Thoughts on Real Estate Marketing…

As part of an ongoing “check things out” exercise I’ve been trying to do, tonight I Googled “FSBO letters” to see how my web page ranked. It was on page one, but at the top of the page were a couple of Active Rain posts from 2007 – so of course I had to read them.

Both posts included the letter and invited readers to take it and use it.

One was entirely negative. It went on about all the troubles those sellers are going to face because they’re trying to sell without an agent.

The other was … interesting. A bit presumptuous, but not altogether objectionable. It contained some interesting ideas, but was focused more on the agent than on what he could do for the sellers. That’s always a mistake.

In both cases, the writers implied that you could get results when using just one letter. Maybe that worked 4 years ago, but in today’s climate, I don’t think it would. Trust has gone out the window in so many directions over the last couple of years that we consumers are a bit more wary than we were back then.

A series of letters that offer solid, usable information will help build trust, where one single letter can’t. My own FSBO letter set offers 10 letters, plus a special report and a seller checklist.

My theory is that you need to give these folks time – and supportive advice – while they get acquainted with the hard work necessary to sell a house. Then you need to “be there” when they decide to throw in the towel.