Who Should You Be Mailing?

Posted by Rick on May 30th, 2012

Occasionally I talk to realtors who complain that they aren’t seeing fantastic results from their direct mail campaign, and the first question I always ask it, “Who are you mailing”. And every time I get practically the same answer, “a farm or prospecting list”. Before you spend a penny prospecting, you need to be mailing your friends, family, and past clients consistently. The top-producing agents know this and have a list of warm contacts, or their sphere of influence, of approximately 400 people. For realtors just starting off, your list may be smaller, 50 or 100 people. But your efforts will be best spent on growing this list overtime. People who know you and trust you are much more likely to call on you when they need to buy or sell.

                                                     

The second question I ask these realtors is, “How often are you mailing and how long have you been doing it?” At ReaMark, our marketing specialists know that it takes consistent marketing over a time period of at least 6 months before you can really expect to see results. Research shows that approximately 8% of homeowners move each year. The likelihood of someone needing your services at the exact time they receive a single mailing from you is rather low. However, if you continue to market the same person, month after month, when they do have a real estate need, you will be the first person that they think of. Approximately 62% of Sellers will use the first realtor that they call. So it is imperative that you keep your name, face and telephone number in their reach month after month.

                                                

ReaMark makes keeping in touch with your sphere of influence easy and affordable. You could mail 100 of your past clients every month for an estimated cost of about 50¢ each. So for about $50 a month you can stay in contact and keep your name and face fresh in their memory to ensure they call you next time they need to buy or sell. Any lapses in marketing such as missed mailings, inconsistent or infrequent mailings could result in lost opportunities, lost business, and ultimately lost income!  For more marketing tips, to ask questions or place an order, call us at 800-932-2957 and visit our website at www.ReaMark.com.

A Note From ReaMark’s President

Posted by Rick on Apr 24th, 2012

Dear Fellow Real Estate Professional,

Hello I’m Richard Brown, president of ReaMark. I have been in direct marketing for over 25 years with the last 12 years helping Real Estate Professionals, just like you, substantially increase their listings, sales and ultimately their income.

Times are tough in today’s ever changing real estate market. However, all signs point to a slow but steady rise in our business. Affordability is at an all time high while interest rates are at record lows.

Each year I personally take hundreds of calls and the same questions keep popping up time and time again. “Rick, what works best? How can I make more money?”

So last week I sat down, got away from the kids, and really thought about all of the success stories, trials and errors that Realtors have told me during the past two years. With all being equal why are some realtors more successful than others? What does actually work? What has been proven time and time to be the Golden Truths of success? What makes a top agent? How can my business survive when I have less money to spend because I am making less money?

One glaring fact is that my business only makes money if the programs we recommend make you money. And I came up with the four things you should be doing if you are serious about increasing your annual income.

1. You MUST contact your past clients contact list at least every month.

Over 50% of your business should come from referrals. If you are not mailing your contact list then you are losing money. You contact list should includes anyone who knows you, your friends and your family. The larger the list the more successful you will be. You really need to sit down and put this list into a workable database.

2. Mail Just Listed/ Just Sold / Market Updates and Open House Postcards.

Announce your success. Since referrals are the largest part of your business and you want to build up your contact list, these are the second most effective tools at your disposal. You should mail the entire neighborhood and also your current contact list. If your budget is strained these could be part of your planned monthly budget but for better results you should be doing these mailings in addition to your regular contact list.

3. Track your results over time.
The beauty of direct marketing is that is affordable and trackable. If you have 400 contacts then you could be mailing them 12 times per year for as little as 47 cents each or $188 per month. One sale and you pay for the entire year of marketing!

4.Become known as a specialist of your farm.

A business with no prospects will die. You need a reliable consistent source of leads. Since most consumers perceive all real estate professionals to be pretty much the same, you must find ways to differentiate yourself. I get calls everyday from customers thanking me two years later telling me that they now get 50% or more of all listings in their neighborhood. Walk your neighborhood twice per year, create and submit articles and or advertise in the neighborhood newsletters and finally educate them on community activities including the local real estate market.

 

 

I feel great about sharing these strategies with you for a very simple reason; if I can help you become more successful in your business than ReaMark will be more successful in our business. 

I hope this article has been helpful and has confirmed what you are doing or has inspired you to call us for help. If I can help please don’t hesitate to call me directly.

Best Regards,

Richard J. Brown

President
ReaMark

 

How to Market Yourself in a Slow Market with Real Estate Postcards

Posted by Rick on Jan 30th, 2009

How to Market Yourself in a Slow Market with Real Estate Postcards

 

Even though the market can be tough right now, abandoning your marketing plan can be detrimental to your business. If you’re depending on all your past clients to just remember you, then you may be shocked to hear this fact: On average, only 35.5% of homebuyers would use the same agent again without regular contact. That means that you can be losing a whopping 64.5% of your business if you do not market yourself regularly.

 

In a slow market, rather than cut your marketing plan altogether, trim your expenses to accommodate your budget. Direct mail is proven to be the most cost-effective offline marketing medium. By sending postcards, you can market to each client/prospect every month for as little as 37 cents! 

 

Your past clients and their referrals on average should account for about 80% of your business. So before you spend a dime prospecting, make sure you market to your client and personal contact list first. Direct mail allows you to track your response rate so you can segment your client list and prospect list and make cuts where necessary.

 

For more information on Real Estate Postcards and other marketing products, please visit ReaMark.com or call 800-932-2957.

ReaMark Real Estate Marketing Products Celebrates Its 40,000th Customer

Posted by Rick on Jun 20th, 2008

Last month, ReaMark Real Estate Marketing Products celebrated the accomplishment of serving 40,000 satisfied customers. We are very proud of how customers have responded to our unconditional commitment to service, and accomplishing this feat rewards us with confidence.  Most of our customers are ordering our exclusively designed Real Estate Postcards and Real Estate Newsletters. With over 40,000 customers in all fifty states, we receive a large variety of requests for certain types of products. One of our best sellers this year has been our NEW “Spot Six Differences” Real Estate Postcards and our NEW Mail-able Seed Packets. We have also seen a 15% sales increase in our four-page Real Estate Newsletters.

The secret to our success is that we treat each and every customer as the most important customer we have. We realize and understand the importance of what we provide to our Real Estate Professionals, and are not afraid to go the extra mile to make sure that they are satisfied. It is not uncommon for our trained Real Estate sales consultants to assist two or three agents on one call; by ordering as a group customers are able to maximize the value that we provide.

In regards to marketing, it is now Fourth-of-July season for realtors, so we are receiving a lot of orders for Fourth-of-July Real Estate Postcards and Seed Packets. Maintaining our commitment to customer service, we make sure that most orders ship within just three days of receipt.

We realize that times are tough, especially in the Real Estate market. So, we have not increased any of our prices, even though the cost of paper has increased three times in the last twelve months. We feel very fortunate and sincerely appreciate each and every customer we serve with our Real Estate Marketing Products

Why JUST SOLD Real Estate Postcards are your best marketing value right now!

Posted by Rick on Jun 12th, 2008

Why JUST SOLD Real Estate Postcards are your best marketing value right now!

Throughout my nine years of working in Real Estate Marketing, and over two decades of experience in direct marketing, I am yet to find a promotional tool as essential in increasing your leads listing and sales as JUST SOLD Postcards.

 

With all of the turmoil and media creating concerns regarding buying a home right now, many potential buyers are waiting on the sideline. The best way to prove that Right now is still a good time to buy is to announce your success, in order to generate confidence in your clients and spread the word throughout the neighborhood.

 

Most of our top agents are mailing at least two JUST SOLD Postcards per month, many including multiple sales accomplishments on a single card, in order to get the best bang for their buck. 

Since referrals should account for over 60% of your business, it is especially important to create a buzz and positive mindset in your previous clients, family, and friends. JUST SOLD Postcards accomplish this by announcing your home-sales to a large group of people on a regular basis.

 

In addition to JUST SOLD and JUST LISTED cards, over 34,000 of our active customers are also sending out quarterly Market updates. By reporting this information on Jumbo Postcards or in newsletter format, Real Estate experts are drawing in business while informing their target market in an innovative and professional way.

Do not wait any longer! If you have recently sold properties, you owe it to yourself to announce your success. Remember: success breeds success.

At ReaMark, we offer a huge selection of eye-catching and professional looking Real Estate Postcards that can be custom-printed and mailed for as little as 41 cents each.

Should You Continue to Use Real Estate Marketing Products in a Slow Market?

Posted by Rick on Mar 27th, 2008

With the real estate market being slow, you may be wondering if you should continue to use real estate marketing products to drum up business. The answer really depends on your budget, but one thing is for certain: If you are not consistently mailing your past clients and contacts regularly, then you are losing money. The scary fact is this: Only about 12% of sellers use an agent they’ve used before. But your chances of getting a past client’s business again dramatically increase if you’re keeping in touch with them regularly. Direct mail including postcards, newsletters and calendars are the most inexpensive offline way to market to your clients and contacts on a regular basis.

The general rule of thumb in business is that 20% of your clients will be responsible for 80% of your income. This percentage will most likely be higher for Real Estate Professionals if you consider that much of your business comes from referrals from these clients. This means that you are not only marketing for past clients’ business, you are also marketing for them to refer their friends and family members. By mailing them regularly, they’ll be more likely to remember you if someone they know is looking for an agent.

If you’re having trouble covering your marketing costs with the income you are generating, cut back on the prospecting. You should find that it is more cost-effective to market to past clients than to spend money on finding new ones. For more info on real estate marketing products visit ReaMark.com or for marketing advice, call (800) 932-2957.

3 Ways to Get Results With Real Estate Postcards

Posted by Rick on Feb 22nd, 2008

By sending out real estate postcards regularly, you can gradually build your client base and increase your referrals. Your monthly mailings will serve as a reminder of your services to past clients and will familiarize you to prospects. And by mailing regularly, you help to ensure that your cards will arrive at the key time when they are looking to sell or buy. All of ReaMark’s postcards are professionally designed by our graphics team to stand out in the mail. And you can bet that because over 30,000 Realtors use us for their marketing, we know what works. Also, right now if you order 5 styles of postcards, you get the 6th style for FREE. Here are some different ideas to set up your postcard mail campaign:

1. Choose from anyone of our 30+ series to mail out. We have a huge selection of series including Recipes, Home Tips, Animal Cards, Scenic/Inspirational, Comics, Spot 6 Difference Cards, and Feel Right at Home farming cards. Each series has 12 cards so you can mail out every month.

2. Seasonal postcards for monthly prospecting are a great way to connect with clients and prospects. Holidays and events are a great way to keep in touch, because most everybody has those things in common. Some special events during the year include Spring and Fall Time Change, 4th of July, Halloween, Memorial and Labor Days, Thanksgiving and the December Holidays.

3. Just Listed Postcards and Just Sold Postcards serve the excellent purpose of physically showing clients and prospects that you are active in the business and that you get results. It is important to send Just Listed/Just Sold cards out in neighborhoods that you have listings in, so the neighbors can see that you are their local expert. It is also crucial that you send these out at the very least to your past clients, so they’ll remember that you get the job done when they (or somebody they know) are ready to buy or sell.

For other marketing ideas using Real Estate Postcards or any other promotional products, please call ReaMark at (800) 932-2957 or visit ReaMark.com

4 Ways to Build Your Business Using Real Estate Marketing Tools

Posted by Rick on Feb 6th, 2008

4 Ways to Build Your Business Using Real Estate Marketing Tools

1. Using Direct Mail such as real estate postcards and/or real estate newsletters to advertise your services is the most cost-effective offline way to increase your listings and sales. Regularly mailing postcards or newsletters increases your familiarity, establishes your credibility and continually keeps your info in front of potential clients until they are ready to buy or sell. Experts recommend at least 8 mailings a year and found that 12 monthly mailings a year showed improved results. Remember that just 1 sale will more than likely cover a whole years worth of direct mail costs.

2. Almost just as important as sending out monthly postcards is sending out Just Listed Postcards and Just Sold Postcards. By sending these to the surrounding neighbors of your listing, you let them know that you’re active in their neighborhood. Also, sending them to past clients reminds them that you are still in the real estate business and getting results. You can also substitute a Just Listed/Just Sold Postcard as one of your monthly mailings.

3. Real Estate Calendars provide you with a great return for your marketing dollar. Your clients and prospects will keep them (usually on their refrigerator) for at least a year and sometimes longer. Also, the kitchen is the most trafficked room in the house, so your magnet will get a prime advertising locale.

4. While canvassing your farm neighborhoods, leave Door Hangers on the doors of those who aren’t home. It is recommended that you canvas your farm a minimum of at least twice a year, and doing it more often can only help your business. By using Door Hangers, you leave your information behind, they are guaranteed to get noticed, and it won’t cost you a dime in postage.

For any more ideas on how you can improve your business by using real estate marketing tools , please call us at (800) 932-2957 or visit our website at ReaMark.com.

Captivate Your Clients and Prospects With Real Estate Newsletters

Posted by Rick on Jan 30th, 2008

Only ReaMark makes the 4-page Real Estate Newsletters that have two huge personalization areas for you to really express your marketing message to clients and prospects. Both Full Color and Black & White personalization available! Each captivating newsletter is geared toward homeowners and renters, with articles that will keep them reading all 4 pages from beginning to end. Topics included range from real estate tips and knowledge, financing advice, tasty recipes, and real estate cartoons, to decorating and gardening tips. There is something for every reader in each issue, and because you send it out, each newsletter makes you look like their knowledgeable real estate agent. Here is a short clip from one of our articles, “Is Now the Best Time to Buy?” in issue N127 so you can get an idea of how ReaMark newsletters read:

You’ve probably heard the expression “timing is everything when buying real estate.” But for many homebuyers, deciding whether it is the right time to buy is never an easy task. Even real estate experts who have spent years tracking market trends often have conflicting viewpoints on the direction of the housing market. There are other factors that may help homebuyers make a sound buying decision instead of focusing solely on timing the market.   The market cycle is determined by the supply and demand of available homes for sale in the local real estate market. Interest rates, employment and the economy as a whole affect housing supply and demand. In order for homebuyers to perfectly time their purchase to the market cycle, several factors would have to occur simultaneously. There will need to be a surplus of homes available in the market where they want to live; they will need to be able to find a desired home for the lowest price; and interest rates must be low so they can choose the best loan … 

To continue reading this article or to see any of our other Real Estate Newsletters , please visit ReaMark.com and search for newsletter “N127” or feel free to call us at (800) 932-2957 for FREE samples of our newsletters.

Why Spring Time Change Real Estate Postcards Work

Posted by Rick on Jan 28th, 2008

Why Spring Time Change Real Estate Postcards Work

It’s getting close to that time of year again when the clocks get moved forward by an hour and the days start getting longer. Yes, daylight saving time is approaching on March 9, 2008, and it is a great opportunity to remind your past and potential clients of your real estate services. But to get your cards on time, remember to order them by February 15th.

Spring time change postcards are one of our hottest items this time of year and are so popular, because people will hold onto them as a reminder to set their clocks back. Imagine the exposure you’ll get when your card is posted on the fridge for a few weeks. Also, it is important to take any opportunity you can to connect with your clients and prospects, and sending a time change postcard is a great and cost-effective way.

ReaMark has over 20 different spring time change postcard styles, and any of our postcards can have a time change reminder added to the backside message. All of our postcards are expertly designed by our graphics team to stand out in the mail, so your cards will get noticed. And with over 30,000 customers in Real Estate, we know what works. Also, if you order 5 different styles of postcards, your 6 style is FREE!

But to get your cards on time, remember you need to order them by February 15th.

For FREE samples of our Spring Time Change Real Estate Postcards , call us at (800) 932-2957 or visit our website at ReaMark.com

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