4 Lessons Real Estate Agents Can Learn from Tinder

Online dating and real estate marketing have some surprising similarities. Here are four lessons that agents can learn from searching for "The One" online:

1. Photos Matter

Just yesterday, I was looking at a listing in San Diego, trying to look at homes for sale. I found one in my preferred neighborhood and price range — but the agent only posted a single smartphone photo of the exterior of the house—parked cars, cluttered yard and everything. As a home buyer, I'm not going to bother considering this listing.

In contrast, I found a condo that's slightly smaller and more expensive, but it had a nice selection of photos where I could imagine filling the home with furniture. This condo I'm actually considering.

2. People Can Identify a Mass Message

A strategy that some people use that has a high failure rate is to copy and paste an opening line to be sent out to 50+ potential matches. The truth is, for every 50 "NOs," there is a chance for at least one "YES." However, the community of people receiving those messages can share it with other people and hurt your reputation. You should always give it your best when you're up at bat. Make a genuine attempt to get to know the real estate lead's needs before trying to get them to sign a contract.

3. Understand What the Other Person Is Looking For

In order to build rapport and get more personal with your real estate leads, you need to know what they are looking for. Maybe one lead is looking to relocate because of a career change. Maybe one lead is going through a tough divorce and needs to downsize. Maybe another lead is not looking to buy a home within the next two years, but is curious what home prices are like right now. This will help you be more likable, but also make prospects more likely to open your emails when you send them relevant information. Every lead is a human being, and each person should be treated like an individual.

4. Know When to Make a Move

Once you understand what your real estate leads are looking for, you will know what the appropriate move to make is. Some agents will assume a lead filling out a form means they are transaction ready within 28 days. This is not the case. For the "just looking" lead, you will need to nurture them a little longer. For the lead who wants to be shown a listing, you can adjust your email campaigns to fit their needs.

To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.