Realty Coaching International

Realtors® Increase Visibility with 24/7/365 Automotive Advertising

As a Realtor®, you would want more and more people to call you up when they have a house to buy or sell. For that it is important that people get to see your business contact information at a prominent place. So what is a prominent place?  What is easier to notice, a billboard, which is at a height or the bumper of a car driving in front of you?

You could have your business contact information on the back or side of your car, or on your rear screen window. Something short and catchy like,” Have a house to sell?  Call 1-800-NEWYORK HOMES” should do the trick.

 When you are driving around the city the people behind you, in your lane get to notice your contact information. This even works when you are not driving, like when your car is in a parking lot, a lot of people see your car and read the sign. The first instinct of anyone who wants to buy or sell a house would be to call the number right away! Same goes for trucks too. Most cars are driven round the city only, but with trucks, the “advertisement” moves from your city to another along with the truck. These run-off-the-mill places are where advertisements get noticed the most. Maybe you could go one step further by distributing bumper stickers to your clients.

Communicate Your Excellence Like a Pro

Effective marketing materials and client packages will also help you make a top notch impression. Many forms, letters, and guides should be saved in templates so you can easily use them again and again.

Strategically think about the content of your business materials. The overarching goal of your presentations must be to show people how you are the best choice.

There has never been a time when it is easier to steal market share.

Okay, I’ll admit it, the economy could be better. But the way I see it the choices are simple. You can roll over and play dead or you can take charge of your business, prepare for the future, and get ready for a bright new day.

Are you a secret agent or are you out there beating the message “When You Think of Real estate, Think of ME! “ into the heads of everyone you meet? With so many agents who thought real estate was a “get rich quick scheme” exiting , there are a lot of markets that need are service.

If you are in the DFW Metroplex, below is great content to add to your ezine, postcards, newsletter and  script/dialogue arsenal. For the rest of America - come to Texas - everything here really is bigger and better!

Happy Selling!

TOP 10 REASONS TO BUY A NEW HOME NOW

Courtesy of http://www.dfwhousingfacts.org/

1. Get more house for your money 
   • Your dollar goes further in D/FW whether you choose a home ready for move-in or to build from the ground up.
2. Low Interest Rates 
   • Todays extremely low interest rates allow you to buy more home than ever before with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage.
3. Location. Location. Location. 
   • No matter where you work or want to live, you’ll find brand new homes in great locations across the Dallas/ Fort Worth metroplex. Near lakes, near the airport, near work centers and schools…just minutes from everything you need.
4. Tax Benefits 
   • Homeownership is a solid investment in the D/FW area and provides you with tax advantages through deductions for mortgage interest and taxes.
5. Great Selection 
   • Right now, you’ll find the best selection of new completed homes in many years.
6. Strong local economy and good job growth 
   • You can feel confident that the Dallas/Fort Wortharea will continue to grow. Its location in the center of the country along with Texas’ pro-business, entrepreneurial attitude will keep Dallas/Fort Worth as the one of the top growth markets in the country.
7. Stable Home Prices 
   • Home prices in the Dallas/Fort Worth area have maintained slow, steady growth so values should continue to increase.
8. Quality Construction & the latest design in NEW homes 
   • Dallas/Fort Worth builders are at the forefront of new home design trends and feature exceptional quality finishes and construction compared to many parts of the country. New homes also offer warranties and require less maintenance than pre-owned homes.
9. Technology, energy and resource efficiency 
   • New homes offers the latest energy efficient construction methods, materials, appliances and heating and cooling systems to provide you better, more comfortable living…and save you money
10. Equity

Standing Out and Getting Noticed

The best-selling book about business marketing: “The Purple Cow” by Seth Godin offers advice applicable to real estate agents.

Standing out and getting noticed are what “The Purple Cow” is all about, and you need to master these concepts because, stereotypically speaking, real estate agents all seem to look and act the same.

This book explores the concept of “idea diffusion” that means impressing a small number of people so that they will tell others about you. As a real estate agent, you will accomplish this by giving stellar and personal service – which will make you stand out – and then follow it up communication and marketing materials, so it will be easy for others to tell people about you.

Real Estate Agent Branding – What People Think of You

Every client you work with represents a huge marketing force for your future as a real estate agent. Developing a brand for yourself and communicating the value of your brand before you work with your next client are smart investments in your marketing strategy. Your brand will define you and your services and most importantly it will help people remember you instead of other agents.

Before delving into how your brand is going to help you, let’s look at what a successful brand actually accomplishes. “The Wizard of Ads” author, Roy Williams, sums up the purpose of a brand by explaining that a brand makes people think of something when they hear your name. And a strong brand makes people associate with you something positive that they value. Therefore, you will need to develop a brand around something that your clients value and that you can personally deliver.

The Problem Solving Realtor....

“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” Colin Powell

Does that quote make your smile or frown?  A home is a financial asset and more: it's a place to live and raise children; it's a plan for the future; it's an investment in your community. For these reasons, a potential buyer or seller will have many concerns that will come to you in the form of questions.

In my experience, the more questions, the better. It lets me know that I am on the right path with the right people, doing the right thing. The more information a buyer or seller wants to know about the inherent risks and liabilities in the real estate transaction – the better. It kills two birds with one stone. This helps the client make better decisions, and it reduces my liability.  (win-win)

Marketing Media Examples for Real Estate Agents

Here are a few examples of marketing media where your brand should come across loud and clear:

• Your voice mail message. Don’t have a lifeless “your call is important to me…” Instead, your voice mail should say “I’m out finding the right home for you…”
• Identity package: Business cards, letterhead, envelopes
• Personal Brochure
• Name badge
• All advertising and marketing pieces
• Car signs
• Your website – This is your place to really shine and it’s an affordable medium where you have total control.

Just like the cattle ranchers that inspired the term branding, you want to get your mark on every head of cattle.

Can One Person Have a Brand?

Many real estate professionals function as solo operations, give or take an assistant or two. This is by no means a barrier to branding. In fact, the founder of the marketing consulting firm Mavens & Moguls, Paige Arnof-Fenn, reports that in her experience most successful business owners become their brands. A person can represent a brand much more effectively than a product or service.

Even huge brands for big companies are often based on a single personality.

Take Oprah for example. She has a media empire and many employees but she is the brand. Now imagine that Oprah was a real estate agent instead of a television icon. What would define her brand? As a real estate agent she could brand herself around her attributes of being a good listener, understanding what real people want, being generous, and being well dressed and down to Earth. Those traits would appeal to many people looking for an agent.

Breathing Life Into Your Brand

Consistent delivery of your brand’s message is a pillar of branding. If your marketing flips and flops around, you are basically not branding. You will confuse the public with a shifting message and undermine your goal of teaching people to think of you when they think of real estate. Yes, there may come a time when your brand needs to be overhauled, but it is not a step to be taken lightly. You wouldn’t rebuild an engine after ten thousand miles would you?

Along with consistency in communication, your actions and service must prove the promise of your brand. A brand is empty unless you validate it with excellent service. Once you are living and acting like your brand says you will, then you will be defining yourself as the real estate agent that people think of first.

How Colors Affect Your Marketing

Found this great article that I thought may be of interest for those of you who have not yet decided upon what colors you will utilize in your branding and marketing efforts.

How Colors Affect Your Marketing
©2001 Jay Conrad Levinson and Mitch Meyerson

Red evokes aggressiveness, passion, strength, vitality. In business, it is great for accents and boldness, stimulates appetites, is associated with debt.

Pink evokes femininity, innocence, softness, health. In business, be sure you're aware of its feminine implications and associations.

Orange evokes fun, cheeriness, warm exuberance. In business, it's great to highlight information in graphs and on charts evokes positivity, sunshine and cowardice. In business, it appeals to intellectuals and is excellent for accenting things. Too much is unnerving.

Green evokes tranquillity, health, freshness. In business, its deep tones convey status and wealth; its pale tones are soothing.

Blue evokes authority, dignity, security, faithfulness. In business, it implies fiscal responsibility and security. Plus it is universally popular.

Purple evokes sophistication, spirituality, costliness, royalty and mystery. In business, it's right for upscale and artistic audiences.

Brown evokes utility, earthiness, woodsiness and subtle richness. In business, it signifies less important items in documents.

White evokes purity, truthfulness, being contemporary and refined. In business, it enlivens dark colors and can be refreshing or sterile.

Gray evokes somberness, authority, practicality and a corporate mentality. In business, it is always right for conservative audiences.

Black evokes seriousness, distinctiveness, boldness and being classic. In business, it creates drama and is often a fine background color.

©2001 Jay Conrad Levinson and Mitch Meyerson
www.gmarketingcoach.com