As we begin the new year, it’s important to have a marketing gameplan in place to increase your chances of success.
How are you staying connected with past clients? With a new year comes new homeownership goals for many—with the proper marketing and outreach, you can position yourself to be the agent your clients return to as they set out to accomplish their 2023 resolutions.
Here are a few ways our CRS agents are reconnecting with their clientele and staying top of mind in 2023.
Handwritten notes and postcards
In a time where everyone seems to communicate through technology, a handwritten note can go a long way. “[I] still do monthly snail mail—it 100% still works,” says Linda Price, CRS, broker associate with RE/MAX of Naperville in Naperville, Illinois. “My clients know by the third week of the month they’re going to get something from me.”
Alexis Bolin, CRS, broker associate with Keller Williams Realty Gulf Coast in Pensacola, Florida, and Cherie Benoit, CRS, sales agent with Keller Williams Realty Pinnacle Central in Worcester, Massachusetts, have found success mailing out postcards with their favorite recipes and household tips.
Monthly planners and calendars
Maria Dargan, CRS, broker associate with RE/MAX Revolution in Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, opts for a yearly calendar magnet. “Each year, I send magnetic calendars so clients can place them on their refrigerator—they get to see me every day!”
Be sure to highlight important holidays or any events you might host throughout the year.
Magazine subscription and newsletters
By sending your clients a personalized newsletter or industry magazine, you’re not only staying top of mind, but you’re also providing them with valuable industry insights they can utilize in their day-to-day life.
Kristie Tindall, CRS, managing broker with Brinkoetter Realtors in Decatur, Illinois, likes to send her base clients the monthly customizable “Your Home” newsletter—a benefit offered to all RRC members. She also sends Reminder Media Magazine to select, long-standing clients.
Don’t underestimate social media
When it comes to staying connected, Melissa Lundgren, CRS, broker associate at Better Homes & Gardens-Leaskou Partners in Palm Springs, California, has a favorite method: “Facebook, Facebook, Facebook!” Why does she use Facebook as her go-to marketing tool? Because it’s free.
“Friend them, pay attention to them, connect, engage, like, comment, tag, repeat,” Lundgren advises. The simple act of liking or commenting on a client’s post will get them thinking about you in no time.
Pop by with a pie
Patricia Gaskin, CRS, broker associate with C/21 Rl Est Champions in Madeira Beach, Florida, says clients remember her for her pies.
“The best response [I get] is when I personally stop by and deliver a pie of their choice,” says Gaskin. “It’s a chance to stop in for a quick chat or coffee and catch up.”
Food is a universal love language. If you have the time, think about delivering your preferred treat around your neighborhood. This offers your clients the chance to, quite literally, open the door to you once more.
Give the gift of email
After not seeing success in his email campaigns, John Young, CRS, sales agent with RE/MAX Excellence Realty in Silver Springs, Maryland, switched up his methods. He now sends out unique emails that offer something of value to his clients which gets his inbox blowing up.
“I realized that ‘Happy Anniversary’ email didn’t really produce engagement,” says Young. “When I started offering something of value, it got my phone ringing.”
For example, when the first freeze warning is announced in his area, he puts out an email to previous clients offering to bring by hose bib covers and install them.
He calls this the “Law of Reciprocity”—if you offer something of value to someone, they feel compelled to give you something back.
Content is essential for marketing yourself, your business and your latest listings. Learn how to create a strategy with the new webinar “Creating a Content Gameplan for 2023” at CRS.com/webinars.
Photo: iStock.com/Enis Aksoy
