A few years ago Active Rain published the results of a survey they took to determine the difference in activities between successful agents, agents who were just getting by, and agents who were not doing at all well.
They found some big differences between agents who earned $100,000 or more per year and those who earn $35,000 or less.
One of those differences is contact management. Rich agents stay in touch with past, present, and future clients.
And it pays off. A report just released by the National Association of REALTORS revealed that 42% of buyers and 39% of sellers chose to work with someone who was referred to them. And who refers people to you? Friends and family, of course – but also past clients.
Another difference is in what they spend on technology and marketing / prospecting. On average, rich agents spend more in a month than poor agents spend in a year.
I know, that’s along the lines of the chicken and the egg question. How can you spend more if you aren’t earning more? Wise beginners start by spending what they can afford, then increase it as they see a return on that investment.
Rich agents also hire help. They get someone else to take care of necessary activities that don’t involve being face-to-face with clients. For instance, writing prospecting letters, writing community pages, putting up and taking down signs, entering data in MLS, and washing their car.
And… they blog. In fact, the most successful agents blog on more than one platform. Why? For the contacts of course, and for the added content on their websites, but also for the search engine optimization gained from all those links back to their websites.
Are you doing rich agent activities? If not, why not start today?
Get out your files, enter all your past clients into a database, and begin staying in touch.
If it’s been a while, start with my Past Client Letters. Then make it a point to contact those folks at least every month or two.