| |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
|
Real Estate Marketing, Do You Use Direct Mail?
Prospecting for leads is by far the most difficult part of being a Realtor or small business professional. In fact, lead development is by far the most expensive and time consuming aspect of your job. However, you level of success in lead development will determine if you succeed or fail as a real estate agent or small business professional. So how do you develop leads? Well top selling professionals realize that they need to touch as many people as possible without spending a fortune or taking up a lot of their time. They also realize that they must make some form of contact with a prospect as many as eight times before that contact will even consider doing business with the professional. Many of these professionals use direct mail to recruit prospects, and direct mail tools to close their deals. The fundamentals of direct mail are very simple. At is most basic level you are sending out message with an invitation for a prospect to contact you. The key is targeting your specific audience, and making your message stand out against all of the other junk mail that you prospects receive. In addition, you must expose your prospects to the message enough times to make them consider taking action. The first step in creating a direct mail program is to determine where you are going to focus your message. What type of client are you specifically looking for? How old are they, what are their interests, fears, income levels, etc. With this type of very specific demographic information you can customize your message to invoke them to call you. Next, determine how many people you are going to send your message to and what geography you are going to focus on. Keep in mind that a direct mail piece with more than a 1% response rate is considered exceptional, and that statistically, post cards get more attention than envelopes in peoples mail boxes. Essentially this means that if you mail 500 pieces and you get five phone calls, you are doing exceptionably well. After you know what your customer looks like and the area in which they live, create your marketing message. It should invoke emotion and request a response. The most effective messages offer something for free such as a free home report, assessment, or giveaway such as a software program or product. Other useful messages show what has just been listed and invite prospects to "cash in" on their rising home values. Now that you have your message designed contact a local or internet based direct mailing list seller and rent a list of prospects addresses. You will be mailing to this list more than once so make sure you get repeat mailing discounts. All of these list brokers have test addresses in the lists they sell to make sure you only mail the agreed number of times. Many of these list sellers will offer mailing services as well, and some will even provide design and printing services. Companies such as PurePoscards.com and MailersClub.com are excellent resources to get both mailing lists and design services. Use the design services as needed and remember that statistically, an enclosed letter with blue ink and a first class stamp will get the best response. Letters and postcards follow with lower responses. Regardless of the type of mail that you are sending, it is important to realize that you are hoping for at least a 1% response to your campaign. Mail your message to the list and see what happens. Plan on mailing at least two more times to get your desired response, but feel free to modify the message and the medium. It is just important to provide your target customer with repetition so that they become used to your message and will consider doing business with you. It is through repetition and a message that stands out that you will get your client's attention and earn a response to your marketing. Direct marketing is a very effective tool for realtors to grow their businesses. It can create a significant number of leads and a significant addition to your cash flow, However, direct mail must be done with proper planning and the right expectations for response. Never has a single one-time direct mailing been successful. Alternatively, real estate professionals who practice repetition in their direct mail and their marketing grow wealthy while they leave their competition behind. About The Author Barrett Niehus is a principal for IP Ware Real Estate Investment Software http://www.realtysoftware.org and a technical marketing specialist for Compound Solutions in Escondido, California.
MORE RESOURCES:
Real-Estate - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Crash Course On The Payout Options Available To You When Selling A Mortgage Note Okay, let's take a look at the typical payout options:Full Purchase - The investor buys the entire note. This alleviates the seller of the responsibility to collect payments in the future. Real Estate Investing - Free Vacations While Searching for Real Estate Acquisitions Real estate investing professionals look for all possible tax deductions because of the generous profits derived from real estate investing.For example, real estate investors are concerned whether the sale of their real estate is subject to capital gains taxation or qualifies as ordinary income. Get Rich With Mobile Homes Does the myth that mobile homes depreciate in value keep you from investing in them? Well, they do lose value in a park, on a rented lot. Mobile homes with real estate, however, are an entirely different investment. Evil Gains Entry When we open our doors to strangers, we can never be certain what malice an outsider might bring in. Police officers tell us to keep our doors locked with good reason. An Ideal Way to Purchase Your New Home without Strict Banking Regulations You've searched high and low around town looking for that special home for you and your family. Everyone agrees that "this is the one"! Your down payment for the home is large enough, but you know your credit is terrible, or worse, practically non-existent. Buying and Selling Distressed Houses for Maximum Profit (Update) If you want to become a real estate investor, find a "fixer-upper" owned by an anxious seller. Finding distressed houses at bargain prices, fixing them up, and then selling them on a consistent basis can make you a multi-millionaire. Kings Bay Georgia Real Estate - An Amusing Tale About a Real Estate Agent This story is true and not meant to hurt anyone, but the more that I think about what happened, the more it makes me laugh. I hope that you not only get a chuckle from it as I did, but take your time and look for a professional real estate agent. Investing In Commercial Property Investing in commercial property is well beyond the financial means of most people. Few can afford the large sums of money involved in buying commercial real estate. Purchase Online Tenancy Agreements Buy an on-line Tenancy Agreement now. As a landlord and also as a tenant it is important that there is a comprehensive tenancy agreement in place to protect both parties. Buying Property in Portugal Portugal has long been a popular choice for people, particularly from the colder climates of Northern Europe, looking to purchase a holiday home or a retirement home. Traditionally they have done so using offshore companies, mainly to avoid estate taxes. Hassle-Free Homebuying Perhaps you'd like to take advantage of today's great buyer's market in housing but feel a little intimidated by everything that's involved.You know the routine: finding the right locale and the right house; negotiating an agreement; putting together a down payment; and selecting the best mortgage available. Eleven Questions to Ask in an Agent Interview Questions Sellers Should Ask in Agent Interviews:1. Is your license in good standing?You can check an agent's certification yourself with your state's department of real estate. New Homes in Ridgefield Location:Frequent travelers will absolutely delight in this town! As part of the southwest section of Connecticut, Ridgefield is a convenient town to live in since it is only miles away from both the New Jersey Tri-state area and New York City. It is also close to its neighbor, Danbury, and has a steady population that continues to grow. Why I Love Country Living As somone who has lived in both places, I can tell you that country living certainly beats the hustle and bustle of city life! Living in a rural area has advantages that simply can't be bought at any price.In the city I was bombarded with the sounds of horns blowing and sirens blaring. Investing in Real Estate & REITs Real estate investing runs the gamut in terms of risk and investment success. The first rule of real estate investing, even before location, location, location, is be very careful with whom you are dealing. Flat Fee MLS Listings - Is This The Future Of Real Estate Realtors are all a buzz about this new form of listing houses on the MLS (multiple listing service). Some feel it creates more work for the buyers agent, while others see this as a way to tap into the For Sale By Owner market. Stay Motivated With REI Till The Deal Comes I know many investors step into the game of real estate investing with high hopes of landing the deal that will turn their financial situation around and yes some do and this is not for you - this is for the investors still looking for that first deal!The best way starting out in this business, staying motivated and sticking to real estate investing has to do with one big factor!Keep your JOB - Yes you may be "Just Over Broke" but real estate investing comes with no guarantees of doing a deal in 30, 90, or 120 days as a matter of fact deals come and they go. real estate investing has its good times and it's bad times!You need a source of income and without it the likely hood of failure will soon follow!Having a stable income is the number one goal to having financial well being and your mental and emotional well being also. Talk to a Lender Before You Sell Your Home If you're looking to sell your home quickly, and for top dollar, the best thing you can do is to be able to offer your buyers some sound financing options. That's why developing a relationship with a lender can be the key to a quick sale, and to more money at closing. How to Buy a Home When Your in Your Twenties A Single's Game of Real Estate (Getting started in your twenties)Due to the fact that most of us grow up in either a rented apartment or our parent's single family home, it stands to reason that most people, when beginning to ask themselves the question of purchasing their own dwelling, will come to the conclusion that a condo or small house is probably the way to go. That's a result of conditioning and it's a hard mindset to break! After taking the time to talk to or personally guide a respectable number of people in their twenties, I have come to find that firm, direct and accurate information can really adjust the reality of how real estate can be acquired and used to their best advantage starting with property that sets the tone for a much more profitable and rewarding future. Residential Income Property Financing: Part 2 of 3 Welcome to the second segment of a three-part series about income property. In this second segment we will be discussing financing options for residential income properties as well as the upside (and downside) of owning this type of property.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
