Real estate agents should realize that effective real estate marketing is going beyond blasting the neighborhood with real estate fliers and postcards. The marketing materials should be about how the agents present themselves, their services, and their properties for sale to prospective buyers. Thus, effective marketing should greatly involve the elements of direct marketing, education, and public relations.

In this regard, the most common marketing mistake of most real estate agents could be identified. Many agents intentionally or unintentionally ignore the basics of professional insight, persuasive writing, and originality. It is not surprising that most of them choose to repeat similar messages that are used by just about everyone. Any prospective client could practically observe this. They could collect real estate listings and mailers from different real estate agents to easily find out that the messages are mostly alike, except for specific features and numerical figures.

Why do many agents commit this marketing mistake? It is because it has always been easier and more comfortable to imitate than to produce new copies. Many of them could also reason out that they have seen several techniques work in other agents, so those strategies must work effectively. They also assert that it is logically easier to use boilerplate messages and then simply change contact and other basic property information. The herd mentality is also not ruled out.

Real estate prospecting is the lifeblood of a successful career in real estate sales, and yet many agents just don’t want to do it!

Some cite the cost – thinking that prospecting means either placing expensive ads in newspapers or homes magazines, or paying the high cost of postage to mail to a large number of people who may or may not be interested in their services.

Some say they just “don’t have time.” And for busy agents, time is a factor. The trouble is, without ongoing prospecting efforts, those agents will wake up some morning with all of their transactions closed and no new transactions that need their attention.

Some fail to realize that they can be doing one form of prospecting as they move throughout their day. They can keep a pile of business cards in their pocket and hand them out to the people they talk with. They can remember to wear their name tags or that little “R” pin on their lapel – so that people interested in real estate will see it and strike up a conversation about real estate. They can put magnetic signs on their car doors if they can’t

afford or don’t want advertising painted on their cars.

Many others don’t recognize the value of creating automated systems to do their prospecting while they’re busy doing other things.

It takes a little time and a little money to set up, but once in place, an automated system can keep right on pulling in business, 24 hours a day.

It starts with having a website. Hopefully, all agents who are serious about making a living already have their own website. If not, that’s the first step. And, while some agents spend many thousands hiring web designers, huge expense is not necessary. You can start with a simple WordPress site that even the technologically challenged can use.

Mistakes that Cost

We’ve also seen people sell their homes here and move out of state – only to return in a year or two. They were sorry they’d sold their old home, but since they had, they now needed to find a new one.

But it’s not always about the community. I had a customer once – a little old man – who simply liked to move every 4 or 5 years. He didn’t go far – maybe 10 miles or so. But he liked having a new house in a new neighborhood. He had the money to pay cash, so could do as he pleased.

Staying in touch with past clients is a small price to pay for this goldmine of future business.

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