Just Sold Postcards & Just Sold Real Estate Postcards: The Key To Getting Listings
When it comes to promoting your business, you've probably heard this advice: “just be out there!” Everybody seems to have plenty of ideas of how business owners should grow and succeed, but actually putting those ideas to practice in a well thought out way can be challenging. Since there is an increasingly large number of businesses out there, it's growing more difficult for realtors and other small business owners to stand out and thrive. One must try to be as creative as possible.
In order to get the desired outcome from a marketing strategy, you must get to know your clients and have them recognize and trust your brand. In the real estate business, there are specific best practices to follow for more successful listings and closings.
Smart realtors have learned how to use just listed and just sold real estate postcards to frequently reach out to their farming areas. This technique has been around for some time now, but top real estate agents manage these campaigns through QuantumDigital to make the process much easier, faster, and more effective. So, before you start sending just listed, just sold, or open house real estate postcards, there are certain steps to follow in your campaign in order to become the new go-to neighborhood real estate agent.
This comprehensive guide will teach you how to use just listed and just sold real estate postcards to reach out to targeted prospects.
Focus on a Specific Neighborhood
First and foremost, you must choose the right neighborhood in which your real estate business has the most potential to grow. Your efforts might be in vain if the neighborhood you choose to mail real estate postcards to is not the best one in which to invest your attention and resources.
Be sure to carefully research the options out there and, according to your interests and budget, choose a neighborhood that best fits what your goals. Be careful to consider the fact that direct mail is a long-term marketing technique. If you don't see success immediately, the issue may not be that there are not enough transactions out there, but that buying or selling may not be on people’s radar yet for them to think of choosing you. Therefore, the neighborhood you choose should be one that has the potential to satisfy your long-term entrepreneurial goals.
Become a Good Neighbor
People are usually more comfortable with things that are familiar. It makes people feel safe, connected, and offers a certain amount of reassurance. Putting a family home for sale or considering a home purchase is usually one of the most intimate and life defining moments. Beyond the success of buying or selling, people seek the feeling of comfort, trust, and support throughout the whole process. As a realtor, this should be an objective in your business. The real estate business involves connecting with people in their homes, where clients have made large investments and seek your advice to ensure a stable future. To establish that kind of trust and closeness with members of a neighborhood, work to become a great neighbor. Drop off some cookies on holidays or give a helping hand by offering to pull in their mail when you hear they're out of town. Being professional, honorable, and friendly can grow trust amongst those in your sphere of influence, and you can accomplish that by simply being a good neighbor.
Be Consistent In Your Postcard Marketing Technique
Once you have decided on a target neighborhood, it is time to commit and invest. You'll get the most out of your investment in postcard marketing if you commit to being consistent. Simply sending a few postcards every once in awhile is typically not going be enough to move the needle. Given that people receive many promotional materials all the time, you need to commit to sending postcards on a very regular basis to be recognized and remembered. Getting seller listings is a process that takes time to show results, which requires patience and persistence. A regular, trickling schedule of mail showcasing your success through new listings and sold homes will gain trust, build familiarity, and leave an impression for when that prospect needs your services. According to RISmedia, when a house goes up for sale in a given neighborhood, within the next six months there will most probably be two or three going up for sale as well. Real estate postcard marketing is without a doubt a long-term strategy.
Invest in Great Design
While it might be tempting to stick with the same old design you've been using for years, investing in great visual postcard design will help to establish your brand long-term and and make the most of your marketing investment. People sift through their mail on a regular basis, weeding out the "junk mail" from the marketing materials that grab their attention. Design can make the difference between someone simply throwing that postcard straight to the garbage or actually reading it and having an interest in it. Visuals are a great way to instantly get a prospect’s attention, and great design will steer them to take action.
Consider trying a clean and professional design. Postcards and other printed materials are a direct representation of you and your real estate business, and you want to always put your best foot forward. Include a nice headshot, logo, and clean text to communicate your message. Investing in a great layout will be of benefit, particularly if you are showcasing big, expensive listings.
If budget allows, professional photographers can increase the quality of your marketing materials. A photographer can help you create eye-catching imagery, because they have a great eye for spotting and capturing unique perspectives. To establish a reputation as a luxury realtor, use a professional photographer regularly. Neighbors love seeing familiar homes looking nice, as it reflects their own investment in a positive light as well. They'll see how great you made their neighbor's house look and remember that for when they're considering move.
Perfecting Your Message
Spending time thinking through your messaging is an important step to be sure your call to action and main headline align with your goals. However, the balance is in keeping the message concise as well. People want to read something short and to the point, so do not go overboard with the details on the postcard. Your website is a better platform for paragraphs of information, so use the postcard to send them online for more information. Utilize the front and back of the card, but keep in mind to repeat your message on both sides to ensure they know what you do, no matter what side they look at first.
Consider establishing a slogan to use along with your real estate logo to leave an impression and communicate your service. Research other slogans for inspiration, such as these ones on brandongaille.com, and get as creative as possible while still being informative. Adapt the slogan and the rest of the text to the audience you are addressing, and keep the writing style friendly, professional, and informative.
Use All Types of Postcards
- Open House Postcards - According to Examiner.com, the best way to promote an open house is by sending open house postcards. There is something about receiving a printed invitation to an event that makes the event seem more formal and also more personal. By using customizable postcards, you can make the recipient feel special. It's also an opportunity for them to bring a friend that may be looking to buy a home nearby. People expect an open house to be a professional, yet friendly encounter, so make sure the postcard communicates this message. Don’t forget to state clearly why your guests should come to the open house event and mention any additional attractions the event might have to draw visitors. One creative idea is to organize a raffle or drawing, where every guest arriving can enter by simply showing their postcard invitation.
- Just Listed Postcards - Its main purpose, beyond the utility of promoting a new listing, is to make your business known in the neighborhood. So do not hesitate to send them to your farming area, even if many of them might not even hold an interest in buying a property at that moment. What is important in this process is that people get to see you are active and successful, which ultimately translates into long term confidence. Make sure to include the best pictures of the property. Pictures can speak for themselves, allowing you to keep the writing to a minimum.
- Just Sold Real Estate Postcards - Some might wonder about the purpose behind sending just sold postcards, given that the property is already sold. Celebrating your victory and making this a community event is a great way of promoting your real estate business. It shows people that the market is hot and you're selling properties. Just sold real estate postcards can be also be viewed as an indirect testimonial from the owners who chose you as their realtor. Since you and the seller are celebrating, try to communicate that feeling in the postcard, making it an important announcement for everyone.
Go Old School: Printed Postcards Are In
In an era where much of our communication is virtual, it's refreshing to put your hands on a written letter or a beautiful postcard. If enough attention has been put into choosing the right design to represent your brand, you can optimize the quality with the paper selection. Based on what budget is appropriate, you can either choose a more luxurious printing paper or a more understated one. Considering the materials your target audience receives can help you decide how much you should invest in paper quality. If your business mainly focuses on luxury listings, stepping up in printing quality and selecting a high-end matte or gloss may be best.
After all of your postcards are professionally printed, the next step would be to mail them to the recipients or hand deliver a group of them to VIPs. Make sure to consider all the logistics related to this, otherwise you might find yourself overwhelmed. If you choose a printing and mailing service, like QuantumDigital, the management required from you as the realtor is minimal which means you can focus less on postcard logistics and more on face-to-face relationship building.
Share Through Email and Social Media
When developing a postcard campaign, leverage your digital channels as well. Simply sharing your postcard design is a simple way to get your message out to your social media network or email newsletter subscribers. Depending on your technology knowledge and budget, you could even consider incorporating other visual effects such as a listing video. People love eye-catching visuals that are quick and interactive. Explore ways to differentiate yourself creatively to make the most of your postcard campaign.
Consistency is Key
Again, being consistent is not only important in real estate postcard marketing, but also in making your business seen and recognized by all members of the community. Thankfully there are tools available, like AutoMail and TriggerMarketing® that can take this marketing tactic from cumbersome and time consuming to automated and quick. With the time saved, you can represent your business more frequently out in the community. Given that clients who choose you as their realtor trust you to handle a very personal and important life event, you will have difficulty thriving if you operate from a distance. Use automated real estate marketing technology to keep your postcard campaigns running while you spend time on the face-to-face communications that foster long-term buyer and seller relationships.
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