Home : Blogs : Renae Bolton ~ Marketing 4 Realtors : Market 4 Real!

Real Estate Marketing Series, Part 1 - 5 Things to Jumpstart Your Real Estate Business

Real Estate Marketing Series

Welcome to the first installment in my Real Estate Marketing Series, "5 Things To Do THIS WEEKEND To Jumpstart Your Real Estate Business." Now, this weekend is starting soon but these 5 tips can be done to jumpstart your real estate business by anyone, any time - so have fun!

Send out 10 greetings cards to leads and contacts to jumpstart your real estate business. 5. Send out 10 greeting cards

Choose 10 leads and/or top contacts and send them a greeting card. The goal here is to refresh your name in their heads. You want referrals and leads. Alternatively, you can include a gift card to Starbucks or for gasoline or something similar. If you choose to do a gift card, check into Starbuck's customizable gift cards onto which you can have your company name and logo placed. (Although you won't be able to get these for this weekend!)

4. Call 5 past clients for referrals

Checking in with your past clients periodically is definitely a MUST on your past client action plan (you do have a past client action plan, don't you?) but you can use this weekend to give 5 of them a call. Ask about the house, ask about their neighborhod, their family, their friends. It may be just the ticket they need to make a move.

3. Knock on doors for 1 hour Knock on doors for 1 hour to jumpstart your real estate business.

If you already have a farm area, knock on doors for 1 hour. Just ONE HOUR and you'll be amazed at the results! Not only will you be extremely visible in the neighborhood but you will make actual (real) connections with the residents. Take dessert-size plates of home baked cookies, covered in plastic wrap (or store bought that you took home, dumped out of the box and re-wrapped on the plates - that still counts). That gives you a talking point to start the conversation!

2. Choose an area to farm

If you haven't already done so, choose an area to farm and then develop a plan for marketing to that farm. Farming an area is extremely beneficial. The residents of that area get to know you more than other agents. You also will learn so much about that area that you will then be able to blog about it as the area specialist. Now, I'll admit that this task will not yield you immediate results this weekend but it WILL yield long-term benefits.

1. Decide on a niche market!

Once again, this task will not yield immediate results this weekend but deciding upon a niche market has the potential to explode your business. Doctors Decide on a niche market to jumpstart your real estate business.

Decide on a niche market to jumpstart your real estate business.

specialize. Electricians specialize. Lawyers specialize. Most professionals who are really good at what they do, focus on a specific niche within their area of expertise. This not only drills down what area you focus on (waterfront condos, first-time, entry-level home buyers, vacation properties in the mountains, golf amenity properties) but also the type of leads you are looking for! Imagine the endless possibilities of focusing on waterfront condos on Lake Michigan. Not only can you learn everything there is to know about said properties but you'll know that 98% of the leads you get are high-quality -- they are searching specifically for waterfront condos on Lake Michigan! (Of course, you'll then need to develop a marketing plan for your new niche but first things first!)

Want to jumpstart your real estate business by implementing these and other real estate marketing ideas but you just don't have the time? The best thing you can do for your business is to contract with a Virtual Assistant. Ask me all about it!

~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!

Posted by Renae Bolton ~ Marketing 4 Realtors on 08/13/2009 10:03 PM

Comments (50)

Real Estate Marketing Tips in the Sales Strategies / Tactics Channel

real estate marketing, marketing, real estate business

This post has been included in Ohio Information Cuyahoga County, OH Information
Post is included in group: Real Estate Virtual Assistants Group
Post is included in group: Ohio Active Rainers
Post is included in group: Marketing 101
Post is included in group: Diary of a Realtor
Post is included in group: Building Your Niche

50 Comments on Real Estate Marketing Series, Part 1 - 5 Things to Jumpstart Your Real Estate Business

AUG

Renae: Five really great ideas for every Realtor to use to stimulate business. Simple ideas... but often, they are the best. Thanks for sharing.

#1 has been done fior a while. #2 got done by me and my new agent today. #4 and 5 will get done tomorrow, again by both of us. Perhaps I can get to #3 this weekend. Thanks!

By the way, can you do a blog post about those Starbucks cards?

Good start to a series Renae. Great ideas for every Realtor. Have a great productive weekend!

Great post, Renae! Never knocked on doors... Have you had lots of luck with door-knocking? Any tips?

Great ideas! Let's make them into Action!

Knoxcking on doors is a little out of my comfort zone, but I'll give it a try! Any success stories out there in reference to this?

Renae,

Thanks for the tip on the Starbucks cards. We have some great customers and usually don't do enough to thank them.

Great ideas! I need the reminders that jumpstart me to do what I know I need to do. I sell in Brevard County Florida and business is picking up so now is the time to remind people of who I am.

Thank you,

Beth Frommann

Coldwell Banker Sun Land

321-271-9993

I'm very biased here. As a proud ambassador of Active Rain, the first thing I say jump is on here to set up an Active Rain Rain maker account.

Nice post. These a few tips that everyone should know but need to have repeated.

Thanks, Renae. I DO need a kick in the pants once in awhile. Your ideas are "tried and true". I'm not sure I can bring plates of cookies around, however. ...I'm not even sure I can go door-knocking...though I should.

Renae

Good Post: Great reminders of "how to" stay connected....keep up the great work!

And I'm never too busy for your Kitsap Peninsula (WA) area referrals!!!!

Pat McGuire

Great ideas, thank you!

Wow, hadn't heard about the Starbucks thing. I'll have to look into that!

Renae,
All good ideas, time tested, durable and will produce results. Let's never forget our past Clients and Customers, lest they forget about us. Thanks for the reminder of these basic, but proven business getting ideas.

Joe Pascal, 5 Star Real Estate, Wilmington, NC

I liked your ideas! They are nice and easy...

These are very basic but easily ignored things to do. Good post and good reminders.

Thanks for the great tips. I didn't know starbucks customized the gift cards, that is great to know!!!

Great ideas not only for real estate agents, but also for loan officers!

Good, often forgotten ideas. Thanks for sharing!

Renae, Thanks for the motivation. The main thing is to do something, be proactive in your business or become a statistic. Now is the time to act, and stick with it. I am certainly speaking to myself on this point, I just hope I listen...

Thank you Thank you Thank you for these great ideas. This is definitely the "slump-buster" I've needed. Very basic & often forgotten. You have made my day!

Great tips. ALl of them basic, but we so often forget to just do them. Love the customized Starbucks card idea. Thanks for the info.

Karen - Often it is the simplest things that we can do to get off to a great marketing start!

You are on it, Marlene! (Oh - and that Starbucks post? Anything for you! It's on the way!)

Thanks, Paddy! I'm currently planning to discuss ways to market your business with Top Producer for lead management and listing coordination. Not quite sure if the series of real esate marketing will go well with those two topics though. Yoy're thoughts?

I'm actuall a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, Gretchen, not a real estate agent. But several clients have had really good success door-knocking. Door knocking is like blogging - you have to be consistent in order for it to work! (Hey - there's another blog topic for me!)

That's the ticket, Terri! Thanks for stopping by!

~Renae

Well there you go, Cheryl! Stepping out of your comfort zone is the fastest way to grow. Door knocking is not something that many agents do so you may be the first in your area to do it. My favorite quote comes into play here once again!

"If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you've always gotten."

You're welcome, Ray and Karen! Thanking customer your clients is the easiest way to ensure referrals! And sending gift cards is a quick and easy way to thank them, isn't it?

I think that's the main reason I started my series off with this one, Beth. Because these are the little things you can do that really do make a difference in your business but sometimes we just need a reminder of the basics, don't we?

That's another post, Loreena! I'm a MAJOR proponent of blogging and Active Rain so I definitely believe every real estate professional should be blogging!

Exactly, Darrell! Thanks for visiting!

Don't we all, Kent?? That's what I love most about Active Rain. You can get that kick start you need without feeling beat up in the process! I've got nothin but love! You might want to give the door knocking a try - it can't hurt!

Thanks, Patricia! Staying connected is the best way to keep your name in their heads when they're ready to make a real estate move, isn't it?

Thank you, Barbara! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm going to write a post about that, Michael. Stay tuned!

~Renae

Nice basic info - explained well.

I must admit, I was totally out of my comfort zone when I was approached by a fellow realtor to go door knocking and ALMOST declined.....after the first door or two and seeing how receptive people actually are when you meet face to face, I have changed my tune and think it is a GREAT way to meet people and share what you know.....AND.....actually learn things yourself from what people have to say!

The hardest part is the first knock, after that you will feel happy you made the effort!

Great reminder once again as the market is picking up in Toronto. Thank you. You are absolutely right our past clients are the source of our business and we must keep in regular touch with them.

Door knocking is not allowed in our town BUT door hangers are....You might be surprised how many neighbors are out working in the yard or washing the car who are happy to stop for a few minutes and chat. Plus it gets you of the house or office and getting some exercise. A Two-Fer!

HEY!!!!...... did you look at my "To Do" list for today??? (Cause all this stuff was on it. lol.)

Jeff Burnham- The WIZARD, Rosen & Co. Las Vegas, NV

Renae~ Thank you for the reminder of these five key things to do. I've done #4 quite a bit in the past and it does work. #5 is good, in fact think I will go get some cards tomorrow and send them out. The 'niche' market is something I have always struggled with determining, but in our current market time to pinpoint a good niche!

Thanks again and I can't wait to see your next installment of tips!

Great ideas Renae, simple but practical. We must get back to the basics and the cost is minimum, for the most part . All it requires is a little bit of time and little bit of dedication. Thanks for keeping it SIMPLE!

Thanks so much for sharing! Door knocking is seriousl out of my comfort zone but my goal for tomorrow is to give it a shot!

These are five great ideas. Thanks for the reminder to do the things we know we should be doing!

AUG

Love the greeting card idea! We get so wrapped up in the current deals that we sometimes forget to keep in touch with past clients, although that's getting easier since we gather everyone's email now. Still, getting a hand written card in the mail is a rare thrill in this day and age of electronic communication.

Great post, it for a beginner. A good agent should be calling 25 to 50 past clients, expired, fSBO's and around listing.

Wow, I liked this post alot. Wonderful ideas and not so much that it is overwhelming. Thanks.

AUG

Thanks for the Starbucks tip- I plan on looking into this and actually giving them as part of a closing gift.

I like the greeting card idea. Costco sells really nice handmade greeting cards, around $15 for a box of 30 cards. I keep my clients birthdsys in a "birthday book" and send them cards. They love the personal touch.

Contact your local mortgage originators? Oh my!

I am continuously amazed at my fellow realtors' attitude towards lenders.

Instead of replying, "Ohh Im not interested, I refer all of my buyers to so and so...." Which reeks of steering!

Why not build your "professional network"! When I am approached by an originator, I inform them that I do not refer, but will provide leads to all in my network. Let the market place work it out.

Instead of closing the door on opportunity, I invite all to the party.

Try it, It works

Renae:

As a licensed California loan officer, I think I'll try these strategies as well since the market appears more conducive to face-to-face interaction. We all have much to atone for to the public.

Great reminders and new ideas. It is Sunday but I will definately be implementing them over this week.

thanks for reminding us what to do-- especaially in a down mkt. The personal touch howevere you do it does count===and can generate buss.

AUG

this was great....I think you insprired me! Seriously, we just need to do something, anything, to get us in the groove...the rest will come in time!

keep up the great motivation!

Tamara

Renae - I read part two first, and just had to read part one. I am at a point where I have chosen an area to farm. Now I have to come up with a marketing plan for that farm area. I am also searching for a market niche.

AUG

Nice little reminder of the basics Renae. Thanks for taking the time.

AUG

#1 and #2 have been my mainstay since I started in real estate in August 2005.

OCT

Hi Renae,

Great information...thanks for sharing.

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?