South Florida does indeed have four sesons, just like every other part of the country. Only our seasons consist of hot, hotter, hottest and hotter than Hades. Therefore, we as Realtors do not have the same problems of keeping busy with our prospecting like some of the colder states during the winter months.
Our problem is keeping busy with this year round so as not to have a letdown during the year. We all know that the real estate business can be a roller coaster ride, but it doesn’t have to be if you espouse to these few simple prospecting tactics throughout the year.
On-the-Ground Marketing Fundamentals
Although social media takes up a great deal of any Realtors time these days, do not forget about the old school marketing. That is the heart and soul of reaching the masses, and includes sending out at least one thousand postcards every month to your farm area. The post office has made it easier than ever to mail them out with their new program, “Every Door Direct Mail,” where you simply choose a ZIP code you want to mail to and the post office informs you of how many homes are in that zone. Then you simply print and drop off exactly that amount to the post office and they send them all out for you. No more bulk mail stamps, labels or personalizing. It is important to partner up with a solid printer who wants the business and is willing to give discounts for bulk printing.
On your days off from the office, but not work, you can combine your prospecting and exercise routine into one by printing a bunch of flyers and simply walking a neighborhood and dropping them off door to door. Do not put them in mailboxes if you do not want to feel the wrath of the local postman. If you are feeling a bit lucky and personable, go ahead and knock on the door and introduce yourself as well. I can do 50 homes in thirty minutes, and that is quite a workout. And do not worry about dressing to impress. You’re human, and it comes across that way as you walk the neighborhood.
Social Media Blitz
Part of your every day routine, however, should be starting with your social media blitz. Writing a blog and posting it everywhere is a good start, but promoting it on pages like Facebook is a must in order to get the word out. Back up these blogs with articles you may have found online, too, as they increase a customer’s confidence in your ability to promote. The more knowledgeable you come across to your potential clients, the more chances you have to be hired. Part of your campaign should also include visiting neighborhoods you like to do business in, and taking pictures of different buildings, statues and architecture and then posting them on Instagram.
Instagram has an incredible amount of Google juice and reaches the masses in a hurry, but be sure to use hashtags on important keywords like the neighborhood name, for instance. And while you are at it, put together a string of e-postcards and send out an email blitz to all of your clients. The subject can really be about anything. The point is just to have an excuse to reach out to your clientele and remind them that you are still here and can use the business.
Newspaper Advertisements
And finally, at least once a month, write up some newspaper ads and send them in for publication in the local paper. Print may be a dying breed, but it is not altogether gone yet. There is always someone out there who does not know how to turn on a computer. And while you are in the paper, take the time to look over other ads from by-owners and give them a call. On average, you can probably find anywhere from 10 to 50 listings a day advertised in the paper’s classified section.
These people are just begging for a Realtor to list their homes. Some even do it in order to string out the multiple Realtors who are going to call them about their property. It is their way of interviewing agents. If anything, making these calls makes for good presentation practice, even if you do not produce a listing appointment out of them. This may not be for everyone, but it certainly still makes sense. Your “spiel,” as I like to call it, should last no longer than 30 seconds and outline exactly what you do and how you are going to do it in terms of marketing their home.
Stay away from scripts and stupid questions like, “I see that your home is for sale or expired, did you know that?” Stick with something like, “I am so and so with so and so and just wanted to introduce myself in the event you decided to interview Realtors for the sale of your lovely home.” Then move on from there. It is direct and makes you come across as someone who wants to help.
Making all of those steps a part of your daily routine should keep you busy all year round in sunny South Florida, and since the weather is always nice, there is no reason you cannot interchange them on a daily basis.
Morris Massre is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty. He can be contacted at:
Phone: 954-214-6014
Email: agentsunstate@gmail.com
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