The real estate market is like politics; it is all local. Each time sellers and buyers browse the market, they are looking for the right agent with the expertise to help them with the next step of their transactions. They always want to know if you have the right market knowledge, have ever obtained any listings, and how many.
Furthermore, real estate clients always want someone who can introduce them to the community. Someone to connect them with properties that are near everyday amenities like schools, shopping centers, and hospitals.
Becoming a real estate expert takes time, but it is the best way to elevate your real estate career. This article will give you guidance on how to obtain listings and become a real estate expert in your area.
Focus on Obtaining Listings
In order to be a successful real estate agent, obtaining listings is crucial to achieving your goals. You only have to make sure you do it right. The number of listings you get will help with providing the necessary information that buyers and sellers are looking for to make you their consultant or agent.
Listings are the best way to add value to your real estate agent’s credibility and satisfy the urges of the interested buyers and sellers. For instance, once you display all your listings on your website and potential clients view and like them, it gives them a sense of security and an assurance that you have the right agent for the job.
There are numerous ways to obtain listings as a real estate agent, and some of them include the following:
Geo-Farming
Geographic Farming – or Geofarming – is a real estate marketing strategy that you can use to help focus your efforts on a single neighborhood. It is the best way to increase your listings and brand awareness and earn more referrals.
However, getting started with geo-farming can be challenging, especially when picking the right neighborhood. But, these pointers can help put you in the right direction:
Look for an area you are well familiar with. For example, you can work with a nearby community you understand best. Look for a solid turnover rate. This is the number of homes or properties sold in the past year in that locality.
Farm an area with sufficient average home price. The best idea is to go for luxury homes as they tend to stay on the market longer. Geo-farms are those where other real estate agents have not set up a market share. Always look for an area with no other agents and establish your stronghold there.
Door Knocking
Another important geo-farming strategy is keeping the homeowners up-to-date on all the current market conditions. You can best achieve this by visiting individual homes and let them know what you are offering.
Some people may not feel like they need this, but it is the best way to glue your services in their minds so that you are the to-go person when anything comes up. Door knocking is the best way to get listings faster. The client will get to sell their property faster as you get your commission.
However, door knocking does not always work, so do not be surprised if you do not get any listings from this strategy.
Sending Postcards
Sending out postcards is a geo-farming strategy that works wonders plainly as it is. You can also send marketing materials, direct mail, and brochures. Whether working alone to establish yourself or with a group of agents, it is always ideal for including postcard mailings in your marketing strategy.
It is the most affordable, easiest, and fastest way to reach the neighborhood and sets you apart from other real estate agents. Through these postcards, you can establish yourself as a local real estate expert and offer market updates and other helpful tips to potential clients.
It is also the best way to ensure your brand is constantly appearing in their eyes with your phone number there so they can give a call any time.
Host Client/Networking Events
Another excellent way to obtain listings is by hosting local client events. This is ideal because most first-time homeowners and sellers usually have many questions. This can be the perfect platform to help them understand what they are getting into.
You can also arrange some informal meetings like a happy hour event to help you interact with the clients at a personal level. This will give you the platform to meet potential clients and introduce yourself and your services. You can also use the opportunity to invite some local experts to come and share their knowledge of the market about home buying and selling.
Share Your Listings with Your Sphere of Influence
Now you have your listing; what next? While getting listings is a crucial step in establishing your real estate career, the real task is letting people know about them. You can best achieve this by sharing your listings on your social media accounts like Facebook.
You can spice things up by including a live tour of the property you have listed. You can also best achieve this by hosting Open Houses. It is the best way to attract potential clients, which will lead to more listings.
When the potential clients come in and see what you have done and are capable of doing, they might consider your services for their future transactions, which is what you are looking for.
Be Consistent with Your Marketing
You now have your listings. Do you stop there? The trick is to continue branding yourself as the local expert. Use the images and information about your listings regularly. It is the ultimate key that will open more listing doors for your career. What if you do not have the listings; what then must you do?
This is the best time you can stay ahead of your target audience. You can do this by sending them market updates through postcards. Remember, your postcards do not have to be business-oriented. You can start with “seasons greeting” and then do a line asking about their wellbeing.
Afterward, follow it with what you are preaching about, and always include your contacts at the bottom. This will help keep your name on their minds such that if any need for property knowledge or services comes up, you will be the person to call.
Conclusion
The real estate business is a lucrative and potential line of business only if you understand its corners. Once you know what you want, it becomes easier to channel your focus on it as you target all possible means to become the best at what you do.
Remember, constant networking and always knowing what is happening in your local community is the key. Try to know as many people as possible and always be in constant contact with them. It will keep you in their minds and help you gain new listings. It is also the best way to give back to the community.
