How to Determine Your Advertising Needs

Many successful agents reach a point in their careers where they need more sophisticated marketing and advertising strategies. Though many brokerages offer this kind of support, top agents often outgrow typical offerings and want to take brand marketing into their own hands.

If this is where you find yourself, or you just want to stand out from your competition, you may want to consider tailoring your relationship with your in-house department or using an outside marketing firm that can offer you something different.

In this blog you’ll learn the pros and cons of working with in-house personnel vs. outside firms and how to determine what you really need from your marketing campaigns.

Cost

For many agents, the cost of working with a professional agency is the most important consideration in deciding who will handle marketing and advertising efforts. While you investigate whether or not your brokerage can do the job for you, consider these questions.

Can you get discounts for media placement? If your brokerage already has an advertising contract with a particular media outlet, you may be able to benefit from their frequency discount. Many media outlets offer lower rates on advertising space based on the number of placements purchased.

If your brokerage secures a substantial media buy, and in return offers you discounted pricing for the space, you may see a significant savings when compared to buying media placement on your own or through an outside agency.

Brokerage Support

Does your brokerage offer opportunities to include your listing in ads that advertise multiple listings? What does it cost to be included? This opportunity may give you access to media space you couldn’t afford to purchase on your own.

Do the research, because there may be considerable cost advantages to using brokerage resources. When you work with your in-house marketing department, you may be offered different payment options. You may pay for time, per project or creative services may be a free perk for top producers. It’s up to you to negotiate your own marketing package.

You can compare the services offered in-house to those of an outside agency. However, keep in mind that most brokerages are less inclined to help you build a significant brand outside of the brokerage. You’ll need an outside agent if you want to secure a higher level of attention to your own brand.

Available Resources

Let’s talk about the resources available to you. You’ll have to know what your options are before you can plan. Is there a skilled in-house marketing department that can provide the creative services you need? Is there a strategist on the team? Is there a graphic designer who will execute your direction? Are there professional copywriters?

Building effective ad campaigns and branded marketing is a highly creative pursuit, and quality may be subjective. As most agents have real estate expertise but are not trained creative artists, there may be a tendency to underestimate the value of quality design and to misunderstand how messaging can help or hurt marketing efforts.

While agents may not recognize low-quality design or copy, many consumers do see the difference. Once you get a feel for it, you will see why some brands outperform other brands even when the actual products are very similar. It may seem too costly to hire professionals, but it will cost you even more to spend your ad budgets on ineffective designs and messaging.

Qualities to Look For

The qualifications of the people you hire to execute this creative work can vary greatly. When reviewing candidates, look for artful attention to detail and an understanding of how to connect with audiences. Seek out creative people who know the principles of design, messaging, effective calls to action and brand standards. Ask for portfolios and past work and have them explain their process to you to see if you’ll work well together.

As in the real estate business, you may find your best candidates through referrals. Ask your colleagues if they have recommendations for marketing professionals or teams. Interview several candidates and get a feel for who would be a good fit. These people will be a part of your extended team, helping you identify your vision and meet your goals.

Don’t be intimidated. Some very good ad agencies are small shops while others are huge companies. If you are unsure if a particular agency is appropriate for the budget you have in mind, just ask.

To learn more about how to determine the marketing needs of your real estate business, as well as how to develop an advertising campaign that works, begin your seven-day free trial of AgentEDU today and start with the advertising track.

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AgentEDU® is a platform where agents at every level can come to watch 10-minute video courses for the many situations that successful agents must master. From essential to advanced level and everything in between, AgentEDU® courses help agents become top producers with increased earnings and a plan for continued growth. For a 7-day free trial sign up here.

AgentEDU® is an Agent Publishing brand. For nearly two decades, Agent Publishing has been committed to providing residential real estate professionals with the information and training required to build successful and meaningful careers in their local markets. Agent Publishing’s influence extends to every career stage and reaches agents across print, digital, events and online learning.

3 Ways to Use Open Houses to Build Your Business

Although many home sellers consider the open house a standard practice, stats show that open houses don’t often generate an actual sale. Still, many agents find open houses offer a way to get new clients, deepen their engagement in the neighborhood, and satisfy the seller’s expectations. In this blog, you will learn three ways you can use open houses to build your business.

All Attendees Are Potential Homebuyers

The fact is, almost everyone who comes into an open house is a potential homebuyer. Many are looking to buy a home and may not have an agent yet. And even if they are not in the market, they may know someone who is. Maybe they plan to buy sometime in the future.

This is your chance to show them that you know the neighborhood well, understand area pricing and are easy to work with. Demonstrate your leadership and marketing skills and show that you are sympathetic to the challenges of buying a home. Don’t squander any opportunity to make what could be a life-long connection with every person who walks through the door.

How to Market to a Large Audience

Get your name and brand out there! The first step is thinking about how to market your open house to a wider group. There are many ways to get the word out about an open house, and you should explore them all. Employ the most appropriate methods for each home’s particular circumstances. For a big impact, send two waves of direct mail postcards and emails – both before and after the open house.

Send out the first email as an invitation. Let them know how to schedule a private appointment with you if they can’t make the open house. Then, position your brand in front of leads in the neighborhood who didn’t attend the open house by sending a post-open house mailer. It should say something like: “In case I missed you at the open house last Sunday, I want to make sure you have this information…”

Simply putting out signs the day of the open house is not enough to maximize your opportunity. Use the postcards in conjunction with signage, flyers, print ads, Facebook ads or whatever is appropriate for the market.

Invite Neighbors to a Private Open House

If you think your open house will be busy, you may want to schedule a special open house where you can spend time getting to know the neighbors.  When appropriate, this kind of open house can help you grow your business and deepen your involvement in the neighborhood. Consider holding a “neighbor’s only” preview a few days before the public open house.

This is a great way to get to know neighbors’ concerns, allay any fears they have, and enlist them to help you find suitable buyers. It also gets the “curious lookers” out of the way early on, allowing you to spend more time with serious buyers who attend the weekend open house.

Man the Open Houses of Other Agents

If you find yourself without any listings suited to open houses, you can build your business by offering to man the open houses of other agents. Open houses can be a great way for agents to jumpstart business activity.

Whether you are a new agent or just want some new business, helping other agents with their open houses can give you practice with potential buyers while you learn about the local market. If you are new to an area or a specialty, manning an open house can give you the experience and confidence to move forward.

How It Works

It typically works like this: An agent who is looking to gain experience lets their managing broker know that they are willing to man open houses, and the managing broker can put the word out. Some agents may choose to offer their assistance directly to experienced agents who may be too busy to man their own open houses.

It’s smart to man the open houses of agents who do a good job of marketing the homes. If there has been no marketing and the agent is just holding an open house to appease the sellers, it may be less fruitful. If this happens to you, make sure any potential buyers who attend the open house know that you’re hosting it on behalf of the seller’s agent.

A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement

Experienced agents get help with the details of their open house, allowing them to concentrate on other priorities or listings. And the more junior agent gets to attach his or her name to a more experienced agent while getting real-life experience. There is often a daily stipend or a referral fee if that open house leads to a sale.

Whether an open house is for your listing or someone else’s, when you host an open house, you get the opportunity to put yourself in front of a group of potential new clients. To learn more about how to generate leads from your open houses, start your free seven-day trial of AgentEDU and begin with the course How To Generate Leads with Open Houses.

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AgentEDU® is a platform where agents at every level can come to watch 10-minute video courses for the many situations that successful agents must master. From essential to advanced level and everything in between, AgentEDU® courses help agents become top producers with increased earnings and a plan for continued growth. For a 7-day free trial sign up here.

AgentEDU® is an Agent Publishing brand. For nearly two decades, Agent Publishing has been committed to providing residential real estate professionals with the information and training required to build successful and meaningful careers in their local markets. Agent Publishing’s influence extends to every career stage and reaches agents across print, digital, events and online learning.