I speak to you as not only someone that assists clients with their marketing efforts but as someone that was once a consumer - buying and selling my home and I'm going to tell it to you straight...
"your customers are checking to see if those things you promised in your prelisting appointment are actually happening."
I invite you to take out your marketing plan that you share in your pre-listing appointments and review it line by line to see if the things you are promising your clients are actually being done. Will their home be listed on your website? Is it? Will they be a featured listing on Trulia or Zillow - are they? You get my point right?
Here are some areas that you may or may not be promising to your clients for their listings on where they will appear that yield great results due to the amazing exposure they receive.
See how you're doing. If there are areas that your listings will benefit from having this added exposure make it happen and share it with your client. Go back often and look in detail at your tracking results that will allow you to share with your clients how much exposure their listing is receiving. You are tracking the results of these efforts aren't you? Feel free to post as a checklist against your PreListing Markeitng Plan to ensure you're meeting your client's needs.
Here's your checklist:
Website
Does the listing appear on the site? Does it accurately reflect all the details of the listing and is the price correct? How are the pictures?
Blogging
We all know and hopefully you've seen the power of ActiveRain blogs in helping to reach clients, promote our services and be a part of a community that helps us grow our business. Are you highlighting your listing on your blog and posting it to your local community? I currently work with agents who receive amazing feedback and gain new clients every day simple by bloggingnot only about real estate related issues and their community but about their blogs. (Check out Jeremy Blanton's great post about how to present your listings.)
Social Media Networks
Facebook- are you posting links and sending them to your clients who are on facebook. What a great way to promote your listings to other Realtors® and to show your client that you are actively talking about their listing.
Twitter - Tweetlister is a great tool for presenting your listings and provides tracking results.
Trulia & Zillow
Your listings are usually provided by a feed or you can enter them in yourself. You can enhance your listing and provide your clients with reports either on their listing or for homes similar to theirs. I like to periodically check my client's listings to ensure they not only fed correctly but often I will add more photos to increase the likelihood that they will be viewed more. Are you also involved in the forums and questiosn and answers section of these sites? Another great opportunity to extend your reach and show your value as a Realtor®.
Real Estate Shows and Flyers
Not only can they stand on their own but you can embed them into your blogs and on social media networks. What client wouldn't love to see their listing presented in this very special way? Did I mention that this tool has great tracking capabilities too?
Craigslist
Perhaps you have a market that would do really well from posting here. There are many options from posting straight text to embedding flyers to html that can present your listings in not only a unique but visually pleasing way.
Postlets
Creates a single page site for your listing and syndicates to several sites.
Realbird
Creates a single property site along with widgets, ability to embed the flyer and syndicates to several sites. Also tracks views and visitor stats.
Classified Flyers
Easy to create, targeted single property sites and flyers syndicated to real estate directors and search engines.
Property Flyers
Do you have an attractive flyer that presents all the details of your listing? Is it up to date with new photos and pricing? Do you have all the ways of contacting you on this flyer - website, social media and phone?)
Advertising (newspaper, home magazines)
This form of advertising works well for many and I'm a big proponent of balancing on line and off line marketing efforts. While many of abandoned this form of marketing often times client's still view this as a viable method of marketing. Did you promise to run ads? Are you? Think about what will work for your listings and in your market and do it if it's something you've promised.
Open Houses
Are you conducting them as promised? Are you tracking visitors and following upwith the visitors - clients and Realtors® for feedback and are you providing that feedback to your client?
Marketing Activity Results
I previously posted an example of what and how you can share feedback with your clients. Clients want to know this information and it will give you a great opportunity to provide feedback on showings and share feedback on possible updates needed or price changes.
Email Campaigns
Are you alerting customers from your database and fellow Realtors® and colleagues of your listing? Don't miss out on this important aspect of marketing your listing and services - perhaps it will be seen by someone looking behind the scenes right now or by someone who can mention to someone they know. Your reach has just been extended.
Regular Contact/Follow-up
Make those phone calls, respond to leads and inquires, and participate on blogs, social media networks and forums. Write a hand written note, send an email campaign. Take a client for coffee or check in with them on their recent home improvements. My point is have regular and consistent interactions with your clients and prospects. If you remember them, they will remember you.
Did I miss any? More importantly - did you?
Sometimes I think we are so intent on recreating new ways to run our business that we forget the simple things we have already established that will work if we work them correctly or at all. Don't recreate the wheel unless you have to and focus your efforts on getting the results you're clients need and depend on.
I invite you to dig in deep to your pre-listing materials to ensure you are promising things that you can actually deliver on and use this as an opportunity to fine tune your services and offerings. This will go a long way with your clients who are depending on you to deliver the results you promised to them and will most likely grow your business in the way of referrals by these very happy clients.
How did your Pre-Listing Marketing Plan measure up?
Do you have an experience with your clients reviewing your marketing efforts that you want to share?
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Some previous posts to help you with your marketing efforts:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/715158/creating-a-connection-with-your-marketing
http://activerain.com/blogsview/693888/Do-you-know-where
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1015159/Marketing-is-a-lot-like-exercisingtone-and-see-results
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