Real estate marketing – always make it easy for your prospects

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

Everything we write about grammar in real estate marketing, spelling, and even page design is for the purpose of communicating easily and clearly.

  • When you make it easy to read your words, they'll read them.
  • When you make it easy to understand your words, they'll absorb your message.
  • When you make it difficult – they'll delete your email, toss your postal mail, and leave your web page.

I've written numerous articles about grammar, word choice, etc. - all focused on making communications flow smoothly and easily.

But there's one more point that's every bit as important: Don't hide from your prospects!

Since your purpose in marketing is to gain new clients – make it easy to contact you!

Far too many websites have hidden emails and phone numbers – and far too many offer nothing but an email contact form.

I don't know about your experience, but it's been my experience that those particular emails go into a black hole somewhere. So far I've never been contacted by anyone after filling out one of those forms.

Hopefully you do contact people who fill out the forms. But if your prospects have had the same experience I've had, they're not going to bother doing it. You'll lose a few opportunities - and you'll never know how many.

So put your email address and your phone number out there in plain sight. It's a clear way to say "Yes, I want to hear from you. Yes, I'd love to talk to you. Yes, please do get in touch!"

 

This first post appeared at: https://copybymarte.com/real-estate-marketing-always-make-it-easy-for-your-prospects/
Hiding agent courtesy of MorgueFile.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments (23)

Dana Hollish Hill
Hollish Hill Group, JPAR Stellar Living - Bethesda, MD
REALTOR * Broker * Coach

Marte - Excellent point. It's just like the houses where you can't see the address numbers. You have to make it easy to find you and reach out to you. 

Mar 25, 2021 06:57 PM
Marte Cliff

That's a good point, Dana. Especially if the homeowner or their HOA disallows a yard sign.

Mar 28, 2021 11:00 AM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Property Manager

Hi Marte,
This is an important message. It's shocking how difficult some businesses make it to find their contact info. Such a basic concept yet so often overlooked.  Making it easy to do so is critical.

Mar 26, 2021 03:14 AM
Marte Cliff

Carol - When I was a broker we had a problem with the local newspaper re-writing our ads. Every now and then they'd leave out our phone number. I did raise enough stink with them to get several free ads, and a promise that they would NOT re-write anything I sent them.

Mar 28, 2021 11:02 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Great advice, Marte... then again, your advice always is! :) One of my pet peeves is when I can't find a phone number or email to contact someone... especially when it's an agent to whom I would like to send a referral. I always feel they (or any business) are saying "we don't want you to bother us."

Mar 26, 2021 04:06 AM
Marte Cliff

Thanks for the complimlent, Nina. I agree with you about the message that sends - "Don't call me. We'll call you."

Mar 28, 2021 11:02 AM
Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD
ViewHomes of Clark County - Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
REALTORS® in Clark County, WA

So true, Marte. It is imperative to make it easy to get in contact with someone. I look elsewhere if I can't easily find the information needed. 

Mar 26, 2021 07:35 AM
Marte Cliff

So do I, Debb. And I doubt that we're the only ones.

Mar 28, 2021 11:03 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Marte- I couldn't agree more!!!! On so many business sites I find it difficult to try to find some kind of contact information. Filling out forms is not what I enjoy doing because I have no idea where they might end up. 

Mar 26, 2021 08:45 AM
Marte Cliff

Kathy - I'm with you on the forms. I don't bother any more. And some businesses do make it extremely difficult to find a phone number. They might have a "chat" where you can speak to a machine. That never works for me, as the answers are always not an answer to my question. I don't do that any more either.

Mar 28, 2021 11:05 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

YES!!!  True story, despite having a postcard with my phone number and email on the front and back, a recipient brought it with him to my office address (used solely for the purpose of complying with law and return address) because he felt that was best.  Hmm?  Email and phone are printed twice...BIG!

Mar 26, 2021 06:10 PM
Marte Cliff

Chris Ann - I'd say that was an "old school" person who simply preferred speaking in person.

Mar 28, 2021 11:06 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Mar 27, 2021 05:27 PM
Marte Cliff

Thank you so much, Kathy. It's always an honor.

Mar 28, 2021 11:06 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Hi Marte - I really think I will eliminate that form on my next site revision.  Phone numbers make a difference to me when I am interest.  It makes sense that we should use them.

Mar 28, 2021 06:36 AM
Marte Cliff

Yes, Grant. We can't entirely eliminate marketing methods we don't care for, but it makes sense to include the methods we do like best.

Mar 28, 2021 11:08 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much, Marte, for sharing your experience and your advice.

Mar 28, 2021 09:25 AM
Marte Cliff

Thank you for reading it, Roy. I wish you a beautiful day.

Mar 28, 2021 11:08 AM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Marte I always love your advice, this one is so spot on and like Grant there are things I can think of changing and eliminating, Endre

Mar 28, 2021 12:25 PM
Marte Cliff

Endre - there are ALWAYS things we can change, eliminate or add. There's no such thing as putting a website together and leaving it alone for years to come.

Mar 29, 2021 08:32 PM
Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV
Cornerstone Business Group Inc - Winchester, VA
Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro

Always sage advice, Marte. This is not a business that does well with secret agents.

Mar 28, 2021 12:39 PM
Marte Cliff

Mike - I will never forget a presenter at the 1997 NAR convention. She had a wonderful story that ended with her vowing to never again be a "secret agent." She would make sure that EVERYONE knew what business she was in. The story was good - her energy in the presentation made it unforgetable.

Mar 29, 2021 08:34 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Clarity is always the way to go. Keep it simple and you really can't go wrong and elaborate where it needs to be elaborated. :

Mar 28, 2021 01:11 PM
Marte Cliff

Yes, Laura. When you keep it simple everyone can understand.

Mar 29, 2021 08:34 PM
Mark Don McInnes, Sandpoint-Idaho
Sandpoint Realty LLC - Sandpoint, ID
North Idaho Real Estate - 208-255.6227

Huge piece of advice here Marte.  Will checking my contact pages to be sure I have made it easy to contact me directly if someone prefers that over giving contact information to me.  Thank you,  mark

Mar 28, 2021 03:04 PM
Marte Cliff

Thank you Mark. It's always best to let people follow their preferences.


I hope you and your property are doing well after that monster wind storm last night.

Mar 29, 2021 08:37 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Hi Marte,

I'm so glad that Kathy featured your post in her "Ah-ha" moments for the week. Simple, straight forward, easy to understand is always the way to capture people's attention. Great tip as usual!

Mar 28, 2021 05:09 PM
Marte Cliff

Thank you Dorie. Isn't it funny how some people try to make it complicated - when simple and straight forward always works best.

Mar 29, 2021 08:37 PM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

Common sense is not always common. Right Marte?

Mar 30, 2021 07:08 AM
Marte Cliff

Absolutely right, Lyn. In fact, it's rare!

Apr 08, 2021 03:39 PM
Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO
Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

Agreed! It is irritating to vist a website for a business and the address/phone number is not displayed on the first page--or a contact me button.  So often you have to search through several tabs just to get that info

Mar 30, 2021 09:18 AM
Marte Cliff

Mary - I have to want the information pretty badly to go to that effort. It's easier to just move on.

Apr 08, 2021 03:40 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

They always teach in school  us to make the directions unable to be screwed up in any way at all :

Mar 30, 2021 08:33 PM
Marte Cliff

Laura - and that's a very good plan.

Apr 08, 2021 03:41 PM
Brian England
Arizona Focus Realty - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

The rule is to keep it simple, right?  I feel I have a pretty strong vocabulary and a good command of the English language but there are often articles that I come across that are difficult to read and thus I stop reading.

Apr 03, 2021 05:10 AM
Marte Cliff

Brian - Why do people do that? I suppose to make themselves look smart or sophisticated. Instead, they show themselves up as people who don't know the first thing about marketing.

Apr 08, 2021 03:42 PM
Kat Palmiotti
406-270-3667, kat@thehousekat.com, Broker/REALTOR® - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Yes, we have to make it clear how to contact us - in every communication.

Have a wonderful day!

Apr 03, 2021 06:26 AM
Marte Cliff

Kat - and that includes phone calls. My phone only sometimes captures a caller's number. Other times it captures legitmate callers along with a half dozen spam calls, so I don't know which was which. I WISH people would slow down, speak up, and speak clearly when leaving a call back number.

Apr 08, 2021 03:44 PM
Lise Howe
Keller Williams Capital Properties - Washington, DC
Assoc. Broker in DC, MD, VA and attorney in DC

I see activerain members here in the rain and I can’t  figure out where their market is in the United States

Apr 03, 2021 05:15 PM
Marte Cliff

I've seen the same thing, Lise. They sure aren't doing themselves any good.

Apr 08, 2021 03:44 PM