Real Estate Marketing Blog

By Rick Brown
Fact: Market fluctuations are faced by all real estate professionals.
Fact: 20% of all real estate agents generate over 80% of all income
Fact: 62% of all Sellers use the first agent they call.
Fact: Only 12% of Sellers use a Realtor they’ve used before.
Fact: Virtually all top Producing Real Estate agents have utilized or currently utilize direct marketing as one of their main methods of producing more leads, listings and sales.

For the most part, people think “All Realtors are pretty much the same.” With all of these facts and if people really think that all realtors are the same, how are you going to differentiate yourself and become a top producer?

Since we receive over 100,000 calls per year and with over 30,000 successful realtors using the ReaMark direct marketing programs, we are experts in understanding what is working and what is not working. The first commonality amongst top producers is:

You Must Have a Marketing Plan to be Successful

This means you’ve got to prospect for new clients as well as maintain your current client base. Successful realtors get over 70% of their new business from referrals. Wow! let me repeat that: Successful realtors get over 70% of their new business from referrals.
But how can that be if it is a fact that only 12% of sellers will use the same realtor they used before? The answer is simple, obviously successful realtors have a higher percentage of repeat customers and referrals than the average.

Top Strategies of Real Estate Agents

The overriding key to success is to developing a personal list of people to become your referral base. This list should include anyone who knows you including past clients, friends, neighbors, school teachers, old business acquaintances, your kids friends parents, your fellow church members, etc. Again anyone who knows you and could act as a referral. Your list may start off small, as few as 100 people, you goal is to develop this list and grow it to its maximum size. Most successful realtors have at least 400 or more people on this list.

Once you have developed your personal list you should be in contact with these people at least once a month before spending any money on farming and prospecting. These contacts should include the following:

1)    Mail monthly at least one of the following marketing communication pieces: a postcard, newsletter, greeting card, or a calendar.
2)    You should always mail your personal list all Just Listed and Just Sold properties that you are involved in. Announce your success and you will be sure to get referrals.
3)    You should mention somewhere on most pieces that you rely on referrals and that their referrals are greatly appreciated.

Most successful agents will have a marketing plan that incorporate the following:

• New Years Card / Newsletter
• Spring Time Change Card / Newsletter
• 4th of July Card / Newsletter
• Fall Time Change Card / Newsletter
• Thanksgiving Card / Newsletter
• Holiday Card/ Newsletter
• Calendar usually sent out between August and December
• All Just Listed and Just Sold announcements

Most of our successful agents utilize the following products to mail to their client base:
Recipe Cards, Newsletters, Home Tips, Cartoon, Animal, Scenic, Recipe Calendars
Football & Baseball schedules, School Calendars, Monthly selections, Full magnet calendars, etc.

Again, in direct marketing your success is based upon:

• 40% is the list you mail
• 30% is the frequency you mail
• 30% is the marketing piece.

How to Farm successfully

Once you have established an ongoing consistent mailing to your personal list then you have to have means to build that list through farming and prospecting. Over two thirds of all top performers use a territorial or geographic farm.

Going back to the formula of direct marketing success, the most important aspect is the list you select. So choosing your farm should be based upon the following:
1)    Look for an area with and higher than a 8% turnover rate
2)    Make sure that there is not a dominate realtor or real estate company with more than 75% of the listings.

Once you have selected your farm, YOUR GOAL IS TO BECOME THE REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST IN THAT FARM.

You should again be in contact with each household at least 8 times per year. Again you can utilize these key dates listed above and if possible you should try to walk your farm (Deliver calendars, free gifts, etc) twice per year.

Other ideas could include:
a)    Advertising in the neighborhood newsletter. (If you do not have one develop one and get key local businesses to offset all or the majority of cost.
b)    Advertise the neighborhood activates such as: firework locations, school dates, neighborhood history facts, home market updates, free flag or pumpkin giveaways, charity events, etc.

Again these are just some of the more common characteristics of successful agents, for more ideas please contact ReaMark and we will help you develop and customize a personal marketing plan to fit your budget, lifestyle and goals.

Take advantage of our Postcard Special NOW and get 1 style Free when you order 5!

When you think of viral advertising, you probably think of Facebook memes or YouTube videos.

Here in the printing world, we have our own version of viral, and it comes in the form of customized notepads.

Create more sales opportunities with custom realtor notepads.

The custom notepad offers real estate agents a level of exposure that is easily repeatable, even as often as a day-to-day basis.

While this face time with potential clients is truly valuable, it’s the chance to connect with others that deepens the impact of custom notepads.

As the original notepad recipient scribbles a reminder, attaches it to a document, and sends it along, they help the agent’s personal information reach new audiences.

This effect multiplies as more people receive a customized real estate notepad.

The icing on the cake: notepads are perceived as useful to the client.

Where to Bring Customized Notepads

Do you have upcoming golf outings, trade shows, or fundraising events? Are you a sponsor at a conference or seminar? These are perfect opportunities to extend your reach with custom real estate notepads from the only company that does them!

Thinking of putting together a real estate mailer, i.e. a marketing newsletter, postcard or calendar?

Just like targeting the right buyers is important for selling a home, getting your contact list in order is essential for attracting the most qualified leads.

In fact, 50 percent of successful real estate mailing campaigns can be attributed to a well-researched, well-developed list.

Here’s how agents can prepare their mailing lists for big-time real estate marketing.

Real Estate Marketing Tips for Mailing Lists

• Get Personal – Lists that include friends and family who know and trust you will deliver a return on investment that is 10 times greater than lists based on prospecting. Whenever you send a real estate mailer, make sure these people are included.
• Know the Neighbors – If you decide to farm a neighborhood, be sure to select one with 7 percent or higher turn over (7 in every 100 homes sold per year).
• Do Your Research – When farming, be sure to pull which agents listed homes sold in the past year, or drive around and look at the signs. If an agent has more than 75 percent of the listings, then select another area. Otherwise, if a few agents sell consistently in the neighborhood, consider it prime for farming.
• Take Notes – When you are contacted by a new lead remember to ask how they heard about you. Keep a record of responses so that you can track the success of real estate mailers as part of your marketing plan.

Knowing the importance of personal contacts, farming principles, and reporting, you can assume that the performance of your real estate mailers will only be as good as the quality of your contact list. The more time you devote to its development, the better results you can expect.

Real Estate Marketing in the Winter Season Has Its Merits

According to a survey by Realtor.com, 26 percent of respondents said that they are looking to buy a home in the winter season because sellers are more motivated and willing to negotiate.

This is certainly a number that real estate agents can warm up to considering the colder months are traditionally a slower period for home sales.

But what is the best way to reach out to both sellers and buyers?

Think about Realtor Promotional Tools

There are a myriad of options when it comes to real estate promotional tools, but in this case a realtor postcard is your best bet.

Capitalize on winter real estate marketing with Our Neighborhood postcards.

Besides communicating that you serve both buyers and sellers, the postcard above is also a bit unexpected.

As we stated earlier, winter is historically a time when real estate sales go into hibernation. If you use postcards as your realtor promotional tools, it’s most likely that you are not going to have a lot of competition for mailbox space.

In other words, your real estate marketing approach is going to stand out.

And with motivated buyers and sellers out there, right now is a smart time to get in front of both.

As a real estate agent, you know how important it is to show up on time – be it open houses, contract signings, closings.

You are responsible for your reputation and success.

We also know the importance of being in control when it comes to realtor marketing, and that’s why we designed ReaMark marketing tools that put you in the driver’s seat.

Take, for example, our full magnetic calendars in sizes ranging from 3.5” x 4” all the way up to 4” x 7” – with multiple layouts and styles to align with your existing realtor marketing brand.

ReaMark magnetic realtor calendars align with your marketing and branding.

As a bonus, magnet calendars are also designed to last longer than some similar products.

While we have seen calendars being offered at 15-20 mil thicknesses, ReaMark provides 25 mil thicknesses by default.

That means less bending and ripping.

And just when you thought you’d had it with smeared ink, we put print back in its place with vibrant colors that are protected by high-quality laminate.

It’s the way you would do realtor marketing if you were in our shoes.

Only you get to wear the shoes part of the time, too.

So come on. Take the wheel with ReaMark.

Consumer data aggregate programs are some of the most powerful online marketing tools for realtors. However, the true results are shown when you can use that data to connect offline with potential clients.

The Power of Custom Postcards

Imagine that you log in to your realtor data software and see that the same person has been on your website at 3:30 p.m. every day for the last month. Finally, they log in using your Facebook application and provide you with their name and address.

This is a prime opportunity to reach out to that consumer, and an ideal way to do so is with custom postcards designed specifically for real estate agents.

Whether you want to announce an upcoming open house or a listing that you just sold, custom realtor postcards are an excellent means of communicating your relevancy as a real estate agent.

It shows that you invest the time and money to market your clients’ listings, and it gives the potential client the confidence they need to move forward with selecting you as their agent.

Best of all, by utilizing offline marketing tools like postcards you create more ways capitalize on your online real estate data. You take advantage of leads and you start realizing greater opportunities for success.

Agents Get a Head Start with Realtor Calendars

Your mother-in-law calls to schedule a family dinner. Then your dentist wants to reschedule your appointment, and your son’s teacher asks to set up a conference. Where do all of these situations lead? Straight to your calendar.

That’s exactly why realtor calendars are a smart marketing tool for any real estate agent. With real estate calendars that feature personalized realtor information on the calendar – such as a photo, website and telephone number – it’s simple to keep your name in front of potential buyers every day of the year.

         Real estate calendars give realtors maximum exposure.

 With specialized calendar formats including school calendars, sports schedules and even seasonal recipes, you’ll give recipients even more reasons to come back to your calendar and personalized information again and again.

But it isn’t just about getting real estate calendars to these potential buyers; it’s about getting them out at the best time: right now.

Why is this the best time?

Because you aren’t the first person to think of sending a calendar. In fact, insurance companies and auto repair shops already have theirs in the works.

The good news? You can still be ahead of the competition by placing your order now for Reamark real estate calendars and be the first calendar that potential buyers put up on the refrigerator at home or their desk at the office.

How are you preparing to get in front of customers ahead of everyone else?

Did you know that an estimated 41% of home purchases in 2008 were made my first time homeowners? Renters are an excellent target market and if you are looking for buyers, you need to be mailing apartment buildings and non-owner occupied residences on a regular basis. ReaMark makes it easy with our Real Estate Renter Postcards.

ReaMark’s Real Estate Renter Postcards are written to target renters and open their eyes to the financing options that may be available to them. Renters are a great demographic to zero in on because most realtors don’t market to apartments, most renters have to renew their lease or move every 6 to 12 months, and with renters you don’t have to worry about selling their current home. And with home affordability as its highest and interest rates near historic lows, now is a great time to buy. Get the word out with ReaMark’s Renter Postcards!

To request samples or to place an order, call us at 800-932-2957 and visit our website to see all of our Renter Postcards at http://www.reamark.com/catalog/renters.htm today!

As we’ve mentioned before, the market is beginning to come around. In fact it’s considered that we have just passed that point of both low home prices and rock bottom mortgages however you, as a real estate agent, can still help those looking for homes. With deals still to be had, it’s important to get your name out there with some sort of promotional tool such as real estate postcards or real estate newsletters. It doesn’t really matter so long as you get your name out there.

So what’s the approach for capitalizing on the market’s current condition? There are a couple of different ways of catching the attention of potential homeowners. Buying a home with the idea of long-term ownership is an important idea to mention. Collaborating with your prospects makes them feel like you are both on the same side and working toward a common goal (which you are). Having the latest knowledge of the market is a sure way to assuage any fears your prospects might have about buying in this market.

What might be the best way to convey all of the above with a real estate postcard or real estate newsletter? Make sure to emphasize that this is a collaborative effort and that your knowledge of the market along with their vision for a home can come together for great results (a home they love and, for you, a commission you love). Speaking of different strategies, what do you find to be the most effective out there in this market?

Dear Fellow Real Estate Professionals,

Hello I’m Richard Brown and the president of ReaMark. I have been in direct marketing for over 20 years with the last nine years helping Real Estate Professionals, just like you, substantially increase their listings, sales and ultimately their income.

In our business, we are always talking, meeting with and working with realtors to understand your business bettor so I can do my business better in making you successful.

Each year I personally take hundreds of calls and the same question keeps 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 I have heard during my nine years as owner of ReaMark. What does actually work? What has been proven time and time to be the Golden Truth’s of success. What makes a top agent? And I came up with the four things you should be doing if you are serious about increasing your yearly 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 you are losing money. Your contact list should include anyone who knows you, your friends or your family. The larger the list the more successful you will be. You really need to sit down and put this lists 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 but for better results you should be doing these mailings in addition to your contacts.

3.     Track your results over time.

The beauty of direct marketing is that it is affordable and trackable. If you have 400 contacts then you could be mailing them twelve times per year for as little as 47 cents each or $188 per month. One sale and you pay for the entire year.

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% plus of all listings in their neighborhood.  Walk your neighborhood twice per year, create, 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 letter has been helpful and has confirmed what you are doing or inspired you to call us to help.  If I can help directly, please don’t hesitate to call me.

Best Regards,

Richard J. Brown

President.

ReaMark