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Jul 12
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Marketing For Realtors: Using Your Sphere of Influence

By Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing

Do you ever wonder why you are not getting referrals from your sphere of influence; the friends, family, clients, business associates and alliances that know you best?

It usually boils down to two or three problems all of which we are guilty of at one time or another.

1. You are not asking them for referrals.
2. They don’t know you need referrals.
3. You don’t follow up and acknowledge referrals.

Why don’t people automatically refer business to you?

For the same reason you are not referring business to them. People are busy, they forget about you in their day to day life, they are not sure what exactly you do or that you even want referrals.

Our basic human nature is to help others, but we also don’t want to impose ourselves on others. In the absence of a clear message from you that you are building your business on referrals it is implied that you are doing fine without them.

I think there are four main elements involved in generating referrals:

1. Networking – business and social
2. Marketing – All of the visible, written aspects of spreading your brand
3. Communication – verbal activities related to contacting your sphere of influence
4. Responsiveness – The follow up of the referral and the recognition of the person referring

You need to be good at all four of these elements to build a successful referral business.

Networking

Networking is all of the activities, both social and business that bring you into contact with potential customers or clients. These activities should turn total strangers into warm prospects and potential referral business with a few simple follow-up steps. When you make a connection with someone and earn the right to contact them again you need to concentrate on building trust and communicating what you do effectively. You might send them a handwritten thank you note, an email or letter with your business card acknowledging your new relationship and your willingness to help each other.

Marketing

Your marketing efforts which include all of your printed material, web site, brochures and email stationery are the tools you use to communicate your brand and build awareness of your business. Pay careful attention to the message you are sending. When you meet people are you making excuses for your business cards? Are you adding additional information on the back that you should have had printed on there in the first place? If you have a picture on your business card does it look like you? When you follow-up with a referral does all of your marketing material communicate the same, professional image?

Communication

Communicating with your sphere of influence is vital to your success. Before the advent of email we used to phone or write letters to our sphere of influence. Now it is too easy to fire off a quick email or send a newsletter electronically and think we are actually reinforcing our relationships. Don’t fall into the trap that any communication is good communication. Pick up the phone. Talk to people. Tell them what you do. Ask how they are doing. Ask if you can help their business and ask them for referrals.

You need to develop follow-up systems tailored to the strength of the relationship you have with your sphere of influence. You can communicate too much. For example, your friends are part of your sphere of influence, but you might communicate 4 times a year through a birthday card, Christmas card, invitation to an event and a meeting at a social gathering. This might be all they need to remember that you would appreciate their referrals.

Clients who have recently worked with you should have their own follow-up system which might consist of an immediate thank you card follow-up; a personal letter within 6 weeks; a telephone call at the 3 month mark and then a monthly newsletter. The actual system you develop is going to be one that you can sustain and effectively communicates your message.

Responsiveness

Your responsiveness to both the referral and the person referring is also critical to the long term success of a referral relationship. Bottom line is that when we refer someone we want to feel appreciated by both the person we are referring and the person who we referred them to. If you do not respond in a timely, professional manner it is a reflection on our judgment and it doesn’t take too many complaints from people we are referring to cut off referrals.
Conversely, if we do not receive recognition for a referral it does not take long for us to feel unappreciated and fall back into forgetting about your business.

There is no foolproof system for building referral business, but I do know this about most businesses:

  • You need to be actively networking in business and social environments to grow your sphere of influence.
  • You need to use the phone and written communication more than you use email.
  • You need to communicate effectively what you do and what types of referrals you are looking for.
  • You need to respond promptly to referrals.
  • You need to thank people for referrals.
  • You need to refer to people in your sphere of influence.

Check out our series of more than 20 Marketing For Realtors E-Books by clicking here. Don’t be afraid. We may never contact you and worst case we will email you once. Not a bad trade for access to our experience.

Download and share this E-Book as a pdf by clicking here.

Jul 07
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6 Marketing Mistakes Realtors Should Avoid

By Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing

There are more than 6 mistakes, but these are the top ones:

Relying on Referrals

For a new Realtor with no experience this can break your spirit and your bank account, but your raving fans will refer you based on your character and how they perceive you. After the first year or two a Realtor generally will get 60 – 80% of their business from referral, but only if they have a system to earn referrals. New Realtors cannot rely on their sphere of influence as much and will have to employ strategies to identify and attract new clients.

Relying on Networking

Networking can also be a good way to attract new leads, but it is also time consuming and can take a while to bear fruit. The best form of networking is open houses. Sit at as many as you can.

Competing on Commission

The key to success in running your business is to ensure your revenues exceed your expenses so discounting is a slippery slope.  As a “consultative marketer” you are justifying your commission every step of the way and there should be no need to discount.  In a sustainable business model price shopping clients are loyal only to rock bottom prices – they have no loyalty to you.

Relying on your Name and Reputation

Unless you are in constant contact with your sphere of influence they will soon forget to refer clients to you.  Not because they don’t like you, but because they forgot about you.  It is not your client’s responsibility to provide you with a steady stream of referrals. You must stay top of mind in a balanced way.

Curtailing Marketing When Business is Good

A successful Realtor implements their marketing plan month in and month out regardless of their success, because as fast as the hopper filled it can empty even faster.  A systematic marketing plan will generate leads on a consistent basis regardless of the state of the economy and overall market.

Focusing Marketing Material on Details Rather Than the Big Picture

Everything your prospects see has to have a headline and a call to action.  All marketing material must be consistent and grab attention. If you can’t get their attention, they won’t read the piece.

Contact us at Limelight Marketing to learn how we can help you avoid these mistakes. 604-618-5512 or toll free 1-800-568-8338 or email info@limelightmarketing.ca.

Jun 30
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Realtor Client Appreciation Ideas

By Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing

I originally contributed this blog post for the Real Estate Weekly website.

Creating a client appreciation is about creating a “return on experience” vs “return on investment”.

I can’t remember where I read the quote that client appreciation events are for “friend-raising, not fund-raising”, but it is great advice.  A good event involves all five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and of course taste which is usually everyone’s favorite!  It’s important to be involved with the client throughout the event so they do more than just see and hear you speak.

What do you want to accomplish?

  • Build a foundation of trust, which solidifies loyalty
  • Reveal your depth of character to build friendship
  • Share your mission, your business philosophy
    Show your appreciation
  • Gather important life information about your clients and referrals

The secret to a successful client appreciation event is having an effective marketing strategy and planning. Now the planning part is obvious, but why is the marketing strategy important? You need to be aware of the perception the event is going to create and how the event will impact your business. By nature it is to show your appreciation for their business, but the choice of event and the venue will have a major impact on the results.

  • Will you be mingling or sitting in an audience?
  • Will there be an opportunity for your clients to network among themselves?
  • Will they be feeling they are participating in a cause such as a charity event or simply enjoying themselves?

A successful event should be seen not only as an opportunity to make your clients feel appreciated, but it should iStock_000020730459smalldemonstrate that you care about them too by ensuring they can meet new people and potentially help their businesses too. Keep in mind some of these events will be high touch and some will allow little contact with your clients.

Generally client appreciation events fall into four major categories:

  1. Charitable Events – Hosting an event where the proceeds go to charity or paying the fee for your clients to participate in an event like a golf tournament or gala evening for a cause.
  2. Sporting and Recreational – Hosting a golf tournament, family softball game, a night at the horse races, tickets to a hockey or baseball game etc
  3. Cultural and the Arts – Inviting clients to plays, concerts, art shows etc.
  4. Educational – Inviting clients to a seminar, to listen to a speaker, to learn something such as a cooking class or travel lecture.

When you choose an event think about the following:

  • Does this fit in with the image of me and or my business?
  • Is it high touch or low touch? Will I be able to meet clients one-on-one?
  • How much will the event cost?
  • How much of my time will be required prior to the event?
  • What will be the lasting impact of the event?
  • What do I hope to achieve from this event? Intrinsic value? Financial return?
  • Will my clients mingle well together or should I hold two events and segment my guests?
  • How will I invite guests and ensure they actually attend?

Event Ideas

Get your client appreciation dollars to stretch further and identify the kinds of events that will have clients remembering you in a positive light — and not just for the free food and drinks.

Start by breaking event ideas down into two basic components; place and activity. Next focus on making each of those components unique and as “outside the box” as possible. Here are a wide range of ideas for events:

  1. Have clients collect winter coats and blankets and drop them off at a location where you serve hot chocolate and a BBQ lunch
  2. Rent a movie theatre for mid-day
  3. Bring in a guest speaker
  4. Host a paper shredding party
  5. Invite clients to a cooking class
  6. Wine & Cheese tasting at a local restaurant or wine store
  7. Chocolate tasting at a local Chocolatier
  8. Private tour of the zoo
  9. Create a Scavenger Hunt for clients and a have a party after
  10. Host a car rally
  11. Old-fashioned family picnic (bouncy castles etc)
  12. Halloween and holiday parties like an Easter egg hunt
  13. Bowling tournament
  14. Casino night with proceeds to a charity
  15. Rent out a public pool for a family swim night
  16. Rent the IMAX Theatre for a special showing
  17. Have a magician teach clients magic tricks
  18. Host a dinner cruise
  19. Reserve go-carts at the local track
  20. Sports Fishing charter

Implementation

First steps:

  1. Choose a date – don’t be afraid of week night events.
  2. Send actual invitations approximately 30 days before the event with an RSVP time of 10 days before the event.  A rule of thumb is 1/3 will attend.

Call clients on the list after the RSVP date if you have too few attending. You can then start inviting new people or encourage your attendees to bring along extra friends and family.

Set-Up Tips:

  • Be at the entrance to greet your guests.
  • Have all guests wear name tags (preferably greet guests at the door after the name tags have been applied).

Tips for success:

  • Have the event catered.
  • Take lots of pictures or have a photographer.
  • If you have staff or a team have them do as little work at the event a possible so they can mingle and enjoy the guests – Get outside help.
  • Think of using a Polaroid so clients can take them home.
  • Have door prizes and raffles for extra fun.
  • Do not be discouraged if your first-year turnout is small.
  • Send a thank-you note to attendees.
  • Send a newsletter afterwards with pictures to all you have invited so everyone who did not attend can see how much fun it is.
  • Do not have any business-related discussions at the event unless you are specifically asked, then ask to follow-up with a phone call and book an appointment later – Just focus on fun.

Worried about the cost?

Find a Sponsor

Another way to lower costs on client events is to work with a partner, such as an accountant , mortgage broker, conveyancing lawyer, home inspector or floor plan or staging company that is willing to split the bill with you to reach the same type of crowd.

One of the key criteria for a client appreciation event is to provide an event that makes the participant feel like they are part of something special. Often it is not how much you spend on the event, but it is how you spend that will make the difference.

The bottom line is to really have clients appreciate the relationship they have with you and your business.

Check out our series of more than 20 Marketing For Realtors E-Books by clicking here. Don’t be afraid. We may never contact you and worst case we will email you once. Not a bad trade for access to our experience.

Jun 30
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Branding by Limelight

Branding, Slogans and Logos for Realtors

By Branding, Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing

Branding, Slogans and Logos for Realtors

How to uncover the unique brand that sets you apart from all the other honest, hard-working, professional, results-oriented Realtors out there.Branding-Slogans-and-Logos-for-Realtors

Branding

Even if you have never spent a penny on branding you are a brand already.

There’s a lot of confusion about the term “branding.” This list comes from What Language are We Speaking?
Understanding the Day-To-Day Jargon of Designers & Printers, care of Unisource Canada, Inc.*

A brand promises a result and experience you can count on. A Brand is intangible – It is the meaning or feelings you associate with a service, company or product. If five people are asked to describe a well-known brand, you may get different descriptions; however, there will be similarities. These similarities are the brand, and they are very powerful.

  1. A Brand is not a logo – A logo only identifies the brand; it is an entry point.
  2. A Brand is not an identity system – An identity system only controls the expression of the brand. Identity systems often called branding systems) are created to express the brand in a consistent and cost-effective way.
  3. A Brand is not a product – Many people talk about managing their brand, but they really are managing their product. The brand is often the reason we buy the product. People, corporations and countries can have brands.

How can a Realtor® create or identify their brand?

There are five things you need to identify to form your brand.

1. Identify What You Value – Your personal brand is ultimately a reflection of everything you value. So take time to really think about the things you value in your life. List them. Make sure the values you identify are truly your own because you must believe in and live by them every day. These values will become the foundation for your brand, as well as your personal mission statement.Nancy_Branding_Identity_Mockup

2. Identify What Makes You Unique – With your values as your foundation, the next step is to determine your specific uniqueness. Everyone is unique and special in some way. How are you different as an individual? How are you unique? And how are your products and services different? Incorporate this uniqueness into your brand.

3. Identify How You Want To Be Perceived – Branding is about other people’s perceptions of you. You have the power to control most of these perceptions with your actions and presentation.

4. Identify Your Specialty – Are you the neighbourhood expert? Are you an experienced real estate investor? If you want to be branded as the best value-added salesperson, then you have to bring extra value to every client or prospect meeting.

5. Identify Your Target Market – The goal of branding is to build customer loyalty. As you’re creating your brand, you need to determine your target market and speak directly to them. You want people to think that your brand will make a difference in their lives, so it must be meaningful to the end user.

Now Write Down Your Brand – Once you have identified the things that make you unique, you can weave them into a brand identity that will make you stand out from the crowd. You have to actually write the statement. A brand is a phrase that jumps out at you from the page and grabs your emotions.

By branding yourself, you separate yourself from the crowd and create a greater impact – for you.

Slogans and Taglines

I know a bit about this topic and have written a blog post about slogans that has been read by more than 191,000 people.

Firstly I believe your slogan either has to be a great one or you are better with none at all. A catchy slogan or tag line does nothing to strengthen your competitive position unless it clarifies your competitive edge.

There are a few basic questions you have to ask yourself when developing or critiquing your own slogan:

  • Does it answer the reader’s question about what’s in it for them?
  • Does it answer the reader’s question about how this will help them?
  • Does it solve a problem the reader might have related to real estate?
  • Is it about the reader or about you?

Last piece of advice is never use an adjective describing a personal trait. Realtors are all honest, have integrity and should be professional. A prospect wants to know what you can do for them. How will working with you make their life easier? The transaction smoother? Or sell their home faster.

Compare these slogans…

• Knowledgeable – Approachable – Trustworthy – Hard Working
• Rock Solid Bridge to Your Dreams
• The Agent with a Heart
• Honesty and integrity…always

… with these more effective ones:

• Anyone can sell your home. I can sell it for more.
• Take the worry out of condo buying. Call the specialist.
• Buying or selling a home doesn’t have to be hard.
• The strength of teamwork…The reputation for results.

Logos

Developing a great logo is a strange mix of art, science, psychology and a good amount of luck. Your logo is not your brand.

  • Your logo only represents your brand.
  • Your logo is a visual mark that represents your brand. It allows people needing the service you provide to find you, remember you and differentiate you from a few million other Realtors.
  • While your logo is not your brand, its design and consistent use will affect how your brand will be perceived. A great logo can give you incredible leverage and contribute directly to your bottom line. On the other hand, a lousy one may very well have the opposite effect.

 Designing a logo

• Good logos are designed in black and white first. Colour comes later.
• Good logos have unique shapes that quickly differentiate you. Your name in the right font is a shape and can be a logo.Jen Murphy - Monogram - Colour
• The shape must be simple, clean and quick.
• Logos should have staying power. Avoid trendy stuff.
• Is your logo scalable? Will it work on a business card and the back of a bus?
• Pick a colour combination that doesn’t just work today but will maintain its appeal and meaning over time. From our experience designing a logo is the hardest thing we do as our clients do not know what they want, but they definitely know what they don’t want based on what we design. Many times a logo literally pops out from the combination of the fonts, colour and slogan that we have designed.

If you hire a freelance designer through an online service or a local company expect to get what you paid for.

Check out our series of more than 20 Marketing For Realtors E-Books by clicking here. Don’t be afraid. We may never contact you and worst case we will email you once. Not a bad trade for access to our experience.

*Source: What Language are we speaking? Understanding the Day-To-Day Jargon of Designers & Printers. Care of Unisource Canada, Inc

Jun 15
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New Website for Picton, ON Area Realtor Gail Forcht

By Branding, Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing, Responsive Websites, Ubertor, Website Design

Gail Forcht a Realtor in Picton, ON asked us to design a website that reflected the unique nature of the Prince Edward County area. The Responsive website opens with a great lake shot, call to action buttons with local photos and a slide show of the area. Uses the Ubertor CMS.

Added mouse over images to help lead people to their listing. Added a slide show with images of the area and optimized it for search engines. We forwarded her original domain Gail Forcht to a more appropriate url – www.propertyforsaleprinceedwardcounty.com

 

Read More

Feb 13
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Marketing for REALTORS: How To Get More Referrals

By Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing

realtor-on-phone-with-contact-book-and-laptop
If you made a list of all of your buyer and seller ends for the last year and identified exactly where the lead originated, you would most likely find that more than half of your sales were from referrals from people you know.

If you did not know where your leads came from then you probably have not developed strategies to sustain the leads and generate more from leads from people you know.

What is the secret to getting more referrals and leads from people you know? You need to stay top of mind when they think of buying or selling or when they have referrals they could give you. And you are going to have to work hard to keep them thinking about you.

Most Realtors seem to be more comfortable working cold leads that come in through newspaper ads, listings, open houses or from their website. They know that people are referring to them and fall into a false sense of security that people will continue to refer clients to them without having to nurture the relationship.

I also know that many Realtors feel like contacting people they know and asking for referrals is like begging, but it is not. Every business needs customers to grow. Every past client, friend and family member feel great when they can help out you and their friend by referring them you. A good referral is a positive reflection on the people you know. And it is a two way street. You can help build their business by referring people to them that need their product or service or trades that you trust.

Staying Top of Mind

There are a number of ways to stay top of mind:

  • Handwritten notes
  • Email newsletters
  • Mailed newsletters
  • Personal letters
  • Client appreciation events
  • Coffee and lunch meetings
  • Phone calls

How to Get Started

The first place to start is analyzing your database:

  • How many people are in my sphere of influence?
  • What percentage of my business currently comes from it?
  • Have I added every single person who knows me and what I do?
  • Do I have complete contact information for all of them?
  • Do I have a systematic plan to market to them?
  • How often do I call them?
  • Are my scripts effective?
  • Am I asking directly for referrals?
  • Do I have an AAA list and what do I do for them that is special?
  • What is my mindset towards this group?
  • If I really worked it how much additional business could I extract?
  • Are my vendors, trades and affiliates on the list?

Build a Culture of Referrals

  • Start asking for referrals from everyone in your sphere and you meet
  • Deliver outstanding service so that they will be delighted to send referrals
  • On closing a sale try to add your client’ssphere into your system
  • Every day, think “Who do I know today that I can help?”
  • Ask your vendors, trades and affiliates if they know anyone buying or selling
  • Refer as many people as you can to your sphere of influence

Call Your Contacts with Something of Value

You should prepare yourself with a script and be well prepared with something of value to give. Make your topic both timely and interesting. Think about themes that your contacts would like to know about. A good suggestion is to provide a quarterly market update.

  • What do you know of value that they don’t?
  • Market updates
  • Changes in interest rates
  • Investment opportunities
  • Move-up opportunities
  • Industry news that might affect them

When You Call

Be very sensitive to their time. When you call people you know, but are not friends with, you are intruding on their time and you want to be brief. Don’t spend a lot of time on idle chit-chat. Get to point of why you are reaching out to them for quickly.

Example of a Conversation Flow

“Hi John. This is Mike at Limelight Real Estate. I know it’s been a long time since we were able to speak- how are you?”

“Great! How are the kids?”

(Try and find a connection related to them like their new job, ask about renovations on their house or if they have any future plans needing a referral to a trade or resource you know.)

“I know you’re very busy, so the reason I wanted to connect with you is to provide you with a quick market update. But before I do, I wanted to ask if you have any questions for me- anything at all you’d like to know about the real estate market…”

“I did an analysis of homes in your area and the average price is up 12% over last year and homes are selling on average in 24 days at 99.3% of asking price so your neighbourhood is definitely a seller’s market. If you were to list your house for sale today I think it would sell for about $1.4 million.”

“One more question if I could, is there anyone that you can think of that I could assist – someone that may have questions, need advice, or may be thinking about buying or selling that I should reach out to? Also have you ever thought of investing in a condo to rent out?”

“John, thank you for thinking about this for me, now if you’re ok with it, would it be alright if I added you to my email list to receive a quarterly market update?”

“Great. I’d just like to confirm your email address and if I have important information to send out, I’ll send it to this address.”

After the phone call, send a handwritten note thanking them and enclose a couple of business cards. If you have a market update you can enclose that, or another item of value that would add to the connection.

Now you are ready to get more referrals from people you know.

– See more at: http://www.rew.ca/news/marketing-for-realtors-how-to-get-more-referrals-1.1745598#sthash.6E8yZG8r.dpuf

Dec 19
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Should I Register a .REALTOR Domain Name?

By Marketing Strategy, SEO

As of October 23, 2014 the US National Association of Realtors (NAR) and CREA in Canada have made available a “.REALTOR” domain name for your website. It’s a new top-level domain like .com, .ca and .net exclusively for their members and representative organizations. Only REALTORS® can use the new .REALTOR domain.

Should you get one? If you get one what do you do with it? What does it do for your marketing?

The Rules

  • Claiming .REALTOR domain names are first-come, first-served. At minimum,
  • Only members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) and The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) can use the .REALTOR domain
  • Members must use their first, last or full name in their domain name as it is in their NAR or CREA membership record
    Either your full first or full last name must come directly before .REALTOR.

Can I use just my first name? Yes i.e. Robert.REALTOR
Can I use just my last name? Yes i.e. Anderson.REALTOR
Can I use my middle name? Must be used with first or last name only i.e.  JohnAnderson.REALTOR (where middle name is John)
Can I use my nickname? Can use nicknames for your formal first names as our system accepts over 1 million common nicknames i.e.  Bob.REALTOR orBobAnderson.REALTOR
Can I use my initials? Must be used with last name, not as a standalone i.e.  RAnderson.REALTOR
Can I use words or a phrase before my name? Can use as long as it is appropriate i.e. TeamAnderson.REALTOR or SellwithBob.REALTOR
Can I use numbers? Yes, before or after your name i.e.  Robert1.REALTOR or 21RAnderson.REALTOR

The number one reason to register a .REALTOR domain is so no one else can, but other than that I do not see any benefit.

Sep 05
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Marketing for Realtors: 5 Key Tasks for the Fall Selling Season

By Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing

This is an excerpt from a blog post about key sales and marketing tasks for the Fall period. We contribute Realtor marketing articles weekly to the Real Estate Weekly website. Read the entire article by clicking here.

The first thing to consider about the next four months is the “90-Day Rule for Marketing.” It might have been Patti Brotherton, a real-estate consultant, from whom I first heard about the 90-day rule and it sure makes sense for any business.

Whatever you do today will impact your business in 90 days. Prospect two hours a day and 90 days from now new business will start.

If you scaled back your marketing during the summer, it will have an impact on the next three months – but don’t despair. Here are five things you can do in the fall that will start paying you back by the end of the year.

1) Review the past eight months and plan for the next four

The best way to ensure you will end the year well is to review what worked earlier in the year. Use an Excel spreadsheet or a piece of paper write down all of your sales year-to-date. Make additional columns and list where the client came from – whether a referral, a repeat client, someone you met at an open house, a lead from your website or something else.

What do you do with this information? Spend 80 to 90 per cent of your time targeting where the majority of your business came from. If your business thrives on referrals, then make sure you make a few contacts with your referral sources. You can call them, email them or write them a letter or thank you note (see holiday marketing below). If your business came from direct mail, plan to mail out a few more pieces over the next few months.

2) There are eight key holidays/events before the end of the year

Thanksgiving, Halloween, Remembrance Day, end of Daylight Savings Time, Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day and the New Year. At least five of these holidays are great marketing opportunities for reaching out to your clients.

3) Host a client appreciation event

Your success in the next few months will depend in a large part on referrals and it is important that you nurture referral relationships. The fall offers a number of opportunities to host a client appreciation event. During late September and through October you could buy pumpkins and offer them to your sphere or give them away in the area you focus on. You could host a family function at a local corn maze, announce a Halloween costume contest where clients submit photos and you award prizes. Add the photos to your website.

Keep in mind that a successful client appreciation event is measured by the “return on experience” vs “return on investment”.

4) Consolidate and categorize your database

Continuing on the theme of the importance of referrals, it is your sphere of influence that provides those referrals, but you need to heed item #1 above and categorize your sphere accordingly. In the next few months you should focus on the “A” clients; the loyal fans that go out of the way to help you and your business.

5) Make a top 10 list

This idea is compliments of Robert Crowe, a Vancouver Realtor, and is a tip that I personally subscribe to. Keep a top 10 list of people who may do business with you in the next 90 days. These might be people who expressed an interest in a larger home a few weeks ago. They may have called you about what the market is doing as they are thinking of downsizing. They might be a lead from a supplier you work with. Try and do something for all 10 every week. Email them new listings. Call to see if they are getting closer to a move.

Always look to replace people on the list with more likely prospects – keep the best 10 in front of you at all times and continue to market yourself to everyone else in your data base at the same time. This is a sure-fire way to double your business in the next 90 days.

Read the entire article by clicking here.

Sep 04
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Single Property Listing Websites

By Listing Presentations, Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing, Website Design

Do you have a unique property you want to showcase? Are you in a competitive situation where you need to wow the vendor to get a listing? Do you simply want greater exposure of a listing?

A single property website is the solution for all three. A unique, customized single property listing website using the Ubertor platform dedicated to a single listing address enables you to display a property that is for sale and put it in the spotlight.

Every property has a personality that a single property website can spotlight. With all of the search sites available, homes and properties get grouped with other listings and they get lost in the mix. In today’s media rich world every property for sale deserves its very own website.

Single Property Websites are the best way to showcase a home as you have the undivided attention of the buyer.  Our single property websites feature:

  • Custom Banner
  • Huge high definition photos
  • Photo Slideshow with Captions
  • Pages for videos and or virtual tours
  • Community and area information
  • Floor Plans as pdfs and images
  • Google Maps and Streetview
  • Colour Feature Sheet that visitors can print off
  • Unlimited Property Description Text
  • Apple iPad/iPhone Compatible
  • Fully optimized for search engines
  • Social sharing via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest
  • Google Analytics to track statistics
  • Open House Announcements
  • Integrated blog

We will customize the graphics, the menu, the pages to showcase your listing.

FAQ’S

Who purchases and owns the domain name?

To save you time we will purchase the domain name which will be the listing address. If you already own the domain we will simply point that domain to the listing website.

How long is the single listing website active for?

The fee includes 6 months of hosting. After 6 months the monthly fee is $25.00. All sites are cancelled when the listing is sold unless you instruct us otherwise. You may want to keep it live and refer prospects to it.

How will prospective buyers find my single listing website?

Ideally we will create the website and launch it before the listing is on the MLS which will greatly improve your search results. Regardless every page will be optimized with key search terms, your site map will be submitted to Google Webmasters and we will blog about the site to improve search engine results. You should also advertise the website on your main website, direct mail and in any newspaper ads.

Will I receive updates on visitors to the website?

We will set up a weekly email from Google Analytics to keep you informed.

What if I have an open house or need to change information?

Simply email us the open house date and time or any new information and we will add it to the website?

What do I need to do to get the single property website under way?

Provide floor plans, photos, property description and video for the listing as they become available. We can glean information off of the MLS to get the website under way. We will probably need a photo of you and any branding you can provide. After that we do the rest.  We will also need a credit card for payment.

Here is the sample website:

SIngle Property Website

Here is a live single property listing website using the Ubertor platform.

whistlerakasha_com Single Listing

View Sample Website
Aug 14
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Dedicated Single Condo Building Website

By Marketing Strategy, Realtor Marketing, Website Design

A dedicated single condo building website is the best way to dominate sales in a condo building by projecting yourself as an expert and providing a valuable service to the owners in the building.

Condo buyers often know what building they want to live in and condo sellers are looking for a Realtor with experience selling condos in their building. How do you become the Realtor they call? Set up a website using the Limelight Marketing dedicated condo building platform and watch your search engine rankings soar.

Are you trying to focus your marketing on a specific condo building? Our new unique, customizable dedicated condo building websites are designed to feature a building address and name enabling you to dominate the searches for that building. Buyers will find current listings and sellers will find an expert who knows about the building. Single building websites allow you to showcase the building and provide floor plans, strata minutes, photo gallery, amenities, rental service and much more.

For some cities we can also list all of the current MLS listings* in the building by bedrooms to further enhance your marketing. In today’s media rich world every property for condo building deserves its very own website.

Building Website* Listings available for buildings in Victoria, Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Chilliwack, Northern BC, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon

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