DOMINATING



Get an overview of geographic farming. Establish the right expectations and mindset. Identify your motivation for sticking to your goals.
A geographic farm, or geo farm for short, is simply marketing and developing your business and relationships within a neighborhood, or multiple neighborhoods or even in high rise buildings.
Effectively working a geographic farm can provide your business with a predictable and highly profitable level of annual sales.
The two main elements of working a farm successfully:
1.Consistency of Contact. The homeowners must hear from you, see you and receive something from you on a very regular basis. Become the recognizable expert in the area.
2.Bringing Value. Your knowledge and expertise are valuable. You can become the area’s go-to expert by consistently bringing information and service to the homeowners.
To take full advantage of all the exciting information in this course, it’s important to identify if you’re feeling any resistance as you learn. It’s natural to have fears and concerns when hearing new methods and ideas. But know that those fears aren’t based in reality. If you follow the farming system outlined for you in this course, you will see results.
The key to success is to follow your plan consistently. Relentlessly.
Some agents might send out a mailer every once in a while to a neighborhood and think they’re farming. The truth is, they are not putting nearly enough time or energy into it to succeed. To really work a farm, you need to provide personal service. You need to get to know the people in the area. To know who’s thinking of moving and make yourself available to homeowners. Be clear about the services you can provide, above and beyond the sale of a home.
Remember you need to outwork your competition. Any agent can leave flyers on doors, but the one who takes the time to establish themself on the top of the consideration set in the neighborhood will win. Building a geographic farm isn’t a short-term effort—it’s a long game that will set you up to reap amazing rewards for your hard work for years to come.
Here are some statements that can help you establish the right expectations from the start, so you’re set up for success in geographic farming:
I’m dedicated to genuinely serving the people who live within my chosen geographic farm—to invest my time, energy and expertise in the community.
I’m ready to take a systematic approach to my marketing efforts— meaning, I’ll design a plan of action and commit to it, no matter what. I’m prepared to work on my farm for at least six months, regardless of whether I see a return. I’m laying the groundwork for huge business growth.
Why is geographic farming a must to you? What's motivating you to want to do better? What drives you toward greatness? Your "Why" keeps you going. Gets you unstuck. Your "Why" is your most powerful tool to stay in action, so be honest with yourself.
Time to set big goals that will bring you closer to your dream self and your dream real estate business. Make them specific and actionable.
Spend time daily developing the right attitude to make your business more successful. Start by noticing any negative or defeating thoughts and using your best defense—your gratitude list.
To dominate the field, you need to get out on the field. This means door knocking, holding open houses and making calls. Make sure you're ready. Practice your scripts at least 10 minutes a day. See sample scripts toward the back of this training guide.
Learn the difference between check equity and sweat equity. Understand the various marketing tactics using check vs. sweat equity. Create a marketing budget for geographic farming.
There’s no shortage of marketing ideas that you could consider incorporating into your geographic farming strategy. However, most experienced geographic farmers will tell you that while it’s important to have a storehouse of quality ideas, what matters most is having a systematic plan of execution. Regardless of your budget, you must be consistent to be successful. Take a look at the ideas on the following pages to determine which strategies should be a part of your action plan.
Geographic farming can run up a bill fast. That being the case, it’s important for you to assess where you are financially, to avoid overextending yourself. You may be tempted to throw money at a variety of marketing ideas. Before you do, it's best to explore these marketing options requiring little to no cost:
Contact the owners of expired listings (old and new), for-sale-by-owners (FSBOs - old and new) and Zillow Make Me Move (MMM) listings as they occur in your farm.
Work to build a rock-solid outreach plan that entails lots of follow-up and be sure to lean on the “What You Say Matters: Agent Script Book” for effective dialogues.
Engage in the community by contributing useful information through established Facebook, Nextdoor and LinkedIn Groups twice weekly. Keep in mind, if you don’t live in the community you farm, gaining access to these types of forums could be challenging. The Groups may also have strict solicitation policies to follow, so pay attention. You can position yourself as knowledgeable by offering eye-catching community information, such as tips on local points of interest. And bring value by answering questions neighbors may have.
Get active with local organizations.
Attend meetings of the homeowners association (HOA), parent-teacher association (PTA) and/or community business association.
Sponsor or participate in community festivals, events or concerts. If cost is a factor, sponsorship may not be an available option—but that doesn’t have to stop you from getting involved and making new connections.
Identify absentee owners in your farm.
Plan to make calls to each of them 4-6 times a year to discover if they've had thought of selling.
Go door knocking weekly.
As a goal, try to get face-to-face with every homeowner in your farm area six times a year. Make sure you keep track of names, the conversations you have and houses where no one answers. You might consider using a doorknocking app to be systematic in your approach.
Conduct open houses and/or mega open houses regularly. Host a mega open house for every listing you take in your farm area. You can take our course, "Make Money Now With Open Houses," for the full scoop on this strategy. Even if you don’t have any listings in your farm area, ask another agent if you can host an open house at one of their listings.
CHECK EQUITY
Six months of consistent “sweat equity” in your geographic farm, and it’s a safe bet that you’ve generated sufficient resources to scale up your marketing efforts. Review the following strategies and ideas to build out an unstoppable geographic farming plan.
Send or door-drop bulk mailers (“direct mail”) 2-3 times each month. If you’ve already had multiple sales in the area, start with two mailers a month. If not, plan three mailers a month for 90 days and then shift down to only two per month thereafter. Here are some tips for direct mail:
Check your company's direct mail solutions. Google "best real estate agent farming materials." Check with your post office about Every Door Direct Mail services. This can reduce your postage costs significantly!
If sending mail is cost prohibitive, consider distributing the materials on foot.
Advertise in widely read local publications. You may also consider an organic advertising route, which means contributing free content to the publication, like a weekly column, for instance.
Advertise using display signage near crowded or popular areas. This could include billboards, bus benches, grocery carts or even your open house pointer signs.
Run advertising on Facebook and Instagram. You'll reach the greater market, including your farm.
Run Google Search ads.
Once again, the objective here is to drive prospective sellers and/or buyers to a web page with some type of content/access they’d find useful, such as home valuation or property search. Of course, in exchange for that content/access, they’d be required to submit contact information.
(Note: Make sure you understand what is and is not permitted by regulators. Just as the technology is always changing, so are the industry regulations governing it.)
Host at least one community event in your farm area per year. These can be from aerial views
Create community videos.
Name and tag them appropriately, post them on YouTube and share them via social. From aerial views to "drive time tours"—the more videos you shoot showcasing the community, the more searchable you'll be for the homeowners and shoppers.
Bottom line: by doing combinations of these and other marketing tactics, you will scale your trust and become "the agent" for a larger percentage of homeowners in your farm.
Calculate how much you can spend on your weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual marketing tactics.
Ads in local publications
Billboards and other display signage
Hosting community events
Direct mail (2x/month)
Flyers
Facebook & Instagram Ads
Google & YouTube Ads
Video production:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Total Marketing Expenses:
Calculate your budget with the worksheet provided.
Practice your scripts at least 10 minutes a day.
Learn the six guidelines for choosing the right farm. Discover the number of properties you should start with if you're new to geo farming. Get clear on the annual turnover rate that's considered healthy for a geographic farm. Identify what you need in place before marketing to your chosen farm.
You may have the picture-perfect farming strategy in mind—great content, powerful messaging, and a suite of stellar marketing campaigns ready to go; however, if you target the wrong area, the strategy simply won’t work. The first step to successful geographic farming boils down to choosing the right place to farm. Consider the six guidelines listed below to help you choose a farm.
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It’s always best to start out where you have a track record of sales or where you already know lots of homeowners. If you’re newer to the business, start where your company has dominant brand recognition. Consider uploading your database into Google Maps to get a clear picture of the communities in which you have an established track record.
Determine how many properties you can effectively and consistently manage in relation to the amount of marketing and/or prospecting activities you plan to conduct. Starting out with 250 to 500 properties is typically a good place to get going. If you’re farming a building, try starting with just one building. It also comes down to your budget. Later on this document will get into some rather costly marketing strategies—so know your budget up front.
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Is there a dominant listing agent in the area? Unless you can articulate a clear, obvious and beneficial degree of separation from that agent, it’s generally not worth trying to infiltrate an area where the dominant agent has more than a 30% market share. You’ll just be fighting an uphill and expensive battle.
Avoid selecting a farm area with strict solicitation bylaws or one that is guard-gated—especially if you plan to incorporate door-knocking as a part of your strategy. It’s also important to consider the landscape of the farm area. If the properties are scattered miles apart from each other, it could impede your ability to distribute marketing materials.
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Do you like the neighborhood? You may decide to farm your own personal neighborhood or you may not. It’s your prerogative. Ultimately, the area you select should align with your goals: price point, location, property styles, and so on.
A healthy geographic farm has a rate of turnover greater than 6%. To calculate for yourself, simply divide the number of properties sold over the past 12 months by the total number of residences in the farm area. For instance, if your farm contains 1,000 homes and 100 sold last year, its turnover rate is 10%. You may gather this information by way of your MLS or try consulting with your managing broker.
The purpose of having a turnover rate of 6% or more is to ensure that enough properties are selling to warrant investing your time, energy, and resources into farming the area. Don't start farming in an area where the turnover rate is low!
Frankly, if homeowners move in and stay put for life, you could have the best marketing the world has ever seen, and it won’t matter because you can’t motivate people to move. You can only position your services at the right time, with the right message, and in the right place.
Now, is there a point at which the rate of turnover is too high? Yes and no—it depends on the market. If too many people are moving out of an area all at once, it could create a resale bottleneck. It there aren’t enough buyers to “absorb” the inventory, days on market will start to stack up. Because of that, prices will begin to dip. If you spot these conditions, it’s probably not an area right for farming.
Before you begin marketing to your chosen farm, it’s important that you develop a strong online presence so that when someone searches on Google, Bing or YouTube, they can find you. Below are some important steps to get you started.
To help build your online presence, be sure to have the following in place:
A home valuation landing page.
Consider using targeted social media ads and/or bulk mail marketing to drive prospective sellers in your farm area to the landing page.
For help setting up a home valuation landing page, you may consider looking into these service providers:
Home Value Leads
Easy Agent Pro
Listings to leads
Kunversion
Cloud CMA
BoomTown ROI
GeographicFarm.com
Placster
Real Geeks
Prime Seller Leads
Set up or update the following online profiles:
Website(s) - yours, your company's
Zillow
Trulia
Realtor
Google Business Page
Bing
Yelp
Nextdoor Business Page
Your online profiles should contain the following:
Your full name and contact info
Professional-looking, up-to-date headshot(s)
Links to your website(s) and social networks
Succinct biography
Cities, areas or markets in which you specialize
Unique professional skills or expertise
If possible, add a video of you
If possible, a map of your transactions/reach in the community.
Know everything about the area you choose, including:
The history of the community, including the master developer and how the community has changed over the years
The schools
Number of homes in the community
Number of active listings
Number of pending listings
Number of sold listings
Number of expireds
Number of cancelled listings
Number of withdrawn listings
Average list price
Average sales price
Average days on market
Number of houses you have sold in the farming area
The best way to know your community is to make studying the daily hot sheets a part of your morning routine.
Learn the essentials for effectively making contact with your geographic farm.
Create a calendar like this with daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual marketing activities. Commit to following this calendar for at least six months.
What will you accomplish this month? WEEKLY PLAN: List the marketing tasks you'll focus on each day:
Market to, call or door knock throughout the farm, focusing on:
Expireds & FSBOs
Social Posts/Stories/Going Live
Follow - Up on Leads
4 Door Knock/Drop 10 times
BI - WEEKLY
Houses
QUARTERLY
What will you accomplish this quarter?
What will you accomplish every other week? ANNUALLY What's happening this year?
Market to, call or door knock throughout the farm, focusing on:
Expireds & FSBOs
Follow Up on Leads
Social Posts/Stories/Going Live Vlog/Show Expireds & FSBOs
Market to, call or door knock throughout the farm, focusing on:
Social Posts/Stories/Going Live Neighborhood FB Group Posts
Follow Up on Leads
Google and YouTube Ads PTA Meetings HOA Meetings
Market to, call or door knock throughout the farm, focusing on:
Expireds & FSBOs
Social Posts/Stories/Going Live Facebook/IG Ads
Follow - Up on Leads
Market to, call or door knock throughout the farm, focusing on:
Expireds & FSBOs
Follow - Up on Leads
Google and YouTube Ads Google and YouTube Ads Google and YouTube Ads Google and YouTube Ads Google and YouTube Ads
Social Posts/Stories/Going Live Social Posts/Stories/Going Live
Market to, call or door knock throughout the farm, focusing on:
Expireds & FSBOs
Follow - Up on Leads
When your marketing is relevant, it calls your audience to action. Use the following list of ideas to power your geographic farming campaigns—whether they take the form of postcards, reports, digital downloads, emails, door-knocking dialogues, online ads or any other strategy discussed in this training.
Yikes Campaign: a piece indicating that listings are in short supply, so qualified buyers are making competing offers, which is driving sale prices up (You may represent a hopeful buyer or a popular listing.)
Client Testimonial: a blurb speaking highly of your services alongside a photo of the client posted on social.
Home Valuation: a piece directing homeowners to a web page to receive an automatic price estimate
Market Update: a report with charts/graphs describing market trends specific to the farm area
Sports/Arts Calendar: a schedule of games or performances for a local athletics team or performance theatre
Social Proof: a map with dropped pins to display your sales in the farm area. It could also be a picture collage of your active, pending, and closed listings
Featured Listing: a piece highlighting an area listing
CMA Offer: an offer to perform a free, no obligation comparative market analysis, which will require a visit to the property prior to being able to produce a reliable report
Reasons Why: a piece outlining reasons why a prospective seller should take action (e.g. “Reasons to list during the holidays,” etc.)
Quirky Holidays: a piece imparting well-wishes on an unusual holiday or special day (e.g. “Workaholic’s Day," “Science Fiction Day,” or “Opposite Day”)
Service Differentiator: a piece emphasizing some aspect of the experience you provide to seller clients (e.g. professional photography, video marketing, home staging, bridge loans, etc.)
Success Insight: a powerful data point or statistic that makes you or the market look good (e.g. a strong list-price to sale-price ratio, low days on market, appreciating values, and so on)
Case Studies: a big-time sale or a unique tactic you employed to produce impressive results, documented and told in story form
Local Business Spotlight: a piece featuring a local business owner or a shop located (or soon to be located) in the farm area
Best-of List: a piece ranking the top contenders of a certain category (e.g. "Best Christmas lights,” “Best lawns,” “Best coffee shops,” etc.)
Event Invitation: a request for neighbors to attend an open house or to visit your booth/table at an upcoming event
Pro Tips: best practices, ideas or warnings for prospective sellers that ultimately position you as the local expert (e.g. “4 tips for getting your home ready to sell”)
Seller Guide: a document or pamphlet outlining the process of selling a property
Coupons: discounts for local businesses or preferred vendors
Why You: a piece laying out the most compelling reason(s) to hire you
Learn a follow up campaign you can implement in order to generate more appointments.
Remember the saying, “Speed to lead?” Your follow up should begin as quickly as a lead comes in. Don’t make the mistake of waiting a day or two. By then, the lead is cold.
Leads generally arrive in one of two ways:
1. They might call directly. Ask qualifying questions and then set an appointment.
2. They might go to your website and get a current market value. If they do that, you can choose from these follow ups:
Drop off your listing package and door-knock their home. Put them in your database. Start following up them until they hire you. Retarget them using Google.
Remember, all the money is made in conversion. Follow up and nurture your leads until you convert them into clients.
SESSION 5 · FOLLOW UP PLAN
Hi, my name is (NAME) with (COMPANY), how are you today?
I wanted to give you a quick update on the real estate market, last month in (city/town/community/building) we had (#) sales, of which (#) sold above asking price ... were you aware of this?
(option) And ... we have more buyers (#) then properties for sale (#) ... So I was curious, what thoughts have you had of selling?
How long have you lived here? (Great)
What brought you to (COMMUNITY NAME) (Excellent)
If you were to move ... where would you move to? (Great)
When would that be?
Do you happen to know anyone who has had thoughts of selling?
Thanks so much, if I can ever be of service, here my card/contact info ... have a great day!
SESSION 5 · FOLLOW UP PLAN
Yikes! Door Knocking Dialogues
Hi, I’m (NAME) with (COMPANY). How are you today?
I’m stopping by to let you know your neighbor’s home at (ADDRESS) just sold with multiple buyers writing offers ... did you hear about that? And I was curious ... Have you had thoughts of selling?
1.(If yes) Wonderful... I know our clients would love to see the home... (Qualify for their motivation)
2.(If no) I understand... it’s a very desirable neighborhood... I promised the buyers I would ask... who do you know who wants to sell their home? (Terrific)
a.[No Homes For Sale] Thanks so much... if you ever change your mind... here’s my card. Have a nice day!
Hi, I’m (NAME) with (COMPANY), how are you today?
I’m representing some clients who really want to live/own in your neighborhood... and there’s no homes for sale... Do you happen to know ANYONE... who’s had any thoughts of selling?
How about yourself... have you had thoughts of selling?
1.(If yes) Wonderful, I know our clients would love to see your home... (Qualify for their motivation)
2.(If no) Thanks so much… if you ever change your mind… here’s my card. Have a nice day!
SESSION 5 · FOLLOW UP PLAN
Select your farm using the guidelines provided.
Assess your overall online presence, including your landing page and/or website as well as your online profiles. When people search online, make sure they can find you, and make sure you’re presenting yourself as the local market expert.
Create your marketing plan and implement it.
Once the leads start coming in, follow up and nurture them until you get that appointment!
Practice your scripts for 10 minutes a day.
Learn the numbers you need to keep track of to measure your ROI.
Geographic farming is a lead source, and—like any other lead source—you have to continue your marketing efforts to see meaningful results. Your job is to pay attention to the big-picture numbers, adjust as necessary, and remain consistent. Use the chart below to track and measure your marketing efforts. Recreate this in a spreadsheet format.
MARKETING STRATEGY (EX.DIRECT MAIL,DOOR KNOCK,AD, ETC.)
HOWMUCH DIDTHE MARKETING STRATEGY COST?
LEAD(S)
#OFCONVOS BEFORETHE APPOINTMENT
BUYER APPT(S)
SELLER APPT(S)
CONTRACT(S) SIGNED
TRANSACTION(S) CLOSED
COMMISSION EARNED
"When performance is measured, performance improves." — Pearson's Law
4 2 5 1 6 7 8 3
SESSION 1: WHAT IS A MEGA OPEN HOUSE?
the #1 ranked Real Estate Coach, welcomes you to the training and shares how to execute open houses that stand out and generate a lot of leads. It’s common for fears and doubts to arise about hosting open houses. This course will help you to overcome them.
SESSION 2: BUDGETING FOR OPEN HOUSES
Learn how to budget for open houses and account for your expenses.
SESSION 3: SELECTING AN OPEN HOUSE
Discover the criteria for choosing the right property to host open. And learn when it should be a mega!
SESSION 4: PREPARING FOR OPEN HOUSES
Prepping is critical to the success of your open houses. Learn the preparation tips that will help you crush your next open house.
SESSION 5: YOUR MARKETING PLAN
Get proven strategies for driving traffic to your open house.
SESSION 6: OPEN HOUSE GAME PLAN
Here’s what to do before, during and after an open house.
SESSION 7: FOLLOW UP AND NURTURE PLANS
Tips for effective follow up campaigns that can generate more appointments and nurture potential clients.
SESSION 8: TRACK & MEASURE
Learn the numbers you need to track to ensure your marketing efforts are paying off.
Understand the difference between a mega and a traditional open house.
Learn the most common fears and how to overcome them.
Identify your motivation for sticking to your goals.
A mega open house is a party you host for the neighborhood to introduce your client’s house to the local market and position you as the listing agent.
Most lead sources (e.g., geographic farming, online leads, etc.) take considerable time to yield any type of return on investment (ROI). Not open houses! Granted, results will vary, but you could host an open house and write a contract that same day. Think about it: an open house is a property into which a future client literally walks through the front door. In a way, it’s like a customer visiting a retail store to shop. When a person visits an open house, it’s likely that, on some level, they’re contemplating a move. It’s up to you to create a meaningful connection and, ultimately, acquire their business.
So, whether it’s a traditional open house or a mega open house, think about it as a marketing event where future clients are literally walking through the door and engaging with you.
Hosting open houses, the right way, has the potential to produce a ton of opportunities for you. The potential is there—all you need is a solid plan and disciplined execution. Maybe you think open houses are a massive drain on time. While that may have been your past experience, it’s not your future. Follow the proven strategies in this course, and you’ll discover how open houses can produce more leads and more appointments, which will add up to more money in your pocket.
You might experience some common fears and doubts when it comes to hosting open houses. Here are some of the most common concerns followed by some simple tips to overcome them:
1. “I don’t have any listings of my own!”
Don’t let that stop you. Use the following script to reach out to established listing agents at your office who may be willing to lend you a listing for an open house. Be sure to schedule and begin promoting your open house at least one week prior to the event date. Here’s the script to make the ask:
Hi [AGENT’S NAME], I saw you have a new listing on [123 BANANA STREET] and I wanted to ask you if you would allow me the opportunity to host an open house there on [DATE] at [TIME]? Thanks!
2. “No one ever signs in!”
People gravitate toward devices. Try ditching your paper sign-in sheet and start using tablets with a digital sign-in app. If you want to stick to a paper sign-in sheet, try pre-populating a couple of pretend names at the top of the sheet to set a precedent. As guests arrive, try using this greeting:
Hi, I’m [NAME] with [COMPANY]. What’s your name? • Hi [NAME], thanks for stopping in. Please enjoy some [FOOD], tour the property freely, and be sure to let me know what questions come up. First though, please sign in so we have a record of your attendance today and can keep you updated about this home.
3. “Every attendee already has an agent!”
It’s critical to conduct a lot of promotion for your upcoming open house. Otherwise, only serious buyers deep into the house hunt are likely to attend —and it's the serious buyers who are probably already working with an agent.
Before making changes in how you approach open houses, determine if any negative experiences are one-offs or if they are frequent enough to warrant a change of strategy or tactics. If you only host open houses every once in a while, be careful not to presume something is a trend. On the other hand, if the concern occurs regularly, look for common threads (e.g., similar price points, same general area, a certain day of the week, etc.) and consider making an adjustment.
Writing your "Why" helps you determine what drives you to work so hard for greatness. Your "Why" is what holds you accountable to stay disciplined and to follow through on your open house plans. Spend time defining your reasons for working hard to achieve your career and financial goals.
Get clear on what you want to achieve financially and for your business. Write down the actions you need to take to reach your goals.
Develop a daily practice of enriching your soul—including things like affirmations, meditation, prayer and gratitude—to kick off your day with positivity.
For your open house strategy, you'll be door knocking and interacting with a variety of attendees at your open houses. To prepare for these conversations, rehearse the scripts provided on the following pages.
Hello… my name is (NAME) with (COMPANY)... and I will be hosting a special open house at (ADDRESS) on (DAY) from (1 to 4)… did you know this home was for sale? (hand them a flyer/invite)
I promised the seller I would get the word out in the neighborhood… and I was curious… who do you know that might want to live in our area?
Wonderful… again, It’s this (DATE) from (1 to 4)… feel free to stop by… I’d love to show you the home…
By the way … have you ever considered selling your home?
Subject Line: Guess what I’m doing this weekend?
Email Body:
Hi (NAME), hope all is well with you. This weekend I’ll be holding a just-on-the-market listing at (ADDRESS) from (1 to 4).
If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by! I would love to see you.
If you know someone who’s looking for (SIMPLE DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY), feel free to forward this along to them. Make sure you watch the video!
I hope to see you soon. (YOUR NAME)
Welcome...Please come in. I’m (NAME) with (COMPANY)...
What’s your name? Nice to meet you, (THEIR NAME).
The sellers have asked everyone to sign in ... would you please sign in?…
Has anyone taken the time to show you the differences between this community and others that are similar?
Has anyone sat you down and presented a full buyer consultation to review your purchasing power, your lifestyle consideration and to get clear on your non-negotiables yet? ... (If no) Would you like to schedule some time to do this together?
to Ask at an Open House (after they've looked around...)
1.How long have you been searching for a [PROPERTY TYPE]?
2.Have you found your ideal [PROPERTY TYPE]? (If yes) Will you tell me about it?
3.I see lots of [PROPERTY TYPE] either off the market or not yet on the market — it’s called “pre-market.” Would you like to be alerted when I come across these types of properties?
4.What websites or apps have you been using to search?
5.Do you need to sell first?
6.We specialize in helping people like you find the right home in the right neighborhoods, at the right price, with the right terms. Is that something you would be interested in?
1.How long have you lived in the neighborhood? (Good for you)
2.If you were to sell your home... where would you move to? (Terrific!)
3.How soon would you like to be there? (Great!) Tell me more about that...
4.So what’s causing you to move to (CITY)? (Interesting!)
5.Do you have plan “B”... in case that doesn’t work out?
6.Why don’t we schedule an appointment... so I can show you what myself and [COMPANY] can do to make this move good for you... Which is better for you (DATE/TIME 1) or (DATE/TIME 2)?
Learn about the expenses associated with hosting open houses.
Create a budget for open houses. Determine your strategy for open houses based on your budget.
SESSION 2
Before you get started planning your open house, take some time to calculate your potential expenses. For example:
Food Giveaways
Open house signs
Direct mail Flyers
Based on your budget and available time, decide when you need to use sweat equity (you do the work) or check equity (pay for someone else to do the work).
If you're on a tight budget, cut down on spending by throwing in some sweat equity. Go door knocking to promote your open house, attend community events—get face-to-face with your prospects.
One great option to consider for reducing costs is co-hosting your open house with someone like your lender or another vendor. You can share the costs, labor and benefits of this valuable marketing event.
Considering your time and budget, decide on your open house strategy.
HOW MANY OPEN HOUSES AND/OR MEGA OPEN HOUSES CAN YOU COMMIT TO? AND HOW OFTEN?
Calculate how much you can spend on open houses—weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually.
Food Giveaways
Open house signs
Direct mail
Flyers
Facebook & Instagram Ads
Google & YouTube Ads
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Total Marketing Expenses:
Calculate your budget using the worksheet provided.
Practice the open house scripts every day.
Learn the questions you need to ask yourself to select the right property to host open. Identify whether or not it should be a mega open house.
Successfully hosting an open house starts with selecting the right property.
It's important to seek out listings where you can answer "yes" to the following questions, whether or not they're your listings.
Is the seller agreeable to an open house or mega open house?
Does the property show well – inside and out?
Does the property feature any unique, must-see qualities?
Is it in a desirable location with healthy sales?
Is it within one or two turns of a main road?
Does the property look good online?
Is it competitively priced and salable?
Is the property easily accessible with parking and walkable paths?
Is the property in a neighborhood you want to dominate?
Hosting a mega open house is time-consuming and can get expensive, so let's make sure it's the right property and strategy for you.
If you answer “yes” to the following questions, you should consider hosting a mega open house:
Is the house in a neighborhood you want to dominate?
Are you proposing this strategy with a potential seller as a way to set yourself apart from other agents? (Are you trying to secure an important listing?)
Do you need to reposition the house after a price reduction? Or after you've gotten an extension?
Are you trying to break into a desirable new part of town?
Does the price of the property make it well worth the time and expense?
After you decide on a house to hold open, whether mega or not, it's time to prepare. You’ll want to implement the following system while keeping your budget in mind.
Select a property to host an open house using the criteria provided.
Practice your scripts daily.
Discover the amount of time you should give yourself to prepare for open houses. Learn the steps to prepare for a successful open house.
SESSION 4
Whether it’s a traditional or mega open house, in terms of preparation, think of it like a party—a celebration! Create a memorable experience.
Here are some steps to follow to plan your open house, including a few extras you’ll need to make it a mega open house:
Pick a date
Allow yourself time to set things up properly. It’s recommended that you give yourself at least seven to 10 days. 1
Plan Refreshments & Fun
Arrange some fun refreshments, entertainment or activities that you know will draw a crowd. 2
Choose a Partner
Partner/cohost with a preferred vendor to help plan and split costs.
Plan the Menu
Select the food you will serve or the menu that will be catered. 4
Pick a Prize
Buy a prize that will draw a crowd and entice people to sign-in.
Send the Invite
Spread the word—and don't forget to be creative!
Do your Research
Become the local market expert by previewing properties so you know the inventory and prices. You’ll also want to know what’s on the market, what’s closed, what’s pending, what’s canceled, and what’s withdrawn.
4
Prepare for your open house by picking a date, sending invitations, and choosing the menu and a partner (if applicable).
Learn everything you can about the community in which you're hosting your open house.
Practice your scripts daily.
Identify the marketing strategies you'll implement to drive traffic to your open house. Determine whether you'll host a neighbor - only party. Learn what you need to have in place the day before your open house.
Your first goal in your Open House marketing plan is to get people to show up. Here are some ideas and best practices to help promote your next open house. No matter which ideas you decide to implement, be sure to give yourself at least six days to promote your open house.
Post the upcoming open house in your MLS.
Most MLS providers will automatically syndicate scheduled open houses to third-party sites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, etc. Keep in mind, it could take up to 72 hours for the syndication to take place. If it’s not automatic, make sure you do it manually. For instance, if open houses in your market tend to start at 2:00 pm on a Sunday, try starting yours at 1:59 pm so that it shows up at the top of the list.
Shoot a BombBomb video.
Email the video to your entire database a week before the open house. Invite the neighbors to an exclusive property preview prior to the actual open house. Depending on your budget, you may opt to simply print a flyer and go door knocking, or you may decide to mail formal invitations—or do both. If you’re able to acquire the neighbors’ phone numbers, you may consider calling those who live close to the open house. Be sure to scrub phone numbers against the Do-Not-Call Registry. With a service like SlyBroadcast, you could leave a single voicemail with all the neighbors at once.
Post a 60-second video on your Facebook page and then boost it. In the Facebook Ads Manager create a custom audience targeting (A) neighbors who live close-by, say within a one-mile radius, (B) your entire database, and (C) anyone who fits the description of your model buyer. Be careful, however, when targeting your Boosted Post at whomever you believe that model buyer may be so that you don’t violate any Fair Housing Protected Classes. In other words, you could target according to income, profession, home-ownership status, interests, and so on, but not according to age, familial status, or any other protected class. Know current regulatory guidelines.
Send out day-of reminders.
Go Live on Facebook 60 minutes before the official start of your open house. Post Instagram Stories documenting your setup right up until the start time. If your open house is a hit (i.e., teeming with lots of people), post another Story to showcase it. Also, post a reminder in the community Facebook Group and consider sending out another voicemail to the neighbors using SlyBroadcast.
Consider throwing a goodbye party for your seller. With your seller’s consent, and following the invitation steps described above, invite the neighbors to a “moving away party” for the seller. If a neighbor indicates he or she doesn’t really know the seller, try suggesting it’ll be the perfect occasion to meet all their other neighbors. Consider providing brunch, lunch, or something along those lines. After, the neighbors-only open house, you can host the open house for everyone. You can follow the schedule laid out below:
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Conductthe“seller’sgoodbyeparty”—e.g.lunch,brunch, etc.
12:00 - 1:00 PM:
You(and/orapartnerorhiredhand)setoutasmany pointersignsaspossible.
2:00 - 4:00 PM: Carryouttheactualopenhouse.
Another option is to host the open house for everyone including the neighbors at the same time. It’s up to you to decide. Remember if budget is a factor, try partnering up with a loan officer or another vendor to offset the cost.
MONDAY
Recordavideoinvite.
TUESDAY
Email your video to your database. Post this video on yoursellersFacebookpage(orhavethempostit!)
WEDNESDAY
To get the word out, send invitations by mail or door knock.
THURSDAY
Doorknockormailtoexpiredlistingsinthearea.
SUNDAY
9:30-11:00am:Putoutasmanysignsaspossible.
11:30-1:00pm:Seller'sLunch
1:00-4:00pm:OpenHouse
Know about the other listings around your open house
Financing options sheets
Open Home Pro app
Business cards
Property flyers of the home
Marketing pieces about the strength of your company brand
Laptop or iPad for instant property search
SESSION 5
Select the marketing strategies you'll implement to drive traffic to your open house based on your budget.
Rehearse the open house scripts daily.
Get clear on the steps you need to take the morning before your open house.
Discover the number one question you should ask every person that walks into your open house. Learn the six pre-qualifying questions you need to ask every potential lead.
IAll the effort you put into promoting your open house is about to pay off in a big way. That means you need to be prepped and ready to make the most of it. Use the checklist below to ensure the basics are set and ready to go:
The property is in a show-ready state.
You put out 20 to 30 signs (following local rules, regulations, and ordinances on signage).
You have a lead-capture system ready, whether it's a laptop, iPad, or paper sign in.
You're dressed to impress. And stocked up on breath mints!
Don’t try to sell the subject property to every attending guest—that’s not your mission. Instead, your plan is, first and foremost, to build rapport with guests—prospective buyers and sellers—and second, to start pre-qualifying. To do that, you’ll need to ask powerful questions that can spark meaningful dialogue.
Start with this easy question:
“What brought you into my open house?”
That one question is really powerful, because their answer will instantly help you find out if the person is actively looking to buy or a neighbor who stopped by.
DURING THE OPEN HOUSE (CONT.)
Here are some great qualifying questions you can ask:
1 “How long have you been searching for a [PROPERTY TYPE]?”
2
3
“Have you found your ideal [PROPERTY TYPE]?” [IF YES] “Will you tell me about it?”
“I see lots of [PROPERTY TYPE] either off the market or not yet on the market —it’s called “pre-market.” Would you like to be alerted when I come across these types of properties?”
4 “What websites or apps have you been using to search?”
5 “Do you need to sell first?”
6
“We specialize in helping people like you find the right home in the right neighborhoods, at the right price, with the right terms. Is that something you would be interested in?”
TAKE NOTES
Your follow-up will be so much more effective if you remember the guests’ names and what they said. If you’re hosting with a partner or team, it’s critical that everyone compares notes afterward. Granted, there are loads of details worth noting, but here are five topics to specifically listen for:
Motivation
Money and timeframe
Property to sell
In search of (ISO) Decision Influencers
6 · OPEN HOUSE GAME PLAN
To do this, simply paraphrase a guest’s response to your question to demonstrate that you’re interested in what they’re telling you. Smile and nod your head up and down. It’s also a good safeguard to ensure that you correctly understood what you were told.
Don’t be a tour guide. Refrain from pummeling guests with instructions, questions, or handouts before they even manage to get both feet through the front door. You may feel like you need to share every detail before you lose your chance, but you’ll do better to give your guests some space.
Remember that it’s a party—meet as many people as you can. But when you’re talking to a prospect, give that person your full attention. Make eye contact, shake hands and find out how you can help that person find the home of their dreams.
First, take a breath and pat yourself on the back for completing the open house. Make some quick notes on what went well and what you want to do better next time. Then, handle the things you need to do after the open house.
Here's a checklist for how to finish up with the property before you leave:
Clean up: be a pro and put the property back the way you found it
Relock any unlocked doors or windows
Place key(s) back in the lockbox
Return the lights to how you found them
Return the temperature setting to how you found it
Remove your materials, leftovers, trash and so forth
Retrieve all your directional signs
Learn the buyer and seller follow up campaigns that you can implement to generate more appointments. Discover the importance of a nurture plan. Identify which service provider you'll use to automate your follow up, based on your budget.
Your follow-up should begin as quickly after the open house as possible. The objective of any follow-up campaign is to get the lead in conversation with you so you can schedule an appointment. Some follow up campaigns combine automated messaging (like drip emails) with manual activities, like making calls or sending an email or a text.
The objective of any follow-up campaign is to get the lead in conversation with you so you can schedule that appointment. This sample seller follow up campaign focuses specifically on the neighbors who attended your open house:
Once the lead responds to you, the next step is to nurture the lead. Just because a lead responds to your follow up campaign doesn't mean they're ready to buy or sell; it could be several months or even a year.
You want a nurturing system in place to make sure leads never leave your database. Your nurturing campaign could consist of a weekly:
Check-in call
Text
Video message
Postcard
Market report
Continue delivering value to them in those touch points, so when they are ready to buy or sell, you're their first choice.
A wide range of of service providers offer handy tools for automated communications:
BombBomb
Active Campaign
Commissions, Inc
Get Vyral
BombTown ROI
Top Producer
Infusion Soft
Club Relationships
GeographicFarm.com
Happy Grasshopper
Keeping Current Matters
Outbound Engine
CoreFact
MailChimp
Follow-up Boss
Kunversion
HubSpot
Take time to develop a strong nurturing plan that suits you and your business so you can convert more leads.
Implement your follow up plan immediately after your open house.
Nurture all the leads that are non-responsive.
Learn the numbers you need to keep track of to measure your ROI.
Open houses are a lead source, and like any other lead source, you have to continue doing them to see meaningful results. Some open houses will be quiet while others will produce a windfall of leads. Your job is to pay attention to the big-picture numbers, adjust your tactics as necessary, and remain consistent.
Use the chart below to track and measure your open houses. You may wish to recreate this in a spreadsheet format, like Excel.
DATE
PROPERTY ADDRESS
HOWMUCH DIDYOU SPENDON THEOPEN HOUSE?
4 3 2 5 1 6
the #1 ranked Real Estate Coach, welcomes you to the training and shares how you can generate a 10% yield from your database. list some common hesitations and fears about marketing to your database and explains how to overcome them.
Take into account the various expenses when calculating your budget for database marketing.
It’s important to have a CRM, but more important to use your CRM to become the hub of real estate-related information for your current and potential clients.
Discover proven strategies to build your database. And learn how to categorize it into tiers of communication touchpoints.
Learn marketing system that will maximize your success. Discover the best strategies to grow your database.
Learn the numbers you need to track to ensure your marketing efforts are paying off.
Define who’s in your database. Learn common fears and how to overcome them. Identify the money you’re leaving on the table.
Itstartswithyoursphereofinfluence(SOI),whichincludesyourfriends, relatives,allyourformerandcurrentco-workers,collegefriendsandsoon. Yougetthepicture.It'severyoneyouknow,includingpeopleyoutransact with,likeyourdoctor,attorney,hairstylist,financialadvisorand,ofcourse, yourpastclients.
Effectively working your database can generate a 10% yield. In other words,every10peopleinyourdatabaseequalsonetransaction.
It’s important to foster strong, referral-friendly relationships with your past clients and sphere of influence. So, they automatically think of you whenever the topic of real estate arises.
Consider this: You probably know the name of your dentist, your family physician or your CPA, right? However, ask almost anyone the name of their real estate agent and they’ll probably give you this response: “What do you mean? I’m not buying or selling a house right now.” This can be attributed to the failure of most agents to remain in touch with past clients and your sphere of influence. It’s your job to stay in touch. By doing so, you’ll gain the loyalty of your past clients as well as future business from your SOI.
The following are the some common hesitations and fears agents have about staying in contact with their database and how to overcome them:
1.
“It’s been such a long time since I’ve talked to this person, so contacting them now would seem super random and uncomfortable.”
Perhaps it’s been five years since you followed up with a past client and now you’re convinced it’ll feel awkward or random to reach out after so much time has passed. So, you put it off and, before you know it, five years turns into six. When will you stop putting it off? What’s the worst they might say when they answer your call? “Who?” Or maybe they tell you they already sold the house you sold them and moved to Florida two years ago. So be it. That’s the worst that could happen. On the other hand, what’s the best that could happen? Your past clients are probably your #1 source of business. So, if you’re not cashing in, you’re missing out.
What could you say to yourself, or what action could you take, to move forward when you encounter this feeling?
Use Facebook to determine a contact’s recent life event, and use it as the reason for your call.
Play to the law of reciprocity. As you ask them about their life and work, they’ll eventually ask about you.
Recognize that they probably weren’t thinking about you anyway— they were busy living their own life. In fact, they may even feel guilty that they never reached out to you.
Own it. Admit you haven’t followed up but will now be updating them periodically about the market.
2. “I don’t want to come off as a desperate salesperson or bothersome.”
Many agents resist reaching out to their database because they don’t want to appear pushy or salesy. For lots of agents, asking for business makes them feel needy or desperate—so they’re ashamed to do it. Have you ever felt that way?
Alternatively, you can change your mindset to one of service. Are you committed to being of service? If so, it doesn’t matter what others may think of you. After all, service isn’t about you—it’s about helping others. Unless you reach out, people won’t benefit from what you have to offer.
Imagine getting a phone call every few months from your wealth advisor during which he or she gives you a brief market update, reviews your investments with you, and then offers to answer your questions. Odds are, that advisor isn’t calling you trying to make a quick sale—rather, he or she is simply informing you about the market so that when you decide to invest or trade, you’re not in the dark. If your advisor did this for you, would you ever invest with somebody else? Chances are, you wouldn’t—but why not? It’s because that advisor is serving you and, as a result, has earned your trust. In the same way, you have a responsibility to serve the community in your database.
So, how can you break through when you encounter these types of feelings or fears?
Remind yourself daily that real estate isn’t a hobby—it’s your profession.
Remember that if you don’t reach out to the contacts in your database, someone else will.
Recognize that every call is an act of service—and commit to having an attitude of service.
Identify problems or questions facing the individuals in your database and present solutions or answers.
If you’ve avoided reaching out to your past clients or SOI contacts, often, the first step is the hardest. But remember: Every journey begins with a single step. So just take it.
Ask yourself, “What's motivating me to stay focused on achieving greatness in my career and finances?" Your "Why" will propel you to success. Spend time defining your reasons today.
Complete the Lost Opportunity worksheet provided on the next page to discover the amount of money you’ve been missing out on by not working your database.
Spend time, daily, developing the right attitude to succeed in this business. Start by acknowledging your negative beliefs and replacing them with empowering beliefs.
Answer the questions below to begin calculating the potential value of your database.
If you were to tally up all of your past clients (PC) plus your centers of influence (COI), how many people would that be?
If 10% of the people in your PC/COI database produced a closed transaction each year, how many deals would that produce each year?
If you were to multiply the number of expected transactions (prior question) by your average commission check, how much money would that amount to?
How many of last year's transactions (e.g. buyers, sellers, or leases) came about as a result of your PC/COI database (new, repeat, or referral business)?
What's the difference between the number of transactions you closed last year and the number of deals you should have closed, had you yielded 10%?
How much money have you left sitting on the table?
Consider this: If you closed 10 transactions last year that came about as a result of your 400-person PC/COI database, you missed out on an additional 30 transactions, as a 10% yield would have generated 40 deals—and that's just last year.
Over the years, how many transactions have you missed? Are you ready to fill the gap?
Learn the expenses associated with database marketing. Discover the amount of money you can spend on database marketing.
Marketing to your database doesn't have to be an expensive effort. But it always makes sense to calculate your potential expenses. For example, for:
Events, parties and lunches with the people in your database.
Content produced for social media. The gifts you’ll send.
Direct mail
Based on your budget and available time, decide when you need to use sweat equity (you do the work) or check equity (pay for someone else to do the work) to execute on your plans.
Turn to the next page to calculate your budget now.
Calculate how much you can spend on your weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual marketing tactics.
Direct mail
Flyers
Facebook & Instagram Ads
Google & YouTube Ads
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Total Marketing Expenses:
Discover why it's more important to have a CRM than to choose the "perfect" one. Learn the importance of making yourself the hub for real estate information and resources.
Every agent wants to know which contact relationship management (CRM) system is the best one for their business. There are many you can choose from including:
Top Producer
Insightly
Follow-up Boss
LionDesk
Streak
RealVolve
BoomTown ROI
Realty Juggler
Wise Agent
Any CRM you choose will have its pros and cons.
So, “Which CRM?” isn’t really the important question. “Why CRM?” is way more important.
In other words, don’t spend time worrying about finding the "perfect" CRM. Instead, focus on using whatever CRM you choose to help you become the “hub” for your database. You become the hub of your database of contacts by staying in regular contact, increasing your touch points and providing useful and interesting information. Any CRM can support these efforts.
Too many agents let choosing the perfect CRM become a stumbling block. Choose one based on your budget, learn what it can do by watching tutorials and start using it!
Discover strategies to build your database. Learn how to categorize your database.
4 · BUILD & CATEGORIZE YOUR DATABASE
Building your database is one of the most important tasks you'll do for your business. So, now that you’re set up with a CRM, you'll want to start adding everyone you possibly know.
This includes existing personal and professional relationships. Some of the people you'll want to add to your database are:
Friends
Family members
Past or current co-workers
People you do business with Past clients
College friends
If you're having trouble thinking of people to add to your database, a good place to start is with the contacts in your phone and the people on your social media platforms.
We've also included a list on pages 27-30, “The ABC's of Building Your Database," that will help you identify everyone you know, from A to Z.
As you're adding people to your CRM, you'll want to ensure that you have their address, email and phone number to make a solid start.
However, if some of this information is missing, it would be a good opportunity to connect with them. If you don't have their phone number, you could start a conversation with them via social media or send them an email.
4 · BUILD & CATEGORIZE YOUR DATABASE
Once you’ve added everyone you know into your CRM, the next step is to categorize your contacts.
1.Sort your database of contacts by the type of relationship. For example, you can organize them into the following relationship buckets:
Past clients
Family members
Buyer leads Seller leads Zillow leads
Everyone in your farm
Open house leads Co-workers
Online leads
People you transact with
College friends
People who you’re not sure how they got into your database
You can customize your messaging and the information you provide to each contact, depending on their particular relationship bucket.
2.Next, add a letter label to categorize your contacts into these three important buckets:
A = The 10% (people who refer you the most business)
B = The middle 90% (average amount of business referrals)
C = The 10% (people who refer you the least amount of business)
Those in category A should receive the most attention and value from you.
4 · BUILD & CATEGORIZE YOUR DATABASE
What are the names of the members of your family?
Who is your Pastor, Minister, Priest, Bishop, or Rabbi? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.
What are the names of your spouse’s family?
What are the names of your “extended” family?
What is the name of your best friend?
What is the name of your spouse’s best friend?
What are the names of your very close friends?
What are the names of your spouse’s very close friends?
What are the names of your children’s friends’ parents?
What are your children’s teachers’ names?
What are your children’s coaches’ names?
What are your children’s school principals’ names?
What are your children’s dentists’ names?
What are your children’s doctors’ names?
What is your children’s optometrist’s name?
Who cuts your children’s hair?
Who sells your children’s clothes?
Who is your children’s school bus driver?
Who is your children’s Sunday school teacher?
Who cuts your hair?
Who does your dry cleaning?
Who does your manicures, pedicures, facials?
Who do you purchase gasoline from?
Who services your cars?
Who do you buy tires from?
Who sold you your current car?
Who have you purchased cars from in the past?
Who cleans your cars?
Who is your mailman?
Who do you know at your church/place of worship?
Who do you see in the convenience store you most often go to?
Who is the checker you usually go to in your grocery store?
Who is your pharmacist?
Who are your doctors?
Who are your spouse’s doctors?
36.Who owes you money?
37.What is the name of your favorite teller at the bank?
38.Who do you borrow money from at the bank?
39.Who is your stockbroker?
40.Who is your financial planner?
41.Who prepares your taxes?
42.Who does your accounting?
43.Who is your veterinarian?
44.Who grooms your pets?
45.Who takes care of your pets when you are out of town?
46.Who did you get your pets from?
47.Who have you given your pet’s babies to?
48.Who owns your favorite restaurant?
49.Who waits on you most frequently at your favorite restaurant?
50.What is the name of your favorite bartender?
51.Who do you routinely see at your favorite night club?
52.Who do you know on a first-name basis at your country club?
53.Who do you play golf with?
54.Who do you ski with?
55.Who do you talk to in your health club?
56.Who do you play racquetball with?
57.Who do you play tennis with?
58.Who do you see at your children’s sporting events?
59.Who do you go to concerts with?
60.Who do you go to the movies with?
61.Who do you go to plays, theaters, galleries or museums with?
62.Where do you go for breakfast and who do you talk to?
63.Who is your attorney?
64.Who would you call if you had an air-conditioning problem?
65.Who is your pest control person?
66.Who would you call to fix your roof?
67.Who would you call if you had an electrical problem?
68.Who picks up your trash?
69.Who is your overnight delivery person?
70.Who mows your lawn/shovels your snow?
71.Who does your landscaping?
72.Who built your house?
73.Who is your landlord?
74.What is the name of the insurance agent who insured your home?
75.What is the name of the insurance agent who sold you life insurance?
76.What is the name of the insurance agent who holds your health insurance?
77.What is the name of the insurance agent who handles your car insurance?
78.Who do you buy your clothes from?
79.Who is your tailor/seamstress/dressmaker?
80.Who do you buy make-up/cosmetics from?
81.Who did you buy your computer from?
82.Who fixes your computer?
83.Who fixes other small appliances?
84.Who is your travel agent?
85.Who is your printer?
86.Who did you receive holiday cards from last year?
87.Who did you send holiday cards to last year?
88.Who changes your oil?
89.Who do you buy furniture from?
90.Who repairs or upholsters your furniture?
91.Who do you buy arts and crafts from?
92.Who do you buy office supplies from?
93.Who do you see at your office building?
94.Who do you buy your liquor from?
95.Who do you buy meat from?
96.Who do you buy seafood from?
97.Who do you buy hardware from?
98.Who do you know in law enforcement?
99.Who do you know in politics?
100.Who have you done business with in the past?
101.Who do you know at service organization meetings? (Optimists, Lions Club, Rotary, etc.)
102.Who do you know from fraternal organizations? (Elks, VFW, Mason, etc.)
103.Who do you know from a social organization you are a member of?
104.Who do you know from the trade or industry groups that you belong to?
105.Who do you buy carpet, drapes, and appliances from?
106.Who are your old high school classmates who are still around?
107.Who are your old coaches that are still around?
108.Who are your old teachers that are still around?
109.Who are your old school principals that are still around?
110.Who are your old college fraternity/sorority/brothers/sisters who are still around?
111.Who are your old college buddies that are still around?
112.Who are your old military friends that are still around?
113.Who is your florist?
115.Who did you invite to your wedding?
116.Who are your neighbors?
117.Who did you buy your boat from?
118.Who did you buy your motorcycle from?
119.Who did you buy your motor-home/camper from?
120.Who is your jeweler?
121.Who repairs your jewelry?
122.Who is your photographer?
124.Who do you buy your electronics from?
125.Who do you know in your homeowners’ association?
126.What are the names of your co-workers from your previous jobs?
127.What are the names of your previous neighbors?
128.Who do you know from the day-care center?
129.What are the names of your spouse’s past neighbors?
130.What are the names of your parents’ best friends?
131.What are the names of your spouse’s co-workers?
132.Who do you buy advertising from?
133.Who are the suppliers and vendors who come to your workplace?
134.Who is currently trying to sell you something?
135.Who made your will/living trust?
136.Who officiated your wedding?
137.Who delivers your water?
138.Who do you buy shoes from?
139.Who maintains your safety and security systems?
140.Who are your bowling buddies?
141.Who do you play cards with?
142.Who handles your communications equipment?
143.Who would lend you $100.00 with a phone call?
Learn effective strategies for communicating with your categories of contacts.
In order to generate a 10% yield from your database, you have to be in communication with each and every person in your database between 24 and 30 times each and every year.
Here’s system to break down those communications over the course of a year:
1.Call your entire database 4 to 6 times a year. Remember, your objective is to become their resource for everything real estate related. Consider the following flow for your calls:
1st part of the call: get personal / get in rapport (How are you? How is your spouse? How are your kids? How is work?)
2nd part of the call: discuss their real estate needs (Have you ever thought of buying an income property? Do you need to refinance? How can I help you with your real estate needs?)
3rd part of the call: ask for referrals (Who do you know that I can help buy or sell now?) – it is critical you ask for the business!
Tip: We recommend that you always ask for referrals but ONLY after you are in rapport and have discussed their needs. If you help them they’ll naturally want to help you.
2.Mail something to them every month. Examples include postcards, an offer of free CMA, market updates, newsletters, just listed cards, just sold cards as well as charitable causes—and all should lead them to your website. Also, offer them free material such as tips on how to increase the value of their home, how to get rich investing in real estate, feng shui, and so on.
3.Send 12 emails a year. Each month, send out a timely message, perhaps related to an upcoming holiday or event, that can act as a reminder of you. You could make it a newsletter, complete with market updates and other helpful information that positions you as a knowledgeable community member.
4.Facebook Touches. Social media has made it easier than ever to keep in touch. If you’re not leveraging Facebook to foster relationships with your database contacts, you’re missing out. Here’s a list of different ways in which you can communicate with your contacts via Facebook:
Tag them in a post Send a private message Post on their profile Comment on their post Share their post
5.Special Invitations. Meet with your best contacts for lunch or dinner and offer them information in person. Or host a client appreciation event, such as a private dinner party.
Create a calendar like this with daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual marketing activities. Commit to following this calendar for at least six months.
What will you accomplish this month?
1
2 MONTHLY
Mailers/Letters
Video or Email Newsletter
List the marketing tasks you'll focus on each day:
What will you accomplish this quarter?
Personal Conversations
PTA Meetings
Parties/Events
What's happening this year?
Sponsor School Event
NON-STOP
What needs to happen all the time?
Google and YouTube Ads
Social Posts/Stories/Go Live
Respond to Comments
Call 5 People in Your Database
Social Posts/Stories/Go Live
Respond to Comments
Call 5 People in Your Database
Vlog/Show
Social Posts/Stories/Go Live
Respond to Comments
Call 5 people in Your Database Facebook & Instagram Ads
Social Posts/Stories/Go Live
Respond to Comments
Call 5 People in Your Database
Invite a Contact to Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Coffee
Social Posts/Stories/Go Live
Respond to Comments
Call 5 People in Your Database
Tuesday Monday Friday Saturday / Sunday Wednesday Thursday
Social Posts/Stories/Go Live
Respond to Comments
Call 5 People in Your Database
What will you accomplish this month?
QUARTERLY
What will you accomplish this quarter?
WEEKLY PLAN: List the marketing tasks you'll focus on each day:
ANNUALLY
What's happening this year?
NON-STOP
What needs to happen all the time?
(This dialogue is meant to be used somewhat loosely. You will be calling your Past Clients / Center of Influence four to six times per year. Alter the dialogue when necessary.)
Hi... this is (NAME) with (COMPANY). I hope you and your family are well. Do you have a quick minute for me? Thank you!
1.I was wondering if I could help you with any real estate questions you might have... Great!
Examples:
Are you curious about the value of your home? Do you want to know what is going on in your neighborhood? Do you want to know general market conditions? Is it time to sell your home? Should you be refinancing now?
2.As you know...I want to be your resource for everything real estate related. Please call me if you ever have questions...okay? Terrific!
3.(NAME)... my business is based on referrals from great clients (FRIENDS/PEOPLE) like you. So, before I let you go...Who do you know that needs to buy or sell a home now or in the near future? Excellent!
4.Can you think of anyone from your office, neighborhood, family or church? Super!
5.I appreciate your help and if anyone should come to mind please don’t hesitate to call me! Thank You!
1 · WHO'S IN YOUR DATABASE
Your Text:
Hi (NAME) the market’s really moving and home values are going up, up, up. Want to know your home’s new value?
Their Text: Sure, sounds great.
Your Text:
Wonderful, I’ll put together your home’s value. Have you done any upgrades? Once it’s ready do you want to meet for coffee, or should I email/mail to you?
If They Ask How’s the Market?...
Your Text:
Inventory levels are low. When a great home comes on the market, buyers and investors are writing offers and driving prices. Then ask one of three questions:
Have you had any thoughts of selling?
Do you know anyone who’s had thoughts of selling?
Do you anyone who tried to sell in the past and it didn’t work out?
Once you have your database organized and your CRM system operational, the last step is to grow your database. Remember, for every ten contacts you add to your database, that's another transaction that year.
Here are some ways you can foster new relationships and keep increasing your sphere of influence:
Participate regularly in your local chamber of commerce
Get to know new people at your religious institution
Get involved in your homeowner’s association
Get to know parents and administrators at PTA meetings
Door knock
Ask key contacts to introduce you to new people
Do volunteer work
Search for nearby Facebook events and go network
Choose a CRM.
Build your database.
Categorize your database.
Create and implement your marketing plan.
Set a goal to add 2-3 people per week to your database.
Practice your scripts daily.
Learn methods of tracking leads and conversions.
Your database is a lead source, and like any other lead source, you have to keep up your marketing efforts to see meaningful results. Your job is to pay attention to the big-picture numbers, adjust as necessary and remain consistent.
Use the chart below to track and measure your marketing efforts. You may wish to recreate this in a spreadsheet format, like Google Sheets.
MARKETING STRATEGY (EX.DIRECT MAIL,DOOR KNOCK,AD, ETC.)
HOWMUCH DIDTHE MARKETING STRATEGY COST?
LEAD(S)
#OFCONVOS BEFORETHE APPOINTMENT
BUYER APPT(S)
SELLER APPT(S)
CONTRACT(S) SIGNED
TRANSACTION(S) CLOSED
COMMISSION EARNED
the #1 ranked Real Estate Coach, welcomes you to the training and shares how a digital marketing strategy can build your brand, trust and revenue.
4 3 2
6 1 5 7
Learn how to budget for your digital marketing strategy, deciding what to accomplish by sweat equity vs. check equity.
Discover the channels you need to create and manage in order to build a successful digital marketing strategy.
Learn the strategy to get a five-star review from every client, and the importance of getting comments.
Tom shares proven paid marketing strategies to generate consistent leads.
Discover the follow up plan you can implement to generate more appointments.
SESSION
Learn the numbers you need to track to ensure your marketing efforts are paying off.
Get an overview of digital marketing. Identify your motivation for sticking to your goals.
Digital marketing is essentially connecting with your audience wherever they may be, which we all know is online. A digital marketing strategy looks at where your audience is spending their time, and how you can connect with them in a meaningful way delivering value that matters to them.
This training will breakdown numerous strategies—some low-cost, others requiring some investment—to help you generate more leads online and ultimately close more transactions.
Ask yourself, "Why do you want to succeed?" What’s driving you to greatness in your work and business? Your answer will push you to perform at your best to achieve the highest results, so be as honest as you can.
Set specific and measurable goals that will bring you closer to the success you envision for your life and your business.
Schedule time daily to maintain a positive attitude about your dreams and goals. Start by noticing your negative self-talk. The best defense to negativity is to practice affirmations.
Learn about the expenses associated with digital marketing.
Create a marketing budget for your digital marketing strategy.
Determine which marketing activities you'll outsource based on your budget.
The objective here is to decide how to make the “highest and best use of your time” while keeping an eye on your budget.
Which of the below tasks make sense for you to do (sweat equity), and which can you afford to outsource (check equity)?
Building and/or enhancing your website
Optimizing landing pages
Creating content on a continuous basis
Managing online Ads (Facebook, Instagram, Google, Popular thirdparty ads)
Maintaining your CRM
Overseeing your lead management software (LMS)
Operating your social media posting and scheduling software — content creation, including video production
Email service provider
Working with Service providers to assist in building your Google PPC campaigns
Overseeing your retargeting service providers
Calculate how much you can spend on your monthly, quarterly and annual marketing tactics.
Facebook & Instagram ads
Google & YouTube ads
Billboards/posters
Direct mail
Flyers
Purchased leads
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Other:
Total Marketing Expenses:
Understand the definition of owned media. Learn the six video shows you should implement. Discover the best times to post on social media. Identify which “owned” media strategies you’ll integrate as part of your digital marketing strategy.
“Owned media” refers to any type of online channel you create and control, such as your website, landing pages, social media pages and profiles. Ultimately, these are the platforms where customers will convert from anonymous visitors into leads, so it’s important that these platforms look good and function seamlessly. Below is a list of “owned” media strategies for you to consider.
The emphasis on video content is undeniable. It’s estimated that by 2019, 80% of all online traffic will be video. And what’s the first thing you see on Facebook—video. This is because Facebook altered its algorithm specifically to encourage video engagement. All other posts now appear lower in the feed. To get you started, below are six video topics you should be covering regularly.
This is a 3-4 minute monthly informative video about what’s going on in your market. Share sales stats and interesting facts, and point out relevant trends. Doing this on a monthly basis will position you as the knowledge broker in your market.
At the beginning of every season — winter, spring, summer, fall — put out a new video titled, “3 Mistakes Buyers Make in Spring Markets” or “7 Mistakes to Avoid when Buying in Winter,” etc. This approach keeps your content timely and fresh.
The single most important leading indicator of someone preparing to sell their house is making home improvements. Wouldn’t you like access to those people before they begin searching for their listing agent? Once a month, get together with a local handyman, contractor, etc. and create a short “home improvement” video, teaching people how to fix up their homes. Homeowners who watch these videos will suddenly know who you are, where you work and that you’re a trusted resource.
SESSION 3 · OWNED MEDIA
On a monthly basis, post a video introducing a member of your team, a partner you work with or a vendor with whom you have a strong relationship. This kind of video lets them know who you are and the kind of people you work with, and demonstrates that together you provide world-class service to your clients. TEAM INTRODUCTION VIDEOS 4
Once a month post a video of you with someone who plays a significant role in the community — school principals, local business owners, city government members, prominent community leaders, etc. This again builds trust and shows how knowledgeable and connected you are in the community. INTERVIEW WITH INFLUENTIAL COMMUNITY MEMBER
Creating a “behind-the-scenes” video gives you a real opportunity to demonstrate the value you deliver to your clients. Show the special things you do for people, how you prepare for an open house, how you overcome a difficult escrow process, etc. Capitalize on people’s fascination with real estate reality shows by giving them a peek inside your operation.
The following are three social media strategies to get started on right away:
1
Make your posts interesting, provocative and entertaining. For example, post photos of a home and conduct a poll asking, “Guess what this home sold for?” Put yourself in your clients’ shoes and do some brainstorming. What’s on their minds? What scares them about buying or selling a house? What are their worries? Break down those fears and provide answers. Remember we solve problems for a profit. The more you can view your business from the perspective of the customer and speak to their fears, the more you’re going to win.
Facebook doesn’t care whether or not you like the way you look on video. If you want to use Facebook as the valuable business tool it is, you need to “Go Live” regularly. The more you go live, the higher ranked you’re going to be. That doesn’t mean you should go live all day every day, but be strategic and provide content that is meaningful to your audience.
If you feel like you don’t have enough followers to make going live worthwhile, reach out ahead of time and inform people you’ll be going live. Continue that process and build your audience.
SCHEDULE IT
Making the most of social media starts by creating a schedule to follow instead of simply posting whenever you get around to it. Below is the ideal weekly social media schedule.
Feed: 3-4 posts per week
Live: 5X per week + save posts to your feed
Stories: Every day, at least 2 new daily
Feed: 1 post per day
Live: 2x per week
Story: Everyday
Highlights: Add/delete as necessary
3-5 Posts every day
Minimum of 2 per day
Don't be afraid to repeat content.
YOUTUBE
1 post/upload per day
1 post per day
OPTIMALPOSTINGTIMES:
Facebook | Duringworkhours
LinkedIn&Instagram | Before andafterwork
Twitter+YouTube | Noonandafterwork
Publish a weekly blog, podcast or episodic show. No matter what format you prefer — writing articles, producing videos (video is king) or recording podcasts — produce new content at least once a week.
Review the list of supplies that can transform your iPhone into a full-fledged video production studio:
Selfie lighting ring
Stabilizer gimbal
Video editing software
Closed captioning tools
Lavalier microphones
PROPERTY SEARCH WEBSITE
Launch a property search website. Most consumers navigate to your website to gauge whether you’re a good fit for hire or to look at properties. That being the case, your website needs to showcase a) who you are, b) what you do and c) why you’re the best. What’s more, your website needs to give visitors a means to search local listings. Websites capture leads when visitors submit their contact information into a fillable form —perhaps to download some type of PDF or, as is commonly the case, to save a listing or set up a custom home search (aka “listing alerts”).
It’s important that your website is equipped with state-of-the-art home search tools and a back-end database whereby a visitor is able to create an account to customize and save a property search. Here’s a list of service providers for you to investigate. Bear in mind, almost all of the providers below are integrated solutions, meaning they offer a consumer-facing website, a back-end lead management software (LMS), and will work with you to run social media and search ads to drive traffic to your website.
When a consumer Googles your name (or team name), what comes up in the results? What’s more, when the consumer clicks those links, what is their impression of you? Think of your online profiles as digital resumes being scrutinized 24-7 by potential clients. Does each profile showcase you in a professional light? Is your messaging clear and practical or is it vague?
In other words, would a consumer quickly understand what you do and how you can help them solve a specific problem? If not, then it’s time for an update.
Here’s a list of some popular online profiles:
Facebook Profile
Facebook Page
Snapchat
Zillow
Google My Business
Team
Website
Yelp
Trulia
Realtor.com
Realtor.ca
Personal Website
Company Website
Launch a property search website.
Set up an automatic valuation landing page.
Publish weekly content on YouTube.
Create or refresh your online profiles.
Create an email list.
Share content on a consistent basis across your social networks.
Understand the definition of earned media. Learn five ways to ensure you get a 5-star review from every client. Build a daily social media engagement routine.
"Earned Media" is publicity you receive when people start talking about you, for example, in comments, testimonials or blogs. For instance, you may post a blog to your website, and, some person searching the web finds their way to that article. They read it and leave you a comment or Tweets it out to the masses. You earned that free publicity, so enjoy it!
You may post a market update video on Facebook and, because you’ve established yourself as an authority in the community, a random homeowner might press the share button to distribute your video to his or her social network. Once again, that’s free (or earned) publicity.
Earned media is the response you get from your audience—a social network, a geographic farm, or whomever, online or offline—because you continually publish or distribute useful, relevant information (e.g., videos, blogs, social media posts, reports, etc.). Below is a list of strategies to cash in on some earned media.
Stop and think about this scenario for a second—a homeowner in your market is considering selling their home. Once that idea is in their head, what’s the next step in their process? If they don’t already have an agent who is “top of mind,” their next move is likely to go online and start reading reviews of agents in their area.Suddenly, without ever meeting you, this prospective client is making decisions about your quality, your character and your ability to deliver results.
So when they land on your name … What do they see?
Tons of 5-Star reviews full of vivid detail? GREAT! A few mixed reviews? NOT AS GREAT... Nothing at all? UH OH!
Social proof is essential in today’s Review Economy. You must have reviews. Learn the two sites where you must absolutely have reviews, three reasons why google reviews are beneficial to your business, the three reasons why reviews are so important, and the five ways to ensure you get a 5-star review from every client.
The two sites where you absolutely must have reviews There are many different places where people can review things online, but for your purposes, the two most critical are Google and Zillow. Zillow gets tons of traffic for people looking for all things real estate. And Google is, well, Google … People search on Google all the time.
3 Reasons Why Google Reviews are Beneficial to Your Business
SOCIAL PROOF & CREDIBILITY
1
Ninety percent of consumers today read online reviews before engaging with a business! Not only that, but 77% of consumers believe reviews older than 90 days are no longer relevant! Do you know what that means? If people can’t find reviews about you and your services, you’re eliminating yourself from consideration by 90 percent of homeowners! The second stat means even if you have reviews, you need a consistent flow of fresh reviews to make sure you are perceived as being relevant.
GOOGLE LOVES FRESH CONTENT
2 The more Google reviews you have, the higher Google will rank your site, and the more eyeballs your site will attract.
GOOGLE ADS COST PER LEAD DECREASES
3 The more Google reviews you have, the higher Google will rank your site, and the more eyeballs your site will attract.
5 Strategies to Generate More Reviews
INCORPORATE REVIEWS INTO YOUR DIALOGUE
1 Every time you meet a client, you need to “seed” the idea of them writing a review at the end of the process. Tell them your goal is for them to provide you a five-star review.
REMIND THEM DURING “HERO MOMENTS”
2
Anytime you slay a dragon in a transaction, take that opportunity to point it out to your client and specifically mention it would be a great detail to include in their review. Not only does this remind them of your expectation of receiving a five-star review, but it adds the detail that enriches the review for readers.
3
4
5
ADD A “REVIEW ME” LINK IN YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE
By incorporating a link in your email signature to your Google or Zillow profile, you can generate more reviews in a low-pressure manner.
You can’t sit around and hope people will write a review. Whether it’s in person, by phone, by email, by text… you’ve gotta ask! When you ask, remember these two keys: YOU GOTTA ASK!
Remind them your focus is on receiving a five-star review Direct them to tell a specific story, ideally about how you solved their problem
IF YOU’RE NEW, FOCUS ON GOOGLE
If you’re a new agent wondering how you’ll compete with agents with many more reviews, focus on getting Google reviews from people who you’ve worked with – colleagues, previous employers, etc. who can write about you even if you haven’t helped them buy or sell a home.
Comment to get comments—AND top-of-mind awareness. Generally speaking, if you consistently engage with other people’s social media content, they’ll eventually return the favor and do the same for you. Acts of “engagement” include Liking, Commenting, Sharing, Retweeting, reposting, and other related deeds that occur on popular social media platforms. The more people engage with your content, the greater exposure it will receive as a result of underlying algorithms powering who sees whose content.
In the world of social networks, Likes are worth less than Comments or Shares. So feel free to Like others’ posts as much as you want, but realize that the person whose post you “Liked” runs a decent chance of never knowing you took the time to do so. Depending on the size of a person’s network, there could be hundreds of Likes associated with each and every post—meaning, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. A Comment or Reply, on the other hand—whether via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or another network—is more difficult to overlook.
Every day, as you track your social feeds, look for opportunities to comment on the posts of past or current clients, sphere of influence contacts, and key influencers who could, in return, refer you new business.
The intent here isn’t to directly ask for business unless it’s appropriate. The purpose is:
a.
to build top-of-mind awareness, which leads to referrals, and to subliminally encourage reciprocity whereby the individual on whose post you commented will feel compelled to do the same for you at some future point.
b. The unsaid purpose for commenting, of course, is because you like these people and you want to foster a meaningful relationship. Don’t forget that. Build out a daily social media engagement routine—or just follow the one below:
5-10 comments per day
5-10 comments per day
2-3 replies per day
5-10 comments per day
5-10 comments per day
Many agents wait to ask clients for a review until during or after closing. Why wait? Set reminders to ask for a review or testimonial at key points of a transaction: offer accepted, after an intense (and successful) negotiation, following the removal of contingencies, at closing, one week after moving in or moving out, on the first year home anniversary, etc. In addition to asking often, give your clients an incentive to say yes, such as a $5 or $10 gift card from Starbucks if they do.
It’s also helpful to remove as many obstacles to writing a review as possible. One obstacle is the fact that the client has to actually write a review—that’s tedious work.
What’s more, most reviews follow pretty much the same boring storyline: “My agent was awesome the whole time. We closed. Hooray.”
Next time you ask for a review, instead, try giving your client some direction. Not only will it make for a better, more authentic review, but it’ll make the review seem like far less of an undertaking to your client.
Review the sample script below for asking current and/or past clients for an online review. Work on adapting it to suit your voice.
Good morning [NAME], I have a huge favor to ask of you.
My business is built largely on the kind support I receive from current and past clients. As I’m sure you can imagine, in this day in age, online reviews and testimonials are a big part of that. In fact, popular websites like Zillow and Yelp will give my business greater exposure to new potential customers based upon the number and quality of reviews I receive. Thinking back, there were a couple of key events that occurred during the course of our working relationship that I think will resonate with future customers who may be contemplating my services: [TOP TWO EVENTS].
Would you kindly write a short paragraph or two about your experience working with me through the filter of one of those two events? Since I’m a firm believer in taking good care of my clients, there’s a little treat waiting at Starbucks for you as a thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. In the meantime, please let me know what else I can do for you!
Zillow: [LINK TO PROFILE]
Yelp: [LINK TO PROFILE]
Google: [LINK TO PROFILE]
Draft a script you would use to ask for a review from your client.
Schedule time to ask past clients to provide you with testimonials.
Take time to respond to any comments you receive as a result of the content you publish.
Understand the definition of paid media. Identify which “paid” media strategies you’ll integrate as part of your digital marketing strategy.
“Paid media” refers to digital advertising for which you spend money to receive premier placement or exposure. Most marketers utilize paid media or social media ads to drive traffic to a website or a particular piece of content designed to capture the visitor’s contact information. Below is a list of “paid media” strategies for you to consider integrating as part of your overall digital strategy.
You can buy leads from popular third-party sites. Generating online leads involves quite a bit of work, as this training has no doubt made clear. If your skillset is more naturally aligned with converting the leads than with generating them on your own— after consulting with your coach—consider simply purchasing leads from a third-party site that sells them outright. Keep in mind, however, it’s not as if purchasing the leads excludes you from having to do any upfront work. You’ll still need to complete your online profiles satisfactorily as well as build up a library of compelling reviews. Even so, buying leads, though often costly, circumvents a lot of the effort that goes into merely acquiring the leads. No matter how you come by your leads, at the end of the day, it boils down to your systems and skills of conversion.
What happens when you Google something? Ever notice how you start seeing ads related to your search? Well, you can also use those search results to target people on YouTube. So here’s the deal: Run YouTube ads for those in your marketplace who recently conducted Google searches about buying or selling real estate.
This is the next evolution of online ads. Don’t discount it! YouTube now gets more traffic than all cable companies combined!
Facebook is pay to play—so pony up. Facebook, which includes Instagram, is really good at coding its News Feed algorithm to exclude content aimed at marketing or selling a product or service. After all, it’s a “social” network. That means, if you want to get your professional-focused content in front of the masses, the most optimal means to do so is by way of Facebook’s advertising platform.
Bear in mind, there are a variety of ad-types within Facebook and Instagram you may consider running. The most common types are discussed below.
The main purpose of any social media advertising is to drive visitors to your website where, ideally, you’d have some type of lead-capture page (aka landing page) ready to collect their contact information in exchange for some type of an offer or download. As far as Facebook is concerned, it’s recommended you place your ads in the News Feed for best performance. Here’s a list of common ad offers or mechanisms used to capture people’s contact information:
Property search
Home valuation
Buyer guide
Seller guide
Online course
Target web-searching buyers and sellers via Google pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Once again, the objective here is to drive prospective sellers and/or buyers to a web page with some type of content or access thought to be useful, such as an automatic home valuation or the means to save custom property searches. Of course, in exchange for that content or access, the visitor is required to provide contact information—which means, you just got a new lead.
Win back leads with retargeting ads. What a shame—you went to such lengths to get could-be buyers and sellers to visit your website or landing page only for them to move on before completing any type of a form-fill, which means you have no way of following up. Consider wooing back those buyers and sellers through retargeting ads. In the simplest terms, when a visitor navigates to your web page, your website deposits an anonymous cookie onto the visitor’s computer. Later, as that visitor navigates to different websites, the cookie reports back in realtime to inform the retargeting provider (discussed later) as to that individual's whereabouts. Lots of popular websites sell ad boxes and banner ads to these retargeting providers, who then fill those banners and boxes with the ads from the websites looking to win back former visitors. For example, go look at a suitcase on Tumi’s website without making a purchase and you’ll begin to see retargeting ads all over the place as you wade through the web.
5 · PAID MEDIA
RETARGETING ADS (CONT.)
Engage your website visitors with Facebook ads. Install the Facebook Pixel on your website to track visitors’ actions: pages visited, clicks and so on. When the visitor leaves your website, even if you’re not connected to that individual on Facebook— meaning, they’re totally anonymous to you—using data collected by the Pixel, you’re able to retarget Facebook and Instagram ads aimed directly at those individuals.
Granted, Facebook won’t directly reveal their identity of your “secret admirers,” but they’ll display your ads to them on your behalf. With your ads, you may try to get those folks back to your website or to take some other action, at which time, hopefully, they’ll complete some type of a form-fill so you’re able to follow up via phone, email, or text message. You can buy leads from popular third-party sites.
Generating online leads involves quite a bit of work. If your skillset is more naturally aligned with converting the leads than with generating them on your own, you might consider simply purchasing leads from a third-party site that sells them outright.
Keep in mind, however, it’s not as if purchasing the leads excludes you from having to do any upfront work. You’ll still need to complete your online profiles satisfactorily as well as build up a library of compelling reviews. Even so, buying leads, though often costly, circumvents a lot of the effort that goes into merely acquiring the leads. No matter how you come by your leads, at the end of the day, it boils down to your systems and skills of conversion.
Identify which platform you’ll use to run ads.
Determine if you’ll buy leads from service providers such as Zillow, Realtor.com or Trulia and get started.
Learn the follow-up campaign to implement to generate more appointments. Discover the importance of nurturing your leads.
SESSION 6
Most online leads won’t buy or sell a house the day they sign-up for a free home valuation or inquire about a property on Zillow. Consequently, following-up and nurturing a lead until they’re ready to buy or sell is a critical part of your conversion strategy. You have to be 100% committed.
The trick is to treat every lead as if they’re a “ready now” buyer or seller and let them convince you otherwise. Consider this: you could be 100% effective with 70% of the leads and, as a result, severely damage your odds of converting even one. The math only works when you’re all in. And keep in mind, studies have shown that 68% of all leads require between 8 and 12 follow-up attempts before they’ll respond to you. Just because someone inquires about a listing on Zillow, for instance, doesn’t mean they’ll take your first call. It's the same with any lead, no matter what they downloaded or opted-in to.
Now, whether you’re generating your own leads or purchasing them from a third-party site like Zillow, there’s another rule of thumb that will make or break your strategy: speed to lead. Will you allow yourself to be interrupted by incoming leads? If not, then it’s all for nothing. Literally every minute that passes between when a lead inquires about a property, registers for a free home valuation, or sets up listing alerts on your website and when you finally reach out, your chances at converting that lead (i.e., scheduling an appointment) begin to diminish exponentially.
Here are some contemporary ideas and best practices to keep in mind with respect to your lead followup and nurturing campaigns:
An email address isn’t a lead—so get a number. Today’s business environment is multichannel—meaning, it’s not enough to just call or just email. You need to mix up your approach.
If you get a lead for which you only have an email address, as happens commonly, try sending this message to get a phone number:
Thanks for your inquiry—I’m here to help! What’s the best way to connect? Cell is best for me and my number is [###-###-####]. I’m free to talk [NOW]. Are you?
SESSION 6 · FOLLOW UP PLAN
Build-out auto-responder emails or, better yet, video messages. No matter how you come by a new lead—a prospective seller entering his or her property address for a free home valuation, an interested buyer inquiring about a listing on Zillow, or a website visitor submitting his or her contact details in order to save a listing or create a custom home search—the lead should hear from you right away. Create a single message (e.g., video, written word, or something else) that automatically emails the lead to a) thank them for registering, downloading, or doing whatever they did and then b) tells them what to expect next.
You may even decide to create a series of messages that will go out over a certain span of time. If someone signs up for something as simple as your once-a-month market update email, don’t make them wait until the next issue to receive it. Give them something of value right away. Here are some tools you may consider using to set up auto-responder messages:
BombBomb
MailChimp
Keap
Constant Contact
Emma
Go beyond “drip emails” and level-up your marketing automation. Not long ago, there wasn’t really an alternative to scheduling time every day to manually dial, email, or message your leads one-by-one. Not that you shouldn’t set aside time to pick up the phone can call or message your leads, however, in a world of improving automation tools, the means to streamline your follow-up and nurturing efforts has been greatly simplified.
Imagine this: You get a new lead from Zillow (or someplace else) and, of course, you call them ASAP, like within five minutes. However, on top of your physical efforts to convert the lead, an onrushing wave of automated communications (e.g., text messages, emails, and video messages) begin to ping and persuade the lead into doing business with you—all without you so much as lifting a finger. What would something like that do for your conversion?
If the technology existed whereby you could prerecord/pre-schedule a chain of video messages, voicemails, emails, and text messages ahead of time that would automatically send to each and every new lead over a specified period of time, what sort of messages would you choose to deliver? That’s the question that matters because the technology to power this sort of system is readily available.
SESSION 6 · FOLLOW UP PLAN
Organize a series of messages, then determine the best format to deliver those messages—whether it’s email, video, voicemail or something else. After that, consider setting up one of the tools listed below and you’re in business.
Here’s a list of service providers with marketing automation tools for you to explore:
Shout Boss
MailChimp
Zapier
Keap
BombBomb
Marketo
Active Campaign
HubSpot
Agent Legend
Scheduled Once
Get someone (or something) to help you follow-up the way you know you should. Once again, it’s 8 to 12 follow-up attempts to get a response. Beyond that, though, you have to be ready to nurture the lead for as long as it takes until they’re ready to buy or sell. For most agents, generating leads isn’t the issue; it’s putting in the work to convert the leads. Lots of agents sit on hundreds if not thousands of “old leads.” They’re dubbed “old,” because when the lead came in, for one reason or another the agent was unable to get to them fast enough or often enough to get a satisfactory rate of conversion.
If you’re struggling to keep up with your leads, you have two choices: 1) cut a lead source until you’re able to support it adequately or 2) get help (e.g. an inside sales agent, another agent, a loan officer partner, etc.). Beyond those ideas, you may consider looking at the service providers listed below to see if they may offer a viable solution:
Zillow
Concierge
Rokrbox
Riley
Phone Animal
Appointments, Inc.
Review the sample buyer follow-up campaign on the next page, dubbed, “Buy or Die,” by Kyle Whissel of Whissel Realty in San Diego, CA. Adapt it as necessary to fit the nature of your business. Keep in mind, the objective of any follow-up campaign is to get the lead in conversation with you whereby you’re able to schedule an appointment.
Also, remember that some follow-up campaigns combine automated messaging (e.g., drip emails or pre-recorded video messages or voicemails) along with manual follow-up efforts, such as making a call or sending a text message yourself. The plan on the next page is from the perspective of an agent following up manually with a buyer lead. Work with your coach to build a follow-up and nurturing plan for all of your incoming online leads—buyers and sellers—no matter where they come from: a third party site, your website, or someplace else. DAY
Try to get the lead on the phone... MESSAGE
Introduce yourself and request to speak... Video Message
If lead answers, use LP MAMA....
"Here's a similar home you may like..."
Arrange a property showing
Arrange a property showing
Arrange a property showing
Arrange a property showing
Try to get the lead on the phone... Call + Email Arrange a property showing
Try to get the lead on the phone Call + VM
Try to get the lead on the phone
Connect on Facebook...
Try to get the lead on the phone... Call + Text
Try to get the lead on the phone... Call + Email
Arrange a property showing
Arrange a property showing
Arrange a property showing
Arrange a property showing
HOT (A): W/IN 30 DAYS
Follow up weekly
Call every Friday if no follow up w/in past 7 days
Add to bimonthly video emails
Follow up monthly
Call first week of every month if no follow up w/in past 30 days
Add to bimonthly video emails
QUALIFY (B): W/IN 90 DAYS
Follow up weekly
Call every Friday if no follow up w/in past 7 days
Add to bimonthly video emails
Follow up quarterly
Call first week of every quarter if no follow up w/in past 90 days
Add to bimonthly video emails
Cut things off (sort of). At the end of your follow-up plan, whether it runs for 10, 14 or 21 days—when all is said and done—send out a breakup communication. Open rates from emails with subject lines like, “Did I drop the ball?” or “Should I stop sending you emails?” are among the best in the industry. It’s a last-ditch effort to get the lead to respond to your communications. After that, if you still don’t get a response, archive the lead and add them to your standard marketing campaigns (e.g., a monthly email).
Once a quarter, pool your old, unresponsive leads and take another shot. Every lead source has a different sales cycle. For instance, lots of agents will say that, in certain markets, home valuation leads take two years before they’re ready to list. A lead from Zillow, however, could be ready now or in 30 days. The point is, there may still be life and opportunity within your old, timeworn bank of leads. Once a quarter, by yourself, with a partner, or team, divvy out the list and start dialing.
Sellers
Thanks for requesting a report on your home!
One quick question while I pull the data together—have you made any upgrades that would affect your home’s value?
Buyers
Thanks for requesting a free home search account!
One quick question while we get your account setup—are there any “must-haves” in your next home?
Universal Reply
Great questions, what’s a good time and number to chat?
Hello, could I please speak with [NAME]?
This is [YOUR NAME] with [COMPANY]... and I am calling you back like I said I would. How are you today? Terrific!
When we last spoke on [DATE] your plans were to move to _______ by _________ because of __________ (reason and motivation). Is that still your plan and time frame? Excellent!
The reason for my call is _______________.
Remember to make your message relevant to them
New properties that have sold New homes on the market
Interest Rate Increases
Client/Family that you have assisted that are similar to them
Update on the overall market
So, my question is ... do you have to be sold and moved to ________ by _______, or simply start the selling process at that time? Wonderful!
Fortunately ... to assist you ... all we need to do is simply set an appointment so that I can help you get what you want in the time you want ... won’t that be great?
Fantastic! What would work better for you [DATE & TIME 1] or [DATE & TIME 2]?
Remember that your intention from the call is to SET THE APPOINTMENT.
Hi [NAME]... this is [YOUR NAME] with [COMPANY]...
You were recently on our site www.[YOUR WEBSITE].com and we wanted to thank you for registering.
We received your request regarding getting a really good deal on a property in the area . . . Is that the area you’re looking to buy in?
What types of property do you like best... condos or a house? (Wonderful!)
What price range are you looking to buy in? (Terrific!)
I’m curious ... are you currently renting or do you own your home? Do you need to sell before you buy? (Excellent!) Is your house currently on the market? (Really?)
[If renting:] Are you month to month, or are you in a lease? If you were to find the home of your dreams ... could you get out of that lease immediately?
Besides online, how else have you been searching for homes? What will it take for you to ... buy a home…
Let’s meet for 15-20 minutes ... so I can show you what it will take to buy a home in today’s competitive market and exactly what our team can do to assist you .
What would work better for you? ... [date/time 1] or [date/time 2].
My office is at _____________________
My office number is ________________
I’ll send you out a confirmation email to… Is your email address [repeat email address]? And is this the best number to reach you?
Every seller is going to want to know ... are you going to be paying cash... or have you been qualified by a lender? (Perfect!)
Cash: When we meet please bring proof of funds... Lender: Our clients always ask us for a second opinion... would you like one?
No Lender: With such a big decision... who you work with matters. We have a great relationship with __________, and he/she helps all of our clients. Why don’t I have them give you a call?
Great... thank you again and we look forward to assisting you!
[NAME], will you do me a favor and let me know if something comes up and you can’t make it at [date/time]? (Great! Talk soon!)
Learn the numbers you need to keep track of to measure your ROI.
Digital Marketing is a lead source, and like any other lead source, you have to keep up your marketing efforts to see meaningful results. Your job is to pay attention to the big-picture numbers, adjust as necessary and stay consistent. Use the chart below to track and measure your marketing efforts.
You may wish to recreate this in a spreadsheet format, like Excel.
MARKETING STRATEGY (EX.IG,FB, YOUTUBE, ZILLOW, ETC.)
#OFCONVOS BEFORETHE APPOINTMENT LEADS
CONTRACT(S) SIGNED SELLER APPT(S) BUYER APPT(S)
TRANSACTION(S) CLOSED
COMMISSION EARNED