Louisville home sales have remained on pace with last year, hit highs throughout the busy summer season and the median home value ticked upward in many areas. But, like the weather, historically September begins a cooling-off period in the Louisville real estate market. But if you’re an agent looking for more business, read on to learn about these great promotional tools for Realtors.
Now is the time to start ramping up your marketing so that you can keep a steady flow of buyers and sellers during the slowdown. Whether you focus on selling shotgun houses in Germantown or specialize in helping buyers purchase new homes in Lake Forest, these 7 promotional tools for Realtors will help you generate business when demand dips.
1. Social Media
The power of social media has become undeniable. It can be used for everything from marketing your real estate services on Facebook to touting your resume on LinkedIn to showcasing homes on Instagram. And don’t forget about Pinterest where you can create short ad videos to showcase properties to your numerous viewers.
Countless hopeful buyers create boards while looking for their dream homes. The best part is social media accounts are free and expand your searchability. Even the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors has jumped on board the social media bandwagon with Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The best part is social media accounts are free and expand your searchability. Even the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors has jumped on board the social media bandwagon with Facebook and Twitter accounts. There is also power in promotional giveaways so keep your mind open to all potential business-creating ideas.
2. Hyperlapse App
Pictures, and now videos, are a big draw for buyers that are shopping around online for a home. The free Hyperlapse app can help you take high-quality videos using just your smartphone, making it easy to add stunning clips to your social media sites. Hyperlapse is worth downloading for the amazing image stabilization alone.
3. Real Estate Signs
“For Sale”, “Open House” and the coveted “Sold” realtor signs have long been one of the most effective and affordable promotional tools. If you’re looking for ROI there’s no better way to spend your marketing dollars. Add a sign rider that instructs people to Google the address and you’re guaranteed to see an uptick in online traffic.
Many buyers still tour neighborhoods before beginning their online home search, which means a yard sign can catch their attention first. Another reason real estate signs are still a must – Millennials prefer to walk. A new National Association of Realtors study found that this segment of the population (many of which are first-time homebuyers) has a preference for walkability, and it’s changing the real estate landscape. It can also have an impact on your exposure as they travel to work, run errands and socialize.
4. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
Building and working with your leads is the most critical part of a real estate agent’s long-term success. Upwards of 75% of a real estate agent’s business comes from referrals. There’s no better way to keep in touch with past clients and prospects than a customer relationship management (CRM) system. With these systems, you can create email marketing campaigns and set up auto-responders so contact remains constant.
5. Sponsor a Local Charity Event
Philanthropy is a huge selling point for today’s buyers in all industries. Again Millennials are leading the charge in this newfound focus on capitalism with a conscience, as Entrepreneur.com puts it. Ultimately, there’s no better way to build goodwill towards your personal brand than by giving back to the community.
Choose a charity you truly believe in, get involved (and get face time) as much as possible and bring tasteful swag to the event. You can also use the event to generate content like blog posts and social media mentions for even bigger marketing benefits.
6. Mobile-Friendly Website
More and more buyers are looking for homes on the go using their mobile devices. Google also recently updated its algorithms giving preference to mobile-friendly websites. For these two reasons, it is essential to have a mobile-friendly website that’s easy to access and use on all mobile devices. Responsive designs are a great way to make sure your website is usable on a desktop or mobile device since they automatically adjust depending on how someone is accessing the site.
7. Online Introductory Video
Outbound Engine, a leading email newsletter company, did a real estate study that found 71% of closed seller transactions and 68% of closed buyer transactions came from trusted sources or face-to-face contact. An introductory video can help you get face time with potential clients. Videos can be embedded on your website, uploaded on social media accounts, and shared via email with your current contact list.
