When was the last time a seller chose you over another agent who was a top advertiser on a real estate portal? Here’s what probably made the difference. They called, visited, and built relationships.
While other agents were optimizing their online presence, you chose to go the old-fashioned way, and it worked.
I strongly believe that the old-fashioned way is the most effective way to get listed in today’s competitive market.
Good old-fashioned conversations, relationships, and introductions are more powerful than online lead generation for a variety of reasons, but most importantly because very few agents use them anymore.
In the new era of social media marketing, agents who used it stood out. Nowadays, everything online is relatively automated and accessible to all agents, so it’s no longer noticeable.
What is unusual now is picking up the phone and calling someone or visiting them in person.
You probably know this intuitively, but the data backs it up. According to Accor, a global leader in the hospitality industry, 85% of businesspeople believe that having more in-person meetings would significantly increase revenue.
As a legendary salesman once said, “High fives always win. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
So how do you implement this in practice?Here we will explain some old-school techniques you can use to win a listing in this market. (By “old-fashioned” we don’t mean anything that wasn’t already widely available in 1990; we mean phone calls, in-person meetings, door knocks, and events.)
Databases are a treasure trove
One of the most obvious old-school methods is to keep in touch with buyers and sellers with whom you have done business before, beyond just sending the occasional email or text message.
That’s why your database is your greatest resource. At my company, we make tens of thousands of calls each month to contacts in our agent database, and we find that we get the best results when we call people we’ve dealt with before. Even better if they are doing business with you. There’s no better lead than this.
The next best thing is someone who has met you and remembers you when you call.
It’s not very effective, but it’s worth engaging with other people, even if you don’t remember their names at first.
Use your phone to contact all these groups regularly or on important anniversaries.
One of the best agents I ever knew scheduled an hour every day just to have casual calls with people in his network. He wasn’t trying to attract their business over the phone, just being a friendly and helpful advisor.
The fact that he wants to work with them is not stated. If you keep accessing the database this way, your name will always be in the conversation.
To put this into practice, ask to recall five past customers you haven’t spoken to in 90 days or more. Call not to ask for business, but to share valuable information, such as market updates, or just to check in.
Run this daily, and when past clients are gone, examine the rest of the database. After 60 days, track the number of referrals from these calls.
Let’s train our bodies
But staying in touch is just the beginning. When you meet in person, make it memorable.
Back in 1990, agents didn’t carry iPads. They showed up with heavy leather-bound presentation books. Believe it or not, this still works today.
Bring a high-quality record book, including physical copies of handwritten thank you notes from past sellers and images of other properties you’ve sold. The physical weight and specificity of the portfolio creates a subconscious sense of weight in the seller’s mind. Physical evidence of your success makes your authority visible to them.
Another reason why physical presentation booklets work so well is that they are relatively rare.
An equally unusual tactic is to give small physical gifts.
Just before the Christmas holidays, I personally visited each of my clients and handed them a basket containing chocolates, wine, and several branded products. The response has been overwhelming, and January has been a very busy month.
All agents should consider their business and budget accordingly for these gifts. You don’t have to overspend to make an impression.
million dollar letter
A few years ago, I was working with a developer who wanted to purchase one or more properties surrounding the property he already owned. With more land, we could build bigger and more profitable projects.
I hand-wrote three letters on high quality paper, one to each neighboring owner.
None of the recipients were home when I posted the letter, but one recipient was so impressed that he called me back and I was able to help the developer acquire the property.
That handwritten letter increased my client’s profits by more than $1 million. I don’t think email would have been as effective.
paradox of patience
This is where most agents thwart the old effort of being too aggressive.
The biggest mistake you can make when talking to a potential seller (on the phone or in person) is pushing too hard. I know the famous phrase “always close”, but the truth is, I don’t agree with it. Trying to force a prospect to take some action usually backfires.
Instead, your goal is to find their next action point. Instead of asking, “Are you ready to go public?” ask about work, family, and sports.
If a prospect says, “I might move back to Florida after my daughter graduates in June,” I’ll call them in May and not hear from them weekly until then. Identify when you might consider selling next and save it in your system for follow-up.
your unfair advantage
All of this shows that old school is not outdated. It’s just not used. That would be an unfair advantage for you.
While your competitors are spending their budget on Facebook ads that are similar to other agents’ Facebook ads, you’ll be the one who does the unexpected and builds relationships.
While everyone else competes online, the agents who win listings are the ones who pick up the phone and show up in person the old-fashioned way.
We recommend incorporating this practice into your week on an ongoing basis. By doing so, you can build a business that doesn’t rely on paid advertising and can gain listings in even the toughest markets.
John Angelopoulos is a former luxury real estate agent and founder and director of East Coast call center service Meson Agency. Connect with him on LinkedIn and Instagram.
