Don't Be a Half-Marketer: Why building a strong brand is crucial for generating and converting leads

I've always believed that the purpose of marketing boils down to two key objectives: building brand awareness and generating leads.

The former is all about getting your brand in front of as many eyeballs as possible, whether that means attracting attention, generating consideration, or any number of similar outcomes. The latter is about turning that attention into concrete actions:  form-fills, inquiries, sign-ups, and so on.

The question is, is there any set order to it?—that is, are you supposed to build a brand that attracts leads OR run campaigns to lead generate and then brand to nurture?

The obvious answer is:  YES! Now, I’m being a slightly tongue-in-cheek… But the point is, It’s not the order of objectives that matters; it’s the fulfillment of both. Too many businesses are only “half marketing," leaving opportunity on the table. Don't let your business fall into that trap.

Building a brand without a plan to generate leads and drive actions is like growing grapes only to let them wither away on the vine. Don't let your hard work go to waste. Conversely, focusing solely on lead generation without investing in building a strong brand can be like plucking grapes off the vine before they've ripened. To those leads, you're just another unknown entity vying for their attention. It’s far more difficult to convert unripened leads, if you catch my meaning.

What I’m getting at is… brand-building and lead-generation are like interlocking gears … one spins the other and so on. Are you effectively doing both or are you only “half marketing?”

(Photos by the extraordinarily talented Idris Erba during the 2023 Tom Ferry Elite+ Retreat.)

How to "Fill the Funnel" and Stand Out as a Real Estate Agent in 2023

As a real estate agent or REALTOR®, it's crucial to stay on the lookout for new lead generation opportunities in order to fill your pipeline. With more agents in the market and fewer sales projected for the year ahead, competition is only going to increase. This means that it's more important than ever to stand out and establish yourself as a top choice agent in your local community.

Loads of agents, I fear, are gonna play it passively—doing what they’ve been doing like nothing’s changed. They’re in for a surprise.

One way to stand out is by utilizing tried-and-true tactics like hosting open houses or updating your profile on agent referral sites (e.g. Homelight, UpNest, and so on). These simple methods can help you connect with potential buyers or sellers in your local market.

Another key to success is to stay connected with your database, that is, your past clients and sphere-of-influence contacts. By consistently staying in touch and offering valuable information and assistance, you can become the go-to real estate agent for these individuals. Building mindshare is crucial for capturing market-share in the competitive world of real estate.

In addition to these traditional methods, it's also important to consider the role of personal branding in your lead generation efforts. This can include getting reviews, utilizing video marketing, and stepping up your email marketing efforts. By building a strong and recognizable brand, you can differentiate yourself from other agents and, as a result, attract more business.

Overall, the key to success as a real estate agent is to be proactive and constantly seek out new lead generation opportunities. By filling your pipeline with a steady stream of leads and building a strong personal brand, you’ll be positioned to dominate in 2023.

6 Overlooked Places to Include Calls-to-Action (CTAs) to Boost Conversion Rates

If you want more business, sometimes it’s simply a matter of presenting customers with an offer.

A call-to-action (CTA) is a statement or button that prompts a prospective customer to take a specific action, like visiting a certain web page, downloading a PDF, or filling out a contact-form.

Some calls-to-action are “lead-generating” in nature and some are “lead-converting.”

• Lead-generating:  e.g. home valuation offers, a custom home search, downloading a buyer- or seller-guide, or sign-up for a newsletter.

• Lead-convertring:  e.g. schedule a buyer or listing consultation, making a referral, or placing an inbound call, text, message, or email.

Loads of businesses overlook the importance of calls-to-action in their marketing usually because they aren’t clear on the customer’s journey and, thus, don’t know which offers will or won’t move customers forward. My advice:  define your CTAs and incorporate them all throughout your marketing. 

Including calls-to-action throughout your marketing can help to clarify the desired action for your audience, track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, and ultimately, yield more business.

6️⃣ Overlooked Placements to “Nest” Your Calls-to-Action:

1. Email Signature:  Your everyday emails have nearly a perfect open rate. What’s more, the average professional sends 40+ emails a day. All that said, your email signature is a prime spot to incorporate your business’s calls-to-action. Keep it non-excessive, though—too many CTAs will water-down your results.

2. Google-Business-Profile Products:  Use the Products section of your Google Business Profile to link-up your calls-to-action. For example:

• Search for homes

• Request a home valuation

• Schedule a property tour

• Download buyer/seller guide

• Join the team

3. Social Profile Link-in-Bio:  Profiles on platforms like Instagram and TikTok apportion users one clickable link in their profiles. What’s more, these sites don’t permit links to be included in posts. Thus, the "link-in-bio" functions as “link dispatch,” of sorts. Use tools like Linktr.ee or Liinks.co to direct traffic to your content and CTAs.

4. YouTube Default Text:  In your YouTube Studio, tap Settings and then Upload Defaults to compose pre-set text in the Description field that’ll appear automatically with every next video you upload. Formulate text that'll drive viewers to your calls-to-action:  e.g. social media links, key landing pages, your sign-ups, and so on.

5. Pinned Posts:  Use the "Pinned Post" feature of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to feature select posts. For instance, pin a post that’s the most exemplary of your content in terms of what new followers can expect of you and/or pin a video that outlines what you do and how customers can opt to do business with you.

6. Messenger Chatbots:  Messenger bots (like ManyChat) are activated by direct-message keywords. In your Instagram bio, for instance, instruct users to message you terms like “Buy” or “Sell” to activate automated chat sequences tailored to your CTAs—like a home search, home valuation, or a different type of offer. Construct custom dialogues to your liking.

Home-Valuation Seller Lead Generation Campaigns for Realtors in 2023

About two weeks ago I participated in a MEGA listing-agent mastermind hosted by Tom Ferry. We’re talking about agents/teams listing-and-selling hundreds of homes a year.

Each member of the mastermind shared their top tactics for generating seller business and, to my surprise, home-valuation styled campaigns are paying-out dividends right now.

I know, I know… you’re thinking… “Weren’t those overplayed like four years ago⁉️” That’s what I thought too.

However, as real estate headlines fear-monger about the future of housing ad-nauseam, consequently, many homeowners are wondering about A.) the value of their home and B.) the timing of their next move.

Tools like HomeBot, NAR’s REALTOR® Property Resource (RPR), CloudCMA, or HomeValueLeads, for instance, equip agents and/or teams with websites that capture seller contact info when performing an automated/aggregated range of value to inquiring homeowners. Just like always, though:  the money’s in the follow-up. 📲

At a super high level, there are a couple different ways to deploy a campaign like this:

• PAY-PER-CLICK:  Setup search campaigns across Google, YouTube, Bing, and DuckDuckGo that link to your home-valuation landing page.

• DIRECT MAILERS:  Print and distribute a simple mailer that states the offer directly above a QR-code hyperlinked to your home-valuation landing page.

The part that was most astounding to me was the impressive rate of conversion these agents/teams have been achieving -- anywhere from 1.5% up to 10% of leads entering into signed listings w/in 30 days of initial lead-capture. In case it’s not self-evident:  WOW! 🤯

The Silver-Lining of Leads that AREN’T Ready to Transact When Generated

What’s your plan to EARN a prospective customer’s business?

Per Market Sherpa, 73% of leads (across all industries) AREN’T ready when generated. That’s no surprise—in fact, it’s somewhat of a relief. Especially in real estate… because, if your leads were ready as soon as you got ‘em, then—based on the data—your rate of conversion would absolutely tank. Lemme explain…

According to research from the National Association of REALTORS® the vast majority of home buyers and sellers opt to hire a real estate agent with whom they’ve worked in the past or by virtue of a referral. Here are those percentages over the past several years:

HOME SELLERS:

• 2017:  64%

• 2018:  63%

• 2019:  66%

• 2020:  67%

• 2021:  68%

• 2022:  63%

HOME BUYERS:

• 2017:  54%

• 2018:  53%

• 2019:  53%

• 2020:  53%

• 2021:  60%

• 2022:  50%

(Sidebar:  due to a severe lack of housing inventory in the first half of 2022, many buyers, likely frustrated with losing in multiple offer situations, resorted to contacting listing agents directly and/or inquiring about homes via yard-signs. What’s more, first-time-homebuyers—due to affordability issues, mostly—accounted for far fewer sales than in prior years. As the marketplace adjusts and “normalizes,” I’d wager REPEAT/REFERRAL percentages will reclaim lost standing.)

If you Google “Best Realtors in {CITY},” for instance, you’ll get a wide array of results:  Yelp, Google Reviews, agent-referral sites like MyAgentFinder, Zillow, and more. The tricky part, however, is that those sites hardly ever list any of the same real estate  agents, which begs the question:  can they be trusted?

Consequently, many consumers simply opt to work with a real estate agent they’ve used in the past or place their confidence in the recommendation of a trusted confidant. And herein lies your opportunity to move your leads from “friend-zone to end-zone,” professionally speaking.

With time, the intent of your leads will mature. That’s your window of opportunity to “win ‘em over”—to become the know-you, like-you, trust-you AGENT-OF-CHOICE.

Seller-Focused Marketing: “ Your Home Deserves the Spotlight”

During a coaching session last week one of my clients said he’d received three “come-list-me” calls from ON-MARKET SELLERS 🏡 who were looking to make a change in representation. Be warned… sellers aren’t waiting for listings to expire to replace ineffective listing agents (even if it isn’t the agent’s fault, per se).

They all said they’d looked him up online and got the sense that he prioritizes marketing — which is what they all cited as the likely culprit of their nonsuccess.

For instance, they Google-searched the “best realtor in____,” his Google Business Profile ranked, they perused his reviews, clicked and surfed his website, and even looked him up on Instagram.

Customers are doing WAY more than just Googling businesses these days. It’s a full forensic audit 🕵️ of your online presence. When customers look you up, will they say about you what they said of my client?

My advice:  show sellers what they’re missing in your marketing. (Constructively… don’t ⛔️ go off hating on other agents.)

For example, try out a tagline like this: “Your home 🏡 deserves the spotlight.” Integrate it across ALL your marketing channels:  videos, postcards, ads, billboards, emails, referenced in reviews, PDFs, website headings, you name it. Make it your own, standardized program for sellers. Why? Because sellers expect more... so show ‘em what they’re missing!

Just talking linguistics for a moment… In the book “BUILDING A STORYBRAND,” author Donald Miller discussed the difference in addressing external problems versus internal problems in your marketing communications.

• External Problem:  the property is sitting and needs to sell

• Internal Problem:  the agent should do whatever it takes

We could probably tweak the language of those problems, but I think the point conveys. Using words like “deserves” addresses an internal dissonance—that something isn’t as it could or should be. YOUR home DESERVES the spotlight.

Instagram Reels to Generate Repeat & Referral Business (for REALTORS®)

Pop-quiz:  What do you sell!?

You might respond that you sell “yourself.” Honestly though – what does that even mean? Alternatively, you may reason that you sell houses. Hmm… kind-of, sort-of. Technically speaking, you provide brokerage services to people who are doing the buying and/or selling. There’s a difference.

Fundamentally, the reason folks hire you boils down to your expertise (and how you impart it). That’s what you sell‼️And, bear in mind, EXPERTISE is a distinctive term. It’s not one-size-fits all. Like I’ve said before:  “Nobody does YOU better than Y-O-U.”

Real estate is a know-you, like-you, trust-you business—that’s the winning combination with consumers. Question is, when prospective clients look you up on social, for instance, does your page adequately showcase your expertise?

Take Jeffrey Sabel, for instance. Just over a year ago he started posting Reels almost every day in which he deftly demonstrated his competence. No surprise, his page started to gain new followers quickly. Why? Because folks follow accounts that confer value.

What’s more, his Instagram efforts kindled a frenzy of REPEAT and REFERRAL business from his sphere-of-influence contacts—most of whom were already following him. That’s the secret sauce, right there!

Lots of conflicting messages about the state (and future state) of the marketplace are competing to win consumers’ confidence. If headlines say X and you say Y, for instance, who are buyers and sellers in your market gonna trust?

That, my friends, depends on the strength of your agent-brand.

13 Real Estate Listing Marketing Ideas (That’ll Attract MORE Listings)

Now’s the time to listing launch “your face off,” friends 😅

As the real estate market continues to adjust and decelerate, far too many agents are slashing their marketing budgets, essentially cost-cutting their way into “feeling safe.”

Listing agents are reducing their property marketing efforts to “save money” – super bad timing, if you ask me. For them!—it’s GREAT for you. Why? Because when homeowners see what you’re prepared and able to do versus your competitors, chances are good you’ll have it in the bag at your next listing appointment. It’s a simple matter of VALUE.

What’s more, with mortgage interest rates more than DOUBLING in the past year, the pool of prospective buyers is extremely transitory—as in, here to day, gone tomorrow. That is, unless your seller is willing to drop the price to keep downward pace with them!

It’s simple math: when rates increase, budgets shrink. Thus—if you over-price or under-present—the listing is gonna sit. Tick-tock, says the clock ⏳

So, whatcha gonna do to promote that property? Here are some ideas.

13 Real Estate Listing Marketing Ideas (that’ll attract MORE listings)

1. Publish vertical videos galore! For example, hyperlapse walkthroughs, selfie-gimbal tours, “What $###,#### get’s you in {CITY}”-styled videos, and more.

2. Target the neighbors/area with skippable YouTube Commercials. Pro tip:  make sure your opening line addresses the subject audience. For instance, “Hey South Nashville homeowners…” That’ll capture their attention. (Click HERE to review a YouTube ads tutorial.)

3. Try out TikTok ads. These ads are super affordable and TikTok has less restrictive geo-targeting limitations than other ad platforms.

4. Facebook/Instagram ads still work. In fact, try running multiple ads! Target your database, your marketplace, Boost your post(s), utilize new placements, like Reels and/or Story ads, and more. There’s a lot of potential with FB/IG ads.

5. Run Google Display ads — i.e., the banner ads you see as you peruse the web. Your ads should feature images of the property with your FACE and NAME superimposed. It’s strategically critical for the neighbors to see YOU outworking your competitors. (Click HERE to review a Google Display Network ads tutorial.)

6. Bring back the MEGA Open House!Run this Google search🔎:  “Tom Ferry MEGA Open House”—you’ll find endless content and resources.

7. Step-up your signage:   yard-signs, directional signs, QR code signs, et al. Figure out what is/isn’t allowed in your marketplace and get to work 👊

8. Send postcards to the neighbors. You also oughta consider sending them to your database contacts — it’ll help to position you as an established listing agent. Maybe even consider handwritten-note announcements using a tool like Audience.co.

9. Email blasts.  If you’re sending a weekly newsletter, for instance, try featuring your listings within its contents. When the time comes to list, your subscribers will wanna see their listing in that email. Don’t SPAM people (obviously).

10. Try to get your listings featured in notable publications or popular social accounts that feature select listings.

11. Post your listings on buy/sell forums like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Btw, these sites are good spots to generate leads/inquiries.

12. Utilize profile links::  e.g. your link-in-bio (like Liinks.co or LinkTree, for instance), the Products section of your Google Business Profile, and so on.

13. Doubtlessly, your listing will be distributed/syndicated from your MLS to all the real estate feeds. On your own website, however, make sure to showcase your listing using an optimized landing page. Make sure it’s properly indexed with Google for search-ranking purposes, integrate geo-tagged images, embedded videos, keyword-rich text, and more.

As a listing agent, it’s on you to expose a property to the LARGEST pool or ready, willing, and able buyers... So get the word out 📢

How to Generate Home Seller Real Estate Leads (Organically) with Your Google Business Profile

Here’s how to attract seller-clients on Google. After all, everybody knows you’ve gotta LIST to LAST!

Start by asking yourself—if you were in the market to purchase a home, for instance—what would YOU be Googling? The answer is… that buyers search for homes. For example:

• “Homes for sale in ____.”

• “Homes for sale near me.”

So what about sellers?—what do they search for? Many in our industry presume they search phrases like, “What’s my home worth?”

But have you ever gotten one of those “home valuation” types of leads? They have barely any intent to sell whatsoever. They’re leads, of course—just leads with characteristically very, very low intent.

So… what do sellers actually Google? In a word:  YOU.

Sellers search for you, the agent.

• “Best REALTOR in ____.”

• “Top listing agent near me.”

The question is… do they find you or your competitors? That depends on a couple particulars of tremendous SEO importance:

1. Your Google Business Profile

2. Your website/domain.

As far as the former is concerned, it needs to be a top priority to procure seller reviews on your profile. The keywords in those reviews are pure money. As for your domain—in blogs, throughout its pages, and all over your site—feed Google the keywords that sellers are searching and it’ll help you rank.

Your Community is a “Cash-Cow!” (for Repeat and Referral Real Estate Opportunities)

Your community is a CASH🤠COW. Per to the Nat’l Association of REALTORS®:

• 68% of sellers selected an agent-for-hire via repeat/referral business

• 60% of buyers selected an agent-for-hire via repeat/referral business

So roughly 2/3rds of your total business (statistically speaking) could/should flow from your database of past-clients and/or sphere-of-influence (PC/SOI) contacts.  The fact is, you simply can’t afford to overlook them! Now—don’t mishear me—I’m NOT saying you shouldn’t diversify your lead generation. Far from it.

My point is… real estate has been, is, and will remain a know-you, like-you, trust-you form of business.

So… If you’re not adequately nurturing your database, then—based on the numbers ⏫—somebody else is earning that business.

Notwithstanding, loads of agents are, for instance, apprehensive to ask outright for the referral. If that describes you, I wonder, is it perhaps due to a sense you’re not offering enough ongoing value?—that once the deal closed, for all intents and purposes, the job was done?

Author Jay Baer describes marketing as being… “so useful, people would pay you for it.”

Is your database marketing useful like that? If not, an opportunity tallying-up to more than 60% of your total business is perhaps awaiting your attention. Consider the following:

• Coordinate annual equity reviews whereby you meet with clientele to review the current market valuation of their home(s) once-a-year – strictly as a courtesy

• Publish social media posts/videos that supply valuable insight to keep your PC/SOI informed as to what’s going on in your local marketplace 

• Send out reoccurring email campaigns that give lean heavy on SHARING, not SELLING

• Run a (private) Facebook Group that’s there to foster community and keep you connected with your people

• Host special events just for your folks

My point is… Invest in your community and it’ll flourish!

How to be the “Knowledge Broker” (for REALTORS); the Housing Market is Volatile

“How’s the market?" I’d wager that’s the question you (i.e., REALTORS®) hear most often. Probably multiple times a day. Thus, it’s super important to equip yourself to answer satisfactorily.

And, in order to do that, you’ve gotta prioritize market research and study every day. You can hardly assume the title, “knowledge broker,” without knowledge.

MY ADVICE:

• Read/watch everything @keepingcurrentmatters publishes

• Utilize your MLS to analyze market-localized stats and analysis.

• Setup a Google Alert for the term, “Real Estate.”

Program it to send you a daily digest of the top-trending news articles related to the term, “real estate,” so you’re always in touch with what may be on the minds of buyers and sellers in your area. Simply visit alerts.google.com, type “real estate” into the search bar, tap, “Show options,” then, under Sources, select “News,” and finally, specify any other preferences. Once it’s configured, just watch your inbox for updates on the daily.

The real estate market is volatile. News headlines “doom-monger” about its future conditions—speculating of corrections, collapses, crashes, and so on.

Consequently, buyers and sellers in your marketplace will look/listen to the knowledge broker – and I’d sure like for that to be you. So seek to answer that question—“How’s the market?”—in your videos, your emails, and more. Be your community’s agent-authority.

5 Database Marketing and Nurturing Tactics (for REALTORS)

Your database of past clients and center-of-influence contacts is, in all likelihood, your BEST source of business. Question is, are you“working it” sufficiently?

Per the Nat’l Association of REALTORS®, 68% of sellers and 60% of buyers identify an agent for hire via REPEAT/REFERRAL. 🤯

Fact is, if you’re not fully-leveraging your database—no doubt—it’s costing you. 💸

Here’s a quick list of marketing ideas to more effectively nurture your database:

1. Weekly Email Round-Up.  Email marketing is WAY underrated—and I know why. It’s because far too many agents are sending out canned, pre-written emails that  don’t work. My advice: start to view email as a channel for distributing your content. As you publish blogs, videos, and more, assemble and send out a weekly email digest. It’ll improve your performance metrics and, more importantly, it’ll nurture your database.

2. Google Display Network Ads.  Position your brand across the web via the Google Display Network—i.e., the banner ads you see scattered across sites and apps in side-bars, pop-ups, footer-bars, and elsewhere. They'll help keep you top-of-mind with your database. Head over to Ads.Google.com to setup a new ad campaign and upload your database contacts for retargeting. Type in this URL to watch my tutorial:  bit.ly.JP-GDN

3. Handwritten Notes/Cards.  Let’s face it:  some marketing channels give off a phony vibe. Like, I don’t feel warm and fuzzy when I get a mass text message that reads:  “Reply STOP to unsubscribe." But handwritten notes, I've gotta confess, are pretty-darn touching. Trouble is, they’re high-effort!—or, at least, they were. Look at bulk-sending plat-forms like Audience.co or AddressableMail to nurture your database with personalized, handwritten notes and cards.

4. Educational Webinars.  I'm not talking about your run-of-the-mill "first-time homebuyer" or basic "seller" seminars/webinars. I'm talking about offering webinars on much more nuanced, relevant topics. Imagine inviting your database contacts  to monthly webinars in which you tackled the most relevant topics of the day—especially now, as the market is highly volatile. My advice:  be the knowledge broker!

Home Equity Updates. Homes value is STILL a topic of tremendous interest amongst homeowners. So what’s your process to keep your database contacts in the know? Perhaps try sending out quarterly “Equity Updates” to them. After all, they’re your database contacts and so it’s on you to keep them informed of market conditions. Use an automated tool or run your own comps—either way, it's about sharing the data.

Don’t Put All Your “Lead Generation” Eggs in One Basket (for REALTORS)

Don’t put all your “lead generation” eggs in one basket. What’s more, don’t go chasing the next and newest shiny penny.

We know that 87% of RE agents fail (as in, they go out of business🫤) in their first TWO years! That’s downright alarming.

I’d argue one of the top reasons for it centers around the tendency of many agents to, quote-unquote, dabble. Try this, try that, and then try this next thing—never sticking with any one thing long enough to realize its results. 

The truth is, EVERY lead source works – when it’s worked consistently 🔂. Maybe it’s open houses, online leads, email marketing, geographic farming, social media, or database nurturing—you name it, it works!

So… my advice is is twofold:  

1. Don’t be so fair-weather with your lead sources that you’re jumping from one to the next prematurely.

2. Mix up your approach—i.e. diversify what you’re doing. Top producers ALWAYS generate business from multiple sources.

Simple Lead-Scoring Formula for Your Real Estate Leads

Lead conversion is like basketball 🏀…

For sales teams—when it comes to lead conversion—it’s essential for you and your team members to grasp where the leads “are at” in the process of buying or selling real estate.

Otherwise, you won’t know how to recognize a ready-now opportunity from a “long-shot,” so to speak. And, if enough of your leads start to look like long-shots, then your sales team may begin treating all your leads accordingly.

Think of it like this…

• Some leads are like half-court shots. You can try to close ‘em, but you’ll almost always miss. It’s better to push the ball down-court, metaphorically speaking.

• Some leads are like three-pointers. If you get an open look, go for it—but you’ve gotta have sharp skills. What’s more, you’ve gotta “follow your shot.” In other words, don’t wait to miss; instead, go after your own rebound.

• Finally, some leads are like layups:  referrals, “come-list-me” calls, and so forth. When you get yourself into a scoring position—bottom line—the ball’s 🏀 gonna find its way to you.

The question is… how can you tell where a is at in terms of their readiness to transact?

Most sales people are familiar with sales funnels—i.e., funnel-shaped visuals divided into stages that represent where a lead is at in the process of buying or selling a product or service.

The traditional sales funnel, for instance, categorizes leads into three progressive stages of intent:  awareness, consideration, and decision.

I like to call those stages:  walking, jogging, and running because I think it better conveys the intensity with which a lead is moving toward taking action.

If a lead is “running,” for instance, it demands a proportionate measure of follow-up. On the other hand, if they’re “walking,” you wouldn’t treat ‘em as if they’re “running” — and if you were to, they’d block your calls.

The point is, knowing where the lead is so you can meet them where they are… Because if you can accurately pinpoint where they are from the start (and “meet them there,” so to speak), your lead conversion is gonna skyrocket 🚀.

The question is, how do you know?

LEAD-SCORING FRAMEWORK

Welp… the answer depends on how a lead is generated. There are two fundamental factors to determine a lead’s “stage of readiness” — that is, are they walking, jogging, or running.

The first factor is…

• THE PROPOSAL - When a lead is procured—e.g. via an open house sign-in, through a website form-fill, from a personal referral, or an “out of nowhere” inbound call, for instance—it’s never random; it’s a response.
  
  Somewhere along the way the lead was presented with an offer (a “proposal”) that, depending on whether it was a high-intent or low-intent type of offer, elicited a response relative to its invitation.
  
  For example, “click here to schedule a showing” is a higher-intent offer than “click here to learn more.”
  
  Ultimately, it has to do with whether or not the lead, in response to the offer, is opting to act Independently (without you) or Dependently (with you).
  
  Requesting an automatic home valuation or setting-up a custom home search on your website, for instance, are “independent” actions whereas scheduling a consultation or calling your office directly are “dependent” actions.
  
  So… does the proposal elicit a Dependent or Independent response? That’s the first factor to scoring your lead.

The second factor is…

• THE PLACEMENT - Regardless of whether the offer was high- or low-intent, the next factor for consideration is whether or not the lead, quote-unquote, “asked” for the proposal. In other words, was it shown to them voluntarily or involuntarily?
  
  For example, did they run a Google search that triggered your ad (voluntary) or was it a Facebook ad that simply showed up in their feed (involuntary)?
  
  The point is, where (and by what means) was the “placement” of the offer? It makes a difference.

Having said all the above… here’s how you use these factors to determine where a lead “is at” in the sales process -- as in, are they walking, jogging, or running?

• Independent + Involuntary = Walking

• Independent + Voluntary = Jogging

• Dependent + Involuntary = Jogging

• Dependent + Voluntary = Running

Knowing where a lead is at is mission-critical to effective conversion — otherwise, you won’t know how to recognize a ready-now opportunity from a “long-shot.”

Top 3 Job Functions and Skills of a Listing Agent (Real Estate)

When you’re on a listing presentation vying for a seller’s business, how are you communicating the full scope of your services? Loads of agents presume the seller only cares about how you’ll MARKET the property, and so that’s all they discuss. Big mistake—for a couple of reasons:

1. Marketing on its own doesn’t fully reflect the value of your fee.

2. You’re setting yourself up to blame if all doesn’t go to plan.

Not to sound like Spock🖖—but selling homes is "only logical;” it follows a predictable sequence of events.

(A) Market a property strategically to get it in front of as many (interested) eyeballs as possible. (B) After that, you should expect buyers to schedule showings. If they don’t, then there’s a leak. It’s either that the marketing was lousy (e.g. bad photos, etc.) OR that the property didn’t match-up with buyer expectations (e.g. condition, price, etc.). No matter what, though, it’s a datapoint. (C) If there are showings, then, after a certain point, it’s reasonable to expect at least one of those buyers oughta submit an offer. If they don’t, then—once again—it’s a data point (e.g. the house smells funny, etc.).

What I’m getting at is that the role of a listing agent is way more than just marketing a property.

Every Lead Source Works – When It’s Worked Consistently

There’s no such thing as a “jackpot” lead source 🎰. The truth is, every lead source works – when it’s worked consistently.

It could be open houses, or online leads, or email marketing, or geographic farming, or social media, or database nurturing—you name it, it works!

In fact, when you look at the respective business of most top producers, there are numerous lead sources (as in, 8, 10, 12, or more) factoring into their success. Some sources will outproduce others, of course—but it’s the sum of them all that adds up.

That being said, you may see/hear a rockstar-agent on a conference stage or a podcast, perhaps, share about a singular lead source or strategy that’s been effective for them. And, while what they’re sharing is no-doubt incredible and useful, it can be easy to think that’s all the agent does to generate business. However, their success is almost always the product of multiple sources of business.

You’ve probably heard the stat that 87% of real estate agents fail in their first couple of years. I’d argue one of the dominant reasons behind the failure of those unfortunate folks is the result of “dabbling.”

For example, an agent might give a specific lead source or tactic a try, and then, unless the results are clear and immediate, the agent abandons the effort prematurely and moves on to the next idea -- when in reality, the results are (always) in the repetition. 

So here’s my advice:

A. Diversify your sources of business.

B. Don’t dabble; stay the course!

I’ve seen agents who crush it with postcards, or door-knocking, or social media, or geographic farming, or email marketing, or online leads, or whatever else. Every lead source works when it’s worked consistently.

In a Shifting Real Estate Market, Agents Must Be (or Become) Local-Market Experts

It’s time to BRAND your ground, friends! Every time you share a video, post on social, or send an email that confers value—it’s building your agent-brand.

Fact is, the market has shifted and will continue doing so. On top of that, recent headlines, to borrow a line from @keepingcurrentmatters, tend to “do more to terrify than to clarify”—speculating ad nauseam of corrections, collapses, and crashes.

Consequently, many consumers have or are contemplating a withdrawal from the market.

And, because of all that, it appears buyers/sellers won’t so readily listen to, heed the advice of, or opt to work with just “any” agent—things being how they are now. To the contrary, they’ll look to the Knowledge Broker.

So, my advice: be (or become) the agent-authority! Or don’t—but don’t expect buyers/sellers to come running either.

3 Fundamental Ways to Generate Business in Real Estate

Tom Ferry said it best: “There’s not a wrong way to make an income”. In other words, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all, sales/marketing methodology for how to conduct your real estate business. On the contrary, it’s whatever YOU make of it.

That being said – broadly speaking – there are essentially THREE fundamental ways to go about generating business: marketing, networking, or prospecting. In my experience, I’ve found that most agents will naturally excel in a particular area, manage sufficiently in another, and they’ll deliberately avoid the one remaining.

Each approach has advantages and disadvantages—and, of course, developing self-confidence/competence in all three is a plus. After all, markets shift, circumstances change—and so, consequently, it pays to be diversified in your strategies and tactics.

But, keep in mind—there’s no wrong way to make an income! I say – whatever comes naturally – lean into it! Now, I’m certainly not suggesting you shouldn’t challenge yourself, expand your horizons, develop new skills, or push the boundaries.

I’m just saying to get objective about who you are, what you’re doing, and how to do it most optimally. Build and execute YOUR plan, not someone else’s.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it’ll live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” (Einstein)

Show What You Know

Your expertise is dynamic and distinctive; it’s uniquely yours. My advice is to go public with it: blog it, film it, stream it, and/or post it EVERYWHERE. Be the knowledge-broker.

The fact is, real estate is a know-you, like-you, trust-you form of business -- that’s the winning combination with consumers.

What’s more – thanks to the web and social media – there’s never been a time like NOW whereby you can, to put it bluntly, “show what you know”—through videos, emails, blogs, social posts, and more.

Year-over-year, consumers conduct more research to inform their buying/hiring decisions ONLINE: search & social. That being the case, it’s mission-critical to position your agent-brand where the consumer is actively present. IMO: information is influence.

Your Everyday Email Signature Can Outperform the Clickthrough Performance of Your Mass Emails 😲

The average professional sends out 40+ emails per day with approximately a 100% open rate. Through the lens of email-marketing performance benchmarks, that’s epically impressive 🤯.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m all for mass/bulk email marketing. However, there’s a strong case to be made that we should all conduct an audit of our everyday email signatures to ensure they’re properly optimized.

And think about it this way:  the clickthrough performance of calls-to-action (CTAs) in your email signature will likely be just as good or better than those included in your mass email campaigns. My point is, it’s low-hanging fruit.

Your email signature should incorporate the following CTAs:

• Postscript:  something like… “P.S. Should you hear of anyone looking to Buy, Sell or Invest in real estate, would you please connect us? It would be my great privilege to serve as their REALTOR®.”

• Contact:  include your cell phone, email address, social links, website, and more – every time! Don’t be the person whose signature is only included in the first email of a thread, whereby a recipient has to go digging to find your number.

• Deliverables:  perhaps you have a Home Valuation landing page, or an IDX-powered home search site, or downloadable PDFs like a buyer or seller guide). If you do, link to them!