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Listing Cards: Business Cards with a Twist!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros

How do you get the most out of your business cards?  Here's how!

Take a featured listing (or two, or three...you get the idea) and turn it into a business card.  This is a great way to really "wow" your client. 

Business cards are easy to carry around, and most business professionals have a card case or briefcase containing business cards that they carry with them at all times.  Here's the concept, use "listing cards" as your business cards. 

Here's how it works:



* Example provided by the RKiHomes Team

* Example provided by the RKiHomes Team  

Front - Image of featured home, your contact info
Back - Image of interior room/feature or exterior feature, highlights of the house

You supply your seller with listing cards of their own to pass out to friends, family, co-workers, etc. as a way to promote their listing...and also a way to promote you ;-)  You also use these cards as your own personal business cards. 

This opens up communication channels...

Seller at work:  "wow...you're house really is beautiful, how do you like your agent?"
Response:  "She's awesome...have you ever seen an agent do something like this"

Prosective buyer:  "I came across your listing on a business card passed out to me...pretty cool idea...any way, I was inquiring about that listing..."
Response #1:  "Everyone is calling about that home, let me tell you a bit about it..."
Response #2:  "I'm sorry, that was a beautiful home that sold quickly, but if you liked that one I have another you might be interested in..."

* Note:  Due to shifting markets it is not encouraged to list price on these cards

Toby Boyce
C.G. Boyce Real Estate Co. - Delaware, OH
MBA, Delaware Ohio

Carl,

Glad that is working for you. I have done that twice and just through away a pile of them a seller gave back to me after they withdrew from the market (rented the house).

People like them, but they get stuffed in odd places and I didn't get a call I could trace back to the cards. It is an interesting form of marketing, but my experience wasn't great.

Toby

Oct 09, 2007 08:46 AM
Maria Couto
RE/MAX Premier - Berkeley Heights, NJ
Realtor with "Results That "MOVE" You'
Nice Idea. Listing price would be a problem. Good post
Oct 09, 2007 08:47 AM
Ibi Sofillas
MyRealtyTeam Real Estate, LLC - Clarksburg, MD
Broker
I have heard this idea, but not the positive comments, that's great!
Oct 09, 2007 08:50 AM
Carl Martens
Geneva, IL

Toby...unfortunate to hear about your experience, but if you use this as your business card and you don't have any date associated to the cards you wouldn't dispose of the cards.  Also, the cost of having business cards is very minimal and I don't think anyone would argue...they are somewhat a necessity to do business.

- Carl

Oct 09, 2007 08:51 AM
Barbara Mulcahy
Re/Max Integrity Advantage - Berkeley Heights, NJ
ABR, CRS - Your Berkeley Heights Real Estate Source
Great idea Carl - I'm going to try that as well!
Oct 09, 2007 08:57 AM
Mary Smartt
Lawton Associates / www.LawtonAssociates.com - Berkeley, CA
Smartt Moves with Mary Smartt
I just saw one of these yesterday, and was very curious about it.  Thanks for the posting, and the appropriate timing in my case.  I'll have to consider these for future listings, and business cards are so cheap that it would be a very easy thing to do.
Oct 09, 2007 08:59 AM
Toby Boyce
C.G. Boyce Real Estate Co. - Delaware, OH
MBA, Delaware Ohio

If the house is "off the market" then handing them out would be illegal -- you are promoting a property that you don't have a contract to sell -- so what other option would I have than to toss them?

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea - just didn't work for me.

Oct 09, 2007 09:01 AM
Carl Martens
Geneva, IL

Toby...good point.  Buy a red stamp or sticker that says "SOLD" and mark the cards as such. 

I believe it to be a minimum expense that you get your bang for the buck, especially if you are in a market like Atlanta.  See the below in quotes.

"Overall in Atlanta, last quarter 56% of homes did not sell.  Of the 44% that did sell, 34% had a price reduction, leaving 16% that sold without a price reduction.  For those that had a price reduction, the average days on the market (DOM) was 140 days.  Of the 16% that did sell with no price reduction they spent aproximately 42 days on the market."

With that being said...hopefully your listings aren't on the market for 140 days, but even at 30-42 days...how many people can you, your seller, their friends/family come into contact with?  How many showings do you have in this time?  We leave the cards along with any other information in the seller's home as well. 

Think outside the box...how many people will your seller rave about you to because of this innovative way of marketing?  That's where the true return on the investment comes from...going above and beyond for your clients and offering premier marketing.

Oct 09, 2007 09:07 AM
BLR Guy
BLRGUY(Beach & Luxury Realty Inc) - Saint Pete Beach, FL
One of my agents does just that and it works out well for her too.It is a great touch!
Oct 09, 2007 09:39 AM