMPAIGN.

Hit the “CLICK HERE” link, below (from a desktop or laptop computer) and choose the Call to Action Series.

USE PROMO CODE: ACTION10 to get 10% off the first month of a Call to Action Campaign.

Schedule a Call to Action postcard campaign, now, CLICK HERE!

This sale expires on 10/30/21. 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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Hey Listing Agents: Go after these BUYERS

Oct 25, 2021

Millennials and baby boomers own the real estate market. While the former comprises the largest buyer pool (37%), the latter comes in quite close, at 32%, according to NAR’s 2021 Generational Trend report.

The problem with agents being so hyper-focused on millennials is that few have homes to sell. In fact, only 22% of them are sellers.

Boomers, on the other hand, are large and in charge of the seller’s market, owning 32% of it, right behind them, however, is that forgotten generation, Gen X.

While many veteran listing agents typically don’t actively pursue buyers, it may be time to change your strategy.

Members of Generation X, (age 45 to 56) are among the most likely to consider selling and for several reasons. Chief among them is to find a home that better fits their new normal: no more commute, working from home, homeschooling kids, and finding a large home so Mom and Dad can move in.

Gen X is in the house

While baby boomers hold the most money, Gen Xers earn the most of all living generations. They lost a lot during the recession – more than any other group. But, they’re currently the only generation to reclaim all the money lost.

Here’s what our research has turned up about Gen X’s home shopping wish list:

Most want a single-family home, single-story, 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2,315 square feet of living space or more.
The top 3 features on the wish list include exterior lighting, a laundry room, and Energy Star® rated appliances.
They crave extra storage space and room for a “relaxed” home office.
They care more about the home’s features than the neighborhood.

If you list a home that fits this description, hold it open, at least virtually, and laser-target Gen X buyers because the chances are good that they’ll be visiting or viewing.

How to reach these buyer/sellers

Chances are good this cohort has a house to sell as well, so targeting them is a brilliant strategy.

Suggest that the homeowners create some obvious storage solutions in the garage and stage them just enough to show that they truly are storage solutions. In other words, don’t pack them full of stuff.

If clients are replacing any appliances, convince them to go with Energy Star® certified appliances.

When staging the home, ensure that your clients’ laundry room looks amazing. You’ll find brilliant tips at:

If the home would work as a multi-generational home, let buyers know that up front, in your listing description and other marketing materials. Gen X is the largest cohort seeking these homes and their numbers grow every year.

As the generation most likely to have children younger than 18 living in the home, Gen X also craves space for the youngins.

This is why they’re the generation purchasing the largest and second most expensive homes.

Finally, if you sell real estate in the following cities (listed in order of popularity, most popular first), you’d be crazy not to target Gen X. These cities are getting the most searches from this generation, according to Lending Tree research:

Memphis, Tennessee
Jacksonville, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Washington, D.C
Orlando Florida

Are you ready to go after a specific generational niche? If so, create your targeted list HERE, then launch a scheduled Campaign in just minutes.

The Call to Action postcard campaign is the perfect direct mail marketing tool to get prospects reaching out to you. And, right now, get 10% off Call To Action Campaigns.

HOW TO LAUNCH A CALL TO ACTION CAMPAIGN.

Hit the “CLICK HERE” link, below (from a desktop or laptop computer) and choose the Call to Action Series.

USE PROMO CODE: ACTION10 to get 10% off the first month of a Call to Action Campaign.

Schedule a Call to Action postcard campaign, now, CLICK HERE!

This sale expires on 10/30/21. 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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Direct Mail Marketing on a Budget: How to Get the Best Bang for Your Buck

Oct 19, 2021

Why direct mail?

According to a CMO survey (a company that collects the opinions of top marketers), only 16.3 percent of marketers “are confident about recommending investing in social media marketing.”

If professional marketers aren’t able to justify spending their clients’ money on social media marketing, then you may want to pass for now, specifically if you’re working with a tight budget.

So where do you spend your marketing dollars when you’re funds are limited?

The proof is in the numbers

Direct mail marketings response rate, according to the DMA Response Rate Report, stands at nine percent to warm leads and five percent to cold.

In addition, the DMA states 56% of consumers believe print marketing is the most trustworthy of all marketing channels.

The email marketing response rate is one percent. Online display ads are even worse, at 0.30 percent.

Clearly, if you are looking for the best place to spend your limited marketing dollars, the answer is direct mail marketing.

How much should you allocate

Before getting clear on your budget you must understand your revenue goals and objectives.

As a guide, businesses spend, on average, 9.8 percent of revenue on marketing, according to the aforementioned CMO survey.

We see you wincing. But consider this: according to NAR, the overall budget item that agents spend the most money on every year is on their automobiles.

Cars aren’t exactly lead-generating machines, yet there you have it.

So, determine a percentage that you can feel comfortable with, based on your goals, and commit to spending that budget during the remainder of the year.

The following are three tips to get the most bang for your direct mail marketing budget

1. The List

For any marketing campaign to be successful you must know your audience. This is even more critical when you’re on a tight budget. Now is not the time to attempt to be all things to all people.

Call to Action Postcard Campaign is shown above

The easiest way to whittle down the audience is by first figuring out if you’re going after buyers or sellers. Make a choice.

This not only ensures that what you mail is relevant to the recipient, but helps you choose a farming area (subdivision vs apartment building, for instance).

Be very picky who you mail to. Throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks is a sure way to burn through your budget with nothing to show for the time and money spent.

Once you have defined your target markets, use our mailing list tools to create your prospect list.

2. The marketing pieces

After taking into account how many mailed pieces your budget will allow you to send, it’s time to determine an economic format. Postcards are most likely your best bet. They’re inexpensive to print and mail.

If your budget is super tight, consider foregoing postage costs and delivering door hangers. The advantages to using door hangers include that they stand out more and because you’ll save on postage your list can be larger.

Disadvantages include the labor intensiveness of having to visit each home on your list. Also, door hangers aren’t quite as effective when used in neighborhoods where people routinely enter their homes through the garage.

3. Offer something

Come up with a compelling offer and feature that on your direct mail postcards. A free home price analysis, buy first vs sell first evaluation or a free home equity analysis are all effective options.

The idea is to move recipients to act or, at the very least, hang on to your postcard until they’re ready to act.

Bottom line

Now, when your budget is tight, isn’t the time to take chances with marketing your real estate business.

Jumping on time-consuming and costly social media bandwagons that don’t deliver your target audience or wasting time and resources on an email that may not be opened, let alone read, can wait.

Use your budget on marketing that has the highest response rate – direct mail marketing.

The Move-Up Market is a great market to target right now. Especially since, with our current sale, you can get the first 100 prospects on a Move-Up Market list for FREE!

Discover Move-Up Market prospects in Your Area and Get the First 100 for **FREE** with the Demographic Search Tool.

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Listing Agents: Steal These Home Staging Tips for Your Clients

Oct 7, 2021

If I were to ask you which room in a home is most important to stage, what would you say?

Kitchen, right? Or, perhaps, bathroom.

According to a NAR survey of buyers’ agents, however, “Staging the living room was found to be most important for buyers.”

So, the kitchen and/or bathroom must be second in importance, right?

Actually, slightly more than 40% of buyers’ agents recommend staging the master bedroom.

Staging the kitchen came in third.

The folks at homelight.com surveyed nearly 1,000 buyers’ agents and learned that more than half of them feel that “… staging increases a home’s value from anywhere between 1% to 10%.”

Nearly 30% of the aforementioned NAR survey respondents claimed that staging a home had no impact on the sales price. Twenty percent of them claimed that “… staging a home increased the dollar value offered between one and five percent, compared to other similar homes on the market that were not staged.”

While the Real Estate Staging Association claims that staged homes sell 73% quicker than homes that aren’t staged.

As you can see, whether or not staging is valuable to the seller depends on who you ask. If you have a challenging listing, however, staging should be a must.

If you don’t offer staging as one of your sellers’ services, at least give your listing clients some tips on how to do it themselves.

Who will likely buy the home?

Read any staging website and you’ll learn that most stagers aim for the impossible: “universal appeal.” You, as a real estate agent who works with real estate consumers on a daily basis, know how impossible this is. Nothing is universally appealing.

Perhaps what stagers are alluding to are aspects of staging that appeal to a broad spectrum of homebuyers, such as:

The homes and the closets are light and bright.
The home has been depersonalized. Despite what many real estate bloggers claim, this doesn’t mean removing personal items such as photos and certificates. It means personal items, such as toiletries, toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products and even used bars of soap, according to a study by Andrea Angott, Ph.D at Duke University.
Each room’s purpose is immediately evident. Remove office paraphernalia from the dining room and baby stuff from the master bedroom.
Each room gives the perception of lots of space. Remove excess items from the pantry, closets and cupboards so that they appear larger. Ensure the lighting is bright in closets. Remove oversized furniture.

As the listing agent, it’s important that you have a good idea of who makes up the buyer pool for each listing you take. Often, it’s obvious. Others, not so much.

If the home is a penthouse condo with a city view the buyer won’t likely be a family with young children. If the home is in a good school district, on the other hand, you can almost guarantee a family will buy it.

Once you have a good idea of the buyer pool you can offer more specific staging tips.

How do you get those new listings that you’ll be helping stage? How about launching a Get More Listings Campaign?

Get More Listing Campaigns are ON SALE 10% OFF the first month – 3 More Days!

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

TO LAUNCH A GET MORE LISTINGS CAMPAIGN:

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

USE PROMO CODE: LIST10 to get 10% Off at check out.

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change up until the night before the mailing goes out). This sale expires 10/9/21.

Launch a Get More Listings Campaign Now, CLICK HERE!

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

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Want More Listings? Become a BIG FISH in a Small Pond

Sep 30, 2021

Social media. Pay-per-click. Email.

Digital marketing is hot with real estate agents. This provides an amazing opportunity for the agent who decides to take a different approach and become a BIG FISH in a small pond.

How do you do this? with direct mail.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. “She works for a direct mail marketing company, of course, she will say this.”

Statistics, however, don’t lie. Direct mail marketing is not only strategic, but it can also be laser-focused to a particular audience and it works.

Why fish for listing leads in the huge ocean that is digital? Think about it; doesn’t it make more sense to cast your net in a smaller pond filled with people who you are certain ACTUALLY OWN HOMES?

Some things to consider

In a recent survey of real estate agents, 82% said their marketing goal this year is to “improve their social media presence,” according to Becky Brooks at theclose.com.

A worthy goal, but not very focused. Think about this: while they are chasing after Facebook leads, you’ll have little competition vying for attention in homeowners’ mailboxes.

With targeted direct mail you will not only reach homeowners. If you narrow your mailing list to only homeowners who have lived in their homes a certain number of years, or who live in starter homes or any other preferred criteria, you will have a far greater chance of taking listings than by randomly posting on social media.

For instance, by targeting homeowners who have been in their home for seven or more years, you’re creating a great list of potential fence-sitters to go after.

*Fence Sitter* postcard campaign shown above. To learn more, click **HERE**

Another thing to consider is the pandemic. In a recent USPS study, slightly more than 40% of Americans said that since the pandemic began, their excitement about receiving mail increased.

Nearly half of respondents said that a direct mail piece prompted them to go online to get more information about the sender.

The volume of direct mail plummeted from “… 213 billion pieces …” in 2016 to 120 billion last year. Interestingly, despite the drop in volume, the response rate skyrocketed nearly 200%.

You’ll have far less competition for eyes on your mail pieces and a better response rate than ever before.

Who makes up your potential seller audience?

Now that we’ve got you looking for listings in all the right places, what will you be sending? Keep in mind your audience – older generations, such as Baby Boomers and Gen X make up 75% of the real estate market combined.

When considering your direct mail marketing piece, don’t take valuable time out of your day to create marketing from scratch.

ProspectsPLUS! offers hundreds of marketing templates targeted specifically to your niche audience and designed by direct response experts.

Next, determine your recipient’s needs (boomers may want to downsize or move near their grown children) and offer a solution that is compelling (don’t worry ProspectsPLUS! has this covered for you as well). Check out the Empty Nest Series located under Farm campaigns.

Decide on the compelling offer to get those homeowners reaching out

A market update is always a good way to break the ice. Yes, it may be time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Direct Response Report, *Advice For Cash-Strapped Landlords*.

A simple chart of recently listeds, under contracts, and solds, along with bedrooms, baths, square footage, and prices, is something that hits my mailbox once a quarter. Do I read it?

You bet I do!

Then, there are the absentee owners to consider. Many have been hit hard by the rent moratorium and want out from under their investments. Take a look at what we offer to market to these possible listers.

If you have a freebie they can download or you can deliver, all the better. Offer them the Direct Response Report, Advice For Cash-Strapped Landlords.

Consistency is key in any lead generation campaign, so send just-listed and just-sold postcards when appropriate. Keep reminding them just how much their neighbors are getting for their homes in this on-fire sellers’ market.

FOMO (fear of missing out) is real.

Another way to keep those listings flowing? A YEAR ROUND Holiday Postcard Campaign. Staying top of mind with Your Sphere & Farm is easy with a Monthly Holiday Campaign.

And, Holiday Campaigns are ON SALE 10% OFF the first month – 3 More Days!

*Holiday* Postcard Campaign (shown above). Learn more, **HERE**

TO LAUNCH A HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN:

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

USE PROMO CODE: HOLIDAY10 to get 10% Off at check out.

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change up until the night before the mailing goes out). This sale expires 10/2/21.

Launch a Holiday Campaign Now, CLICK HERE!

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

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

What Makes You Different From Other Real Estate Agents?

Sep 28, 2021

Have you ever puzzled over what value you offer potential and existing clients that no other agent (or few others) offer?

Or, do you bundle up the same service as every other agent in town in the hope that it will be enough to prove to consumers why you deserve their business?

Determining your “unique value proposition,” or UVP for short, is critical, especially if you work in a market saturated with other real estate agents.

Quick explainer for newbies

A UVP “… is a concise, straight-to-the-point statement about the benefits you offer customers,” according to Solomon Thimothy at inc.com. “In other words, it’s an explanation of what makes you different,” he concludes.

It sets you apart from other agents. “It’s the promise you make to your customers and clients to deliver a unique experience, claims Tony Khuon at agilelifestyle.com.

So how do I come up with this UVP?

Think about what you can offer that few other agents do. If you’re a veteran, brush up on the VA home loan. Your UVP is that you are uniquely qualified to work with veterans.

If you’re an ace marketer or come from a marketing background you no doubt offer creative marketing solutions to home sellers. Solutions other agents can’t match. That’s an amazing UVP.

While many agents have started offering free services to their listing clients, the number still remains small. Stand out from the crowd by offering one or more of the following:

Free staging
Free housecleaning
Free curb appeal consultation
Free handyperson services (such as two hours of services, or something similar)

Yes, the thought of paying for these services is uncomfortable, but homeowners value these and, therefore, they make a dandy UVP.

Two more “services” that consumers find attractive are discounting your commission or giving a portion of your commission back to the community.

You don’t need to spend money, however, for what you offer to be considered valuable. “Homes I list sell for an average of 3% or more above list price.”

If true, that’s a pretty compelling UVP.

Remember to add your unique service to all of your marketing as a powerful call to action.

FARM, **Call to Action Series** Postcard Campaign shown above

Keep it simple and human

Your UVP needs to be simple, both in length and in word choice. Here’s an example of what not to do:

We are “… a dominant online presence with a combination of innovative marketing and strategic outreach. Cutting-edge lead capture and unique tracking URL’s ensure exposure and buyer retention.”

Put yourself in the shoes of a consumer reading this UVP on the group’s website.

What is “lead capture?” And “cutting edge” these terms have become absolute turn-offs. Tracking URL’s? Buyer retention? Where is the part of the UVP that allows the reader to clearly understand the value this team offers?

Then, ironically, this same UVP shows up on seven other real estate websites. Seven agents trying to prove what makes them different share a UVP with seven other brokerages.

Here’s another that we found. “Our astute team creates a plethora of assets unique to your home.”

Aside from dumping the words “astute” and “plethora,” this real estate team needs to describe exactly what “assets” they will “create.”

If you can save consumers money on their real estate deal, make the process easier or make it quicker, you’ve got yourself the makings of a UVP that will attract real estate clients.

Did you know our Holiday Scheduled Campaign is currently on sale 10% OFF the first month?

Farm, *Holiday* Scheduled Campaign is shown above. Learn more, **HERE**

TO LAUNCH A HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN:

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

USE PROMO CODE: HOLIDAY10 to get 10% Off at check out.

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out). This sale expires on 10/02/21.

Launch a Holiday Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Stop Struggling to Get Listings! Put Your Focus HERE Instead

Sep 22, 2021

So, what methods are you using to get listing leads? Cold calls? Pursuing FSBOs and Expireds? Throwing random methods against the wall to see what sticks?

If you’re like many other agents, employing one of those methods is how you spend a good portion of your workday.

There is another, way to go and it includes hanging out with people who know, like, and trust you.

Maybe it’s time to concentrate on SOI marketing for real estate.

That advice you got as a rookie to depend on the people in your sphere for business was spot on and remains so to this day.

If you’ve been running your business intelligently, you have a CRM full of warm leads to which you can make warm calls.

All the time and energy convincing a stranger to like and trust you is better spent tending to your sphere of influence, nurturing the amazing possibilities in your CRM.

The *SOI, Inspiration Series* Scheduled Campaign is shown above. Learn more **HERE**

For the newbies

The term “sphere of influence” didn’t originate as a sales term, but a political one. It first popped up in the late 1880s and it described a country that exercised “… exclusive or predominant control over a foreign area or territory,” according to britannica.com.

Today, the term is applied to a “business model” in which the aim is to attract customers and clients from people one knows instead of strangers.

Yes, it can be a terribly long list. It should include relatives, friends, friends of friends, the parents of your children’s friends, your parent’s friends and more.

Everyone you know. That is a lot of prospects.

These are people who will recognize your name on a direct mail piece and who won’t hang up on you when you call.

What can happen when you focus solely on your SOI?

Year after year, the NAR reports that home sellers sign up with the first agent they speak with. There are most likely a number of reasons that they do so but, primarily it’s because they forgot which agent sold them their home.

I recently read a blog post and, I apologize because I can’t remember who authored it and the website on which it appears.

In it, the author mentioned a real estate team whose coach advised them to focus on growing their SOI.

At the time, their CRM contained around 280 members of the team’s SOI. Within four years after heeding their coach’s advice, the team’s revenue skyrocket from zero to nearly $100 million.

It’s inspiring, isn’t it?

Like most lead generation methods, this won’t make you an overnight sensation. But if you’d prefer doing business with people you know, making warm calls instead of cold, it just may be the perfect way to generate listing leads.

Another way to grab your audience’s attention and keep it is with a Fence Sitters Campaign.

The Fence Sitters Scheduled Campaign is currently on sale for 10% OFF the first month – 3 More Days!

Fence Sitters Scheduled Campaign (shown above). Learn more, HERE

TO LAUNCH A FENCE SITTERS CAMPAIGN:

Hit “CLICK HERE”, below, to schedule your campaign (from a desktop or laptop computer) and select the Fence Sitter Series.

USE PROMO CODE: FENCE10 to get 10% Off at check out.

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out). This sale expires 9/25/21.

Launch a Fence Sitters Scheduled Campaign now, CLICK HERE!

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

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Get More Listings by Offering the Seller Services That MATTER MOST

Sep 16, 2021

Most real estate agents know that staged homes sell faster and for more money. Some, however, go beyond merely suggesting staging to their listing clients.

Rather than lay the burden of staging on their clients, these agents bring in a staging team, at no expense to the homeowner.

What seller services do you offer? Does that list on your real estate website include the usual?

“Complimentary home value analysis!”
“Open Houses & Broker Tours”
“Your home will be entered into the MLS”
“Your home will be featured on our website”
“Place a distinctive [name of brokerage] for-sale sign on the property”
“Active promotion to my expansive network”
“I will bring the buyers to you” (for more information on how to do this by becoming a Market Maker, watch this video)

These are actual “Seller Services” offered by agents on their websites.

If you are tired of not getting the listing and want to truly offer value, thereby standing apart from the crowd, it’s time to change things up. Read on for some tips.

Complimentary Pre-Sale Home Inspection

As you know, when a problem is unearthed by the inspector, the entire transaction is at risk.

Why not be proactive and head off as many challenges as possible before putting the home on the market? Offer your listing clients a free, pre-market home inspection.

Yes, some agents balk at the idea, claiming that the inspection now becomes a disclosure item. And that’s true.

The flipside to this is that the items on the pre-sale inspection list will most likely show up on the buyer’s inspection report as well.

A pre-market inspection allows the homeowner to make the repairs that the lender or buyer will most likely demand.

If for some reason your client can’t or won’t make repairs, you’ll have the time to determine upfront how to deal with repair requests and to have that heart-to-heart about lowering the asking price.

Professional Photography

I don’t need to tell you that there are far too many agents out there who are still snapping listing photos on their smartphones.

Since the first showing of a home typically happens online, it needs to be ultra-compelling.

We know many successful agents who have left the old ways behind and offer the services of a professional photographer to snap the marketing photos. Yet, that service isn’t listed on any of the websites we researched for this blog post.

Virtual Tours

Over the past few months, the popularity of 3D tours has outpaced other types of virtual tours, including video.

In fact, a recent study by the NAR claims that “Consumers Strongly Prefer Listings With 3D Tours.” Here are a few other things you should know about virtual tours:

“About 55% of survey respondents say they’d even consider buying a property sight unseen if there was a 3D tour available in the online listing.” (NAR)
Agents who use 3D tours in their marketing of listings sell them 20% quicker and for 9% more than agents who don’t use them. (Matterport survey)
Almost 80% of real estate consumers say they would switch to a real estate agent who offers 3D tours of homes for sale [Matterport survey]

Consumers are demanding more than a video of a home’s interior. They want the ability to virtually tour homes without someone else deciding what they can and cannot view.

If other agents in your market offer this service and you don’t, the chances are pretty good that you won’t get the listing.

Do yourself a favor and earmark some marketing dollars for at least one, true, seller service before the end of this year.

Another way to grab your audience’s attention and keep it is with a Get More Listings Campaign.

The Get More Listings Scheduled Campaign is currently on sale for 10% OFF the first month – 3 More Days!

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

TO LAUNCH A GET MORE LISTINGS CAMPAIGN:

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

USE PROMO CODE: LIST10 to get 10% Off at check out.

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out). This sale expires 9/18/21.

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

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

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

Unleash the Power of the Real Estate Postcard the RIGHT Way

Sep 14, 2021

Ah, the humble postcard. So simple, yet filled with so much power.

For a time, it appeared that the selfie would replace the non-business postcard, but recent statistics say no.

In fact, in the recent Harris Poll Essential 100, Americans named the U.S. Postal Service as the number one most essential business’ in the country.

Never has this been more evident than in the real estate industry, which is seeing a resurgence in the use of “time-tested” marketing methods and direct mail is at the top of this list.

A late April Valassis survey found that 30% of consumers are spending more time reading the direct mail marketing pieces they receive.

There is an art to creating an effective postcard marketing campaign, though.

No, it’s not difficult, but there are certain strategies that work better than others. Let’s take a look at the most important of these.

It all starts with your audience

A Scheduled SOI Campaign is ideal for keeping in touch with your past clients and other VIPs in your sphere. And, ProspectsPLUS! offers a 3 extra closing guarantee when you Schedule a one-year SOI Campaign.

Postcards are also ideal for another type of lead generation – niche marketing. Decide on who it is you want to attract, buyers or sellers, and more specifically which niche of buyers and sellers, and launch a campaign.

The narrowing down of possible leads to focus on helps the rest of your marketing plan go more smoothly and increases your potential ROI.

If you’re looking for listings, find out the median duration of homeownership in your area. ATTOM Data Solutions’ most recent U.S. Home Sales Report shows that homeowners owned their homes an average of 7.95 years.

As we know, all real estate is local, so if you can find the data for your area, rely on that instead of the national numbers.

For instance, ATTOM also finds that homeowners in five Connecticut cities have the longest tenure, while those “… in Colorado Springs, CO … Oklahoma City, OK … Grand Rapids, MI …Denver, CO … and Minneapolis, MN had the shortest.

The Absentee Owner Campaign is shown above. Learn more **HERE**

This information helps you narrow your mailing list even further. You’re now looking for homeowners who purchased their homes at least six years ago (or whatever number is appropriate for your market).

How far back should you go?

“If someone bought last year or 30 years ago, they’re probably not looking to sell,” according to James McGrath, co-founder at Yoreevo in NYC.

“You want to be in that sweet spot of owners of 5-7 years,” he concludes.

The more you drill down in demographics, tenure, and the like with tools like the Demographic Search Tool (for niche marketing) and MapMyMail (for radial and pinpoint polygon lists), the more targeted the list and the better the response will be to your real estate direct mail campaign.

Absentee owners have been a popular target market this year. A targeted list of absentee owners in your local market can be easily created with the MapMyMail search tool (just select the “absentee owner” radio button in step 2).

We offer a number of brilliant Absentee Owner postcards as well. Make your marketing easy by scheduling an automated Absentee Owner Campaign.

Prefer targeting buyers?

Why not bring YOUR OWN buyer to the table. NAR states home buyers move within 15 miles of their last location. This means there’s a good chance your farm’s home buyers are renters located in the same area.

Geographic farming in some of the most popular apartment and condo complexes in your market is a good place to start. Narrow the search to tenants between the ages of 30 and 49. You might also want to narrow your target audience further, according to income.

Then create a targeted renter prospect list and launch a Rent By Numbers Campaign.

Ready to launch a targeted direct mail campaign?

Did you know our Farm, Get More Listings Scheduled Campaigns are currently on sale 10% OFF the first month?

Farm, *Get More Listings* Scheduled Campaign is shown above. Learn more, **HERE**

TO LAUNCH A GET MORE LISTINGS CAMPAIGN:

Hit “CLICK HERE”, below (from a desktop or laptop computer) and choose the Get More Listings Series of postcards.

USE PROMO CODE: LIST10 to get 10% Off at check out.

And, remember, YOU DON’T PAY for each mailing until it actually goes out (cancel or change each mailing up until the night before it goes out). This sale expires on 9/18/21.

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

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

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

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

2. The Free Interactive Real Estate Business Plan

3. The Automated Way to Become a Neighborhood Brand

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

4. The Free Real Estate Mailing List Guide

5. The Become a Listing Legend Free eBook

6. The Free Online ROI Calculator

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

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