Modern businesses have changed from the way business was done decades ago. There are many tools available now to build business and establish relationships for future relationships and business. Savvy business people recognize the tools that can help them and take advantage. In many ways, real estate marketing has changed along with other business marketing strategies.

Realtors have now begun to use social media as a huge resource as a real estate marketing tool. Using social media, Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, and other media, is a great way to generate contacts in their field and speak with potential clients. It can be a way to reach people that they would not ordinarily have contact with.

Another great way for realtors to network and advertise homes they are selling or their services, is to use flyers and postcards. When realtors use either of those things, it puts something tangible into a prospect’s hands for them to consider. One of the first rules of sales is to put the product in the customers’ hands. Since it is hard to put a house in the buyer’s hand, an attractive flyer or postcard is a reminder of what they want. Successful sales have come from buyers receiving a detailed postcard or flyer they could keep and consider.

Not only is the use of postcards and flyers popular, internet listings are as well. Since many people do use the internet throughout the day, it is a great tool to take advantage of. When buyers go to the internet, they usually look for things they want to purchase and they are comparison shopping. Realtors that list homes online usually generate more leads that if they only used word of mouth or newspaper ads.

By using different real estate marketing tools, realtors are building a larger pool of potential clients. Realtors are also extending their brand into different areas. The more marketable and well known a realtor is, the more clients they will receive. Even if the realtor’s brand is far reaching, the use of so many different tools increases the avenues of contact between clients, potential clients and the realtor.

A savvy realtor not only fosters relationships with clients and potential clients. They also build relationships with fellow colleagues and people in the real estate industry. Its important to have other contacts within the industry to maintain current information and have a network of help if it is ever necessary. Great realtors know when they can’t handle the demands of a client and they should always a referral ready to recommend to their unsatisfied clients.

Successful real estate marketing always encourages the borrower to make the purchase. It will never encourage them to postpone their decision. The content of their tools, be it Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, will always tell buyers all they need to know about the houses they represent or the specific house they are promoting. Realtors want their viewers and followers to be informed of the services they can provide and how they can help solve a problem.

With many different strategies available, realtors have options to use in order to reach their potential clients. Diligent real estate marketing can build a realtor’s brand and allow them to reach many more potential clients. Using those tools will keep clients and fellow realtors updated on market trends and what they have available. Real estate marketing is a huge part of how realtors build their business and they should use every tool available to get as much exposure as possible.

Tori is a real estate consultant specializing in real estate marketing.

Is your Smart phone already improving your efficiency? Now you can read emails on the go, edit and forward documents and so much more. All without the need of a computer! But, imagine what a smart phone App would do for your business!

Customer Service:

Your clients can have your phone number and email address ready to go in just 2 touches. Everything they want to research is at their fingertips. As a realtor, you want to be easily accessed when a client has a question or concern, and a Smart Phone App can open another form of communication with your valued clients.

Distinct Advantage:

It is important for you and your business to evolve with the technological advances. Mobile marketing will become a major part of your business strategy in the next year. Take advantage of it before your competition does! The Smart Phone, as a marketing tool, is very cost effective and a great opportunity for your small business.

Mortgage Calculator:

Help your customers assess the cost of their monthly mortgage payment with this special feature. You’d be helping them assess how much they can afford, without having to set up an in-person meeting.

Push Notifications:

Push Notifications, like Text messages, are sent through your app, to those who have downloaded it, and appear as a text message on their phone. Think about how you currently notify your clients about new houses on the market. With a Smart Phone app, you can instantly send out a message to all of your clients informing them about new listings, special offers, or other relative information, as easy as sending Email or using Facebook.

Builds Your Brand:

Build your business relationship with your existing customers. Mobile devices provide such a personal connection between businesses and consumers. When your business goes mobile, your consumers can download your app and literally carry you around with them. By enhancing your brand with a smart phone application, you differentiate yourself from your competitors while offering another outlet to communicate with your customers.

Attract New Customers:

Think of all the people you know with smart phones. Most users spend a good amount of time searching for new and useful apps to download. By making an app for your business, you have the ability to attract new customers that you may have been missing out on.

Integration with Existing Marketing strategies.

A Smart Phone app can complement existing campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, Constant Contact, Get Response, iContact, MailChimp, Campaign Monitor, OpenTable, SoundCloud and more.

YOUR Business!

30 Million iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and HTML Applications Downloaded every DAY, and your Real Estate Business doesn’t have one yet? Get connected with YOUR customers! Your customers are willing to put YOUR business in their pocket. A lot of your customers have iPhones, Blackberrys or Androids and they love downloading and using apps. If you have customers who are willing to walk around with your business in your pocket you should DEFINITELY take advantage of this opportunity.

In fact, you’d be crazy not to. Get Started now, Interact with your customers and market your Business with your own Mobile App!

Mark Turnbull, Owner of http://ibuildbizapps.com/ Helping small Businesses take advantage of smart Phone Apps on iPhones and Androids. Getting them Connected with their customers on a daily basis for a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. http://ibuildbizapps.com/

If attracting more home buyers is a top priority for you this year then it is critical to get the most out of your marketing budget as you can. So how can you maximize your ROI?

1. Build Credibility

The more credibility your brand and online presence has the easier it will be to close deals and raise the conversion rates of all of your marketing efforts. How can you accomplish this? Visuals can certainly go a long way but it requires a lot more than that. Forget old style written testimonials on your website no one trusts them anymore. Opt for video testimonials instead. However, perhaps the most productive efforts you can make are to ensure your build trust by clearly displaying your contact information and showing off your expertise through blogging and writing. The more faith prospective home buyers have in you when they call the less resistance you will encounter and the faster you can close them.

2. Respond Quickly

Real estate agents are notoriously horrible at responding to inquiries promptly. This is a great opportunity for real estate investors to get the edge by committing to and building a system which enables home buyers to get immediate responses and answers. Be the first to connect and get buyers committed to working with you and buying one of your investment properties before the competition even gets back to them.

3. Toll Free Numbers

Real estate investors could well find that utilizing toll free numbers could be just what they need to increase the ROI of all marketing initiatives this year. With 30-60% increases in direct response rates, enhanced branding benefits and higher conversion rates Toll free numbers alone can add double or triple digits to your returns.

4. Targeting

There are many types of marketing you can do that will produce hundreds of inquiries from hopeful home buyers and other investors. However, wasting your time with endless contacts who are not a match for your homes or business model is just foolish and will burn you out. Improve your targeting and only speak with those who qualify and want to do business with you.

5. Always Be Split Testing

Never stop testing. There is always room for improvement whether you are sending emails, running PPC advertising or are telemarketing. This will help you get the most out of every marketing dollar while being the first to spot emerging trends.

Bonus Tip: Using transactional funding for 100% financing on your real estate flips will ensure you the highest possible cash on cash returns for every deal you do this year.

Duane Ortega has been enabling real estate investors to increase their volume and make real profits from real estate in both good times and bad over the last 10 years with no hassle transactional funding through www.BestTransactionFunding.com.

Target Marketing With Real Estate Postcards

Marketing with real estate postcards is one of the most popular topics I’ve written on.

The rental housing market can be tough at times and sending the right message with real estate postcards can put you ahead of the competition and attract quality tenants who will pay on time and keep renting from you year after year.

Reaching The Right Audience With Real Estate Postcards

A few days ago I receive a clever email postcard.

It wasn’t a real estate postcard per se. It was sent from my old health club with the message, “We Miss You”, and was an effort to get me to re-join.

When I clicked on the postcard envelope I was taken to a link that showed my name on the front of the envelope. The envelope then turned around, the flap opened, and the card slid out of the top of the envelope to reveal the personal training staff.

Sending The Wrong Message

Up until then I was intrigued with the athletic club’s offer.

Problem is, I’m a tennis player and have never had the slightest interest in personal training. In addition to my tennis games I do work out, just not with personal trainers.

That was strike one.

I’d been a member of the club for almost 10 years, and given that I’d left a few months ago I thought there’d be some incentive to re-join.

A free month maybe. Or a reduced price on the dues. Something along those lines.

Something more carrot than stick.

Instead, the incentive was that if I didn’t rejoin in the next six weeks the initiation fee was going to increase.

That was strike two.

Target Your Prospect With Postcards

The one thing my old athletic club did get right was the timing of the mailing.

I’d left about three months ago, and the New Year is fast approaching, which is the classic time when people join health clubs in an attempt to lose those extra pounds put on over the Holidays.

Which started me thinking about real estate postcard marketing, and marketing in general, and how easy it is to go through the motions of marketing and totally miss your mark.

How To Send The Right Message With Real Estate Postcards

Here are three things to keep in mind with any type of real estate marketing:

Know Who Your Prospect Is

Is your prospective tenant someone who just lost their home to foreclosure and has to rent? Or is your prospect an apartment renter looking to upgrade to a single family home rental?

Send The Right Message

My athletic club clearly missed the mark with me.

Once you know who your prospect is, sending the right message should be a piece of cake. If you’re targeting renters that want a house without the upkeep hassles, in your postcard message talk about how your rent includes weekly landscaping and pool service.

Send Multiple Messages

You probably can think of more than one target market for the house you’ve got for rent. In our how to rent my house training I’ve seen investors try a ‘one size fits all approach’ with their marketing.

This is always a big mistake.

It’s OK to create several different real estate postcard campaigns with different messages sent to the different prospective renters that you’re targeting.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on marketing with real estate postcards!

Social media, web 2.0, social networking-these are just a few buzzwords of our generation, and it’s easy to see why. The Internet has grown into all aspects of our social interactions. Just about everyone from preteens to their grandmothers has an account on at least one social website.

With a business of any kind, social media can be used to your advantage. One of the most competitive markets these days is real estate, but gone are the days of billboards and commercials.

From the Realtor’s Perspective

Registering an account with one of the many social media websites gives you the opportunity to make a name for yourself and your real estate brand. As a realtor, you already have the necessary skills to really connect with potential clients and buyers: you’re friendly, outgoing, and willing to take risks when it comes to meeting someone new.

Unlike most other forms of marketing, social media gives you the chance to directly interact with clients. Instead of simply posting up status updates, share interesting links about the region or areas you’re selling in. Also, video has become especially popular as it allows brokers to show off neighborhoods and homes to a wide range of buyers.

The basic social networking platform is built as a forum for discussion. Reach out to home buyers by asking and answering questions. Believe it or not, a series of messages can lead to a face-to-face meeting

Home Buying

In the pre-Internet age, buying a home was a long and arduous task. But the Internet of today helps the buyer to do their own preliminary work-researching neighborhoods, demographics, general price ranges, characteristics of homes in certain areas, etc. Now with a simple click, home buyers can access whole databases featuring statistics about neighborhoods and properties before they have even met the realtor.

That’s what a lot of it is about: getting the information. However, there’s also the aspect of connecting. As it turns out, many home buyers are influenced by the neighborhoods they connect with the most (“connect” used in a non-technological fashion here). This is why people might live in the same area their entire lives. That sense of connection with the area drives comfort and loyalty.

But social media allows for expanded horizons. These days, when a person moves to an unfamiliar neighborhood, they can reach out to their social network for information regarding shopping, dining, and other facts that can help form a closer bond with the area.

About Tarik Sansal
Tarik Sansal is an internet entrepreneur. He is currently the founder and CEO of Romio, a smart social real estate search engine which leverages neighborhood networks.

Tarik started his careers in investments. He was the first investment analyst at Moon Capital, the emerging markets hedge fund. He is passionate about leveraging socially conscious internet ventures to make a positive social impact. He also has ideas around new alternative investment models which leverage a socially conscious approach to deliver superior returns to investors.

Image and perceptions is probably the single most important factor in your real estate success. If your prospects and clients don’t see you as the expert, you can kiss any business or referrals goodbye! Let’s face it; the real estate market is one of the most competitive markets to be in. You face competition from all angles. So how does one compete with so many similar agents selling the same houses? There are two battlefields you can compete in: Service and Expertise.

Of the two, the most valuable and competitive asset you can have is EXPERTISE! It has high-perceived value with a moderate/high competitive barrier. So it only makes sense to exploit your knowledge, wisdom, and local experience as you can. This brings credibility to your personal brand and your business. Here are a few tips to boost your expertise power:

1. Give specific examples of personal experience, cases, and solutions you’ve provided to clients. Don’t just tell people you’ve been in business for 15 years; cite your ability to solve their problems, negotiate offers, and answer their questions.

2. Gain the trust of your prospects. Most prospects will trust you if other people have trusted you; so this is where you whip-out your testimonials and past client cases. Testimonials add highly valuable social validation. Build a book of testimonials or cases. Place them in a binder or post them on your website as a digital PDF download.

3. Help your prospects get to know you, understand more about how you can help them. Educate them on your service, expertise, and insider/local knowledge. Give them something to remember you by. The worst thing you can do is expect your prospect to take the initiative to seek you out.

4. 360 Connection! Connect with your clients in every way possible. In my marketing firm we call this “360 degree touch points.” This means phone, mail, in-person, email, Twitter, Facebook, video, and all other forms of exposure. You never know what media your prospect will respond to most.

Knowledge and expertise is POWER! USE IT! It’s the most under utilized most valuable asset you have in your business. Becoming the expert will take your brand and personal perception skyward and beyond. Exploit your expertise in your pitches, presentation, brochures, real estate flyers, and online. Don’t be shy, this is what will separate you from the pack. Soon you’ll be chasing less and selling more!

Reuben Fine is the creator of Turnkey Flyers. Turnkey Flyers hand crafts and designs Professional Real Estate Flyer Templates for Top Producing agents across the US and around the world. TurnKey Flyer Templates integrate Direct Edit, Plug and Print, PDF technology allowing you to create and design Marketing Flyers without having to be a graphic designer.