This post by Belinda Spillman, real estate broker-owner with Aspen Lane Real Estate LLC, was originally published on ActiveRain.
With social media and the age of Internet marketing, many of us forget that there is nothing like good old-fashioned handshake marketing.
Our marketing plans can have many different funnels like SEO, direct mail, advertising, lead generation systems, etc., but we need to remember that the best way to sell ourselves is to get out and actually talk to people. It is very easy to work from home as Realtors these days and sit behind the computer screen all day. It takes effort to clean up and get behind the wheel with a purpose in mind.
One thing I like to do when I have no particular people to visit is go to new-home sites. It is always good to know what inventory is available in different parts of town and at what price point. When a client inquires about new construction in a geographic quadrant, I like to have the answers.
I spent three hours today visiting new-home builders, and I feel I had a productive day. You never know when one of the new-home consultants will need a Realtor to refer to a buyer who may have a home to sell. Showing interest in their product and taking time to visit them in person goes a very long way when they are trying to think of a good Realtor to refer.
About 60 percent of my business last year consisted of new construction. This is nothing to sneeze at by any means.
So, next time you are sitting in your sweat pants trying to figure out what to do on the computer to generate more business, get in the car and embrace the outside world. You never know what you may find out there.