Our words will never be able to do justice to the challenges and discrimination Black REALTORS deal with on a daily basis.
In this episode of Over A Pint, we invited four members of the Black REALTOR community in Canada to discuss and share their experiences.One of the most important things we can do right now is educate ourselves and listen.
Imagine crafting the perfect seller ads. Seller ads that bring in new listings. Inquiry after inquiry, contract after contract. Your GCI grows and you have the real estate business you’ve always wanted. It feels like a cool breeze up your shorts on a warm summers day.
Guess what?
That perfect ad doesn’t really exist. You need a series of seller ads. You need to test different seller ads to see which one works best in your neighbourhood. Then you need back up seller ad campaigns for when one starts being less effective and needs to be paused for a bit.
Then you need to get better at learning how to convert more leads.
This post is going to focus on the different ways to generate listing leads with many of the different seller ads you could potentially run. This is focusing specifically on paid Facebook seller ad campaigns. There’s way more strategy involved when you take into account all your marketing channels and options.
The OG Seller Ad: What’s My Home Worth?
Get your free home evaluation! Arguably the most overused seller ad in real estate, right ahead of “oh by the way, I’m never too busy for your referral”.
With that being said, the reason its the most popular seller ad is that it actually has worked really well. Some markets its so overdone by so many people that if doesn’t work nearly as well anymore. It’s worth testing in every single market though. There’s some we’ve seen it be a bust and some its pulling in seller leads that includes name, email, phone number, and address for under $3 per. On the flip side, some markets we’ve seen those numbers be over $40 per lead.
When crafting our home value ads we actually like to take a different approach. We move away from automated valuations towards personalized ones. We use it to establish that you’re a local expert giving them an accurate depiction of not their home value but what they could get if they were to sell their home today.
We focus the language heavily on what their home would get if they were to sell instead of just a free home evaluation. The shift in language attracts less of the “just curious” and more of those who want to know their homes value if they sold it.The more you approach it from the angle of “Are you thinking of selling?” or “Want to find out what your home would get if you put it on the market today?” attracts more of the right kind of lead.
The copy in a seller ad can help eliminate the wrong prospects before they ever opt in. It can help with targeting your ads to the right person just as much as the targeting you actually pick in the Facebook Ads Manager when building the ad.
We’ve tested landing pages for home worth campaigns and Facebook Lead Ads instead and we’ve found a better cost per lead most of the time with Facebook Lead Ads. We recommend testing both. The downside of a lead ad is if you do want to have it send an automated value to the prospect without you having to do anything. A landing page can make that process a lot easier for you.
If you want to generate more listing leads with seller focused ads its always worth testing if you haven’t yet a home value campaign.
Old Faithful: The PDF Guide Download
The very first client we ever had here at Just Sell Homes, and many who have come since, have said “I don’t want buyer leads, I just want more listings, so what seller ads can we run?” I didn’t want to just do a home value campaign because they had tried them many times in the past. So we sent out a survey to 100 of their past clients with a series of questions about what caused them stress, what mattered to them, etc… during the process.
The results were interesting. 70% of the responses were NOT about value of their home. It was about the stress around preparing their home for sale, how to get it ready for sale, and other answers that all came back to preparing the home for sale the right way. This led us to create a 3 page PDF for the client called “The Ultimate Guide to Preparing Your Home for Sale”. We’ve tested variations of the name but the guide ultimately is pretty similar with the different clients we’ve used it for. A checklist that goes in depth of everything someone would need to do to get the home ready for sale. They could even print it out and check it off as they do it.
Then we frame it in seller ads along the lines of “Want to see how professionals get their homes ready for sale?” then lead right into talking about the value they can get from the guide.
Short PDF downloads that provide a ton of value are incredibly valuable. The ideal PDF download lead magnet offers more than just what you could make a blog post. It would be a resource like a checklist. The beauty of the PDF for how to prepare a home for sale is that people generally don’t download that if they’re just curious about their homes value. They may be a while out from selling but they’re at least thinking about selling instead of just finding the home value.
Use Cautiously: We Have Buyers
We have buyers for your home! It’s simple, and to the point. That’s what sellers want, they don’t care as much about you the real estate agent as they care about a buyer for their home.
The tricky part here is that a lot of home owners are used to people saying this when they are essentially lying. So the more detail you can give about your buyers the more genuine it appears. So instead of “We have buyers for your home” you can say “Do you have a 4 bedroom detached in X neighbourhood? Our clients John & Sarah are looking for a home and nothing on the market right now fits their needs. So if you know someone thinking of moving we have buyers looking right now in X neighbourhood.” Ideally, you do that with a video standing IN the neighbourhood you’re talking about. Go to a park or somewhere recognizable so someone who lives there has instant recognition as they’re scrolling that its their neighbourhood.
The more personal you make it, the better it goes. ONLY do this if you actually have buyers. Doing this when you have none is no different than lying. Use it sparingly when you actually have buyers and target it to the specific area(s) your client is looking for. With Facebook ads you can get VERY specific with how targeted they are.
You do not need fancy copy, just make the ad pop by having imagery and copy that calls out the specific area and then say what you have. The more specifics you can share the better.
The Slow Burn: The Market Update Seller Ads
Building an audience before you need to sell something is the best long term strategy. This is where market updates can come in. Run ads offering market updates for specific neighbourhoods, the smaller you can make it the more likely people in the area will sign up for it, and get local homeowners signed up to find out what’s going on in their neighbourhood. From new listings, notable sales, and overall trends, you keep them informed on what’s going on.
The key to good market update ads are to add your insight. Anyone can go out and see stats that have been reported, but sharing your thoughts and expertise builds trust and will lead to business down the road.
When you send out your market updates you add in calls to action. From offering free home evaluations, letting them know what buyers you have at the time, or leveraging multiple CTA’s by adding the Dean Jackson Super Signature can work wonders. It’s the perfect mix of asking for the business without being in your face sales-y.
The End Around: Target Buyers
Not all real estate seller ads actually directly target buyers. With a few exceptions like first time home buyers, recreation properties, and investors for example, most home buyers need to sell their current property to buy the next one. Knowing this, and the fact that buyer leads are usually significantly cheaper to acquire on a cost per lead basis, just target buyers that are likely to have a home for sale.
Create ads that are targeting buyers whether its a specific listing, PDF buying guide, or a general list of homes for sale. These campaigns start as buyer leads and when you start having conversations and learning about them you can position yourself to also get the listing.
The Double Dip
Someone opts on one of our ads, great! Your seller ad created a seller lead. They get sent to your thank you page, the worst thing you can do here is just say “Thanks, we’ll be in touch!”
This is your opportunity to go further and provide them even more value.
At Just Sell Homes, we call this the Double Dip Offer. Why do we call it that?
I just really like Seinfeld. That’s it. No other big fancy reason. It’s an homage to my favourite show growing up.
It works like this: You run an ad, in this case lets say a what’s my home worth campaign, they opt in. You get all their information. Now, on the thank you page, make them another offer. They just ordered a report on their homes value. Now offer them the guide on how to prepare their home for sale. People who opt-in on both options are definitely going to be a higher quality lead than someone else. They’ve now received even more value from you. This doesn’t have to stop here. They can opt for the guide and then be sent to a page about looking for their next home. If you don’t have another offer you want to send them, push them to a page with a case study or some testimonials.
When they become a lead, that’s just the start of their interaction with you, treat it that way!
Bonus Tip: Set up your Facebook custom audiences so that anytime someone opts-in to a campaign, they’re retargeted with ads with your double dip offer OR client testimonials. This can help your conversion. If you’re advanced, you can set the Facebook ads to act as a drip campaign. For example, for Day 1-3 after opting in they see one specific ad. Day 4-6 another one, and then Day 7 a book a call CTA. This can help convert at a higher rate.
Want help setting up campaigns in your business? Book a call to see how we can do it for you.
Do you struggle with how to convert more leads or just want to get better results?
The most significant impact you can have on your real estate business is to increase your conversion skills. Leads are easy, but lead conversion takes skill, and it’s what separates the good from the great.
Honestly, lack of conversion on leads is our number one source of client turnover. It’s something we’ve been working on helping our clients with over the last couple of years, and we’re making it a focus for our clients to improve these skills.
Looking for valuable resources, thanks to my friend Nicholas Kusmich, I came across Phil Jones. Phil is one of the foremost authorities on sales, and I’ve personally implemented his teachings and have seen immediate increases in results.
Originally writing a book called ‘Exactly What to Say,’ Phil recently made an adaption for the real estate industry called ‘Exactly What to Say for Real Estate Agents‘. So I asked him if he’d do a workshop for 20 people. That specific workshop was a one time only event and only available to those who attended; however, I still wanted to create some takeaways so that even those who didn’t participate can benefit from it.
There’s gold here. You can take things from this and directly apply them, and you will see an increase in converting your real estate leads.
3 Keys to Show up to Every Single Conversation
Curiosity
Empathy
Courage
Curiosity: If your goal is to create certainty, you have to show up with interest. Ask carefully crafted questions to learn more about your prospect.
Empathy: Genuinely seeing it through the other person’s eyes. Empathy is taking an interest in what’s important to people you care about.
Courage: Have the courage to ask bold questions.
How to Open Every Call To Convert More Leads
Every call you take, you should open it with a:
Polite Opening: Hi, this is Andrew from Just Sell Homes.
Mutually Agreeable Fact: You were on our website looking for homes under $800,000 in Newmarket.
Easy to Answer Question: Did the list of homes come through to your inbox ok?
It’s all one line. “Hi this is Andrew from Just Sell Homes, you were on our website looking for homes under $800,000 in Newmarket, did the list of homes come through to your inbox ok?”
DO NOT ask, “Is now a good time to talk?” – If now wasn’t a good time to talk, they wouldn’t have picked up. Go right into the call with a polite opening, mutually agreeable fact, and an easy to answer question.
Shifts in Your Language
Don’t say, “Tell me more about what type of home you’re looking for?”. That has an implication of infinite length in an answer.
Instead, say, “Help me understand what you’re looking for in a home.” There’s a specific end to the conversation in your understanding of their needs.
You’re giving the person a goal to work towards instead of the more open-ended no set goal, “tell me about…”
Long Term Follow Up to Convert More Leads
Haven’t been in touch with someone looking at homes in a while? To convert more leads, you’re going to have to go back to your older ones.
“You got in touch about X, have you found a home yet?”
You don’t need to overcomplicate these calls with a ton of follow up questions. Simple and to the point often works the best.
Start the Close
“How open-minded would you be to look at some other properties with me as your agent?”
Nobody wants to seem close-minded. By asking them if they’d be open-minded about it, they’re more likely to entertain the idea.
Are you closing someone but are intending them to work with someone on your team, other than yourself? Try this:
“How open-minded would you be to working with one of our experienced buyer agents to help you find your dream home?”
I’m working with an agent already.
Don’t bring up the topic of another agent they may be working with at the beginning of the call.
Learn about them and let them see the value you bring to the table. Some will use the “I have an agent” as a brush off, but they haven’t committed to anyone yet.
Show the value, then after you’ve learned about their situation, ask how open-minded they are about working with you, THEN ask if they’ve signed anything with another agent.
If they haven’t signed yet, you can continue talking to them more in-depth about the process.
How to Respond to Listing Inquiries
“Hi, it’s Andrew from Just Sell Homes, you looked at [ADDRESS], is that the only home you’re interested in?”
“What was it that interested you in that property?”
Let them create context, then narrow it down. The goal is to start with a broad question and then really drill down after they engage so you can learn about their unique situation.
Empathy is the key.
No Phone Number or Wrong Phone Number
Don’t think of it as them trying to lie to you. It’s not a personal affront to give you the wrong information. What they’re doing is telling you how they want to communicate with you.
Open your email with your intro as we’ve detailed above and then say, “I’ve tried calling the number you left, but I’m guessing your preferred method of communication is email anyways.”
Turning Up The Heat
When someone opts-in initially, you follow up a lot. After a few weeks, you slow it down, but then after they’ve been receiving your slow-drip campaign, ramp it up again with 3-5 quick in succession emails.
This will push them to either unsubscribe from your emails or move forward with you.
Unsubscribes aren’t bad as they give you an answer. It’s better to force someone towards an answer than to be left in the dark.
Focus on Getting Responses
If there’s a period at the end of your communication instead of a question mark, you probably won’t get an answer.
Your goal with lead conversion and sales is not to go straight for the close. Once you get them engaging, the goal is to get them to keep engaging.
Learn about their wants and needs, uncover their motivation, and become their trusted advisor.
Questions build relationships, and relationships are the key to help you convert more leads.
How to Handle Voicemails
Wherever possible, don’t leave voicemails. The second you leave one voicemail, you give control to the other person. Don’t consider leaving a voicemail with the person until after 4 or 5 call attempts.
When you do, here’s what Phil recommends:
“Hi, it’s Phil calling from [TEAM/BROKERAGE], I’ve tried to reach you several times, I’m guessing you are either away right now, or I haven’t found a good time yet. I’m going to try and call you again on Monday at 4 pm. If that doesn’t work for you, give me a callback or a text with a better time.”
6 Stages of Writing Good Emails
Emails remain a gold mine, especially when trying to convert more leads. Phil shared his 6 P’s of writing useful emails. If you’re ever stuck, remember:
Perspective
Problem
Pain
Possibilities
Plan
Pleasure
Perspective: Use some form of scene-setting. Example: Like many of you, I’m spending more time at home and making plans for the future.
Problem: Identify the problem that you’re reaching out about. Example: When searching through our records, we haven’t been in touch in a while.
Pain: Address the pain point: Example: and I realize I had no idea what’s happening with your existing circumstances. Whether you’ve found a property, still looking, or decided to stay put.
Possibilities: List some opportunities. Examples: Perhaps you’ve been working with another agent or maintaining the search yourself online and reading the emails we’ve shared. I’m still here to help you with your real estate needs.
Plan: Layout the method of how you’ll be able to help them from here… Example. I’d love to connect over the next seven days and learn more about your circumstances.
Pleasure: Reverse of the pain. Example: At least, that will happen with this is I will have a better understanding and be able to help you more effectively in your search.
Now let’s put that all together so you can see what an email that helps you convert more leads looks like.
Hi <name>,
Like many of you, I’m spending more time at home and making plans for the future. When searching through our records, I noticed we haven’t been in touch in a while.
I realize I had no idea what’s happening with your existing circumstances, whether you’ve found a property, are still looking or decided to stay put.
Perhaps you’ve been working with another agent or maintaining the search yourself online and reading the emails we’ve shared. I’m still here to help you with your real estate needs.
I’d love for us to connect over the next seven days, where I can learn more about your circumstances. At the least, what will happen is I will have a better understanding and be able to help you more effectively in your search.
Looking forward to connecting,
SIGNATURE
With anything, what works precisely for one real estate agent, may not work for another. Take the ideas here, adapt them, test them, and find the combination that works to convert more leads.
If you want more leads in your business, we can help you get them. We help real estate agents grow their business online. Our specialty is Facebook ads, but we help with all online marketing.
Our goal is to help you grow your business, which is why we engage with the best in class people like Phil Jones, to learn and convert more leads.
Want to book a call to chat about how we can help grow your business? Click here.
Twitter for real estate, it’s one of my favourite platforms, but the one I see being used wrong the most. People are doing the very things you should never do on Twitter. It can be an incredibly valuable tool in your arsenal but only worth doing if you do it the right way.
Here is what I see people doing wrong most often:
Cross-Platform
Do you know what sucks to see on Twitter? Anytime someone has a Facebook post that automatically goes to Twitter. The post starts off, it may even be interesting, then it has a link to continue that takes you to another social platform. It’s an easy way to fill up your tweeting quota but you know what it also does? It annoys people.
Not only do people find it annoying, the content probably isn’t even good Twitter content. How you use Facebook and how you use Twitter for real estate should be different. They are very different platforms. Each requires its own strategy and execution!
One-Way Communication
I’ll use an example for this one. Let’s take the example from Mr. Real Estate Agent. Mr. Real Estate Agent is going to go into his account and type “OPEN HOUSE ALERT: Come check out 123 Main Street in Nobody Cares, Ontario today from 2-4 pm!” Some might even include a picture of the house!
Do you know how many people will see that and come to your open house? Probably the same amount of people who actively use and enjoy Google+ in your town. You are just blasting content out there with no particular reader in mind.
How do you use Twitter for Real Estate the right way?
Talk to people. Seriously. It’s that easy. Let’s take that open house above for example. I’ll even use an example from a listing I was doing an open house on. The house had a hockey rink and a sweet basement with a movie theatre, bar, and a few more “man cave” type accessories. Instead of blasting it, I went and found a few local sportswriters. I tweeted to them and said “@sportswriterperson Check out this sweet house, sports fan dream home! linktothehouse.com #mancave”.
Do you know what happened then? He retweeted it. Then a couple other of his followers retweeted, and a few more responded and favourited. The house saw some action. In fact, that tweet was seen over 20,000 times and it was free!
By finding someone the content would be relevant to and tweeting to them about it, I got engagement. Using the overly cliche saying “I put the social in social media”.
Not everyone is going to be talking about real estate though. You don’t have to stick to real estate specifically. What are your hobbies? Talk to local people involved in things you like. Engage with them. Talk to them.
When you talk to them about something they enjoy they are going to look to see who you are. They’ll see you’re a real estate agent. If you keep developing that relationship they are more likely to come calling when it’s their turn. At the very least they may connect you with someone else.
How do you target local people on Twitter?
You can use tools like GroundSignal to target locations. With that, you can very effectively find people tweeting in very specific areas. There’s another great tool you can use. The Twitter search bar.
Click into the Twitter search bar and type in near:nameofyourlocation. In my town that would mean near: aurora. By typing that in, I’ll get every tweet sent out from the Aurora area. That means now you can only target people who live in your area.
You can take that one step further. What’s one of your hobbies? Personally, I like to mountain bike. Why not engage with other people into mountain biking? Now I may go into the search bar and type in “near:aurora #mountainbiking” That will pull up anyone near Aurora tweeting about mountain biking. Then I can just cut through the noise and start talking to local people interested in what I’m interested in and start building relationships. Work is a lot more fun when you’re working with people you enjoy.
You can build meaningful relationships on Twitter but it takes time. I recommend local politicians, business owners, and journalists. Engage with them. Don’t pitch yourself but engage and have conversations. Then when it comes time to for them to need someone in real estate, you’ll once again be top of mind.
If you want to use Twitter for real estate the right way, start engaging with people. Find people talking about local real estate, your hobbies, your interests, etc… Engage with them and build a relationship just like you would if you met them in person. Except now you can do it from the comfort of your own home without pants on. Maybe don’t tell them you didn’t have pants on, they might find that weird…or like you more…depends on the audience.
When you think about video in real estate, you probably think about scripted, produced, edited, and polished videos that require significant time, money, and/or expertise but not about how to convert more leads through. This is “marketing through video.”
Here, I want to introduce the concept of “relationships through video” – sending simple webcam, smartphone, or tablet videos.
Continue through this post if you want to learn how effective simple video can be for lead conversion and 3 specific opportunities you have to use simple video to convert more of your leads.
How Effective Simple Video Can Be for Lead Conversion
We recently ran a survey for BombBomb customers with at least 10 videos in their accounts. We received 576 completed responses, with about 60% of those respondents in the real estate business.
One question: “Compared to traditional, typed-out text emails, how much of a lift has simple video in email given you for generating replies and responses?”
81% of people reported a lift in replies and responses from video. Isn’t that initial lead response one of the biggest hurdles in conversion?
Especially with online leads, who are colder and more distant than personal referrals, that response opens up the conversation. It’s the necessary first step to building relationship and ultimately converting to closed transaction.
Another question: “Compared to traditional, typed-out text emails, how much of a lift has simple video in email given you for converting leads?”
68% of people increased lead conversion using simple videos. More than 30% reported a lift of 50% or greater. What would it be worth if you could bump your online lead conversion from 5% to 7.5%?
Let’s say you’re generating 100 leads per month and converting at 5%. That’s 5 deals/month and 60 deals/year. If you bumped to 7.5, that’s an additional 30 homes sold per year. Hypothetical in this instance, but a real result for many people adding simple videos to their communication strategy.
3 Ways to Convert More Leads with Simple Video
So, when should you inject video into your day to day lead follow up and conversion process?
You’ve got scores of opportunities to connect with and convert your leads with simple video. I’m going to share 3 of them here – because I’ve seen them work so well.
1. Initial Lead Response
What it is: As your leads come in, add video to your follow up emails.
You can do this one-to-one, recording and sending a simple video to each person. Mention their name, the lead source, and anything else you know about them based on a form fill or similar.
You can also do this in a more automated way. Record the video once and set up the video email as an autoresponder. It’s far more efficient, but it does sacrifice effectiveness a little. That moment in which someone hears his or her name and knows that you’re talking specifically to him or her is a winning moment for you. Still, this more human form of automation can work.
Why it works: This is your first impression and your best shot. Why entrust this situation to a plain, old email that looks just like everyone else’s?
Face, voice, personality, expertise, and all those subtle, human elements that text, images, and even voice can’t deliver come through 100% in simple video.
Especially online, “your” lead is very likely a lead for one or more other agents at the same time. Video differentiates you. It builds “know, like, and trust” more effectively than other forms of communication.
Also for online leads, there’s a cloak of anonymity that they don’t want to shed immediately. How often do you get missing or incorrect phone numbers? It’s not an accident. You’re left to rely on the email channel – and video’s a great way to warm it up and humanize it.
Even for referrals, this is a very, very nice touch. The level of service a simple, personal video demonstrates is reassuring to someone relying on someone else’s recommendation.
2. Before and After the Appointment
What it is: As soon as you set an appointment, send a simple, personal video thanking the person, reiterating the time and place of the appointment, and setting expectations. As soon as the appointment is done, send another video. Thank them for their time. Restate their needs, wants, interests, and/or concerns. Let them know you heard them, that you understand, and that you’re uniquely prepared to serve them.
Why it works: Whether a buyer consult, listing presentation, or another type of meeting with a lead, you’re often competing for the job. These touches separate you from the rest. They make you more approachable, as well.
When the “meet” you in video before the appointment, they feel as if they know you a bit. The meeting and the conversation start in a different place and, therefore, end in a different place than if you’d walked in cold.
And the personal follow up is the icing. The thought, effort, and care this shows – even though it’s very easy to do – makes a strong impression.
3. Non-responsive Lead Engagement
What it is: Go through your leads. Notice all the non-responsive leads. Have you given up on them? Are you continuing to invest precious time in dead leads?
For those people from whom you’ve not received a return call or an email reply, send a simple, personal video. Speak to them by name and mention everything you know about their situation. Have they been getting automated listings from you? In what price range? In which neighborhoods? Speak to that. Let them know you want to help and give them a clear call to action. Also give them an out – it’s OK to hear “no.”
Use your analytics to know which non-responsive leads are opening up the email, watching the video, and clicking any links you provide. Give them another call when you see them engaging with this video – when you’re absolutely top of mind.
In just 30 minutes per week, you could send 10 or 15 personal, one-to-one reengagement videos to those leads who’ve not yet responded to you.
Why it works: A simple, personal appeal elicits replies and responses. The analytics let you know where the potential is.
You need a yes or a no. You need to bring people in or you need to cut them loose. You need to invest your time where it’s going to be most valuable.
By getting an interested reply or response, you’re in a position to move the relationship forward. By getting a firm no, you’re saving time. If they remain non-responsive, continue a drip campaign and drop in personally now and again. As you well know, different people are on different timelines.
Quick Wrap
Recording and sending video is often faster than writing and typing. It’s also far more engaging and differentiating than canned, pre-written emails.
If you’re not converting leads as effectively as you’d like, I encourage you to try simple video. It’s very much like leaving a voicemail, but more complete and more human and can help you convert more leads.
That’s OK. Many people are uncertain or uncomfortable about seeing themselves on camera and communicating with video.
That’s why we produced “Overcome Your Fear and Start Winning with Video,” a free, 26-page guide to answer your questions, share tips and examples, and help you win more business with your webcam, smartphone, or tablet camera.
There are many ways to send video in email, but most of them require several steps and some technical knowledge.
For a fast and easy way to record, send, and track video emails, try BombBomb free. No credit card info’s required and you have unlimited sending to up to 50 different people for 2 weeks.
You’ll love the replies, responses, and … the bonus when you convert more leads.
BombBomb’s VP of Content and Communication, Ethan Beute writes and teaches on using simple video to build relationships and grow businesses. He’s got an interest in marketing, branding, and messaging and a background in local broadcast television in Grand Rapids (MI), Chicago (IL), and Colorado Springs (CO). Find him on Twitter or Linked In
BombBomb makes it easy to build relationships with simple videos in email, text messages, and social media. Founded in 2006 and based in Colorado Springs, the company serves professionals of all kinds across the United States, Canada, and dozens of other countries. The industry with which they work closest is real estate.
