Showing posts with label new real estate marketing ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new real estate marketing ideas. Show all posts

Monday, June 28, 2010

Don't get caught in this marketing trap...Set your listings up for success!

To some, this may seem like a 'duh' post, but I think it deserves some attention from since I've seen many local agents getting stuck in this marketing trap.


So...you've got a new listing. You're marketing it as much as you usually do and all of a sudden you have a seller asking you, 'Well, are you doing 'this and that' for marketing?' 'I want you to put the listing on these 20 websites, run an ad in this magazine and then hold an open house every weekend.'

Now, you've got to jump on it and start doing what they are telling you to otherwise you might lose the listing, or you will at least look bad in the process of telling them no.

I've seen many agents get themselves into this bad position.

Here's what I recommend:

Create a marketing plan that you include with every listing presentation (again, may seem pretty simple to most of you). This includes a marketing plan based on the commission rate paid.

This enables you to tell the seller what you are going to be doing for your fee. It sets the precedent. That way, if they come back and start making all these outlandish requests 2 months in, you have something to go back to that was already agreed upon. This could also be an interesting way to negotiate into a higher commission if the seller decides they want more services.

This basic procedure can help save you from a bad situation. You don't have to tell a seller 'no' just because; you can tell them 'no' because your marketing plan was already agreed on. This may save you the cost of some big expensive ad in a magazine that won't sell your clients home and probably won't get you any leads.

You're suppose to be the marketing expert when it comes to real estate. Make sure you present yourself that way. Don't let the seller start dictating expensive requests that lack ROI for both parties.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Don't Just Track Your Marketing...Track YOU!

What are your conversion ratios?  Average Listing to Sale Price for a Seller?  Buyer?  DOM for a Seller?

These are all things that you need to know to make yourself better.  It's not just about whether your marketing works, it's about whether YOU WORK!  You can have the greatest marketing, but if you can't do anything with the leads once you get them, what good is it?

Plus, you may find out you're REALLY GOOD!  If you are, why aren't you marketing that to your sphere or farm?  That's something most agents don't do, and would make you stand out from the crowd.

When most consumers look at marketing material they ask the question, "What's in it for me?"  If you can get there home sold faster, for more money, you just answered that question for them and gained yourself a new client.

Monday, December 14, 2009

What's Wrong with my Postcards?

Have you sent a lot of postcards to your database or farm and not gotten any response? Well, there could be a couple reasons why. The number one rule to marketing is consistency. If you send postcards for 2 months then stop for 6 and send for another month and stop again, you're wasting your time. Some say something is better than nothing, but in the previous case, it's not. Don't waste your money.

Now, if you have the consistency, but no results than you're doing something wrong. Poor content, bad design, no call to action...People don't like what your sending them and it's not making them think of you as a Real Estate Expert that they would call.

Let's start with content. Send people information that they are going to be interested in and that will also make your look like a neighborhood expert. Market statistics, recent sales, neighborhood news, home maintenance tips, local vendors, real estate news, your real estate buying/selling statistics, etc., that is what people want from their realtor. Make yourself look like an expert. Don't send recipe cards - you're not a chef!

Bad design is another issue. Use a great headline and a lot of white space. You want this card to be easy to read and understand. Don't make it too boring though. A little bit of design sense is worth the modest cost. Just don't let an artist put their vision on your design. Try to work with someone who understands design AND marketing.

Always include a call to action. Make sure to ask for referrals or direct them to visit your website for more valuable information. If you don't ask them to do anything, they won't!

TC Business Management, LLC, www.TCMandD.com, is a firm specializing in marketing. Your time should be spent with clients, not designing and maintaining marketing systems. TC believes in result driven marketing. We want to grow your business as much as you do!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The New Marketing Plan for 2010

Times change fast! What you did this year, let alone 2 years ago, may not be the most effective or cost efficient means for reaching your sphere and farm anymore.

Here's a marketing plan I think your will love for 2010.

Sphere:

•· Monthly Email Newsletters
•· Quarterly Newsletters
•· Phone calls - yes, call them!
•· Become Facebook Friends
•· Birthday/Holiday Cards or Letters
•· Client Appreciation Party

Farm:

•· Monthly Postcards with the right content
•· Door Knocking w/ Market Stats
•· Send them your listings (quarterly) with some of your own agent statistics.

Listing Marketing:

•· Get online!
•· Online Listing Syndication
•· Virtual Tours
•· High Quality Photos
•· Individual Property Websites
•· 800 Numbers - Get more leads!
•· No more FREE CMA's! How about a home staging consultation or home enhancement consultation from a contractor?
•· Website Hit/Lead Reports to sellers - communication is key!
•· Print advertisements are still relevant, but make them worth it. Make buyers or sellers want to call you.

General Marketing:

•· Update/New Website
•· SEO for your website - your website should be generating you leads...
•· Pay-per-click
•· Blog Posts/Article Writing
•· Facebook is a huge marketing asset. Use it!
•· Seminars - Buyer, Seller, Short Sale
•· Don't forget about FSBO's & Expireds

Test Your Marketing:
•· Track your results!
•· Where are the calls coming and not coming from?
•· Edit plan as needed to get the best results

This marketing plan is extremely simple, yet most agents don't even get this far. It's hard to manage clients AND handle all the aspects of being a business owner, but just a little effort will go a long way towards increasing your sales.

TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com - can provide you with the help you need at a very modest cost. We are a firm that specializes marketing. Your time should be spent with clients, not designing marketing materials. TC believes in result driven marketing. If it doesn't work, we will correct it until it does!*
*See website for details on our marketing results guarantee.