When Nothing Seems to Work

Take A Hard, Critical Look at Your Plan

As 2005 draws to a close I thought it might be helpful to write about the three most common marketing missteps that keep many real estate agents and brokers from reaching their true potential. In a typical year I speak with 1800 to 2000 real estate professionals about their marketing. By far, the most prevalent cause for getting nowhere fast with marketing and advertising is the absence of a well thought out plan for success and a Website designed to reflect that plan.

WHAT DOES A GOOD PLAN ENTAIL?

I find that many agents and brokers have plans that are somewhat like a Letter to Santa. It is pretty easy to tick off the things you want, such as: I want more business. I want to make more money. I want to sell luxury homes. Actually, this kind of a Wish List is part of a good plan but it is only the beginning. Why? Because wishing for something is not a strategy. In order to make your wishes come true you need to implement some steps to make it all happen. So, a Good Plan states what is wanted and the steps needed to turn those wants into reality. You can start with a Good Plan simply by visiting me online at http://www.sellrealestate.net
/FreeWebPlan.asp.

START YOUR PLAN TODAY

When you answer the questions on the Web page listed above you are actually starting your plan and sending me the results. I take a look at the information you send me and I review your current Website if you have one. Then, when we meet on the phone I ask a few more questions so I have a good idea of the specific strategies you will need to implement to make your Wish List turn into reality. If you don’t take this Planning step either by yourself or with someone like me, your chances for increasing your income are mighty slim. So, I urge you to start today.

What's Wrong with Direct Mail?

There is actually nothing wrong with Direct Mail except that it is very expensive, very time consuming and the response rate is not so hot unless you do it right. Many years ago Direct Mail was much more effective than it is today. What happened? Well, now there is so much direct mail delivered to every household that its effectiveness has been lessened. Even in its heyday, a direct mail piece, to be effective, had to be designed by a pro with an irresistible offer and a differentiating visual or graphic. Many agents and brokers today think they can send out any kind of ho-hum message and expect people to pay attention to it. It doesn’t work that way.

DIRECT MAIL THAT DOES WORK

Direct mail success is very dependent on graphic design and an irresistible offer. However, I do not care how well you design it, a message that simply says you want to sell someone’s house is not an irresistible one. Let’s say that you point out that you have integrity, honesty and can get them top dollar for their home---that’s not enough! You might get their attention if you send them a card that looks like a giant penny with a message that says You Won’t Pay a Penny to Find out What Your Home is Worth. Details appear on the back of the card and for more information folks can visit your Website.

DIRECT MAIL WHEN IT IS EMAIL

Email marketing can be more effective than postal direct mail and it costs a whole lot less in terms of time and money, but the same rules apply. Your prospects will read your Email message IF you send them something of interest. If you send a sales pitch and nothing more, they will delete you every time.

WHEN EVERYTHING WORKS AS IT SHOULD

Needless to say, when all your marketing efforts are coordinated and set up properly, the results might just amaze you. A good place to start finding what is wrong with your marketing is our online self help tool, http://www.sellrealestate.net
/coordinatemarketing.asp.

How to Miss with Search Engines

A great many real estate agents and brokers believe they are well placed on the search engines when, in fact, they are not. Some believe they are on the search engines because the template company that set up their Website told them that they would submit their site to the engines on a regular basis. The agent, assuming that submitting a site guarantees top placement, believes without checking that all is well when, in fact, all is not well and their site is not to be found.

THE PROBLEM WITH KEYWORDS

Another way to seem to win but actually lose with the search engines is to pay for placement or submit for placement using an inappropriate keyword phrase. A Keyword phrase here is the term that a prospective buyer will use when searching for property in your area. There are several companies, even the search engines themselves in some cases that contact agents offering to give them high placement for a relatively low monthly fee. The agent, thinking he/she is getting a good deal goes for it but never generates any leads. The reason is usually that they have gone with a keyword phrase that nobody is searching for.

AN EXAMPLE OF GOOD AND BAD KEYWORDS

What if I told you that you could be on page one of Google for the Keyword phrase “Orlando Residential Real Estate?” If you are a real estate agent in Orlando that might sound mighty fine to you, but would it be effective? Here are the facts: About 32,000 search engine requests were made in the past 30 days for “Orlando Real Estate,” but only 90 requests were made in the same period of time for “Orlando Residential Real Estate.” What you have here is a slightly different keyword phrase but with a huge difference in potential results. So, you have to know what you are doing when you agree to pay for good search engine placement. Would you like to know what keyword phrases you should be using? Give me a call toll free at 888-814-5347 and I’ll be happy to help you figure it out.