When it comes to marketing ourselves and our listings, there are many options out there to reach out to the real estate market. Some of the marketing tools and resources are free or little money. But there are other options that can be costly and are they worth it?

At least once a month I will get a call from a company offering me farms for a small fee. They do not call them lead generators but farming areas. To me it is the same scam just wrapped up in a different package and bow. I refuse to pay for names, phone numbers or addresses! Here are some alternative ideas to build your sphere for those agents who are still green behind the ears;

  1. www.whitepages.com. This is a free resource to build your own leads. I am sure you know plenty of street names in the location you like to target. All you have to do is reverse check by street and you will get a list of all the residents inclusing their phone numbers who reside there. There is even a way to filter out any companies on that street so you may just print out the residents. This is a free and simple way to build a farming area for post cards, cold calls and any other marketing you have in mind.
  2. When you have sold a home, send out a letter to all the neighbors on that street stating you sold that home and you are available to do a CMA for their home! Once again you can get that information from www.whitepages.com All it will cost you is the price of paper, a business card and a stamp!
  3. Go visit your local Lenders! Stop by with a box of donuts and visit a Lender's office. Pick one and make it a point to visit one each week. This will show your motivation and will give you the opportunity to show how you stand out from the other agents and what you can offer the buyers.

I am far from a Top agent, however I feel that you have options to market yourself and your listings without going broke!  If you have other ideas, please share them with me. I would love to hear them.

 

13 Comments on Great marketing tool or just a liability?

Good idea, there are also programs used by numerous MLS Boards that have court house info that give you the names and addresses of owners not occupants

06/11/2007 08:14 PM by Paul Moye, Broker, ABR, GRI, CSP, e-PRO (Keller Williams Realty Franklin )

I have never generated anything by paying for leads. I have some partners that paid over $1000 for 100 leads that were gauranteed. Nothing, so they got another 100. Nothing so they got another 100. nothing and then were told that it was them and their company that must have been bad and they wouldn't get anymore leads and didn't get their money back. When they called the leads they found that most of the people had refied over a few months ago and others simple filled out a form on the internet to win a free trip and marked that they were "interested" in buying a house in the next 5 years.

06/11/2007 08:14 PM by Chuck "Loans made easy" Christensen

I love to get as much free marketing in that I can.  You are right most of the things you pay for don't work out.

06/11/2007 08:24 PM by Endea Thibodeaux, CLHMS, RECS (Tarver Realty Group)

I so agree with you Maureen, in Texas we are fortunate to have information/address using our appraisal districts, when I was in Maine whitepages worked for me.

06/11/2007 08:27 PM by Ron Hackett, CRS,GRI,ABR,SRES,e-Pro (Coldwell Banker Heart of the Hills)

I love your idea of visiting the loan offices! You can also build your farm by using your local tax records. Great ideas! I ahve also been told that calling the title company can also be a great help with building your farm and is also free.

06/12/2007 10:09 AM by Yvonne Brown (Century 21 Northwest)

Nice idea Yvonne! I am also thinking about going to the Attorney offices in my location to market myself as well.

06/12/2007 10:17 PM by MAUREEN STACCATO Associate Partner Massachusetts (KELLER WILLIAMS OF PIONEER VALLEY)

You have some good tips Maureen. I think we all need to get back to basics especially in this market.

06/12/2007 10:31 PM by Monika McGillicuddy~REALTOR®~ N.H. Real Estate Broker & Trainer (Prudential Verani Realty/Hampstead)

God idea to visit loan offices.

06/13/2007 06:02 AM by GITA BANTWAL, REALTOR BUCKS COUNTY, PA HOMES (ReMax Centre Realtors)

white pages is one of my best sources to send postcards or phone expires

06/14/2007 04:24 PM by john golymbieski (c21 access america)

Thank you very much for sharing, that would be neat, seeing a realtor visit our office for a change.

07/02/2007 01:08 AM by Shane Sarae, Senior Mortgage Planner (Loan Network LLC)

Maureen,

Thanks for the info for whitepages.com - I did not know that was available. I will use that site next time I send out my Just Listed or Just Sold postcards.  Thanks again.

07/04/2007 01:16 AM by Chuck Dellorto "Talk To Chuck" (McColly Real Estate - Licensed in INDIANA & ILLINOIS)

I checked out whitepages.com and that is very cool.  I wonder how current it is? 

07/04/2007 12:50 PM by Carol Williams Wenatchee Real Estate (Willinger Real Estate)

thanks for the tips!

07/06/2007 10:53 AM by David Slavin, ABR, SRES RE/MAX Grand, Katy, TX (RE/MAX Grand)

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Real Estate Agent: MAUREEN STACCATO Associate Partner Massachusetts (KELLER WILLIAMS OF PIONEER VALLEY)
MAUREEN STACCATO Associate Partner Massachusetts
Springfield, MA
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KELLER WILLIAMS OF PIONEER VALLEY

Office Phone: (413) 789-9880 Ext.: 00
Cell Phone: (413) 627-7699
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First time homebuyers and Expired Listing Specialist. Let me put my track record to work for your personal Real Estate needs. Blogging about everything and anything Real Estate! I love my career and always looking for ways to express my personal experience, sharing opinions with others and supporting ideas! Meez 3D avatar avatars games

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