One Agent's Simple, Effective Strategy for Finding Sellers

This message hit the RPR inbox a few weeks back, and it definitely got our attention. It's from REALTOR and RPR user Julie Toy and it explains how she's currently prospecting for clients:

Hi RPR!

A few weeks ago I began using the RPR Sellers Reports to send to past buyer clients and in most cases, to congratulate them on their awesome investment in real estate. Here is the basic gist of what I say in an email to them, and then I follow up with a phone call or text a few days later:

Hi Mr. & Mrs. Homeowner!

Attached is a property report for your home at 123 Main Street. What a difference a year makes! I don't know if anyone could have predicted the seismic shifts our real estate market has seen - even in the last 8 months - but I sure am happy for homeowners like you. You may not be thinking about selling, but if you were, now could well be one of the best times to pull it off.

Here's a fun fact for you: homes listed up to $350,000 in your county are averaging $14,000 above list price. That's no small potatoes any way you slice it.

Anyway, if you need anything or know anyone thinking of buying or selling, please let me know.

This one thing has led to four listing appointments in the last two weeks that I would not have had otherwise. I'm definitely a fan of RPR and appreciate all that you do.

This easy to implement way of using RPR Sellers Reports to prospect for leads and clients is really working wonders for Julie. We were so impressed, we decided to pick her brain and get some more details...

Q. Hi Julie, how long have you been a REALTOR® and what type of agent are you?

It will be five years this coming November. I work primarily in residential sales. I started out as a REALTOR® by working with buyers. The market was different then! Over the last two years, it's balanced out to buyers and sellers. Now I have more of a listing agent focus, which is a goal I set for myself.

Q. We were really impressed and inspired by the note you sent us. Tell us more about how you use RPR Seller's Reports as follow up prospecting tools:

So I have a database of my past buyer clients, and when a "house-aversary" comes up, I reach out to them with an RPR Sellers Report on their property. Then I follow up with a text to see if they received it. But sometimes they'll call me first and go, "Oh my gosh!" They're just blown away by the info and how much their home has appreciated. People certainly love getting those market activity details.

Q. And this method is getting you in the door with potential sellers?

Absolutely, even if they're just entertaining the idea of selling. It's a real conversation starter. I send it on an annual basis to anyone who's ever bought a home from me in the past, because the people who bought homes with me four years ago might be ripe for moving.

Q. What sparked this method?

I started using this Sellers Report technique right around the RPR "refresh" (Julie's talking about when RPR unveiled a new platform redesign in February of 2021). I looked at the new website, ran a Sellers Report and thought to myself, "OMG, I have to do this for everyone in my database. I need to reach out and share this with my past buyer clients and my sphere." I didn't know what to say before, but now I've got a real reason to share something with them. This "house-aversary" message gives me a reason to reach and stay top of mind with them.

Q. How do you deliver the reports?

I usually send my report by email and then follow up with a text the next day. I also have had some success by dropping them off on the front porch for a face-to-face. Human touch is powerful, especially right now… but of course, at a distance and whatever they are comfortable with. A chat on the front porch is perfect.

Q. What's your overall takeaway and experience using RPR?

Well, I am always just surprised at how much accurate info is available at my fingertips as part of my NAR membership. I can't believe I don't have to pay for this! It's fantastic. And it's user friendly. I'm not the youngest agent, and I'm not super techy, you know? But I find it so easy to use. One time I did get a little stuck, so I called the RPR Help Desk, and I tell you what, they helped me tremendously! I hung up the phone and went "Wow!" I can't believe how helpful that was. You don't see customer service like that. I truly appreciate it.

Q. That's great to hear! Our Customer Support staff is available 24/7 and they go above and beyond to help REALTORS® solve their problems or assist in any way. What other reports are your go tos?

For listing appointments, I often bring RPR reports as a leave behind. It helps me present myself as a market expert. I also like to use the Market Activity Reports to offer my clients a 10,000 foot view of their market.

Q. Can you recall an instance or a story where you really "wowed" one of your clients?

My wow moments have come in the form of running a Sellers Report for someone. I accompany it with a note that says, "Hey, do you know your home is worth this much money?" Using this approach the last couple of months with RPR lets me show them a real number so they have a real understanding of what that means. It's an "ah-ha" moment for them. They say, "Oh my gosh, since I bought my home, its value has gone up 150K." And that's a wow moment for them! With RPR, I have the data and reports to back it up; it's not just some number I came up with off the top of my head. Sometimes people think the number is inflated. But I say, "Here you go, here's this report from RPR," and with the data and stats, I can demonstrate how real it is. I love that and I know people appreciate it.

Well put Julie, and thanks for sharing your story with us. What a great, simple strategy for positioning yourself as a market expert and maybe even for nudging a few fence-sitting sellers into action.

Here's how you can get started creating RPR Seller Reports for your clients and hopeful prospects.

To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.