As the first three to six months are the most important in getting yourself known as a real estate agent, it is important that the community and the surrounding area know who you are and what services you have available for their benefit.
The six methods to focus on for an efficient marketing campaign include: personal contact, business cards, advertising, sponsorship, give-aways, and a monthly newsletter.
- The first aspect to a successful real estate career in the first few months is to make yourself known personally to the community by making sure that you tell everybody you know that you are now in the real estate business and if they ever need your service, that you are available at any time. Starting with family and friends would be the first step in establishing personal contact and then word of mouth from those people you already know will be an excellent stepping stone. Sporting and community activities that you are involved in would be another form of personal contact where by you tell everyone in those set ups that real estate is your new career. Again, word of mouth from these establishments will help you greatly.
- When talking to these people in the establishments described above; if you have a business card available with your contact details, then when these people are ready for your service, they have easy access to contacting you. Business cards would also be good for leaving in information centres, dairies and other retail outlets for customers to pick up when they are needed. If it is possible for you to hand out as many of these as possible, people have to remember you when the time comes for buying or selling a property.
- Advertising yourself and your services for the property market is another excellent way of establishing yourself. Local newspapers are a great way to get your face and services available around, and doing this on a consistent basis will be of value. Other advertising techniques used could be flyers in letter boxes, radio advertisements, signage, and school and community or club newsletters. Just keeping yourself in the back of peoples minds is of great benefit.
- The local primary school is running a fair or other fundraising venture and this would be the perfect time for you to provide sponsorship for these types of local events. Sporting clubs and organisations are always looking for some sort of sponsorship and by having your name as a sponsor ensures that you are seen and heard by the spectators and participants in these set ups. By sponsoring these types of events, your persona is proven to be a caring and trustworthy community member, here by leading people to think of you when they need someone to deal with their property.
- At events like school fairs or community events, give-aways are a good idea also so that your face is seen when potential clients go home and stick their magnet on the fridge, their calendar on the wall, or use their note pad to jot down phone numbers. Just posting these in the mail or dropping them in letter boxes will be appreciated by the community. The feeling of getting something free that is usable can go a long way for a potential client.
- Finally, a monthly newsletter sent out in the mail or dropped in letter boxes, along with your free gift, outlining all the open homes, properties and services you have available, will keep your clients and other community members up to date with what you have to offer. Contact details and photos of properties available should be something that is included within this newsletter.
By combining all of these methods and others not mentioned like open homes and door knocking, you will have the support of the local community and your name will be the first that comes to mind when a client decides to buy or sell a property.
