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Ask An Ambassador: Buyers & Sellers Are Lurking

By
Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com SAL.2002007747

they're reading what you writeWhen you first start blogging, you might wonder "Is ANYONE actually reading what I post?".

In ActiveRain you might get some comments from other Rainers, but the real business is in getting your area buyers and sellers to contact you.  And what do you hear at first?? Crickets.  You think about quitting blogging because "blogging doesn't work!", or so it seems.  But here's the thing, the public rarely comments on a blog post.  They lurk.  They read.  They gather information, and if you're doing it right, providing REAL value to them, when it's closer to time to do something, they'll reach out and contact you when THEY are ready.  But until then, silence.

But to get to that point of getting the calls, it's not a sprint but a marathon.  Post after post after post until you hit a critical mass that helps you get found.  Getting to the point that you start to rank on page 1, and if you've picked your niche right and you refine your work and are dedicated to your craft and put to use what you learn in the Rain, you can get to the point of dominating that first page.

It's VERY cool to hear time and again from home buyers and sellers "We kept finding you every time we searched for __________!"  For us, that blank is patio homes.  The evidence that our blogging and IDX pages are working continues to grow.

Yesterday I sat down for a buyer consult.  What did she have in her stack of papers?  A print out of our latest post about our area's 55+ community.

Today I got a call from a potential patio home seller.  They've been following our patio home information for years.  True, they went straight to the builder to buy despite all our pleas to the contrary on our patio home posts, but now when it's time to sell, they knew EXACTLY who they wanted to come help them.  We've never met, we've never talked prior to today, but we're basically hired before stepping in the door because they already trust our expertise on their style of home.  And bonus?  They want to buy another patio home, they still love the concept, just not the community they picked on their own.

Friday I'm working with another couple who is ready to write an offer on a new construction patio home after some time spent with them the last couple of weekends.  Again, they found our information, drove through some neighborhoods first, but when it was time to DO something, they called me to help them.  They found value in our posts and the information we provided.

So while it's not always apparent that you're being read by the public, you are.  So make sure what you put out there is attractive to the buying and selling public.  Be persistent, the reward is out there! 

Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help!

Liz and Bill aka BLiz 

 

Posted by

Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas

The Liz Spear Team of Transaction Alliance
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, Ohio License SAL.2002007747

William (Bill) Spear, Ohio License SAL.2004011109  Kentucky 77938
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!

EHO
Bill Direct:  513-520-5305
Liz Direct: 513-265-3004     
Fax: 866-302-8418

MailTo:  Liz@LizSpear.com

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Comments (20)

George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Liz and Bill you are right.  I don't think any Borrower who has ever called me commented on my blog, but they read it and call.

Apr 19, 2016 06:55 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

George, I'll take that all day long, day after day!  It has literally taken years of effort to get to where things are REALLY clicking, but 2016 is looking to blow the doors off our past annual sales, and it's because we had the patience to keep working blogging and our IDX site to get results.

Apr 19, 2016 06:57 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Ward County Notary Services - Minot, ND
Owner of Ward Co Notary Services retired RE Broker

No doubt about it Liz and Bill Spear blogging works but you have to be persistant to make it happen.

Apr 19, 2016 07:08 AM
Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -

Liz and Bill - Gee, I thought I was the only one here on AR who uses the term "lurkers"..

Apr 19, 2016 07:19 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Bob, Persistence and topic choice make all the difference.

Eric, We were lurkers LONG before we ever commented or blogged :)

Apr 19, 2016 08:06 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

BLiz- so many of us have been in a social situation and someone says "I read you blog."   We don't know who's reading our post so as you said.. be persistent and put your best foot forward. 

Apr 19, 2016 11:04 AM
Mimi Foster
Falcon Property Company - Colorado Springs, CO
Voted Colorado Springs Best Realtor

What a fantastic reminder . . . especially when you have such a well-definied niche. I listened to an agent recently who moved to a new town and started working expireds. She sent out regular correspondence for months and months and months with not one single phone call or response. In the next few months she listed 14.2 million dollars in houses because her persistence started paying off.

You expressed it so well, if you're doing it right, keep doing it. Someone is listening.

Apr 19, 2016 11:36 AM
Paul S. Henderson, REALTOR®, CRS
Fathom Realty Washington LLC - Tacoma, WA
South Puget Sound Washington Agent/Broker!

 Don't be surprised by lurking buyers and sellers; Be prepared to serve them Liz and Bill Spear 

Apr 19, 2016 03:08 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Liz and Bill Spear ,

You are so right..keep pushing good content out there for buyers and sellers..they are reading and the rewards will be worth it!

Apr 19, 2016 09:24 PM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Kathy, It keeps happening, and another reason we want a positive outlook on our posts, it seems to help attract clients we'd WANT to work with :)

Mimi, No doubt, it takes time.  We used to farm expireds and we were persistent.  It might take years of mailing to get a response, but when they called we were already hired.  Why?  Because they knew we were persistent in pursuing their business :)

Paul, Always happy to get those calls.

Dorie, We'll keep pushing content that we expect to be useful to potential customers.

Apr 19, 2016 11:24 PM
Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist
KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA
Probate Real Estate Services

Blogging will definitely not bring over-night success. It is a slow and steady as we go process or as you say, it is a marathon not a sprint.  Congratulations on your blogging success and the business it brings. 

Apr 20, 2016 12:23 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hi LIz and Bill --- comments are nice, so are the points but it's the phone calls/email inquiries that make a measurable difference.  

Apr 20, 2016 12:37 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I remember how excited I was when I got a legitmate comment from the public. But that was NOTHING compared to the excitement of my first buyer which turned out to be a lucky fluke.  Happened pretty quickly then crickets. But after about 2.5 years of constant material it began to happen, buyers found me on activerain, sellers too and it's pretty constant now after ... almost 9 years of being active.

Apr 20, 2016 11:29 AM
Evelyn Johnston
Friends & Neighbors Real Estate - Elkhart, IN
The People You Know, Like and Trust!

It does work, but as you said, it takes time and effort, blood, sweat and tears.

Apr 20, 2016 11:32 AM
Bruce Brockmeier
Internet Marketing Consultant to REALTORS® - Yorba Linda, CA
Coached By Crouch

We've never met, we've never talked prior to today, but we're basically hired before stepping in the door because they already trust our expertise on their style of home. 

 

What a cool success story!  Very inspirational. 

Apr 20, 2016 04:11 PM
Roger D. Mucci
Shaken...with a Twist 216.633.2092 - Euclid, OH
Lets shake things up at your home today!

Proof that blogging and consistency work and the public is reading your posts.

Apr 20, 2016 08:08 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Persistence/consistency really matter. Blogging does not produce quick results.

Apr 20, 2016 08:55 PM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Kathleen, Seeing the results build keeps me blogging on a regular basis.

Michael, Ultimately the calls are what I'm after.  The comments and friendships here are just the icing on the cake.

Tammy, It took us awhile to get results, but that's on us.  Topic choice changes could have sped up the results significantly, but it took too long to recognize and adapt.

Evelyn, But at least it's fun work :)

Bruce, Meeting them next week :)

Roger, They're out there, even when it's not obvious.

Kat, It's definitely not quick, but developing a niche can really speed up the process.

Apr 20, 2016 10:14 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Bill & Liz, I see when the public are reading my posts, when they hit my web site, and I can see in the analytics they came from AR!    Great post! 

Apr 20, 2016 11:03 PM
Erica Love
Brokers Guild Cherry Creek - Colorado Springs, CO

Great post! I found this very encouraging.

Apr 20, 2016 11:52 PM