A real estate marketing plan needs to take all facets of the realty business into account. This means marketing to real estate sellers as well as buyers. The real estate strategy also needs to utilize both online and offline methods of advertising.
Realtor advertising needs to show a good return on your advertising dollar investment. It should be tracked to see if you are gaining positive results for each advertising dollar spent. Are you making a profit? By researching your advertising methods and tracking the results, you can find the best methods that work in your local real estate market.
In real estate, the main thrust of your marketing endeavors should be to gain hot leads, follow them up quickly, and turn your prospects into clients by meeting with them face-to-face. All along this marketing process, you should be aiming to gain the trust and loyalty of the real estate lead. Thus turning them into your client and making them a loyal, lifetime customer.
Your realtor marketing plan should be an offensive game plan. Direct response marketing is best for this type of endeavor. Direct response marketing is meant to illicit a yes or no response from your potential lead. It then gives them a means to contact you if the answer is yes, giving you the opportunity to supply them with the real estate information they desire and capture the lead's contact information for further follow-up.
Both online and offline marketing techniques can be used to accomplish this objective. An integration of online and offline rounds out your realtor marketing offensive. In this modern day, both are equally important and give the lead their choice of means to contact you. Some people want to hear a voice, some want to stay in the background until they are positive and ready to make some sort of deal.
Key to the success of your marketing strategy is "baiting" the potential client with pertinent information that they are seeking. Online you can capture your leads by supplying them with information on buying or selling their house, finding the value of their property, or giving them a report on what to do to prepare their property for sale. There are many possibilities open to the real estate agent. This 'bait' is supplied in downloadable form after they give you their contact information if you're dealing with the lead online.
Offline, the same information can be supplied or information on a house they have seen in an ad or after driving by and obtaining a phone number (and extension) from you house sign. Through a realtor hotline number they can access the desired information after calling and giving a special phone extension number that is specific to their request. Your phone hotline should have the ability to capture the lead's phone number and name so that you can do an immediate follow-up call to sell the lead on your abilities and tell them what you can do for them in their real estate quest.
Prompt follow-up is one of the most important keys to your real estate success. Most people don't expect prompt, personal service from a real estate agent, and this sets the mood for developing a relationship with the lead. Developing a personal relationship with your prospects brings confidence in your abilities to help them and a lifetime commitment to you as their realtor.
You should develop scripts that bring confidence to you as a real estate agent. These should be aimed at the prospect's desires, needs, and how you can help them obtain THEIR DESIRES, whether it comes as selling or buying housing. Communication is key and should always answer that big Homer Simpson question (which he asks in every episode), one your real estate lead is also asking: "What's in it for Me?"
Your advertising should not be the traditional "here I am" and "I'm such a great(!) real estate agent" ads that so many realtors use. If the ads are of this type, you prospects will be asking the two other Homer Simpson questions: "So What?" and "Who Cares?", just before they turn to another realtor that can focus on their needs.
Everything in your real estate marketing plan should be centered around the prospect. You must build confidence from which you can aid them with their real estate wants and desires. You have to show them that you can do this quickly and with the least amount of hassle on their part. The process has to be simple and easy for them to accomplish. Otherwise, what keeps them from finding another realtor?
Show the lead that you are THE REAL ESTATE AGENT to allow them their dream by being the go-between that can save them time and money while getting the job done. And to their satisfaction. Keep communications open at all steps along the real estate process, from meeting the client to closing the deal, and informing them of the progress towards THEIR GOAL continuously.
The biggest complaint clients have with realtors is that they get them (the client) to sign an agreement and then are not heard from until a deal is in the making. You want to keep in touch no matter what the progress is, inform your client that progress IS being made, and this is what YOU ARE DOING FOR THEM to help them along the way.
A well thought out real estate marketing plan should take into account this and much more. It takes effort on your part but this effort will pay dividends. The real estate agent should continually brainstorm new means of advancing their business and bring these into their real estate marketing strategy when they prove themselves to work.
In the end, you will find that your real estate business expands, profits go up, and your customers will remain loyal for a lifetime. Word of mouth advertising will go out from satisfied customers. Your real estate business will increase. An asset in time...
