You do not need to change your lifestyle to give into the economy, you simply need to change your business plan to work more effectively in the current economy. Different market conditions equals the need to change your marketing tactics. You as a real estate agent, a sales person, an employee simply have to understand that we are in a MORE economy and as you and your family are use to a certain income, a certain lifestyle….unless you make changes now that income will lessen and you will have to stop many of the so called “Extra” things in your life.
The easiest way to explain is the 5 = 25 theory, which I came up with during my coaching and sales training over the last 4 months. You have to understand that there is still plenty of business out there you simply need to reach out to more people to attain your expected lifestyle. If in 2005 for every 5 prospects/clients you were working with turned into money that substantiated your income….currently now in 2008 you need a higher number to maintain that same income, so you may need 25 prospects/clients. Some of you may be on a 10 = 50 or a 25 = 100 situation. Regardless of the ratio you get the point that MORE IS NECESSARY. Means more leads, more marketing, more prospecting, more open houses, more networking, more calling your Sphere of Influence, more knocking on FSBOs doors, etc. Let us not forget your income potential is unlimited regardless of market conditions.
Do not allow the Economy to control you…..make sure you are always in control!!
Or should I say what are you NOT THINKING! I am just blown away by the amount real estate agents I am speaking to across this nation that are stopping their marketing efforts in the current MORE ECONOMY. That just makes absolutely no Common Sense unless you are getting out of real estate!?
It is absolutely imperative that you are dedicated to MORE continued marketing, proper/better follow up and additional coaching/education….now, more than ever! Let’s break it down: Interest rates are still at all time lows; FHA has lowered (yet again) the qualification requirements for buyers; There are different tax credits for first time home buyers; homes are still being bought and sold everyday. Everything around you is trying to make it as easy as possible for you to be successful in the current market however, so many of you are not seeing this as incredible opportunity instead you want to bury your head in the sand and wait for the storm to pass.
Those that fight properly through this storm will find incredible success. Many new millionaires will emerge from this current economy…..are you strong enough to be one of them?
I truly do not care what the “state of the market” is nor do I care what CNN dictates as a dismal future in the real estate market. What I do care about is the size of my Pipeline! I know that every day houses are being bought and sold!! I must get in contact with as many potential buyers and sellers as possible and putting them into my ProspectMaximizer (CRM) and following up with them through Phone Calls, Visits, Emails and Mailings until they buy, sell or refinance.
In this market I must be adding AT LEAST 4 new prospects to my pipeline for every 1 lost and making sure that they are followed up with automatically and physically so that I can guarantee my 4+ settlements every month. I must use Online Lead Generation as well as Traditional Methods of Lead Generation to ensure that I meet my goal of the biggest Pipeline around. I must tell myself that the only Bogus or Bad lead is the one I do not have and I will do everything in my power to get those leads into my pipeline. I will spend money on Increasing The Size of my Pipeline because I believe in my abilities to turn those leads into clients and then commissions. My pipeline can never be too big if I am using the proper CRM tool and I have the right team of people in place.
So please, do me a favor, make sure the size of your Pipeline measures up to the demands of your goals and your current market conditions so that you can have a long and happy real estate career.
We’ve established that blogs are a great way to keep your name and services in front of potential customers, but after you start a blog, how do you promote the fact that you have one?
There are a variety of websites out there with the specific purpose of promoting your blog. The best part is, the sites we link to below will promote your blog FOR FREE! All you have to do is tell these sites where to find your content by submitting a link to your blog, or your blog’s RSS feed, aka Real Simple Syndication. (For an explanation of RSS, check out this link from RSSPad)
Below is a list of our favorite blog networks, with examples of the type of FREE exposure they can provide your blog.
BlogCatalog proclaims itself to be the “blogger social network,” and submitting your blog into their free feed is actually part of the registration process (see a BlogCatalog page example).
Does anyone out there have any other sites to share with FREE blog syndication for real estate agents? Feel free to share in the comments and we will add them to our list.
We encourage agents all the time to use the promotional power of the internet to their advantage. But we can talk about it until we’re blue in the face – are there any agents out there actually doing it?
One agent in Kansas City is using a series of blogs for ALL THE RIGHT REASONS. Chris Lengquist of Keller Williams Realty, Diamond Partners, Inc., operates one of the best blogs a real estate agent can about Kansas City Real Estate Investing.
Dating back to January 2006, Chris has used his blog to cover real estate headlines in Kansas City and create conversation about the community. Nearly every one of his blog posts generates multiple comments from his readers, which Chris then uses to build social relationships. Like we’ve said in our Real Estate Followup Plan podcasts, you never know when a relationship is going to turn into a lead or referral. Even if the person you’re speaking to isn’t in the market to buy or sell, it doesn’t mean they don’t know someone who is.
In addition to using his blogs to build relationships and show off his expertise in KC real estate, Chris does an awesome job of allowing his readers to get to know him. Without spending much time on Chris’s blog, readers learn that he is a genuine family man who loves Kansas Jayhawks basketball. How many of your prospects know information like that about you after your first meeting?
Chris uses his blog as a tool for marketing and lead generation by positioning himself as an expert and letting readers to get to know him as a person. Because he is so easy to like after reading his blog, he makes his services easy to buy… and remember, people would much rather buy than be sold to.
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it 1000 times - if you want to boost your real estate business, make sure you have a STRONG presence on the Internet. As much as old-school agents may want to deny it, the majority of your prospective clients are going online to get real estate information nowadays.
The question is, are they finding YOU when they do it? Or is it your competitor that catches their eye? Luckily, more and more agents ARE getting on the web and attempting to make themselves known on the ‘Net…but we’ve still got a ways to go.
We get it, you’re a real estate agent, not a web designer, nor an Internet marketer. But just because you don’t have experience with something, doesn’t mean you can’t learn, especially with all the resources on the web. We found a great online guide to real estate marketing made easy that is perfect for beginners or those slightly more advanced. Read over it, then compare your site to some of the common problems listed - if you do still have a ton of Internet marketing “no-nos” it’s time to make some changes.
Sorry people, as exciting as frames, moving text and ridiculously flashy graphics are, they’re just NOT user OR search engine friendly. And if you want to be adding hundreds or thousands of new leads to your pipeline year after year, you need to make sure it is!
In this podcast Rory, Steve, Dave and Marc Hargraves discuss a recent article highlighting the crucial points in servicing your customers. Don’t let your job control you, or you will quickly become overwhelmed. If you take care of your customers, success will surely follow.
Remember, the guys are very passionate about real estate and having the right attitude and they say some things and use some words that might make you blush…so please listen with an open mind.
Successful Lead Generation is solely dependent upon the sales representative who works the lead. If you do not have a solid follow up and/or contact management system you are doing yourself and all marketing dollars a severe injustice. In doing sales training this morning for a small group of reps ranging in experience from 2 months to 25 years it amazes me how proper follow up systems are often overlooked and how the most experienced sales rep can easily fall into a state of complacency, not due to the lead but due to their inability to commit to a follow up system.
I truly find that most of the unsuccessful sales representatives or the ones complaining about business or the lack there of is due highly to their inability or unwillingness to properly follow up with a lead. Reality has to truly kick you in the a** sooner or later to show that not all leads are going to “Pay Out” today. They must be put into a CRM and/or a consistent follow up system for successful conversion.
Truth be told….Leads are everywhere! Thanks to the power of the internet and various other technologies, the ability to gain access to individuals that have an interest in the product or service you offer is easier than ever. Calling a lead only 1 time and emailing the lead only2 times does not equate to a strong plan for success.
In this podcast Rory, Steve and Dave introduce GetMyHomesValue.com VP Mark Hargraves and discuss a recent RISMedia article outlining 9 things consumers don’t care about…but agents tend to brag about. Let your actions do the talking!
Remember, the guys are very passionate about real estate and having the right attitude and they say some things and use some words that might make you blush…so please listen with an open mind.
