You advertise your individual listings, but are you properly marketing your own services??Since you’re one of about one million Realtors working in the U.S. today, you won’t have much of a career if you sit back and wait until customers and clients stumble over you.?
You’re going to have to pull them in yourself!
The first step is to consider why you are special.
Think about all you do for your customers and clients. You may very well offer something that others don’t.?
For instance:
????You may speak a second language.? ??? You might offer an airport pick-up service ????Maybe you supply your clients with photo t-shirts that advertise their listing. ????Perhaps you offer extensive virtual tours ??? You might even offer advice for solving some of your clients’ pressing problems – like getting their?? property clean and ready for sale.
Does every other agent in your market do all of the same things? And if they do, do they do those things as well as you do them?
The answer is probably no.? A lot of agents are trying to skim by with doing as little as possible.? I know that’s not you, because if you weren’t trying to make a better living and a better life for yourself you wouldn’t be reading articles about marketing.
Begin by making lists of the services you perform. Make one for your buyers and one for your sellers.? While you’re at it, highlight those tasks that are the most fun.
Other agents used to groan and roll their eyes when I said I enjoyed doing a market analysis.? Most people don’t, but I like playing with numbers, so I thought it was fun.? I expect that made me do a better than average job.? Wouldn’t you agree?
You might love research… digging into County records to find all you can learn about your new listing… or about another agent’s listing that your customer wants to buy.
You might love learning all about neighborhoods so you can give potential buyers a complete rundown on services and recreational opportunities available.
Certain tasks are required with the job, but your customers might not know that.? The market analysis might fall into that category.? What else?
Look at how your competitors are advertising.? What do they stress?
Probably nothing at all!? Most Realtors merely say “I’m here,” without giving a customer a single reason why they should be chosen over any other agent.?
That means you can advertise a service that everyone gives and still look like you’re the only one offering it!
Copywriting legend tells the story of how one writer took a faltering beer brewing company to the #1 position in the U.S. merely?by explaining the brewing process.? It was exactly the same brewing process that everyone used, but no one else had mentioned it.? While he didn’t say it, the public assumed that this company was the only one to use quality materials and exacting methods such as he described.
When their sales started to skyrocket the other brewers wanted to let the public know that they used the same methods, but knew they would merely look like copycats if they started shouting “Me too!”
So here’s your “assignment” for the day:? First think about what you do that might be considered an extra service.? Then think about what everyone does that you do exceptionally well and your competitors aren’t mentioning.
Then decide how you can work those items in to your self-promotion marketing.
By: Marte Cliff
Go to post page
December 22nd, 2011 by admin
Real estate agents who want to close more sales need good marketing materials. They need good copy on everything from their websites to their personal brochures to their prospecting letters and postcards.
And some agents can write those marketing materials. Some love to write and have no trouble putting their thoughts on paper. Their interesting and engaging blog posts attest to their skill.
But those agents who love to write and do it well are the exception. Most do not.
For most real estate agents, writing marketing materials should not be a do-it-yourself activity.
For many, face to face sales is their area of expertise. They know what to say and when to say it when they’re in a give-and-take situation with a homeowner or a home buyer, but putting their thoughts on paper is another matter entirely.
When faced with a blank sheet of paper or computer screen, the words dry up. When they do think of what to say, it comes out sounding stiff and formal – kind of reminiscent of the essays we all had to write back in high school. Their sentences are carefully constructed, as if “Miss Prune-face” was going to give them a grade.
Their writing is ineffective because it lacks the conversational tone that makes people stop and read what they wrote.
For others, grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are talents that have escaped them. They didn’t enjoy them in school and don’t want to deal with them now. Their thoughts flow well, but when transferred to the written word, they come out all wrong. And their word usage errors definitely convey the wrong impression to would-be clients.
When you write “here” when it should have been “hear,” it makes a huge difference in how a reader sees you – and judges you.
For many, writing about their listings is easy, but telling prospective buyers and sellers why they are the agent of choice is almost impossible. I believe it comes from early up-bringing. Those memories of Mom saying “Don’t brag” are stuck in their subconscious, so they aren’t able to talk about the many benefits they offer to clients.
These are the agents who are shy about admitting just how much they do for their clients. They’re exceptional agents, but they haven’t allowed themselves to recognize that the things they do really are over and above the norm. I’ve had real estate copywriting clients tell me “Wow – you made me sound a whole lot better than I am.”
Even agents who love to write probably need a copywriter.
Why? Because they simply don’t have the time to do it right. A real estate agent’s life is filled with interruptions and demands. They usually don’t have the luxury of setting aside two, or three, or four uninterrupted hours to write their marketing copy. If they’re lucky, they can find time to add a post to their blog every day or so, but that takes far less time.
So, unless you’re an agent who loves to write and will make the time, or unless you have a friend or family member who will do it for you… you need to delegate the job to a professional copywriter.
By: Marte Cliff
Go to post page
September 1st, 2011 by admin
Many commercial real estate agents will tell you they sell commercial property. The reality is that only a few individuals and companies in any given area sell a lot of commercial property. There are some reasons for this.
Many salespeople only do general commercial property sales and do not specialise in any particular property segment
Database size and diversity is low offering small numbers of prospects
Market intelligence on sales and values is poor
Prospecting is a random event done as a last resort when things are tough
The links between property leasing and sales is not respected and optimised
Focus on skills and knowledge development is lacking for many individuals
To be the best local salesperson specialising in commercial real estate, it requires focus, diligence, and hard work. Given that many salespeople do not really reach the pinnacle of a “local industry leader”, the gate is wide open for those that choose to work hard and be the best at what they do.
To gather market share around you and more commercial property listings, even more commissions, then the following is a blueprint for progress.
Get more signboards up in the local area with your name on it.
Direct mail all the business leaders of the major businesses locally and then call them to follow up and put a name to a face.
Start prospecting and cold calling all businesses and investors. This should be done every day at the time that most businesses are willing to take your call.
Walk the streets that contain commercial businesses and meet the occupants.
Pick up business cards from the local tenants for later follow up.
Check out prices and the time on market for previous sales.
Understand rents and prices per unit of measurement relative to the property type.
Know what an investor needs as a yield to purchase a property today.
Prospect any person or company that has owned a property for over 3 years. They will be the next to consider sale, relocation, or expansion.
Target the major properties in your region that contain the best businesses and speak to the proprietor about property needs and trends.
Canvass all commercial properties on the major highways. Getting a sign on these properties will be of high value to your local branding.
Know where all commercial properties for current sale are located and the terms on which they are offered.
Build your database each day from all the people you talk to and keep in relevant contact.
This is all about knowing your property market and staying in front of the trends and needs. Commercial real estate is really a people business. The industry is built around logical decisions for both landlords and tenants. When you can provide the property logic and the right information, then more listings and commissions can come your way.
By: John Highman
Go to post page
March 9th, 2011 by admin
Cold Calling is an essential part of new business generation in Real Estate of all types. The more people you talk to, and the more frequently you do it, the better you become at the process. That means more client and more listings. That means more commissions. Sounds good doesn’t it?
Unfortunately many real estate agents find the cold calling process very difficult and will avoid it at any opportunity. This call reluctance is due to the high levels of personal discipline and practice that is really required for the task. Not every salesperson has got what it takes to do the calling on a daily basis. They also have trouble with prospects saying ‘no not today thanks’. Have you got the stamina and drive to do this?
Before we get further into the subject, it should also be said here that many governments have created legislation to control or restrict cold calling activities by businesses and real estate agents. They know that salespeople have to make calls to generate business and the legislation they make is the only way to control that. So before you start making lots of cold calls, seek out the facts regards any local legislation that can impact your calling processes, understand the rules, and then work out what you can do in calling people on the telephone. There will be a way for you to make calls to prospects. You just need to know how.
To be very successful at cold calling in real estate you have to start thinking the right way. Your mind has to support the process. Without a clear cold calling mindset you will fail or give up before you get very far at all. There is only one mindset you need here; you are simply calling people to see if you can be of help to them. If they say “no”, then that’s really OK.
Do not pitch and push the prospect into a meeting simply because you think you have to. I would rather have 5 meetings with people that have a “need” with what I am offering, than 20 meetings with people who do not.
The telephone should be the “tool” of choice that you use to decide if the prospect has a need or an interest in what you have to offer.
Also understand that many of your colleagues will tell you that the cold calling process doesn’t work. They will say that largely to justify their lack of action and success on the telephone. You are not like everyone else nor should you be. You should strive to be better than the others and your peers. Cold calling will help you here; make no mistake. Your personal success in cold calling will soon overtake any negativity spread by others.
Do not outsource cold calling in your job to a call centre. Real estate agents do this largely to avoid the issue. Do the hard stuff and make the calls yourself. Call centres are really of little skill when it comes to real estate and their conversions are not high. Take the decision to make your own cold calls and then start doing them. You will be a better salesperson in the process. Sure the first couple of weeks will be a challenge but very soon you will break through the problem and start to generate more business than you ever thought possible.
The best salespeople did not get to that level by sitting in the office. They became masters at the art of prospecting and cold calling. So what are the rules to cold calling in real estate? Try these:
Research constantly the areas and people to call. Information is the key here. The more accurately you call, the better your conversions. Do not be afraid of “gatekeepers”, or those people stopping you getting to the decision makers. Know that they have been told to do that. Simply respect them and what they have to say. Your choice when you come up against them is to move on to another prospect, or send a letter instead. It really depends on how important the prospect is to you. Enter your prospects into a simple database so they are ready for you to lift the telephone. Preparation is the key. Make calls at the same time each day that allows you to reach the prospects that suit your business; this is called your “prime prospecting time”. Only you know what that time frame is. Transfer your call results directly into your database; do not delegate it to administration staff. You have to take the ownership of the task as it will make you a better salesperson. This will help you value your database more and you will keep the data more up to date. Do not let people and other appointments stop you calling at the designated time. Do the calls at the same time each day. The morning is the best time to prospect if you can do it; the mind is fresh and responsive. Your ability to conduct intelligent and direct conversation is higher. Your conversions in making cold calls will improve as your dialogue and confidence improves, for this reason practice your calls every day for 20 minutes when you first rise. Make your calls for at least 2 hours each day, no exceptions. Genuine prospects should be contacted at least every 90 days to build the rapport and convert more meetings.
When you make your cold calls on your prospects daily, and drive your own database, your business will thrive. It’s really not complicated. Simplify your prospecting actions in your business and drive the new opportunity yourself.
By: John Highman
Go to post page
February 24th, 2011 by admin
