Prospecting is one of those activities that real estate agents know they must do, but one that gets shoved to the bottom of the list during busy times.
They might remember to hand out a business card when they meet someone new, but getting a marketing piece written and sent to their sphere of influence or their client leads gets put off from day to day. Pretty soon they realize that it’s been months since they’ve gotten in touch with those important people.
One reason for that is that most real estate agents tend to start all over from scratch with each prospecting effort. And, when you’re tired from a long day of dealing with a variety of people and situations, sitting down to write a letter can be just “too much.”
But you don’t need to fall into that trap, because there’s a simple cure.
Use the non-busy time to set up autoresponders and pre-load them with messages. Then set those messages to go out at the intervals you choose.
Your prospecting will then be happening even when you’re too busy to think about it.
Set up at least three autoresponders – or rather, three categories in your autoresponder.
You can set one to mail to your past clients and sphere of influence – so that you’ll maintain top of mind awareness with them and they’ll remember to send you referrals. This list should hear from you on specific dates, such as the 10th of each month.
Then place “capture forms” on your website – one for buyers and one for sellers. If you wish, you can even create different forms and thus different lists for different kinds of buyers and sellers.
You may already have something set up to let buyers tell you what they’re looking for in a house – but not all buyers are ready for that. So in addition to a home search, offer them a special report of some kind, then follow that up with other useful information every few days.
What kind of report? That depends upon who you are targeting on your web pages. If you want first time buyers, send them a report that helps them decide if now is the time for them to buy. Follow that up with a checklist and other information that’s useful in helping them decide what they really want and need in that first home.
If you’re targeting relocating buyers, send them some good information about the community. Then follow up with letters that outline the superior service they’ll get with you as their buyer’s agent.
Your website might also offer sellers an on-line market analysis. Why not follow that up with an offer to do a no-obligation analysis based on seeing the home? Then follow that up with promotional letters outlining the steps sellers need to take before listing a home, an overview of the current market, and promotion about how you market your listings.
As long as you keep sending useful information, those buyers and sellers will welcome your emails. And – the useful information will position you in their minds as an agent who “knows your stuff.”
You don’t have time to write those letters?
Good – that means you’re busy. So use some of mine instead. You’ll find more than 40 choices on my real estate prospecting letters page.
