There is one very simple rule to remember when it comes to real estate marketing. It's not long, it's not complicated, it's really not more than one sentence. That rule is: the primary purpose of all your real estate marketing should be to generate real estate leads. It doesn't have to be your only purpose, but it should be your main purpose.
If your real estate marketing doesn't cultivate leads, it is most likely a waste. A waste of time, a waste of money, maybe even a waste of a good idea that with a few tweaks actually COULD generate leads. Whether you're at the beginning of your career or half way through it, if you're not making the kind of income you want, it is most likely time to start beefing up your marketing. The one thing about real estate marketing is that you shouldn't ever stop (with VERY few exceptions). Many agents stop once they feel they have enough leads coming in - that is the wrong way to go about things.
Slow income periods are the best time to increase your marketing. After all, things are probably slow because you didn't have enough leads in your pipeline to convert to clients. Not every lead will turn into a client within months, so it is crucial that your pipeline is full enough so that you have leads converting to clients on a regular basis. No matter how much it might hurt, if money is tight, it is time to increase your marketing to generate more leads.
Most agents today have a website, so you can start with focusing some real estate marketing in that direction. After all, your website is one of the easiest ways to generate leads, since about 80% of people do some type of real estate research on the web first before speaking with a real estate agent. That is why you need to make sure your site is easily found and it has a call to action that will make people leave you their contact information.
There are several ways to generate leads on your website. You can offer a free service, such as a "free home value report" or an in depth article that guides a consumer through the buying or selling process. All the visitor needs to do is fill out a simple form to get this information. This way they get what they want, and you get a fresh lead in the form of contact information gathered from your website.
Of course, there are many other real estate marketing tactics you can use online. Advertising your listings on Craig's List is one such avenue. You can also save yourself some hassle, and just sign up for a lead selling service. That way you don't have to worry about how to generate leads, you just have to worry about following up with them and trying to convert them to clients. It's best to do some research on different lead gen companies before settling on one service.
If the internet isn't really your cup of tea, there are still many traditional real estate marketing tactics that attract leads. While many agents hate it, cold calling for a few hours every other day is a prime source for new, and often hot, real estate leads. Advertising your listings in local real estate magazines is also a great lead generating tactic. The only thing is, you have to make sure you leave OUT the price and MLS number of the home, or else interested buyers have no reason to contact you for more information!
There are plenty of relatively easy ways to market yourself as a real estate professional and generate leads. It is simply a matter of being willing to do some things you may not like, such as cold calling or manning open houses as well as working hard at the things you do enjoy about the process, such as helping a client to find a new home or walking a client through the selling process. The main thing is to always remember that the purpose of all your real estate marketing techniques should be to generate more leads for your business. - 15336
If your real estate marketing doesn't cultivate leads, it is most likely a waste. A waste of time, a waste of money, maybe even a waste of a good idea that with a few tweaks actually COULD generate leads. Whether you're at the beginning of your career or half way through it, if you're not making the kind of income you want, it is most likely time to start beefing up your marketing. The one thing about real estate marketing is that you shouldn't ever stop (with VERY few exceptions). Many agents stop once they feel they have enough leads coming in - that is the wrong way to go about things.
Slow income periods are the best time to increase your marketing. After all, things are probably slow because you didn't have enough leads in your pipeline to convert to clients. Not every lead will turn into a client within months, so it is crucial that your pipeline is full enough so that you have leads converting to clients on a regular basis. No matter how much it might hurt, if money is tight, it is time to increase your marketing to generate more leads.
Most agents today have a website, so you can start with focusing some real estate marketing in that direction. After all, your website is one of the easiest ways to generate leads, since about 80% of people do some type of real estate research on the web first before speaking with a real estate agent. That is why you need to make sure your site is easily found and it has a call to action that will make people leave you their contact information.
There are several ways to generate leads on your website. You can offer a free service, such as a "free home value report" or an in depth article that guides a consumer through the buying or selling process. All the visitor needs to do is fill out a simple form to get this information. This way they get what they want, and you get a fresh lead in the form of contact information gathered from your website.
Of course, there are many other real estate marketing tactics you can use online. Advertising your listings on Craig's List is one such avenue. You can also save yourself some hassle, and just sign up for a lead selling service. That way you don't have to worry about how to generate leads, you just have to worry about following up with them and trying to convert them to clients. It's best to do some research on different lead gen companies before settling on one service.
If the internet isn't really your cup of tea, there are still many traditional real estate marketing tactics that attract leads. While many agents hate it, cold calling for a few hours every other day is a prime source for new, and often hot, real estate leads. Advertising your listings in local real estate magazines is also a great lead generating tactic. The only thing is, you have to make sure you leave OUT the price and MLS number of the home, or else interested buyers have no reason to contact you for more information!
There are plenty of relatively easy ways to market yourself as a real estate professional and generate leads. It is simply a matter of being willing to do some things you may not like, such as cold calling or manning open houses as well as working hard at the things you do enjoy about the process, such as helping a client to find a new home or walking a client through the selling process. The main thing is to always remember that the purpose of all your real estate marketing techniques should be to generate more leads for your business. - 15336
About the Author:
The author, Carina Healey is a marketing expert with over 15 years experience with a concentration in real estate and financial services marketing. Her favorite topics include real estate marketing, customer service techniques, internet marketing, SEO and copywriting. You can find out more about her professional experience from RealEstateMarketing.net.
