Tip #58. KNOW what your top 5 competing REALTORS do to market their homes they list. I have had enough emails and calls on this top that I felt it was time to blog about it!

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Let's face it.

 A "good" REALTOR is a great researcher

 but a great REALTOR is a better INVESTIGATOR!

So, how do you walk away with the listing signed everytime? How do you keep the seller from having other appointments and signing with you? The best techniques are methods that have been tested, tried and TRUE THAT...THIS WORKS!

To help you today with one simple trick I want to reveal the secret in tip #58 from the Featured Blog:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/855246/100-Marketing-Tips-to-Launch-Success-in-2009 

This tip is a jewel in leading you to success on every listing appointment as well as keeping you in the driver's seat of knowing what your competition is doing. It is as simple as knowing who your toughest competion is and knowing what they are doing to service listings.

MMMMM....How do you find this out?

Several ways. You can pick the phone yourself, call and ask! Will they tell you? Most likely not. Can you have someone else call and do a phone interview simply asking what they do to market homes? Sure you can! Can you send an email to your top contenders from a generic email account asking a few pointer questions? Sure you can!

MMMMM....So what is the point?

You should know what everyone else does to try and get homes sold! WHY?

SO YOU CAN DO MORE TO GET THE HOME SOLD!

You want to be able to sit across from a seller with a positive attitude that you know what the competition does. You know that they do X, Y Z and A, B, C...However, you do all that plus J, K, L, M, N, O  and P!

          This is not rocket science but it works!

You can eliminate questions of what your competition is going to share with them.

You can eliminate immediately what you are going to do different and of course, the biggest factor in getting the listing every time is know one else can be YOU!

Be Enthusiastic about the home - even in a tough market - be excited about the listing. I can recall many appointments that the seller listed with me because the other agents were just not excited or they showed NO ENERGY! Now, I am not saying to do cartwheels down the hallway in a home or dance through the living room with your seller but I am saying that you build a relationship based on listening to ones needs and meeting them!

Do a simple graph like this:

Listing Activities:       MLS        Signage      REALTOR.com    Enhanced Listings        Virtual Tours

HAPPY REALTY           X               X                    X                         NO                         NO

ABC Homes              X                X                    X                         X                            NO

ME ME ME                 X               X                     X                          X                             X       

Source: 2009 Research of Marketing Tools

Do you get the picture?

Another tip for you with this is to mail to FSBO or EXPIRED listings a list of the tools that you use to market homes. Guarantee them that NO other agent in town will offer the same service! I am sure you will have other items to add to this list but I hope this gets you started!

Dear Mr. Seller,

In today's market it is imperative that you select an agent that is going to work for you! As you are selecting a qualified professional I hope that the following sources will serve you well in asking agents about the marketing tools that they utilize to not only market your home but get it sold. Please know that I do offer all of these services and feel sure that you will not find another agent that meets these qualifications. I would be honored to meet with you to help you get your home sold!

___ Company Website Exposure

___ Personal Website Exposure

___Your Certifications for Networking (Make these memberships work for you)

___Your memberships in certain networks for exposure (Things only U can bring to the table)

___ MLS Exposure in what counties

___ REALTOR.com

___ REALTOR.com Enhanced Listing *

___ FEATURED Listing Placement on REALTOR.com

___ Multiple Pictures, scrolling text and direct email link on Realtor.com (This is the same as *)

     I state that because 1/2 of the agents that pay for it do not take the steps to DO IT!

___ Virtual Tours

___ Direct Mail of How many pieces

___ Email Campaign REALTORS

___ ActiveRain Blogging on Localism

___ FaceBOOK Exposure of Listings

___ Media Marketing Program* This can be Facebook and ActiveRain without sharing your secret tools!

___ Open House

___ HomeBuyer Ready Programs or any program you offer that sets you as a marketing agent apart

___Client Survey Systems for Follow up

___Seller private Website for Communication

___ National Referral System (You are a REALTOR - YOU HAVE THIS)

___ BOJO EMAIL Featured Listing Ad (www.BOJONOW.com)

___ Paper Advertising sources

___Home Marketing Booklet in the Home

___Price Guarantee

___Staging Assistance

___Closing Ease

___ 100% Seller Service Guarantee or your commission BACK!

___ Call Capture 800 number on the home

___Market Study Report Specific to Your Home

___Personal Resume of Stats

___Testimonial Videos or comments from active sellers and last 10 closed sellers!

___ Oh this list goes on and on....I have an entire CD dedicated to this called Listing Tool Success Kit...Just this list alone you should have an idea of what you are after here and how you can verify if you are the best listing agent in town!

I hope this gave you some tips and tools to get in gear and get busy! Time is running our guys! January is almost over and you only have 11 more months to kick butt in your 2009 YEAR OF SUCCESS! So put your boxing gloves on and get super charged!

I believe in you and know you can do it! Remember this...All agents, All REALTORS can have the same tools but no one else can have or offer what? YOU! You bring the right attitude to the table. You bring your knowledge and expertise and You list the home at the right price and not a penny more and YOU will get the listing and YOU will get it SOLD!

Last but not least...have a great salutation at the bottom of your marketing chart! Here are a few. Please share your slogan in your comments and let's help each other continue to be creative! Your salutation is your branding and image! Use it everywhere!

Dedicated to Serving You!

If you want your home listed call any agent...

if you want your home sold, CALL ME!

Selling RESULTS. Not PROMISES.

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Remember that 2009 is a year of digging, pushing and shaking the money tree like never before! I am dedicated to helping you grow your business and I look forward to hearing your successes using tip #58!

I believe in you!

LIZ

Elizabeth Ward Small is a National Motivational Speaker and trainer. In her mega producing days Elizabeth ranked 51 in the Nation with Coldwell Banker for Listings SOLD!

A dedicated REALTOR and a member of Womens Council of REALTORS, Elizabeth is ready to come to your area to help motivate and unleash your agents to great success in 2009! Contact Elizabeth today for a speaker's package for a private event! If you are in the Southern Region , Elizabeth will be sharing the platform for a full day on 2/25 in Charlotte, NC and 2/26 in Greensboro, NC  with Dirk Zeller, of Real Estate Champions for an outstanding day of training in the UNLOCK YOUR EDGE TOUR!

See www.The3BMethod.com for more details!