REAL ESTATE MARKETING IS A PROCESS

The reason so many real estate agents fail in their marketing efforts is simple—INCONSISTENCY! So before I give you the list of questions you should be mulling around in your head, I want to ensure you are in the right mindset. And what better way to learn than from your peers mistakes, am I right? Okay then, engrain these next words in your memory…

YOU ARE 
THE KEY INGREDIENT 
TO YOUR IDEAL 
REAL ESTATE MARKETING 
RECIPE

What does that mean? Exactly what it sounds like. You, and only you, can bridge the gap between generic real estate marketing and creating a brand that is not only unique to your business, but also attracts your target audience and helps you build a referral based business.

Because who doesn’t want to make money from being yourself and doing what you do best? I know you do! So do yourself a favor & begin this process by breaking down what makes you an awesome real estate agent and consider what your preferred client might look like.

Building a brand sounds scary and daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Luckily, you have access to countless professionals online who specialize in different areas of brand development if you need assistance, but YOU are the center puzzle piece. So before you spend hundreds of dollars a month on Zillow leads, or start mindlessly sending out postcards or social media messages, make sure you are prepared to market yourself the right way. Your IDEAL way. Keep in mind…

IT CAN, AND WILL, TAKE TIME.

Please do not be fooled into thinking there is one magical postcard, email, or social media campaign that is going to take your business to the next level. I hate to break it to you, but the campaign does not exist. Good ole fashioned perseverance and commitment is the only way to win in the game of marketing. This means it is YOUR job to stay informed with the latest real estate marketing techniques, trends, and technology in order to stay on top of the market. Remember, you are the real estate expert. Your clients and prospects are depending on you.

Constantly reevaluate your business plan and refresh yourself with the fundamentals of the business. If you treat your marketing plan like your business depends on it (because it does) then I believe you will be amazed at the return and peace of mind you will have.

Hopefully you are starting to seriously think about what it is about you that should be reflected in your marketing to help you stand out. To make it a little easier, I’ll go ahead and give you the Starter Questions you should have answers to before you begin. Write ’em down!

CRAFTING YOUR BRAND MESSAGE:

1. What kind of customer do you want to attract (i.e. first-time home buyers, sellers, investors, buyers interested in new construction, etc)?
2. What is that customer’s profile (i.e. job title, income, stage of life, etc)?
3. What does that customer care about in relation to your services (i.e. Millennials may care about understanding processes, your mobile app, social media presence & engagement, etc. Luxury clients may care about your vendor list, ability to exceed their expectations throughout all steps of the transaction process, your presentation materials, etc)?
4. How is your competition attracting that customer (i.e. Specific campaigns, postcards, events, or strategies you have seen and liked)?
5. What are the compelling reasons for a customer to choose you?
6. What are you already known for & should this continue as a part of your brand (i.e. Past job, accomplishments, skill sets, etc)?

More things to consider:

Areas of service: What specific cities, zip codes, locations, and/or neighborhoods are included in your Farm?

Website: What is your current website? Do you have a blog? Do you have neighborhood pages?

Social Media: What social media platforms are you using? Are they business or personal? How engaged are you on social media?

I’VE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS, NOW WHAT?

Congratulations! It wasn’t as easy as it looks, huh? Sometimes asking yourself simple questions can help you to unlock new perspectives that will transform your business. Your job now is to take what you’ve defined about yourself and your target audience and use this when determining the marketing content and strategies that best suit your goals.

Stay tuned for more blogs on real estate marketing: social media, planning, branding, and more!