This post by Marte Cliff, of Marte Cliff Copywriting, was originally published on ActiveRain.
In my work as a real estate copywriter I talk to a good number of agents who are just starting out. Some of them are eager to get their websites up and running and know that they need individualized content and an agent bio that makes them stand out from the crowd.
They also know that they need to reach out and pull those prospects in, or they won’t be noticed. Just being online is no help if no one visits your website.
Some of them have the funds available and are committed to spending what it takes to get started. Others have spent most of their available funds just getting this far. They’re feeling shocked at all the expenses beyond the schooling.
Now they’re afraid to spend more. So what to do?
I believe every agent should choose a niche or two and become THE expert, but an agent who is just starting out can’t know yet what niche will interest him most. So I’d suggest starting with a geographic territory.
If you’re in this position right now …
Choose a neighborhood you know well, then learn everything you don’t already know about it. For instance, learn all about the zoning districts, the utility fees, the school district boundaries, and the taxes. If yours is a neighborhood with a homeowners association, get a copy of their rules, bylaws, etc., and learn what they say. Know the HOA fees, as well.
In other words, really become the expert.
Then, start small. Choose a specific number of homes and begin mailing to the homeowners. Maybe you can afford to mail to only 100 or even fewer. But choose which ones and be consistent with that list. You’ll get better results if you mail to 100 people 10 times than if you mail to 1,000 people just once.
Read my recent post about how many touches it takes to get a new prospect to respond to you.
Once you begin getting results from your mailings, set aside dollars from every closing to expand your mailing territory. And again, be consistent.
Master marketer Barbara Todaro mails thousands of postcards per month now, but she began by mailing just 20 “just listed” cards every time she got a new listing. Read her recent post on the subject right here.
You do have to be careful what you say in your mailings. “Just listed” and “Just sold” notices are pretty self-explanatory, but if you’re working to develop your own territory, you have to give those people a reason to read your message. “Here I am, hire me” just won’t do it. Remember that you have to give before you get.
If you write well and understand the psychology of marketing, write your own letters. If not, use mine. You’ll find my geographic territory prospecting letters here.
What else can you do? Many things. I even wrote a small e-book about it: “107 Ways to Build Your Real Estate Career on a Tiny Budget.” More than 90 of the ways I mention require no money at all — or only enough to fuel up your vehicle.
Since you’ve come this far, don’t stop. Give yourself the needed push to get over the hump and begin making money.
Get marketing, and, as Barbara says, “Market like you mean it!!!!”
