Top Agent FSBO Conversion Plan

Most agents, at some point, make an effort to convert FSBOs to Listings. But more often than not, they give up after getting abused, maligned, demeaned, cussed-out, and hung-up on. That’s unfortunate, because more than 90% of For Sale By Owner (FSBO) homes are eventually listed with an agent. That means converting FSBOS to listings truly is a lucrative opportunity, and many top agents have learned that there’s a better way to do it.

We spoke to several of our top producing real estate clients and asked them what they are doing to convert FSBOs, in addition to their custom farm marketing. The tactics they shared comprise this golden 5-touch FSBO Conversion Plan, which we sincerely hope you will put into action.

After FSBO Fatigue grinds these sellers to desperation, the vast majority finally face a humbling reality: a buyer has driven past their home dozens of time – but in the back seat of a Realtor’s car. So now Mr. & Mrs. Seller will have to decide whom to call. By putting in to practice a good FSBO Conversion Plan, you can raise the odds substantially that you’ll be the agent who gets the call and closes the listing.

But first, let’s take a look at whom we’re dealing with.

FSBOs Sellers: arrogant penny-pinchers?

Not exactly. As for the “penny pinching,” most just do a simple calculation: if they save 5-to-7% on, say, their $300,000 home, they keep $15,000 to $21,000, and that’s big money. If all they need to do is put a sign out front and wait for the buyer to show up, that’s worth it. It’s not about being a ridiculously thrifty person; to them, it just seems like a good business decision.

Arrogant?

We don’t think so either; rather, most just aren’t aware of all the work that’s involved and the skills that are needed to successfully sell a home. The ordeal doesn’t become painful until after they decide to go it alone. Like staging, marketing, showings, inspections, appraisal issues, and negotiations. If they’re lucky or in a very hot market, the phone calls will come with scores of probing, often surprising, questions. Then they get pushed into showings at inconvenient times when you can bet the kids are screaming, the dog is barking, and the sink is full of dishes.

During the showing these unsuspecting homeowners get to hear the criticisms from strangers walking around their home like they had a right to, telling each other how tacky is that sofa and how ‘80s are vertical blinds and how the place really didn’t have any curb appeal in the first place. The FSBOs didn’t anticipate any of this, never heard of “curb appeal,” and thought that since their cousin was a real estate agent it must be really easy. So FSBO sellers aren’t arrogant about being able to handle a home sale, but usually quite naïve. How dare those strangers bad-mouth our house! Yes, it’s very personal.

Personal experience with a FSBO Flub

A few years ago, I thought that I knew so much about real estate that I’d sell my own home by myself. At this point I was not clinically insane, just on the way. How tough could it be for me who actually knew a lawyer AND a title agent to sell my own home FSBO! And I also knew what “curb appeal” meant. So up went the sign and in went the classified ads. This should be a cakewalk.

I kept score: I got 23 voice mails from realtors who said they could sell my house fast and for top dollar and 7 form letters from realtors that said they could sell my house fast and for top dollar. I took 11 calls from realtors who said, get ready, they could sell my house fast and for top dollar. I also got a call from a family who just moved here from Boise and wondered if I could do seller financing, and two other calls that said it was too expensive even though I put the price in the ad. I called my realtor and signed up gleefully.

As completely unproductive as this experience was, it was well worth it. I now knew first-hand why FSBOs resented realtors – it was all those messages and calls that said the SAME THING! I learned what agents most certainly should NOT do, and the strategies shared by top agents mirror this sentiment 100%.

Top Agent FSBO Conversion Plan

There’s a few steps to follow and you’ll have to spend a few bucks and a little bit of time. You will find that FSBO conversion occurs when you least expect it, so you won’t go through all the steps all the time.

Step One: Within a week of the FSBO entering the market:

Drop off a “Let me lend a hand” gift bag. Several of these steps include gift bags, so stock up on large-size gift bags that match the color of your brand. Always use the same color bag for a prospect, so they see you are a professional when it comes to brand awareness and marketing.

Contains:

• Quart-size bottles of Windex and Mr. Clean
• A big pack of painter’s rags
• Hand-written a note on your company stationary

DO NOT include a Business Card! If you hand-write the note on personal stationary with a company letterhead, they will figure out who you are. Also, do not put the letter in an envelope – just fold it text-side out, and stick it among the bottles.

Your note should say something like, “I know how much work goes into prepping your house for the market, so I hope these little things are useful for you or your cleaning crew. Sorry to see you leave the neighborhood, but best wishes on your next home.”

Please remember, you’re dealing with someone who’s received a barrage of Realtor calls and letters, who perhaps has a bad attitude toward agents, so NO SELLING, NO PITCHING! Use a large, grocery-size gift bag and hang it on the front door knob. ALWAYS use the same color bag and the same letterhead. This consistency also shows you’re a tenacious marketer.

Step Two: Four days later:

Deliver a “Curb Appeal” gift bag.

Contains:

• 3 yard waste bags from Lowe’s or Home Depot.
• Another hand-written note, with your name/number on letterhead, no envelope, NO business card.

This time, write the note about how curb appeal is the number one influence on a buyer’s decision, as well as a buyer’s first impression online AND in person. If you have teenage children or know some neighborhood high-schoolers you can hire inexpensively, offer to have two helpers come by the following Saturday at a specific time to help with the yardwork for one hour, such as raking the lawn and flower beds.

Ask them to text if it is NOT OK for the kids to come by during the chosen time slot. You should drop off the kids (always in a pair, and with cell phones, for safety), stay within close range, and pick them up an hour later. You’re still not ready to initiate a conversation.

Step Three: Five days later:

The “Break Time” gift bag.

Contains:

• Cookies or crackers.
• Nuts or popcorn.
• A few bottles of juice or soda.
• Third hand-written note, in exactly the same form as before.

In your note, talk about how important it is not to let their home sale become overwhelming, to be sure to take a break and enjoy what they have accomplished so far – “hang in there, it’s gonna pay off!”

Step Four: Three days later:

The “Open House” gift bag.

If the FSBO still hasn’t been sold by this point, this is a good time begin the “let me help” conversation.

Contains:

• A Market Analysis summary sheet.
• Generic Open House sign.
• Open House Tip Sheet.
• Fourth hand-written note.

The idea of this fourth touch-point is to give pointers on running an Open House, and also to let them know that you’re here to help. On the note, talk about how open houses are few and far between these days, so holding one can really make an impression. Explain that especially as a FSBO seller it may help boost interest if they conduct one (hint = they will not want to).

Do NOT run a full CMA, just a one-pager that recommends what their house should sell for. The Tip Sheet should be exhaustive, to let them know what you would do if you were going to run it.

Step Five: Three days later:

The “Call.”

If you get all the way to this Step without a conversation or a call from the homeowner, now is the time to call them. Simply ask if they’d like to meet to review where they’re at in the sales funnel so you, the realtor, might contribute any other information that might be useful.

The investment pays off

This entire process can cost upwards of $100, and for this reason very few agents have attempted something similar. You will be boosted so far above the millions of other agents calling and calling with the exact same pitch. You will not get them all – but you will get some.

FSBOs aside, if you are interested in a unique and powerful way to farm your area for listings, check out the 12-page custom publication used by top agents. It’s become known as a “secret sauce” for developing and expanding market dominance.

Good luck and, most of all, have fun!

People ask:

[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h2″ question-0=”What is a FSBO Listing?” answer-0=”For sale by owner (FSBO) is when a homeowner lists their home without the assistance of a realtor.”  headline-1=”h2″ question-1=”How do I win a FSBO?” answer-1=”There’s a few steps to follow and you’ll have to spend a few bucks and a little bit of time. You will find that FSBO conversion occurs when you least expect it, so you won’t go through all the steps all the time.” headline-2=”h2″ question-2=”Which are the steps to win a FSBO?” answer-2=”Step one: Drop off a “Let me lend a hand” gift bag. Several of these steps include gift bags, so stock up on large-size gift bags that match the color of your brand. Always use the same color bag for a prospect, so they see you are a professional when it comes to brand awareness and marketing. Step two: Deliver a “Curb Appeal” gift bag. This time, write the note about how curb appeal is the number one influence on a buyer’s decision, as well as a buyer’s first impression online AND in person. If you have teenage children or know some neighborhood high-schoolers you can hire inexpensively, offer to have two helpers come by the following Saturday at a specific time to help with the yardwork for one hour, such as raking the lawn and flower beds. Step three: The “Break Time” gift bag. In your note, talk about how important it is not to let their home sale become overwhelming, to be sure to take a break and enjoy what they have accomplished so far – “hang in there, it’s gonna pay off!” Step four: The “Open House” gift bag. If the FSBO still hasn’t been sold by this point, this is a good time begin the “let me help” conversation. Step five: The Call. If you get all the way to this Step without a conversation or a call from the homeowner, now is the time to call them. Simply ask if they’d like to meet to review where they’re at in the sales funnel so you, the realtor, might contribute any other information that might be useful. ”  count=”3″ html=”true” css_class=””]

Real estate closing gifts are not a new phenomenon, but sometimes real estate agents aren’t sure what to give. Let’s face it, our clients are all our businesses really have. Showing appreciation is not just polite but critical for keeping and building upon those relationships. Over the years we’ve learned a lot from our many friends in Real Estate, most of whom have built hugely successful practices, and we’d like to pass that wisdom along. Below are some important guidelines and some great ideas for your next closing gift.

How Much To Spend:

We suggest you spend between $40 and $100 on closing gifts. Spend more for big, complicated sales and less for smaller and simpler sales. When my husband and I sold one of our houses over the summer our Realtor gave us a simple, inexpensive, but very thoughtful gift. Our family has worked with this agent for over 20 years and probably bought and sold 20 houses with her. This particular sale was small, simple, and very fast so a small thoughtful closing gift was perfect. She hand-wrote a thank-you note with a $25 pizza gift card and also brought us a soft cooler full of water bottles. Every time we take the cooler to one of our daughter’s swim meets we think of our agent and how she even kept in mind the season when showing us her appreciation. It was a small token but had a big impact – nothing more was necessary.

However, if spending more is in your budget or fits your market better, go for it. We know an agent who spends $100 every time on fancy closing gift baskets and another one who always mails a $50 restaurant gift card and a bouquet of flowers. Both agents do this consistently regardless of the size of the sale. We also know an agent in the luxury market who will take the homeowners (or sellers) out for an expensive dinner to celebrate. Each sale brings in quite a bit of commission, so spending a few hundred dollars and a few hours of his extremely precious time makes sense. Most of the time we see agents spending more money on larger sales or sales that took longer or had more set backs. Whatever you do, don’t go too cheap, especially if the closing gift is generic. Generic gifts are easier to forgive if they’re pricier.

What to Give:

Buying a home, either for the first or umpteenth time, is a deeply personal task for anyone. Be sure that your closing gifts represent not only your personal relationship with your client, but also represent how building a personal relationship with your clients is something you always do. The gift should provide your client with a lasting impression of how much importance you place on your client relationships. Because your clients are your best source of new business, your closing gifts should say: “I know you, I care about you, and I’ll get to know and care about your friends and family just as much.”

Be Genuine and Thoughtful. This one is crucial, and happens long before closing. After all the time you’ve spent with your buyers or sellers, you probably know a lot about them. If they don’t volunteer personal information early on, be sure to ask. Ask about their kids and how they spend their weekends. Are they the indulgent type, or more practical? Religious? Artistic? Are they into wine, coffee, beer, sports? Are they gaga over their pet, or perhaps expecting a new baby? Tailor closing gifts to your client’s personality, stage of life, and preferences. For example, my husband and I are practical people with a bunch of kids, so pizza and a soft cooler resonated. My single, fun-loving sister, however, received gourmet coffee, a funny mug, and an Amazon gift card when she bought her first home, which was perfect. 

If you have a good sense for your client’s personality, here are some creative ideas:

Young families:

Think about closing gifts that will become part of the household, so you are thought about often, or things that make the hectic business of raising kids a little easier. You could also go the kid angle; parents are really moved when someone goes out of their way to make their kids happy.

1. Game Night basket; this is a great idea that we stole from an agent we know. You’ll have to put it together yourself because I’m not aware of a retailer who offers this. Load up a big basket with board games, Pringles, a sixer of IBC, and a gift card for pizza delivery.
2. Movie Night basket; this you might actually find online. A few family-friendly DVDs, a bucket of popcorn, and few movie-theater candy boxes.
3. Personalized Door Hangers; get Mom and Dad and each kid a personalized nameplate to put on the door to their room. This can be a nice-looking sign or a doorknob hanger they can flip to “Do Not Disturb.” You can wrap them in a gift box and present them with a nice housewarming bouquet.
4. Holiday ornaments; select a special ornament for each family member and wrap in a beautiful box. This gift will make a very sweet impression, and perfect if your client is the sentimental type.

Obsessed-with-the-pet People:

The fastest way into the heart of people who treat their pets like their children is through… their pets. Pet-related gifts should always be given with something else, like flowers or a restaurant gift card. Write in the Thank-You card how you wanted to get a little something for Fluffy because you know this will be a big adjustment for him.

1. A box of gourmet dog treats; some specialty pet stores or online retailers sell cute treats that look so good you’d want to eat it yourself
2. A personalized nameplate they can put on a doghouse, if they have one
3. A dog or cat bed monogrammed with the pet’s name; this is especially appropriate since they are moving into a new home, and the pet will have their own special place

Expectant parents:

If clients have their first baby on the way, this is a great opportunity to personalize your closing gift. Soon-to-be new parents are usually pretty over the moon about their little one, so anything baby related will be a hit. But like with pets, be sure to also give something for the parents or household, even it it’s just flowers. Warning: stay away from baby gifts for clients expecting babies number 3 or 4; for these parents, think of gifts that will help them to relax and unwind.

1. Monogrammed baby blanket; before selecting, be sure to ask about the nursery colors and try to find one with a “Home Sweet Home” or “Welcome Home” theme to tie it back to their new house.
2. Growth Chart; look online or at Babies R Us for a wall-mounted cloth that records the child’s height over the years. There are some you can stick photos in, and you may be able to have it monogrammed too.
3. Don’t get: baby clothes. They will never remember who gave them what outfit because they’ll receive so many, and the baby will outgrow the clothes in about five minutes.

Empty-nesters:

If you’re helping an older client whose children grew up long ago or a couple whose last child recently moved out, sentiment and thoughtfulness are probably more important than practicality. Think of gifts that remind your client of the important things in life, or helps a couple reconnect after years of rearing children.

1. Romantic evening out; give them a gift card to a nice restaurant with a heartfelt letter expressing how much you hope they enjoy this next chapter of their life together. For the right couple, something fun like a ballroom dancing lesson or couples massage might be appropriate.
2. Gardening gift basket; assuming they like gardening, fill a basket with seeds, a colorful book on gardening tips, tools, gloves, and maybe a watering can or lawn ornament. This is doubly appropriate since it relates to homeownership.
3. Personalized mantelpiece with a family portrait and picture of the new home; this may be tricky because you need to stealthily get a family portrait. You may find one on your client’s Facebook page, if they have one and shared it with you, or you may need to ask. Simply tell them you’d like to frame a family photo for their new home. You can do a side-by-side of the new house and the family, or have a picture of the old house with the dates they lived in it, the family in the middle, and then the new house with the move in date inscribed below.

Compassionate bleeding hearts:

People who live to make a difference are often turned off by flashy presents and sometimes even feel guilty accepting them. You can spot these types by their modest home decor, church involvement, and how often they talk about others.

1. Donate to a charity in their name; we got this idea from an agent in Ohio and she says her clients are usually very touched by this. Make sure the charitable cause is something they believe in – or, better yet, a charity or church they are already involved in. Make sure they have a plaque or another physical item to commemorate the donation, and we recommend you also give them a small gift.
2. “Adopt” a family (or child) in their name; be sure to get a photo of the family or child being helped, and also make sure they know how much money or what items were given to them on their behalf.

If you really don’t have a sense for the client’s personality, here are our favorite standbys:

1. Welcome mat; this can be customized with the family’s last name
2. Treat basket; everyone loves a basket of goodies and there are thousands of retailers out there putting together great baskets. Warning: be sure you know about any food allergies, or if your client is vegetarian or vegan, a super health nut, or avoids gluten. If you’re including alcohol or coffee, be sure to first ask if your client partakes.
3. Restaurant gift card; all you have to do is ask where they like to eat. You should always accompany a gift card with something tangible, like flowers or a box of cookies.
4. Edible Arrangements. Yum! Fork over some extra cash to get them one with lots of chocolate-covered pieces.

A Final Caution:

 Now that you know what to give, here are a few “Definitely Don’t” gift ideas:

1. Cheap branded stuff. You know what I mean. It’s fine if you want to give them a refrigerator magnet or a $2.00 calendar with your face all over it, but stick stuff like that in with the closing documents and also give a real gift.
2. Nothing. Bad bad bad. You must give a closing gift.
3. Babies. They are cute, but not practical. Plus, I think it’s illegal.

We hope you’ve found this useful! Please share your thoughts and what gifts you give.

How Real Estate Agents should measure Marketing ROI: the Right Way and the Well Intentioned Way

As Agents work to pivot and re-group, we’re seeing an influx of new agents and a resurgence of effort from existing agents. With so many realtors in the game, carefully selected marketing has become a key differentiator of the best agents. And when it comes to marketing, there have never been so many choices… so knowing what works for you in your market has never been so important.

So let’s talk marketing ROI, and why we should be a little more careful in how we analyze it.

ROI is just “return on investment.” In the real estate business, this usually refers to the amount gross profit off of marketing-generated leads (less marketing expenses) as a percentage of marketing dollars spent in the same time period. That’s:

But beware!

Oftentimes it is this very equation that causes an agent to abort good efforts in the name of “business sense.” Why? Two reasons: first, a marketing effort by itself might not work. Your marketing plan should be a concert of several different channels playing in harmony with each other, delivering a consistent, top-notch message; and second, marketing programs often need a year or more to truly build traction, especially for agents with less than 5% market share. The standard marketing ROI equation ignores these truths.

So, we’d like to offer a slightly modified ROI equation with the big caveat of be prepared to wait. For this equation, we let the marketing do its magic, then we calculate.

First, let’s define the pieces of the puzzle:

• Average customer commission. This is how much commission you earned in total last year divided by the number of sides you completed.
• Lead conversion rate. This is the percentage of leads that become customers. Do you track this? If not, take an educated guess.
• Marketing cost. This is the total cost of the marketing program you are honing into. This can be actual or anticipated and must span a specific time period. Include a percentage of staff time dedicated to helping with this type of marketing.
• Leads generated. How many leads did you receive from the marketing program you are honing into? This must be measured over the same time period as your marketing costs.

Next, you’ll want to determine your Time to Break-Even. Because so much of your marketing is intended to communicate what you’re already doing, the more active you are now, the quicker you will get results from new marketing efforts. So if this is a new plan, or one you are considering but have not yet tried, put a deadline on the break-even and discipline yourself to wait until that date before you decide to measure marketing ROI and being running calculations.

In general, your Time to Break-Even should be set based on what the industry declares, and then adjusted based your market share. It is simple to figure out your market-share:

If you’re unfamiliar with housing turnover, it is simply a measure of how often people in your target market move. If 100 homes sell in your neighborhood of 1000, your turnover rate is 10%, and there are 100 listing prospects in your area per year. Here is a great article from Joe Manusa on housing turnover.

A good baseline on any new channel, especially direct mail, is 1 year (if you are hitting your farm with quality mail at least once per month). If you have greater than 20% market share, you might expect results a little sooner, and if you have less than 5% market share, you might be waiting 2 or more years. You should also adjust your time to break-even according to the turnover in your area. If you’re marketing to 10,000 homes with a 5% turnover, you should expect to wait longer (paying more in marketing costs) than if you marketed to 5,000 homes with a 10% turnover.

Now that you have established your Time to Break-Even, here are two ways to look at your marketing efforts. The first is a way to see what the performance of efforts should look like after they have already broken even. The second is a way to “spit out” how many leads you need to generate from the marketing channel for it to pay for itself, so you can gauge how realistic the new method is. If you only need a few leads a year to make it break-even, you might adjust your Time to Break even.

Measure Marketing ROI after Break-even:

Number of Leads needed in 1 year to Break-Even:

We hope this helps as you forge ahead this year. Best of luck, and never hesitate to reach out to us here at Discover if you’d like feedback on any of your marketing decisions. Please click below to download a complimentary calculator.

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How Experts Use Open Houses to Generate Listings

We’re sure you’ve heard the buzz about the hot new thing in Real Estate sales! Robot Listing Agents? No. Government-mandated 20% real estate commission? NO. The diesel typewriter? No, no, no.

Give up? It’s the Private House Showing – a strange, new approach to sucking the listings out of neighborhood after neighborhood – and maybe even selling the original listing!

What? You’ve been in real estate for 123 years and never heard of such an outlandish claim? No wonder, because it’s one of our industry’s newest concepts and it’s a great way to harvest listings when inventory is low.

We first caught wind of this new approach several months ago from clients who raved about their success after shifting their entire attitude about open houses. After doing a bit of digging, we discovered that the legendary real estate coach, Tom Ferry, was one of the brains (or perhaps the brain) behind these ideas. We’ve included a direct link to his video presentation on this topic at the end of this article.

Step One: Change your mindset about the Open House

If you’re like most of us, you slightly resent all the tire-kicking nosey neighbors trudging through your pristine listing and grabbing handfuls of your chocolate mints and Reeses-Pieces. Then they take several of your pricey, full-color, multi-page presentation brochures “just in case we decide to move 3 doors down and buy this place…” It’s almost as bad as that poor car dealer watching the family walk in after loading up at Dairy Queen. Grab the Windex!

Now it’s time to forget all about those things and look at the neighbors as home-sellers in your personal Listing Farm, ripe for harvest. Not only do you no longer care about your former angst over their visit, now you actively invite their visit.

Step Two: Hold a “Neighborhood Only” Sneak Peak

A few days before your Open House Event, introduce yourself to the neighbors by going door-to-door. Distribute flyers with a large photo of your listing and a prominent price. You’re not introducing yourself to ask if they’re interested in listing their own house – this isn’t a “door knock” in the traditional sense. If you’ve been actively farming with, say, a custom publication (or any “expertising” form direct-to-the-homeowner marketing), the knock won’t be so cold. They will already recognize you as the area’s real estate agent.

When they answer the door, you introduce yourself and invite them to the Von Tuttlesnoogle’s open house for a catered lunch and a private, neighborhood-only sneak peak. Of course they could bring friends too, but the idea is to show the neighborhood how YOU market your listings. And be sure they know what’s for lunch – it’s amazing how good food can bring people together.

Step Three: Set Listing Appointments

When the neighbors show up, many may ask what you think their home would sell for and they hope you’ll guess high. Now’s the time to make the appointment to get their address and offer to bring over a CMA rather than just educated guess, which is, after all, still just a guess. You may even notice that some sellers may be anxious to talk turkey about listing to get ahead of all those other neighbors now milling about the open house!

If you’re hooked on this approach to marketing around your listings, check out the very entertaining presentation by coach Tom Ferry. He does a fantastic job fleshing out this concept:

http://www.tomferry.com/blog/tomferryshow-episode-62/

Thanks Tom, you’re a genius! Good luck with your open houses, agents, and let us know your thoughts.

Exclusivity, why is it important? Did anyone ever give you a check that bounced and the bank mailed it to you with rubber stamped stigmata on it like “Insufficient Funds” or “Dishonored”? Do you remember who gave you this infamous check? Think hard.

Of course you do, and you didn’t need to think hard about it! Well, let’s hope you haven’t got many of those, but they make a striking point. Good or bad surprises have one thing in common – you remember them. And that’s the ultimate goal of your marketing, getting your prospects to remember you (in a positive way, of course), because you are the brand. You are what they will buy. You win because people have become familiar with you. This is not to say that your campaigns have to be spectacular or filled with dramatic surprises. Simply put, what your campaigns need is something your competitors don’t have, and that will position you as an expert.

Conferences underscore this better than anything we know of. Just browse through the rows of exhibitors at the shows such as NAR, RE/MAX, Keller-Williams, Century 21, ERA, Better Homes & Gardens, Howard Hannah, on and on. Vendors know that real estate agents are always in search of the next big thing that will differentiate them from the crowd. Most of the offerings are uncannily reminiscent of the television commercial in the early days of the Internet: A young web designer is enthusiastically showing off his creation to the business client. “Look, look, music plays, it spins wildly, and then fire comes out of the top!” The client looks very disenchanted and says, “But does it update our inventory?” Alas, where’s the beef?

Successful Innovation is a very tough commodity and we don’t intend to short-sell ideas that don’t quite hit the mark. Many of these ideas are wonderful and can really help you stand apart from your competitors, even to the point of exclusivity in some cases. However, we’d like to offer a short litmus test to increase the odds that your marketing campaigns hit the mark, get you remembered, and build your listing inventory:

1. Is the product unique? Have your prospects received anything like it from competing agents?
2. Is the product of high quality in craftsmanship, composition, and other important elements?
3. Does the product have a real value, not just perceived value?
4. Does the vendor give you the right of exclusivity to a marketing area under agreeable terms?
5. Can other competing agents reproduce your product easily?
6. Is the product used by other successful real estate agents?
7. Do past and current users vouch for claims of achieving substantial ROI?
8. Does the product endure over time and can you use it repeatedly with similar strong impact?

We have found that product exclusivity is perhaps the most important aspect of any successful campaign, but be sure to apply all reasonable criteria to the final selection.

We hope you found this information useful, and Happy Marketing!

It’s 2016 – the age of technology, and now what many are calling the age of Snapchat marketing. Today there are so many gadgets, techniques, and social media platforms used to connect with your prospective clients, that you’re left wondering which ones are best for your industry. Oh, and how you can “connect” without spending eight hours a day online. Want in on the secret of quick, easy-to-use social media marketing? Snapchat.

By now you’re already actively promoting your business on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. While those are consistent platforms to build your brand, there is a relatively new platform with over 100 million daily users that, as a real estate professional, you should be integrating into your marketing. We call it Snapchat. Using this application to connect with clients and prospects is incredibly easy and fast-paced. It’s time you give it a try. Here’s how:

Snapchat is an extremely simple way of sending photos and videos directly. But here’s the catch – after the recipient has viewed the photo or video, it disappears forever. Not to worry though, Snapchat has a feature called, ‘Stories’ where you can compile an unlimited amount of photos and videos throughout the day. With this feature, your audience can view your posts as a whole, like a slideshow or video compilation. ‘Stories’ are live on your account for 24 hours.

At first, you may wonder how is a platform that erases images valuable to your marketing program? Let’s say you are working with a new millennial client who frequently uses Snapchat. You easily add them to your contact list, and send photos and videos directly of a potential home that you think they might be interested in. The app notifies the user to take a look at the video you’ve sent them, and you will also have a visual indication if they’ve seen what you sent. And, because Snapchat has a fantastic built-in communication system, your client can follow-up with a message, photo, or video as well. Easy, right?

Now think about it this way – When you send a “snap” to followers who know that what you’ve shared will only be live for 10 seconds, you will have their undivided attention for the full 10 seconds that your image or video is displayed on their screen. This results in higher retention from your audience when compared to them scrolling through a homepage feed. This also results in a higher response rate due to the urgency stemmed from disappearance.

The ‘Stories’ section of Snapchat can be useful to you as well. You can showcase an open house, any community events, or even create short market updates. With the ‘Stories’ side of Snapchat, you can see who’s watched the entire compilation, and you can even download your entire ‘Story’ as one large pre-edited movie file, and upload it to your other social media platforms. Remember, social media works in collaboration, sharing a video from platform to platform will get more attention towards your posts and your business.

Every client is going to be different, but as time goes on we are seeing that more people want their home buying process to be easier and more accessible. That’s why Snapchat marketing is an easy and fun way to communicate directly with your clients, and all it takes is 10 seconds .

Questions? Give us a call at (614) 785-1111 and in the meantime subscribe to our our youtube channel for more inspiration and real estate marketing videos.