Importance of Agent Marketing

This is an excerpt from an article on agent marketing written by Elizabeth over a decade ago for a publication. It is still very relevant today. Compare today’s marketing trends to a decade ago. Enjoy.

–JaCi Wallace

Beyond the expensive car or fancy clothing, a good listing agent lives and dies by marketing. Because marketing sells homes. Ask to review a complete copy of the agent’s marketing plan. Precisely, what is the agent going to do to sell your home? Here is the bare-bones minimum you should expect:

• Professional signage, including an agent’s cell phone number
• Lockbox
• Daily electronic monitoring of lockbox access
• Follow-up reports on buyer showings/feedback to the seller
• Broker previews
• Incentives for broker/office previews
• Staging advice
• Digital targeted marketing
• Advertising in local newspapers, only if it’s warranted
• MLS exposure with 36+ professional photographs
• Virtual tour
• Distribution to major websites
• Four-color flyers, if warranted
• Financing flyers for buyers
• Minimum of two open houses, providing its location is a candidate

• Direct mail to surrounding neighbors, out-of-area buyers/brokers
• Exposure at Board of Realtor meetings
• Feedback to sellers on buyer sign calls and buyer showings
• Updated CMAs after 30 days
• E-mail feeds of new listings that compete
• Updates on neighborhood facts, trends, and recent sales

Remember, no single tactic sells homes. It’s a combination of all those methods that sell homes.

Characteristics of a Good Listing Agent

You will be in a relationship with your listing agent for a month or two or longer. Choose an agent you like and can relate to. Here are some of the characteristics sellers say they want in an agent:

• Experience: Let new agents learn the business on somebody else’s dime.
• Education: Ask about degrees and certifications.
• Honesty: Trust your intuition. Your agent should speak from the heart.
• Networking: This is a people business. Some homes sell because agents have contacted other agents.
• Negotiation skills: You want an aggressive negotiator, not somebody out to make a quick sale at your expense.
• Good communicator: Sellers say communication and availability are key.

Finally, ask for a personal guarantee. If the agent won’t guarantee performance and release you from a listing upon request, don’t hire that agent.

*The reason top producers who are team leads usually do not offer discounts is that the team leader might not work with buyers. She might assign her seller to a team member for the buying end of the transaction. 

If you want to buy or sell a home with quality agent marketing, please call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX Gold, at 916-233-6759.

–Elizabeth Weintraub