In the following interview, Carlos Ennis, New-Homes Specialist/REALTOR® with EXIT Real Estate Solutions in Irmo, S.C. talks best practices, market diversity, and remaining front and center.
Region served: South Carolina and Tampa Bay, Fla.
Years in real estate: 16
Number of offices: 2
Number of agents: 20
Best tip for getting the right listing price: Present sellers with data regarding the number of days similar homes were on the market and then review comps within the last six months as these prices are closest to what a client should expect to get.
Most creative self-promotion: I do champagne tour events where I host clients viewing luxury homes. I also hosted a bourbon tasting with appetizers at an open house, an event that drew about 36 agents.
Please describe some of your most successful best practices that have enabled you to grow your business. Marketing on social media has been extremely beneficial. In fact, I sold five homes on Facebook within the past year. Not only do I have two marketing pages on Facebook—one for my Florida listings and the other for my listings in South Carolina—I also use videos to help market properties. While Facebook provides a platform to share background information on both the builder and the property, as well as pictures and videos, I use Twitter to announce new listings/developments and promote open houses.
What are your best strategies when it comes to client retention? In addition to sending thank you cards to clients after a transaction has been completed, I try to be really good about making follow-up phone calls and staying in touch regularly through email. In the end, client retention boils down to making direct calls and doing my best to reach every single client on the phone around the holidays.
Which strategies have been most successful when working with diverse markets? My clients range from those in the military to university, corporate relocations, luxury, vacation or second-home buyers to workforce housing, so knowing the neighborhoods and the wide mix of homes in the area makes me an ideal resource for the diverse range of clients flooding our markets. It’s also important that I understand when neighborhoods are running hot or cold. Today, homes priced within the $100,000 – $150,000 and $250,000 – $290,000 range are hot, so I can match buyers looking for homes in those areas with motivated sellers.
In what ways does print marketing fit into your overall marketing strategy? I’ve been using The Real Estate Book to target market for about seven months, and it’s really paying off. By reserving the first few pages of every edition, I’m showing prospects that I’m serious and confident about selling their home—or finding a home for them. The Real Estate Book is a great investment as it puts me front and center with a huge number of clients through its local distribution outlets.
For more information, click here.
