Marketing real estate seems pretty forthright: In the simplest context, you’re just telling people about what you have for sale. In theory, the more people you share your information with, the closer you are to a deal. Technology and the dominance of the main stream media though, have made selling ANYTHING a challenge.
You have a property that you’re sure many people would be interested in. Showing and telling them about it however, is like finding your way out of a Halloween corn maze. Internet technology is supposed to make selling your product or service EASIER, but instead, you’re spending your days trying to distinguish between SEO, SMM, PPC, and PDA (PDA, of course, has nothing to do with the Internet).
So let’s make it simple. The first thing you have to do is FIND all of the people who might be interested in your offerings.
Active Marketing
No matter what strategies you’re using, the best methods of lead generation and closing deals include talking directly to people. Don’t waste your money on passive techniques. If you’re tired of spending lots of money hoping to grab lots of market share, just to end up disappointed month after month, here’s what to do:
Capture the Contact
Yard signs with your phone number and general information are normally considered a passive approach to selling real estate.
However, you can improve your return by adding a call capture or SMS capture system. For the caller (prospect), these systems are simply an automated message containing information about the property. For you (the seller), it’s a lead capture system that automatically texts or emails you the caller’s contact information.
Of course, surprising someone with a call after they thought they were just performing an anonymous task can be a little traumatizing, so be delicate, and explain your system. They’ll appreciate the honesty.
USE Your Website
Most real estate websites are little more than a brochure, floating on the Internet. To get a better return from your website traffic, make sure that visitors can sign up to be automatically notified of all new listings that meet their search criteria. This is still passive, but it proactively engages your visitors, and is as simple as installing a newsletter sign-up form (assuming THAT is simple for you).
Know the Neighbors
Shift your open-house from passive to active by inviting the neighbors. Knock on every door within 3 blocks and tell them to bring the kids. Have some cookies and lemon-aide available. Don’t just do this for SALES, do this for RENTALS, too. Everyone has a friend they wished lived a little closer.
Only Give Business Cards to FRIENDS
Everyone should do some print advertising, but the big FAIL for most people is to hand it out too soon, or not at all.
Our networking rule of thumb with print marketing or hand outs is to only hand it out to friends. That of course means NEW friends as well as old friends.
Don’t put a time limit on when you can be friends with someone.
Think back on times when you’ve made someone’s acquaintance and you immediately felt a connection. If you TRY to feel that way with every person you meet, you’ll find that you have a lot of friends and a lot more business.
After the connection, give them the hand out. They’ll ask questions about your business just to keep the conversation going.
Get a Drone!
Phontom drone with GoPro camera, for virtually showing Tampa Bay real estate and investments
If you have money to blow on fancy brochures that you’re never going to hand out or mass mail-outsthat will yield a return of less that 1/10 of 1%, you may as well go ahead and buy a drone, too.
Drones are essentially just remote control helicopters that can carry video cameras or deliver pizzas. Drones are also great for capturing overhead video of property and landscapes, as well as promoting the overall neighborhood. After you’ve captured the great footage, go ahead and upload it to YouTube. Video is great for getting your properties found on the Internet.
Of course, avoid this trap at all costs if you don’t have 20 hours to configure your system and 80 hours of flight lessons budgeted.