Go ahead. Admit. You’ve got great dreams of being a fanatical success in real estate.
You want to make seven figures a year. You want the eight car garage. A second house on the sea. The boat.
You want enough money in the bank to run a small country. Send your children to the best schools. Buy a 747 so you can fly all of your friends to your private island off the coast of South Africa.
Okay. Maybe that last one was a stretch.
But you catch my drift. We’ve all got wild dreams. Big ones, to boot. And this includes your clients.
So often we forget that the people we want to attract have dreams. We forget that they are are dreaming and scheming.
Scheming in a good way. But scheming nonetheless. They want to be successful. Prestigious. Healthy. Liked.
Or perhaps they just want a roof over their family’s head. A roof they can call their own.
We call that the “American Dream.”
So, with this in mind, let’s look at three ways you can help beef up just about anything you do–whether it’s writing an ad or pitching during a listing presentation–and help your prospects and clients understand that you can help them reach their wildest dream.
1. Paint the Vision for the Prospect.
Within the headline or the opening copy or at the start of your presentation, tell them about the benefit they’ll get from doing what you want them to do: living well, saving money, entertaining grandly. This is the big promise.
2. Offer the “Prize” Inside.
Either within the same headline or within the first few lines of copy or just minutes into a presentation, introduce your offer as the means for obtaining the desired end: the infinity pool that makes you to live well, the low property taxes that allow you to save money, or the finished basement with wet bar and 50 inch plasma screen that allows you to entertain grandly.
3. Go On the Quest.
This is the fun part. Here you get to tell the story of how and why your offer, in Step 2, fulfills the desire in Step 1. You’re pulling all the pieces together here.
For example:
Living well means owning an infinity pool. Posh hotels in Singapore with infinity pools attract actors and presidents and singers. And actors like to live well, don’t they? They like to relax in a landscape that’s unique and something only a few people can afford to enjoy. Infinity pools are all about living well.
By the way, if you need help creating pictures like that, we have great resources here to help you. But also consider picking up a travel magazine like Conde Nast Traveller.
Is blogging right for you?
While I’m a big fan of blogging as a way to get content online, I don’t think it’s the ULTIMATE way of having a web presence for real estate agents.
Why? Simple. Blogs don’t suit every personality.
You might be a writer. Then again, you might not be.
You might be a good communicator. And you might not be.
You might prefer speaking over writing. Or not.
You might be a self-starter. Or not.
You might be starved for time. Or not.
You might have thick skin. Or not.
You might enjoy reading. Then again, maybe not.
You might have the stamina. Or not.
Where you fall in these two columns depends on lots of factors, but namely your personality. In other words, you have to decide that for yourself if blogging fits your personality.
However, if you’ve come to that point in your career that blogging, indeed, suits your personality, then this post is for you. Here are nine ways in which blogging can help you and your real estate career.
1. Attract a New Market.
No surprise here, but the new savvy home buyer and seller is online. Googling for homes to buy. And real estate agents to work with. And more.
People are also searching for answers. You have to be the person who answers those questions.
2. Dominate Search Results.
So, a blog will allow you to write content about how to buy a home, stage a home or finance a home…typical needs home buyers and sellers have.
In other words, you write posts about ways you can help people.
And you want a page from your blog to appear in the top ten of search results. More pages with more inbound links equals greater chance you land on that coveted first page for that keyword. That’s how you dominate search results.
3. Establish Your Authority.
Published online content–at first blush–equals instant credibility. But there’s more to it than this. I’ll explain in a minute.
4. Sharpen Your Writing Skills.
Within four seconds people decide if the page is worth their time and attention. The more you write, though, the better you become. And people start to recognize your talent. Thus, your credibility grows.
5. Engage Your Prospects in a Wider Discussion.
Did you touch upon an issue in a meeting you would’ve liked to have gone deeper but couldn’t because of time? Blog it.
Local issue that’s abuzz in your community? Blog about it.
Then there’s popularity contest you could play. A sure winner for drawing readers.
6. Clarify Points.
Maybe you said something in a networking event or negotiations that wasn’t clear. Or drew criticism. Blog it. Systematically and clearly. Why? See point 4.
7. Do More.
Wanna start a discussion about a topic but don’t want to mess with the logistics of actually bringing warm bodies together? Blog it.
You can use your blog as a forum and invite your prospects to join a certain topic–new development or a slumping market. Think online small group.
8. Build a Reputation.
This is similar to authority. The difference is that authority is instant credibility. The certificate you see on the wall certifies your doctor is legit. That’s authority. Your best friend raving about the best MD in town…that’s reputation.
You want both.
9. Stretch Your Skill Set.
Launching a blog is easy. Still, it contains challenges and new ground to cover–from the hard [minor technical tweaks] to the soft [replying to criticism].
Thus, rounding out your real estate career set with blogging skills can be an added bonus for younger generations who grew up with blogging and social media. Something to consider.
Please note that these are in order from what I think is most important to the least important. Building an online presence and generating more traffic is a good reason to start a blog. Better than simply stretching your skill set.
But they’re all good things–both professionally and personally.
I’m sure there are plenty of other reasons why or ways that blogging can help your real estate career. Can you share some?
Did you find this article helpful? If so, leave a comment or subscribe to the real estate marketing Blog by email or news feed.
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Why do so many real estate agents find it difficult to write? Do you find it difficult to write?
Your career–that is, as a real estate agent–demands you write. It demands you write emails. Ads. Descriptions. Letters. Voice mail messages.
You name it and you have to write it.
Unfortunately most of us are a product of an educational system that focuses on facts. And in most cases, the education stuck.
And that’s a problem.
Why is this a problem? If you’re a product of our educational system, then most of what you write is saturated by facts. Let me show you an example:
This house is less than 3 yrs old and has a 2009 appraised value of over $230,000. Nearly $30,000 in up-grades featuring the Waterford floor plan and the Colonial III elevation, hardwood floors, luxury kitchen and luxury master suite options, this house is priced for a quick sale.
Not too bad, right? Sorry, but the ad is limp and inert at best.
The Problem with Facts
Now, there’s nothing wrong with facts. Except that educators refused to let it go at mere memorization of facts. As a society, we plunged into wholesale fact-worship.
What’s at stake? When you glorify one thing, it’s generally at the expense of something else. In this case, the something else is “feeling.”
A feeling is as opposite a fact as you get. You can’t see it or hear it. Measure or weigh it.
Furthermore, feelings differ from person to person. Feelings are unpredictable. And faced with this unpredictability, educators cast a suspicious eye on feelings.
Again, this education–hold all feelings at arms length–stuck. We are, generation after generation, a population trained to reject decisions based on emotions.
In fact, we feel guilty if we make a decision based on an emotion.
Therefore, if you want to become a great writer–or if you merely want to inject more personality and life into your written communication–then you need a new approach to writing. An emotional approach.
The Emotional Approach to Writing
Instead of analyzing ads, deducing rules and then writing to fit these regulations, accept your own ever-so-finite limitations, take facts for granted and place your certainty in feelings.
Feeling is what drives you forward. And it’s what drives your prospects and clients forward. “What if” is your watchwords.
And the rules? They’re incidental.
I re-wrote the above ad based on feelings. See if it sings:
This 3-year old house is like a new build–except without the headaches of unpredictable contractors. Wide open floor plan and tall ceilings make this a big house. Add hardwood floors, professional kitchen and master bath–you’ve got luxury living on a small budget.
Do you see how you can still incorporate facts into your written communication? What did I do differently? I just spelled out the benefits for each feature. All I did was think about why the buyer would care about the facts. That’s really all it boils down to.
Now, let me talk to those of you who are afraid to write.
Communication of your feeling demands skill. But also heart. Yes, you will make mistakes. But to win at the skill of writing–or real estate for that matter–then you have no choice but to begin right where you are.
This very moment.
Remember: Whatever you do in life–writing or real estate or raising kids–you have to start on the bottom rung like the rest of us. That means you have to be willing to be bad–very bad–in this business if you ever want to get good.
In other words, only if you’re willing to make mistakes today can you hope to move ahead tomorrow. So, give it a shot right now: Write a comment below explaining why you thought this post was good or bad. And don’t forget emotion. Feeling.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot: I won’t grade you. I promise.
The ending is everything.
That’s why Greek heroes like Odysseus–who were able to look beyond the present and plan several steps ahead–seemed to defy fate. In fact, men like Odysseus mimicked the Greek gods in their ability to tell the future.
The comparison, today, is still valid.
If you can think further ahead and patiently bring your plans to fruition, you’ll seem godlike. And naturally be more successful.
Most people are imprisoned in the moment. Imprisoned by their emotions. They can’t plan with any kind of foresight. Neither can they ignore immediate dangers or instant pleasures…traps that ultimately strip them of their future success.
The Mistake Successful Real Estate Agents Avoid
Successful real estate agents, on the other hand, like those profiled in the Baylor study I wrote about last week, have the power of being able to overcome the natural human tendency to react to things as they happen. Instead they train themselves to step back and think about the larger things taking shape beyond the horizon.
Most agents believe that they are in fact aware of the future, that they are planning and thinking ahead.
They are usually wrong.
What they’re really doing is succumbing to their desires, to what they want the future to be. Their plans are vague, based on their fantasies rather than reality.
They’re not thinking to the end. Only focusing on the happy ending, which is nothing more than a figment of their imagination.
“The most ordinary cause of people’s mistakes,” Cardinal de Retz wrote, “is their being too much frightened at the present dangers, and not enough at that which is remote.”
Dangers that loom in the distance cause the most chaos. You only need to reflect on the housing bubble to see what I mean.
But if you can see those dangers before they take shape…how many mistakes do you think you could avoid? How many plans would you abort if you realized you were avoiding a small danger only to step into a larger one?
So much of success is not what you do but what you don’t do. The rash and foolish actions that you restrain from contribute a lot to the outcome of your future–whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate.
The Moral of This Post
Plan in detail before you act. Train yourself to step back and evaluate your future–in detail. Compare it to reality. Ask questions: What consequences could this have? Will I lose prospects if I do this? Will someone else be able to take advantage of me? Can I actually sell this house?
Don’t be swayed by the happy ending in your head. Unhappy endings are more common than happy ones. And the happy ones usually come at great cost–hours, days and months of planning, refraining, adjusting and executing.
Happy endings are product of hard work. And good plans. Where you confront the brutal facts. Doing this can be the difference between a good ending and a bad one.
See the ending. And tolerate no deviation.
Lead Generation Strategies: Seeker-Oriented v. Attract Oriented
Filed Under Real Estate Prospecting Ideas | Leave a Comment
Last year Baylor researchers asked real estate agents, “When it comes to lead generation–what works?”
These researchers discovered two things.
First, those real estate agents who reported doing better–or much better–in their market than most agents reported significantly higher lead conversion rates to appointments.
Second, these same agents reported higher conversion rates from appointments to a transaction.
What was their secret? Well, their secret pretty much boiled down to 5 characteristics that make up a compelling real estate agent profile.
Let me show you what I mean.
Real estate agents who reported doing much better in their market tended to:
1. Have higher lead and appointment conversion rates.
2. Spend less on open houses as a percentage of their total spending.
3. Spend less on promotional items as a percentage of their total spending.
4. More productive when using open houses.
5. More seeker oriented in their lead generation activities
One way to approach this information is to use it as a baseline for your own lead generation investment. The question is: Are your lead generating strategies seeker-oriented or attract oriented?
Attract-oriented strategies tend to be activities like print advertising or signage where the real estate agent puts out the ad or the sign and then waits for leads to come in.
These types of strategies tend to be passive. You sit and wait.
On the other hand, seeker-oriented real estate agents typically invested in the proactive strategies like networking, referrals and IVR technology.
These type of strategies are active. Aggressive. They put you in control of your leads. And your career.
Yes, I know. Aggressive strategies are nerve racking for the timid. So, the question is: If you could be in control and guide your career to success, don’t you think it’s worth the risk of sticking your neck out there a little to be more aggressive?
I do. And I hope you do, too. You and your career are worth it. Let me know what you think.
Leave a comment if this post was helpful or if you have anything you’d like to add. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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Filed Under Email Marketing, Real Estate Prospecting Ideas | 1 Comment
Despite the endless talk about social media–Twitter or Facebook, for example–-emails are still the workhorse of online prospecting.
Why? Clickthrough decay. Twitter time passes 10 times faster than email time.
One of the big downsides of stream-based communication compared to email newsletters is the highly ephemeral nature of the postings: Once they scroll off the first screen, they’re essentially 6 feet under.
A look at clickthrough statistics for links posted to Twitter vs. those circulated in email newsletters shows a drastically steeper decay function: lots of clicks the first few minutes, and then almost none. In contrast, email continues to generate clicks for days as people work their way through their inboxes.
So, since more and more and more people are checking their e-mail on cell phones or smart phones and archiving, it’s wise to keep grooming your emails so their readable, relevant and powerful.
1. Reason Why. First, what’s your most compelling reason to send the email? If there’s no good reason for it, consider taking the day off.
2. “From” Line. The “From” line and subject line work in tandem. And an effective “From” line starts with name recognition. If you’re not famous in your market, then maybe your company is. Use the most famous.
3. Subject Line. Something that stands out in their inbox. Use this tool to test your subject lines AND “From” lines.
4. First vertical inch or two. Many people won’t see images—your header, wrapper, or photos—because their e-mail software turns them off. Or they may be getting your message on a BlackBerry or Treo or cell phone. Consider what’s in this precious real estate. And make it count.
5. Scannable. Since very few people read it all the way through, is it easy to scan your email? Can they get the point at a glance?
6. Headline. You do have a headline, don’t you? Okay then, if you don’t, then the first sentence is your headline. Does it make the point and provide a link for action? Is the call to action simple and clear, making a single point and with no more than a sentence or two at the most?
7. Precision. Omit needless words. All of them. Here’s a rule of thumb to follow: Once you reduce the email to half it’s length…try to reduce it again.
8. Call to Action. Will the person feel like he’s losing big if he decides to sit this one out? That’s the kind of feeling you want to give people.
9. Tone. Conversational. What do I mean by that? Does it feel like one person writing to another? As impersonal as e-mail can be, you still want it to feel like one person’s message to another.
So what about you: are you still using email to prospect? Have you given it up for Twitter or Facebook? If so, how effective have you become? Or has spam and the crowd noise chased you out? Is email dead and anybody who uses it wasting their time and money?
Share your thoughts. Looking forward to hearing from you.
When Longinotti-Buitoni took over Ferrari North America as CEO in the late 90s, the U.S. and Canada were in a recession. He couldn’t imagine people would spend their money on such an expensive, impractical car.
Since then, Longinotti-Buitoni has changed his mind.
What he learned was that the desire for a Ferrari comes from our dreams…not the part of our brain that balances the checkbook each month.
Those same dreams fuel our desire for leisure time. It fuels our desire for Gucci purses. Gulfstream jets. Beauty. Exotic vacations. And houses.
You, real estate agent, need to understand these dreams. And reinterpret a house in terms of your client’s fantasy world.
But it’s not about selling homes to people who apear on the cover of Vanity Fair. Average people like you and I have our own set of dreams to fulfill.
That’s why Volkswagon could sell a van called the Beetle to thousands of hippies. Our Levi’s could position a pair of denim jeans like a vein of gold in the foothills of California.
Think about Nike shoes and what they mean to inner-city kids: An escape from his oppressive origins.
Bottom line: People fantasize about the things they can’t afford. Selling a house to a buyer is all about tapping into that fantasy.
The best way I’ve found to do that is to simply show them their dream home. Yes, they might not know it’s their dream home. But when you roll up to the $500,000 house and they gasp, “There’s no way we can afford that,” you need to respond, “Let’s look at it anyway.”
Elevate their fantasy and anything you show them after that will seem below them. They will naturally gun for homes at their high-end of price.
What’s truly heartbreaking about this tactic, though, is this: It’s nothing more than the notorious takeaway. You’ve given them something they want…and now you take it away.
You see this when you prohibit your seven-year-old from playing his Nintendo DS. We, especially Americans, freak when we go from freedom back to bondage.
And bondage is exactly how it feels. No one likes going from abundance to lack. You’re constricted. Restrained.
And you lie awake dreaming about what you once had. Be it a million dollar home or $150,000 car.
Granted, you don’t want to set your client up to fail. So you must be careful when using this tactic. You must use common sense and constantly check in with your client to make sure he’s not getting in over his head.
Yet, this plays into the gambit in two ways.
One, you protect your client. Two, you demonstrate that you aren’t desperate for this deal. That you could walk away. That’s a powerful indication that there’s more to this sale than money, making the house all that more irresistable.
And if you like what you read, subscribe to the real estate marketing blog by email or news feed.
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In the throes of a housing market meltdown, ridiculous buyer offers are abundant. Here’s an example…
Friend wants to sell his house for $215,000. Buyer wants to buy it. So he offers $185,000. And demands seller pay closing costs. AND throw in a home warranty.
Never mind the insulting low ball offer. The add-ons are absurd. In this case, the seller flat-out rejected the offer.
Sometimes though, buyers come across a little more subtle. Here’s what to do if you find your self in that position.
First, imagine this:
Let’s say that you have sold your client’s house, and the buyers agent asks you if his clients could move some of their furniture into the garage three days before closing. Although you wouldn’t want to let them move into the house before closing, you see an advantage in letting them use the garage. It will get them emotionally involved and far less likely to create problems for you at closing. So you’re almost eager to make the concession, but…
Before you do anything, remember this: no matter how small the concession someone is asking you for, always ask for something in return.
Say to them, “Let me check with the family and see how they feel about that, but let me ask you this: If we do that for you, what will you do for us?”
One of three things is going to happen when you ask for something in return:
1. You might just get something.
2. By asking for something in return, you elevate the value of the concession. When you’re negotiating, why give anything away? Always make the big deal out of it. You may need that later.
3. It stops the grinding away process. This is the key reason why you should always ask for something in return. If they know that every time they ask you for something, you’re going to ask for something in return, then it stops them constantly coming back for more.
Also, lean on the Higher Authority gambit to deflect pressure from yourself. That way you continue to position yourself as on the other person’s side and any negative emotion will be directed away from you. That’s one of the better ways to
Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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With the housing market not expected to bottom out until mid-2010, you could probably use a little jolt of laughter to shake the blues that’s plaguing us in this distressed economy.
And after you read this top-ten list, why not share one of your own frigthening comments you’ve heard homesellers make.
1. “This House Pretty Much Survived the Explosion.”
Yes, houses do blow up. Some by gas. Some by fires. Others by meth labs. It’s that last one that should raise a red flag.
2. “The Neighbor Was Released from Prison Yesterday”
Your response to this question should be, “Oh, so…what did he do?” Even if it runs along the gamut of white-collar crime [you know, embezzlement or extortion or tax evasion], nobody wants to live next door to a criminal. Be careful.
3. “Cars Only Drive Fast Down This Road in the Evening”
The operative word, of course, is ONLY. The rest of the time the road is mild. Perhaps there’s the rare Monte Carlo that zips down the road and doesn’t make the turn and ends up in your yard…but no worries. That ONLY happens once a year.
4. “Those Homeowners Back There Just Sold to a Guy Who’s Going to Build Some Apartments”
Hear that sound? It’s the sound of property values dropping. Fast. Run. For. Your. Life.
5. “The Basement Gets Damp When It Rains”
Translated: “Water levels reach about to my knees when it rains…but it’s all gone within a day or two.”
6. “I Think Somebody Died in the Bathroom”
Drug overdose? Murder? Natural death? Help me here. HOW they died is just as important as THAT they died. Though the creepy factor still remains.
7. “My Husband Got Busted Growing Pot in That Room”
The follow up statement from the homeowner might resemble a fumbling recovery, something like, “My eyes. My eyes. I have really bad cataracts. The marijuana helped me…not that I smoke it any more.”
8. “Michael Jackson Was Born Here”
Or, insert any famous, historical person. If that’s the case, you’re likely to get a lot of unwelcomed visitors pausing in front of the house to take pictures or snooping in the backyard or peeping through a window. At least that’s what a potential buyer is probably thinking.
9. “You’ll Be Close to the Airport”
Wonderful, if you’re a commercial pilot. Everyone else, welcome to Camp Insomnia.
10. “Sure, The House Is Settling a Little”
Will it settle more? Maybe. Maybe not. Are you certain about everything in life? Have a little fun. Live large. Take life by the horns. Seize the day. Live over abandoned mine shafts. Besides, it’s a great topic for cocktail conversations.
So, got any juicy zingers homesellers floated your way? Please, share. And if you haven’t already, check out R. U. Darby’s gold mine story. And see what it means to you and your real estate career.
And if you like what you read, subscribe to the real estate marketing blog by email or news feed.
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A question I seem to get a lot lately goes something like this…
I hate to negotiate. But I’m a real estate agent. So, I have to negotiate. How does a conflict averse real estate agents not only negotiate…but negotiate to win?
The answer is simple.
A very rich man once said that getting wealthy wasn’t complex. There were just a handful of basics he had to master.
The same is true with negotiations. Master these six rules of negotiations and you’ll stand to get win-win agreements nearly every time.
1. Start with a Fair Price and Offer
There’s no question that significantly overpricing a home will turn off buyers. Likewise, making an offer that’s far lower than the asking price is practically guaranteed to alienate sellers. It might seem obvious but asking and offering prices should be based on recent sales prices of comparable homes. Make it reasonable. Make it fair.
2. Respect the Other Side’s Priorities
Knowing what’s most important to the person on the other side of the negotiating table can help you avoid pushing too hard on hot or sensitive issues.
For example, a seller who won’t budge on the sales price might be willing to pay more of the transaction costs or make more repairs to the home, while a buyer with an urgent move-in date might be willing to pay a higher portion of the transaction costs or forgo some major repairs.
3. Be Prepared to Compromise
“Win-win” doesn’t mean both the buyer and the seller will get everything they want. It means both sides will win some and give some. Rather than approaching negotiations from an adversarial winner-take-all perspective, focus on your top priorities and don’t let your emotions overrule your better judgment.
4. Meet in the Middle
Can’t decide who will pay the recording fee? Can’t agree on a close-of-escrow date? Arguing over cosmetic repairs? Splitting the difference is a time-honored and often successful negotiation strategy. Pay half the fee. Count off half the days. Fix half the blemishes.
5. Leave it Aside
Politicians and corporate executives are famous for their “for future discussion” agreements. If you have a major sticking point that’s not material to the overall contract (e.g., the purchase of furniture or fixtures), finish the main agreement, then resolve the other difficulties in a side agreement or amendment.
This technique allows both sides to recognize and solidify basic areas of agreement, then move ahead toward a fair compromise on other terms and conditions.
Summarizing the points of agreement in writing is another helpful strategy.
6. Ask for Advice
Successful REALTORS® tend to be experienced negotiators. They’ve seen what works and what doesn’t in countless real estate transactions, and they’ve established a track-record of bringing buyers and sellers together. Consult a trainer about negotiating strategies, win-win compromises and creative alternatives.
Did you find this article useful? If so, leave a comment. And if you like what you read, subscribe to the Real Estate Marketing Blog.
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