Often I hear realtors tell me how expensive it is to do effective marketing as a real estate agent and how they don’t have the budget for these costs. Although I agree there are some very pricey marketing tactics in play right now, I assure you there are countless highly effective tactics that are “zero” cost or low cost to the agent….
1. Pick up the phone and talk to 5 current or past clients a day. Give them your greatest gift, “your time.”
2. Ask for the business ”Of all the people you know, who do you think will be moving next?”
3. Record a new, upbeat and original message on your voicemail every day. Try a riddle, joke, tip, quote or short story.
4. Create a “do it yourself” info graphic of your local market statistics for real estate and post it on social media or email it to your clients. A Market Snapshot.
5. Check the local news or internet for a good news story and clip or print the story and send the person who the story is about a personal note saying “well done or congratulations” and include your business card.
6. Create a video of your best buying or selling tips and post them to YouTube, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter.
7. Create a video of a past client testimonial sharing their experience doing business with you and post it to your website or social media. Get them to give you a google or yelp review.
8. Create an instructional video on “How to” or “Step by Step” process.
9. Constantly wear your company name badge. Don’t be a secret agent. Even add a company logo to your clothing.
10. Join or start a networking group like Business Network International (BNI). So many business owners and service providers could use an agent like you.
11. Write and post some of your best marketing, buying or selling ideas in Real Estate on your own blog like I have done with AgentsBoost! Over 10,000 readers in over 100 countries in less than 10 years.
12. Submit press releases each week to local media sources like new innovative real estate marketing, using drones, videos, interactive floor plans, virtual reality, etc.
13. Create joint ventures and partnerships with other businesses and services that fall in line with the real estate industry. Add them to your website!
14. Complete a detailed profile of yourself in Google, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.
15. Write a short market update each month and email it to your database.
16. Post classified ads on free online websites like Craigslist, Kijiji, Oodle.
17. Teach other business owners and service providers how to market with little or no money.
18. Write and send a personal hand written note to 5 people every day.
29. Door knock an area where you have or your company has a bona fide buyer, recent sold or recent new listing or invite them to your open house. Even just slip a letter in their doors.
30. Post on social media and email every month your local market “best bets” for buying opportunities. All categories like first time buy, move up buy, foreclosure or rental.
31. Visit face to face an expired listing owner with a sold topper in hand and say “We have just been notified your home is no longer on the market and I am sure the last person you want to see at your door is another real estate agent. I just have 2 quick questions and will be on my way”. First “why do you think one of these “sold” signs did not get on your property” and second “why did you want to sell in the first place?”
32. Hold an open house on a listing any day that only takes a customer no more than 2 open house signs to get to from the main traffic.
33. Create a contest or a client referral rewards program.
34. Volunteer for an event or at a local charity. Join a service club. Attend a networking event and exchange business cards.
35. Host a buying, selling or investing real estate seminar. Co-present with other experts like lawyers, lenders, inspectors, etc.
36. Video interview local business owners, service providers and professionals in your community.
37. Create an agent to agent referral business with agents from other cities sending you their buyer and seller referrals.
38. Connect with solicitors that represent family, estate or financial institution law for referral business.
39. Work the referral network of other realtors in other cities and become their agent of choice for buyer and seller referrals in your marketplace.
40. Create a referral network with trades people, contractors, renovators and handyman professionals.
41. 97% response rate texting someone and asking them “How’s biz?” and in exchange you can expect them to text back the same question to you about the market!
42. On FB show people you care by sharing and commenting on their posts. Message them and ask them “how they are doing?”
43. Educate your clients on how to give you a referral. “Call me with their name and number and I will follow them up and give them excellent service and promise you not to pressure them in any way.”
44. Help a For Sale By Owner in exchange for the opportunity to represent them when they are needing assistance to buy again. Help them enough they might give up and even list with you!
45. Target and work a geographic farm area. Become the expert in one specific segment of the market. Video, blog, door knock, Facebook live video from a listing in your farm area, farm market area statistic updates.
So there you have it, an in depth list of ideas for agents with smaller or no marketing budgets in 2019. Feel free to add more ideas and suggestions to this year’s list in the comment section below!
Strength and courage,
Wade
