Lean home inventories have been the real estate story of the last two years, and 2017 will hold similar conditions. Real estate agents who want to increase market share must prioritize one thing: prospecting home sellers.
Real estate is a year-around business, and so is prospecting clients! Yet many agents are in wind-down mode, settling in for the six-week lull of the holiday season. Certainly, you should take time for family and enjoy some well-deserved time off. But the very best time for prospecting home sellers is right now. Here’s why!
Friends and family make more contact with each other during the holiday season, than at any other time of year. Many topics come up at the Thanksgiving dinner table and at holiday parties. Homes and real estate are among them!
You need to be part of this conversation, but the postcard you sent in July is long forgotten. Ditto for your email campaign. You may be thinking of updating your marketing so you can some out swinging in 2017, but families are gathering, reflecting and planning now.
They may not take action on such discussions until the New Year, but now is the time to be top-of-mind! Your sphere of influence will be at its peak.
There are several ways to prospect during the holidays without coming across as too self-serving. Holiday-themed postcards, with a message of gratitude for past business, can be gracious and sincere. Branded desk calendars, wall calendars, coffee mugs and other small premiums are welcome when given as gifts with no strings attached.
Of course, you don’t want to go broke giving away freebies. And what about cold prospecting?
Postcards are still very effective. A message wishing warmth and cheer for the holidays is pleasant to receive, even from a stranger. A subtle line such as “Here for you when you need me” can be added without sounding pushy.
Phone prospecting, done correctly, can also be effective. If you cold-call, do it with a mission: “I’m calling because I have buyers looking to purchase a new home after the holidays. I’m reaching out to homeowners in your neighborhood to see what might become available. Would you be thinking of selling in the New Year?”
The call should be short, sweet, and timed to be as unobtrusive as possible. You don’t want to interrupt family dinner hour, but many people take time off during the holiday season! You have better odds of making live contact in late mornings and early afternoons than you normally would.
You can also create email campaigns around these ideas, and use phone calls as a follow-up.
These are just a few ideas based on our own experience, and what we’ve seen work for some top producers! As always, RealSupport is here to help you with your real estate marketing. We provide custom-tailored solutions for your needs. Contact us today for your personal consultation!
Bonita Breit
Copywriting & Marketing Specialist
RealSupport, Inc.
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