Today’s real estate prospects know more about the housing market than ever before. In fact, thanks to the Internet, there’s a good chance that most of the information many Realtors provide in FREE consultations has already been digested – leaving your unique expertise left for you to prove. In short, the curtain has been moved aside and the Wizard exposed…
Like no other time before, prospects today are distrustful until they see results and above all, they just don’t want to be sold. They are pinched for time and have precious little patience for anything that comes across as old hat hard sell advertising. For this reason, we must find ways to interact with past and prospective clients without selling them. Their attitudes about us are being shaped from word one, and much of what they think we are all about has been filtered through to them from TV, the Web, and print sources that have absolutely nothing to do with us.
In order to prevent our past clients and new prospects from bouncing away from us and towards (gasp) our competitors, we need to transition from standard lead generation campaigns to meaningful conversations. A key aspect of lead nurturing is the ability to provide valuable education and information up front. In doing so, you become more than an expert; you become a trusted advisor.
This can start by offering them some sort of substantial and valuable take away document as a download from your website in exchange for their contact information. The standard market analysis won’t cut it. Look for something local, something pertinent to your specific area that your customers will perceive as knowledge they would not easily gain without your specific insight or connections. Once you peak their initial interest, seek out ways to educate your clients and prospects over time. Doing so will keep you top of mind when they make the decision to sell or purchase.
Some ways you can accomplish this include drip email campaigns, newsletters, and education through articles – a sure fire way for you to be seen as a content area expert. The old truism still holds firm: Relationships take time. Think of how long it takes you to gain trust in someone new and apply that to your prospects to gauge when it might be the right time to move from expert to sales professional. Remember – you can never predict exactly when someone will need to hire you, but maintaining pertinent and consistent dialog with potential – and more importantly – past clients means you’ll be on their minds when they do.
