Focusing on Your Ideal Client

Do you know who your ideal client is?

Off the top of your head, you might say yes right away. But what if I asked deeper questions? What are their goals? What hobbies do they have? What do they want from the real estate transaction?

The days of doing great marketing with only age/gender/location have long been over. Here are questions to ask for each type of client to help you narrow your marketing and make it highly effective.

Working With Buyers

Many real estate agents start out working with buyers. You have someone approach you looking for a home, and you help them find what they want.

If you’ve been in this business very long, though, you’ll realize that different buyers have very different needs. To keep your marketing focused, ask yourself these questions to narrow the field.

Key questions about buyers:

• What generation are you focused on? Millennials respond to different marketing than downsizing Boomers.
• What income range or budget range do you work with? Marketing for high-end homebuyers is not the same as first-time homeowners.
• Should you reach out to renters? Depending on the type of buyer you want to work with, using postcard marketing for renters could be very lucrative.
• Does your ideal client have children? What age? Knowing that you need to focus on neighborhoods with specific schools and activities will make your job easier.

Working With Sellers

It’s often been said that you need to “list to last,” and most Realtors® find that buyers alone don’t give them the success they’re looking for. As a result, you probably also need to market to sellers.

Not everyone who wants to list will be ideal for you. It’s best to establish a farm area and work to build your presence and brand among those customers. By choosing the right farm area, you can attract the kinds of sellers you want to work with.

Key questions about sellers:

• What market prices are you interested in working with? High-end sellers can be more difficult to work with but more lucrative. Mid-range or lower end properties will move more quickly, and there will be more sellers to work with.
• Are you willing to work with sellers of distressed properties? These often need creative marketing but can move quickly to the right buyer because of the lower price.
• Do you want to position yourself as a listing agent who also helps the homeowners find a new place? While this is extra work, you can gain good income if this is your focus. 

As with the buyers, you won’t be able to be all things to all people. You’ll have to decide what niche to focus on. When you do, you’ll be able to focus your marketing, attract the right clients, and become very successful! 

Working With Investors

Working with real estate investors is a niche that few Realtors® get into, but if you are able to build this clientele, they can benefit you financially. The key with investors is that they often have a lot of properties moving quickly, and you need to be on the ball.

If you succeed in this market, you’ll get endless referrals among this tight-knit community. However, if you mess up, you can expect word-of-mouth to significantly damage your business. Are you up for the challenge?

Questions for working with investors:

• Do you want to focus on flippers, those looking to renovate and rent, or another type of investor? There are a lot of different goals in this community, and it will help you focus if you choose one or two.
• How will you vet investors? It’s easy to get tied up with enthusiastic folks who just attended a seminar but don’t know what they’re actually doing. Create a process for weeding out the would-bes and focusing on the serious buyers.
• How can you build the skills investors look for? You need to be a full-time agent, very quick to respond, and an excellent negotiator. You’ll need a thick skin for weathering rejection. Determine how you can invest in yourself to build those skills.

Investors can give you a lot of repeat business and referrals. If you’re willing to put in the work, this could be a great niche for you.

Who is Your Ideal Client?

If you could choose your idea real estate client, what would they be like? Don’t be shy – make a real list. Then, determine the best way to focus your real estate marketing to draw those people to you.

We’re here to help. Whether you want to use our ready-to-go templates or our self-serve design system, PrinterBees is the one-stop shop for your print marketing. Let us know if we can help you in any way!

Who is your ideal client? Share in the comments!

This post originally shared on PrinterBees' Real Estate Marketing Magazine.