Let ’ s Do a Little Brainstorming Here
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This is a very basic overview of the way a real estate deal goes from start to finish .
1 . You spend a lot of time and money generating leads 2 . Your marketing results in the seller contacting you about the property 3 . At some point you will have a phone conversation with the seller 4 . The next step is to look at the property if the initial screening call went well 5 . You inspect the property and decide whether or not to make an offer on the property 6 . After negotiations that offer is accepted or rejected 7 . If the offer is accepted you will proceed to the closing / settlement ( and get a testimonial )
If you look at the process it ’ s all pretty mundane . Ask yourself this ; looking at these steps , is there anything there that would create a remarkable customer experience ? I don ’ t think so .
So let me ask you this :
• If nothing were off limits , what could you do ?
• What would you change ?
• Is there a way to “ reinvent ” the way this process evolves ?
• Where can you innovate ?
Let ’ s start with # 1 , which is lead generation , and look at how you might reinvent the direct mail process .
If everyone is sending the same direct mail pieces , letters and postcards , what can you do differently ? How about sending out a newsletter with helpful homeowner tips as your first mail piece ? Instead of starting with a letter or postcard that says “ I want to buy your house ”, you begin your relationship with “ Hi I ’ m Sharon , and I have some helpful tips for you today ”. The point is to make a different first impression than everyone else . Think of it this way : Send the sellers something they will enjoy reading , and in the process , they will be introduced to you as a person rather than a business that wants something from them ( their house ). By doing this , over time you become the trusted resource in your market . At the bottom of your newsletter let them know that you buy houses and share your contact information .
Taking this thought one step further , why not replace one letter or postcard every quarter with something that would be useful to the sellers like a quarterly newsletter or market update ? Information to create these information pieces is readily available on the internet , so it ’ s really pretty easy .
Doesn ’ t that make a whole different impression than a “ we buy houses ” letter or a postcard that ’ s all about you and your company ? You bet it does .
Final Tips
I would like to challenge you to look at each one of those steps in the average real estate deal and think of a way you can “ reimagine ” the way you do business . Find ways that you can be remarkable in this crowded marketplace of real estate investing .
Sharon Vornholt
Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog
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