|
|
|
Bad First Impressions Will Turn Home Buyers Away
First impressions are very important when you are selling your home. In fact, making a good first impression can make all the difference. So be sure to present your home in its best light right from that very first time your prospective buyers set...
Monaco Realtors In Last Chance Saloon
The annual yacht show in Monaco always guarantees Europe’s second smallest country’s hotels are full, and this year will be no exception.
The show has grown in popularity over the fifteen years since it began, and this year will see Monaco’s Port...
Profit From The Real Estate Bubble: Invest In Foreclosures
How To Buy Foreclosure
There may be only one slogan for people interested in real estate investments. “Buy on time, buy quick”. This is how to buy foreclosure. Real estate investment is about being smart and taking opportunities as they fall.
...
The Problem with Partial Inspections!
Frequently, we get the request in our office for a "partial" inspection. This is another of those things that truly escapes my logic. While I am sure that the basis for this request is the desire to reduce the expense of the inspection, partial...
The Value Of Concrete Countertops -- Customization Increases Aesthetic Appeal And Real Estate Investment For Homeowners
From top-dollar homes in the San Francisco Bay Area to sprawling mountain homes in the Colorado Rockies, discriminating homeowners are demanding custom designs and finishes in their kitchens. In particular, they are looking to express their...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Real Estate Marketing -- Postcard Ideas For Agents
Postcards can enhance your real estate marketing program by generating a response from prospects. But if you don't differentiate your postcards in some way, you're limiting the response you might otherwise enjoy.
Fortunately, one of the best ways to differentiate your postcards also happens to be one of the easiest. Just add value to them. The greater the value, the greater the response.
Here then are five ways you might add value to your postcards in order to generate a response.
Idea #1 -- Tip of the Month:
Take what you know about the home-buying or selling process, and break it up into 12 parts. You've just created a tip-of-the-month postcard series.
Better still, you can use it as a response-generating device. Just tie each month's tip back to your buyer's / seller's guide to evoke a phone call or email.
For instance: "You'll find more than 35 additional tips in my homebuyer's guide -- my free gift to you. Just call or email..."
Idea #2 -- Showcase Your Performance:
Let's say you're targeting seller's, and you have a history of helping clients sell at or near their full asking prices -- and in a short amount of time. Why now showcase this on your postcard? No need to brag or boast ... just be factual:
"15 homes sold for full asking price in the last year alone." That sort of thing. You might even show pictures of some of the homes you sold in a remarkably short time for full asking price.
People believe in what they can see. And sellers want to believe you can help them sell for maximum price in minimum time. Show them your history of doing just that, and you're one step closer to getting that critical phone call or email.
Idea #3 -- Newspaper Style Headline:
Headlines have captivated readers for centuries. We love news. We love to get news when it's hot and happening. Why not use this affinity for headlines and news to capture your prospects attention?
You'll find headline ideas everywhere. Low interest rates, for instance, always make for a great headline: Interest Rates Hit Record Low.
Then all that's left to do is explain how you can help them take advantage of whatever news you've listed. Try combining this approach with one of the other techniques listed for "double differentiation."
Idea #4 -- Make an Offer:
By offer, I don't mean that old standby, the free consultation. That has about as much chance of making your mailer stand out as I have of winning the Nobel prize for physics. The free obligation (a.k.a. the no-obligation consultation) has been worn out so much over the last few decades that it's become virtually meaningless.
Here's what else is wrong with it (and those who have tested this offer against others will agree with me here). Your prospects expect a free
consultation, and they know they're going to get one ... if not from you, then from some other agent or Realtor they'll inevitably stumble across.
One final problem with the free consultation: Much of the information you'll share during the consultation can be found on the Internet, if you know where to look.
And believe me, your prospects know where to look!
They can view homes online. They can find current interest rates online. And now, with the advent of such websites as HomeValues.com, they can even get a ballpark valuation of their home based on current sales information -- and it's all free.
The goal here is obvious. You need to strengthen your offer. You need something of value that will give prospects a good reason to call you:
"Call or email me today, and I'll send you my "First-time Homebuyer's Guide" for free. This 11-page report answers all the questions I've been asked over the years from homebuyers like you. What to look for during a walk-through. How to negotiate. How to prepare financially for the settlement process. Everything is covered in detail (and in plain language). Call today for your free copy!"
And remember, the offer and the response are directly proportional. Want more response? Put more value into your offer. It really is that simple.
Idea #5 -- Testimonial:
Genuine testimonials carry more power than anything the marketer (you) can say or write. When the testimonial comes from a known source, like a neighbor, that power is increased tenfold.
Here's an easy but effective formula:
1. Place a testimonial at the top of your piece, in headline fashion.
2. Follow up with your message, giving specifics of the transaction -- the number of interested buyers that came through, the time it took to get a contract (or other relevant data).
3. Offer to help the reader in the same way.
4. End with your offer and call-to-action. (You do have your seller's guide finished, right?)
The end result is a specific, believable and value-driven mailer. Try the above message for yourself. See how it stacks up against the pale-by-comparison "I sold a home... can I sell yours, too?" I'd love to hear how it works for you.
About the Author: Brandon Cornett has worked as a writer and advertising manager within the direct mail industry. He now dedicates his time to helping agents and brokers improve their personal marketing programs. His "Modern Guide to Real Estate Marketing" and his free newsletter are available at: http://www.ArmingYourFarming.com
Source: www.isnare.com
|
|
|
|
|
| Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent ... |
| Comprehensive real estate and property listings. Includes information on buying and selling, tips on building, an auction timetable and other helpful ... |
| www.realestate.com.au |
|
| Real Estate | Homes for Sale | Houses for Sale | MLS Listings ... |
| RealEstate.com provides home listings , homes for sale , REALTORS , house listings , apartment locating services. We have Florida real estate , Texas ... |
| www.realestate.com |
|
| REALTOR.com: Real estate listings & homes for sale |
| Search for a new home or find mortgage rates, real estate agents, and relocation services throughout the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. |
| www.realtor.com |
|
| Real Estate on Yahoo! Real Estate - Homes, Mortgage Rates, School ... |
| Yahoo! Real Estate is the most comprehensive place for real estate, housing market information, school reports, local mortgage rates and more! |
| realestate.yahoo.com |
|
| Find Your Home Value, House Values and Prices on Yahoo! Real Estate |
| Yahoo! Real Estate - Free instant home values and comparable home valuations for millions of houses. Check your home's price or any house value. |
| realestate.yahoo.com |
|
| Real Estate, Houses for Sale, Rentals, Commercial and Businesses ... |
| Real Estate, Houses for Sale, Rentals, Commercial and Businesses for sale at Realestate.co.nz. |
| www.realestate.co.nz |
|
| Real Estate - Buy, Sell or Rent a Home - New York Times |
| Online real estate listings for properties in New York and nationwide. |
| www.nytimes.com |
|
| Century 21 Real Estate Agents and Brokers |
| Agency with franchised offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Find local offices and agents, ... |
| century21.com |
|
| Zillow - Your Edge in Real Estate |
| Zillow provides a free Home Valuation Tool for Real Estate enthusiasts. Whether you're an agent, broker, buyer of investment property or first time ... |
| www.zillow.com |
|
| STLtoday - Homes |
| Real estate agent revels in the boom in downtown St. Louis living ... [more real estate news as seen in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch] ... |
| www.stltoday.com |
|
| Real estate - Boston.com |
| Boston Real Estate - Search the Boston Globe and Boston.com for Massachusetts Real Estate, Boston Condos, Land for sale, Vacation Rentals and more. |
| www.boston.com |
|
| ABCs of Real Estate |
| Real Estate ABCs consumer tips, hints, and resources for home buyers, sellers, and mortgage borrowers. |
| www.realestateabc.com |
|
| washingtonpost.com - Washington DC real estate, Maryland real ... |
| Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland homes, real estate news and headlines. [Registration required] |
| www.washingtonpost.com |
|
| Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation |
| Real Estate from Coldwell Banker ®. Buying a home, selling a home, or finding a real estate agent is easy with Coldwell Banker. Find a home, sales associate ... |
| www.coldwellbanker.com |
|
| Detroit News Online | Real-Estate |
| Sellers around the state have been frustrated with the slow sales patterns of Michigan real estate over the past year or two. But buyers have been enjoying ... |
| www.detnews.com |
|
| Newsday.com - Long Island Real Estate for Nassau County and ... |
| In a real estate market increasingly defined by niches, ... Real Estate Resources. Search by school district for recent home sales in Nassau and Suffolk ... |
| www.newsday.com |
|
| Real Estate for Sale, Rent and Share @ Domain.com.au |
| Real Estate for Sale, Rent and Share @ Domain.com.au. Houses and apartments for sale or rent all over Australia. Thousands of properties in Sydney, ... |
| www.domain.com.au |
|
| Luxury real estate news and features - Forbes.com |
| Luxury real estate news and features at Forbes.com. Core topics include real estate, mansions, condos, co ops, oceanfront realty, second homes, ... |
| www.forbes.com |
|
| Real Estate News - Prices, Mortgages, and Calculators from CNNMoney |
| Latest on mortgages, refinancing, & home tips from CNNMoney.com. Calculators for refinancing, mortgage payments and more. |
| money.cnn.com |
|
| Los Angeles, California, national and world news, jobs, real ... |
| Los Angeles' leading online source for local, state, national, world, entertainment, and sports news. Plus jobs, real estate, cars and shopping information ... |
| www.latimes.com |
|
|