Business Action Plan
Prospecting for business is critical in this business. Whatever avenue you follow, do some kind of activity that might produce a client. Success requires some kind of action to get a reaction. And just like comedy, repetitiveness works! Keep marketing the same groups over and over. Whether it is your sphere of influence, a door to door campaign, neighborhood picnics, direct email or post card campaign, or a combination of them all, they will work! But one mail out is not going to work. You must be consistent.
Find an excuse to talk to your sphere of influence. Be an energetic, positive person. (No one wants to work with a failure. So regardless of how things may be going, be positive in responses.)
The hardest part of this business is just doing something. So in addition to your own personal niche groups and strengths (PTA, soccer moms, sports, mixers, business colleagues, dentist), here are some of Keith’s tips on finding clients:
- Build a business plan: First, do an outline of what you plan to do. Think about this. Think about your life and where people are. If you have trouble, make an appointment with Keith to help you. Every day you should have at least an hour or two spent on Real Estate, as part of your routine.
- Direct Mail: Identify your target. It might be a specific subdivision or area. It might be your sphere of influence. Your Facebook friends. Your school reunion. Your email list of people who have emailed you in the past. Your fellow company employees,( if you have another job. ) Parents of your children’s school or neighborhood. Go to nat22.com for two cheap direct mail companies. Call them. (It costs about as much as a stamp and that’s turnkey!)
- Email Campaign: This is one method that can really work well and it’s free! A few times per week, you should email friends with some good news you find on the Internet. This will be your excuse to contact them. Maybe you found a single family swimming pool home for $150,000. Maybe you provide them an update on for sales and solds in their neighborhood. But always- your tag line with signature should say “if you know anyone looking to sell or buy real estate now or in the near future, please contact me. I depend on referrals.”
- Fliers: to a neighborhood or any other similar venues, like schools, church (program ad), recreational events, county mixers, etc. When distributing, wear your embroidered National Realty shirt, to serve as a type of uniform. The Stitching Station at Dulles Town Center mall has our logo. It only cost about $12.
- Referrals: You should ask everyone you meet, not just friends and family if they “know anyone looking to sell or buy real estate now or in the near future.” The key is to ask if they know someone, not if they want to. (This keeps it a soft approach.) Tell them you depend on referrals. Also have your close friends help you. My found my first client because I asked a friend to ask around his office if anyone was looking to sell or buy real estate. I picked up $10,000. In commission, as I got a lead from doing that.
- Past Clients: Both Renters or Sales, need constant contact. Do not just call one day. National Realty Top Producer, Lee Ann Turner, kept in touch with her renter client and a year later her parents hired her to sell their $3.3 million home and buy a $3.5 million home. Had she not stayed in touch, she would not have landed these cases. She brought home $200,000 in commission in two months. This career So keep in touch with everyone. The easiest way is email and invites to your backyard BBQ party. This can get you referrals.
- Listings: Listings will generate more listings and of course thru your direct mail and open houses, they also generate buyers. The best way to get a listing is direct mail on a continual basis to the same neighborhood. The marketing piece can talk about a free CMA, a nearby property for sale, or the newest good deals out there. Keep it worthy of the reader to keep your piece. That is usually the CMA of that neighborhood or other MLS stats. (people always want to know what’s going on around them.)
- BBQ cookouts: These are great networking events. Have your own or go to others. If you are in a community of homes, host all the neighbors as your guest for your announcement party. You can deduct the expense as real estate marketing. Consult with tax attorney for deductions. These are not only easy to get clients, but fun.
- Office Happy Hour: If you have another job: Host a Happy Hour or Pizza party as a nice thing to do for your fellow employees and tell them you need to do this as part of your real estate business. It’s an excuse to let them know you do Real Estate. And kid with them that they have to buy a house to attend, and then say, just kidding. (This softly tells them you are looking for real estate business.)
- Advertise: You can advertise your listings on Craigslist and other Internet media sites, like craigslist.
- For Sale By Owner and Expireds: These are both good avenues that are detailed in the National Realty Training DVD. Knock on the For Sale by Owner doors and see if you can do a presentation. Come to National Realty training meetings and pick up great Listing presentation advantages.
- Personal Niches: You may have unique windows of opportunity that I do not know about. Gets your name out to them using some techniques above.
- Come to National Realty Training Meetings: Synergy sparks enthusiasm. It can spark ideas and help you take the action you know you should. When you drive around, listen to audio training tapes from the library. Get excited about this! You can do it.
Real Estate is an exciting and rewarding career– Try to attend company free training and our Training Center website. When you have any question or concern, call or email Keith.