Food for thought for the new year to all our agents: 1. Have an effective (yet simple) business plan As a managing broker for the last 20 years, the biggest mistake that I see agents make is not treating their business “like a business”. You are not just a 1099 contractor earning commissions. The most successful real estate agents run their business like a restaurant, car dealer, or service professional would. This all starts with an effective business plan. Your business plan is the roadmap for your business. The important part is writing down milestones for what you expect to accomplish and then holding yourself accountable. Your business plan should identify where your clients came from last year, and how you intend to build on that moving forward. 2. Contact ALL of your past customers in the next 30 days Make it a point to contact everyone you have done business with and make sure you do it in the next 30 days - No excuses. The most overlooked source of business for agents is their past clients. Unfortunately, most agents only reach out to their past clients on a seasonal basis at best. Again, the top agents reach out every month and sometimes more. The easiest way to do this is with a CMA or Market Report. It takes just minutes to prepare, print and mail (don’t email). Your past clients will love the fact that you’re still thinking about them and everyone likes knowing what their house is worth. 3. Refresh your Personal Brand As a real estate agent, personal branding is what differentiates you from the competition. Everything you do is a reflection of how you conduct your business and what a customer can expect from your services. This includes your marketing material, business cards, website, social media, email signature, and profile picture. Regarding profile pictures, if you’re using a picture you took yourself – don’t. Smartphones have come a long way, but there is no substitute for professional headshots. A sitting will cost $100-$250 and the photographer will provide different sizes and formats that you can use in all of your marketing. 4. Update ALL of your on-line profiles I sometimes help agents with this and they’re often shocked by what we find - old email addresses they no longer check, previous company names, old mailing addresses and bios. In today’s hectic world, it’s easy to forget things you may have filled out on a whim. With that said, it is important to understand that the public still sees this information across the web and it reflects on your business. Some of the profiles you should check: NAR, CAR, OCAR, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Market Leader, Sharper Agent, Top Producer, CRM, CRMLS, Yelp, Angies List, Google Places, Google+, ZipForms, Zillow, Trulia, Skype, Flickr, Loopnet, and CoStar. 5. Post relevant information on your Facebook, Twitter and Blog Consumers now largely ignore the traditional world of marketing. In a world of DVRs and banner ads, successful businesses have moved to Content Marketing. By offering information that is relevant and valuable to your audience (and not “selling”) you will become a trusted advisor to potential buyers and sellers. Take the time to provide compelling information that speaks to the needs of your customers! 6. Ask for reviews from current & past customers On-line reviews are more important than ever. As you grow your business, be sure to ask for reviews from everyone you feel is happy with your services. Typically, the two best times to ask for a review is when you enter, and when you close, escrow. Of course, you should always welcome client feedback – both good and bad. Make sure your clients know up front that you goal is to provide the best service possible and their honest feedback will you to achieve that. Encourage reviews on Zillow, Trulia, Google+, Facebook & Angie’s List. 7. Farm your community or neighborhood Buyers and sellers want to work with an agent who knows the local market. The best place for you to start prospecting is in your own back yard. Does everyone in your community know you’re a Realtor? Again, mailing a CMA with your business card to all of your neighbors is a great way to remind them. When it comes to buyers, try posting on Craigslist or elsewhere. Identify yourself as a local expert and offer a complete list of available properties. Educate buyers about the differences between MLS and Zillow/Trulia. 8. Re-Evaluate your web marketing How much traffic is your website generating? How much of that traffic actually converts to closed sales? Are you paying for leads from Zillow and Trulia, and if so what is your return on investment? As we noted in Tip #1, it is crucial that you treat your business like a business. Part of that is identifying which efforts are working and which are not. We strongly encourage agents to have their own websites and avoid templates or other “out of box” products. The reason is tracking. With your own website, you can track the flow of visitors just as if a retail store would. With products like Google Analytics, agents can see how many visitors came to their site, which pages they visited, and how long they stayed. Your website is your “storefront”. 9. The Golden Rule Is Service Above all else, strive to provide your buyers and sellers with great service. Always keep their best interests in mind and take a long-term approach to your business. Consumers can now find an endless amount of information on-line, but there will always be a need for experienced professionals to guide them through the buying and selling process. Attention to detail, honest communication, and personal touch are what will help you to grow your business in the future.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 01:35:42 +0000
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