When the kids move out and mom and dad retire, the expense of that big house and all that property maintenance can start to feel like an expense they don’t really need. This is the mindset driving downsizing for many Baby Boomers. As an experienced broker with deep knowledge of your local market, you and your team are uniquely qualified to help them with this transition. And make no mistake, this is a transition, not just a buying or selling of a home for most Boomers. It represents a change of life, finishing one chapter and opening a chapter on the next part of their story. Your ability to facilitate an empathetic and informed approach to this market can be a highly rewarding and mutually beneficial endeavor.
Put Yourself in Their Shoes Whether you are a Boomer yourself, or a young broker/agent working with older clients, the first step to winning over the Boomer business is to put yourself in their shoes. Even more so than working with Millennials, Boomers have a story, a well-developed one, and your ability to relate to it in a real way is what they need to see before they will trust you with their business. Treat their home with great respect be it big or small. It is the place where their memories were carved. Let them tell you their story and if you win their business, remember it as you show them homes. Find common points of reference, but emphasize the excitement of the new. For Boomers, turning the page may be tinged with sadness, but your ability to be empathetic while emphasizing the positives of change, will make their transition much easier and leave you feeling good long after the deal is closed. Do this right and they will also become a great source of referrals for other Boomers in the same situation. Play Matchmaker with Your Boomer Leads Being the responsible broker that you are, you know it is important to take careful control of your inbound leads and care for them accordingly. As such you may want to consider that a lead opportunity with a Boomer, may merit some special considerations. For instance, Boomers who are downsizing often feel more comfortable working with agents who have similar interests. Pay careful consideration to match all of your Boomer leads with the type of agent that is best suited for their needs, best matches their life experience, or has a particularly positive personality. You Have to Be Where the Boomers Are One of the best ways to scale your business as a real estate broker is to network strategically and build meaningful relationships with referral partners. If you are striving to attract Baby Boomers, you would be wise to seek out valuable connections with other professionals that frequently work with this group. Home care providers, assisted living facility managers, estate planners, estate attorney’s and those working in finance are all excellent connections that could help to build your referral business. LinkedIn is great for forming these relationships, just as joining local networking groups like BNI or the chamber of commerce. Since you already have your thumb on the pulse of buyers and sellers, you know very well that they all want relationships with people they trust. When it comes to attracting downsizing Baby Boomers, credibility, trust and empathy will go a long way. Winning with Boomers Requires the Right Philosophy When Jim Weichert said, “People buy people before they buy your product or service,” he was describing all real estate business relationships, but this is even more true for today’s Baby Boomer generation. It’s this philosophy that drives all our processes and systems and is fundamental to success. Authenticity breeds success, that’s the Weichert way. If you are looking for solutions to get your brokerage on the path to growth, contact us to see how we can help. Go to https://www.weichert.com/ or call 877-567-3350. Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/how-to-appeal-to-downsizing-boomers/
0 Comments
As an experienced and savvy real estate broker, you already understand that building a powerful web presence for yourself is essential for forming new connections, generating leads, and attracting valuable agents to your brokerage. However, as the web becomes continuously louder, it becomes more challenging to earn organic traffic lead to your brokerage’s website and convert that traffic into leads. As you probably already know, content marketing is touted as one of the most powerful ways of earning and converting that targeted traffic your brokerage requires to continue to grow. To help you better understand the content marketing universe, here are three types of content that have proven results for generating the kind of interest and interaction that makes all your sales efforts, more effective.
Written Content Written content, such as blog posts, newsletters, market updates, and just listed/sold are the most traditional types of content produced on the internet by real estate professionals. Just because it is common however, doesn’t make it any less effective. The key to being successful with written content is to optimize it to get it on Google’s radar and other search engines, and to make sure that it is written with your target audience’s goals and challenges in mind. By anticipating buyer and seller pain points, your topics will resonate with more people. The more you tailor your content to have both technical and human appeal, the more it will generate both credibility for your local brand, and of course, leads. Video Content Video marketing has been viewed as one of the most powerful forms of content marketing for the last decade thanks to the success of platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Many people find video content easier to consume than written content. This along with the ease of producing good quality videos on an iPhone today, has led to a boom in video content consumption. Real estate brokers and agents have been using video for years of course, to show house tours and related content online, but this is not the only subject matter you should use. If you already have a blog, simply convert those topics into videos which you can use to grow your presence on YouTube, social media platforms, and your website. Audio Content Audio content is now surpassing video content in both results and popularity because people now consider audio even easier to consume than video. In fact, Salesforce reports that in 2017 the average consumer was listening to more than 5 hours of podcasts each week! Therefore, it goes without saying that progressive brokers are making a move towards audio platforms like iTunes and SoundCloud to reach their audience. For those of you that have been creating videos for the last several years, this is great news because many free and inexpensive software programs will allow you to extract the audio portion of your videos and use those files for podcasts. Another consideration is that companies like Google are transitioning to “voice search” and search results will begin to include more audio-only results especially on mobile devices. As a broker, being ahead of this curve is sure to give you a leg up on the competition. Plus, if you don’t like being on video, this now gives you options! How Content Marketing Has Proven Itself Valuable As a real estate broker, you already know the value of earning the trust of the public. In fact, trust is the biggest obstacle for most businesses in any industry. Content marketing allows you to break down those barriers and earn people’s trust passively. An Easy Agent Pro study conducted recently found that 90% of consumers find custom content useful and 78% believe that companies behind content are interested in building good relationships with their customers. From the beginning, Jim Weichert sought to create and build upon his connections with the members of his community, which continues to this day. That means knowing where your clients spend their time and making sure you are where they are. It also means interacting with them the way they want to receive information, no matter how that changes over time. These are the types of core beliefs that have grown a single real estate office into one of the largest providers of real estate related services in the country. To learn more about the Weichert formula for brokerage growth, please contact us or visit our site at https://www.weichertfranchise.com/weichert-real-estate-franchise/ or call 877-567-3350. Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/real-estate-lead-generation/content-marketing-strategies-for-real-estate-brokerages/ With Millennials surpassing Baby Boomers as the largest segment of our country’s population, it is more important than ever to build a brand and a business that appeals to them. Especially since Millennials are approximately one-third of all home buyers and sellers. With these numbers in mind, it is clear that establishing and maintaining a real estate brand that wins over 21-35-year-olds is now mandatory. The question is, how does one create such a brand?
Dispelling the Millennial Myth When you think about Millennials and building a brand that will earn their trust, you probably think that technology needs to be at the forefront of your messaging. This is the most common millennial marketing myth out there today. Although technology is a priority to them, Millennials care far more about authenticity, altruism, and accountability, the three A’s of Millennial marketing. The biggest way that companies lose their footing with this lucrative sector is that they lead with their tools, rather than their hearts. Even more than Baby Boomers and their parents, Millennials want to see and need to believe deep down that you care about them before they will buy into you. Natural Authenticity & Altruism While everyone is out there telling Millennials that they care about their needs, a better approach is to create content that is in the best interest of this demographic and offer it up for free on a consistent basis. This shows that you authentically care about the community and are willing to earn their business. The more content that you create, and the more valuable it is, the more powerful your brand will be at attracting all the right people, whether they be buyers and sellers, agents, or referral partners. Give your knowledge and content freely without expecting anything in return, and the returns will come. Another very powerful way that you can show off your authenticity is through customer service, which happens to be another major priority of Millennials. Don’t claim to be dedicated to providing quality service and then drop the ball down the line. Instead, go above and beyond the call of duty and create content around how you help people achieve the results they crave. When Millennials talk, they will talk passionately about those that helped them and showed them that they really cared. Accountability for the Win There are moments in every business when things don’t go as planned and that is okay. Most Millennials are extremely forgiving when it comes to human errors with one caveat: you must hold yourself accountable. Let’s say that you made a promise to a young couple that you would meet with them for an hour to help them prepare an offer, but something comes up causing you to miss or forget your appointment. Don’t just shrug off the missed appointment or try to make excuses. Instead, use it as an opportunity to prove you are accountable by apologizing and providing even more time and assistance than you originally promised. Every mistake or human error can be transformed into an opportunity for advancement with Millennials if you prove that you are accountable for your actions. Weichert® Brokers Live the Three “A”s It is easy for Weichert to talk about the three A’s because these are similar to the values that have been part of our culture since before there were Millennials. Those are Integrity, Professional Standards, Added Value, Personal Service and Relationships for Life. These values not only apply to how you can better appeal to buyers and sellers, but also how you appeal to new agents and how you make your brokerage the place to be. As Jim Weichert has said since starting his business in 1969, “People buy people before they buy products or services.” For more information on the Weichert approach to real estate and the tools and resources we offer to help you market your brokerage call us today at 877-567-3350 or visit weichertfranchising.com. Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/the-three-as-for-building-brand-credibility-with-millennials/ There is no denying that the way that brokers, agents, and clients form their relationships has undergone major changes in recent years. Now, more than ever, as buyers and sellers turn to the internet for their real estate needs, lead farming is being done on social media, blogs, through digital advertising, and on platforms like YouTube. However, while you may understand the importance of driving your agents to create valuable content for brand awareness, your agents may be wondering how to take the next steps to transform their connections into actual clients. Here are a few ways you can encourage your agents to take the next steps and leverage those casual connections into business connections and beyond.
Actively Engage Your Casual Connections In your quest to draw prospects on the outer edge of your sphere deeper into the fold, you’ll need to turn your focus to increasing their engagement with your content and your engagement with them. In other words, don’t just post engagement-worthy content like questions and polls, but actually look at who is responding to your content and take the time to reach out to them to say thank you, ask what they liked or didn’t like, or simply continue the conversation on a deeper level. Furthermore, if you have people that have stopped engaging with your content or never have (perhaps someone in your FB group) reach out to say hello and draw them back in. Touching base with dormant followers or subscribers could offer valuable insights into your content, message, and approach that you can apply to other relationships. This will also show people that you genuinely care about them, fostering a deeper sense of trust which leads to repeat sales and referrals. Host Events To Bring Them Out From Behind The Screen One of the most common complaints is that it is difficult to motivate online connections to meet with agents in person. Charity events offer a dynamic solution. Hosting a charity event to benefit a worthy cause is a fantastic way to get your followers to come out and interact with you in person over a common interest. Even better if you can set it up to bring them to the office. Organize a charity drive to collect toys, coats, food or toiletries and make your office the drop off point. Not only will you be able to create a story around your involvement in the cause, but you’ll have the chance to build a deeper connection with your prospects through your mutual beliefs and values. Once you’ve made a connection with those people in person, you will notice your engagement rates with them increase because they will have a better sense of who you are, how you operate, and what you have in common. Make sure that you have systems and tools, like a CRM in place to help your office and agents manage relationships efficiently as they develop from a loose connection into a client and don’t become lost in the crowd. More Than A Handshake There is nothing more powerful or valuable in real estate than a personal connection. Although technology may be shifting into the forefront as the way that we first connect with someone, our desire for human connections and personal relationships remains the same. Comments, likes, and shares should be viewed as opportunities for cultivating connections and nurturing those relationships, rather than as a way of replacing them. The key here is that you must be able to properly manage and maintain those relationships once they are formed through regular follow-up, valuable content, and personal touches. If you don’t have the systems and training in place to cultivate and nurture your casual connections, they will never transform into clients. At Weichert, those resources are a major part of each franchisee’s success as a broker. From our social content, direct mail and client follow-up programs to our proprietary CRM, Weichert supplies its affiliates and agents with the tools to move connections through the conversion cycle. If you would like to learn more about how to implement systems and training for your agents to help them convert their connections into long-term clients, go to https://www.weichertfranchise.com or call 877-746-2067. Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/blog/from-casual-connection-to-client-helping-your-agents-get-there/ It’s a crowded real estate market out there. Between independent brokerages and national brands, there are a lot of options for agents and potential buyer or sellers. What’s going to influence their decision and make you stand out? Maybe it’s a good reputation for performance and service; maybe it’s how often they see your signs in the neighborhood or wherever they travel or how often they see you in advertisements. As an independent broker, how do you compete?
Recruit Effectively Agents are subject to the same perceptions as consumers when it comes to the power of a well-known real estate brand in their market. They may feel that the bigger the brand, the better the marketing, support and lead generation will be to better support their efforts and lead to greater earnings potential. What’s really important, though, whether you are affiliated with a big brand or not, is that you can provide value to your agents and offer a positive, supportive environment in which they can thrive. Equally important is having a recruiting strategy and the materials to attract recruits to you. You create value by providing them with tools, training and leads to help them succeed. Recognize their accomplishments. Encourage a culture of support and have a little fun! Demonstrate Your Value Sure, there are a lot of discount brokerage options out there, but that puts pressure on profitability. Consumers are willing to pay for full service, but it’s up to you to demonstrate all they will get for their money. Make sure you have a dynamite listing presentation that shows them everything you and your agents will do to sell their home. Make sure that you have the right marketing and online programs in place to support clients’ listings and purchasing needs. Provide references and testimonials of satisfied customers. Do what you say you will do, be responsive and over-deliver on your promises. Make sure your marketing materials are professional and impressive. People like to be part of something positive. Do all these things well and you will draw in buyers, sellers and agent recruits alike without having to give away the store. Build Your Brand You must spend time and effort to build a brand that reflects your brokerage values and services. To attract buyers, sellers and recruits, people need to know who you are and what you stand for. Here are a few suggestions for brand building:
Differentiate Your Brokerage Recruiting effectively, demonstrating your value and building your brand will help you carve out a place for yourself in your local market and stand out. It can be hard to do this effectively on your own. Fortunately there’s an easier way through franchise affiliation and not all franchises are alike. A franchise model like Weichert provides you with recruiting strategies, materials and support to effectively compete for recruits, provides materials and guidance for demonstrating your value to consumers and has the recognition and support of a national brand that you can easily plug into your market and leverage. If this sounds like something you could use to power your brokerage, contact Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. today to see how we can help. Call 877-746-2067 or learn more at weichertfranchise.com. Original content posted on https://www.weichertfranchise.com/real-estate-marketing-tools/differentiating-your-brokerage-in-a-crowded-market/ |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
July 2020
Categories
All
|