“I’m marketing a listing in a very desirable subdivision in a town which Family Circle Magazine just named one of the ‘Top 10 Places To Raise a Family’ in the entire country. How? I’m using my 800 line to let the neighbors tell potential buyers how great the neighborhood is!

“I sent direct mail pieces to all 200 homes in the subdivision asking them to call into my 800 line and leave a message about why they LOVE living in the neighborhood. I took the voice mail messages the neighbors left (which I receive digitally via e-mail), picked the best ones and edited them down into my own outgoing message.

“Now in my marketing for my listing, I direct potential buyers to call my 800 line with a dedicated extension which features actual neighbor testimonials about what makes the subdivision so special. ‘Don’t take my word for it, I’m just the Realtor whose job it is to sell this home, but listen to what actual residents had to say about life in Dianna Estates….’

“My sellers absolutely love it, and I’ve got a few prospects for more listings within the subdivision from the direct mail request piece!”

Editor’s Note: Agent Inner Circle™ Recommends www.SixFigureHotlines.com.

I was reading the most recent issue of Agent Inner Circle while my phone kept receiving pages from prospective buyers and sellers responding to my advertisements. How did I achieve this ‘reverse prospecting’ phenomenon? By using a Toll Free number in all my advertising. Whether in a Homes Magazine, Yard Signs, Community Flyers or Community newspaper advertorials, Toll Free (1-800) numbers are the best way to get prospects to call you. You must remember to offer something of value or just a teaser if advertising properties and only use a service that will page you with the callers phone number (reverse lookup).”

Submitted by Uzi Grunvald, REALTOR^®

Note: Agent Inner Circle™ recommends www.SixFigureHotlines.com.

Every day I get calls, emails and faxes from agents who want a better, easier way to grow their businesses. The process of building any business is quite basic, and involves creating:

1. A unique and beneficial product,
2. A sales generation system(s) to market and sell that product and retain your clients for as long as humanly possible to generate a) more sales and b) referrals, word of mouth and repeat business,
3. A unique product/service delivery system, and…
4. Measurement systems (to know if what you’re doing is working!).

Below, in no particular order, are ideas and “marketing wisdom” that will generate more clients, and build a long-term viable business. Many of these suggestions are further detailed in the 3-Steps Marketing System at www.3-Steps.com

1. Prioritize Your Marketing Time, Money and Effort According To the QUALITY Of The Prospect/Market. “Quality” is defined as how well the prospect already knows you and is most predisposed to use you over any other agent. Don’t go chasing cold prospects at the expense of higher potential prospects. Here’s how I believe you should prioritize your marketing: 1) Build a “house list” and market to them on a monthly basis (this is your “market share”, where 70% or more of your business should come from – more on this later), 2) Market off “Transactional Leads” (from your listings for buyers) and other listings (once you have them), 3) Work hot leads – follow-up is essential. At the very least, you know they’re in the market to buy/sell, and most agents hopelessly ignore follow-up, 4) Do your research homework to select market niches that have the most promise, and work them (i.e. fish in a stocked pond) – this includes geographic markets (farms), specialty markets (resort, golf, vacation, etc.), 5) Work FSBOs and Expireds – but notice the low quality of this group. We both know the reason.

   Here’s a revealing fact: The National Association of REALTORS^® produces an annual research report called Profile of Buyers and Sellers. It’s filled with lots of facts and figures, but the most startling fact they’ve discovered is that approximately 74% of all real estate transactions occur because the client either 1) knew the agent already, or 2) was referred to the agent from a trusted source.

   This means that 3/4 of all transactions happen because of a relationship – yet only 4% of all agents have any “systems” to harvest deep relationships and build market share. So about 4% get the lion’s share of business and 96% wrestle each other over the scraps. THIS fact alone is why I told you (above) to create a “house list” of friends, family, past clients, acquaintances, etc., and market to them first and foremost. It’s also why I created Service For Life!^® at www.ServiceForLife.com as a ready-to-use tool to capture that business. I’ll cover this in more detail later.

2. When Starting Out, Spend 80% of Your Time Prospecting. Whether it’s cold prospecting or establishing marketing systems, focus your resources on getting business. Don’t allow distractions (self imposed or otherwise) to interfere with this task. At the same time, don’t neglect establishing other marketing systems so you can quickly stop manual prospecting.

3. Get a Hotline and Use it. Your hotline will become the foundation of your marketing systems, and will become the “mechanism” that generates leads and clients automatically from ALL your other marketing, so you can do your job: working clients, closing deals and cashing commission checks. You’ll use it for classifieds, display ads, sign tags, info tube flyers, listing presentations, and lots more. Go to www.SixFigureHotlines.com and subscribe to the free course there and examine Proquest’s product – it’s first-rate.

4. Product-Ize Yourself. This industry is a mass-commodity of agents all screaming the same thing to prospects. You need to be seen as different. So create unique products out of your services. For example: “Your Maximum Value Home Marketing Plan,” or “Preferred Buyer Program”. Another example: Rather than give CMAs, agents will offer a “Maximum Home Value Audit” to examine and determine ways to maximize the value of a home and sell in least time. The secret is to weave the greatest benefit for the client into the name. Then, make a simple list of everything you do for the client as part of your program – even if other agents do it, it’s likely they don’t promote it, so you have the advantage.

5. Make Yourself A Self-Proclaimed “Specialist” in Your Market. Farming a resort area? Make yourself a “resort property specialist” and title your product specifically to it: “Ventana Canyon Golf Property Specialist” and “Ventana Canyon Maximum Value Golf Property Program.” Use your creativity and match your services specifically to the market.

Continued in this real estate marketing article

Here’s yet another inexpensive way to communicate with your house list. This proven, personalized message updates your contacts on market conditions in your area and helps build your client list and ultimately helps you generate new business. This system leaves your message on voice mail, and receives 100% listener ship for those who receive it.

Proquest technologies offers a great voice broadcast system, and you can learn more at SixFigureHotlines.com.

NOTE: Be sure to use this technique ONLY with people you know, or from whom you have obtained permission.

Here is a sample monthly, personalized “Market Overview” message. For best results, make it sound like you are leaving a personal message on their voice mail.

“Hi, this is Jane Realtor. I was calling to give you a quick market update on your neighborhood, but since you’re away, I’ll just leave some interesting information on your voice mail. A lot of neighbors like to know what’s happening in the market that affects the value of their home-that’s the reason for my message. There are currently 23 homes for sale in [area]. We’ve added 8 listings in the past 30 days, and 11 homes sold. Overall, we’re experiencing a “sellers” market and I believe the moderate level of interest rates has created a small burst of activity. The average market time for homes listed for sale dropped from 62 days down to 57-further indicating a stronger seller’s market, and the ratio of listed price to sales price has improved (in other words, homes are being discounted less off their asking price). Again, everything points to a stronger and stronger seller’s market. If you’d like to know more about the neighborhood or the specific value of your home without hassles or sales pressure, feel free to give me a call at 555-5555. I hope this information is helpful to you. Have a great day. Take Care. Bye bye.”