Smart Agent Branding Strategies for Today's Top Agents
By Julie Escobar, Director of Corporate Marketing, ProspectsPLUS!
You may recall, in last month's article we started to dive into some of the unique ways top agents "Make a Name for Themselves." We shared the story of Kathy Casarin, one of real estate's Top 50 Realtors on the Rise in 2008, who shared terrific strategies for marketing to FSBOs and Expireds. If you missed the February edition of our newsletter you can read Kathy's solutions in the Newsletter section of the Resources area on our site, www.prospectsplus.com. Enjoy!
This month, we'll explore the top strategies used by Short Sale Specialist Bob Daniel. Truly one of the founding fathers in short sale systems, Bob Daniel has personally participated in more than 500 short sales and conducts vital workshops on the topic across the United States. Bob's system is also, in large part, the foundation for Floyd Wickman's Short Sales Survival Kit.
Why Short Sales? "About seven years ago, a bank representative called me regarding two listings that I had for a client to let me know that my client owed more on the properties than they were currently worth and they would entertain any offer for the property that I received. It was a real eye-opener, and I've always believed that if you see a great opportunity, it's only smart to take advantage of it. That's when I started immediately working with investors and building a system to replicate and refine the short sale process. Done correctly, so that it's a win for the lender, the customer and the agent, becoming a short sale specialist is a great way to make a living, especially in today's market."
What does Bob do differently to ensure he's always a "brand name" in the short sale market? "I believe in the necessity to find a niche that works for you and become the absolute best you can be at it. I compare it to my wrestling days as a kid. Our coach always taught us that if you had a move that would dominate every time, you practiced it and practiced it until you knew (as did your competition) that executing that move would give you the winning edge. That creates the confidence to create more wins. It's the same in niche marketing. You create your own ability to be unstoppable, which means it doesn't matter what the market does, or what your competition does -- with the right system, commitment and constant fine-tuning, you really can become stronger than the market - and ensure that your business truly becomes market-proof.'"
What does Bob recommend you do to make a name for yourself? "First of all, I believe you have to be more consistent and more knowledgeable than anyone else and you have to have the ability to keep learning.
Secondly, you HAVE to have a system. It simplifies your life and keeps you on track. We took everything we did wrong in the early days and learned from them, and put the RIGHT way to do them back into the system. As a short sale specialist, you become keenly aware of the necessity to track EVERYTHING. You have to have the ability to trace every conversation, every transaction and every communication with all parties in order to truly have the leverage to continue to work with the same lenders and investors again and again. It boggles my mind how many agents resist putting a system in place. They continue to try to reinvent the wheel, and really, all that ever accomplishes is a lot of frustration, lost leads, mistakes and missed opportunities."
Be in the relationship business from the buyers and sellers, to the investors and lenders and everyone in between. "I can always go back to the assistant that maybe another agent ignored who has the ability to move my cases to the front of the line, which means we close faster and I get paid quicker! Why? Because I stay in touch. I can continually count on my customer base for a constant stream of referrals. Why?
Again, I stay in touch. In fact, I have one customer who is a bus driver for our metro system. Many other agents may not have considered him a good resource, but I can tell you, this friendly driver gives my name and contact information out to buyers and sellers all over the city on a regular basis! Why? Because I treat him well, stay in touch with him month after month and in doing so, he knows he's important to me. This is a relationship business, and if you don't maintain those relationships, trust me, there goes the business."
Tools and training: "I have to say that I learned so much from Floyd Wickman and much of the system we have in place comes from what he taught me. Listings are the name of the game, and they always will be.
If you truly want to make a name for yourself and build your business, there's no better way than to go get listings. I started with Expireds, and I made it a point to get good at them, really good, before I tried my hand at something else. You can always add to what you're doing once you've perfected the niche and put a system in place. Remember, without a system, you can't achieve volume, can't maintain those relationships and certainly can't leverage your competitive edge. We work Monday through Friday and no weekends, and yet, we still accomplish more than our competitors. Top your system off with a Blackberry or PDA that keeps you tapped in, strong social networking skills and definitive time management and you'll be more than ready to make your mark!"
Thanks Bob! Your insight is truly appreciated! Want to learn more about Bob? Visit www.bdaniel.onehomefinder.com.
Next month we'll talk to the last of our panelists, Karin Hill, an innovative and resourceful Vice President and manager for Watson Realty, who is passionate about helping her agents discover and own those unique niche markets that truly speak to them. Stay tuned! Read our April article to discover what she does to "Make a Name for Herself!"
SPECIAL OFFER: To learn more about the ProspectsPLUS! system that can help you "Make a Name for Yourself Too," click www.prospectsplus.com and enter PRIORITY CODE: PMC09 when you get to checkout at to save more than $300 on this powerful system.
Need some help finding and growing YOUR niche market? Contact me today at 866.405.3641. From niche market campaign automation and personal consulting to learning more about the ProspectsPLUS! system that helps keep Kathy on track, Bob has in his library of tools or the automated Just Listed/Just Sold postcard system that brings new business to Watson agents every day, we have what you need to succeed. Call us. We can help.
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