When writing the copy for your marketing materials, stay away from using any industry specific terminology. Many of the recipients will not understand you and may even feel slighted. Instead, always stick to plain English when you are writing to the general public. Only use industry jargon with other professionals in the business.
A great way to thank your clients for their business is by making a donation on their behalf to their favorite charity. Try to make your gift personal such as by donating to an agency that has played a role in helping an affected member of their family. Let them know you care by sending a card telling them of the donation.
When advising your sellers how to improve the look and atmosphere of the house they are trying to sell, you might suggest they use some well-placed live plants and flower arrangements. Many people decorate their house with artificial plants that look worse year after year. And, because they have been there so long, the owners do not even notice them anymore, but rest assured, any prospective buyers will.
Take the time to identify any areas of your profession you are weak in and them formulate a plan to improve these specific areas. For example, if you are not up to speed on the newest technology and how it can help you, then you may be falling behind other agents who have taken the time to learn. Use the Internet to keep up on what’s new. One place to start is PC World where you can find new products and reviews, articles, and ideas to help you keep up in this rapidly changing world.
Does anyone else at your office answer calls for you from prospective clients? If so, you will need to make sure they are thoroughly trained in how you expect the calls to be handled. Chances are good you will never get a second chance with a caller if they feel they were mistreated or ignored the first time.
Decide on the most important benefit your clients will enjoy by hiring you and then use this as a basis for part of your marketing campaign. For example, if your clients can either get a hold of you immediately or expect a return call within the hour if they leave a message, tell them so. Not being able to contact their agent and not getting a timely return call are common complaints so people will recognize this as a benefit they would certainly like to see in their agent.
Create credibility with your clients by not only advising them of the homes they might like but also the homes they should steer clear of. Your buyers might decide that buying a “handyman special” is the way to buy a larger house than they otherwise can afford, but if they are inexperienced at this, they will almost certainly underestimate the time and expense it will take to do the repairs. Warning them of what they will be getting themselves in for will go a long way in showing them that their well-being is more important to you than just getting a commission.
Attend at least one training class or seminar every couple of months to keep your skills sharp and to learn new strategies for getting and services clients. With the speed that new technologies are being introduced, you may look for this type of training outside of the real estate field and then apply it to your particular needs.
Get into the habit of saying yes. Yes, I can help you. Yes, I know the answer to your question. Yes, I have the perfect house for you to look at. Yes, I know a mortgage broker that can help you. Yes, Yes, Yes. That is what people want to hear and if you can’t tell it to them, another agent will.
One way for you to provide more information to your buyers is to write and handout booklets of what they should be aware of when buying a house. You might want to walk them through the entire buying process or let them know some of the things they will want to consider when choosing their new home. This is the kind of information that your clients will use and then pass on to their friends and family so make sure your name and contact information is prominently displayed throughout.
How do you think your clients describe you to someone else? Your very livelihood will depend on the answer. If it is anything but positive, you have your work cut out for you. If you want the answer to be dependable, then make sure you do exactly what you say, exactly when you say you will do it. If you want them to describe you as the local real estate expert than spend the time to preview everything in your area and really learn your market. Be the person you want to be described as.
When they are excited or are eager to impress, many people tend to talk fast and not pay attention to what is being said to them. Resist this urge with all your might. The person you are speaking with will probably appreciate your enthusiasm but will not appreciate the fact you didn’t hear a word they were saying.
Never say or do anything that could compromise your integrity. At some point in your career you may be asked to do something that is not exactly illegal but, also, not exactly right. If the deal you are working hinges on this, you may be tempted to go ahead and do it. Resist this temptation. The only things you have to offer your clients are your honesty, your credibility, your knowledge, and your integrity. If you trade these away, what will you have left?
Get into the habit of thanking the people around you. Thank the support staff in your office, the vendors and contractors who inspect and repair your listings, the title and mortgage people who work to get your deal done, and, most important, your clients, without whom you wouldn’t be in business at all.
Always remember the first impression people will have of you will probably come from your marketing materials and from the way you respond to their first contact. You will never be able to improve this first impression so make sure that every advertisement, flyer, letter, or brochure gives one the professional and competent appearance you are striving for and then prove it by making sure to return every call immediately.
Does your website address appear prominently on all of your marketing materials? If not, it should. The number of people that visit will largely determine the success of your site and you will need to constantly work at driving traffic to it. So, don’t ever pass up the chance to let someone know how to reach you online.
Does your website concentrate on your clients and what is important to them? Does it solve their problems or does it just talk about you? Focus on the reasons people go to your website in the first place and then custom design those elements that will give your visitors what they are looking for. Making a visitor want to return to your site because of what it offers can be the first step in getting them to contact you.
Keep a notebook to write down all the marketing ideas you come up with. When looking at a competitor’s ad or talking to another agent you may see a way to improve upon what they are doing. Get into the habit of writing down these ideas as quickly as you have them or you will soon lose them forever.
Does your marketing materials primarily describe you as a type of salesperson? If so, you will want to change that image. Most people have a negative view of salespeople, and besides, you don’t “sell” anything. You are an agent. You represent your client and act in their best interest. You have a legal and moral obligation to advise them to the best of your ability and this is a far cry from selling anything.
Whether you or someone else updates your website, get into the habit of making sure that everything is correct. Houses listed with the wrong address, sales price, or pictures, links that don’t open to the right page or misspelled words are all signs of an amateur operation. You can never trust anyone to care as much about your website as you do. So, always check to make sure everything is as it should be: 100% correct.
