Get Paid to Market your Real Estate Business
Written by: Marti Gossland
Lasting Impressions 2
Year after year, agent after agent throws thousands of dollars away on direct mail postcards that get 3% return at best. Many have thought, "There has to be a better way!"
They are right! There is a better way! How would you like to get paid for your marketing?
Parks and Recreation in most cities offer classes in just about everything you can possibly imagine, from photography to quilting, Kung Fu to cooking. Publicity for the classes is taken care of by the city and costs the instructor nothing. The instructor charges a fee for the class usually around $30 per student for anywhere from 4-10 hours of instruction. And can usually receive $2,000 - $3,000 a year for holding classes just once a week.
What better way to market your business? The city pays for the marketing and you get paid to teach people about buying a house. Hold classes on how to buy a house, what to do to improve the value of their house, how to shop for a mortgage, home improvements etc.
You become an expert in the eyes of your students, trust is built and everyone coming to your class is interested in real estate, they are thinking of buying or selling their home.
The trick is think of helping others not selling something. If you make blatant efforts to sell real estate you students will pick up on that immediately! Don't do it! It does more harm than good. But if your class actually helps first time home buyers understand their options, and the choices they need to make, you will find that they will come to you when they are ready to buy. You have become an expert in their eyes and they trust you to help them through the process of selling or buying their home.
Many real estate agencies hold such classes for people but they have to pay to market the class and many people feel that they will be trapped in a nightmarish hard ball sales presentation like those offered by time shares so they don't sign up. Rule # 1 for classes
Don't turn it into a sales pitch! Keep it informational.
There should be 3 elements to the class
1) A topic that deals with a specific problem your target market might deal with.
Examples first time buyers financing, home improvements that increase the value of your property, building VS buying, factors to consider when buying rural properties, how to save money on taxes, maintenance and other home owner expenses. Think about the problems that face your clients and then create a class that meets their needs.
2) Solutions to the problems that don't include buying a house from you or listing their property with you. Remember, this is not a sales pitch, it is a class. Once you build up trust the money part will naturally follow if your students believe you know what you're talking about. People do business with those they trust, you have hours to build up their in you.
3) Make the class interesting and fun. Plan your class well and practice often, have friends critique you before you teach. Make it interactive.. give students plenty of time to participate in the learning process. DON"T JUST LECTURE! Be energetic and cheerful no one likes a boring class. Be brief, get to the point, don't meander around the topic. Have a simple outline for each class printed and have lots of white space on the paper so students can write notes. Don't write out everything for them, if they write it down they are more likely to remember.
Better, much better than throwing away thousands on direct mail, and you reach people who are interested in real estate, you build relationships with your students and instantly become an expert in their eyes, you get paid, you get referrals. At the end of the class have a little party, snacks and soda or juice and pass out your business card.
Other places to teach....entrepreneaur classes, city college, at home related expos (seminars or workshops), in your office, libraries, and SBA classes. have fun marketing!
About the Author
Owner Lasting Impressions 2 - Custom Business gift baskets, greeting cards, Customer Service Tips
www.lastingimpressions2.com
