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0 Part 2 in a Series: Standing out Above the Rest in a Hot Real Estate Market
After perusing a week’s worth of news from pundits about the current state of real estate around the nation, my thoughts for this blog post about offering up advice on how to stay top of mind with your clients have expanded and contracted and taken more twists and turns than I’ve ever experienced as a content marketer doing research on a specific topic.
To sum up all the info I’ve read just this morning: no one would have predicted the high level of real estate activity going on because of COVID. There is a flurry of buying and selling despite COVID yet also because of COVID. The rate at which home prices are rising and seem to continue to rise into the winter months are because of the steady interest from buyers yet spiraling decline of available inventory. Most places – whether inner city, suburb, or exurb – are seeing an increase in interest because of COVID and, yes, despite COVID. And these ever-rising, healthy trajectories are all threatened to be dashed at once because of the development of a COVID vaccine and looming foreclosures.
Yet, the market remains hot at the moment. Real estate professionals are taking it all in stride and working hard. And our clients – those same professionals – are wondering what they can also be doing to get into, or remain in the forefront of their real estate clients’ minds.
Reflecting about how long it took me to get back to my original topic of standing out above the crowd and being the go-to-agent for one’s clients, I can only imagine the flexibility necessary, both mentally and otherwise, for real estate professionals to navigate their own local industry’s current environment AND to stay on top of their marketing game. So we’d like to help keep you focused by sharing a few important and proven pieces of advice as it relates to being top of mind when a client is considering a realtor.
Be Mindful of the Trends
Focus on the trends in your specific market, with your constituency, that are here and now. Yes, this piece of advice is probably a no-brainer to you, but I’ve seen time and again the successful agents are ones that take this point seriously and in greater detail, and then act on the information to connect with their target audience. They not only have a definitive niche market that they know inside and out, but they also are acutely aware of the area’s day-to-day rhythms, it’s culture and lifestyle, in addition to real estate market statistics.
Rule number one with any successful marketing campaign or individual sale is knowing what’s most important to your target audience and then delivering that to the best of your ability. To gain the knowledge of the products your clients are looking for, it’s so important to keep your ears and eyes open to what’s trending, and what’s available. To do this, you must be out and about talking with everyone who has anything to do with your industry; that means your buyers and sellers, colleagues, mentors, appraisers, loan officers, contractors, landscapers, designers, and anyone who is in front of or directly involved in your target market. By taking proactive steps, you’ll be more able to assist or offer the right kind of advice to people who are looking for your help.
One of the most proactive steps I’ve seen lately was a request from one of our clients to draft letters to the people who own the homes that their buyers are looking for as a way to address reduced inventory in their city. On the chance that these same homeowners have been considering selling their home, and will do so with the knowledge that the agent has a pool of interested buyers standing by, is higher than if they did nothing at all and waited for these people to come to them. This same client just happens to be one of the premier luxury agencies in Las Vegas with an incredible sales track record.
Speak Boldly and Consistently on These Trends
In my opinion, after several years of working with a variety of real estate agencies and agents across the U.S., this point of sharing what you know as a real estate professional boldly and consistently is a major distinction between really stellar agents and those who continue to struggle. As a content marketer, I can certainly understand why some have difficulties. Solid marketing programs that lead to proven results can be a challenge to find and then implement affordably. In a world where technology keeps advancing at break-neck speed, pushing out all sorts of ways to stay in front of one’s customers, it’s hard enough for businesses mired in their clients’ day-to-day needs to take the time to focus on their own marketing and advertising needs. And oftentimes the worry of a great marketing plan being a significant financial strain halts any kind of efforts in that direction. It’s unfortunate. The very same technological advances mentioned above also allow for multiple affordable options. It’s really a matter of choosing solutions you’re comfortable with and then implementing them on a consistent basis.
Again, it doesn’t matter if you’re a top luxury real estate agent in competitive markets like New York City or San Francisco, or a fledgling new agent in Long Island or Portland, it really comes down to taking the steps to make sure you’re at the forefront of people’s minds. A few smart agents who are clients of ours come to mind. Each trusts in their real estate knowledge, knows their communities inside and out, listens to their clients, and then finds every opportunity to broadcast this information. From simple, affordable email marketing pieces or snail mail to social media advertising and appearing in local news articles, they find a way to maintain their presence in the market. It’s all about starting with what and who you currently know – your connections in the industry and in your community, and then building from there. One step at a time.
Next up: Part 3: Creating your marketing game plan, and advice from some wicked smart real estate CMOs and pro agents.
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