by Doug McPherson   When people in your farm area think of real estate, does your name pop into their heads? If not, that means you have to improve your marketing.

Connecting your name and the words real estate takes time and involves many steps; however, it can yield a host of new clients. Proper marketing can keep you in peoples’ minds, so when they want to buy or sell property, they call you.

There are countless ways to get exposure for you and your business–your imagination is your only limit. But here are 20 to get you started:

1. Borrow and add. Cami Hobbs, a 28-year-old with just four years in the business, is already making a big dent in the real estate market in Denton where she works for The Realty Team. She borrows ideas from top producers and then adds her own twist. For example, she heard that many pros like to get together with those who live in their farm area. So on Halloween afternoon, Hobbs holds a party for her neighbors and their kids. She serves hot dogs and soda and hires a face painter. "The parents don’t have to worry about cooking dinner, and the kids have a ball," says Hobbs. "I got two listings from last year’s Halloween party, and believe me, they paid many times over for the cost of the party."

2. Aim for the eyeballs. If you want your name to be seen, put it where people look. Today, people look for information on the Internet, so you need a Web presence. But your Web site has to do more than show your face and phone number; it needs to attract visitors and hold their attention.

A UCLA study reported last December that more than half of Americans with Internet access buy things online. And the number-one reason cited by these consumers for online transactions? Convenience. Given this finding, your Web site needs to conveniently provide real estate information for potential clients. Put daily real estate news, financial calculators, virtual tours, demographic data, and electronic forms on your site. If consumers can’t find everything they need on your site, they’ll find it on someone else’s.

3. Be neighborly. Geri Cook-Lenahan, a 21-year real estate veteran with Virginia Cook, REALTORS® in Dallas, sends a "neighbor" letter to residents who live near listed homes. "The letter explains that a home in their neighborhood is for sale, and I ask them to send me the names of people they’d like to have as neighbors," she says. The letter gives her a double bang for her buck: It produces leads and lets people know she’s in the real estate business. However, you must be careful that such letters don’t violate fair housing laws.

4. Play ball. Ann Houston and Sue Darby, business partners for 14 years with RE/MAX Express in Denton, sponsor a little league team. The team gets much-needed funding, and Houston and Darby get exposure in the community. "We sponsor the younger players–six and seven-year-olds–because the parents go to those games," says Houston.

5. Lasso a FSBO. Getting your name in front of FSBOs can make the cash register ring like thunder. Send them letters every week while their homes are on the market to share ideas on how they can better sell their homes. If they have trouble making a sale, they may turn to you because of your helpfulness.

6. Lasso a FSBO II. Also, consider partnering with a lender. A FSBO’s guard isn’t up with lenders. Simply share your FSBO leads with your partner who will call them with pre-qualification, financing options, and qualified buyers–compliments of yours truly. Have the lender follow up with a letter that restates this information and also recommends you with your contact information. Be sure that no compensation for referrals exists between you and the lender.

7. Spread the news. Everyone sends out newsletters, but very few people send out good ones. If you take the time to put together a quality newsletter that covers local and relevant real estate news, then you stand out. Yes, it may take more of a time commitment to gather the right kind of information, but it’s time well spent when people actually read the newsletter.

8. Scratch your niche. Donna Trayler, a REALTOR® with Ebby Halliday in Dallas, says it’s vitally important to create a niche and tend to that niche at every possible turn. "My niche is high-end homes, and that’s what I point my marketing efforts toward," says Trayler. "That way I don’t have to worry about reaching everyone." She says the niche lets her target her marketing efforts much more succinctly. "If I have a house with an eight-car garage, I know where to spend my marketing dollars–I’ll go to a car magazine," she says. Right now, she’s marketing pro football player Deion Sanders’ home. "I market it in high-end publications like The Wall Street Journal and don’t bother with a yard sign," she says. "If I put up a yard sign, I’d have every sports nut in Texas coming through."

9. Take notes. Van Vanaman, also with Ebby Halliday in Dallas, gives a notebook to all his new buyers. In it he includes folders related to all aspects of homeownership, such as taxes, inspections, and insurance. "I think it’s good because my clients have one place where they can keep all their important papers," Vanaman says. "It’s something they refer to regularly, so they see my name on it. Plus, I include three business cards and a reminder to share any referrals."

10. Be active in your community. Houston and Darby know the importance of being involved in their community. In addition to sponsoring little league baseball, both are active in their churches and other local organizations, such as the chamber of commerce. Each fall, the two also give gifts to all the teachers in the Denton school system. "We give things that they keep around so they think of us," says Houston. "We usually give things like coffee mugs and rulers." Their community involvement has paid off. Darby says they don’t have to advertise that much because of all the referral business they get. "Just last night, I got a listing from someone I know at church," says Darby. "He told me he wouldn’t trust anyone else to take care of his real estate needs."

11. Wait a minute, Mr. Postman. As soon as Cook-Lenahan ends an open house, she mails out postcards with a picture of the house on them to everyone who visited that day. "The house is still on their minds, and then they get the postcard in the mail," she says. "When tax time rolls around, I also mail out to all my past clients a list of home tax deductions as a friendly reminder."

12. Food for thought. Vanaman has bought space on every single shopping cart in a grocery store in his farm area. "They work great," he asserts. "I have a logo of a moving van as a kind of play on words with my name, and the slogan is ‘moving people.’"

13. Going back for seconds. Vanaman continues his food theme with an annual dinner for all his buyers, sellers, and those who shared referrals with him during the past 12 months. "I do it up right," he claims. "I serve really good food and wine as a way to thank everyone, and it helps keep my name in that circle of people."

14. Give it away. Conduct free seminars on real estate in the libraries of your farm area. Renting space at libraries is usually inexpensive, and the word free will ensure an audience. Be sure everyone gets your business card and sales literature. And don’t forget to have a sign-in sheet to follow up with attendees.

15. Get personal. Cook-Lenahan uses the personal touch to keep her name in front of her customers. "I keep a huge database of everyone I know–potential customers, former customers, their children, everyone–and concentrate on sending out cards on every holiday throughout the year," she says. "That way my name is in front of people regularly." This tactic relates to the old marketing adage, "frequency beats reach." If you have a chance to reach 1,000 people once or 500 twice, go with the latter.

16. Be a joiner. Today more than ever, there’s a club, association, group, or organization for practically everything. Join them–especially the ones in your farm area. Many cost very little (if anything), and often they may be activities you enjoy. Why not have fun while you’re networking? Everyone in sales knows people buy from who they know. Get known.

17. Flag down clients. That’s another weapon in Hobbs’ arsenal. "I have a banner that advertises my services as a REALTOR® that I take with me to events and meetings. Wherever I am, I take a couple of minutes to hang it up and let people know who I am," Hobbs says. "I get leads from it all the time."

18. Be a media resource. Public relations is easy, inexpensive, and nicely complements advertising. It also enhances your credibility and image. Learn how the media work and what information they want (i.e., fast, reliable sources of information that helps the public).

    Introduce yourself to the reporters who cover real estate in your city and offer to be a resource. Emphasize to them how you, as a REALTOR®, help the public. For example, you know about housing costs, interest rates, mortgages, schools, zoning ordinances, real estate laws, and other things the public needs to know about. Make yourself available to the reporters and give them comments about these issues. Keep your antennae up for opportunities. Look for national news that can be localized. When Tom Brokaw breaks a story about lead-based paint in homes, call your contacts and tell them that REALTORS® have been warning clients about the dangers of lead for years. The possibilities are endless. After a while, the public will see you as the real estate pro that you are.

19. Spread the news II. Every time an item appears in the newspaper related to real estate (i.e., zoning changes, mortgage rates, etc.) Cook-Lenahan cuts it out, makes copies, and sends them to those in her database.

20. Use the key word. Of all the words you say to a client throughout a real estate transaction, one just might mean the difference between a lasting relationship and one that fizzles soon after closing: thanks.

    Gifts given to clients upon completion of a transaction–not advertised as an inducement–are a perfect way to say thanks and can spur goodwill, referrals, and word-of-mouth advertising. Choose gifts that keep your name in clients’ minds. Here are some examples:

• A weekend getaway.
• Magazine and newspaper subscriptions. This provides a regular reminder of your generosity.
• A dinner package at a nice local restaurant. Who wants to cook after moving?
• A gift certificate from a local furniture store.
• A framed photo of the family standing in front of their new home.

21. Give clients more than they expect. You expected only 20 marketing tips, but here’s an extra one.Trayler says she often and gladly goes the extra mile for her clients. "I’ve kept dogs, turned on electricity, baby sat–whatever the client needs, I offer my help," she says. "In this business you have to do what it takes to keep business coming."

Decide how you want to market your business, focus your efforts, and get people saying your name and real estate in the same sentence. Over time, customers may start calling you instead of vice versa.

Doug McPherson is a freelance writer and former editor of the Colorado REALTOR® News in Englewood, Colo. He’s published many articles on marketing and public relations for REALTORS®.

Photo illustration by Joel Mathews, photo © Creatas.

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Everyone sends out newsletters, but very few people send out good ones. If you take the time to put together a quality newsletter, then you stand out.