In a sometimes unpredictable market, knowing how to market your real estate company can be the difference between success and failure.Building a presence in your local community and exposing your brand to as many people as possible can be challenging, but will be critical to sustaining your business.If you do the right things, you can increase your chances of success in real estate marketing.
Step 1: Define your company image.
How you market your real estate company will affect your clients, volume of business, and how you conduct business on the whole.Try to look at your company through the eyes of potential clients by asking some of the questions below.Who is your target audience?Do you want to attract first-time home buyers, small business owners, growing families, or any other group?Do you have any business strengths?How can you take advantage of these?What about your weaknesses?How might you improve them?Where would you like your business to be in a year?Is it five years?Is it 10 years?If you want to know if a large investment in advertising is a practical option, try to see the big picture.What types of real estate are you selling?If your average home sale price is $100K, it might not make sense to go all-out on expensive advertisements.
Step 2: A brand is created.
If you don't already have a logo or other visual element, develop one to go along with your visual media marketing.Your brand will be seen by your target market as an identifying symbol.Make sure you have a brand that suits your target clientele.If you want to attract a wealthy or elderly group of people, it's important to have a logo that is elegant and stylish.If you already have a logo, consider how it might be improved and the sunk cost involved in updating it.If your brand image is not artistic or visual, consider hiring a consulting artist or designer.Your brand can be used in all real estate advertising and marketing.You want your company to be associated with your brand.
Step 3: Pick a specialty.
If you don't already have a specialty, choose a category of real estate that you would like to focus on.You can do anything from 50,000 square foot commercial buildings to beachside bungalows.You can narrow down your marketing efforts if you have a specialty.Finding and filling a niche is the key to success for many businesses.Do some research to find out if any market groups areunderrepresented by real estate companies.Tailoring your company to this gap in the market will benefit you if demand is high enough.Once you've identified a niche, it's easier to market your company.If you are the only game in town, a small amount of advertisement can alert people to your existence.You can target your marketing efforts if you have a niche.If you are a buyer's agent, you might want to have a seminar or advertise on TV.It's important to remember that your niche should be something you have experience and training in to help you be successful.Your credentials can be used in advertisements for your services.
Step 4: Determine a budget for marketing.
Determine the cost of various advertising options for your company.The budget for marketing will be enough to get your brand out there without bankrupting you.To avoid being overshadowed by larger competitors, consider what you are up against.Take into account your target clientele and their habits.If you are targeting young adults fresh out of college, don't spend $10K on local cable television ads, as a large portion of them are not likely to regularly watch cable.You should research advertising strategies for your market.If you don't know how to set an appropriate marketing budget, consider consulting a financial analyst or accountant.An appropriate marketing budget is between 7 and 10% of your income.If you don't have an annual income yet, then you should give out business cards to everyone you meet.There are many free advertising options available to you, such as using social media and posting on online listing sites.As you plan your approach, consider all of the possibilities for free advertising.Business loans can be used to boost your advertising funds.
Step 5: Take out a newspaper ad.
This is one of the oldest ways to market visual products.If your ad appears frequently, it's a good idea to use a newspaper print ad.You can contact your local newspaper by phone or email, which is provided in the newspaper's advertisements section.Newspaper ads with pictures are more likely to be noticed and remembered by readers than ads without pictures.Again, think about your audience.Newspaper print ads might not be the best way to reach young buyers.The majority of readers may not be potential customers and newspaper ads are a shotgun approach.Newspaper ads are cheap, but not as targeted as other approaches.
Step 6: Send solicitations in the mail.
Send out advertisements for your business to homeowners in neighborhoods where you have represented a seller if you want to find clients looking to sell their homes.Potential clients are told if you have successfully handled similar deals in their area.In your mailer, highlight one or two homes that have been sold by your clients.Images are a plus.If you want to convey a professional image to potential clients, have your solicitations professionally designed and printed on heavy duty card stock or photo paper.It's a good idea to include several means by which your company can be contacted.This should include a phone number, email and business address.Next to the company contact information is a photo of yourself.It could help recipients see the ad as more personal and less likely to toss it away.
Step 7: You can advertise in public locations.
These kinds of ads can appear on anything from coffee shop flyers to freeway billboards and should be visually appealing, simple, and informative.If applicable, your approach should take into account your company's marketing budget, clientele and real estate niche.Since most public advertisements only last a few seconds, you should make your brand and contact information large and visible.Make sure that the pictures in the ad are colorful and not confusing to the eye.When you are planning your ads, be aware of federal fair housing guidelines.Make sure you comply with any state and/or local laws regarding business advertisement, such as being required to print licensing or brokerage information on the ad itself.To get in touch with the appropriate individuals for setting up visual marketing arrangements, you should check online for advertising information pertaining to the exact location, agency, or business where you wish to have your ad displayed.
Step 8: portable signs
While the properties currently listed with your company are on the market, create signs that can be placed at intersection or neighborhood entrance.This could help you make a sale and promote your brand at the same time.First, you must include a provision for your sign in the sale contract, so that the homebuyer can approve its placement.There are local restrictions on the use of signs.To keep the design simple and easy to read, limit it to two or three contrasting colors.Basic company information can be easily seen by passing motorists if you don't use images on these signs.For calm weather days, consider tying colorful balloons to your signs to increase their visibility.If you plan to put up portable signs again the next morning, be sure to retrieve them at the end of the showing.It protects your investment, however small, from being stolen or vandalized overnight.
Step 9: A radio or TV advertisement can be created.
These are the most expensive types of marketing campaigns.Only a small portion of this audience may be potential clients.To inquire about your options, you will need to contact a cable or broadcasting company in your area.If you can't afford private channels, consider public access TV or radio.An ad that is memorable will appeal to your target audience.You can either hire someone with experience in this area to assist you or come up with a short tune or slogan.In your ad, be sure to include a concise speech about your company and services.If you're not a good speaker, put someone else in the ad.Important contact information such as your web address and phone number should be repeated.If you want your ad to grab the attention of inattentive audiences, you need to use a joke that fits your brand image and target clientele.
Step 10: A website can be developed.
Prospective clients can search listings without needing to contact you if your site includes an internet data exchange or Multiple Listing Service feed.The systems allow customers to research your listings without being pressured by an agent.A strong internet presence is important in the modern real estate market.A poorly-designed website can cost you business and make you look incompetent.Make your website a priority for marketing.If you don't have website programming experience, consider hiring a web developer to design your website.This can be difficult if you don't have the proper know-how.Considering the importance of having a website, this is a worthwhile investment.Make sure that your website is search engine friendly.Ensuring that your website will show up high on major search engine results lists is a means of this.It's easy for visitors to contact you on your website.Put your phone number or email address at the top or bottom of the website's front page.Consider including a lead capture system on your website.This will allow you to send out general information.
Step 11: You can use social networking.
Social media is an essential part of business marketing in the 21st century.There is no denying that social media is the fastest way to spread information about your business.Go to the location of your clients.Find out what your target clientele are using, create a profile, and use it every day.As you build a network of connections, you can share images and listings on these sites.People can search for homes on your Facebook page if you add the IDX search feature.Updating your social networking accounts at the same time is a great way to stay up to date.It's a good idea to have some fun with your social media accounts, but be careful to keep your posts free of political or social statements.Potential clients don't want to be associated with you.
Step 12: Share your experiences.
One of the fastest ways to spread positive testimonials to potential clients is to post them to your web site and/or social networking sites, given the high user traffic on websites and in social media.This shows that you are able to satisfy your clients.If you want to post testimonials from former clients, you need to get written permission from the author.If you don't already have testimonials you can use, ask satisfied clients to give some specifically for the purpose of sharing them online.To get their permission first, be sure to have them sign a permission form and specify where their names will appear as well, such as on presentations, emails, or regular mail.If you want to encourage previous clients to write reviews and post ratings of your business, set up a business profile on the site.
Step 13: Use online tools to draw attention to your company.
Visibility and legitimacy can be added to your company's image with online channels.Video tours of current listings can be posted on your website.Potential clients can view your listings at any time of the day or night.If you're a good speaker with a lot of real estate knowledge, you might want to produce and advertise webinars on your website and social media accounts.Potential clients will be reassured that you are knowledgeable and qualified to meet their needs.To find out how this works, research online.There's a website about real estate.You can use your career expertise to write about real estate issues and developments.Don't forget to share the link to your company website and new entries on social media!
Step 14: There are networks.
Getting the word out to as many people as possible is the key to gaining a sizable client base.To spread the word about your business, ask everyone you know to do so.Represent mutually beneficial relationships with other real estate agents.While you shouldn't expect your competitors to direct their own potential clients to you, it could be useful to have a contact who lives in another city and specializes in different types of real estate sales.She can send clients your way without losing any business of her own, and you can do the same for her.People can easily find you if you update your address and other contact information.This will allow people to use gps navigation to get to your office and identify it as one of the ones that is close to them.All parties will benefit if you work with a real estate agent.The listing broker, the seller, and the broker representing the buyer all share the same real estate commission.Inform your friends, family, and coworkers about your business.It's a good idea to have people who know you well vouch for you and your company.If the transaction went smoothly, ask past clients to tell everyone they worked with you.Most people are happy to refer their friends and family to businesses that have positive experiences.
Step 15: Don't forget to keep in touch with your past clients.
Even if your clients had a great experience with you, their tendency to bring up your company when talking with their friends and families will fade with time.Old clients will continue to spread the word about your company if you maintain regular correspondence.You can ask your clients to fill out a short questionnaire.If you keep this information and reference it often, you can send out appropriate correspondence whenever you please.Past clients should receive email flyers, monthly company newsletters, and holiday/birthday greeting cards.If you want to avoid becoming an annoyance, you need to get clients' permission first.You may want to include their names in a variety of different places, such as on a listing presentation, email, or print advertising.Each client should sign a permission form that includes their testimonials and clearly states where their names can be found.Past clients should be given something of value.You could offer them a yearly free valuation of their property and include a report on the neighborhood trends.
Step 16: Referral incentives should be offered.
If you have a structured incentive program in place, you can encourage previous clients to send potential clients your way.Mention the incentive to your clients during the home-buying/selling process and include a pamphlet about it along with the other paperwork they receive at the end of the transaction.Offer incentives for referrals that result in a successful sale and communicate this clearly to your clients.A structured incentive program that rewards successful referrals according to the sales price of the transaction is something you may want to consider.For every $10,000 of the home sale that resulted from a referral, you could offer $10 in Home Depot gift cards.
Step 17: Send a thank you to your clients.
Send a small gift and personalized letter to the person who made the referral for each serious potential client you receive.This will improve the chance that someone will continue to spread the word about your business.A restaurant gift certificate, picture frame, or potted plant can be used for thank-you gifts.It's the gesture that matters.Write your letter yourself.Many people find written letters to be more personal and sincere, so opt for this instead of a typed and printed version.