Thoughts on Real Estate Marketing…

Back in 1993 when I decided to strike out on my own and left the real estate agency I’d been with for years, I had no clue about lists. I also had no clue about the importance of reaching back into the past to contact the clients I’d worked with before.

Believe it or not, none of the brokers I’d worked for had EVER mentioned keeping the names and contact information for anyone once their transaction had closed.

So – My broker let me take copies of my current listings and contact those folks when the listings expired, but that was it.

Worse, when people called the office looking for me, the secretary told them I was in the phone book, but I wasn’t in real estate any more. Of course that wasn’t true – I had opened a competing agency.

I’d rather that didn’t happen to you!

Whether you work in real estate, insurance, lending, or any service industry, you will have built a following. You have or have had clients who want no one but you.

You need to keep them!

Hopefully, you have the names of all those folks you were dealing with. If not, consider doing all you can to gather them before you leave your current position.

If you have the names and contact information , you can take them with you.

How? Begin with the personal touch…

You can accomplish a lot on the telephone – calling the folks who know you well and will be happy to hear from you. Do follow those calls with an email or a letter, reminding them to change your work address and phone number in their files. If your email has changed, be sure to write and tell everyone.

For the others, you’ll need to send some carefully composed letters.

“Hi, I’m over here now!” isn’t going to cut it!!

Instead, take the time to think back about the service you gave. What did you do that your clients valued and appreciated most? What did you do that others in your position didn’t take the time to do?

These are the things you need to mention in your letters – to remind those past clients of why they value you.

When you write them, use your name, your photo, and the name of the agency where they knew you. It’s tough on the ego to realize that your name alone might not be enough, but it’s reality.

Instead of feeling hurt, just remember that people are busy and their minds are cluttered with thousands of thoughts. They might remember your face without remembering your name. So you need to give them a few “thought prods.”

Remember that your letter needs to focus on your reader and the benefit they’ll get from getting in touch with you. Frame it as “good news” for them.

And if you need help… contact me at marte@copybymarte.com. Writing good letters is what I do.