I welcome feedback from real estate agents interested in transitioning from their post card-based marketing strategy. I have heard that some Vancouver agents send 10,000 post cards per week. That is expensive! I would love to hear the measured ROI.

Here are some suggestions:

  1. Make a list of the past 12 months listings and sales. How did these customers find you? What HAS been working?
    • Word of mouth, repeat customer, attended an open house (how did they find it), post card, sign, mls.ca, newspaper advertising, your website etc
    • Add up what you spent on these channels versus their returns. What worked? What didn’t? Plan your next 12 months budget accordingly.
  2. Think about branding yourself. “I want to be known as the real estate agent who….”
    • Gives 5% of my sales to social causes and green issues
    • Supports kids sports
    • Throws a street party every time I sell a house
    • Leaves a bottle of wine at all houses on the street after I sell a house (ie leave your card or work with a local winery to create your own label)
    • Gives away a living room decorating package draw to my clients each year
    • Throws a quarterly fundraising event for my favourite chartiy. I invite 500 networks, silent auction, wine tasting for local wineries and get media attention, cool musician, etc. Have fun by strengthening your network
    • Rent a coffee truck once per month, have a banner, deliver coffee (with your cards attached) to all the poor soccer parents standing out in the rain. They will remember you!
    • Tons of other “guerilla marketing ideas to get you known in the neighbourhood of choice
  3. Have a website so people can find you
  4. Collect leads on your website
  5. Maintain and develop your contact database — should be minimum of 500 contacts that grows through networking etc
  6. Send a monthly enewsletter about real estate news and latest listings
  7. Make sure to send e-lerts to your hot prospects when new houses come up for sale. I would appreciate that service!
  8. Building your brand in the community is a lot more work than sending out a post card but numerous real estate agents tell me they have already made the switch and are reaping the rewards.

Good luck and keep us posted. If anyone has other ideas to share please let us know!!

Beth

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