I work at a real estate office in marketing. I do a lot of paper flyers and postcards. I also put together a couple of office ads for the local publications. While in the grand scheme of things these items aren’t expensive, for some people who are struggling, they are just options that are out of the question.
So I spend a lot of time thinking of free ways I help to get my agents more business, either by advertising their properties or getting themselves out there in the public eye so people notice them.
One thing I would really like to convince my agents that it’s not a complete waste is blogging. I think starting a blog, doing research, and writing intelligently about what they’ve learned and gear it towards home sellers and buyers could skyrocket them into the public eye. And all it takes is persistence, dedication and time.
It’s frustrating when you suggest this, and the immediate response is, “Well, I just don’t have the time.” Are you kidding me? I just heard you complain that when you come in the office you do nothing but wait with your thumb up your rear waiting for an inquiry call. Instead of waiting, you could be reading. You could be leveraging your knowledge for advancement in search engines, and thus in public view.
Of course, this solution won’t work for everyone. But when you don’t have the money to do anything else, why would you just dismiss it out of hand?
Here’s my suggestion, in detail, so it doesn’t feel so difficult:
- Sign up for a Blogger.com or a WordPress.com account, and start your blog. It doesn’t have to have a fancy title – just your name, REALTOR®, and your main service area.
- Borrow a book (free, see?) from the library, a friend, or your broker about real estate. It can be contemporary or ancient – but if you pick ancient, make sure when you talk about it you mention how things have changed. We don’t want readers upset or mocking you for issuing old info.
- Write about what you’ve learned, read, or enjoyed.
- Write regularly – work-daily or Monday/Wednesday/Friday seem like nice, regular schedules.
- Don’t give up.
- Interact with your peers, and drop that blog address whenever you do. Don’t spam, but do put it in your email signature, on your business cards, on your broker-provided website (oh, your broker doesn’t give you one of those? You’re obviously at the wrong brokerage!), on your letterhead, and on anything else you can think of where it makes sense for you to be listing contact information.
Seriously, it’s not brain surgery. Coming up with intelligent posts regularly can be a struggle at first (trust me, I know this one first hand). Persistence is key. Keep the posts coming, and on days when you just can’t think, write about your frustrations. When people see online that you’re human, they get to know you. They get comfortable with you. Once they’re comfortable with you, and they’re ready to buy or sell a home, you are going to come to the top of the list.
Who am I to be giving real estate marketing advice to people who may have been in the business for 25 or 30 years? Nobody, honestly. But I have been around, and I see what works. I read about what works for other people. And it’s not a stretch to think that every single agent in my office could be doing the exact same thing.
And really – what is the harm in trying?