With today’s competition to win real estate clients growing fiercer, agents might want to steal a page from the popular AMC TV series “Mad Men” for turning prospects into clients. How did those marketing pioneers score clients from their Madison Avenue rivals?
Through creative, vivid visuals that tell a story, capture their prospects’ attention and emotions, and motivate them to act.
Unfortunately, real estate marketing tools in use today — printed brochures, paper folders and sell sheets — would fit right in with Don Draper’s late 1960s era.
Remember, a home is the most expensive asset your prospect will ever sell. So today, agents need to use a high-tech approach: high-definition and mobile tools, stunning visuals and video that wow prospective clients.
Social media marketing
Real estate sales have always been about networking to bring in referrals; social media puts networking on steroids. And the stunning visual component is what’s eye-catching to networkers — especially on Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat.
The use of sharp, crisp photographs will help you get noticed and will help spread favorable word of mouth. Social media networks are powerful channels for agents who know how to use them.
Take Pinterest, for example: A recent survey showed over 80 percent of active female Pinterest users trusted the site for information and advice — more than Twitter and Facebook. Also, nearly half of women social networkers said Pinterest influenced a purchase decision.
And, of course, your personal story begins with delivering a great personal website. Hire a Web designer who has the experience to create a professional feel and who can translate that into a responsive mobile-ready Web design.
Your site is your prospects’ first experience with your personal brand, and the majority of Web users will visit your site from a mobile phone or tablet.
Full-screen pitch
Your prospects see visuals on HDTV every day. So move beyond your printouts and folders by showcasing your presentation using your prospects’ Wi-Fi-enabled high-definition televisions.
By taking the time to learn how devices such as Apple TV can stream your presentation from your tablet or iPad to the big screen, you can use your prospects’ 60-inch TV to your advantage and highlight how you will be able to market their home.
If you can’t use your prospective clients’ big-screen television, you can always use a high-def mobile tablet to showcase professional photographs of your past listings. Tablets are affordable and easy to carry with crisp, pixel-dense screens that impress prospects.
Make your presentation pop
Impress clients with your attention to detail by offering interactive floor plans that help them walk through the home without actually visiting. Use beautiful photographs that link to a virtual floor plan to give prospective buyers a real feel of the listing.
Look at the layout, click on the kitchen, and, voila, you’re virtually standing in front of the sink.
When pitching, prioritize photographs of rooms buyers care about most, such as the kitchen.
When pitching a prospect, be strategic by being selective with the number of photographs that you show to clients. Prioritize areas buyers care about most: kitchen; living room; master bedroom and bath; landscaping; and home theaters.
And you can ease clients’ worries about photographing their home on a cloudy day. There’s no need to wait for sunshine when image enhancements can turn gray skies to blue and brown grass to green. Ask your professional photographer to provide you with a before-and-after link to a photograph that demonstrates the wow effect of enhanced images.
It’s now easier than ever to show new clients you’re a marketing maven who can sell their home faster and at the best price. Deploying a high-tech portfolio with stunning visuals will help you close the deal, get the listing and boost referrals to keep prospects coming through your door.
Brian Balduf has been actively involved in marketing, technology and media for over 30 years. He has built VHT Studios into the largest real estate photography, video and multimedia company in the country. A frequent speaker at industry events, Brian received his B.S. in marketing from U of I Chicago and an MBA and master’s in information systems from Benedictine University.