Getting Back to Basics

New

technologies can help you succeed, but so will these 6 triedand-true strategies

By Bridget McCrea

Forget about social networking, Web 2.0 and QR codes for just one minute and consider those steadfast sales and marketing tactics that still work in the real estate industry. Sure they may be a bit “old fashioned” and in need of a new spin (plant seed packets on doorknobs probably won’t stir up much interest), but open houses, postcards, direct mail, and good old down-to-earth networking face to face still have a place in every agent’s marketing toolbox.

Here are a half-dozen traditional real estate tactics that you can add to your lineup:

The Old Fashioned Phone Call

She doesn’t mind if you call her old fashioned, but Rosemarie Doshier likes to pick up the phone and talk to past, current and prospective clients. Email and texting may be more convenient, says this team leader of The Doshier Team at Four Seasons Realty in Duck, but in her 25 years of selling real estate she hasn’t found a viable replacement for the telephone.

In fact, Doshier says the 45- to 65-year-old demographic that is looking to buy second homes at the Outer Banks actually prefers a phone call over any other type of communication. “Whether I’m checking in with a past client or calling on a new listing, I pick up the phone whenever possible,” says Doshier, who uses email as a secondary method of communication. “Email is great for following up, but if you really want to put yourself in front of the customer without being physically present, you have to use the phone.”

Cold Call Campaigns

Speaking of phone calls … if you bring up “cold calling” to most agents, they will run in the other direction. Silly them, says Richard Casto, a real estate coach and owner of Richard Casto & Co., in Las Vegas. Done correctly – and in the right situation – the strategy still works. “Whenever you send out a postcard or a newsletter, pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, did you get our mailing?’ “ Casto explains. “It’s an easy call to make.”

Other good questions to ask include: “Did you see the notes in my letter on the local real estate market?” … “What do you think about that?” … “How long have you been in your house?” … “Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you if you are going to sell it?” … “Do you understand what this means to your home’s equity?” Says Castro: “When you ask these questions and deliver this information, you’re not just the real estate ‘expert,’ but you become a messenger between the seller and the marketplace. This is a great role for real estate agents to fulfill in today’s market.”

Broker Open Houses

In real estate for 28 years, Joyce Wallace has seen a lot of marketing tactics come and go. As a REALTOR®-associate with RE/MAX Trinity in De Leon, Texas, Wallace gets results from open houses that are targeted to the local agent and broker community, as opposed to the general public. “Most consumers just come through and like to look at the homes and spend time in them,” says Wallace. “Brokers, on the other hand, have buyers who are ready, willing, and able to make offers. Those are the folks I’m targeting.”

To entice brokers to attend the events, Wallace brings in a catered lunch and serves it to attendees. “Everyone needs to get out and eat lunch, so why not combine it with an open house?” she says. Wallace holds broker open houses for most of her listings, but ultimately leaves the decision up to the individual homeowners. She says the events fill the void left by the fact that her area lacks an organized “tour of homes” for real estate professionals. “It’s a great time to get out and see what’s on the market and to meet with other agents,” she says. (continued on page 16)

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Just-Sold Postcards

Call her old-fashioned, but Wallace still believes in the value of manually generating and mailing out just-sold postcards for all of her listings. And rather than sending the cards out to mass mailing lists, she handpicks the recipients from her own database and also from neighborhood address lists. “I might send out just a few in a particular neighborhood, and then more to a different area,” says Wallace. “Doing it myself allows me to use this very targeted approach.”

When selecting areas to mail the cards to, Wallace says she looks less at geography and more at their potential to hit possible clients who may want to sell their homes. “Sellers don’t care about geographical distance; they want to see results,” says Wallace, “and a simple postcard still conveys my results very well.”

Direct Mail Letters

Email has clearly taken over as the easiest, fastest way to touch past, current and potential clients, but that doesn’t mean direct mail has gone the way of the 8-track tape. “Direct mail still works when it’s targeted to the right demographic groups,” says Walter S. Sanford, president at Sanford Systems in Kankakee, Ill. Sanford says FSBOs are a particularly good target for direct mail and tells agents to stick to a problem-solving approach in their mailings.

When approaching these groups, use a one-page letter to outline how you can work together with the FSBOs to help them sell their homes and without necessarily “listing” the homes on the MLS (by helping them find a lender, for instance, or by connecting them with a referral in the area where they are moving). Close the letter by offering up a low-pressure, value-packed, listing presentation if a certain FSBO doesn’t sell. Add value to your direct mail by including a personal signature and by sending the piece on your own letterhead, in a window envelope.

Professional Development 101

At a recent Council of Residential Specialist (CRS) education class in Raleigh, Doshier was shocked to see that the $17 class attracted just a small handful of the 500-plus CRS members situated within a close radius of the session. “I couldn’t believe that there were only a few of us interested in that very affordable professional development opportunity,” says Doshier, who sees ongoing education as a particularly good “tried and true” business tool that becomes even more valuable in down markets.

“New agents claim that they can’t afford the education, and seasoned agents say they don’t have time to attend,” says Doshier. “What they don’t realize is that one of the best success tools in this industry is continual investment in your profession. That means attending classes and conferences, and doing everything you can to stay on top of the ever-changing real estate world.” v