David Krichmar
By David Krichmar
And now for Part 2. (Check out part 1 here.)
4. Magnet Sign- “No one has ever called off a car magnet.” Really? Ask around your office — someone has gotten a deal off their magnet sign on their car. Get a nice and easy-to-read magnet for your car. Heck, how else can someone tell you sell real estate when they see you at a traffic light?
5. Name Tags- Yes, trust me, I know. No one has ever said, “You look amazing in that outfit. Now if only you had a tacky looking name tag, the outfit would be complete!!” But just like with magnets, it gives you the easiest and most direct way to make sure everyone knows you sell real estate. Make sure the name tag is direct and easy to read. Heck, make it catchy. Maybe a name tag that just says “Looking to buy a home? Ask me!” How much does a name tag cost? Maybe $15 on the high side?
6. Open House- Again, no one likes them… which gives you an even better opportunity to ask REALTORS® in your office if you can hold an open house for them, for one of their listings. It helps get that REALTOR® more traffic for their listing and it helps you get some new potential buyers. You can also try this approach with smaller home builders.
7. Market to a Professional- Think of a marketing campaign and aim it at a certain professional group. Try to choose a group that has some influence on other people such as CPAs or financial advisors. Or groups that have many coworkers, such as teachers, firefighters, police officers, or HR departments. Then offer them something for free. Some examples are a free home warranty, appraisal, free iPad, or talk about a specific program that is just for them (e.g. tax credit for teachers). Then make a flyer and drop it off at schools, fire houses, offices, etc. These groups are great to market to because if you do a great job they will tell all their friends and coworkers.
Like I mentioned in my previous post, online marketing should still be king. But, there are still other ways to market yourself. If business is slow, or you are new to the real estate business, then this list gives you some inexpensive easy ways to market yourself.
David Krichmar has been in the real estate business since age 19 and is currently a mortgage expert in Sugar Land, Texas. Connect with him at www.daveyourmortgageguy.com or @DaveMortgageGuy.
David Krichmar
By David Krichmar
Let’s go old school for a moment. Trust me, I am not saying online marketing (social media) should not be No. 1. But until humans become robots and do not have eyes, there are other ways to market as well. Here is the first half of seven ideas I have come up with to market yourself offline:
1. FSBO’s- Yep, the dreaded “for sale by owner.” Yes, they can be a waste of time; but honestly, how much time does it take to ring a door bell? That’s all the time it takes to approach a FSBO. Instead of taking the usual, “Can I list your home?” approach. How about offer to do a marketing flier about the home with your info? If the seller has any buyers that are interested in the home ask them to give you a call. Offer to post their home on Twitter, Facebook, and blog about it. It can’t hurt you to try a different approach than most REALTORS®.
2. Real Estate Magazines- We all love to look through the real estate magazines that show homes for sale. Grab a bunch of these from your real estate office or from your grocery store. Then staple your business card to the front and drop off a copy monthly at your local salon, dentist and doctor offices, oil change places, etc. What does it take to do this? Some business cards, a staple, etc. Try it!!
3. Books- Yes, books are dying. But until they do, go by your local book store (Barnes and Noble or a local used book store) and find the real estate section. Stick a business card in the first chapter of every real estate and mortgage book. How long can this take???? Seven minutes per store — I timed it myself.
Stay tuned for Part II to read the rest of my great suggestions to market yourself offline.
David Krichmar has been in the real estate business since age 19 and is currently a mortgage expert in Sugar Land, Texas. Connect with him at www.daveyourmortgageguy.com or @DaveMortgageGuy.
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