8 ways to warm up your sphere and win more listings this fall

 

You have the contact information of hundreds, maybe even thousands of friends, neighbors and contacts in your CRM -- but do you know how to mine your database for listing opportunities? Here are eight awesome ways to engage potential sellers in your sphere this fall.

 

1. Offer a great discount

Team up with a local car wash to offer a Buy One, Get One deal you can print and distribute residents in your neighborhood and sphere. It doesn’t have to be a car wash deal, of course. You could also partner with a restaurant, bakery or any local business to give a discount on a certain product or date. Just make sure it’s dual-branded to represent your business.

 

Pro Tip: September is one of the busiest months of the year for families with school-aged children. If there’s an upcoming night with a school open house, soccer club meeting or other widely attended event, partner with a restaurant to give 15% off meals that particular evening. Every parent will thank you!

 

2. Give the gift of beans

Coffee beans, that is. Look over your CRM to find the homeowners who have been in their homes for five years or more. If it's within budget, send them each a $5 coffee gift card to a local chain or Starbucks. Send a personal note, saying that you're thinking of them as they send their kids off to school // prepare for empty nest mode // enter their fifth year of coaching the local soccer squad.

 

Sphere too big, budget too small? Consider SphereTargeting, which uses predictive analytics to tell you who has the highest selling intent among your personal contacts. Get a quick demo today.

 

 

3. Socialize your recent accomplishments

The next time you have a brag-worthy sale, be sure to post and boost the information on your social media channels. Here’s a sample post to get you started:

 

Image overlay text: JUST SOLD IN THREE DAYS — FOR 12% OVER ASKING!

 

Post text:  "Even in today's crazy low-inventory market, I'm still getting my clients 8% more than the average county closing price! Call me if you want to talk about selling your house or getting a market value estimate."

 

4. Host a pumpkin patch event

As October approaches, work with a local nursery to buy pumpkins in bulk, then host a pumpkin patch event at a local park. Set up tables with hot chocolate, coffee and apple cider to keep parents and kids warm as they peruse the selection. In your flyer and online promotions, be sure to advertise it as “first come, first served” to boost excitement and get early turnout.

 

5. Run a jack o'lantern contest

If you’d prefer to steer clear of pumpkin distribution, you can also hold a quick and easy pumpkin carving contest. Drop off a flyer to every house in your neighborhood and sphere, requesting that they enter the contest by:

 

1. Liking your business page/account on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

2. Posting their jack o’lantern on their own profile

3. Tagging your profile in the photo along with the message: “Boo! This is my entry for @Jane C. Agent’s Spooktacular Pumpkin Carving Contest! #JaneAgentSpooktacular”

4. Track all entries via your own hashtag, then give rewards (gift cards are great) for the scariest, cutest and most original pumpkins

5. Post the winners (or all entries) in an album on Facebook wall or a collage on Instagram. Tag the winners and follow up with their reward

 

6. Run brand-building online ads

While you’d never forget to share a Just Listed // Just Sold campaign to your farm, it can be easy to lose touch with sphere contacts over time. Consider designing some general ads with your name and expertise, then run the on social media channels targeting people you already know. In some cases, they may be ready to list or have a friend who needs the help of a local expert.

 

Wish you could run retargeted ads to your sphere on social media and highly-trafficked websites? Now you can. With SphereTargeting’s Brand Booster Ads, you can target your sphere by IP address, ensuring that they see you (and your brand) wherever they search online.  

 

 

7. Share your bounty

Here’s a great idea shared with us by agent Shannon Brooks, of Engel & Volkers Downtown Minneapolis. Rather than giving a bag to every member of your farm, distribute the bags to your sphere or host an event to collect the donations.

“Each fall and spring, I drop off branded grocery bags to all the homes in my farm, and I door knock to drop them off and ask for any non-perishable food donations they could contribute to local food shelves. It started off with basic paper bags, but now it has evolved into a branded bag with my name and brand, and my lender and title partner’s brands, too!

 

“This started as a great way to help my own community but after I shared it with other agents locally and nationally, I realized it was a great strategy for agents who don’t like to door knock in a traditional sense. Going door to door to sell yourself can be difficult, but when you’re working on behalf of a community need, it’s easy to speak with each homeowner and make an impact.”

 

8. Share a cup of coffee or wine -- and ask directly for referrals

Asking for referrals can feel awkward, but it doesn’t have to be. Make a goal to invite one member of your sphere out for a cup of coffee or a happy hour each week. Chat with them about the topics you know best — if you sold their house, ask how they’re enjoying their new downsized abode. If you worked together on the PTA, commiserate about the failed bake sale that only made $12. Whatever it is that brought this person into your life, create a casual and personal conversation that doesn’t feel forced. When they ask how you are, be sure to remind them that your business is powered by referrals from people like them.

 

Here’s a sample script:

“Business is booming and we actually just hired a new administrative assistant so we can support even more clients. And, after helping the developer over at Edens Bluff, we’ve expanded our reach to the west side of Avonsdale. Do you know anyone looking or who needs help this fall? I’d love to help them out!”

 

Need help finding opportunity in your sphere?

Our new product, SphereTargeting, is designed to help agents like you find likely sellers from the contacts you already know. SphereTargeting can mobilize ads to your entire sphere so you’re in a position to land more referrals, while turning up the heat on the contacts who are most likely to sell — so you earn repeat business.

 

To learn more about SphereTargeting, reach out for a no-pressure demo today.