We are living in tumultuous times when the real estate market is super-charged. The housing market is experiencing increased property values, yet the demand is high for affordable homes. How can an experienced realtor face these challenges and satisfy both sellers’ and buyers’ top needs? Of course, they will involve a top-notch mixture of good-old-days offline marketing strategies peppered with modern digital trends.
However, you can pose the following question. When virtually all aspects of modern life have gone online, can sellers and buyers still profit from non-online ideas? How much credibility and efficiency can offline marketing stand for in an age of a genuine digital revolution?
Just ask local real estate agents how they live up to the complex expectations in 2022! For sure, they will distribute flyers, set up “For Sale” riders, organize open houses on the one hand. On the other hand, they will expand their client representation to the most sophisticated online marketing practices.
Discover what offline marketing can do for you!
Generally speaking, the ultimate objective of marketing is to reach as many potential clients as possible. And let’s not forget about a niche of customers who still prefer and cherish the traditional marketing approaches over online presence. For instance, retired people are an essential real estate niche for specialized realtors.
Let’s see the most competent offline marketing tools that come highly recommended from old sages dedicated to rookie housing agents. The basic principle behind these marketing strategies is boosting your brand and establishing a solid reputation as a real estate expert.
First-base: word-of-mouth
Being a real estate agent or broker, you should prepare yourself to provide your individual or company objectives and contact information to anybody who comes into touch with you. A simple introduction will suffice! Present yourself, hand out contact information, and showcase your area of expertise to anybody you encounter. They can include family members and acquaintances who may or may not work in real estate.
Friends of friends or community members may approach realtors with new business prospects due to word-of-mouth marketing. This method is also completely free; agents need to reach out to those in their immediate social circle.
Networking beyond online platforms
Get in touch with your state or local real estate organizations, such as the National Association of Realtors (NAR), to network with industry leaders and possible mentors. Join the chamber of commerce and other groups that will help you advance professionally!
Participate at networking events and trade exhibits. Prepare a good pitch, business cards, and brochures. Put your name out there and attract customers and potential future business partners. In addition, distribute vCard QR Codes (as in QR Codes for real estate signs) at local events so that your peers may easily store your personal contact information.
Engage a large audience!
If permitted, public or personal events serve as an outstanding opportunity to speak about investing in real estate. All you have to do is locate resident communities and local chambers of commerce that organize meetings regularly and ask for their permission to present a sales pitch. You can offer your assistance in selling or investing in prosperous housing options in advance. By all means, you can create your events too.
Now, an expert realtor would advise wrapping your sales talk in the form of an engaging program with genuine value. Focus on the perks and benefits of investing. Highlighting investment and development trends and plans in your neighborhood might be up for a good start. Besides, letting your audience into business secrets, like local market trends, will go a long way. Insider information will create interest in them for your services. Establish yourself as the ultimate real estate guru! Thus, participants will consider you an authority on the subject and seek advice. And that’s one of the ways you can creatively get more leads.
Send direct mails (farming)!
You wouldn’t believe how effective farming can be! Sending out direct mails, brochures, postcards, flyers, you name it, to potential leads will be highly productive! Many will consider creative direct mails an extra custom-made effort on your behalf to reach customers. As part of a long-term strategy, direct mails have proven time and time again to generate many leads in targeted areas. Although they aren’t particularly cost-effective, the returns can be substantial.
Note, however, that there is a trick hidden in sending out direct mails! Several experts recommend sending your marketing piece at least seven times until the potential lead recognizes your business. So, the return on investment (ROI) will be considerably lower than expected in the first year. The focal point is that your neighborhood gets to know your face, will be able to recognize you, and turn to you for business. Online branding often doesn’t prove as effective as direct mail, which is tangible. Trust us, farming works!
Expand your presence in the media!
Your reputation needs a huge boost, especially in the early stage of your career. People have to know that there’s a new sheriff in town. Choose the local media to inform the world about your expertise. Radio and TV talk shows, ads, and commercials provide you with indispensable exposure. Be present in local magazines and newspapers, and try to settle an interview in which you can meticulously showcase your scope of activities.
Dream big and have billboards posted showing your face and area of expertise! You can upload a video on YouTube podcasts, TikTok (albeit these connect more directly to digital marketing.) Media exposure doesn’t limit to TV, radio, and newspapers.
Build up a referral system!
A real estate agent’s most powerful lead generation tool is referrals. According to NAR, agents estimate that recommendations account for more than 89 percent of their leads. If you work locally, references can be quite beneficial. You can develop a successful referral system by offering split payments for any referral. Here are our tips on how to create a referral system!
- Firstly, collaborate with other agents and agree on a split commission.
- Secondly, provide a discount to customers in exchange for referrals.
- Thirdly, give former customers a commission if they refer you to their network of friends or family.
- Set up a referral arrangement with movers, home refurbishment specialists, and landscapers as a unique stimulus for prior clients.
Conclusion
In the age of cold and impersonal online real estate transactions, many clients still prefer knowing the realtor up, close and personal. Nowadays, there is so much emphasis on social media and online digital channels marketing-wise. Key participants tend to forget the breath-taking opportunities offline marketing implies. If you believe online marketing alone will do the trick, you might be on the wrong track.
Word-of-mouth, sending direct emails, networking, and other useful offline marketing tools will result that everybody in your community (almost) personally know you. Moreover, they will associate your face with the business you represent. Offline marketing can cement your business influence, increase familiarity, and ultimately enhance your trustworthiness, thus brand. It might be more costly and time-consuming in the long run, but it will prove profitable later for sure.
The ideal way to do business is by combining offline and online marketing tools. Nevertheless, offline marketing can most definitely compete against digital trends and sometimes even defeat them, especially in a smaller community.