After earning your realtor’s license, you are ready to build a client base of property buyers and sellers. If you are working with a real estate agency, they will help to market your services. But if you work independently, the following marketing tips could be useful in helping you get started.
Try Direct Marketing
One of the most traditional marketing strategies is also the most successful, and it remains popular today. Consider utilizing a direct mail for realtors’ service that will contact residents in your target market area to inform them of your availability to assist with their housing needs. Wise Pelican is a direct mailing company specifically for realtors. They provide custom mailing lists and hundreds of templates for anyone in the real estate industry with no order minimums.
Reaching potential clients directly can have a stronger impact than waiting for buyers and sellers to browse local properties and contact you if interested. When people know about your interest and any real estate specialties you offer, they may be inclined to get in touch with questions about your services and their housing needs. Use direct mail for realtors to connect with local residents.
Use Social Media
Build a realtor platform by setting up accounts on social media like Facebook, Instagram, Adwords, and Twitter. If you lack the skills or time to organize professional sites, hire an expert to help. It will be worthwhile to post regular content on these accounts that draw thousands of viewers who are looking for exactly what you are selling. You can establish a Web presence while building your brand by launching a podcast or hosting a blog.
Maintain an active Twitter feed with industry updates or community real estate developments. Become the go-to realtor in your area for up-to-date, relevant information on the local housing market. Consider writing trade publication articles or opinion pieces to enhance your credentials.
Keep Networking
Get to know other professionals in your target market who may be able to offer leads. Join the chamber of commerce and participate in scheduled programs as well as routine meet-and-greet events. Find a mentor who can advise you on pitfalls to avoid and risks that are worth taking. Share your expertise with new or younger members who are just starting out.
Register for trade shows or housing conventions where you can get updates on housing news and community development – especially as it pertains to your target housing areas. Partner with other realtors to help each other when someone gets sick or has a family situation to deal with. Maintain a positive outlook and an upbeat attitude to be someone that others like to be around.
Volunteer
Get involved in community events to support important causes. Volunteering is a way to give back to the area in a tangible way in response to the business the residents provide you. Donate to a heartwarming cause like a youth sports league or a family struggling financially after a disaster. Join a fundraising effort for a charity that is expanding services or in need of support. Helping others is an act of kindness that will be appreciated and remembered by the community when people reach the decision to buy or sell a home.
Stay Connected
Follow up on a direct mail campaign with a phone call or friendly visit to say hello. Take along a small gift of fresh flowers or chocolates for clients you have worked with in the past. Being remembered and offered a gift will reinforce the original working relationship and maintain the realty connection for repeat business or referrals. A friendly e-card or a mailed greeting card for holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries provide a thoughtful touch to previous or prospective housing clients.
Do Extra
Many housing clients will ask for special favors. They might need information about local utilities in a particular area, or they might ask you to show them a property early in the day or at an inconvenient time. Be willing to provide a little extra assistance when feasible to show your commitment to the industry and to your clients. Not only will they be pleased and appreciative but they will also likely inform friends and coworkers who may decide to work with you when their housing needs arise.
Be Courteous
Realtors can become fatigued and exasperated when buyers find fault with every property they go to see. You may want to rush the walk-through visit or snap at someone who asks the same question four times in an hour but restrain those impulses.
It always pays to be patient and professional when dealing with difficult people. If you get to the point where you cannot deal with the client any longer, ask a colleague for help and be willing to return the favor. Try to never let a client down, as negative impressions spread quickly throughout the community.
Maintain Professionalism
When working with clients or other realtors, keep your relationships professional. Don’t get too chummy and casual, or you may be taken advantage of. Dress in business casual outfits when showing a property or attending meetings. People react to others in part by the way they dress and behave in public. Avoid profanity, loud laughing, and crude jokes along with other unprofessional actions.
Summary
You can become the realtor that everyone wants to work with by following tips like these. Be yourself but also become part of the community and offer your best service to clients and colleagues alike.
