Once you have your license and you’re ready for business, the next step is getting it—but where is it coming from? If this is a business you’re committed to and you’re ready to make a difference, here are the “streets” for you to prospect!
- Call current FSBOs. Want now business? if you were to call and speak to 100 FSBOs, you’d, without a doubt, get a few listings in 30 days. This strategy costs nothing. We provide dialogues in our Power Agent Program®. To be great at FSBOs takes some organization.
- Call current expireds. The great thing about expireds is that they are like fruit—usually ripe for picking. They already see value in working with a REALTOR®, and when they change agents, they almost always list at a lower price. They’ve already learned what price doesn’t work, and they are committed to a move, making them easier to call.
- Call FSBOs and expireds from six months ago and up to two years old. This is a source of leads that is not normally on many agents’ radar because they aren’t actively advertising. These are people that tried and were unsuccessful. They were feeling the market out and ended up backing out of the sales. Now, after several months, many are just waiting in the wings and may be ready to jump back into the market. Because they already went the FSBO route, many of these sellers will go straight to working with an agent.
- Call houses for rent. Here’s another area that is not on many agents’ radar. A lot of investors are part time investors–they don’t have financial means to carry vacant properties. Meaning, when a property is empty, they are bleeding cash. Start calling investors using dialogue such as, “Hi! I’m calling about your property that is for rent. Can I get some information? Are you willing to work with an agent?” Ask about the house, how many bedrooms and baths it has, etc. Then say, “Let me ask you a question. If I had a buyer that would be willing to buy your property at a price that makes you smile, would you be willing to sell rather than keep renting?”
- Cold call all neighborhoods with new listings. Perfect for a new agent! Some of our agents get at least six listings per year from this technique. If a listing just went up, the next listing in that neighborhood will almost always be with another broker. Why? Psychology. Sellers don’t want their neighbors to know their business. So, they will go out of their way to not hire that same agent. When a competitor puts a listing out, start hitting the phones and calling the neighbors. “Hi, this is Darryl, with Power Realty. Another agent just listed a home in the neighborhood. When that happens, we always anticipate more buyers into the neighborhood. That’s why I’m calling on behalf of my company to see if you know anyone who is interested in selling their homes.” (Don’t ask if they are interested, ask if they know anyone who might be as it is a less intrusive question.) They would then usually say, no we don’t know anyone, but we were thinking of selling.
- Call “orphans.” In almost every company, there are agents who have left the business in the last year or so. Those agents were involved in transactions with sellers that are no longer being serviced by your company because that agent left. No agent is nurturing these homeowners, and brokers and managers hate that. Ask your manager for the closed files of all the homes of agents no longer with the company.
Your dialogue with those past clients goes something like this, “Hi Mr. Seller – this is Darryl with POWER Realty. The reason I’m calling is to let you know that your past agent is no longer with our organization, so I apologize that you haven’t been getting consistent service calls. I just want you to know that I’m here for you and I wanted to see if there was anything you need. How’s the house and neighborhood? Everything good? Have you made any improvements? Have you ever thought about moving? Do you have any real estate questions? I firmly believe that homeowners should have a market analysis every year so that they are on top of what their investment is worth. I’m happy to do the same for you. Does that sound good?”
Jump in. Find your niche. Don’t be afraid to pick up phones, knock on doors or ask for help! Get creative with how you approach building the relationships that will become your book of business that you will one day be able to sell if you do it correctly!
These are just six of the pointers in my e-book, “The 12 Best Ways to Generate Listing Leads in 30 Days.” Get all twelve when you register for your FREE 30-day membership to The Power Program® for real estate professionals.
Darryl Davis, bestselling author of “How to Become a Power Agent in Real Estate” and owner of Darryl Davis Seminars, has trained and coached over 100,000 real estate professionals around the globe for more than 27 years. He is the founder of the Next Level® real estate training system, The Power Program®, which has helped agents double their production over their previous year. For more information, and the new agent tools that can help take you to your Next Level®, please contact darryl@darrylspeaks.com or visit www.ThePowerProgram.com/NewAgentSuccess.
