You’ve heard of the research firm called Gallup, right?

They’ve studied human nature and behavior for more than 75 years.  And even in their early days, they knew that respondents do not always give reliable feedback.

In face-to-face surveys about radio, Gallup’s people would start by asking, “Which would you rather hear on the radio tonight—Jack Benny or a Shakespeare play?”

If the respondent said Shakespeare, they knew he was a liar and broke off the interview.

Ask one hundred people today if they make buying decisions based on emotion, and they will all say “No”.  But, this is equally unreliable feedback.  In the American psyche, emotions are shunned.  They are viewed as a sign of weakness.  The truth is we all rationalize with facts, but we buy on emotion.

Understanding this is one of the key elements that separates money-losing advertising from profitable advertising and top-income earners from agents who are barely scraping by.

Common Traits Of Novice Marketing

Novices tend to market the obvious—that which is tangible.  If they are selling a product, this usually means a dry description of features.  In the real estate business this is why you see a house promoted with a simple flyer that lists items such as the number of bedrooms, baths, etc.  Computers are routinely promoted with nothing more than a list of specifications such as the processor speed or size of the hard drive.

And if a company provides a service instead of a product, you see the same tired promises over and over.  “Me-too” claims from this school of thought often take the form of brag-and-boast promises about quality…or “Our customers are number one” or “We have 47 years of combined experience” themes.

Examples Of Emotion-Based Marketing

At one time, the hottest segment of the auto industry was Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV’s).  But were they being purchased because consumers have a genuine need to traverse the outback?  Don’t kid yourself.  The closest thing most SUV’s will ever come to rugged terrain is a speed bump in a shopping center.  SUV’s are purchased for the lifestyle image they project—pure emotion, and this is okay.

And do people shell out $10,000 for a Rolex watch because it keeps time accurately?  No, people buy a Rolex for its prestige.  You have seen Rolex ads for years.  Their marketing doesn’t try to impress you with its quality materials.  Rolex ads are normally done in the form of a short bio about a famous person or adventurer.  They associate their product with successful people.

Want another example? The average business person would likely agree that “good food” is crucial to the success of any restaurant business.  But are you sure?  McDonalds sells more hamburgers than anyone in the world, but do they make the best hamburger?  Not by a long shot.  For years, McDonalds has used emotion-laden TV commercials with kids as the theme.  When you think of McDonald’s you don’t think of the unique flavor of the food, you think fast, clean, consistent.

How To Sell More Homes By Putting An
EMOTIONAL Angle In Your Ads

If you want to win over more customers, try to get at the real — the deep-seated — reasons that make them buy.  Don’t tell them about you…tell them how they will benefit from purchasing your service or product.

Because I was fortunate enough to receive firsthand “advertising agency” experience, my ads include an emotional appeal instead of straight facts.

The good news is, you can quickly learn from my years of experience by looking closely at the following example of an emotion-laden homes ad.

The house featured below had been on the market for over six months.  The previous marketing (shown below as ‘BEFORE’) was a typical flyer that simply described the physical structure such as, “ Parking: 3-car garage, Foundation: Slab, Fireplace: One, Kitchen: Gourmet Island,” etc.

The ad I used (shown below as ‘AFTER’) told what it would be like to live in the house—an appeal with much more emotion.  It sold the house quickly.

(Click the image to download a PDF of the full ‘AFTER’ ad)

Using a similar approach in your homes ads can help you sell more homes, in a fraction of the time.

Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule?

It suggests that 80% of sales are made by only 20% of the salespeople—a pattern found in almost every industry.  But, the same is true of advertising—some ads sell more than others.

The famous copywriter, Claude Hopkins, said:  “A mediocre salesman effects part of your business.  But, mediocre advertising effects all of your business.”

I have a feeling you didn’t get in to real estate to be mediocre.   Question is, will you take the time to learn and apply what I’ve taught you through this example?

I hope you will.  It’s a powerful way to differentiate yourself from every other agent out there, sell homes faster, and make more money.  The choice is yours.

[Ed note: Copyright Stan Barron. Reprinted with permission. If you, or someone you know wants to sell a house, please give Stan a call at 512-345-8585.]

The first step in writing an effective ad to sell a house is to stop using “me-too” flyers.

This is the biggest mistake I see when I hear a home is not selling.  Real estate agents and even builders try to use these ubiquitous “fact sheets” that typically include coma-inducing details such as the address, number of bedrooms, living areas, and the most mind-numbing statistic of all — the SEER rating of the HVAC system.

But it gets worse.  As if it will somehow attract more attention, these flyers are often printed on astro-bright paper.  This is the equivalent of driving by a business that has resorted to renting a giant, inflatable pink gorilla to place in the parking lot for a special weekend sale.  Neither the flyer nor the gorilla is a dignified marketing method for selling upscale anything.

Am I against flyers all together? Not necessarily.  If you can turn your “traditional” flyer into a compelling story ad for a home—one that does a professional job of selling a high-end product, then you can use a flyer, or whatever you wish to call your ad for the home.

Are there better methods to sell homes than the “traditional” flyer? Absolutely.  To get into step with more professional methods of selling homes, think about how other high-dollar items are advertised.

Consider what took place in the cosmetics industry several years ago.  As retailers were stampeded into throwing up a website, they were faced with a problem:  “How does a retailer create a website when it sells thousands of different items?”

What most did was to simply list the product name with a corresponding price.  This did not sit well with perfume makers who rely heavily on the image created by the packaging, shape of the bottle, etc.

When the perfume makers saw their products reduced to a line item and a price, they quickly protested.  They rightfully objected that this practice reduced their brands to a commodity, and it encouraged the consumer to make a decision based solely on who had the lowest price.

A similar objection is called for when a home is marketed with a flyer that simply lists the number of bedrooms and living areas along with a description of construction materials.  Even if you don’t sell “luxury homes” a house is still the largest purchase most will ever make.

If a marketing piece is allowed to boil a house down to its fundamental elements, then the house is reduced to a commodity.

A builder, architect, or seller may know all of the nuances that make a home special, but remember, the consumer will form an opinion based on the marketing material he is exposed to.  If that information covers nothing but the basics, guess what happens?  The consumer will migrate to a method of comparison that makes him feel secure and comfortable… the dreaded price-per-foot analysis.

How To Use A Professional Real Estate Ad,
Not A Traditional Flyer To Sell Homes
In Weeks Instead of Months

Here are six must-have keys to writing effective ads that sell homes in record time:

#1: Use a long ad

Testing shows that long ads sell better than short ads because long ads can educate the consumer as to what makes a product special or unique.

#2: Appeal to the reader’s self-interest

Should a company’s marketing state how long it has been in business?  Is it a good idea to stress a builder’s dedication to quality and customer service?  Or, how the sellers have diligently cared for the home?  Doing so is a novice mistake.

I heard a quote once from a successful copywriter who observed:  “Customers respond when you give them information that appeals to their current belief system.  Don’t tell them about you.  Instead, explain how they will benefit.”

For example, the headline, “At last, here is a modern home on a large lot” has a much greater chance of stopping the reader than does, “Broughton Homes means quality you can count on.”  Or the more pathetic example of:  “Lovely Austin home that is move-in ready.”

#3: Tell an interesting story

The most difficult part of writing is getting started.  To get the ball rolling, imagine the natural flow of conversation if a builder was at the jobsite when a customer stops to say, “I have been watching the progress of the house and really like it.  What made you design the house the way you did?”

A builder would likely be flattered with such a question — and will not talk about the thickness of the insulation or the size of the water heater.  Instead, he probably will talk about his vision for the house, describing what originally appealed to him about the lot.  He may explain how he positioned the pool to catch the maximum amount of afternoon sunlight, etc.  This process can produce fascinating insights that would have otherwise been missed.  Here’s an example…

A well-known architect was interviewed about a house he designed. The house was on multiple lots and had a creek on the grounds. The house was not selling because of one recurring objection:  the entire house was on one level, except for the master suite, which required going down steps to enter.

It was an objection until someone asked the architect to explain this seemingly odd feature.  He used the steps to put the bedroom close to the creek so a person could open the windows and go to sleep to the sound of a running stream.  The marketing was changed to reflect this insight, and the home quickly sold.

Story ads are low-key, but they deeply plant a sales message with consumers searching for unique homes.

Another example is a waterfront home that was not selling.  The other houses on this waterfront street were perpendicular to the street, but this house was turned at an odd angle and did not look symmetrical.  Then the builder explained what happened the first time he walked the vacant lot.

He noticed the lot was uniquely positioned where the lake made a sweeping turn.  He realized that a V-shaped footprint, turned at just the right angle, would yield a long, booming view that spanned the length of the lake instead of merely looking across to the other side.  This served as proof the home had the best view on the lake.  When this story was used, the home received multiple, full-priced contracts.

Here’s an example ad that grabs a person’s attention with the unique element positioned in the headline:

(Click the image to download a PDF of the full ad example)

Builders and architects have a gift for visualizing in beautiful detail what the average person sees as a blank screen.  The best way to describe this vision is to put it into the format of a narrative story.

Not selling a “new” home?  Fine.  Sellers will give similar unique details of their favorite part of their home, if you get them talking.

#4: Strongest benefit goes in the headline

Five times as many people read the headline as they do the body copy, so put the most powerful promise in the headline.

As an example, a builder and his agent were frustrated by the lack of a sale on a perfectly good waterfront home.  As often is the case, they were in competition with many other waterfront houses.  A quick look at their marketing revealed the problem.  What really made the house stand out was the size of the lot — this one was 12 acres — almost unheard of for a lake lot.  But this fact was buried on page two of the flyer.  The ad was rewritten to include this fact in the headline, in bold print, resulting in a sale in less than six weeks.

WARNING:  You have to be careful.  If a home has a view, don’t make this the theme of an ad IF many competing properties can match this claim. The rule is to put the home’s best claim — the one that others cannot easily match — in the headline.

#5: Give details that allow consumers to self-screen

Real estate agents love to withhold key facts like price, address or square footage to motivate a call.  You do get more calls, but not more serious buyers.  Ads work best when all of this key information is disclosed.  Doing so attracts qualified inquiries.  Also, provide a floor plan, site plan and locator map.  Then you’ll know when you get a call, it’s because the person is truly interested and you won’t waste your time showing the property to lookee-loo’s.

#6: Think like a professional

This arguably comes at the beginning of the process of writing a great homes ad.  But I’ve included it as my last tip, because I want you to REMEMBER to think of marketing as an investment.

Just for a moment, pretend there is a new reality show in which contestants compete to see who gets a chance to oversee the next issue of a Victoria’s Secret catalog.  How long would the contestant last if he announced:  “The quality of the merchandise is inherent in the lingerie itself, and everyone knows Victoria’s Secret makes a quality product.  So, to save some money, I refuse to hire professional models or photographers.  Some of the women here at the loading dock have agreed to model the underwear, and a friend of mine is pretty good with a camera.  Also, my neighborhood QwikCopy will handle the printing because it is having a sale on lime-green paper.”

Does this reasoning sound absurd? It is, and unfortunately too often, builders compete to spend $400,000 on a lot to build a $1.5 million house only to refuse to spend $5,000 to market the finished home.  For goodness sake, have the home professionally photographed and printed, on nice paper.  It is not unreasonable to earmark 1 to 1.5 percent of the sales price for the marketing of a home.

The same is true of your typical seller who refuses to spend $1,000 on an ad to will sell their home in less than month.  They’ll regret that mistake when they lower their price by at least $1,000 because their home is still on the market.  It’s your job to sell homes, but also to educate sellers on how you’ll sell their home faster by using professional marketing.

[Ed note: Copyright Stan Barron. Reprinted with permission. If you, or someone you know wants to sell a house, please give Stan a call at 512-345-8585.]

If you’d like to learn a 3-step process that doubles your chance of selling homes… then take 5 minutes to read my article.  It’s about the real reason why Apple continues to launch successful products, and how you can use the same strategy to sell more homes, in less time.

But first, some background on the company…

Apple is on a long winning streak that started with the iPod, then the iPhone and now the iPad.  Apple’s stock is so richly valued the small company is now worth more than Dell and Hewlett-Packard combined.

The media is clearly smitten with Steve Jobs, but business reporters may be missing a key element in Apple’s strategy.  When the company is praised for its marketing, it is usually for offering innovative, cutting edge products.  Apple is often tagged with the desirable label of “first mover” status, meaning it gets new technologies on the market before the competition does.

But closer examination proves otherwise. For example, iPod was not the first MP3 player on the market — not by a long shot.  Audio Highway sold the first MP3 player called Listen Up which won a national award at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1997.  Appel’s iPod hit the market in October, 2001.  Nokia was selling smart phones for years before anyone ever heard of an iPhone.  Tablet-sized PCs hit the market a few years ago with great fanfare, but sales have been lackluster.

Now, here comes the iPad, and within weeks, more than a million have been sold hitting that benchmark twice as fast as the original iPhone.  Apple’s reputation for being on the cutting edge is not actually supported by the facts.  Overlooked is…

Apple’s Ability To Create Effective Advertising

Granted, the company’s engineers come up with beautifully-designed and easy-to-use products — which is a marketing function in its own right — but, pay attention to what takes place in their television commercials.  What unfolds in their TV ads is simple and “old school”.

The strategy for the iPhone and iPad are the same—just a straightforward DEMONSTRATION of what the product does for the consumer.  Do they use exotic locations, celebrities or sexy models?  Not at all.  Watch some of the current iPad commercials.  They are filmed as if you are holding the device, and you see books…movies you can select…and another sequence shows a typing keypad, etc.

For the iPhone, Apple used the same technique, and you simply saw a person holding the iPhone in his hand while he did things like bring up a compass or get a restaurant review.  Another ad showed two users bumping their phones together to exchange contact information.

Advertising agencies typically loathe this kind of work because it is not creative, but in many cases a simple communication of benefits results in effective selling.

The iPhone killer was supposed to be the new Droid—a joint venture between Google and Verizon.  I have seen the TV spot that is just out, and it rates much higher for the “cool” factor.  It is a glitzy production that shows the new phone hovering and spinning in a room.  Laser-looking beams shoot out from all sides projecting on the walls with various scenes including one beam that blows a hole in the wall.  The special effects are impressive, but will it overtake the iPhone?  I wouldn’t count on it.

Brush Up On Marketing Basics To
Understand Apple’s Advertising Strategy

Before you create any advertising, you should ask yourself if you offer a product or service.  Products are the easiest of those two because they are tangible.  Selling a service in an intangible. Just as the Apple examples prove that demonstrating benefits is highly effective, there is an similar method for selling a service that as powerful… you demonstrate the benefit of the service by way of telling an interesting story.

One sterling example comes to mind — the “give-you-goose-bumps” radio commercials for OnStar.  The best in this series begins with what sounds like a 9-1-1 call.  A little girl — with trembling voice — says the car has crashed.  Next you hear the calming, voice of the female OnStar Operator.  The little girl says her mom is hurt and not awake.  The Operator says she is sending help and, she tells the little girl she will stay on the line with her until help arrives.  As that conversation fades out, the announcers come on to make a pitch for OnStar.

What do Apple and OnStar have in common?  Nothing.  One is a product, the other a service.  Good advertising is not about products or services…it means you understand human behavior.  Good advertising is also NOT about manipulating consumers.  It’s about tapping into our human desires and motivating action through a compelling demonstration of benefits.

How Does This Apply To Selling Homes?

So why not use these professional strategies on the ultimate consumer purchase — a house?   Unfortunately, what most sellers get is a typical flyer that lists the number of bedrooms, baths and living areas along with the agent’s photo.   But where is the demonstration or storytelling in that?   Providing “dry” statistics about a house makes it seem similar, and good advertising should make the product stand out, not blend in.

Note the first ad on the left — a classic story ad.  The headline makes you wonder who is getting a dream job in this economy? The ad generated urgency, too, because it suggested a good price was offered as a result of the owner’s buyout and promotion.

You can click the image to see it in a larger format, but you only have to read the headline to get the point — use a story ad that engages the reader and motivates them to respond.

RESULT: This ad  satisfied the main litmus test — it produced multiple offers in less than three weeks in a neighborhood in which every other “for sale” house is still sitting on the market — some for over a year.

The next ad (on the RIGHT) shows the same process Apple uses — a simple, clear communication of a unique benefit.  Can you spot the key element?  You would imagine that to sell a house, the ad must be about the house, right?  Not at all — this house was very similar to all the others on the market.

What made it different was the yard and view (no other competing house offered this kind of setting).  The photo of the yard, and headline, forcefully demonstrated what other “for sale” listings could not match.  The seller received four offers — unusual in this downturn.

How Do You Improve Your Advertising To
Attract Ready-To-Act Buyers?

Serious, ready-to-act homebuyers do not want to talk to a salesman — which is one reason I never stick my personal photo on my advertising — it has nothing to do with what is being sold. Here’s a simple process you can use to create an effective ad… one that sells your listings in half the time:

STEP 1: Identify a unique benefit that no other listing in the area can match…

STEP 2: Think of the best way to demonstrate what this benefit will DO for the buyer…

STEP 3: Dramatize this strongest benefit through an interesting story in your ad…

Using this process, you’ll create better advertising (no matter the home),  you’ll get more attention, and attract the right target audience — a buyer who’s motivated to sign a contract.

Remember: Selling a home is not a real estate function — it is a marketing function.  If ten people find out about your home that is fine, but if twenty people discover it because you have better marketing than your competition, you have just doubled your chances for success.

[Ed note: Copyright Stan Barron. Reprinted with permission. If you, or someone you know wants to sell a house, please give Stan a call at 512-345-8585.]

Have you ever spent hundreds of dollars and countless hours on an ad or mailing program, only to stare at your silent phone?

If so, you’re not alone. Most agents spend an enormous amount of time learning about “real estate”, but very little learning about the “elements” that turn your advertising (or any marketing or prospecting efforts) from a “sunk cost” to a true “money-maker”.

The truth about real estate success is this: Even the most competent and knowledgeable agent will go broke without a steady, consistent stream of qualified, motivated buyers and sellers.

So while knowledge about real estate is essential to being a competent agent, it’s not going to write your ticket to success. You also need to develop prospecting and marketing skills designed to create an on-going flow of leads and clients.

Money-making marketing isn’t difficult if you know a few basics. In fact, all successful marketing has three essential components. I call them…

The Three “M’s” of Marketing Success

The next time you set-out to create a successful ad, post card, or even if you decide to cold prospect (or the next time you’re perplexed as to why your wonderful promotion didn’t work), think about these three ingredients…

#1: Select the Right MARKET

It sounds rather obvious, but most agents fail with their marketing right here – they fail to target the “hungry crowd“… people who are “right now” facing a problem about real estate, and are motivated and interested in what you may be offering.

What do I mean by “market”?

A “market” is a group of people who share a common demographic (statistical description, such as location, occupation, income, etc.) or psychographic (belief wiring). Your goal is to select a market that has an immediate, pressing desire for your services.

Want an example?

About 6 months ago an agent called me because she had been farming a “high-end” subdivision for over 9 months, and her efforts produced zero calls or listings. When I asked her to hop on her trusty MLS system and take a look at the market, she noticed that only 2 homes had sold in the entire area over the past year!

She had been fishing in an empty pond.

I then told her to select 5 decent markets in her area based on casual knowledge, and using here MLS system analyze each market for # of homes sold, average sales time, # of dominant agents in the market and a few other statistics.

By comparing 5 markets based on these criteria, all of a sudden one of the areas stuck out as a higher-potential market than the others – an area with lots of activity, high turnover, short sales times, fewer dominant agents, etc. Within 30 days working these markets she had her first listing, and is now making a small fortune from her farming efforts.

So how do you find hot markets? How do you find the well-stocked ponds that will produce consistent business for you, year-in and year-out?

The secret is to pay attention to where the dominant activity exists for the type of homes you specialize in selling.

If you’re a luxury market specialist, do your homework and locate luxury areas with better activity than others. If resort properties or horse properties are your specialty, then analyze the best resort or horse property subdivisions to target.

If you’re looking for buyers, examine your market for segments where the highest volume of buyers exist (get cozy with your local board and you can find lots of market data). Between your MLS and a trusty Excel spreadsheet, the answers are right at your fingertips.

But you want to know the one “market” that will out-perform anything else as much as 16 to 1? It’s your “Power List”…your list of past clients, friends, family and acquaintances.

If you’re interested in building a booming “Power List” business click here to learn more.

To sum up this first “M”… go where the pond is stocked from the beginning, and your odds of success will be much greater when you cast your line.

Let’s move on to the second “M”…

#2: Select the Right MEDIUM

Once you’ve found your market(s), the next question you should ask yourself is: “Where does my target market get information that’s important to them?”

The secret is to tap into the lines of communication and information that your market already finds credible and helpful.

Most agents are seduced into finding mediums (magazines, newspapers, etc.) based on the highest circulation, but that’s a BIG mistake because you’re going to pay for exposure to people who have no interest in your services – it’s called “waste circulation” and it’s very costly.

Find a medium that reaches your targeted prospect and only your targeted prospect.

You might choose to use direct mail after performing an analysis like the example above. You might locate a homeowner newsletter to contribute a helpful article about buying or selling in the area. Or you might find a bedroom newspaper that specifically targets the area you farm.

Either way, the “secret” to success is in finding well-targeted, small ways to reach your prospect and only your prospect. That’s because every dollar (and minute) counts when you’re prospecting for leads and clients.

The more you target by selecting the right medium for your promotions, the more money you make.

And the final “M” is this…

#3: Create the Right MESSAGE

All of your advertising, mailings or any other marketing should have one and only one objective: Motivate qualified buyer and seller prospects to CALL YOU or hire your services!

If they don’t call or hire you, you’ve wasted your money.

But most agents believe that, if they put up their photo with a “call me for more information” they’ve done the job. Wrong!

You will find volumes of books and courses about direct response marketing and ways to motivate prospects to call you, but here’s a quick 4-point checklist that will almost instantly improve the success of all your marketing.

• Capture Attention with a Benefit-Rich Headline and Lead. Your headline is your “ad” for your ad or letter or even your listing presentation – no it’s not your name or your big company logo. It’s the specific call-out message that causes your reader or listener to stop and take notice, just like a headline in a newspaper article works. Your “lead” is what you say in the first 5 seconds that captures the attention of your reader and motivates them to read on.
• Stimulate Interest by Harmonizing with Your Prospect. How do you get people interested in you? By talking about the problems they face and the desires they seek. It’s not about you; it’s about them! When you connect with your prospect and empathize with their situation (their immediate fears and desires), you instantly capture their interest and open their minds to be willing to listen to your solutions.
• Create Desire by Matching Your Services Perfectly to Their Fears and Desires. When you demonstrate how your services solve problems or deliver benefits for your prospects and clients better than any other option – in a way that’s risk-free for them – you automatically make yourself a stand-out choice for their business. The art of persuasion is simply matching your solution perfectly to the problems and desires your prospect faces.
• Stimulate Action with an Irresistible Offer and Call to Action. Remember this: No one will call you without a self-serving, almost irresistible reason for calling. So you need to give prospects reasons to call. For lead generation, offer special reports, preferred lists of homes and other “magnets” that will motivate people to seek you out. When closing a listing presentation, list out all the “things” you will DO for them, and make an offer that will have them saying, “we’d have to be fools to pass this up!” If you don’t include an offer, combined with an urgent call to action, chances are your prospects are going to procrastinate. And procrastination in this business means an empty checkbook!

One final note… these three “M’s” of marketing success are not magic bullet solutions.

It’s up to you to take action and consistently apply them in your marketing. Once you really understand each of these ingredients and USE them, you’ll have a reliable way of creating promotions that work instead of just a fizzle of response.

If you want your promotions to bring you a steady stream of commissions and clients, go and review every promotion you have right now against each of these ingredients of successful marketing.

You’ll be glad you did!