What is the foundation for success in real estate? I am a former title rep for a national title insurance company in Phoenix Arizona – I spent 10 years in the business helping real estate professionals grow their business. After 10 years in the title industry I have seen quite a few real estate marketing strategies.
Today I had a conversation with a good friend about the real estate business, about real estate marketing strategy. If you have read any of my previous posts you know that a lot of my conversations turn into content for my website. You know why? Because it’s content by which I can use to get “found” online, it’s my real estate marketing strategy. I was once told that great marketers tell stories. I have to agree. Here goes another. If you have not been here before, WARNING: I can be a little controversial. It’s not that I mean to be, it’s just that I like to call things as I see them. So, back to the foundation. I talked with this person about another great and amazing and fantastic class making it’s rounds in the real estate space about ANOTHER real estate marketing strategy. It got me thinking. What is the foundation? I mean, a foundation is something you build a home on, a relationship on a business on. So what kind of foundation do you need to build a real estate business on?
Throughout my time in the title industry there was typically an “it” class, course or strategy that you just had to have because it would change your business. Before the Internet it was scripts and dialogues, magical or interactive flyers, newsletters and postcards, customized pens and pads, full page newspaper ads, branded shopping carts, real estate books, branded grocery store thingy’s [that’s what I call them – those are the splitters that “split” your order from mine on the belt], full page yellow pages ads, business card CD’s, car magnets, OH and don’t forget about mindset! Can’t go with out that. I mean, how can you possibly do any business as a real estate agent without the right mindset! These are all real estate marketing strategies. I have seen real estate agents plunk down some serious cash for all kinds of classes and tools to learn HOW to develop a real estate business. Funny thing though, most of the agents I know that took these amazing types of classes are still doing the same amount of business. Many are still looking for this magical foundation that will change their business. Could it be that they are a Realtorasaur? [This video is awesome by the way]
So what is the foundation of any business? LEADS. Leads are specifically the foundation of a real estate business. Think about it. Yes, education is required but do you really need to know how to close a deal without first having the deal? So the LEAD is paramount. So where do you get leads? Open houses? Flyers. Postcards. Single property websites. Email programs. Paid lists. Cold calls. Where do leads come from? I would be the first to tell you to plunk down $500 or $5000 or even $10,000 on a real estate marketing strategy if it actually worked. But does it? Do they?
What does work? LEADS work. Leads are the foundation of a real estate agents business. Where do you get leads? Where the people are. Where the consumers are. Where your ideal client is. And where are they? On the Internet. If you want to learn the foundation of your real estate business you should get well acquainted with the Internet. That is where the 94% of consumers that start their home search online are.
I’ve learned that wherever there is a group of people in need you will see companies lined up to sell them something. In the old days it was called snake oil. If what you are doing is working, by all means keep doing it! BUT..If it’s not working, you may want to re-evaluate your real estate marketing strategy. Because consumers have and continue to shift online, In the future, I believe you will need 3 things to grow [or even maintain] your real estate business. 1) Access to the Internet 2) A website that works – that can get found online and 3) the skill to use it. That’s it. Period. That is where your ideal client is. That is where I would be. That is the foundation of success in the NEW REALITY OF YOUR real estate business. That is a great real estate marketing strategy.
Am I wrong?
