| When you plan your real estate marketing | | | | house and offers callers an easy way to contact |
| strategies to sell a listing, are you including your | | | | you directly. |
| #1 advocate for getting that house sold? | | | | 2. A digital camera to photograph the house and |
| Another way of asking that is, why are so many | | | | the ability to download the photo to your |
| real estate professionals unafraid to ask for the | | | | computer. |
| listing, but fearful of asking the seller to help get | | | | 3. Avery business card stock from Office Depot, |
| their house sold? | | | | Staples, or other office supply store. |
| The seller is the best advocate you could possibly | | | | 4. Access to Microsoft Publisher or a similar |
| have. When you make it easy for them to help | | | | program to create your lead-generation business |
| you sell their house, you'll sell more of your own | | | | cards. |
| listings, and in less time, regardless of market | | | | To create your cards, insert the house photo on |
| conditions. | | | | one side of the card. Add text on the same side |
| An inexpensive, effective way to make this easy | | | | of the card similar to the following: |
| for your seller is to create lead-generation | | | | Lovely 3-Bedroom, 2-Bath Home |
| business cards with a photo of the house, some | | | | Quite, Tree-Lined Street |
| basic information, and a toll-free number to call for | | | | 24-Hour Free Recorded Message |
| more information. | | | | 800-000-000, Ext. 123 |
| Your conversation might sound something like this: | | | | Maximize your business card by using the back |
| "Mr. and Mrs. Client, you've selected me to sell | | | | side for brief highlights such as: |
| your home, and I'd like to get you involved in one | | | | - New paint and carpeting throughout. |
| of the strategies I'll use to get your home | | | | - Large family room with fireplace. |
| maximum exposure. | | | | - Beautiful backyard with mature trees. |
| "Experience shows that the quickest way to sell | | | | - Close to two schools and shopping center. |
| your house is to make sure that everyone you | | | | The business card stock is formatted to print 10 |
| know - and everyone they know - knows that | | | | per page. Print 1,000 cards, trim, and give them |
| you're selling your house. In other words, your | | | | to your seller with suggestions for distribution: |
| buyer could be your niece's girlfriend's parents; | | | | - Put three on the bulletin board at the grocery |
| your next-door neighbor's best friend; your child's | | | | store, library, laundromat, church, drug store, and |
| gym teacher; or the gym teacher's dentist. To | | | | work lunchroom. |
| make it easy for us to reach all of those potential | | | | - Give one to their service providers: doctor, |
| buyers, I'll provide you with business cards that | | | | dentist, dry cleaner, lawyer, babysitter, handyman, |
| look like this (show example), and a list of | | | | accountant. |
| suggestions for distributing them. This strategy will | | | | - Enclose one with every bill they pay. |
| generate more interest in your property, increase | | | | - Leave one on the bill tray when they eat out. |
| the number of showings, and increase the odds | | | | - Ask family members, friends and neighbors for |
| of a faster sale." | | | | their help, and give them each 50 cards to |
| If they're a truly committed seller, they'll want to | | | | distribute. |
| do everything they can to help get the house | | | | You already know that the only good listing is a |
| sold. | | | | sold listing. When you use this easy, inexpensive |
| To implement this strategy you'll need: | | | | strategy and get your seller involved, you'll sell |
| | | | more of your own listings, and make twice as |
| 1. A toll-free number with multiple extensions so | | | | much money. |
| you can dedicate one extension to each of your | | | | And that client who buys your listing? |
| listings. You'll record a two- to three-minute | | | | You can help them sell their house, as well. |
| message for each extension that describes the | | | | |