Real Estate Marketing Blogger

Sure, you keep in contact with your past clients but what about those whose deal fell through? Maybe they were unable to qualify for financing or changed their mind about selling. These are still hard-won contacts and the chances are good they will need the use of your services at some point in the future, so make sure you keep in touch and let them know you value the relationship, whether it worked out or not.

Always look for a way to have everyone benefit in any negotiation. You, of course, have a legal obligation to your client, but many times your clients’ interests will be served by keeping everyone involved in the deal happy. Ask yourself how many times a past deal had fallen apart over seemingly inconsequential things and then ask yourself how many of those deals could have been saved if both sides felt they were getting what they wanted.

One of the most important tools you have in your marketing arsenal is your self-confidence. The people around you will notice and respond to you in a positive way if you are confident in your abilities and your attitude. Be careful though, you don’t want people to confuse your self-confidence with arrogance or conceit.

Consider advertising in one of the coupon packs that are distributed to the homes in your target area. Most cities have a program of this type and rates are usually based on the number of homes the packs are delivered to. You may even be able to confine delivery to certain zip codes or smaller zones in these same zip codes, but be careful, the cost will go up the more you define the area and you might be better off with the wider coverage.

One more way you can keep in touch with past clients is by sending out holiday greeting cards. This is just a friendly reminder that you are still around and ready to help with any of their real estate needs. In this world of e-mail and instant messaging, many people have given up this much appreciated practice.

One way to do some good for your community and yourself at the same time is by promoting a local charity event. Use your contacts to arrange a location for the event and approach local printers, newspapers, and others to donate their services. Your expenses will be minimal but the rewards, both personal and professional, can be great.

Make it a practice to personally visit your past clients every six months. Use the visit to ask them how they are doing and if there is anything else you can do for them. Make it more of a social call than a sales call - they will appreciate the fact you didn’t forget them as soon as their deal was over, and as an added benefit, your name will stay on the tip of their tongue if anyone they know needs a real estate agent.

Make sure you clearly state the advantages your clients will have by hiring you to help them buy or sell a house. You must point out how they will benefit from the association. If you can’t think of a good enough reason, no one else will either.

Whenever you have something printed, ask the printer if they have any stock on hand they are trying to get rid of. You should be entitled to a discount if you use something they have left over from another job if it will work for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount. In fact, get into the habit of asking for recommendations from your printer for other ways to save money as well.

Don’t use dates on any of your brochures, informational books, or handouts if you can avoid it. This way you can save the expense and hassle of redesign and reprinting each time you start a new marketing effort. Save money by printing as many of your materials as you can in bulk.

Do the readers of your marketing materials know what they should do next? Every letter, flyer, or advertisement should direct the reader to call you for more information. No one buys or sells a house from an advertisement, so you should always remember the real purpose of your marketing efforts are to get you and the reader to establish a personal connection you can then work from.

Before you send anything off to the printer, make absolutely sure you have caught and corrected any errors with your copy. Have a couple of others from your home or office o over everything line by line. Remember, some mistakes are easier to spot in printed form than on a computer screen so make sure you have them check both. Never depend on a printer to find mistakes you should have caught yourself.

Whenever you write or design any marketing material, take a break from it for a day or two once you finish. This will allow you to step back and spot any errors you surely missed the first time through and also help you see where you can make improvements. A first draft should be just that, never let it be your final product.

Use your cell phone to help keep you safe. Showing houses to strangers is one of the most dangerous activities an agent does, so take every precaution you can to help keep safe from harm. One thing you can do is program the speed dial feature on your phone to dial the police and/or a trusted friend or associate to send help fast if you should need it.

Finding another agent to team with can be just the thing to move your career up to the next level. Dividing up the duties into what each is better at or working together on the same task will allow you to accomplish more than you could otherwise. One person concentrating on marketing while the other focuses on the prospects who call is one scenario. Find the right partner and figure out what works for you.

Have as many people as you can give a critical assessment of your website. Prepare a sheet that asks them to list at least 5 things you are doing right and at least 5 things you could be doing better. Also, ask them to rate the ease of use, as well as what elements they think should be added. Be specific in what you ask them to do in order to get the valuable information you need to fine tune your website.

Always be prepared with alternate options for your clients. If your buyers don’t like the house you’re showing, then make sure you are ready with others. This should include the standard information you would prepare for any house your clients want to see including listing information and pictures. Impress them with your foresight. Think of how much easier it is to say, “Let’s go over now and look at this other house you might like. I have all the information right here.” than to have to go back to your office and research some more. Be prepared.

If you haven’t already done so, add a “Frequently Asked Questions” page to your website. This is a common website element and people are used to accessing them. Think of it as a quick and easy way to pass on information you’ll want all of your visitors to know.

Many agents seem to spend a lot of time on the job. Some even sacrifice their family in search of that next commission check. So, devise a marketing plan that will really accomplish your goals within a time frame that you can live with. A good, realistic plan, along with a disciplined implementation can allow you to “find” those extra hours in the day you have been working through.

How will you know if your marketing effort is working? The only way to know is to measure the results. It sounds simple, and it is, but many agents never do it. They might just go along sending out whatever flyer turns up, hoping for the best. So, even if your marketing “plan” includes sending out whatever you find, you still have to find a way to measure its effectiveness.