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Customers are internet savvy and checking up on your promises – are you delivering?

Make a pinky promise with your clients - I will market your home this way!

I speak to you as not only someone that assists clients with their marketing efforts but as someone that was once a consumer - buying and selling my home and I'm going to tell it to you straight...

"your customers are checking to see if those things you promised in your prelisting appointment are actually happening."

I invite you to take out your marketing plan that you share in your pre-listing appointments and review it line by line to see if the things you are promising your clients are actually being done. Will their home be listed on your website? Is it? Will they be a featured listing on Trulia or Zillow - are they? You get my point right?

Here are some areas that you may or may not be promising to your clients for their listings on where they will appear that yield great results due to the amazing exposure they receive.

See how you're doing. If there are areas that your listings will benefit from having this added exposure make it happen and share it with your client. Go back often and look in detail at your tracking results that will allow you to share with your clients how much exposure their listing is receiving. You are tracking the results of these efforts aren't you? Feel free to post as a checklist against your PreListing Markeitng Plan to ensure you're meeting your client's needs.

Here's your checklist:

Website

Does the listing appear on the site? Does it accurately reflect all the details of the listing and is the price correct? How are the pictures?

Blogging

We all know and hopefully you've seen the power of ActiveRain blogs in helping to reach clients, promote our services and be a part of a community that helps us grow our business. Are you highlighting your listing on your blog and posting it to your local community? I currently work with agents who receive amazing feedback and gain new clients every day simple by bloggingnot only about real estate related issues and their community but about their blogs. (Check out Jeremy Blanton's great post about how to present your listings.)

Social Media Networks

Facebook- are you posting links and sending them to your clients who are on facebook. What a great way to promote your listings to other Realtors® and to show your client that you are actively talking about their listing.

Twitter - Tweetlister is a great tool for presenting your listings and provides tracking results.

Trulia & Zillow

Your listings are usually provided by a feed or you can enter them in yourself. You can enhance your listing and provide your clients with reports either on their listing or for homes similar to theirs. I like to periodically check my client's listings to ensure they not only fed correctly but often I will add more photos to increase the likelihood that they will be viewed more. Are you also involved in the forums and questiosn and answers section of these sites? Another great opportunity to extend your reach and show your value as a Realtor®.

Real Estate Shows and Flyers

Not only can they stand on their own but you can embed them into your blogs and on social media networks. What client wouldn't love to see their listing presented in this very special way? Did I mention that this tool has great tracking capabilities too?

Craigslist

Perhaps you have a market that would do really well from posting here. There are many options from posting straight text to embedding flyers to html that can present your listings in not only a unique but visually pleasing way.

Postlets

Creates a single page site for your listing and syndicates to several sites.

Realbird

Creates a single property site along with widgets, ability to embed the flyer and syndicates to several sites. Also tracks views and visitor stats.

Classified Flyers

Easy to create, targeted single property sites and flyers syndicated to real estate directors and search engines.

Property Flyers

Do you have an attractive flyer that presents all the details of your listing? Is it up to date with new photos and pricing? Do you have all the ways of contacting you on this flyer - website, social media and phone?)

Advertising (newspaper, home magazines)

This form of advertising works well for many and I'm a big proponent of balancing on line and off line marketing efforts. While many of abandoned this form of marketing often times client's still view this as a viable method of marketing. Did you promise to run ads? Are you? Think about what will work for your listings and in your market and do it if it's something you've promised.

Open Houses

Are you conducting them as promised? Are you tracking visitors and following upwith the visitors - clients and Realtors® for feedback and are you providing that feedback to your client?

Marketing Activity Results

I previously posted an example of what and how you can share feedback with your clients. Clients want to know this information and it will give you a great opportunity to provide feedback on showings and share feedback on possible updates needed or price changes.

Email Campaigns

Are you alerting customers from your database and fellow Realtors® and colleagues of your listing? Don't miss out on this important aspect of marketing your listing and services - perhaps it will be seen by someone looking behind the scenes right now or by someone who can mention to someone they know. Your reach has just been extended.

Regular Contact/Follow-up

Make those phone calls, respond to leads and inquires, and participate on blogs, social media networks and forums. Write a hand written note, send an email campaign. Take a client for coffee or check in with them on their recent home improvements. My point is have regular and consistent interactions with your clients and prospects. If you remember them, they will remember you.

Did I miss any? More importantly - did you?

Sometimes I think we are so intent on recreating new ways to run our business that we forget the simple things we have already established that will work if we work them correctly or at all. Don't recreate the wheel unless you have to and focus your efforts on getting the results you're clients need and depend on.

I invite you to dig in deep to your pre-listing materials to ensure you are promising things that you can actually deliver on and use this as an opportunity to fine tune your services and offerings. This will go a long way with your clients who are depending on you to deliver the results you promised to them and will most likely grow your business in the way of referrals by these very happy clients.

How did your Pre-Listing Marketing Plan measure up?

Do you have an experience with your clients reviewing your marketing efforts that you want to share?

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Some previous posts to help you with your marketing efforts:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/715158/creating-a-connection-with-your-marketing

http://activerain.com/blogsview/693888/Do-you-know-where

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1015159/Marketing-is-a-lot-like-exercisingtone-and-see-results

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If it's not evident to you by now, consumers are very knowledgeable and computer savvy and are using the Internet to not only search for homes but for real estate agents and real estate professionals who they feel are like minded and can lead them to the results they are looking for.

As we all know, there are only 24 hours in a day to get it all done...are you focusing on the right stuff to grow your business and meet your client's needs? Contact us today to get started!

Lets Connect and Stay Connected:

Posted by Anne Marie Malfi, Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA on 09/28/2009 01:53 PM

Comments (76)

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76 Comments on Customers are internet savvy and checking up on your promises – are you delivering?

SEP

2009

Anne Marie - Your posts are always so thorough! Nicely done, as always. I think you hit all of the major tools that I know about.

Wow! Great List.

I do receive a lot of listing emails from the fellow Realtors. Do we really open them?

What a great job giving a friendly reminder to deliver on your promises!

This is great. Good point Haris. I don't open alot of my MLS e-mail.

That's an extensive but obviously powerful list of marketing resources. I would think any customer would be lucky to have you as their listing agent.

Anne Marie,

Great post. I need to re-evaluate my marketing plan. Have a great day!

Ooops, or rather have you as a marketing assistant.

Great list Anne Marie. Appreciate the reminder.

Wow! Good job on the thorough list!

My customers are the same way. I had posted on twitter that I did a home inspection at a property in Torrance Ca. A perspective client of mine called the listing agent to verify the validity of my post. He was pleased that I had done the inspection. I was also pleased to find out the Realtor gave our company 5 stars...

Thanks for the reminder i had just forgotten to put my new listing on my personal site!

Hi Anne Marie...This is a perfect example of the posts that should be featured. Wonderful that yours is.

Making a promise is easy, keeping it takes time. However, it is time well spent and it is exactly what we owe our clients.

Kate

Anne Marie: Thank you! We should all be living up to what we say. It makes it so much easier for everyone concerned. Take care.

Congratulations on the well-deserved feature! This is a great post with such a good point about making sure we are not making promises that we don't keep - clients do check on websites etc to see how their listing looks - and how it looks determines how WE look to them!

Good information Anne Marie. Will definitely check back on this post when, if ever, I get my next listing.

Anne Marie - Wow indeed! Great list and very thorough. We do a lot for our commissions don't we? Thanks for the Tweetlister tip. Didn't know about that one... Thanks

A Well Deserved Star!

Forget all that other stuff; just getting the listing entered into the MLS with multiple photos and ACCURATE information is far more than the majority of our fellow Realtors are doing.

Good stuff. Haven't really played wirh Realbird but I may give it a try.

Fantastic info. There is so much I need to be doing.

I am sure that it took a few minutes to put this all down and I appreciate it. I am saving it to review next time I go through my marketing plan.

Hi Anne Marie~ I am glad I read this. I need to add all of the ways of contacting me on my flyers, and add a few more things!

Great post, Anne Marie. I usually counsel real estate professionals that they should use a "listing coordinator", just as they would use a "transaction coordinator" - whether that person is a virtual assistant, an in-house assistant, or if they really aren't ready to be more than a one person show...themselves. Everyone should have a "listing checklist" in their listing presentation, but whereas most agents simply put it on the inside of the listing folder as it gets passed around the office, I suggest having it electronically, so that it can be shared with and reviewed by the sellers during your weekly follow-up email / status report! Then the client KNOWS that their Listing Agent is doing all they can, and all they promised to do, in order to sell their home! Congrats on the feature :-)

Anne Marie - this is a great list of marketing ideas! And I agree, your clients DO check up with you on your marketing efforts. And it's not only important to follow through, but to let them know in the beginning WHEN you plan to do it. Not all your advertising can happen overnight, so it's important to set a reasonable expectation that is acceptable to the seller to avoid any conflict. Thanks again for this information!

A great, detailed check list that we should all consider.

Wow, I'm falling behind. I didn't even know about some of those sites. I need to get with it. You have a great list of resources here. Thanks for sharing.

Anne Marie -

I just got a call to do a listing presentation - you had better believe I am going to be check and double checking. Well done and a great reminder that just because someone puts it out there doesn't necessarily mean its so.

Michael

Anne Marie, This is a great post. Thanks for this great info. This is a concise piece on covering all the bases on marketing a property in today's environment. Very well done!

Great list Ann Marie. I think clients do check to make sure that we are doing what we said we would be doing. Our marketing capabilities is probably one of the reasons why they chose us in the first place. I agree with Lisa where she mentioned that we need to give them a timeline when various marketing is going to occur. I sent out 'Just Listed' postcards to the neighbors around the listing, and I had my client mention to me that their neighbor hadn't received it yet. They did receive it the next day, but I could have avoided that momentary dissapointment had I mentioned when it would occur from the beginning. Big learning lesson for me.

I was laughing reading your post. Don't go giving away ALL the secrets of the trade. I do everything on this list, been doing craigslist for many years- I have seen craigslist postings in my area quardruple in the last year... Realtors catch on to the new technology on their own anyway.. and that's when I go out & have to find new venues- you can never rest on your laurels & be a good marketer.

Anne Marie, you are so right, if we say we are going to do something, we NEED TO DO IT!!! But yes, the timeline is important too. I am working on these listings right now -- but they all called me the same time -- likelihood is they won't be up as quickly as usual because they are all at the same time! :-)

If we promise to do it then we need to explain what happened if we didn't. Sometimes there is a good reason not to utilize one technology or site. Letting the seller know why is important.

Hi Anne Marie - Your post is very valuable and also applies to other industries.

I'll take a personal example from over 15 years ago. I hired a lawyer for some legal work. I received an extremely detailed invoice listing every item that the law firm supposedly worked on. A few months later, I received a notice from the government stating that a particular form had not been filed. I looked at the invoice and the form was listed as being prepared and filed. I contacted the lawyer and found out the law firm had NOT prepared the form and therefore had not filed it. Therefore, they now had to prepare the form.

Thus, if you say you are going to do a list of items or state that you did a list of items, make sure the list is completed.

This is a great check list for all Realtors to follow! Thank you for your post!

Hi Ann Marie ~ It's very simple but very important - if you say you're going to do it - do it. This is an excellent, thorough list of how to get the word out and keep your clients happy. Thanks.

Liz

Awesome coverage of the places we ought to be marketing. I actually invented a checklist that coincides with my marketing plan. I fill in the date that the listing went on each website, blog or feature. It helps to keep me on task and gives me something concrete to show clients who question me.

Hi Anne Marie. I can see why your post was featured. ~ Lana

I send CCs of ALL marketing including index in Google to clients.

So heck yeah they know!

And I want them to see it from me so they know when to check! ;)

Anne Marie..i don't think you missed a single thing..Great check list.. WOW

Anne Marie- There is certainly a lot to do ! And you are right, many clients are checking up online to make sure that their Realtor is doing what they said they were going to do ! It is important not to overpromise and underdeliver ! The beauty about your list here is that this list can be reversed into a beautiful listing presentation in terms of what one WILL do. It is a lot of work to do all of those things which is another reasons many agents need to consider hiring an expert that can help !!! : ) ~ Chris

Well said Anne Marie.....do not start with the new til you've checked off the old and measured the effectiveness.....also give the program a little time to work before you throw it away or abandon it before you have even started.

<<<SMILE>>> 'Course saying this to you I know it may sound like I am preaching to the choir, lol.

Anne Marie,

There's nothing like truth in advertising. That may be the reason that I no longer use a glossy, pre-printed listing presentation.

Brian

So, in essence you just gave us all a marketing plan for our listings for FREE! Thank you so much for this wonderful and comprehensive list. This won't leave any stone unturned. Thanks again!

Wow an action packed blog. I'm goin tto have to bookmark this one. THANKS

Most of my clients are running Google alerts for their address... They are keeping tabs on me, and I like that...

You are right people do check up on what you say and what you do. Thanks for reminding us

Anne Marie - this is an excellent post about making sure you do what you say you are going to do. If their house isn't selling, they may come back to you with that listing presentation. I set up google alerts for my clients so they can see it themselves.

Anne Marie, terrific post! As usual, a real pro! Thank you for spelling it all out in such great detail.

What a comprehensive list! A great reminder, Anne Marie, to periodically review how we are doing on our promises to our clients!

As soon as we do the things we say we do on our marketing we send an e-mail to the sellers saying that is now done and any explanations if there need to be any e.g. your house has now been sent to trulia. It may take 24-48 hrs before it goes live. etc. Create a system and stick with it. It works great. ~Rita

Anne Marie,

I just picked up a listing today because the previous agent did none of the above.

Rich

I have a check list that goes hand in hand with my listing presentation....keeps me from over promising and under delivering.

A.M....good stuff. I think that social networking is changing the game. If you make a promise...then you have to get it done...b/c it's out there for sure.

WooHoo Ann Marie!! My clients have many sellers are tech savvy and make sure that we are follwing up with our promises..and there are quite a few:) It gets hard to make sure details don't fall through the cracks, but having a system that keeps all the details in check is SO important. Fantabulous..(as my daughter would say;)

I loved, loved this post. You can't promise more than you deliver or you will get caught!

Great content - what's even better is that most of these marketing efforts are FREE!!!!

Beautiful! I am bookmarking this post.

Anne Marie,

Wow, what a detailed marketing report...right up my alley girl. Yet I don't mind saying I've learned a few more on this one, thank you.

And as far as a consumer reading/holding you accountable, you bet. I had a client some time back when I mentioned something specific, she said "oh yes I remember that happening this week, it was on your marketing report..." End of story for me, I've always remembered that.

Boy..that is some awesome information. It is awesome that

Great info Anne Marie - we have to make sure that we follow through with what we promise!

This is s Great Post! Follow through is extremely important.

SEP

2009

About time your blog gets featured.

Anne Marie,

You are so correct. When I go to meet sellers, I actually bring printouts of what I have produced for a recent listing. If possible, I whiz through the Internet to show them too. Real life proof has won me more than a few listings!

All great ideas. The person that dies good job of combining them will be a success. Be in as many places as you can be.

Everyone I talk to I google them. If I don't find anything for example (blog, website, linkedin) I really have to think if they are serious contender.

Thank you Jason! There are countless tools available to all of us - I simply wanted to highlight some key ones that give the most value to both re professionals and their clients.

Haris - thank you. My question to you - shouldn't you be? What if there's a property that meets your client's needs in that email and that could mean a home for your client and a paycheck for you. Something to think about...

Tim - thank you for getting the point of this post to remind us all that sometimes going back to the basics of what we started and promised to ensure we're meeting our client's needs.

Vanna - thank you and see my response back to Haris for another way to look at those emails.

Dynamic - Yes, just something to think about when creating your marketing plan and yes I'm a marketing assistant that uses all these tools for my clients and I do believe or at least they tell me that they appreciate my services and expertise.

Keith - thanks and I hope this checklist will help you in that process.

Rashel - thank you and so happy you stopped by to read and comment.

EmMee - thank you!

Christine - Great point - re professionals shouldn't let the whole idea/process of putting these areas into their marketing plans and presentations and then not delivering on them simply because they can't get to them. There are so many resources out there to assist and I know I'd like to work with someone who could get the job done whether they do it or one of their colleagues or resources does it. The point is - it gets done. Another great point - I know for my clients I have both a listing checklist that I keep and then it's send back to the agent to show it's complete and to have in the listing folder. I've also created a listing checklist for the sellers that gets emailed to them - more visually pleasing than the agent's checklist - with hyperlinks to all the places their listing appears on the web - they love it!

Lisa - Excellent point! Which is why I send a visually pleasing emailed piece to my client's clients with hyperlinks that shows all the places the listing appears. Establishing when things will be done and following up once complete is so important and should be established in those first appts with clients.

Diane - thank you - happy you stopped by to read and comment.

Jean - you're so welcome. Happy you found the list helpful.

Michael B - Excellent - best of luck on getting the listing and happy this list will help you ensure you're offering and delivering quality services to your clients. So true!

Michael M- thank you so much! Sometimes we simply overlook things in our marketing plans and presentations and I thought this would help many agents that I know are struggling with how to focus their efforts.

Renee - thank you for sharing your experience. The point here - you learned a valuable lesson and know what needs to be done in the future.

Peter - LOL these were secrets? I just naturally assume that many of us research, hear about and test all marketing efforts and tools available and just thought I'd put it all together in one place. Guess I learned long ago - share easily and fully - but believe me I have many secrets I keep to myself or share with my clients - just a perk of working with me!

Marney - So true - doesn't work out for anyone if we promise and can't deliver. Sounds like you need help!

Cindy - A great point - some sites simply won't work out the same from listing to listing - for example - a commercial property vs. residential. Communication is key!

Marc - thank you and yes while I geared this towards the re industry most of my posts are written and can be applied to any industry. Wow, thanks for sharing that difficult experience - great lessons can be learned from it.

Sharon - Thank you! So happy you found it helpful.

Liz - thank you so much and I couldn't agree with you more!

Jeani - thank you and that's awesome that you created that tracking tool that you can share with clients - you might want to think about adding some hyperlinks to it so they can see for themselves all your awesome work.

Lana - thank you and I appreciate your compliment and your stopping by.

Candice - Excellent! We shouldn't be afraid to send them those links and updates as they're happening - think they'd rather have lots of info vs. nothing at all and leaving them wondering.

Hannah - lol, thank you my friend.

Chris - Well I know you and Stephanie know this first hand and it's why you do all you can to ensure you offer AND deliver on your quality services - it shows! So true - most if not all of these areas can be put directly into your pre listing and marketing presentations to show all your capabilities to a prospect. Are you calling me an expert? LOL

Rebecca - Excellent point my friend. Look at what you have/already doing - fine tune it, add to it if necessary and measure - often that piece is forgotten and can really help us to know what's working/not working for a particular listing. As I've said - not all sites will work best for all listings so why keep posting there if your results over time say something different. Giving it time is also very important - many often abandon before they actually see the benefits.

Brian - you said it - think about when we are on the buying side - if we find out it's not what we expected are we going to keep purchasing and using it? Truth in advertising keeps the business moving in the right direction - no matter what business you're in and what you're offering.

Susanne - LOL - imagine what my clients get if I'm going to give al of this to all of you! Happy you found it helpful.

Linda - thank you and so happy you found it helpful.

Lane - I like it too! If we're doing all we say we are we shouldn't be afraid of these checks!

Russ - You're so welcome!

Sharon - Excellent! Yes, many clients will start to wonder and will pull out your original info to see if anything was promised that not being done - how nice would it be to actually show them we're delivering what we promised.

Renee - thank you for the wonderful compliment - so happy I could help.

JB - thanks! I hope this post will encourage many to go back and look at their presentations - it could make all the difference in their business.

Rita & Brian - Excellent! love that you're doing that - a system does work!

Rich - Well good for you and now you can show them how it's done!

Damon - Love it!

Larry - So true. The internet has created a way for all to know what's going on and not going on - hasn't it?

Laura - LOL. So true and I know you understand the need for sytems to be in place on our side as well as our clients - it works!

Judy - Wow - thanks, so happy you loved it and found it helpful.

Billie - thank you and yes, free is a good thing.

Rajeev - thanks and happy you found it bookmark worthy.

Lynda - You're so welcome and thanks for sharing that experience. Clients check - I know I did. Way to go with meeting your client's needs.

Lisa - thank you!

Emily - Exactly!

Eric - thank you and your comment is so very true.

Greg - lol - nice to have a fan - as I am also one of yours.

Irene - Excellent - so happy you shared your experience and how you've made it work for you and your clients.

Nicholas - thank you and yes it's all about combining and finding what works for you, your clients and each listing.

Marisa - thank you and I know my personal experience with realbird has been great - not better - similar but different - I like the ability to see visitors on this site.

Cassi - I also do the same - if someone has a true internet presence especially if they are saying they do - I hope to be able to see that - remember all - prospects and clients are doing these searches too. Thanks Cassi.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and for the great comments - I truly love being a part of this network where ideas and solutions can be shared and applied. ~Anne Marie

Hi Maria: Your post is a reminder of all the expertise we are missing by not having..... YOU!!!! (Trying to drum up $$$$$$ now for we cannot afford to be without you another day!!!!!)

Diane

Anne Marie - good suggestions, you're right, seller's do check to see what you're doing. We find it's better to share what we're doing with them. We use TopProducer and create client service websites where they can view all of our activity for their property. We also communicate frequently.

This is really good information. Almost too much for me to digest. I've subscribed so I can go back and read it later again to take it all in. Thank you.

We do need to make sure that we are doing what we told our clients we would because they do check up and see that it's done.

OCT

2009

Diane - WOW I am simply touched by your truly kind compliment and I know I would love nothing more than that!

Kevin & Monica - thank you and I can tell that you both share all you're doing with your clients.

Tammie - Well how nice - love having you as a regular reader/subscriber and hope to continue providing you with some helpful tips for marketing and growing your business.

Christine - You got that right!

OCT

2009

Anne Marie,

Congratulations on a well written post which was a must to be featured! Your certainly hit all the major points for us to be concerned with..great job!!

Anne Marie,

Congratulations on a well written post which was a must to be featured! Your certainly hit all the major points for us to be concerned with..great job!!

OCT

2009

GOOD MORNING ANNE! It's been a while since I've had a chance to visit my favorite blogs - I hope you and your dad and family are well. This post would have given me a great boost before I went on my listing appointment last week. Although I did not get the listing, I can use this as practice for the next listing and maybe get it this time around! Great help for us all! Enjoy your day! --Gabrielle

OCT

2009

Awesome post Ann Marie. If everyone followed your advice there would be a lot more top notch Realtors:)

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Anne Marie Malfi, Real Estate Marketing Consultant/Virtual Asst, Bucks County,PA

Yardley, PA

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Malfi Marketing Solutions ~ for real estate professionals

Office Phone: (267) 793-0373

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A “Marketing” Virtual Assistant that will partner with you to increase your online and offline marketing. This blog is where I will share everything from helpful marketing, branding, time management tips and solutions to tons of advice, motivation and inspiration so that you are working smarter - not harder! I look forward to getting to know you and your business more.

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