Thoughts on Real Estate Marketing…

I often get emails and calls from agents who really are embarrassed to admit that they need a copywriter.

I find that embarrassment strange.

Some of those same agents have no trouble hiring a professional photographer to help them show their listings in the best light. They have no problem with hiring a stager, either. But when it comes to writing, they think they SHOULD be able to do it themselves.

What agents need to remember is that unless they’ve studied the psychology of marketing, doing it themselves might not be such a good idea.

And unless they have plenty of time to devote to writing, they probably will do a mediocre job.

The truth is, good copy takes time, study, and plenty of thought. And after that it takes proofreading. Depending upon the subject matter, one simple sales letter or postcard could hours to write.

I know – I said that once in a post and someone wrote back “Ridiculous. I’ve got a background as a journalist and I can whip out a good article in a half hour.” Well… maybe that’s why we readers have to keep going back over so many newspaper articles to figure out what they’re talking about.

But the second part of that equation is that news articles aren’t written to persuade. (Well, they’re not supposed to be written to persuade.) They’re supposed to be reporting the facts.

Marketing copy is a completely different animal.

So if you don’t want to write your marketing copy, don’t be embarrassed. If you know you need a writer but somehow think you shouldn’t, re-think that.

Find a writer whose work you like, and delegate that marketing copy, because writing probably isn’t the highest and best use of your time.

Then let your writer work while you do the jobs you do best – such as listing and selling homes, staying in touch with people, negotiating contract details, solving those goofy problems that crop up, and tending to all the details involved in a closing. And blogging, of course. That’s the writing you “should” be doing!

The same applies if you’re a stager, mortgage lender, appraiser, inspector, etc.

Quit feeling guilty because you’re not a professional copywriter, web designer, auto mechanic, hairdresser, plumber, electrician, accountant, dentist, or dog obedience trainer. You can’t be everyone, so delegate those other tasks and concentrate on being the best at what you do.

And don’t limit delegation to writing. Think about all the other things you do that keep you from doing what you do best, then delegate the busy work.