Free Real Estate Guide
How tall is the tallest man in your town? Twice as tall as you? Three times? Probably, he's only 5-10% taller, if that. That's not much. But he's the tallest.How much work does it take to do the most sales in your office? Twice the work? Three times? To be honest, sometimes it just takes 5-10% more effort. And the reason for this is simple: There are things the others simply won't do, and many won't do the 5-10% that you could easily do, 5-10% more work that will be effective, will have a high impact for the amount of effort involved on your part.Let me tell you about Mark. Mark was a salesman. He enjoyed sales. He enjoyed getting paid more money because he sold more, and he liked selling more by implementing some of his interesting sales ideas. Whether it was lead generation, marketing, or getting an assistant to help free up his time from paperwork to selling, he would come up with original ideas to increase his sales.One sales technique that really worked was the "Free Real Estate Buyer's Guide".I'll simply tell the story as it happened:Mark hired a local writer to re-write several articles and even chapters of other books into the "Free Real Estate Buyer's Guide". He then went out and solicited advertising from different mortgage companies, home inspection and insurance companies as well as title companies. Between the different real estate related companies, he charged enough to pay for the printing of this booklet (with enough left over for advertising). With paid advertising and plenty of well printed copies, he then placed an ad in the paper which read:
"Free Real Estate Buyer's Guide. Avoid the top 10 mistakes buyers make. Order by voicemail 768-5464."He was inundated with requests each week for the buyer's guide. He had a steady stream of housing buyers calling his line, each one leaving their contact information. None of the advertisers in the magazine were realtors, and he'd be delivering the "Free Real Estate Buyer's Guide" by hand.He'd call each one before hand to "verify their address", oh, and if he happened to ask if they were already working with someone, so much the better, right? And if those already with an agent got theirs in the mail instead? Right!This is much easier than you'd expect!Here's a rough to do list for this real estate leads project:
1. Gather appropriate articles.
There are plenty of copyright free articles available online. PLENTY! For example:Free Articles at GoArticles.Com - A quick search here netted several free articles where the WORD FOR WORD article could be used as long as the author was given credit. Ezine Articles - Another free article source.
2. Go make sells calls and sell magazine ads.
Trust me, this was the easiest part. It doesn't have to cost much! Whatever you can get out of the advertisers on the first run, get it! It'll be that much easier to sell them ads the second time because you'll be able to show them the previous editions. Who do you sell to? Well, try anyone interested in marketing to real estate buyers.
3. Organize the articles and ads into a booklet.
Graphic designers are artists, and trust me, if regular artists are starving artists, then graphic designers are their "not-quite-satisfied-after-dinner" cousins. In most areas, you can hire a graphic designer to do some under the table work for as low as $12 an hour. Organizing the booklet into something DECENT could could cost as little as $150 to have made print ready.
4. Print the booklet..
This can be as simple as taking it to kinkos and putting it on 8.5 X 11 paper, or something just a step above that at a local printer.
5. Prepare your voicemail.
Make sure you prompt the callers for the information you're going to need to get them their booklet (and call on them!).
6. Place your classified ads.
You can place them in more than one newspaper, you know!!! Why not max out the thrifty nickel and other sources, but make sure to put some of those advertising dollars into the classified ads.
7. Treat each response as a lead.
8. Deliver the Free Real Estate Guide and start a relationship with an interested real estate buyer!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Guide To Real Estate Trends and Forecasts
Guide to Real Estate Trends and Forecasts
Use factors that steer the real estate industry trends and forecasts to your advantage
By Sue Darnell
Examine U.S. real estate trends to maximize your business as an investor or as a real estate agent. Sometimes real estate sales trends in distant areas around the world influence U.S real estate trends.U.S. real estate trends factor in geographic equations. Every area of the country has different real estate sales trends that manifest due to varying types of real estate. In an area where a major car manufacturer builds a new manufacturing plant, real estate market research shows that real estate forecasts will improve dramatically since people need to relocate and buy homes for job transfers. The current real estate forecasts and current real estate trends influence the rising prices of homes there. Key factors to consider when evaluating trends include the following:1. Study government's monetary policies and watch the Federal Reserve Board. Interest rates play a big role in real estate trends and forecasts. Dropping interest rates usually mean a more active real estate market. 2. Know what factors to look for when you do real estate market research. For example, supply and demand influence the trends in the real estate industry.3. Stay abreast of the market conditions such as rising costs of building materials or a shortage of skilled construction workers.
Action Steps The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Start at the top to learn U.S. real estate trends Study the White House Economic Report (made available to the public) of the President annually and get information that reflects changes in market conditions. I recommend: Covering a variety of issues that play a part in real estate sales trends, the Economic Report can be found online. Download tables on statistics in spreadsheet format that help give a picture of real estate industry trends in relation to the overall economy.
Use the Fed to cultivate current real estate forecasts analysis Affecting the money that's available for lenders to use for mortgage loans, government agencies play an important part in real estate industry trends. I recommend: Order a free copy of “The Fed Today” video and learn about financial policies and services. Sign up for a weekly email subscription that’s also helpful in keeping up with real estate trends and forecasts.
Search comparable home values for true real estate market research Comparing the actual sales price versus the asking price of a home tells a lot about the current real estate trends. I recommend: Visit RE/MAX.com and click on Compare Home Values. Get the average sales price in specific areas. Keep up with real estate trends and forecasts at HousingIntelligence.com and receive news by registering for a free subscription. Search Trulia or Zillow for home values down to the neighborhood level.
Tips & TacticsHelpful advice for making the most of this Guide
Get tough in a tough market. Forget 'as is' buying when the current real estate trends are showing that it's a buyer's market with an overabundance of homes for sale.
Use factors that steer the real estate industry trends and forecasts to your advantage
By Sue Darnell
Examine U.S. real estate trends to maximize your business as an investor or as a real estate agent. Sometimes real estate sales trends in distant areas around the world influence U.S real estate trends.U.S. real estate trends factor in geographic equations. Every area of the country has different real estate sales trends that manifest due to varying types of real estate. In an area where a major car manufacturer builds a new manufacturing plant, real estate market research shows that real estate forecasts will improve dramatically since people need to relocate and buy homes for job transfers. The current real estate forecasts and current real estate trends influence the rising prices of homes there. Key factors to consider when evaluating trends include the following:1. Study government's monetary policies and watch the Federal Reserve Board. Interest rates play a big role in real estate trends and forecasts. Dropping interest rates usually mean a more active real estate market. 2. Know what factors to look for when you do real estate market research. For example, supply and demand influence the trends in the real estate industry.3. Stay abreast of the market conditions such as rising costs of building materials or a shortage of skilled construction workers.
Action Steps The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Start at the top to learn U.S. real estate trends Study the White House Economic Report (made available to the public) of the President annually and get information that reflects changes in market conditions. I recommend: Covering a variety of issues that play a part in real estate sales trends, the Economic Report can be found online. Download tables on statistics in spreadsheet format that help give a picture of real estate industry trends in relation to the overall economy.
Use the Fed to cultivate current real estate forecasts analysis Affecting the money that's available for lenders to use for mortgage loans, government agencies play an important part in real estate industry trends. I recommend: Order a free copy of “The Fed Today” video and learn about financial policies and services. Sign up for a weekly email subscription that’s also helpful in keeping up with real estate trends and forecasts.
Search comparable home values for true real estate market research Comparing the actual sales price versus the asking price of a home tells a lot about the current real estate trends. I recommend: Visit RE/MAX.com and click on Compare Home Values. Get the average sales price in specific areas. Keep up with real estate trends and forecasts at HousingIntelligence.com and receive news by registering for a free subscription. Search Trulia or Zillow for home values down to the neighborhood level.
Tips & TacticsHelpful advice for making the most of this Guide
Get tough in a tough market. Forget 'as is' buying when the current real estate trends are showing that it's a buyer's market with an overabundance of homes for sale.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Online Marketing Success
5 Keys to Online Marketing Success
In today’s market, you need a strong web presence to succeed as a Real Estate
professional. With the majority of home buyers searching online for their dream home,
you need to stand out amongst your competition. If you are willing to commit to online
marketing as a critical part of your business, it can be the easiest, most profitable way
to boost your bottom line.
Z57 has helped thousands of Real Estate professionals achieve outstanding results
with our proven 5 Keys to Success:
Design that reflects your brand and delivers a compelling online experience
Content that focuses on the true needs of your visitors
Lead Capture that collects contact information in multiple ways
Lead Conversion that turns emails into conversations
Traffic that drives quality buyers and sellers to your site
A targeted online strategy is essential for you to impress, attract and make an impact on
both prospective buyers and sellers.
Let’s walk through how you can easily implement Z57’s 5 Keys to Success.
www.z57.com
2 Design
In Real Estate, YOU are the brand! It’s incredibly important for your website to reflect your
professional image and build brand recognition with prospects.
Place yourself in a professional light with a clean and simple design.
Choose a color palette that is classic and easy on the eyes.
Make sure your website branding is consistent with your other marketing materials.
Use only high quality photos that download fast – nothing will turn away people faster
than waiting for your website to load!
Ensure the design is consistent throughout your websites to deliver a cohesive user
experience.
Keep it simple for people to find what they’re looking for. Primary navigation on your site
should be front and center. Only use sub-navigation if necessary.
We understand a great design is the basis for a successful website. Our professionally
designed websites are personalized to strengthen your image and build brand
recognition.
www.z57.com
3 Content
Content is king. Online prospects are searching for websites loaded with valuable
information. Home searches, instant home comparables, community information and real
estate tips will keep them coming back for more.
Tell your prospects what you will do for them and why you are the best person for the
job. How do you sell yourself during listing presentations? Use this as a basis for your
value proposition.
Get IDX (direct MLS feed on your website) – this can’t be stressed enough! Chances are
that people who go to your website are looking for homes and if you can’t show them all
the homes in your area, they’ll find someone who can.
Demonstrate your knowledge of the area with local school and community reports.
Provide Real Estate tips on current trends or even interior design.
Update your content often with fresh information.
We deliver the valuable content that attracts sellers and engages buyers to visit your
website regularly.
Find a Home
Local Resources
Featured Homes
And much more!
www.z57.com
4 Capturing Leads
The most vital part of your website is how you capture and nurture your leads. To keep your
prospects focused on you as their Real Estate expert, you need an extensive lead capture
and contact management system.
Place lead capture forms in as many places as you can on your website without it
becoming overwhelming.
Don’t ask for too much information. Name, email and phone number is enough to
establish initial contact.
Clearly state the benefit a prospect will gain from giving their information. Consumers
know that if they want to receive something of value from you (help, information, listings)
they need to give something up.
Keep yourself front and center. When you have IDX on your website, other agents’
information is not shown to prospective leads and you will be their contact.
Offer listing updates on your site. This is a great motivator for people to request
information and give you theirs.
To get seller leads, use a tool that provides recent sales data in the area. This is a
valuable service that sellers love!
Give prospects what they want. If they want to search properties or read mortgage tips,
make it easy for them to do so.
Our top-performing websites are integrated with robust lead capture systems to connect
you with prospects at every available opportunity.
www.z57.com
5 Lead Conversion
How do you turn traffic into new business? Robust lead conversion tools will take you one
step closer to getting contracts and closing deals. Converting your visitors into leads and
then into clients is critical to your online success.
Follow up on leads as quickly as possible. Most consumers use the first agent who
contacts them.
Make sure you have a drip email marketing system with your website that allows you to
automatically stay in contact and cultivate your leads.
Add leads to your contact database. You should have a database with potential clients,
including your sphere of influence (friends, family, work associates, etc.). When you
send out announcements for open houses, just listed or just sold properties, they will be
reminded of your professional expertise.
A general rule of thumb for contacting leads – during the first week, contact them three
times. During the second and third week, contact them two times. After that, make
contact once every two weeks.
Personalized solutions from our marketing experts combined with robust lead
conversion tools will ensure online success.
www.z57.com
6 Getting Traffic
Getting people to go to your website is just as important as making sure the website itself is
great. What good is a website if you aren’t attracting online prospects to it? There are many
ways to drive quality buyers to your website with sophisticated traffic tools – some free and
some paid.
Regularly update your content to make sure your website is search engine friendly.
Your meta-tags and descriptions should match your business. These help determine
where you will rank on the results page and also what will compel prospects to click.
All your marketing efforts should point people to your website. Place your web address
on everything - business cards, letterheads, email signatures, print ads, bench ads and
your voicemail message.
Use call–to-action marketing on all of your materials. For example, “See a virtual tour of
this home or search all available properties in the area.”
Display your listings on websites like Oodle, Trulia, Googlebase and Craigslist. These
sites get millions of people per month searching for homes and can drive that traffic to
you! Some website providers will even automatically syndicate your listings to these
sites.
Paid traffic programs, such as pay-per-click, are a great way to target your marketing
efforts.
Paid search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website place on search results. A
good website provider will get you near the top of search results.
Our sophisticated traffic solutions are built to drive quality buyers and sellers to your
website. We have developed partnerships with the top real estate search websites in
order to drive more traffic to you through syndicated listings.
www.z57.com
7 Conclusion
Success on the Web is not out of your reach! You will see a dramatic difference in your
business when you put our proven 5 Keys to Success into practice. Without spending
more money on marketing, you will increase sales from your existing traffic, expand your sphere
of influence and build clients for life.
About Z57, Inc.
Z57, Inc. is a real estate Web marketing company based in San Diego, California. Founded in
1998, we specialize in professionally designed websites, lead capture/conversion and
buyer/seller traffic generation through effective online marketing plans, listing syndication,
Search Engine Optimization, drip e-mail marketing and a highly-trained customer service team.
Recognized as an Inc. 5000 company and one of San Diego’s Top 100 fastest-growing
companies, we provide thousands of clients nationwide with proven real estate solutions
matched with personal service.
For information call (800) 899-8148 or visit www.Z57.com.
In today’s market, you need a strong web presence to succeed as a Real Estate
professional. With the majority of home buyers searching online for their dream home,
you need to stand out amongst your competition. If you are willing to commit to online
marketing as a critical part of your business, it can be the easiest, most profitable way
to boost your bottom line.
Z57 has helped thousands of Real Estate professionals achieve outstanding results
with our proven 5 Keys to Success:
Design that reflects your brand and delivers a compelling online experience
Content that focuses on the true needs of your visitors
Lead Capture that collects contact information in multiple ways
Lead Conversion that turns emails into conversations
Traffic that drives quality buyers and sellers to your site
A targeted online strategy is essential for you to impress, attract and make an impact on
both prospective buyers and sellers.
Let’s walk through how you can easily implement Z57’s 5 Keys to Success.
www.z57.com
2 Design
In Real Estate, YOU are the brand! It’s incredibly important for your website to reflect your
professional image and build brand recognition with prospects.
Place yourself in a professional light with a clean and simple design.
Choose a color palette that is classic and easy on the eyes.
Make sure your website branding is consistent with your other marketing materials.
Use only high quality photos that download fast – nothing will turn away people faster
than waiting for your website to load!
Ensure the design is consistent throughout your websites to deliver a cohesive user
experience.
Keep it simple for people to find what they’re looking for. Primary navigation on your site
should be front and center. Only use sub-navigation if necessary.
We understand a great design is the basis for a successful website. Our professionally
designed websites are personalized to strengthen your image and build brand
recognition.
www.z57.com
3 Content
Content is king. Online prospects are searching for websites loaded with valuable
information. Home searches, instant home comparables, community information and real
estate tips will keep them coming back for more.
Tell your prospects what you will do for them and why you are the best person for the
job. How do you sell yourself during listing presentations? Use this as a basis for your
value proposition.
Get IDX (direct MLS feed on your website) – this can’t be stressed enough! Chances are
that people who go to your website are looking for homes and if you can’t show them all
the homes in your area, they’ll find someone who can.
Demonstrate your knowledge of the area with local school and community reports.
Provide Real Estate tips on current trends or even interior design.
Update your content often with fresh information.
We deliver the valuable content that attracts sellers and engages buyers to visit your
website regularly.
Find a Home
Local Resources
Featured Homes
And much more!
www.z57.com
4 Capturing Leads
The most vital part of your website is how you capture and nurture your leads. To keep your
prospects focused on you as their Real Estate expert, you need an extensive lead capture
and contact management system.
Place lead capture forms in as many places as you can on your website without it
becoming overwhelming.
Don’t ask for too much information. Name, email and phone number is enough to
establish initial contact.
Clearly state the benefit a prospect will gain from giving their information. Consumers
know that if they want to receive something of value from you (help, information, listings)
they need to give something up.
Keep yourself front and center. When you have IDX on your website, other agents’
information is not shown to prospective leads and you will be their contact.
Offer listing updates on your site. This is a great motivator for people to request
information and give you theirs.
To get seller leads, use a tool that provides recent sales data in the area. This is a
valuable service that sellers love!
Give prospects what they want. If they want to search properties or read mortgage tips,
make it easy for them to do so.
Our top-performing websites are integrated with robust lead capture systems to connect
you with prospects at every available opportunity.
www.z57.com
5 Lead Conversion
How do you turn traffic into new business? Robust lead conversion tools will take you one
step closer to getting contracts and closing deals. Converting your visitors into leads and
then into clients is critical to your online success.
Follow up on leads as quickly as possible. Most consumers use the first agent who
contacts them.
Make sure you have a drip email marketing system with your website that allows you to
automatically stay in contact and cultivate your leads.
Add leads to your contact database. You should have a database with potential clients,
including your sphere of influence (friends, family, work associates, etc.). When you
send out announcements for open houses, just listed or just sold properties, they will be
reminded of your professional expertise.
A general rule of thumb for contacting leads – during the first week, contact them three
times. During the second and third week, contact them two times. After that, make
contact once every two weeks.
Personalized solutions from our marketing experts combined with robust lead
conversion tools will ensure online success.
www.z57.com
6 Getting Traffic
Getting people to go to your website is just as important as making sure the website itself is
great. What good is a website if you aren’t attracting online prospects to it? There are many
ways to drive quality buyers to your website with sophisticated traffic tools – some free and
some paid.
Regularly update your content to make sure your website is search engine friendly.
Your meta-tags and descriptions should match your business. These help determine
where you will rank on the results page and also what will compel prospects to click.
All your marketing efforts should point people to your website. Place your web address
on everything - business cards, letterheads, email signatures, print ads, bench ads and
your voicemail message.
Use call–to-action marketing on all of your materials. For example, “See a virtual tour of
this home or search all available properties in the area.”
Display your listings on websites like Oodle, Trulia, Googlebase and Craigslist. These
sites get millions of people per month searching for homes and can drive that traffic to
you! Some website providers will even automatically syndicate your listings to these
sites.
Paid traffic programs, such as pay-per-click, are a great way to target your marketing
efforts.
Paid search engine optimization (SEO) helps your website place on search results. A
good website provider will get you near the top of search results.
Our sophisticated traffic solutions are built to drive quality buyers and sellers to your
website. We have developed partnerships with the top real estate search websites in
order to drive more traffic to you through syndicated listings.
www.z57.com
7 Conclusion
Success on the Web is not out of your reach! You will see a dramatic difference in your
business when you put our proven 5 Keys to Success into practice. Without spending
more money on marketing, you will increase sales from your existing traffic, expand your sphere
of influence and build clients for life.
About Z57, Inc.
Z57, Inc. is a real estate Web marketing company based in San Diego, California. Founded in
1998, we specialize in professionally designed websites, lead capture/conversion and
buyer/seller traffic generation through effective online marketing plans, listing syndication,
Search Engine Optimization, drip e-mail marketing and a highly-trained customer service team.
Recognized as an Inc. 5000 company and one of San Diego’s Top 100 fastest-growing
companies, we provide thousands of clients nationwide with proven real estate solutions
matched with personal service.
For information call (800) 899-8148 or visit www.Z57.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
