As a Realtor, How Do I Attract Listings?
As a Realtor, How Do I Attract Listings?
By Barrett Niehus http://www.realtysoftware.org
Have you ever noticed that despite the massive number of
Realtors in your area, only a hand full are making a fortune
selling real estate? Regardless of who these realtors work for;
GMAC, Century 21, REMax, they are extremely successful where
others in their office are barely scraping by. What is the
secret to their success? First and foremost, it is their
approach to marketing themselves and their customers.
So what techniques do they use to attract listings? Well, while
the rest of us are placing door hangers and mailing out
notepads, these super sales people have perfected marketing
techniques that attract motivated buyers and sellers, and
motivate them to take action. An example of one of the
strategies that the best seller in my city uses is as follows:
1) Specialize: Despite the policy of never turning down a
listing or qualified candidate, focus on specializing on the
type of property that will best suit your performance goals. For
the person in my area, single family attached homes provide the
greatest return on investment and are turning over the fastest.
This is where she is really making her money.
2) Geographic Specialization: When a person decides to sell
his/her house, they will find a realtor either through referral,
recognition of a local representative, or through the
yellow/white pages and internet. By focusing your promotional
efforts on a specific geography, you can increase your market
presence so that you are the first phone call if a target client
decides to sell their property, as well as first on the list if
they ask a neighbor for referral. In addition, if you specialize
in a specific area, people will recognize your name and be more
inclined to trust you with their listing and to negotiate their
deal.
3) Grow and harvest your area of geographic specialization:
Focus your marketing message on the area of geographic
specialization that you have chosen. If your area has a high
rate of property turnover, then you will do very well. The most
successful realtor in my area papers my door with her picture
every Monday afternoon. In addition, she includes a list of
properties in my neighborhood that are listed or for sale.
Looking at the sales price of other properties is a good
motivator for me to list my own home and take advantage of the
capital gains.
4) Create a continual presence: Once you have chosen the type of
property to specialize in, and the neighborhoods to cultivate
listings, begin promoting. As a marketing manager, I am a big
fan of postcards that are sent to target clients on a weekly
basis. Generally, it will take about fifteen pieces of promotion
before a client will remember your name, but when they decide to
list, you will be the first phone call.
The overall goal is to attract as many viable listings as
possible. Regardless of who eventually buys the property, as the
listing agent, you get to take advantage of the commission. By
focusing your time on marketing yourself to your most promising
targets, you will save time and increase your listings
substantially.
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