Real estate agents are always looking for new ways to market their services, but sometimes it’s hard to figure out where to start because so many options are available. That’s why we put together this list of the best marketing tactics you should use when selling homes. Top marketing tactics for all real estate agents include:
1. Create a Marketing Plan Early
Being successful in real estate agencies comes down to how they plan before taking action. This means researching the local market thoroughly, talking to your clients about what would make them happy and deciding which promotion methods work well.
If you don’t have a solid marketing plan, now is the time to start. The importance of planning a marketing strategy as early as possible include:
- Know your clientele: Before you begin your marketing campaign, think about who exactly will be buying or selling the home to determine what advertising avenues you need to take advantage of (e.g., newspaper ads vs Craigslist posts).
- Understand your competition: Knowing who else is selling homes nearby helps you understand the local market and allows you to tailor your message accordingly. You might want to run newspaper, radio and TV ads targeting residents in those neighborhoods, while other areas may not require ads.
- Keep track of your results: Tracking the number of leads generated by each advertising method can help ensure that the efforts you spend money on are paying off or could point out issues within your overall marketing program.
2. Budget Like a Pro
It takes more than just good ideas to succeed in business — you also need enough capital to keep going. Understanding your monthly budget can help you avoid pitfalls or even prevent them from happening entirely down the road.
Whether there’s cash left over after rent, groceries or utilities, if you’re spending too much of your own money, chances are you won’t last long. By keeping careful records of your expenses, you’ll know exactly how much to allocate for marketing purposes and whether or not your current budget is adequate.
As a bonus, being aware of every cent spent in business ensures you control the money you earn rather than giving others access to it.
3. Focus on One to Two Types of Marketing
Sometimes, everyone has a favorite way of promoting their real estate agency. Some people find great joy in using social media, while others are drawn to more traditional forms of advertising such as print advertisements, flyers and yard signs.
While these are certainly effective alternatives, sticking with one particular option at a time can benefit you and your clients. By focusing on only one type of marketing at a time, you can create a consistent brand image without worrying about getting bogged down by conflicting messages. Plus, the knowledge you gain might open up new opportunities later.
4. Be Consistent with Your Marketing
Once you’ve figured out what works best for your business, it’s important to stick with it. The best way to stand head and shoulders above your competitors is by continuously giving potential buyers and sellers what they want or expect.
Whether through radio commercials, newsletters, or Facebook updates, ensuring everyone knows you exist as an expert and trustworthy resource for property purchases and sales is the easiest way to gain new clients.
5. Make Sure You Stand Out
People today are flooded with daily information. What makes yours special or unique? Having a great brand is essential for anyone looking to attract new customers.
Use powerful graphics and catchy headlines to create a memorable impression on potential buyers and sellers, from your website design to the pictures used in email promotions or brochures. Now would be a good time to start if you don’t have a strong brand.
6. Be Honest About Your Results
Nothing kills a person faster than someone telling themselves something they wish was true. For instance, telling yourself that all those flyers you sent around town didn’t work because no one called you back will inevitably lead to frustration and failure.
When you tell others things that aren’t true, it shows that you’re insecure and lacks confidence in your abilities. Instead of believing statements like “No one ever calls me,” try saying, “I’m glad I focused on certain methods of promotion.” Or “This week we received several inquiries about our house” instead of saying, “That flyer looks terrible.”
You’re admitting defeat and showing weakness when you say things that aren’t true. Besides losing credibility, this behavior could potentially damage your relationships with clients. In other words, you’d look foolish. And that’s no fun.
7. Follow-Up is Everything
This tip goes hand-in-hand with the previous point; if you send out mailers and ads, follow up immediately after sending them. This is one of the most overlooked aspects of the whole process.
Follow-up emails and phone calls allow you to ensure that your campaign worked and quickly let prospects know if there was anything else they needed to know before buying or selling their home.
Additionally, if you are not currently receiving any callbacks, the last thing you want to do is wait until too late to contact them again.
8. Don’t Stop Learning
As much as you may think you know everything about real estate, new techniques, strategies, and tricks are coming along each month. You never stop learning.
By staying ahead of trends, you can save time, money, and effort while growing your professional reputation. Plus, it’s always better to learn new ways of doing things rather than reinventing the wheel every time.
9. Keep Track of Your Progress
It is extremely easy to get lost in numbers and statistics during your everyday business activities. Sometimes, you may forget how close you are to hitting your monthly goals or why you wanted to achieve these goals in the first place.
Keeping track of where you came from and who you went after gives you a more personal sense of accomplishment. Also, knowing how much progress you made toward reaching your business goals helps motivate you to keep going. In addition, keeping a logbook of your accomplishments is also helpful for tax purposes.
Conclusion
There’s always room for improvement in any industry. It doesn’t matter whether you’re working in the home improvement market, the mortgage lending space or even the online dating world – improving your skills and honing your craft regularly will help you stay competitive and thrive. That being said, sometimes small changes can have a big impact.
