Real Estate Marketing Tip Of The Month [Archive]

promortplanner

07-26-2006, 09:59 PM

All of these tools and tips are great and I have to admit I'm definitely a wannabe tech geek. I'm constantly amazed at the tips and pointers that are brought to the forum. I've learned so much in such a little time but -hold on for a second here.

I never hear anyone speak about repore building or building relationships. Tools are great but people don't do business with tools or text messages on your cell phone. People do business with real estate professionals.

I do believe that the people aspect of the real estate business is as equally important. I've met some of the top producing agents in my marketplace and some barely have the knowledge to even turn on a computer let alone grasp any concepts here.

So how do they maintain themselves as top producers while being such low tech people? What are the habits of these highly successul people? What are the intangibles that these people possess that make them great producers and originators?

Professional repore, relationship, and people persons coupled with the technology and wisdom that runs rampant in these forums are the wave of the future.

I want to continue to learn all your wisdom on tech marketings tips but would also love to hear repore and relationship tips that successful agents use to convey trust and knowledge in the field with their clients.

Let me know what any of your thoughts are.

Thesa

07-27-2006, 05:37 AM

40 to 50% of my business comes from referral.... without those relationships I would be outta here.... we can market ourselves all we want... but we need to live up to what we say. :D

promortplanner

07-27-2006, 04:32 PM

Definitely! I went to caravan today and the place was loaded with affiliates (loan officers, title, insurance, etc...), almost half. They made all the affiliates stand up so everyone could figure out who was who. My first thought was ....wow, do I really want to be here. I heard an interesting gentleman say....bottom line (service) if you can't do what you say, deliver, no hassle to the borrower, yada yada yada - go home, get out of the business, leave the building, bye bye.

It's crowded out there. You have to deliver the bare minimum and if you're making a good commission you might want to add a little customer service to. Find those people you can do business with, show them loyalty, and be a friend first.

OregonLO

08-02-2006, 09:39 AM

I would definitely like to know how well this has worked. I'm a very big texting person and I know plenty of people who text as well but I'm not so sure how well it would work in the general public as far as housing information.

OregonLO

08-02-2006, 09:41 AM

40 to 50% of my business comes from referral.... without those relationships I would be outta here.... we can market ourselves all we want... but we need to live up to what we say. :D

I agree 100% I get around 60-70% of my business from referrals but it is also due to the fact that I live up to the expectations that I set for people when I do business with them. I have had all of my clients thank me and tell me that I made the process easy. Which is a great feeling! But it also means they refer their family/friends to me. =)

TLC Real Estate

08-18-2006, 03:43 PM

Guess I must be losing a lot of potentials from Tech.
Over 90% of our business come from word of mouth.
Never done any advertising, yet.
Never generated any leads through our web.

Need to learn a lot about the new stuff.

kathywils

09-05-2006, 06:48 PM

Sunblaze Solar Spotlights are very effective for illuminating any type of signs. The spotlights can simply be positioned using the ground stake that comes with the lights, or can be mounted using our optional mounting kit. The kit is easy to install and effective for mounting the spotlights on Real Estate Signs (wood or metal). Don't be left in the dark!

sunblazelights website

Thanks for your referral.

EmpireApts

09-10-2006, 09:28 PM

It looks interesting, but I am not sure how good it would actually work in practice. If anyone has been using i would love to hear how it has worked for you. Thanks again for the link and info. Have a great day.

You don't need it! Hehe... My MLS site is designed to automatially e-mail my clients about apartments based on their criteria.

Each cell phone service has an e-mail address. My MLS site has a feature where if anything shows up based on the clients criteria, they automatically get an e-mail and a Text message on their cell phone and it doesn't cost me a penny. Here is the secret.

Each cell phone has an e-mail address. It is always

5555555555 at yourcarier dot com

Here is a complete list.

Cingular - 5555555555 at cingularme dot com
AT&T - 5555555555 at mobile dot att dot net
Nextel - 5555555555 at messaging dot nextel dot com
Sprint - 5555555555 at messaging dot sprintpcs dot com
T-Mobile - 5555555555 at tmomail dot net
Verizon - 5555555555 at vtext dot com

There are some other cell companies. I have a whole list.
What I did was, basically got my designers to setup two e-mail
addresses on my site and they receive text alerts for free.

I hope this works out for you.

Best Regards,

Alexander Mirvis
Vice President/Co-Founder
Empire Apartments Inc.
18009285428
empire-apartments dot com

EmpireApts

09-10-2006, 09:29 PM

You don't need it! Hehe... My MLS site is designed to automatially e-mail my clients about apartments based on their criteria.

Each cell phone service has an e-mail address. My MLS site has a feature where if anything shows up based on the clients criteria, they automatically get an e-mail and a Text message on their cell phone and it doesn't cost me a penny. Here is the secret.

Each cell phone has an e-mail address. It is always

5555555555 at yourcarier dot com

Here is a complete list.

Cingular - 5555555555 at cingularme dot com
AT&T - 5555555555 at mobile dot att dot net
Nextel - 5555555555 at messaging dot nextel dot com
Sprint - 5555555555 at messaging dot sprintpcs dot com
T-Mobile - 5555555555 at tmomail dot net
Verizon - 5555555555 at vtext dot com

There are some other cell companies. I have a whole list.
What I did was, basically got my designers to setup two e-mail
addresses on my site and they receive text alerts for free.

I hope this works out for you.

Best Regards,

Alexander Mirvis
Vice President/Co-Founder
Empire Apartments Inc.
18009285428
empire-apartments dot com

John1

09-11-2006, 07:14 AM

Most of my business too come from what we have told, as i have not advertised much :)

EmpireApts

09-11-2006, 09:27 AM

Our site is pretty much for our current clients and not for new clients. We advertise individual apartments and we also get a lot of referrals.

I'm still trying to get a lot of hits on my site anyways so I can sell advertisement space.

Alexander Mirvis
Vice President/Co Founder
Empire Apartments Inc.
empire-apartments dot com

walla walla real estate

09-11-2006, 09:48 AM

I'm new on this forum site. I pull this site up and can find the replies, but not the original post. What am I doing wrong?

Chief Tutor

09-11-2006, 09:54 AM

When you are looking at some threads, Their are more than 15 posts for that thread. To find the original post, look on the bottom right hand corner of the page and it will show you how many pages are in regard to that thread and if you click on page 1, you will see the origianl post on the top of the page.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Martin

John1

09-12-2006, 03:56 AM

Referrals too very important

Bad Credit Loans (http://www.rebuz.com/Directory/Bad-Credit-Loans.htm) | Bad Credit Mortgage (http://www.rebuz.com/Directory/Bad-Credit-Mortgage.htm) | Refinance (http://www.rebuz.com/Directory/bad-credit-refinance.htm) | Mortgage Calculator (http://www.rebuz.com/Calculator/Mortgage-Calculator.htm)

justicewhite

09-14-2006, 05:46 AM

This thread is turning into several discussions. I think the idea is great. Would the mods please pull out the ideas into a sticky so that it is easier for people to see the ideas?

John1

09-23-2006, 01:04 PM

Thats a good idea. even new members can have a look at them

-

For those of you with credit problems, a good source of bad credit lenders may be found

Bad Credit Loans (http://www.rebuz.com/Directory/Bad-Credit-Loans.htm) | Bad Credit Mortgage (http://www.rebuz.com/Directory/Bad-Credit-Mortgage.htm) | Refinance (http://www.rebuz.com/Directory/bad-credit-refinance.htm) | Mortgage Calculator (http://www.rebuz.com/Calculator/Mortgage-Calculator.htm)

Miami Homes

10-21-2006, 09:21 PM

My tip would be - globalization, reaching out to international markets as (especially here is S. FL) a lot of business is coming from international investors and we are constantly trying to market to foreing markets through.

EmpireApts

10-21-2006, 09:38 PM

I figured out how to rank higher on the search engines.

it's a simple code issue.

If your site is made in PHP, ASP, etc. you will need to create a plain index.htm file and this is what it should have.

<html>
<head>
<title>Empire Apartments Inc. - New York City's most trusted NO-FEE apartments Site</title>
<META name="Description" content="Empire Apartments Inc. - New York City's most trusted NO-FEE apartments Site. Apartments available throughout NYC.">
<META name="KeyWords" content="Empire Apartments, New York City Apartments, No Broker Fee, Apartment Rentals, West Village Apartments, Rent Direct, Rent-Direct, Inapts, innovative apartments and screening services, business, secure, apartment search">
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0;url=index.shtml"> 
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>

This is the information, which the search engines use. Once you fix that code, you must resubmit your site to the search engines.

Alexander Mirvis
Empire Apartments Inc.
Vice President / Co-Founder
empire-apartments dot com

k3nn3th

10-24-2006, 04:53 PM

Your sites are fantastic. I am coding my own site now, my question is can I utilize MLS listings and put them in my site since I do not have my own listings yet?

EmpireApts

10-24-2006, 05:00 PM

Your sites are fantastic. I am coding my own site now, my question is can I utilize MLS listings and put them in my site since I do not have my own listings yet?

the only way you could do that is if you link your site to someone elses SQL database. Are you using PHP or ASP?

njhomes

11-17-2006, 06:56 PM

youve heard of the multiple listing service how about hte multiple website service. we have multiple website service to feature homes and and only one agent can represent them in a market.multiplewebsiteservice.com

k3nn3th

11-23-2006, 09:42 PM

Does it work with most cellphones?

EmpireApts

11-23-2006, 09:49 PM

Does it work with most cellphones?

It works with all cellphone services.

howpro

11-27-2006, 05:15 PM

Hello,

Postcards are a great inexpensive way to get leads and stay in touch with customers and I have discovered a new, cheap easy way to do it. call
1-877-452-6146

Richard Howard

iliana

12-18-2006, 01:13 PM

40 to 50% of my business comes from referral.... without those relationships I would be outta here.... we can market ourselves all we want... but we need to live up to what we say. :D

I truly agree but I would like to add that you need to be a human being first, treat the people the way you want to be treated.
I use a simple free software to to remind me of my customers birthdays .It sends a notification by email as well as SMS on my cell phone a few days in advance so I can call them or send greeting cards. But not only this. During the process of buying or selling you get to know that person, his ot her joys and griefs so if my customer has a child who is about to take a test to get into a college I call a few days after to check how he/she did. I am a parent and I know how I feel when my daughter accompishesh es something. I want the whole world to know. Every parent wants to share his joy and tell everybody about that. This is just one example.
A real estate agent working in Chicagoland gather all his customers at a movie theater once a year. The movie is free, there are refreshments and popcorn. After the movie people socialize, get to know each other and talk about the host and how good he is. I think this works pretty well for him because he has been doing it for years.
Do you have some little "secrets" about making happy customers recommend your services to their friends?

EmpireApts

12-18-2006, 02:12 PM

When you're first starting out, my favorate things to do is to ask for hand written letters, aspecially from people who have high end jobs like IBM (my most recent client). I will save them all and post the, on our site.

promortplanner

12-18-2006, 02:15 PM

I have been involved in sales for many years now. I've been through all kinds of sales training and seminars and never understood while people always told others - if you're into sales you need to see movies like "Boiler Room" or "Glenn Gary Glen Ross". The sales movie I like to refer to are movies like "Jerry McGuire". I completely agree when you say "be human". In the immortal words of Dickie Fox in Jerry McGuire " the key to this busines is relationships". Be human people and network with other professionals that have the same core values. Lifes too short to work with people you don't like.

JustinRumpf

12-26-2006, 10:05 AM

Hello all,

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my post. I am a mortgage broker in Portland Oregon and would love to to read your feedback on what you like to recieve from brokers. I have been working my tail off this last year to work with new agents and have not had the kind of success I am looking for. If you are an agent and do not mind taking a minute to tell me what you like and how a mortgage broker can get your consistent business I would really appreciate it. I am willing to spend any money and do anything I can to help a real estate agent grow their business. Please let me know what you like and dislike about mortgage brokers. If anyone is in Washington or Oregon and would love some free marketing or anything else from me please let me know. I am here to help.

Thank you all,
Justin Rumpf

promortplanner

12-26-2006, 12:10 PM

As a loan officer, there's not much that I expect from my brokers. In a commission only environment all independent contractors (loan officers) are self employed. The difference in brokers are business philosophies, if they generate leads, and the type of business they chase after (purchase or refi's). From there, it's all about the commission splits based on support & infrastructure. If you generate your own leads - you'll command a higher split. If you need leads generated for you - you'll command a lower split.

I'm afraid everyone in this market trying to build relationships is working their tail off without the results they initially hoped for. The key is consistency. Don't give up. Continually show support and make the common interest their business. Don't beg for loans. Earn their business. Let them know you're interested in them. Relationships take time and don't happen overnight. Figure out how you can add value and become part of the team. A good lender is of equal or greater importance. Without a good loan officer to get financing done - nobody gets paid. The realtor has to see your added value and how important you really are to this process. How does a buyer competently shop for a home without knowing how much home they can buy or what kind of payment they can afford. Putting yourself out there on the hook for money spent to develop relationships with realtors is a rough road. Be yourself and look for cost effective ways to market with them once you've reached a point where you feel confident in that relationship.

I always have these funny conversations with realtors, hopefully you get my point. Anyway, this realtor asks me what do I do and I reply "niche lender". He proceeds to state "niche lender", hmmm.....What kind of niche lending do you do? My answer is simple - " I call people back".;)

JustinRumpf

12-28-2006, 09:52 AM

Thank you for replying. I like that line about being a "Niche" loan officer. That is a great line.

promortplanner

12-28-2006, 10:02 AM

Believe it or not, not everyone gets that joke. Even some realtors. Glad to hear you have a sense of humor and get the point. The main ingredients are being yourself, consistency, and not begging. Don't give up on building with good realtors. They're definitely out there. Good people are everywhere.

vanbao

01-20-2007, 10:47 PM

The good way is to implement the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and CTS (Customer Tracking System).

These are web systems that are commonly used in Japan and in big companies in America to create and maintain customer relationships.

Studies show that by far, the best method and most cost effective method of acquiring new clients is through existing HAPPY clients.

I emphasise the word happy. Happy clients are very likely to refer their friends and people they know to you.

Plus, it is 3 time less work to work with a referal client than to work with a new client an agent find out in the street.

Thus, these systesm save you a lot of time, work, and lots of money which is always important to all of us.

www.OxfordTopAgent.com

02-21-2007, 09:46 PM

Anyone have any clever ideas for print ads that can help an agent stand out? I just get tired of seeing the same ole' cliche ad with call so and so at 555-5555.

spanishproperty

03-05-2007, 03:41 AM

Texting could be a good idea, the way that people are taking technology these days I think it still is a thing for the future.

The majority of my clients are still having trouble turning on their pc let alone opening an email.

helmutstadler

03-13-2007, 02:12 AM

Thank`s for help.

usakos

03-27-2007, 06:09 AM

I'm not familiar with texting MLS either; being here makes me feel like I am becoming smarter, 'cause i'm learning new stuff...

Texting the MLS is the best marketing tool!!!
Don't miss out on the future of real estate!!

AlexandraRE

05-18-2007, 11:58 AM

If these are the tips of the month I cannot wait for the tip of the year.

tina

05-28-2007, 12:38 AM

Are there some more tips

VicBilson

05-29-2007, 06:33 AM

I never hear anyone speak about repore building or building relationships. Tools are great but people don't do business with tools or text messages on your cell phone. People do business with real estate professionals.

Professional repore, relationship, and people persons coupled with the technology and wisdom that runs rampant in these forums are the wave of the future.

Building relationships with a "real" person is the driving force behind the Virtual Open House (http://www.yourdreamhomelocator.com/index.html). The Internet is certainly a major player in the marketing game, and a Realtor better figure out how to use it to their best advantage or get left in the dust. Rather than simply relying on one-way communication provided by virtual tours, etc., the Virtual Open House is two-way communication between Realtor and prospect, thus giving the Realtor an opportunity to build a relationship with the prospect.

abbas

06-01-2007, 01:27 AM

I really hungery for the tips and ideas on how to market the mortgage? So where can I find it?

VinLacava

06-20-2007, 01:07 PM

Ok, so has anyone actually has any success using the text method? It seems to have potential, but I'm cautious about anything involving mobile media.

-Vincent

Scubasteve3740

09-04-2007, 07:18 PM

one idea that appeals to many buyers is to provide floor plans of the houses you are selling. This gives the buyers perspective on potential proporties even when they are not on site. the more information you have on homes, the more time someone will spend looking for homes with you. These floor plans could be implemented in either information packets, or on your web sites. I offer a service to create these floor plans at a very affordable price. If any one is interested please feel free to post a reply or drop me A message.

vijaysonik

09-17-2007, 09:13 AM

hey did any one try this please if let me know thanx

Richard W. Beauchamp

09-19-2007, 02:17 PM

I am in Dallas, TX and I truly miss Oregon.

spipe

10-15-2007, 12:17 PM

Text messaging is becoming bigger and bigger everyday with the fact that the communication is cut far shorter then the vocal conversations although I just dont think the text home listings will catch on unless you can send a client a slide show of a certain home of interest and as of yet I dont know of slide shows being offered for free to all cell phone carriers.

My dad taught me 2 lessons

1. Do what others aren't.
2. Anyone can do it slow.

SteveTheSultan

10-16-2007, 06:37 AM

Ok, so has anyone actually has any success using the text method? It seems to have potential, but I'm cautious about anything involving mobile media.

-Vincent

From a mobile txt standpoint the business model is new. (2 years). My partner and I run a web site that does this and here has been our experience:

This marketing method targets a demographic: Tech Savvy buyers. They want instant information and do not want to call a number or pickup a flyer for information. It is really another way to communicate.

From a listing agent perspective we have builders who love it. Especially for condos and areas where buyers will walk around the property. Many buyers are reluctant to ask for information, because they don't want to talk to sales people. So the builder places "table cards" through out the property that tells people to send a text message to get information. Its an unobtrusive way to get information.

For the smaller to medium agents, they like it because they get the latest technology for a good price. Many smaller firms don't have the IT staff to develop it, so outsourcing it provide a great ROI.

On the flip side, we have had some realtors run from us like we were the plague. They wanted nothing to do with the technology, and thought it would have a negative impact. After talking to some of the less than interested realtors, we found 2 things. Fear of the technology and the fear of risking to a new way of advertising.

Overall, txt marketing focuses on a specific demographic. My 66 year old father for instance still calls me for how to connect his mouse to the computer. Asking him to send a txt message on a cell phone is crazy. Now if you look at any recent college graduate they have unlimited txt messages and use it for daily communication.

Hope this helps, and if you need any information, please send me a message.

Steve

ladyfortunehunter

10-24-2007, 02:38 PM

If you haven't tried handwritten marketing in your business, you are missing out on something spectacular! With an ugly handwritten note, your target audience will feel compelled to respond to your letters, thus resulting in a relationship created!

handwritten marketing is about the only thing left that gets open and read these days. I 've been using the yellow letter to buy and sell houses for the last 2 years, and use it as my sole marketing vehicle. It gets results every time. The more targeted your list, the better response rate.

Realtors, Mortgage Brokers, investors,and even other small business can use handwritten marketing to make an outstanding impact.

(Just what I was thinking at the moment)...Take Care......;)

iNovaRealty.com

10-25-2007, 08:04 AM

Its a great marketing tool. Upload your listings with full size photos. Build Slide shows of property photos. Build Flyers, Email or Print the flyers. Find an agent, Research Schools, Read Real Estate news and Trends. Resales Homes, New Homes, Open Houses, Auctions, All for Free at iHomeX.com

Hope this helps

VancouverWa

10-25-2007, 11:36 AM

Who has an mls that tracks hits from consumers/Realtors on listings?

My mls does not offer that info and I would be curious to know if thats a common thing or not.

I've been asked several times by clients for this info.. It would be a huge benefit.

On the text thing have you tried the HouseFront texting?
They claim to have info on millions of homes..

Simon

11-08-2007, 07:32 AM

Hi guys,

I thought I'd post a reply here to let you know about an incredible piece of technology used by PropertyWorld.com. It enables your property listings to be added to their website without requiring any effort on your part.

Using Google-like technology R.E.A.D.E.R.© will visit your website, read your property listings and add them to PropertyWorld.com.

© R.E.A.D.E.R. (Real Estate Agent Data Extraction Robot)

If this seems too good to be true, it isn't. This truly is effort-free.

For more information see PropertyWorld.com/reader

All the best

Simon Waugh

EquityManager

11-19-2007, 12:09 PM

I like the READER idea on the last post. Great reading all the way though. Thanks!

Raine

11-29-2007, 12:57 AM

Handwritten notes, virtual tours, and door knocking or other things that get you "face time" with prospects are the best things I've found.

Real estate is one of those businesses where people are always trying to SELL you "the next big thing", but it's so easy to spend lots and get few results, so sticking with the "tried and true" is best unless you really have a huge marketing budget and can afford to try new things at a loss. Of course, if you have that huge budget, you're probably succseeful and already knows what works for you. :)

Norman.Irlandez

12-06-2007, 09:16 PM

Greetings,

Every now and then, we come to a point of giving up. However, it is all part of challenges.

I have written some articles how to improve your real estate marketing in my website.

it is too long to write here.

Visit, Read, and Learn... It is free!

RealEstateCards

01-25-2008, 01:25 PM

Thanks for these tips. I haven't used texting before in this manner and hadn't really thought about it until now.

Real Estate Referrals

02-03-2008, 07:30 PM

Howdy all!!

Sound like there may be a certain demographic that would appreciate all the new wiz-bangs with technology...but have we all forgotten the basics? Why not just hand write a card and send it out to your tickler file or past customer base and just ask for a referral...people are still buying and selling homes, even in this down-turned market.

MAAOnline

02-06-2008, 08:45 AM

Texting the MLS is the best marketing tool!!!
Don't miss out on the future of real estate!!

Would you be texting to people you have already talked to or would they be a someone that just requested more info from specific listing?

remaxretta

03-01-2008, 07:52 PM

I there I use the texting..and I have a free site to check out if you like

bwiley

03-01-2008, 09:11 PM

Great tips keep up the good work - I got to write these bad boys down

bwiley

03-02-2008, 05:27 PM

I agree, there are only so many mls that you can list a property on. I read another tip about listing your property on youtube, and I think I going to try that.house listed free.com and KSA, great tips. Thanks for sharing. As far as web site is concerned, I find it hard to offer anything that hasn't been offered by other people already. Buyer and seller guide have been done to death. Area home pricing is a good twist.[/quote]

misch.chief

03-06-2008, 05:20 AM

What does MLS mean?!!

proleads

03-13-2008, 05:00 AM

Nice tips buddy, thanks for sharing.

tina.anderson

03-13-2008, 07:37 AM

karyljm

03-13-2008, 10:43 AM

I can't imagine texting the mls, but I'm sure it works for some people. You just have to know your customers I guess.:rolleyes:

ratemonkey

03-13-2008, 09:50 PM

Video, video, video - thats the future as i see it.

its already started - check out Youtube for real estate videos, check out sites like welcomemat.com, clipmeet.com, ziprealty - even ads in this forum site for video tours.

Join the bandwagon or be left out i guess. From text to photos to videos - gotta change with the times.

JulyFNC

03-14-2008, 07:36 AM

Technology is and should be a huge part of your marketing stratagy. Take a look a this short presentation and compare.

sellfon. com.webinar.php

I believe it take it to the next level.

Absolutely right! Technology is what we have and MUST use in our favor :D

Cisco

03-15-2008, 05:38 AM

Hi all,

Personalizing your communications is huge. You can provide all of your prospects with their own unique and personalized web sites. For example if you send a postcard or letter to John Smith, you print on the card for him to go to JohnSmith.youcompanyname.com.

As soon as he hits his page, you receive an email or text message that John Smith has responded and now he can complete a short survey. Of course, you have to provide valuable information to increase response.

As you probably guessed, my company offers this service ;) and you are free to contact me with any questions.

Cisco Adler
Adler Marketing Group
Charlotte, NC

Portland Real Estate Guy

03-22-2008, 02:02 AM

Now I havent done this yet. So its new for me and I'm currently looking into it. After noticing that google is integrating videos into the serps of natural results. I think they started this a year ago. This could be another avenue.

leads

04-13-2008, 09:01 PM

The personal handwritten letter is a great idea.The texting also would work but would be targeting a younger generation

askbryce

04-24-2008, 10:49 AM

I haven't had much success at all posting listings on obscure websites. I try to stick with just two or three that have good traction locally.

ruthrbns

04-25-2008, 05:33 AM

Thanks for the tip and i have a tip to share.The tip is nothing but keep your eyes open and make sure that you are aware of all things with respect to real estate.

Cisco

04-28-2008, 05:47 PM

The big three. Do all three well and you'll find success. Target your message, personalize your communication, and test the content.

That's the system I've used successfully for years in numerous markets...

Cisco

dtierney

04-30-2008, 07:56 AM

As well all strive to use our marketing dollars wisely, there are a number of great website that will allow you to post your listing at no cost. Just a few of the sites I would recommened looking into are Iwantanoffer.com, freerealestateads.net, realestateoutpostdirectory and activerian.com.
Let me know if you achive any success through these sites.

listonmls

05-28-2008, 12:02 AM

This makes no sense. Texting the MLS? What do you mean by that. I guess there are some threads out there that are pointless. Glad they put in that new digg tool so you can vote for the best ones.

Relationships

06-19-2008, 11:25 AM

I preach balance all the time. Every agent needs to strike a balance in their marketing efforts. A portion of your time and energy needs to be geared towards getting new clients, but not all. Too often we ignore our most powerful resource....our relationships. Markets may be down but those of us who have the strongest loyal following will get the referral and repeat business. This is the truth in any business. Stop always worrying about your website or texting listings and focus on being the best agent in your area and making sure your clients remember and share that.

There are unique concepts out there...search for them.

surf

06-30-2008, 11:14 PM

Keep in mind many people pay $1.50 for a text and may be angry if you sent one as a marketing ploy.

RichC

07-01-2008, 03:05 PM

It looks interesting, but I am not sure how good it would actually work in practice. If anyone has been using i would love to hear how it has worked for you. Thanks again for the link and info. Have a great day.

Hey Andrew. I saw your question, and actually work for a company that does really cool Text Message Marketing in the real estate industry. You can check out XAP Realty. These guys have been doing it for years, and the results are about a lead every other day in urban areas. Great results! and a very cost effective way to market your listings. With the real estate market how it currently is, having a lead every other day is great! and giving people a way to get instant information, and capturing drive by traffic, doesn't hurt either! We have customers that use the service solely to get more listings from people that want to see their realtor using the latest innovative technologies and really working for them...feel free to hit me back with any questions, have a great day!

-Rich

RichC

07-01-2008, 03:09 PM

Has anyone tried this if so let us know how it worked.

Hey Sac23. Yes, i've not only tried text messaging with real estate, i work with a company that does it, XAP Realty! It's really a great service, and people are generating leads from it! Why? For the obvious reasons. Realtors don't put out flyers, people don't want to get out of their car to get info, prospects like to store info straight on their cell phone! If you have any more questions feel free to shoot me an email, this is a really great community to discuss real estate, issues, marketing, etc. Have a great day!

-Rich

User08

07-17-2008, 01:27 AM

I have saw about new real esate marketing offered by other people already. Buyer and seller guide.

GoGlobe

07-18-2008, 11:05 AM

Anyone use a real estate networking website such as Activerain.com, realtown.com, realseekr.com etc.?

JohnMaklys6969

07-21-2008, 01:03 PM

I strongly agree

DrewMurr2

07-21-2008, 02:06 PM

What do you meen texting the MLS?

erikko

07-23-2008, 12:54 AM

right now im trying to promote the real estate site using social networks intended for business

rainier

07-23-2008, 06:16 AM

Hello there Erikko and welcome to the forum!anyway those tips are nice and true.

matt16122

07-29-2008, 01:36 AM

.search for them.

Searching for clients the old fashioned way in any occupation is always a winning formula. Too often people are thinking my website will make me money if i spend x amount. A five minute drive up the road to the local car yard has 5-10-20-50 people in it for you to talk to after work about buying and selling property. The worse thing they can do is tell you NO Thanks and the best thing kills whatever your spending on your internet marketing this month.

VancouverRealEstate

07-29-2008, 11:33 PM

While internet leads via websites - purchased or organic traffic are important and in fact there are now many business models where the entire company is focused on internet buyers - I think it is important to just go out a shake some hands. When it really comes down to it - knowing people and being liked and trusted by people is key.

I am a big fan of any automated system that creates a funnel for buyers and sellers to come to me. However, I am also a fan of going out a meeting new people. Just walk up and down a street of shopping malls and go in and meet the owners and introduce yourself and come up with something to say about how you would like to help them.

I think it is also important to be direct. You don't want to sound like a salesperson. Go in there, be sincere and to the point. Be real.

Hi is the owner or manager here?
Hi. my name is David - btw: i like your store. It is very comfortable.
Is business going well at this location? (yes).. great,
I am visiting you for the sole purpose of informing you that this area
now has fha loan limits of xxxxx. What that means is buyers who were shut out of this area last year when the fha loan limits were lower can now purchase a home.

Do you know anyone this information would help who might be considering buying a home in this neighborhood? Do you know anyone who would like to speak to a real estate professional about current prices in this area.

(anyway..that was done on the fly)... so, you have to be direct and also indirect. I like being direct about the topic but indirect in the sense of using 3rd person vernacular. Than at the very end... Jim.. how about you.. would you be interested in information about homes for sale in your neighborhood...

bottom line: if the guy likes you and does not smell saleman all over your breath he will probaby warm up to you and 10 minutes later you've had a nice chat and may have a lead or 2.

You will learn to feel the person out (so to speak) and may decide you've warmed up but that it's to soon to discuss much so be brief and come back another time and REMEMBER his name for your next visit.

Be someone they look forward to seeing. Not someone they feel they have to run into the back closet when they see you coming.

RE_Marketer

07-31-2008, 11:27 AM

I agree that automated systems work. Especially if you're not totally focused on sell, sell, sell....

You have got to build rapport with your list and when you do that by giving valuable information in the form of tips you can build a similar type of rapport as being in person.

When you do this through email or any other automated way you're able to reach those people that aren't ready right now.

Tyler Schacter

08-11-2008, 02:21 PM

This may seem obvious, and I know it's been done before.

In my local market place, of 95% of homes sold did so as a result of our MLS system. This means that the buyer was most likely sitting in the back of a Realtors car when they visited the property. If we want to gain higher exposure for the property (and of course sale price and days on market are a result of exposure), we can make our listings more attractive to Realtors. The 2 ways I know of doing this are:
1) Pricing the home correctly so they are eager to show their buyers a fair deal.
2) Increase the commission offered to co-operating brokerages. (Agent's will have a higher incentive to show the home to their buyers, and can offer the commission bonus to the buyers as a discount on the price if desired).