In the following interview, Lynn Whelpley, broker/owner of Abundant Home Realty in Palm Bay, Fla., discusses her keys to success, including social media marketing.
Region Served: Brevard County, Fla.
Years in Real Estate: 14
Number of Offices: 1
Number of Agents: 3
Facebook: @AbundantHomeRealty
Twitter: @SellingBrevard
How is the market faring in your area?
During the recession, when the country was hit with foreclosures, Florida was hit the hardest. Brevard County, which is our county, was the hardest-hit county—and Palm Bay, which is where my office is, was the hardest-hit city in the county. We were in a very deep hole for what seemed like a very long time. A lot of people who lost their homes in foreclosure seven years ago are now able to buy a home again, so we’re seeing a lot of buyers come back. Things are moving slowly but steadily upward.
What has been key to your success this year?
I attribute our success to being out in the neighborhood, being accessible—a lot of the people that we work with are referrals that come back to us. We try to keep the Abundant Home Realty name in front of everyone in Palm Bay. I don’t want people sitting in my office—I want them out and about.
What steps have you taken to ensure success in 2017?
I know this is old school, and a lot of people really don’t do this, but whenever we sell in a neighborhood, whether we represent the buyer or the seller, when that property closes, we blanket them with a postcard. I mail out, say, 200 cards in a one mile-radius around that listing.
How are you positioning your real estate business to meet the needs of millennials?
I think the personal touch counts. You could look at Zillow all day for information, but in the real world, walking the neighborhood, knowing exactly what it’s like out there, still gives precedence over something online. I make sure they know that I can fill their need for information.
How are you using social media to better your real estate business?
I’ve been trying to stay on top of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn so my friends, associates and prospective customers see my posts regularly. I try not to share just real estate listings, but also community happenings and interesting stories to keep from getting boring.
You recently added RISMedia’s ACE to your social media marketing strategy. How are you implementing the system in your business, and what aspects of it are most appealing to you?
I’ve given ACE free reign to post every day on my Facebook page, my LinkedIn, and, soon, Twitter. I love the fact that ACE is on automatic pilot. I don’t have to think about it every day—but if I do find something outside of real estate that I want to post, I just do it.
I also love that ACE is affordable. I’m a small brokerage and hate overextending my marketing budget. ACE boosts my social media presence for a small monthly fee.
For more information, please visit ace.rismedia.com.
Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s online news editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at sdevita@rismedia.com.
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