Omaha Real Estate Blog

Real estate marketing starts with great services and often small ideas that can be made into big ideas.  Review the list below and ask yourself do I have a "marketing" part to my day?  Am I doing all I can to assist my clients and grow my business?  (I hope your answer will be yes!)  I hope you will find this list helpful and thought provoking as I feel they are great strategies that I have personally used myself in all my years of sales that can create great opportunities and growth for your business.

General Marketing

• Never let a day pass without engaging in at least one marketing activity.
• Reach out to two new prospects each day.
• Reach out to former clients in various ways (phone, email, handwritten notes) as a simple way to remind them of your services, things that are new in the industry and with your services and as a simple way to remind them that you are still there for them even after their transaction.
• Review the specific marketing goals you set for the year that hopefully you broke down to monthly/weekly goals.  Assess how you're doing so far (have you been meeting those goals, do you need help in achieving them?  Do they need to be adjusted?)
• Carry business cards with you (all day, every day).  When was the last time you gave one out?  That's right, get them out of the box or change them if you don't like them and give them out.  While you're at it - why not give them two cards to pass along to someone.
• Give your marketing literature to local community business associates as it expands your marketability for free.

Focus on your "target" market

 

• • Are you alert to trends that may impact your target market and/or services?  Make sure you're reading everything about your profession, industry, target market groups, etc.   Be sure to subscribe to internet newsgroups and blogs that serve your target market.

• Ask clients why they hired you and solicit suggestions for improvement - testimonials (and use them.)

• Identify niches, new markets and areas to focus and implement new marketing strategies to reach them.

Be a resource and provide information:

• Establish a marketing and public relations team with your associates and local business owners that meet quarterly (meet for breakfast, lunch or coffee) to share ideas about community issues.  Who knows perhaps there's a referral opportunity just waiting for you.
• Attend a marketing seminar, read a marketing book and implement new strategies learned.
• Join an association or organization related to your profession.
• Create a consultant file for website designers, writers and other marketing consultants and work with them to create and manage your marketing strategies.
• Journey to other "creative" blogs to observe and learn from the marketing strategies they are using and see if it creates some ideas for you.

How to communicate your marketing:

• • Publish a newsletter for customers and prospects.

• • Develop a brochure of services.  If you work within several niches - create one for each that specifically speaks to those clients.

• • Marketing Pieces:  Print a slogan and/or one-sentence description of your business and a signature area that includes your contact details, web url and key information about your services and put it on your emails, letterhead, fax cover sheets and on everything you send to your clients and prospects.  Key word "EVERYWHERE"

• Be easy to find - develop your own Web site or blog site.    
• Include "testimonials" from customers in your literature, on you site, and in your presentations.
• Get your marketing pieces read: Use colored or oversized envelopes for your direct mailings.  Announce special offers in your direct response pieces as well as on the outside of the envelope to pique their interest.  Send pieces that include check off boxes that will involve your reader and provide valuable feedback to you. (be sure it's easy for them to return this card to you by including postage)  The point is - be creative and make your pieces stand out.  Another idea is to create a mail bump (a bulging envelope) that will encourage the person to open the envelope to see what's inside.

PR and Media

• Write a column or tip articles for the local newspaper, local business journal or trade publication, so that people begin to view you as an expert in your industry.  Publish articles to show your expertise and increase your SEO.
• Send timely and newsworthy press releases (about new services, new office, new associates and notable milestones) as often as needed.  See my post for great sites to post these press releases.
• Appear on a radio talk show (even if you're just calling in with a question or answer to share - I know of two right through the AR community that are valuable resources: Rain Radio with Brad Andersohn and Twitter Tuesday with Jason Crouch and Ken Cook.)
• Have your phone number, fax number, email, website and any url that you use regularly as a way of contacting you on every piece of marketing material thing you do.
• Promote your business jointly with other professionals.
• Advertise in a specialty directories both online and offline to promote your services and listings.
• Consider non-traditional ways of marketing your services.
• Code your ads and keep records of results. (Great tool for doing this is:  Listing Number - read more here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/710530/Cool-free-tool-for)  This is a great way to test ads to see which ones are coming up with the greatest results and works.
• Sponsor and promote a contest or events in your community.  Be sure to issue a press release or blog as a follow-up to that event.
• Teach a class or seminar in your local community through your connections both in and out of the industry.  Show off your expertise.

Word of Mouth Marketing:

• Join the Chamber of Commerce or other business organization and participate.  Organize a group if one does not exist.  Always have your business cards with you.
• Follow-up with members you have met with at these associations and conferences and send them your brochure.
• Hold an open house or host a party at your place of business.
• Join a Web community that attracts your target market and get involved.

Providing great customer service:

• • Return phone calls promptly.  Enough said!

• • Make sure your voice mail include basic information in your outgoing message, such a business hours, location, etc. and other ways to reach you more directly.  You can also include a "tip of the day" or mention something newsworthy on your message that may prompt them to ask you about it.

• • Ask clients what you can do to help them and what do they need.  Listen and act on it.  Create a seminar at your office for clients and prospects.

• Send hand-written notes, birthday and anniversary cards and keep in touch with your SOI.
• Send interesting articles to your clients and prospects with a hand-written "FYI" note and your business card. Mention or send a book of interest along with a handwritten note.
• Create an area on your Web site specifically for your customers that allows them to see reports, updates and ways to communicate with you.

 

I hope at the very least this list provided you with some simple marketing ideas that you can make a part of your every day and that you will see great results by simply focusing on the small ideas that can create big opportunities.

Have a marketing strategy on the list that has been working for you?  Feel free to share.

Did you discover something from the list that you might try?

Have a different strategy to share? 

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Other helpful resources:

1. Are you providing the human touch? - http://activerain.com/blogsview/704686/Are-you-providing-the
2. Do you have a marketing strategy? - http://activerain.com/blogsview/716938/Do-you-have-a
3. 5 Real Estate Marketing Tools: - http://activerain.com/blogsview/725375/Who-else-wants-these

 

Ready to take your Marketing to new levels? Anne Marie Malfi ~ Malfi Marketing Solutions.com ~ Copyright 2009 

Upcoming Events: Branding Sanity - , brought to you from a partnership between Anne Marie Malfi and Rebecca Levinson of Real Skillz.  Visit  http://brandingsanity.blinkweb.com/ for more details and to register.  Brokers: contact us for special pricing and/or custom designed training for your agents.

I came across this video from a friend on Facebook. I thought it was it was interesting to see how far we have come since 1981. Imagine waiting 3 to 4 hours to download an article on the Internet. I can hardly wait 30 seconds for a site to come up. 

 

 

Shopping for a mortgage when buying your home or refinancing is not as easy as some of you think. First off, you should get yourself pre-qualfied at least 3 to 6 months before you actually go out and look for a home. Especially if your credit is less than perfect.

Secondly, you need to make sure that you are dealing with a mortgage professional. Yes, it's good to be referred to someone. But just a fyi, that doesn't mean that they might be the best for you. I could give you stories. If you don't feel comfortable, it doesn't hurt to talk to at least 2 more individuals.

 

 

With 16 years in the mortgage industry, I have heard many stories of bad experiences from borrowers, realtors, and title clerks. And in my professional opinion and experience, there are 3 major things that aggravate me, that are pet peeves of mine, that you should be aware of.

1. Good Faith Estimates - When ever you speak to a loan officer and they actually pre-qualify you or if refinancing, that they give you a rate, your payment, and costs.... that they should be able to present you with a Good Faith Estimate (did you get one) usually in the next 15 to 30 minutes. Unless they tell you that they will get it to you that evening or by the next morning, anything longer than this is a major red flag.  In many cases, they are usually hiding what they don't want you to see. And just because they put it on paper, doesn't mean that it will always happen.
2. Quoting Rates - No matter if you ask for a rate quote or if the loan officer gives you a Good Faith Estimate (GFE), they need to explain how long that interest rate is good for. They also need to go over the lock-in procedures for locking in such quoted rates. Many fail to do this and the average borrower doesn't know to ask. So if I give you a rate and don't tell you how long that rate is good or how to lock into that rate, then that rate doesn't mean squat. Make sense?
3. The interview process - There is more to it than just asking your name and how much you want to purchase and refinance. Especially more than ever in today's market. It's truly hard to put a time limit on how long someone should spend with you, if it's on the phone or in person. But I can't see how I could do it under 20 minutes, when I need to ask the right questions when qualifying you for a mortgage. I like to get an idea of your goals and a few other things. If the loan officer doesn't ask you about your goals and some other financial questions, I would have second thoughts. And to find a loan officer that truly knows the differences between FHA loans and conventional loans.
   

 

 

Understanding the mortgage process actually is not that hard, as long as your loan officer takes the time to explain things to you and to educate you. If you are first time homebuyer, I would suggest reading up on some information prior to speaking to a loan officer. This way you have a good idea what they are talking about. Please read this : First Time Homebuyer Tips Series - 5 Parts

 

 

First Time Homebuyer Tips Series :

• First Time Homebuyer Tips : FHA - Conventional - VA - Subprime -- Part 1 of 5
  

• First Time Homebuyer Tips : Getting Qualified & Knowing your Credit -- Part 2 of 5

• First Time Homebuyer Tips : Understanding the total mortgage process -- Part 3 of 5
  

• First Time Homebuyer Tips : FHA, a better mortgage program? -- Best Programs & Why -- Part 4 of 5
  

• First Time Homebuyer Tips : Summary - Red Flags to be aware of -- Part 5 of 5

 

 

Here are some posts that I wrote hoping to educate you on the specifics of mortgages and the mortgage fundamentals. Think of it as a mini crash course.

 

Good Faith Estimates - Knowing the basics

 

APR vs mortgage interest rate - knowing the difference

 

Myths behind zero point interest rates

Round 2 - Seller-Financed Downpayment Assistance Programs - Nehemiah & AmeriDream alive?

 

 

For more FHA loans vs conventional loans comparisons :

• FHA loans vs Conventional loans - A true numbers comparision with 5% down - Using a 710 credit score
  

• FHA loans vs Conventional loans - A real comparision with 5% down - Using a 659 credit score

• FHA cash-out loans vs conventional cash-out loans - A real comparison

 

First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit info :

• Use a 6 month gift from a relative to buy a home, thanks to the Tax Credit

• First time homebuyers Tax Credit - How to use it before you actually buy your home....

 

 

Rural Housing Loans - No money down - USDA loan

Credit Scores CHANGING now on FHA loans?......... Opinion OR Fact???

Mortgage Market Reports - Interest Rates climb higher !!!!! - January 21, 2009

I have just been called a used car salesman ...... and I am confused to as why.

 

 

 

- FHA Loans - USDA Loans - Conventional Loans - VA Loans - Mortgages -

Experience & Knowledge at its BEST !!!

 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________

For more information on FHA loans, please go to this link. The FHA Expert

For more information about the 2008-2009 Tax Credit for First Time Homebuyers : 2008 Tax Credit

For important mortgage insight to watch for, please read : Consumers need to be aware of these Red Flags !!!!

Copyright © 2009 by Jeff Belonger

I just started reaching out to my LinkedIn Connections for their recommendations.

With a present roster of 861 LinkedIn says I can reach a audience of over 4 million! That’s a lot of humans.

Ever conscious of spam I am only wanting a recommendation from people I know or have helped in some way.

I’m sending the following email to a selected few:

Help!

I’m building a page of people who have taken the time to write something nice about me. You can find it here: http://cli.gs/Recommend
It’s part of my "Find Mike a New Job " project.
Yeah, I was laid off by Fidelity : (

If I have done something to help you, have encouraged you, written or recorded a video that has helped you in any way, I would greatly appreciate a 30 second recommendation from you!

You can do this easily on LinkedIn by following the link in this message.

Want to go 2.0?

Record a video using the Seesmic video comment plugin (like Ed Bisquera did)

or or go to http://12seconds.tv/ and let me know about it.

You’ll get two things in return.
I’ll return the favor AND I’ll put your website link up on the recommend page giving you Google Juice!

Bonus:
If you record a video I’ll embed it on the page and record a video for you!
If you include your Twitter Name I’ll Tweet how wonderful you really are!

Want even more Google Juice?   Write a guest post on http://AreWeConnected.com

I know this sounds a bit like I’m selling Ginsu knives or ShamWow but I thank you deeply for helping!

Mike Mueller, Social Media.ist

Phone: 925 639-1078
Email: Mike912Mueller@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeMueller

HINT: Never, ever send the automated message that any social media site pre selects for you - we're all better than that right?

Feel like dropping your personal Recommendation on me?

Just click on this image and connect with me

BTW: On ActiveRain all you have to do is add me as an Associate and fill in the "Comment about Associate:" box with your recommendation.  How do you add an Associate?  Go to their profile and right above their picture is the button.  Or you can just click here:  Recommend Mike (yeah, it's that easy!)

1 Total TweetBacks: (Tweet this post)

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  mikemueller: Shameless Request for Recommendations http://tinyurl.com/ddxlky from: @mikemueller 02/02/09 07:48pm