About a year ago I started working with an email program called Constant Contact to make sure that all of our prospects were reached at least once a month via email.  We also use the system to advertise our listings and to send press releases.

By proactively buliding the email list for prospects in Ohio, we have increased these lists from 5000 to 45000.

To do this is a team effort.  Every contact I make is asked to join my mailing list.  I encourage my partners to do the same.  By making the email list a part of our conversations, we are able to add about 3-4 people a day, most times more.  When we go to trade shows we are collecting business cards and adding folks 200-300 at a time.  All you need to do is put a bowl on the exhibit table that says "join our mailing list".

Doesn't sound like it works that fast, huh?  Have you heard the saying that deals bring deals?  Well the more you are out there on email, the more people forward your info to their sphere.  Those people join your mailing list and so on and so on.

I am not sure how well this will work for agents dealing in consumer home sales to end users.  I can tell you that it works wonderfully if you are working with repeat buyers and sellers such as financial institutions and investors.  We have gotten to the point where we have sent the email about a property and had curb offers back on it before getting the listing in MLS.  This fact has actually created a sales pitch to join our list.  It is so you can "know first".  This has also increased the ability for me to take both sides of a deal and make more money when listing property.

How does this play into an auction scenario?  Well that is a story for another time.