Many years ago, a new agent told me that she was going to watch Suzy Q, the top agent in the company. She was going to do what she saw Suzy doing. After a couple of weeks she discovered that Suzie's most productive prospecting technique was just answering her phone when it rang.
That seems simple enough. The problem was that the new agent's phone was not ringing. Suzy Q's phone was ringing from past clients referring friends. Suzy's phone was ringing from friends and relatives and fellow church members and club members calling to refer their friends because they knew that Suzy was a qualified Realtor.
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| A post card, inexpensive, easy and it works like magic |
Every real estate training program in America teaches new real estate agents to send out 200 (minimum) post cards to everyone that they know, old high school friends, fellow church members, fellow club members, people that you do business with like your car mechanic and your plumber, relatives, and anyone else that you can think of that would recognize your name. Does this work? It is the best prospecting system in America. It works like magic. It will make your phone ring. The person on the other end will be a friend. Even if they don't have a referral for you, it will be a pleasant conversation.
Every real estate training program teaches new real estate agents agents to do this. Does every new real estate agent do this? HELL NO! Why not? It is a mystery to me. Would you believe that more new agents fail at their new career than succeed? This prospecting technique is simple. It is easy. It is inexpensive. It is absolutely rejection free. It seems like every new Realtor in America would do this.
Let us not concern ourselves with "most" Realtors. Let's talk about you. If you are new or kinda new in real estate and you have not done this, DO IT NOW. Start a list. Today. Put all your relatives on it. Put all your past employers and co workers on this list. Put all your club members on it. Put your dentist and your doctor and your lawn care guy and your beautician and your OLD REAL ESTATE INSTRUCTOR on the list. Do you know how I know most new agents don't do this? I teach about 300 real estate license applicants per year. I received about three letters last year. Why don't new Realtors do this? I do not know. If you have a theory, leave me a comment.
In today's modern world with email and social media, a posting on Facebook would work just as well. WRONG! Everyone is not on Facebook or Instagram or Linkedin etc. Everyone looks at their mail everyday. Post on Facebook in addition to the mail. Not in lieu of the mail.
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| Refrigerator magnets are great giveaways. They last forever. |
Twenty five years ago, I worked as a sales trainer for ERA, the real estate franchise. I taught a forty hour basic sales training course for brand new ERA Real estate agents. I was required to teach what was in the curriculum sent from headquarters. One of the prospecting techniques in the curriculum was cold calling. Cold calling is not for sissies. This is where a new Realtor sits at the phone and call everyone on Elm Street and everyone on Maple street and everyone on Pine Street and says, " Hello, Mr Jones. This is Ron Climer with ERA Realty. I was wondering if you folks have been thinking of moving perhaps now or in the near future."
If you will do this one hundred times, you will get two listing appointments and maybe two referrals. Ninety six people will say "no". As I said, this is not for sissies. This is for tough guys that can handle rejection.
At the Florida Association of Realtors convention, I had lunch with an ERA broker that had been selling real estate forever. He told me a story that I have repeated many times. Here it is.
He said he was walking through his office. One of his new agents that had just finished my basic sales training course was talking on the phone as he walked past her desk. He heard her say," Hello Mr. Smith. This is Newbie Realtor with ERA Realty, Have you folks considered moving anytime soon?" He stopped. He heard this forty year old woman saying these words. Fear and trepidation were evident in her voice. When she hung up,he asked her what she was doing. She said that she was doing what she learned at ERA school. She was cold calling everyone on Elm Street. A tear fell from her face to the list of phone numbers on Elm Street. Dennis picked up the list, threw it in the trashcan and said to her," Do you have an address book in your purse?" (That would be your phone today). She took it out and handed it to him. He handed it back to her and said," Call all these people and tell them you just started selling real estate."
Dennis told me that now he would walk past her desk and she would be chatting on the phone about grandchilren and vacations and golf. Next month she was his number one salesperson. The moral of this story is when you are new in real estate, call everyone that you know and tell them that you are new in real estate. Ask them for a referral. There is no rejection. These are your friends. Confirm their address and mail them a refrigerator magnet.
Social media is cool. It is not as cool as a phone call from an old friend.
Mail your friends. Call your friends. You will find some prospects. You will enjoy doing it.
If this does not work as fast as you want it to, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhzCdscDqxc&t=209s
If I can help you get a North Carolina real estate license , contact me at www.firstrealestateschool.com
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