New Agent - banging my head against the wall. HELP!

[Gretchen333]

I'm a newby with NO clients. Here's what I have done so far:

1. Announcement email to everyone I've ever known.
2. Announcement post card, personally hand written, to everyone I know in town.
3. Follow up letter two weeks later with really good (I think) incentive offer included "just wanted to make sure you knew about this great offer..." to everyone I know.
4. Dropped post cards to salesgenie.com targeted list to 100 people in my target neighborhood -- three times now over two months.
5. Dropped post cards to another 200 people in that same neighborhood, a wider list but still targeted, twice now over two months.

Magnets for my car doors are on their way, as is a window URL for my back window. (I drive a modest Mazda Protege5 - still looks new.)

Offer: Choice of a $500 BBQ grill (mac daddy grill!) or a new $500 laptop at closing.

I can keep up with the mailings and post cards.... but is that money well spent? It is, at least, a targeted list. I was planning to send the offer, a letter saying how much I love first time buyers, yadda yadda yadda to a targeted list of 200 apartment dwellers next week..... is that worth it? Will that EVER work??

Considering an add in the local free book (all grocery stores and gas stations have it) but it requires a 7 run commitment. Full page? Half page? Has this worked for you?

I've got google adwords and that seems to be working - I'm getting clicks and have had one listing presentation from RANDOM person who found my site. ;)

Considering relocation companies...?
Please help you a newby and let me know what has worked for you.

Oh, and I'm in Nashville, TN.

[AgentRevenue Rob]

Are any established agents in your office willing to "take you under their wing" to help you get started in exchange for a point or 2?

[Gretchen333]

Oh yes, I should have mentioned that. I signed up with a "no name" broker who has only ONE affiliate.... ME. And she does not sell anymore because she has one in diapers and one on the way. The plan was she was supposed to give me all of her clients, but so far, she's not had any. So I can't do open houses for anyone, and there are no other agents to ask for help. :(

[Codythebest]

It's definitely a lack of practice. What you're doing might be fine on the long run, but it seems to me that you want to see action NOW. and only experienced agents know what to do to have a customer this week if they need it.
The no name brokerage is fine. It's not the name, it's the agent. For new agents, it's not location-location-location. It's training-training-training.
Once you get the idea, it's easier, so you can move to the nest idea, and so on...
Good luck!

[Gretchen333]

"but it seems to me you want to see action NOW"

No, not true. I just want to make sure I'm heading down a useful path and doing the right things. I'm not naive enough to think one post card to a bunch of strangers would do a darn thing. I'd just hate to keep doing what I'm doing for 6 months only to learn THEN that it's a bad idea.

If you have any helpful advice, I'd love to hear it. "Only experienced agents know what to do" helps me zero. haha I thank you for taking the time to write. Unfortunatly, the advice of "practice" and "training" do not help because training is not available to me and I have no clients to practice on. Hence the original question! ;)

[Huntman1]

You are doing all of the things that new agents are told to do. Send out post cards and follow up calls and the like.

Ask yourself this question, Give me the name of the agent that sent you your last "Market Update" postcard.

If you can then Kudos to you but if you are like me you can't remember one from the other millions of pieces of junk mail that you get on a daily basis. And believe me, those post cards are junk.

You have to stand out from that typical bunch. Don't send another card.

To get listings, try to find a group of people that HAVE to sell. Get a list of NOD'S in your area and knock on their door.

For buyers, conduct a class in a high rent neighborhood at a local spot like a coffee shop or restaurant. The restaurant owner will love the exposure to their business, the familiar location will draw people in.

Shoot me an email. Alternative marketing is my favorite subject. I can get you going far cheaper than what those postcards are costing you

[AgentRevenue Rob]

You are doing all of the things that new agents are told to do. Send out post cards and follow up calls and the like.

Ask yourself this question, Give me the name of the agent that sent you your last "Market Update" postcard.

You have to stand out from that typical bunch. Different marketing works for different people in different ways. To give a (spam?) blanket generalization like this is horrible information.

Postcards work as part of a blanket campaign. These types of campaigns rely on heavy, widespread branding and are often very successful for people with either a large marketing budget or with a solid number of houses for sale in a concentrated area. Other elements of a blanket campaigns include local radio, print ads, local billboards, etc.

[Codythebest]

"but it seems to me you want to see action NOW"

No, not true. I just want to make sure I'm heading down a useful path and doing the right things. I'm not naive enough to think one post card to a bunch of strangers would do a darn thing. I'd just hate to keep doing what I'm doing for 6 months only to learn THEN that it's a bad idea.

If you have any helpful advice, I'd love to hear it. "Only experienced agents know what to do" helps me zero. haha I thank you for taking the time to write. Unfortunatly, the advice of "practice" and "training" do not help because training is not available to me and I have no clients to practice on. Hence the original question! ;)

Take it easy. You are obviously frustrated by the fact that there is no result on a hard working time. That remind me my beginning.
What you doing is what all and every RE agents out there are doing.
It's a number game, but you can increase your ratio.
Try this:
Choose a neighborhood and knock on every door a saturday between 11:00am and 2:00-3:00pm. Knock on the door and speak to the owner. tell them you're a new agent and you'll do whatever it takes to make them happy, legally. Tell them that to use you is to love you. Tell them that while other send postcard, you are actually doing the extra mile...on foot, literally. Tell them, convince them that you have to build a reputation and you'll make it happen, that you're highly motivated to earn their business. Tell them...Go for it. You need 1000 doors for one deal? go to open that 1000th...Give them you business card and your marketing plan to sell a home. Show them you're doing much more than the others. Convince them you'll be on it 12 hours/day, 7days/week if needed. Tell them you're sleeping with your cell phone and they can call anytime...Just do it...

[TJ2007]

WELL DONE!

Having owned and managed several mortgae companies and a real estate office my 1st advice was always to contact your 'sphere of influence' (the idea that eveyone knows 250 people, make sure they know and tell the 250 people they know too - give the fridge magnets of your business card so everyone who comes to their home will see your name)
The succesful agents did it, the others probably never made it...

As a new agent you will be inundated with systems and advertising ideas that cost money - remember the goal is PROFIT not income. You can broke too fast as a new agent. There are many ideas that work - choose a couple and STICK with them.

Your success depends on the amount of new contacts and connections you make each day! This is the only way.

Make some money before you going blowing too much, then you can set aside some of your profits for a reasonable marketing budget.

The BEST thing you can do is get out and meet new people and that is FREE! go to local chamber of commerce events, investor clubs, networking meetings etc...

TAKE OUT A STACK OF BUSINESS CARDS EVERY MORNING EVEN IF IT'S 10-25 AND DON'T GO HOME UNTIL YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM ALL OUT!!

You never know where you will pick up a deal, the supermarket, gas station cashier, taxi driver, waiter...

[malikiqbal]

You are just doing fine and soon you will get the results. Even agents who are in the business for a while having trouble getting more business. As you know market is overall slow so it will take some time to get some results as a new agent.

[SteamboatRealEstate]

Start a website then start learning about SEO. It's a great way to start getting buyer leads.

[seg_cost]

Don't send out generic postcards that people throw in the trash.

Postcards work and can work VERY well if done right. We create personalized postcards like "Hey Susan visit your website @yourdomain@com/susan.smith" - it gets their attention because people like seeing their name on things. When they visit that landing page it will be personalized to Susan - it blows people away especially if you have an audio message that greets them by name.

[Henry]

Some might disagree to what I say but firstly find a more established firm to work for second rather give out pamflets its cheaper find a smaller area and realy concenrtate in that area get to know every body there then put up area agent boards if you can in that area and be there every day the rest will come on its own