Search Tips for Real Estate Professionals

Day Eight: Virtual Tours

So many free and fee based tools / services that allow you to create virtual tours of a property that there really is no excuse NOT to create virtual tours.

So far if you've been following along with this series you've learned some tips on why to add properties to the MLS, to your build in property search tools that came with your website or that you've had built (if any), on page property marketing through out your website, 3rd party vendors like Trulia, e-mail broadcasts to Realtors and past leads / clients, and press releases.

At the same time you may have started towards implimenting these different property marketing efforts and are probably amonst the top 75% of Realtors while everyone else won't even bother with that much effort with marketing homes.

People search for homes expecting to find property photos and descriptive content.  Now why not provide them with yet another visually appealing way to discover properties?

VisualTour.com probably has one of the better technologies I've seen in a long while and I find them being used by many Realtors. Agents pay $199.95 setup fee and $29.95 a month thereafter for unlimitted tours with up to 50 photos per tour.  Broker prices vary by number of agents in the office but offer private label branding and even allows a broker to advertise their company on tours created by agents in their office using the Visual Tour platform.

RealTourVision.com and other companies like it can help get you started with making your own fully functional 360 degree virtual tours.  This would be ideal for an agent that wants to do virtual tour photo shoots themselves and need the software and equipment to accomplish the tasks.  Here is a 360 virtual tour example with this kind of setup.

Many Realtor based hosting companies will also have their own style of virtual tour tour tools.  You can almost always also look at what some of your competitors are doing and through that find the right virtual tour tools for your needs.

Tomorrow: Video Tours

Sincerely,

John F. Jones III

Find me on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Trulia | Active Rain

My Previous Post In This Series: Day Seven - Online Property Marketing

Day Seven: Press Releases

I completely understand that not all homes are press release "Worthy".  However some are worthy of a press release such as a famous or semi famous person's home being put up on the market.  If you are a creative writer than even a simple shack could be put on the market.

A few years back I caught a press release about a dumpy little shack that was on the market for over a million bucks.  The press release was creatively written and an appropriate disastrous image was used to make me say, "What the heck?" and proceed to click on the link to read more.  It turns out that dumpy little shack was in Las Vegas on a prime location which probably has a condo skyscraper on it now.

Are you selling the last lake front estate on Lake Norman in North Carolina?  Isn't that something to send out a press release about?

EXTRA EXTRA

Last Lakefront Property in Lake Norman Up for Sale!

Written by Estelle Brown, a Lake Norman Real Estate Agent - 2/10/2009

About two weeks ago I caught via Twitter that a Realtor was doing a 70 hour straight open house event.  While I didn't look too much into the details, this SCREAMS Press Release!

Did you just merge with another office in the area?  Press Release!

Did you change companies? Press Release!

New Developement of Homes?  Press Release!

Twice as many homes sold in 2009 than 2008?  Press Release!

Besides the fact that people read these things, the other advantage would be several new links to your website.  If your press release content has links within it and the receiving news source publishes as is then you've just picked up a link. Additionally, a press release can be used as a selling point to attract sellers.

Go to Google and type in, "Online Press Release".  You'll come up with a ton of places where you can submit press releases. Many distribution websites have some kind of free submission and others charge a fee.  If you have a luxury property and are an extremely tallented creative writer than I'd suggest investing in PRWeb.com every now and then for maximum exposure & distribution.

Tomorrow: 

Sincerely,

John F. Jones III

Find me on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Trulia | Active Rain

My Previous Post In This Series: Day Six - Online Property Marketing

Day Six: E-Mail Broadcast Marketing - Past Leads

If you've read my previous Day Five post Titled, "E-Mail Broadcast Marketing - Realtors" then you can suspect that you have some marketing options for anyone that has contacted you in the past for real estate needs.

Buyers, Sellers and those that are just curious on lookers; if they have contacted you before then they are potential clients today.  Even if these people have used your services to buy or sell in the past, there may be a need for your services once again OR they may have a friend or family member in need of buying or selling.

Like with marketing to local Realtors, be it that they are colleagues or competitors, you can't simply solicit old leads out of the blue.  You must maintain and build upon a relationship so that they won't simply delete your e-mail communication to them.

For those that you've done business with in the past and from here on out, get into the habit of sending them some kind of gift basket each and every year.  Ideally you should send them something on the day they closed on their new home or sold their previous home.  You could take it a step further and send them a Christmas basket as well.  You might end up spending $20 - $40 per basket each year but the gesture won't go un-noticed by past clients.

For those that have only inquired about a property or contacted you regarding some questions they had about the local real estate market, it might be best that you keep a cheat sheet containing what they were interested in.  When anything changes on that topic or if another property matching the one they were asking about comes on the market again you can easily contact them with the information and a small call to action.

I work with MANY Realtors and I often find that my clients talk about how a large part of their client base is based off of referrals.  Other Realtors often include something like, "Referrals are the best compliment you can give me..." or the likes.

Having a successful transaction with a buyer or seller doesn't always mean that you'll be remembered time and time again or referred to when your past client has a friend or family member looking to buy a home.  You often have to take that extra step and remain in contact with them in such a way that they don't forget you.

Be generous by the way.  Everyone receives birthday and Christmas cards from their dentist, doctors and mechanics these days.  These are discarded most of the time because there is always a hint of, "Come back and see us soon!".  Be generous in what you give and be genuine.  Count the years of communication and gift giving as part of your marketing expenses and stick to it!

Here are just a few ideas of what to pass along to your past clients:

• Gift Baskets - Hand delivered is best but you can mail them as well.
• Gift Cards - Typically you can send a gift card within a card but spend the time on a nice card as well.
• Carpet Cleaning - Pay for a carpet cleaning and allow them to set up the date and time.
• Window Washing - Same concept, pay for this cleaning and allow them to set up the date and time.
• Newspaper Subscription - Cover their newspaper subscription from year to year if the price isn't too much.
• Lawn Care - Give your past buyers a break every now and then with a lawn care provider service.

Lastly, hold an annual BBQ during the summer at a local park.  Spare no expenses with the food and beverages and if you deal with a lot of families with children rent one of those jumpers as they go a very long way with children.

If you've done all or some of these things then it isn't likely that an e-mail broadcast will get deleted by past leads.  Funny how online marketing takes a little of social activity and offline marketing isn't it?

Tomorrow: Press Releases

Sincerely,

John F. Jones III

Find me on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Trulia | Active Rain

My Previous Post In This Series: Day Five - Online Property Marketing

Day Five: E-Mail Broadcast Marketing - Realtors

As a Realtor you have every tool available to you to inform other Realtors in your office and out of your office of current properties you are marketing.  By educating them on what is available you are further improving your odds of selling a home even more quickly than other Realtors in your area.

You Can't Simply Blast an E-Mail to Every Realtor in a 50 Mile Radius

I'd say that in almost all of the United States there is easily enough property surplus that your competitors won't give a damn about your two bedroom one bathroom home.  Additionally your e-mail is most likely going to be considered spam and deleted. 

There are ways of getting your properties in front of other Realtors more often than others though via e-mail blasts.  You MUST build relationships with those in and out of your office in order to be able to have an in with them so that they won't be offended by your solicitations.  Here are a few pointers:

Realtors In Your Office

1. Brokers - Make it a point to send a weekly and monthly office property roster
2. Realtors - Send a weekly or monthly team property roster (For those that are teams)
3. Spend more time at the office which allows you to associate and be-friend more Realtors in the office.
4. Volunteer more at company events including meetings to be more visible and again befriend other Realtors in the office.
5. Purposefully make time to attend open houses from other agents in the office.  Show your support, familiarize yourself with the property that you might have a lead for yourself and build lasting friendships or acquaintance status.
6. Invite Realtors in the office to tour your own open houses.

Realtors Out of Your Office

1. Attend open houses as much as possible.
2. Attend Chamber Mixers or other local events; it is likely that other Realtors will be there and soon enough you'll get to know them.
3. Purposefully go out of your way to point out a flaw or two with a listing you find in the MLS that could be corrected.  The Realtor may not have realized and be appreciative.
4. During Christmas send a basket of goodies to select Realtors that you know are power house agents.

Building working relationships allows you to get away with an e-mail blast or two every now and then.  You might be able to get away with this once or twice a month but be careful not to abuse the relationship. 

One last thing...

Personalize each and every e-mail you send out.  Remind the Realtor of the great time you had discussing a flooded basement or something funny that happened back in college.  Get PERSONAL as this goes a long way towards your e-mail being spam or a warm and inviting e-mail from a friend.

Today is the half way point for this 10 day series.  If you've just started reading then I welcome and encourage you to take a quick glance at the past posts in this series.  Here are the topics:

Day One - Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
Day Two - Website Property Search Tools
Day Three - Website On Page Promotion
Day Four - 3rd Party Property Vendors

Tomorrow: E-Mail Broadcast Marketing - Past Leads

Sincerely,

John F. Jones III

Find me on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Trulia | Active Rain

My Previous Post In This Series: Day Four - Online Property Marketing