How Real Estate Agents Can Use Clients to Get More Clients
In 2023, 4.5 million homes will find new owners, according to Statista. However, that’s down from 6.1 million in 2021 (5.8 million in 2022). The tightening market makes real estate marketing more important than ever. Client recommendations are still the most effective way to grow your business. However, efficiency matters, and getting customer testimonials online allows you to maximize your exposure.
When and How to Ask for Referrals
There were 762,000 newly constructed homes sold in 2021. That’s a drop of over 7% from the previous year. This statistic shows that existing homes make up the vast majority of sales. Therefore, realtor marketing to current homeowners is essential. Once you attract homeowners and buyers and win them over with a successful transaction, your work isn’t done.
Here are a few tips on when and how to ask for referrals:
- Ask for a testimonial soon after the sale or purchase closes. Make this personal by reaching out via email or a phone call.
- Get details! What did they like most about working with you? What challenges did you overcome together?
- Make it as personal as possible to appeal directly to prospective clients. How did they feel moving into their new home? How did selling a home change their lives?
Post the Reviews on Multiple Platforms
You can ask your clients to post positive reviews on Zillow, Redfin and other online platforms, as well as Google, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. This is fantastic exposure, and you can offer discounts and rewards, such as free home valuations and other services, to thank them for their time and loyalty.
Ask for permission to use their reviews on your social media and website. This can help you attract new leads. Additionally, you can include links to customer success stories in your newsletters and doorhangers to tie your direct mail campaigns to your digital real estate marketing efforts.
Put QR Scan Codes on Your Postcards
At ReaMark, we can help you turn these success stories into postcard messaging for prospective clients to read and respond to. The unique nature of direct mail puts your marketing materials directly into the hands of your target audience. Further, by providing a QR Code or URL on your postcards, you can neatly connect clients to online testimonials and reviews.
If you need help choosing the right postcards for client testimonials, we can help. Reach out to our team to discuss the right themes for your farm areas. The following realtor marketing postcards go well with customer testimonials:
Stay in touch with your buyers and sellers so that they’ll be ready to recommend you to friends and relatives looking for an experienced realtor. They can pass on postcards with your customer testimonials to prospective buyers. As a bonus, you’ll be able to showcase your continued success so that you’re the first realtor they call when they’re ready to move again. This happens more frequently than you may realize, as the average homeowner has lived in their home just eight years.
Tips to Help You Stay in Touch with Clients and Potential Clients
The typical home seller has owned their home for eight years and the average home size is 2,356 square feet, making today’s homes more profitable for real estate professionals. Working with a realtor is also more attractive for clients since the typical For Sale By Owner home sells for about 18% less than homes listed by Realtors.
Contacting prospects as early as possible is also beneficial since 30% of home purchases in 2021 were made by first-time homebuyers. So, get your postcards, newsletters, and door hangers in the hands of your target market as early and often as possible.
Remember that the median age of a first-time home buyer in the United States in 2021 was 33. So, include fun themes, such as recipes, motivational and scenic, and animal themes, that appeal to the under 40 crowd can help you expand your customer base.
Contact the team at ReaMark today for more ideas on turning clients into more clients in your realtor marketing.