Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
When a new potential client first connects with a real estate agent, it’s almost standard procedure for that person to be added to a mailing list to receive regular updates via email and text message.
But bombarding new prospective buyers with messages can prove to be annoying if that person isn’t actually ready to buy a home just yet. If they’re still saving to buy a home and some months or years away from actually being in a position to do so, those emails and text messages advertising homes for sale will very likely end up in the spam folder, and that person may even unsubscribe from your mailing list altogether.
But agents understandably don’t want to risk losing out on a hot prospect. So rather than bombard new clients with listings, agents should instead focus on educating those buyers.
Kevin Markarian, founder of Marker Real Estate, wrote in Forbes that many buyers when they first set out to purchase a home, know very little about the local market or the process of obtaining financing and making a bid.
“As a result agents can play a huge role in buyer education,” he said.
Markarian recommends that your marketing messages are focused on helping buyers to understand where they can find listings. In addition, agents can highlight financial resources for buyers while they’re in the process of saving for a mortgage. This will help to showcase the agent’s value in providing people with the information they need to actually buy a home.
One good idea might be to start a YouTube channel or a podcast that’s focused on buyer education. For those who prefer to write, a simple blog with regular posts relating to educating buyers will do the trick. In addition, agents should offer themselves as a resource or a housing expert to local media. Doing this, Markarin said, can help agents to build a comprehensive “thought leadership profile” and create trust with clients, especially when they see their name mentioned in the local press.
“Be transparent about how and why you’re keeping them informed and staying in touch,” Markarian added. “At the end of the day, real estate pivots on trust, and honesty and transparency are critical parts of building trust.”
