In my business, I get to meet and talk with so many real estate agents. Every one of them is unique and incredibly motivated. And the more I get to know these agents, the more I see certain behaviors emerging in the folks we’d call the front runners—those who seem to know the market is starting to move and are already moving with it.
So just what is afoot in the market? We looked at the numbers, and the indicators are there. It’s going to be a busy season for real estate professionals. Housing inventory is increasing and prices are holding steady in most areas. Lenders are making loans more attractive to first time buyers. The word on the street is that 2015 could be the biggest year since the bust.
So what can real estate agents like you do to best position yourself?
We’ve put together 5 tips to make the most of these market conditions:
- Get invested. Not with money—with your time. Over and over, the successful agents we see are truly invested in something specific, something they have a passion for. Whether it’s community sports, a church, local schools or politics, these agents have inserted themselves into the equation and are a visible presence in their community.
- Diversify marketing tactics. There is no silver bullet—no one activity guarantees clients. Success comes from doing a lot of things right and integrating the effort for consistency. That means doing some awareness marketing, some lead generation, and some DRIP to stay in front of your network.
- Embrace technology. As a whole, we spend more and more of our time on screens. The average person checks her smart phone 221 times per day! In order to stay competitive, you need to be there too. Your website should be mobile friendly, and you should be fluent in text messaging. For some, using social media like Twitter or Instagram can be a way to connect with prospects.
- Identify your circle of influence. In a digital world, word of mouth (both positive and negative) can spread like wildfire. If you know which people in your network are the real ‘connectors’ (hint: they are the ones that throw the neighborhood parties, host the bookclub, etc), ask yourself how can you nurture them so that you are the first agent they think of when someone asks for a referral.
- Go for it! It sounds kitschy, but it takes real gumption to put yourself out there, and the agents we see prove that it works. So be bold! The conditions are ripe for success.
If you’d like to meet an agent who embodies these tips, I’ve got one for you. Mark Slade is an agent in New Jersey and he sees the upward trends, too. So he’s being bold. “Everything I’ve been doing, I’m doubling up,” he told me. That means double the blog posts, double the awareness ads, double the local activities. And it’s paying off for him. It will for you, too.
For more information, visit www.adwerx.com.
