Real estate is easy; it’s finding the buyers and sellers that’s hard. How do you get the
phone ringing? It’s all about marketing.

Why you?

One of the most important questions you can ask yourself is “Why should your prospects use you instead of your competitor?” Most people will answer this the exact same way: They’ll start naming off the list of certifications they have, from their GRI to their CRS, as if it differentiates them from the next Realtor. Worse, some people will answer with those witty clichés that really mean that they don’t have a real answer: “Everything I touch turns to sold!”
or “I’m a house sold name!”. The list goes on and on, but the core issue is that these answers are all about you!

Who do people care about?

As far as your business is concerned, there are three things people care about:

• Themselves
• Their Time
• Their Money

If you’re going to be a good marketer, this is something you must understand. Out there in the marketplace, people don’t care about you. The first and only thing they really want to
know is What’s in it for me? Always remember that: W.I.F.M.? You have to be able to
convey to people that you’re concerned with their needs and are working to save them
time and money. Otherwise, the only person you’re going to appeal to is yourself, and
that’s just not good for business.

Met vs. Haven’t Met

If you’re going to be a top listing agent, it’s important to recognize that there are two types of markets out there: your met database and your haven’t met database. So what’s the difference?

Your met database is made up of people who already like you, love you, and trust you.
This includes people in your sphere of influence and past clients. People in your haven’t
met database have no clue who you are. These are people like your For Sale By Owners,
your Expireds, your Short Sales, and your Probate Leads. These people don’t know you
from “Sally” and you have to approach them differently.

Back in the easy days, you could go after only your met database and get by. But in today’s
new economy, you have to target these people as well as the people who don’t know who
you are. Because going after this haven’t met market is a bit uncomfortable and unfamiliar, many Realtors haven’t changed. But remember, you have to get uncomfortable if you want a different result!

Have a Marketing Arsenal

You have to have a marketing arsenal that separates you from your competitors. This marketing arsenal has a few different components:

• Performance Guarantee
• Risk Free Offer
• Communication Guarantee
• Smart Seller Program
• Marketing Plan

For more information on how to apply each of these to your business, join me at the ERA International Business Conference in Los Angeles. Hope to see you there!

Hoss Pratt will be speaking at the 2014 ERA IBC in Los Angeles March 24-27, 2014. Register here to see her live.

Photo credit: Ambro from FreeDigitalPhotos.net