eMerge

Building a Homebuyer Pipeline Through the Residential Rental Market
As a new real estate professional, building a client base can be a daunting task. One effective strategy is to use the residential rental market as a way to build your homebuyer pipeline. By establishing relationships with renters early on, you can position yourself as a trusted source of knowledge and advice to potentially help renters buy a home down the line. Establishing Relationships with Renters The first step is to establish relationships with renters. This can be done by reaching out to property management companies, offering your services at universities/colleges, and utilizing online rental platforms such as Rental Beast. Once you form a connection with a renter, it's important to provide them with your expertise in the housing market so they see you as a trusted source of knowledge, and with excellent customer service so you leave a good impression. This will leave a mark in their mind so that when they are ready to make the jump from renter to buyer, they think of you first. Converting Renters into Homebuyers While your primary goal may be to help renters find a great rental property, it is important to consider the long-term potential of converting them into homebuyers. As you establish relationships, make sure to keep in touch and provide them with valuable information about the home-buying process. Keep them up to date on new mortgage rates, first-time homebuyer options, and more. When the time is right, suggest the idea of homeownership and offer your services as a real estate professional. Leveraging Referrals Another benefit of working with rentals is the possibility of referrals. Renters may have friends or family members who are also in the market for a home (to rent or buy), and by successfully working with them, you increase the likelihood of receiving referrals. Make sure to follow up with your clients after the rental process and continue to stay in touch via email or text, especially as they approach the end of their lease term. By building a solid network of satisfied clients, you can continue to grow your pipeline. To view the original article, visit the Rental Beast

8 Real Estate Marketing Ideas for June
Ahhh… the kids are out of school and the weather's heating up. Summer is here, and with it comes a wealth of opportunities for promoting your real estate business. So let's dive in! Here are eight ideas for marketing your real estate business in June: 1. Highlight "staycation" and local day trip ideas Inflation has taken a bite out of everyone's wallet these past couple of years, and not everyone can afford the vacations like they used to. Do your followers a solid while cementing your reputation as a local expert by highlighting day trip ideas and staycation activities in your local area. 2. Participate in National Homeownership Month If ever there was a month for real estate agents to celebrate, it's June—National Homeownership Month! We won't go too into depth here since we just published an article on ways to participate last week. Check it out for resources and marketing ideas: 5 Ways to Celebrate National Homeownership Month. 3. Host a "Summer Home Improvement" contest Social media platforms decrease your reach when you don't use them regularly or get poor engagement. Help keep your accounts active by hosting a social media contest. Ask followers to share their favorite home improvement project for a chance to win a gift card or home improvement-related prize. 4. Sponsor a local youth sports team Have a passion for sports? Consider sponsoring a local youth team this summer. This means that your logo is featured on their jerseys or banners, which can increase your brand visibility within the community and generate goodwill. 5. Create a series of summer-themed content Do you like blogging or creating videos? Whatever your medium of choice, put your creative skills to good use by creating a series of summer-themed posts about local attractions, events, and activities. You'll position yourself as a local expert while promoting the lifestyle of living in the area. 6. Celebrate Pride Month June may be National Homeownership Month, but it's most known for being Pride Month. Celebrate by highlighting LGBTQ-friendly neighborhoods or LGBTQ-friendly businesses in your area through blog posts, social media features, or local guides. This can be helpful for LGBTQ+ individuals or families who are looking for welcoming communities. You can also conduct a self-audit on your intake forms and marketing materials by making sure they offer inclusive language and imagery. Ensure that your website and advertising are welcoming and representative of diverse backgrounds and identities. 7. Launch a "Summer Seller Spotlight" campaign Summertime and the livin' is easy…especially when you have a home with an exceptional outdoor space. Create a campaign featuring properties with these types of exceptional outdoor spaces by highlighting backyard features, such as swimming pools, patios, and landscaping. For those in your sphere who are not ready to transact in the near future, stay top of mind by hosting a virtual seminar or webinar on outdoor living and entertaining spaces. Share design ideas, maintenance tips, and ways to enhance outdoor areas. This can attract both buyers and sellers interested in outdoor living. 8. Get ready for the 4th…of July? We know, we know — this is supposed to be a list of June marketing ideas, but hear us out. Independence Day is only four days into July, and there's just not enough time to plan ahead if you don't start in June! Whether you're hosting an event or planning an online campaign, this is the month to get started! You can, for example, compile a list of local fireworks displays, parades, and community events happening on July 4th. Share this information through your website, social media, or newsletters to keep your audience informed and

Basic Branding Tools for REALTORS: Getting Started with a Brand in 2023
What is your brand and how do you use it? Like any other business in any other industry, the best real estate agents are also branding experts: They know how to find clients by presenting what they do and how they can help in an alluring, interesting, trustworthy way. They grow a local following and become the go-to expert about all things real estate for at least one population niche. And it seems impossible to assess exactly how they did it, let alone follow their example. Well, here's some good news: Real estate branding actually is like many other businesses in many other industries, and that means you can do it, too. Successful branding involves identifying and speaking to your target audience, researching the competition, creating a brand identity, distributing your brand information, and then refining your brand so it remains fresh and relevant. Here's how to get started with some basic branding tips for agents. Who's your target audience? The essence of a target audience is simple but pinning it down can be a challenge for many. First ask yourself, "Who do I work for?" If you can't come up with a direct and targeted answer, then this is a step you need to work on before you can start refining your brand. Some agents believe that their target audience is "everyone," or slightly more marginally, "everyone who might want to live in this specific area." The problem with such a broad focus is that it's not actually possible to market to everyone or even everyone who might be interested in buying or selling a house in a neighborhood. That kind of branding is generic and easy to ignore, which you don't want. Beyond focusing on a geographic area, you'll want to think about how to further target your audience. Amy Cesario specializes in downtown Denver, and even more specifically, she's an expert on downtown condos in certain desirable buildings and developments. She's built her website, www.downtowndenver.realestate, around those properties and interests. Suzanne Hawken has a very different area of expertise: She helps clients buy and sell homes in Napa, California. You might have heard of Napa, but did you know that it has more than 20 different neighborhoods, each with its own unique twist on the region? Hawken's website, www.livinginnapacalifornia.realestate, helps buyers understand the differences between each option and determine which one will work best for them. PRO TIP: Instantly connect your brand to your local market! Get 20% off your .realestate web address through the end of June. Grab your city, neighborhood, or niche before someone else does. Plus, all .realestate web addresses come with a professional website that can be launched in minutes! Use promo code CITY20 Learn More Do some research When you've identified your target audience, it's time to dig into the competition. The first two things to explore will give you the basic competitive landscape: Are any other agents in your area targeting the same specific audience that you're hoping to tap? And what does their messaging look like? Ideally, you'll be able to find some kind of niche or target audience that's currently unexplored in your area, whether that's dog-loving aspiring homeowners or empty nesters hoping to downsize. But if someone else is already targeting your audience, then you have two choices. You can revisit the target audience exercise and see what other options are available to you, or you can try to differentiate yourself from the competition. Whatever you decide, you'll have a lot more information about what gaps exist in your market and what kind of opportunities they might present for you. Building your brand identity There's more to creating a brand than creating a name and a unique value proposition (UVP), but those are two of the first steps. The UVP will help you shape your messaging, and the name should be recognizable to and resonates with the client base you work with most regularly. Branding is both an art and a science. Some of the best-known brands in the world represent companies like Coca-Cola, Apple, Nike, and other behemoths of business. While they sell very different products, each of those companies has been very successful at creating a set of feelings and associations with their products. That is what a brand is. There are agencies and freelancers specializing in helping startups and entrepreneurs define and create their brands, and if you're not entirely sure how to start, enlisting help from them is likely a smart first step. Branding includes the entire look and feel of the company, including the logo, typography or fonts, colors used, and other elements that provide a sense of cohesiveness to all your materials. When your brand is ready to share, how do you go about making it part of your business? Here are some critical ways that you should start using your brand as soon as it's ready. First and foremost, you'll need a website. Not because you're trying to compete with real estate portals for web traffic, but because serious clients will want to look you up and learn more about you. If you have a website, that gives them a professional window into your business that you control. Along with your website, you'll want an email address that aligns with your brand. Your social media handles should also reflect your brand, so you might want to change your social media back-end if you can — or start new accounts that align with your new business. While your brokerage might provide listing presentation materials or signage for homes, it's a good idea to create your own materials that incorporate your brand. Ask your broker what your options are for spreading your brand through these forms of displayed marketing. PRO TIP: Get a FREE professional Website FREE WITH EVERY WEB ADDRESS PURCHASED: It's never been easier to launch your real estate brand online. Within minutes, have a website that is custom designed for you and is free for the life of your web address! Lead generating Multiple templates to choose from Pre-optimized for Google search Learn More Growing and refining your brand When you've built your brand, or at least feel like you've gotten a decent start on creating a brand that seems to reflect you, then your work is done! … Just kidding! The most effective brands try to continuously engage with their target audience and to constantly seek out new members of that audience. You can do that as a real estate agent if you commit to growing and refining your brand after launching it. One important step to take is to create a brand style guide. Your brokerage probably has a guide that explains the aesthetic, and if you make your own, you can use it to hire freelance designers and other professionals to help you manage your marketing. A brand style guide should include any brand colors or typefaces, the logo, and details about your "voice." That way, someone who's posting on social media for you can create content that sounds and feels like yours. Speaking of social media, another good way to build your brand is to consistently engage with your followers. Post often, but don't spam people — make it interesting for your audience. Be sure to reply in some way (even if it's just with a "like") to any comments that people are kind enough to leave on your posts. Asking for client reviews is another way you can grow your brand. Many people are happy to give a review; it's a common ask these days, and if you prepare your clients by letting them know upfront that you'll be requesting a review after the transaction closes, they'll be ready for the ask when it comes. Last but not least: Are there any certifications or designations that would resonate with your target audience and help bolster your brand, but that you haven't yet earned? The National Association of REALTORS® offers several accreditations for agents who want to refine their skills and demonstrate an elevated level of expertise in a certain