Realtors - Self Promote Your Way To Success

Copyright 2005, Lanard Perry



Okay, so we all can agree - listings are the lifeblood of

the real estate industry. And if the keys to selling them

are location, location and location, then the challenge in

getting them is self-promotion.



But how do you promote to the masses without going broke?

Below are a few ideas and strategies to effectively market

yourself on a shoe string budget.



Sponsor A Workshop Sponsor a workshop for homeowners

attempting to sell their homes FSBO. Advertise it in your

local newspaper and note that seating is limited.



Then, require attendees to RSVP their intent to attend.

So,with little effort you will have developed a "warm list"

of prospective buyers and sellers.



The workshop should be relatively short; 60-90 minutes long.

Provide a movie, popcorn and a sitter for kids so that

parents won't have to worry about getting a babysitter. More

parents are likely to attend and you'll have their undivided

attention.



The workshop should be long enough to share useful

information, but short enough that you won't stress about

how you're going to fill the time. Heck you can even joke

with callers that it'll only be as long as "Bambi," or

whatever movie you decide to show.



Host the workshop in your office if you have adequate space.

If not, the local library, a Title Company, Mortgage Company

or other location will suffice. Do not rent a space, but do

have it in a nice location.



Title and Mortgage Companies may even be inclined to pay a

part or all of the costs for co-sponsoring the event with

you. After all, each attendee is a prospect for their

products and services, too.



In the workshop you'll be instructing attendees on the dos

and don'ts of selling their properties; establishing the

right price, creating curb appeal, staging a home for sale,

establishing how and when to show their properties, and more

importantly how to be safe when showing properties.



One objective of the workshop is to give each attendee

essentially the same information you give when you go on

listing presentations. It's kind of like a listing

presentation in reverse, where they come to you as a group.



So, at the end of it each attendee will have a greater

appreciation of the advantages of using a Realtor, your

marketing plan, contact number, email address, etc.



Be sure to follow up with a series of letters to continue

building the relationship. As a general rule it takes 4 - 7

contacts before you develop enough rapport with prospects to

earn their business, but it's well worth the effort. Make it

easy on yourself and consider prewritten form letters that

are ready made to copy, paste and send.



Every attendee will be a potential customer for you; as a

seller and a buyer. After all, how many are likely to sell

their properties without the services of a Realtor?



Now, how many are likely to buy a property listed with a

Realtor? Right, again! And guess who can be there when they

need professional assistance?



So, here are a few final questions before I close. Do you

know of another Realtor that host events like this on a

regular basis?



How about one who hosts an Open House for his/her office?

Okay, then how about one that conducts workshops on how to

finance home loans? Still no?



Hopefully, you can now see the near endless possibilities

for self promoting your services. And if you

institutionalize them, meaning that you make them regular

events, they could become part of the services you provide

that distinguishes you from your competitors.



So, whenever you hear somebody say location, location,

location; think self-promotion, self-promotion, and

self-promotion.





Lanard Perry is the author of "Farming Expired Listings", a

real estate listing system that shows how to list 1-2

listings a week. Get a FREE Sample Chapter at

http://www.farmingexpiredlistings.com