This guest post was written by Larry Easto who is a
best-selling business writer, and publisher of Real Estate Marketing Link

For the past few weeks, the W network, a Canadian cable network, has been running a series featuring real estate agents in their day-to-day activities.  Shortly before the worst of the recession really hit Canada, the intention was to show the dog-eat-dog world of high powered real estate agents. Instead of seeing agents deal with the stress of multiple offers, viewers got to see the stress of agents frantically looking for the next client and whatever new business came their way.

Personally I found the series as it turned out more engaging than what was intended.  What surprised me most was the willingness of so many agents to abandon their niche markets to pursue new business opportunities.

For example, one agent who normally assisted clients with the purchase and sale of high-end homes eagerly undertook a land-assembly project for a would-be developer. She was so far out of her element that she got lost on her way to look at some property.

Another agent who also normally served the high end marketed aggressively promoted herself to a local celebrity who was looking for a short-term condo rental. Even though he told this agent that he really liked a unit that another agent had shown him, she pushed him into seeing another until that was available. The showing was complete fiasco…she too got lost and tried to show the wrong unit. Needless to say, her client was very upset and would be unlikely to speak to her again, let alone hire or recommend her.

While I recognize the urgency to generate new business, I also appreciate the importance of sticking to what you know and do best.  When chasing new business outside of your familiar niche market, instead of the ideal of a win-win scenario, you risk creating a lose-lose situation for you and your clients. By wallowing around in an unfamiliar market, you add more stress and frustration to your already over-stressed life. You also compromise your hard-earned credibility when stumbling around in an unfamiliar market.

Instead of being selflessly focused on clients’ needs wants and expectations, you are more likely to be driven by your self-interest of generating more new business, whatever and wherever it is. Say good bye to professional objectivity.

Instead of chasing new business in unfamiliar markets, these agents—and you—would be better advised to reconnect with past clients. Certainly they would be interested to hear your thoughts on the current status of the real estate market. And who knows…maybe they know some one in your market who would benefit from your services.

Despite the economic situation and a tough real estate market, client referrals remain the best source of new business.  Sometimes you just have to work a little harder to generate the referrals—but it’s well worth the effort.

For a refresher on niche marketing see: http://real-estate-marketing-link.info/target_marketing.html

This guest post was written by Larry Easto who is a
best-selling business writer, and publisher of Real Estate Marketing Link

Over the past year or so, we have been exposed to what seems like an endless barrage of bad economic news. There has been no end of the reports of failures, whether on the individual and personal level or on the global, international level.  As a result, it seems that failure is the norm and not the exception.

Now that Spring is here, with its sense of renewal and hope, the time is right to step back from all the bad economic news that we continue to hear, take a deep breath and refocus on success!

To assist in this process, I offer two observations—one a big picture overview, the other specific to real estate marketing.

Refocus on Success: The Big Picture

From the perspective of the big picture, there is no single factor that will help me or you achieve success. There are many success factors, ranging from maintaining a healthy attitude to creating a Zen-like work environment.

If there is a single key to success, it is to identify which factors will help you achieve the results you desire—and then consistently apply these factors. Historically, that has been the secret to success, regardless of economic or market condition.  

Refocus on Success in Real Estate

From the perspective of real estate marketing, it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  About 2½ years ago, I surveyed the marketing practices of high producing real estate agents in the Greater Toronto Area, here in Canada. On completion of the survey, I wrote a report entitled How Agents Succeed In Real Estate.

This 74-page report identified the marketing strategies that generated the most clients as:

1. Referrals
2. Open houses
3. Networking/participating in organized groups or associations
4. Advertising

Since I wrote that report, we have experienced unprecedented changes in national economic circumstances as well as local real estate markets. During that time we have also seen the explosive growth of social media with its expanded networking capability.  Give the breadth and depth of the changes over the past 2½ years, it would be reasonable to believe that my report was no longer relevant.

However, my own Twitter-based research indicates that the survey findings are just as relevant today as they were when I wrote the report.  Agents’ Twitter updates confirm that they continue to apply the 4 same strategies to generate new clients—regardless of where they are and the markets they serve.
 
And what’s more interesting is that when I recently posted a reference to my report on Twitter, 2 agents retweeted my reference (that means sent my reference to their followers). They even used some of their 140 characters allowed on Twitter to add their own comments: “good article” and “some good info”.   Get more information on how agents succeed in real estate. 

Regardless of the ongoing litany of bad economic news, it remains possible to succeed in life and in real estate marketing.  All that is needed is to shift our focus from doom and gloom scenarios to concentrating on taking those actions that will help us achieve our desired results. 

Follow Larry on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Larry_Easto

This guest post was written by Larry Easto who is a
best-selling business writer, and publisher of Real Estate Marketing Link

Can You Visualize the Results of Your Plans?

I am very passionate about planning.   I honestly believe that planning is a critical success factor in life, business and marketing.

However, I am not so passionate as to miss the reality that not everyone finds planning a simple straight forward process. I know many people whose problem arises at the very beginning of the process—visualizing the results that they would like to achieve.

Simplify Planning with a Vision Board

For this reason, I was delighted to learn about a tool that will simplify the vision issue for reluctant planners.  Although people have known about vision boards, and used them successfully, vision boards hit my own radar screen about a month ago.

In case you don’t know what a vision board is, it’s simply a board that contains pictures  that signify specific goals or results to be achieved.

The magic element of a vision board is that it helps you see what success looks like to you.  Instead of creating mental images of what your goals look like—and trying to remember these images—you have actual physical pictures that represent  your successes.

If for example, success for you includes a comfortable vacation residence, you would include a picture of the kind of residence that appeals to you. Similarly, if your success includes international travel, include something like a an aircraft circling the globe (I have that image on my board).  Keep adding images to the board until you have a collage that visually represents your success. And once you have achieved individual goals—replace them with new ones.

Your vision board will be a physical reminder of your goals, which will help keep you focused and motivated on achieving your desired results.

Let’s say that one of your real estate marketing goals is to list 40 properties over the coming year.  You would find a picture of the kind of properties you normally sell and then add the number ‘40’ in big bold letters to the image.

Similarly, if one of your goals is to develop an online marketing presence, add an image one computer, a linked series of linked computers or whatever other images that work for you.  Learn more about using vision boards as part of a marketing plan.  

If you don’t know about this planning tool, you might find it useful….especially if you have trouble creating a vision of what you want in life…and in business.  It will also be helpful if you can visualize the results that you would like to achieve…but find it difficult to remain focused on achieving these results.

Creating Your Vision Board

Read More→

This guest post was written by Larry Easto who is a
best-selling business writer, and publisher of Real Estate Marketing Link

Among the many things about real estate marketing that intrigue me are the contradictions in how individual agents promote themselves.  This is especially noticeable in agents’ advertising.

Certainly each and every one of us is unique as a human being. And just as certainly, most agents pride themselves on their own independence and individuality.  Many go to great lengths to create and present images that help promote their uniqueness.  

I have no doubt whatsoever that promoting our individuality is an important component of marketing professional services.  However, when entering the advertising realm, most elements of individuality are ignored in favor of ‘me-too’ advertising. 

To see examples of ‘me-too’ advertising, you only need to look at real estate listings, either in print or on-line format. In virtually every case, each agent looks much like all of the others.

Yes, male agents look different than female agents, and agents of different skin colors are quite distinguishable. But by and large, they all look like…they all look like stereotypical real estate agents.  This same ‘me-too’ approach to advertising is also obvious on real estate company websites.

Because most agents recognize the importance of having a web presence, they choose to participate on their company’s website. Regardless of which company they are associated with-RE/MAX,  Century 21, Prudential, or whatever - agents can conveniently create their own web presence on the larger corporate site.  But to enjoy this convenience, they give up their individuality.

Instead of presenting themselves as individual real estate agents, uniquely qualified to assist individual clients, they appear to be just one of many other RE/MAX,  Century 21, Prudential, or whatever, agents.

Although convenient, participating in corporate websites are not the only, nor are they the best, approach to establishing a web presence. This is especially true if you want to promote your individuality and uniqueness.  If promoting your individuality and uniqueness is a key component of your marketing, your best approach is to develop your own unique website.

After all, you are unique as an individual and also as a real estate agent. Shouldn’t your web presence reflect your individuality?  Learn more about unique websites.

Note from Kathleen:  Another factor to keep in mind is that in virually all cases, you’ll never be able to drive traffic to your website by being found on the search engines when you use a brokerage website!