Want more real estate clients and deals this year? It may be time for an unconventional approach…
If what you have been doing hasn’t been producing the deals and dollars you need to hit your goals, or you just know you need to find a way to stand out from the competition, it might be time to unleash some less expected marketing, PR, and lead generation moves. Check out this list and pick your favorites to put into play.
Break Your Blog
Shake it up. Real estate blogging may be one of the most important parts of your business, but too many are still playing follow the leader. Don’t be afraid to disrupt and lead with something different. Once someone says Google likes “XYZ” everyone starts doing it, and no one stands out. So be different. Hash out some extreme 3,000 or 4,000 word reports. Or go super short with just a couple lines. If you’ve been podcasting or doing video, bring the text back. Or shake it up with a great multimedia post that includes video, audio, social elements, text, and downloadable content. Ask for permission to include video clips and audio from others so you don’t have to pay for it all yourself.
Stop Selling and Be Real
If you’ve been turned off by over the top sales pitches lately, take the opposite approach. Stop ‘selling’ and be real. People will appreciate the authenticity. Don’t overpromise. Don’t just tell them what they want to hear. Don’t breeze over the potential hiccups or expenses. Don’t tell them the market is just going to go up forever. Instead be real, and help them make sound decisions. They’ll love you for it.
Go Offline
Online real estate marketing is still critical. In many cases it will still be the high ROI option. But there are benefits to standing out. Splurge on a billboard and bench ad, and dominate your neighborhood.
Cut Back on Social Media
If keeping up with too many social media platforms is draining your time, energy, and budget, cut back. Which ones are working best for you, and not? Don’t delete profiles or give up URLs, but hone in on those where your best prospects really are. Perhaps that is not Facebook. It could be Google+ or LinkedIn.
Partner Up
Don’t be afraid to partner up. Look for those that can help add value for your clients, that can help create some buzz, and who might even bring some strengths to the table in your areas of lessor strengths.
Alternative Networking
If traditional networking at local real estate investor and agent events are getting old, change it up. If you aren’t running into new people, meeting the contacts you need to, and aren’t seeing real deals from your networking, try new venues and styles of networking. Maybe it is Chamber of Commerce luncheons, mortgage and home buyer expos, casual dinners, or something else. Curate your own events for your ideal prospects, in environments that appeal to them, and which are most conducive to building trust and relationships, and actually making business happen rather than just collecting business cards from vendors.
Reverse Marketing
Want to generate most inbound contacts, attract warm leads, and get the attention of local real estate professionals? Try reverse engineering your marketing with what will get them to call. Throw your house up as a FSBO in the local paper or on Craigslist and let local agents contact you. Partner on some listings and advertise them to draw calls from cash buyers. Get creative by partnering with mortgage lenders to collaborate on ads with financing and low down payments offered.
Make it More Exclusive
One sales speaker recently said he couldn’t get people to hire him for $100, so he raised the price to $5,000, and is busier than ever. As much as we want to give great deals, the level of exclusivity is often what creates value in prospect’s minds. So make people register for access on your site to access your listings, make them get qualified before you’ll speak to them, limit the times you’ll answer the phone, and so on. After all; you don’t need to engage with everyone – just the real clients that are going to take action.
Summary
If you want to stand out and generate more leads and sales, be different. Do things differently than everyone else in your local real estate market. Don’t just think outside the box; burn the box and work with no limits.
