Real estate agents don't say "yes" to an email, or a letter, or a flyer, they say "yes" to you. The question that begs is, "How many agents are you getting everyday to say yes?"
Yes to what? Yes to referring borrowers. Yes to joining your newsletter. Yes to co-sponsoring a seminar. Yes to reviewing lead generation strategies. Yes to participating together in a community event. Yes to cooperative advertising. Yes to knocking doors together (ok, I went a little too far, but you get the idea).
Getting to yes involves a basic fundamental, but are you using it everyday? Are you putting yourself across the desks of agents daily? It's great if you email a newsletter, distribute flyers, or mail brochures, but only as long as it's supporting your number one strategy...meeting agents belly to belly (figuratively). Then it makes sense to send your materials because agents will remember you.
Meet agents' in-person rather than speak by telephone because it's tougher for the agent to remove a warm body than it is to hang up a telephone. It sends a different message. It says you're serious about exploring a relationship together - keyword is "exploring."
When you meet agents for the first time, spend more time listening. That means when you talk, ask questions. Questions like:
- What are your struggles?
- How are the struggles affecting your business?
- What can you do to fix it?
- If I can help you fix it, can you see us doing business together?
- Where do we go from here?
Many loan officers have it wrong. They meet agents and regurgitate their offerings. Offers of closing loans on time, rendering great service and the lowest rates, yadie yada...
Marketing is easier than you think; often it's just a matter of doing. If you had a conversation with an agent daily for the next 60 days, you would have more business than you could handle.
How do I know that? Because I coach loan officers using the same goal. As a result, the ones that do it have more business, in a downtrodden market.
The more you meet with agents, the more chances to ask questions. The more questions asked, the more you discover how you can help. The more you help, the more agents want to refer clients to you.
You are a live, walking and talking brochure. It's the best brochure in your arsenal, but if you're not using it, it gets dull. Dull just like an axe chopping wood without ever being sharpened. The toughest call is always the first one. Once you get past it, you're on your way to using your #1 marketing tool.
Your #2 Marketing Tool
Stop being frustrated with real estate agents. Learn how to position your service uniquely and distinct. It's easier than you think and you'll produce the results you desire. It's helped hundreds of loan officers learn how to plan and execute a marketing strategy that separates you from competitors and attracts agents to your doorstep.
Each week I try to give as much information as I can, given the space available. But if you're serious about taking your marketing to the next level, you need to take the next step. If you want to...
- develop a powerful marketing message,
- create a perception of expertise that agents clamor for,
- use campaigns that keep your pipeline overflowing,
- build relationships that are loyal for a lifetime,
- establish yourself as a guru in your community,
- get more referrals consistently,
- make marketing less of a struggle and burden...
Then the Become an Agent Magnet Program has what you're looking for - detailed, how-to action plans on growing your business with successful relationships with agents.
Learn more about both here:
