Real Estate Marketing Blog

Key Mailing Dates, Surefire Contact Lists and Real Estate Thank You Notes

Strategies for Real Estate Postcard Prospecting

In the blink of an eye, we’ll be looking at another 365 days of possibilities. That’s why, before the clock begins, we want to talk about strategies for real estate postcards prospecting – from which contact lists to use to the reason why real estate thank you notes are a staple for new realtors.

It’s All About Who You Know

When you’re just starting out in real estate, you likely don’t have an abundance of contacts. But what you do have are friends and family.

These are contacts.

Send monthly real estate postcards to these individuals before prospecting for new business. This way, you can work on generating referrals, which typically convert to new business faster than farming.

(And, if you do get a referral, remember to send the referring party a thank you note.)

Acknowledge Referrals with Real Estate Thank You Cards

And Knowing When to Send

As a fledgling realtor, you want to be prepared at all times. A good way to do so is by sending postcards on these key dates:

• Spring Time Change (March)
• Independence Day (July)
• Calendar for Next Year (August/September)
• Fall Time Change (October)
• Thanksgiving (November)
• Holidays (December)

In addition, you should consider mailing a Just Listed or Just Sold (depending on circumstances at the time) postcard every month to the area and to your contact list.

Again, real estate thank you notes are a kind gesture for those that list their property with you or when you sell the property down the line.

That Make the Difference

Once you grow your personal contact list to 400 people and you mail them monthly, you could easily be enjoying a six-figure income.

We’ve seen it happen, and we want to encourage you to be successful in 2014 with strategies that are realistic and attainable.

There’s something about the holiday season that elicits a quiet moment of reflection. For many of us in the real estate industry, these moments are filled with gratitude over the continued rise of the housing market. As such, we feel the need to thank those who helped us succeed – namely, our clients – and a natural way to do that during this time of year is with a real estate holiday calendar or postcard.

For real estate agents, the holidays are a popular time to send calendars and postcards not only to celebrate the season but also to give buyers and sellers another 365 days – and reasons – to keep the agent’s name front and center.

With real estate holiday calendars, agents can personalize with a photo and contact information. A real estate holiday postcard can also be customized with an image of the realtor and their personal details.

Want to take it a step further?

Consider a holiday postcard magnet with a magnetic calendar and postcard all in one.

Clever idea: real estate holidays calendar and postcard in one.

With this direct mail approach, you use the postcard to send holiday greetings and the removable, magnetic calendar as a year-round marketing tool.

It’s the perfect time of year to get in the homes of buyers and sellers, and with holiday postcards and calendars you can also express the sentiments that are on your mind and in your heart.

Happy holidays!

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.

Persistence is the key to survival in real estate. That’s why it’s so important to invest in hard-working marketing tools for realtors, and why at this time of year the best choice is recipe calendars.

Exclusive front-and-back design of recipe calendars encourages longer visual engagement.

Here are three reasons to get sending:

• All of Your Information, All of the Time – With recipe calendars, your contact information stays at the top even as the sheets are torn away each month. And because they’re magnetic, these calendars stay on the fridge where homeowners are reminded of you often.
• Different from Other Calendars – While many businesses send calendars, you can stand out by mailing a recipe calendar that is attractive and interesting. You’d be surprised by how many people keep the recipes – and, by default, your information – for years to come. Talk about a tenacious marketing tool for realtors.
• Less Ingredients, Longer Engagement – The recipes selected for these calendars are easier to make and follow because they feature a lower number of ingredients. Plus, the high quality, front-and-back design provides longer visual engagement and promotes a professional image.

With the unique format and effective design of a magnetic recipe calendar, it’s not hard to imagine why these are some of the best-selling marketing tools for today’s real estate agent.

If you’re looking for a way to stand out and stay in front of customers in 2014, don’t wait to order your personalized recipe calendars. You’ll want to be one of the first in the homes of your potential buyers and sellers.

‘Tis the season for homemade stuffing, wrapping presents, and real estate holiday cards. Yes, you read that last item correctly; it’s time to send tidings of cheer to your past, present and potential clients. Before you do, there’s one item you should include with every real estate holiday card: a personalized magnet calendar.

Considering refrigerators are visited 18 times per day, magnet calendars are a smart way to promote your real estate business.

With magnet calendars, you create the opportunity to promote yourself on a daily basis. In fact, 25 percent of American households have two refrigerators, and “the fridge” is visited approximately 18 times per day. That’s 540 times in 30 days.

Sending a magnet calendar with your real estate holiday cards is easy: all magnet calendars insert into most greeting cards and the incremental postage is minimum or, in some cases, absolutely nothing.

Best of all, your clients will perceive the calendar as a free gift.

So whether you’re considering greeting cards for Thanksgiving or December holidays, be sure to pick up some stamps and, of course, personalized magnet calendars.

Thanksgiving realtor holiday cards can easily accommodate magnet calendars.

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!

A recent trend that doesn’t seem to be ebbing is that of younger buyers buying high-priced real estate. Where has this come from and how long has it been happening? More importantly, how long is this expected to last?

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, this is a trend that’s only become more and more a reality of the real estate market over the last several years. It’s also been increasingly commonplace.

Often scared by the stock market and its fluctuation, younger buyers put more stock in property and its sustainable worth. This is a definite plus for us real estate agents if only we know how to capitalize on it properly. How do we deal with non-traditional buyers who are purchasing real estate they don’t traditionally buy?

We believe that it’s quite simple really. Using such tactics as real estate newsletters, real estate postcards, realtor calendars: this is what we’ve found to work. What’s more, when drafting your real estate news letters, why not include news references such as the above to pique the interest of potential buyers and also show that you’re aware of their interests.

Make sure to also be consistent. Continually letting your potential buyers know that you are particularly well-suited to be of service to them means that they will think of you first. What ideas do you have for reaching them or perhaps targeting them with custom real estate postcards?