It’s amazing how such small errors can cause such costly real estate fails. Call them stop signs, speed bumps, or potholes, these seemingly small errors can interrupt the flow of your messages, rendering them useless. Readers who had been nodding their heads in agreement or thinking “I didn’t know that,” will suddenly stop reading. They […]
Google cares about grammar
Real estate grammar matters: When you are well-spoken, you garner respect. When you use good grammar & spelling in writing, you communicate clearly. When you communicate clearly, you’ll get more listings and help more buyers. When you communicate clearly, you’ll have an easier time getting to closing. Grammar goofs, misspelled words, and typos interrupt the […]
When the words they read are a prospect’s first impression of you…
Because your words are often a prospect’s first impression of you, one careless email, letter, or blog post can cost you a listing. Before homeowners invite you into their living room, they’re judging your professionalism by your words. Your website, emails, blog posts, and prospecting letters all help answer one question: Can I trust this […]
What do you think when you see a sign that says: “Big sale on Banana’s?”
Do you wonder about the price of bananas? Do you cringe at the misspelling? Or does your mind come up with a sarcastic thought like “Banana’s what is on sale? What does a banana own?” (Yes, that would be me.) It’s been a long while since I’ve harped about grammar and word usage, but the […]
Marketing fail: Anatomy of a terrible prospecting letter
This has been my week for receiving lame promotions. Yesterday it was a prospecting letter that’s a true marketing fail. I have to give this woman credit just for trying, because so few in our area bother with prospecting, but… Oh boy what a mess her letter is. I was sorely tempted to write and […]
More mistakes that can destroy your marketing message
When you take the time to write – whether it’s a blog post, a web page, a prospecting letter, or a simple email to a client – you want people to read it. Most copywriting gurus will tell you that the purpose of the headline is to get people to read the first sentence. The […]
Do you want to lose a potential client because you have bad manners?
Or… do you want to lose a potential client because your blog posts and spoken words show you don’t know the basic rules of grammar? I didn’t think so. I’m being picky again… Sorry, but I do think some potential clients might cross an agent off their list for breaking these basic rules of etiquette […]
“Too much also”
Several times lately I’ve seen a silly error in blog posts and emails. It’s one that makes the writer look like perhaps he or she lost the train of thought, or maybe did a re-write and forgot to remove something. But, perhaps that’s not it, because I hear the same thing over the phone – […]
Perspective vs. Prospective: The Real Estate Grammar Mistake That’s Killing Your Credibility
Here’s a common word usage error that can throw a huge stop sign in the middle of your real estate marketing message: the use of “perspective” when you mean “prospective.” Just to clarify… Perspective is a noun with a Latin root meaning “look through” or “perceive,” and all the meanings of perspective have something to […]
Don’t put your trust in grammar checker
Grammar checker can lead you far astray… One day not long ago I was working on a new letter set. This one was for prospecting to tenants. I was writing about how house payments can now sometimes be less than rent payments for comparable housing. In the call to action, I wrote an invitation to call, and […]