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What ar YOUR thoughts?

By Bonnie Barbieri

Real Estate Agent with Remax Marketing Specialists

April 21, 2011 03:49 AM

I was having a conversation with some fellow Realtors the other day and we were discussing marketing ideas that have worked for each of us, etc... Ladies being ladies, we got off topic a little bit and started discussing alternative ideas. So, I put these ideas out to my fellow Active Rain bloggers......

Do you or do you know Realtors that do any of the following (and find it successful in obtaining customers)?

attend estate sales
send condolence cards to families from reading the obituaries
attend funerals / wakes

In our conversation we felt that maybe sending condolence cards to families would be okay and not creepy. This is assuming they are families that you don't know.

I'm not saying that doing any of the above to obtain possible customers is right or wrong....I'm not one to judge how others do business. I am just curious if anyone you know does this as a regular part of a marketing program and if it works for them.

Hope this has been a great week for all.....

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Amanda Wilson

EWM International Realtors, Inc. - Fort Lauderdale, FL

Real Estate Advisor

Some of my greatest marketing efforts were learned when I attended a Hobbs/Herder seminar with Greg Herder...one of the best events regarding real estate marketing I've ever attended...If you have a chance to go, do it!

Apr 21, 2011 03:51 AM

Robin Dampier REALTOR®

Coldwell Banker King - Hendersonville, NC

Hendersonville & Western NC Real Estate Source

I don't know of anyone who has said or mentioned that they do this and I certainly would not. I would find it very "tacky" and just as "tacky" as ambulance chasing attorneys.

Sue of Robin and Sue

Apr 21, 2011 03:53 AM

Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate

John L Scott Market Center - Birkenfeld, OR

"Your Local Expert!" 503-739-3843

I would most interested to see what, exactly you write in a condolence card when you don't know someone. How do you make it sound sincere?? Can you expound on that? I personally don't read the obits.

Apr 21, 2011 03:54 AM

Bruce Parker

Best Realty - Highland Park, NJ

You Deserve The Best

Hi,

I thought you ladies always talked about something else. Now for my greatest marketing tip. Works like a charm, makes me feel good and sometimes is fun.

I go through my MLS and see who is getting a senior citizen deduction on their taxes
I go back through my MLS and see who is getting a deduction for being a widow
I merge the lists
On Valentines day my wife and I deliver boxes of Valentine's Day Candy to everyone on the list

This is about 200 boxes now. Takes us all day. I get 3-5 listings a year from this...every year.

Cost of the program 200x$5.00=$1000

The day after Valentines Day is my favorite day of the year. I get about 50 thank you calls. Some of them from Senior Widows that have not received a card or candy for Valentines Day in 20 years.

I have some people on the list for 6 years now.

Every now and then I get a call from someone and the conversation goes like this: "Hi, I want you to come over and list my Mom's home. She just passed away. I do not know why, but she said we have to use you to sell the house."

Apr 21, 2011 03:56 AM

Liz Wallace

Century 21 Sherlock Homes - Rockville Centre, NY

Broker C21 Sherlock Homes, Rockville Centre, LI, N

You can send cards but never with your business card in it and you can attend a funeral but only if you know the family and never with a badge on. We have enough bad press.

Apr 21, 2011 04:05 AM

Pamela Seley

West Coast Realty Division - Murrieta, CA

Residential Real Estate Agent serving SW RivCo CA

I would never do what you are proposing (sounds like lawyers who chase ambulances). REMAX #4 has a great idea which seems to work for him. Takes a lot of effort to hand deliver boxes of chocolate. Somehow that seems more meaningful than sending a condolence card to someone you don't know.

Apr 21, 2011 04:14 AM

Anonymous

Jeff Pearl

Sending condolence cards to people that you don't even know with your card enclosed or anything else that indicates that you are a REALTOR is one of the lowest and most dispicable low class forms of activity in the real estate industry.

Even worse than that, I was at a eldery ladies house that I knew, and her husband had died about a week before, and she was planning on moving to a condo. So we were talking about what she needed to do to get house reaady to sell. While I was there, 3 scum agents called while we were talking saying that they noticed in the obituaries that her husband had died, and wanted to know if she needed a REALTOR. One claimed that she really should have an agent to make decisions for her during this stressful time, blah, blah.

Attending funerals and wakes? If a real estate agent showed up at the wake or funeral of one of mt family members and started trying to pass their card out or solicit people at the funeral for e=real estate business, you would be severely beaten, then dragged outside and thrown in the dumpster with the rest of the trash.

Apr 21, 2011 05:11 AM

Bonnie Barbieri

Remax Marketing Specialists - Spring Hill, FL

GRI, CIPS, SFR, TRC,CNE,CDPE,SRES

Great comments from ALL!

First, let me clarify.....I was NOT suggesting that I am going to be attending funerals, or even sending condolence cards. It was what came up in conversation and those involved felt that may be the least tacky thing to do - lol.

I felt it was a thought provoking topic and I was right. I do like the chocolate idea! Very creative marketing!

May 01, 2011 01:57 AM

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