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16 REALTOR ® JUNE 2010 www.REALTOR.org/realtormag GIVE YOUR MARKETING A REBOOT Take your marketing to the next level. REBAC's new “Real Estate Marketing Reboot” course will give you great ideas for adding new twists to traditional marketing strategies. And this month, REBAC rolls out “Generation Buy,” a course that'll help you tailor your communications to different generations. Both courses are offered as electives toward the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR ® ) designation. For more information, visit REBAC.net. Advertisement 16 REALTOR ® JUNE 2010 By Melissa Dittmann Tracey Learn how to better connect with buyers and get more leads flowing in. MARKETING Marketing is essential to generate a steady stream of buyer clients for your real estate business. But do you have a good handle on how well your marketing strategy is working? Do you know where to invest your time and money? Is your message generating the biggest impact? And, most important, are others spreading your message, too? Savvy marketers know the best marketing is the kind that moves others to serve as your promoters and extend your reach. The Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) offers several courses that will help you stay on top of marketing trends. The courses are offered as electives toward the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR ® ) designation, which equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to win more business and better serve buyer clients. Here are just four of the tactics REBAC instructors teach to help you improve your marketing reach. 1. BE AN INFORMATION SOURCE. More buyers than ever are going online. Nine out of 10 recent buyers, in the 2009 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, said they used the Internet in their home search. Analyzing local housing statistics, spotlighting properties for sale, sharing community news, and answering common questions about the homebuying process can help you deepen your relationship with potential clients and build trust, says Richard Silver, ABR ® , of Bosley Real Estate Ltd. in Toronto, Ontario. “Be the person who has quality information and who is willing to share it,” says Silver, who recently presented the REBAC webinar “New Marketing Models for Finding Buyer Clients” (available for play- back in the member's only section at REBAC.net) and who helped develop curriculum for REBAC. “And make sure that information is good enough that they’ll then want to share it with their friends.” Silver uses the Internet to cast a wide net with his marketing. He has a breaking news site (www.downtowntorontonews.com), which compiles real-time Twitter feeds of community news and events. He also has a blog at www.torontoism.com, to answer commonly asked questions, such as “when is the best time to buy?” or “what are the up-and-coming areas?” He points prospective clients to the blog for more information. On social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, Silver syndicates his blog and connects with buyers in a more personal way. He also uses YouTube for video blogging and client testimonials. (Remember, get others to promote you, too!) 4 Ways to Ramp Up Your With an ABR ® designation, you gain valuable education that elevates your skills and knowledge in working with buyers. You also receive ongoing specialized information, programs, and updates that keep you abreast of the latest issues and trends, and access to members-only marketing tools that provide yet another competitive advantage to your business. “Share” buttons on your Web site and blog can help encourage viral marketing or friend-of-friend marketing. That’s when others pass along the message to friends, extending your reach," Silver says. (Try www.sharethis.com to set it up.) 2. HAVE A BUSINESS EXCHANGE. Get referrals flowing by joining a business networking group, suggests Dominic Cardone, ABR ® , GREEN, a broker with Keller Williams Real Estate in Media, Pa., and an instructor for REBAC’s "Real Estate Marketing Reboot" course. Cardone says 40 percent of his business’s referrals come from his involvement in Business Networking International (www.bni.com). He meets weekly with a local BNI chapter, which is composed of one representative from each of 30 or so businesses—an electrician, a doctor, a lawyer, and so on. The group's main purpose is to exchange business referrals. “There’s no cold calling. It’s only referrals,” Cardone says. Chapters of these groups are found nationwide (LeTip, www.letip.com, is a similar group). 3. GET ON TARGET. One marketing message doesn’t fit all. Buyers of different age groups often communicate differently, and knowing how to tailor your message can make it more effective, says Mark Given, ABR ® , SRES ® , GREEN, a speaker and trainer with Mark Given Seminars LLC and real estate pro with Wilkie Real Estate Inc. in Rocky Mount, N.C. REBAC’s new course, “Generation Buy,” breaks down Gen Y, Gen X, baby boomers, and matures to help you learn how to better market to these groups. For example, baby boomers and matures often prefer personal-touch marketing, such as face-to- face visits, phone calls, and handwritten thank you notes, whereas younger buyers often prefer more technology-driven communications, via Web sites, social media, or text messaging, says Given, an instructor for the “Generation Buy” course. 4. INTEGRATE YOUR PERSONAL INTERESTS. Get creative in finding new ways to connect with buyers, such as through a hobby or personal interest. Silver has found that many buyers share his interest in the environment. Recently, he began offering biodegradable leaf bags imprinted with his name, phone number, and Web site address. People all across the community use the bags when they clean up their yards. “It’s like having a For Sale sign on every lawn,” he says.
