Five Agents Share: How to Get Your Foot in the Door without Knocking

In a webinar last week, top agents shared their tactics for getting their foot in the door of prospective clients — and many agents were excited to hear that the panelists weren't recommending door knocking!

If you missed the incredible event, here are insights and best practices from three panelists, who service various markets and niches across the country.

Bev Blume: Boost your visibility so you're not a stranger to your prospects

For Portland, Oregon, agent Bev Blume, getting her foot in the door is all about systemizing her outreach and focusing on visibility. She introduces herself through automated marketing campaigns, including mailers, so that her community begins to know her name, face and brand. When members of her farm respond to her mailers or ads, she follows up with them personally, then sends a handwritten note to them to ensure that they won't forget her.

In every note she writes to members of her farm, Bev mentions that the homeowner may see her and her dog out on their daily walks. In offering this connection point, Bev is gently reinforcing that she doesn't just sell real estate in their community; she lives there, too.

Last, Bev remembers to invite these prospective clients to events like her client appreciation parties, fall harvest event and Christmas tree event. Over time, these events become a part of her network's annual traditions.

Bev's mentality pro tip: "Real estate isn't a crock pot; you cannot set it and forget it." After you make contact, be sure to check in on your prospects until they are ready to transact. And after the transaction, keep in contact so that you may keep them as a client for life.

Maddy Mattson: Get on the phone but get them talking

In the luxury vacation market of Old Lyme, Connecticut, agent Maddy Mattson knows that she has to hustle to win the business of the tiny town's 2,400 residents. Doorknocking has never been an option for Maddy but over time, she's come up with the perfect workaround that focuses on the owners of Old Lyme's high-end homes.

First, Maddy targets the homeowners with an automated CMA offer. After they respond to get the value of their home, Maddy follows up personally with a phone call, explaining that an automated CMA may not be perfectly accurate because it doesn't take into account the upgrades, condition or specific location of their listing.

On the initial phone call, Maddy talks personally with the prospects and asks them what kind of improvements they've made to their home and what they love about living there. She uses this as an inroads to ask for an in-person tour, where she can personally assess the home while making a connection with the homeowner.

During the tour, Maddy makes sure that the seller feels good about their house while also explaining how the comps for the home may be higher or lower than the potential resale value. Maddy reinforces that she is an ally who will help them sell their home for top dollar, even if they have to make some adjustments before listing.

Maddy's property tour tip: "I focus on what they think makes their house special. It's [also] important to notice things that will appeal to a buyer in the house's price range."

Mark Baserap: Stand out from the crowd and you'll never have to introduce yourself again

If you have heard the term "personal brand" but wondered how it could possibly relate to winning more listings, Mark Baserap is here to prove that a strong persona can be all the branding you need.

Mark dresses to impress in casual St. Petersburg Beach, Fla., wearing a suit and bowtie at all times. And if that isn't enough to stand out from the beach-going locals, Mark also drives a 1969 Lemans convertible. As a result, he's known around town as "the bowtie guy" or the "yellow car guy."

The bowtie and car help him avoid awkward introductions (or the potential that a prospect not remember him the next time they meet). But Mark also leverages monthly mailers to help get his name out to his local market's homeowners. The mailers reinforce his local-centric approach and because St. Petersburg is a vacation market with plenty of out-of-state homeowners, it also ensures that homeowners who won't see him driving through town still get to know that he's the local market expert.

Mark's listing presentation tip: "I listen to the client, take notes and develop a strategic pricing analysis. Then I ask the seller where they feel their property lies between 0-10. If they answer 8, I ask what they think they need to do to make it a 10."

By proving that he'll go above and beyond to get their house to a "10" before listing, Mark proves he's not just looking for a quick sale — he's looking for a sale that will bring in top dollar.

Scott Kabel: Offer a higher level of service by narrowing down your prospects early

Agent Scott Kabel of RiverNorth, in Chicago, has the benefit of being a high-turnover area, which can help him to earn more listings — if he can identify them in time. Because RiverNorth is a highly transitional neighborhood, it can have less of a community feel and meeting sellers can be difficult for the area's 13,000 agents.

The secret, says Scott, is to make sure you're in front of the right people at the right time. Scott leverages predictive analytics, which helps him to narrow down the owners who may be thinking of selling soon. Once he knows his likely prospects, he follows up with them persistently but respectfully until he wins their business.

Scott's pro tip: By narrowing down his prospects before he begins his outreach, Scott can set the tone that each potential seller is special. His high-end boutique brokerage aims to offer "white glove service" to each prospect and client, from start to finish. Scott knows that he wouldn't be able to perform with this level of service if he were trying to determine the potential movers from high-rise buildings all on his own.

"I get to know each client and I treat them like family. I keep up with their family and make sure to stay in personal contact from start to finish."

Colleen Pye: Offer up wine and wisdom

In Tomball, Texas, agent Colleen Pye is done knocking doors. In fact, she's found a way to have potential clients knock down her door! Colleen knows the power of her local community — and she also knows about the best wine bar in town.

Colleen hosts events for top prospects at the local wine bar, where she and her co-sponsor lender talk casually about home buying, selling and the community in general. It's a low-pressure way to get to know prospects she believes are close to needing an agent but who aren't yet ready to hire her. She's always amazed by the number of attendees who show up; it's clear that she is meeting a local need by offering these events.

Colleen's advice: Host an event that makes you stand out from other agents in your community and provide easy-to-digest content (in context!) so that you begin building a relationship with each attendee. Your prospects will really appreciate it and you'll be on your way to becoming their trusted source for local real estate information.

If you would like to listen to the webinar, you can find it here.

To view the original article, visit the SmartZip blog.