50 Reasons to Follow Up With Your Prospects (and Stay Top of Mind)

Thursday, 18 February, 2021

Following up with your leads and contacts is essential if you want a prosperous pipeline and consistent commissions. So while the money in real estate is found in the follow-up, it doesn’t have to be complicated. If you want an easy reason to stay in contact with homeowners for simple, effective follow-up, use this list to stay top of mind with buyers and sellers.

50 Reasons to Follow Up With Your Prospects (and Stay Top of Mind)

  1. Check in to see if they got your email.
  2. Ask if they saw the email attachment with their market stats.
  3. Provide service and ask if there is anything you can help with.
  4. Inform them of changes in interest rates.
  5. Inform them about price changes for homes in their market.
  6. Ask if they want to know how much homes are selling for in their neighborhood.
  7. Offer to do, or ask if they saw, your CMA.
  8. Verify their contact information.
  9. Return their call.
  10. Share tips for winterizing their home.
  11. Make sure they got your pre-listing packet.
  12. Make sure you’re “not dropping the ball” by asking if they’re still planning to list.
  13. Answer questions about your pre-listing packet. 
  14. Tell them the current Marketing Report.
  15. Wish them a Happy Birthday.
  16. Give them a few curb appeal tips for their home.
  17. Wish them a Happy Holiday.
  18. Invite them to your Open House.
  19. Share efficient moving and packing tips.
  20. Ask if their phone accepts text messages.
  21. Tell them about the hot market during summer months.
  22. Recommend a new restaurant in the area that you like.
  23. Inform them of an upcoming town meeting.
  24. Extend an invitation to a community event.
  25. Tell them about an upcoming fundraiser for someone in your community.
  26. Share your contact info in case they have any questions.
  27. Ask if you can text them to share your marketing plan.
  28. Remind them about upcoming local elections.
  29. Ask if the pandemic made them want a new home.
  30. Ask if they’re aware of neighbors who just sold.
  31. Share your resume for when they interview agents to sell their home.
  32. Congratulate them on a new addition to the family.
  33. During spring cleaning time, ask if they need more space.
  34. Ask if anything has changed with their timeline to sell and move.
  35. Inform them that you have people who are interested in the neighborhood.
  36. Tell a FSBO to text you if any questions come up about selling a home.
  37. Ask a FSBO how selling their home is going.
  38. Ask if there is anything you can do to help them achieve their home goals.
  39. Inform them of any new developments nearby. 
  40. Give them HOA updates.
  41. Share tips for getting their sprinkler system ready for spring.
  42. Give them a list of tips to help you sell their home, whether they use you or not.
  43. Invite them to an upcoming brokerage event.
  44. Share some landscaping tips.
  45. Ask a FRBO if they are still looking for additional investment properties.
  46. Talk about local sports team achievements.
  47. Send them a link to your website to see new homes on the market.
  48. Ask if they want you to keep an eye out for a specific type of property.
  49. Share some effective home maintenance tips.
  50. Inform them of the top 10 reasons homes don’t sell.

Follow Through With Your Follow-Up

Following up with any of these 50 reasons guarantees you a spot in prospects minds whenever they think of real estate. What might seem like a simple conversation actually has the power to pack your pipeline with prosperity. All you have to do is reach out and follow up.


About REDX

REDX offers real estate professionals a complete all-in-one prospecting platform for generating listing appointments. The platform includes seller leads, a dialer with up to three lines, and a lead management tool for simple follow-up. REDX maintains the position that all agents should be compliant with state and federal telecom laws – learn more here. Call (800) 731-7339 option 1 to learn more about prospecting FSBOs, Expireds, FRBOs, Pre Foreclosures, GeoLeads, and our Power Dialer – or visit www.redx.com

8 Steps for Setting Realistic Real Estate Goals in 2023

Monday, 18 January, 2021

Setting the right real estate goals and sticking to them is essential if you want to make 2023 full of appointments, listings, and commissions. Whether it’s lack of motivation, an unclear purpose, or an ineffective plan, these steps have the power to take your real estate career exactly where you want it. Discover how to set real estate goals that will produce results instead of regrets.

8 Steps for Setting Realistic Real Estate Goals in 2023

Step 1. Discover Your “Why”
Step 2. Understand Discipline vs. Motivation
Step 3. Develop a Confidence Mindset
Step 4. Determine Your Pillars of Business
Step 5. Make a Plan
Step 6. Track Your Progress
Step 7. Have an Accountability Partner
Step 8. Stay Consistent

Step 1. Discover Your “Why”

Every productive prospector keeps one thing in mind: a strong, clear why behind everything they do. When you’re constantly working towards something greater than yourself, it’s exciting to get out of bed every day and accomplish your real estate goals. Without this strong why, your drive and positivity can fade, and your success can decline. 

To discover your true why, you have to dive much deeper than wanting a new car or paying your bills. You have to be brutally honest with yourself and uncover these two things: 

  1. The positive why that you’re chasing 
  2. The negative why that you’re trying to avoid

Once you have a solid reason to wake up every day and make prospecting calls, write it down in a notebook every single day. This will help keep your why at the forefront of your mind, which in turn will positively impact your prospecting, listing appointments, and transactions.

Step 2. Understand Discipline vs. Motivation

A common reason agents fail to reach their goals is due to lack of discipline and motivation. So how can you stay motivated for all of 2023 without burning out? You need to understand the difference between discipline and motivation. 

Discipline is your ability to stay on track regardless of motivation. Motivation gives meaning to your daily goals and provides a sense of purpose for what you do.

If you’re clear on your goals and the steps it will take to get there, it doesn’t matter if you have a bad day. You should still be able to stay disciplined. Remember your why and push yourself to do the things you don’t want to do. Even if you only give 80-90% (instead of 100%), it’s still better than nothing. Your main focus should be on showing up and executing on lead generation every day.

To keep your motivation up, surround yourself with positive and uplifting people who will help you stay positive and on track. Fill your life and mind with motivational content and positive influences. Whether it’s a podcast, video, or coach, make sure your brain is filled to the brim with motivational thoughts and attitudes.

Step 3. Develop a Confidence Mindset

In order to achieve your 2023 real estate goals, you have to develop a confident mindset. Without it, real estate and prospecting are going to seem a lot harder than it needs to. If you aren’t confident in the service you provide as an agent, your potential clients won’t be either.

If you’re clear and confident on how you can better your clients’ lives, you’ll be able to believe in yourself and build confidence on every step of your journey.

Start by asking yourself, “What value do I bring to homeowners?” Whether it’s your neighborhood expertise, your dedication to service, or the 110% effort you give, determine what sets you apart from other agents. Once you believe in what you can bring to a homeowner, your confidence on the phone will skyrocket and transfer to the service you provide to your clients.

 

Step 4. Determine Your Pillars of Business

With so many ways to prospect and generate new business, a common mistake agents make is spreading themselves too thin. Many agents make the mistake of trying to tackle Expireds, mailers, social media, circle-prospecting, sphere of influence, marketing, FSBOs, door knocking… (you get the idea) all at once! This puts them on a fast track to burn out and prevents them from mastering any one skill or method. 

You can avoid this by finding three or four “pillars of business” to focus on. Top-producer Joe Rosen’s pillars of business include REDX, Social Media, Community Building, and then something trendy and fun. He focuses on his four pillars for 6 months, then evaluates his performance to see where he needs to improve or change.

Determining your pillars of business will help you discover what works best for your individual business needs. Plus, you’ll be able to fully master a few specific lead-gen methods rather than trying to do everything at once and falling behind.

Step 5. Make a Plan

Now you have your why, mindset, and pillars of business… it’s time to put them together to make your 2023 plan! Brainstorm specific, measurable goals that you want to achieve in 2023. Avoid broad goals like, “Make a million dollars in GCI!” and set more attainable goals like, “Sell 36 homes.” 

Once you have your yearly goals, break them down into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals. If your goal is to close 36 sales this year, you’ll have to sell nine homes every quarter, which breaks down into three a month and almost one a week! Sounds like a lot? Keep breaking it down into smaller, more achievable goals to help you stay focused on your day-to-day.

To follow the example above, determine the daily actions you need to take to achieve 36 sales a year. Track your numbers to determine how many contacts it takes to set a listing appointment, how many appointments turn into listings, and how many listings actually get sold. This will help you know how many calls you need to make every day and week to land a listing and close the sale!

Step 6. Track Your Progress

Setting goals won’t do anything for your business if you don’t keep track of them. Tracking your numbers and goals not only helps you determine if you have solid pillars of business, but it allows you to see where your plans could use some fine tuning.

One way to stay on track is to keep a goal notebook. Write down your goals and your whys every day at the top of each paper. This keeps your mindset on track for a successful and productive day. Then, write out daily objectives that align with your goals. Throughout the day, check them off as you complete them.

If you track your goals and daily objectives like this every day, you’ll know exactly what works for your business and what doesn’t. Plus, if you fall short of your goals, you’ll be able to go back and diagnose exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.

Step 7. Have an Accountability Partner

No one ever made it to the top alone, and neither should you. One of the best ways to ensure you achieve your real estate goals in 2023 is to share them with someone who will keep you accountable. Think of it as “Goal Insurance” that will help push you to your full potential this year.

All you need to do is ask a fellow agent or a good friend to check in with you on your daily and weekly goals. They can help motivate, inspire, and push you to pick up the phone, knock some doors, or post on social media.

This added accountability will help you achieve your goals and could be the one thing that pushes you to more appointments, listings, and commissions than you planned!

Step 8. Stay Consistent

New goals and plans are always exciting when we first start. It feels good to evaluate and elevate your real estate career. Trouble comes when the excitement and motivation wears off.

But you can keep things moving in the right direction with consistency. Like we mentioned before, discipline is a choice. Motivation can fade, but discipline and consistency must remain constant if you want to pack your pipeline and boost your business. 

So make a conscious choice to follow your plan daily and success will follow.

Prosperity is Ahead!

Having clear plans with specific goals to help achieve them will help make 2023 your best year yet. It’s up to you to remain disciplined and find the things that work best for your business. The income you desire is waiting for you at the end of these tips. Go and get it!


About REDX

REDX is an all-in-one lead data and prospecting platform that helps agents connect with qualified buyers and sellers. The platform includes seller leads, a dialer with up to three lines, social media tools, and a lead management system that simplifies first contact and follow up.

Click here to watch a demo, or call (800) 731-7339 ext. 1 to learn more about Expireds, FSBOs, GeoLeadsFRBOs, Pre Foreclosures, our Power Dialer and Social Media Tools for paid ads and content creation.

REDX maintains the position that all agents should be compliant with state and federal telecom laws – learn more here.

10 Real Estate Tips For Consistent Listings In A Changing Market

Tuesday, 23 April, 2019

Are you hoping for a consistent, predictable business during the next market downturn? It’s what every real estate agent wants for their business, but do you know how to prepare for it? Use these tips to help plan for the future, and avoid an unpredictable business dependent on market changes. Keep reading to discover how to come out on top when the market hits rock bottom.

10 Real Estate Tips For Consistent Listings In A Changing Market

1. Go And Get It
2. Aim For The Bullseye
3. Time Management Is Money Management
4. Find A Lead Stack That Works For You
5. Hit The Ground Running
6. Get Your Mind Right
7. Know What To Say
8. Don’t Break The Bank
9. Pick The Low Hanging Fruit
10. Don’t Give Up


1. Go And Get It

First thing’s first: if you want consistent business, you have to go and get it. Josh draws an important distinction between the dependent “lazy” agents who sit around and wait for clients to come to them, and the independent “prospecting” agents who actively seek out new clients and never have to worry about an empty pipeline.

When the market slows down, the dependent agents are left wondering why they aren’t getting any new business, and usually end up leaving the industry. The proactive “prospecting agents” see the declining market as a challenge, and use it as an opportunity to take on all the listings that other agents leave behind.

During the last market downturn, Josh recalls, “Lazy agents were leaving the business, and the agent count on the real estate boards were going down. It actually benefited Realtors like myself who were out there working hard, and competition went down.”

Like Josh, agents who continuously prospect through rough markets don’t have to worry about tough competition (or an empty pipeline).

So even when the market takes a turn, you can keep your business running by prospecting, door-knocking, calling your sphere of influence, and doing everything else a dependent agent doesn’t do. Not only will you have a consistent income, but like Josh says, you’ll pick up what the competition leaves behind.


2. Aim For The Bullseye

Even though you may not be able to control the market, you can control how you navigate it. Josh recommends goals as a great way to “keep you moving.” Without goals in place, road blocks, frustration, and poor results are inevitable.

If you want more listings, consistent cash, and peace of mind, you’ve got to know what you’re aiming at if you’re going to hit the bullseye.

Start by looking at what you’ve achieved so far. How many homes did you sell last month? How about last year? How often did you call your sphere of influence to ask if they’re ready to buy or sell? Or how many times did you get on the phone to prospect? Start with the basics to set clear, attainable goals, then build on what you’ve already done.

If you already have goals set, are they broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks? If you don’t have goals, grab a notepad and write some down. Knowing you can set and achieve goals will have a great impact on your income and act as a defense against a declining market.


3. Time Management is Money Management

According to Josh, successful and unsuccessful prospectors have one thing in common: they both desire a consistent and predictable income. Where they differ is in their ability to manage time and stick to a daily routine.

In order to hit his 180 transactions a year (no matter the market conditions), a prospecting routine in Josh’s business is a must

Like every successful prospector knows, if you don’t set specific times to prospect, you’re going to find excuses to avoid doing it.

In Josh’s experience, “The best time to prospect is in the morning and late afternoon into the evening.” Get out your planner, Google calendar, or daily to-do list, and prioritize how you’ll earn a predictable income (even in an unpredictable market).

With a clear routine and the motivation to follow through you’ll never worry about where your next listing will come from.


4. Find A Lead Stack That Works For You

With prospecting prioritized in your daily schedule, you’ll have to figure out exactly what to prospect. Calling the right leads at the right times can boost your contact rate and the amount of listings you’ll take.

Josh’s lead stack starts with For-Sale-By-Owners, then Expireds, then potential buyers, and finally, he circles back to call past clients.

With a routine-based lead stack in place, Josh not only knows what works best for his business, but he also knows how he can reach more homeowners and set more appointments no matter the market conditions.

Although Josh has a routine that works for him, your schedule might be different. Some agents prefer calling early in the morning before any other agent gets on the phone, and others prefer starting with unique lead types.

The important thing to note here is that there isn’t one “perfect” way to create a successful schedule. Try out a few different schedules and lead stacks to determine what works best for you and your market. It’s one of the nicest things about having your own real estate business – you get to set it up, then change it exactly how you want to.


5. Hit The Ground Running

Even with a great schedule and lead stack, hopping on the phone and starting your calls is often the hardest part. Whether it’s at the beginning of your real estate career or at the beginning of each prospecting session, call reluctance is real.

In the book “The 5 Second Rule,” author Mel Robbins says that when you want to start something new, you have to act within five seconds or your brain will turn against the idea. This means you don’t have time to think about potential prospecting problems when you hop on the phone. If you hesitate, you’ll never do it.

Josh recalls getting a list of FSBOs to call from his broker with the instructions to just “get to it!” No script. No advice. No time. Just, “Do it.” Even with such little guidance, his drive to be successful (especially in the face of poor market conditions) was what pushed him to do something so unfamiliar.

His first few listing appointments failed. But “getting beat up” over the phone is what led him to become a successful, experienced, and confident prospector with a consistent, predictable, and reliable business.

Just like coal requires years of heat and pressure to become a diamond, agents require heat and pressure of their own to come out on top as “diamond” prospectors.


6. Get Your Mind Right

Whether you’re optimizing your schedule or overcoming your fear of calling, growing pains are inevitable. So what can you do to make them more tolerable? What’s the best way to get out of bed every morning with the motivation to prospect?

Even though the answer might be easy, the execution is where people usually get choked up. Ready for it?…

The key to staying motivated is getting your mind in the right place. As you’ve likely heard before, mindset is everything in a real estate career, and you’re unlikely to survive with a negative one, especially in a declining market.

In the beginning, what kept Josh going was his positive learning mindset. “I kept a positive attitude and just kept thinking in my head, ‘Hey, I’m learning.'” To him, all the bad phone calls and awkward pauses were the stepping stones to a bulletproof career.

A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor, and easy prospecting never made a top-producing agent. Resist the urge to let a negative call, person, or market lead to a negative mindset and train yourself to turn every bad phone call into a positive learning opportunity for a better future.


7. Know What To Say

Even though there’s a learning curve for every aspect of prospecting, there are just as many ways to cut the learning curve in half, and the right scripts are one of the most effective. 

Knowing what to say on the phone will increase your confidence, which in turn will increase your listing appointments. In time, this cycle will ultimately give you the paycheck you want (and need), independent of market conditions.

Do a Google search for “real estate scripts” and you’ll get a ton of results (74 million to be exact!) Results like this can seem overwhelming. Which is the best one? You’ll just have to try a few, adapt them to your own style, and stick to the ones that give you the most success.

For Josh, a soft approach tends to work best. He focuses on asking the right questions, and his only goal is to get the appointment.

In this training, you’ll discover how top prospectors start every call by asking the right questions, the formula they use to overcome any objection, and how they set appointments even after being rejected.


8. Don’t Break The Bank

You might be thinking to yourself, “Okay, this is great advice… but how much is all this prospecting going to cost me, especially if the market changes?” It all comes down to how you invest your money (and your time). Don’t break the bank!

Too many real estate agents get discouraged because they think spending money on flyers, mailers, ads, and billboards will help them stay afloat. These might work for a few listings, but in a declining market, they’re unlikely to pull you ahead (especially when you’re already on a tight budget).

If cost is an issue for you, consider investing in lead sources and prospecting tools that bring consistent value over time. Just like investing in stocks, investing in prospecting tools will promote long-term stability in a potentially unstable market. 

In the beginning, Josh purchased REDX FSBO leads as his only lead source. He couldn’t afford much more than that, so he invested in something that could create consistency in his business. “It was so easy to just get the leads and go rock and roll with them,” says Josh.

Now that he’s consistently prospecting Expired and FSBO leads, Josh says “REDX pays for itself by at least a factor of 10 every month.” Starting small and bringing in different lead types over time will be the safety net you need no matter which direction the market turns.


9. Pick The Low Hanging Fruit

As you discover which lead types work best for you, you’ll learn that sometimes people don’t answer or just aren’t ready to sell their homes. But don’t count these leads out quite yet! If you want truly consistent listings, lead follow-up is essential.

As you start to optimize your prospecting strategies for any market, integrate a solid follow-up strategy to tie up the loose ends. Agents who don’t follow up with people lose out on way too many listings.

Agents who do follow up find that “NO”s become “YES”s since leads change their minds all the time. If someone says, “We’re not ready to sell quite yet,” make a note to follow up with them in a few weeks. Otherwise, when they are ready to sell, another agent will snatch up the listing.

And if you’re worried about “being annoying” – don’t! It’s easy to assume your calls are starting to annoy people and skip follow-up calls altogether. But Josh recommends avoiding this mindset by focusing on the potential earnings. “I know it’s a lot of calls… but in my mind it’s $5000.”


10. Don’t Give Up

Even after our most magical money-making moments, it‘s easy to become discouraged and unmotivated on those “I just don’t want to” days. 

No one has time for those days, especially when you have prospecting goals to achieve. You could have the best prospecting system in the world and still want to throw in the towel when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

When Josh has one of those days or gets off a bad call feeling discouraged, he turns up the jams, gets out of the office for a few minutes, and calls up a friend who pumps him up. “We bounce ideas off each other and give pump up talks,” says Josh.

Sometimes we can’t pump ourselves up on our own, and that’s okay. Having people, places, and practices in place to help when things get tough will hold you accountable and remind you of your ultimate goals. Just find someone (a co-worker, a good friend, a parent, or your dog) to remind you of your goals and who won’t let you quit.


Get It And Keep It

All of these tips add up to one thing: a successful and consistent real estate business. If implemented, you’re going to be a lot more confident, make more efficient prospecting calls, and get more listings (even in an ever-changing market.)

So the next time you see headlines about the market crashing, you’ll be safe and sound knowing you implemented a system that’s safeguarded against the unexpected.

“If you’re persistent, you’ll get it. If you’re consistent, you’ll keep it.”


About REDX

REDX offers real estate professionals a complete all-in-one prospecting platform for generating listing appointments. The platform includes seller leads, a dialer with up to three lines, and a lead management tool for simple follow-up. REDX maintains the position that all agents should be compliant with state and federal telecom laws – learn more here. Call (800) 731-7339 option 1 to learn more about prospecting FSBOs, Expireds, FRBOs, Pre Foreclosures, GeoLeads, and our Power Dialer – or visit www.redx.com

7 Best Places Top Prospectors Go To Find Roleplay Partners In 2018

Monday, 4 June, 2018

Do you want to feel more confident on the phone and regularly set more listing appointments? Do what every serious prospector does — find a real estate roleplay partner to practice your scripts and objections. Like any relationship, finding the right person makes all the difference. To help you find the right partner, here’s advice from prospectors earning $250,000 a year or more.

Why Roleplay Your Scripts?

If you’re new to real estate or new to prospecting, it’s important to know what script role-playing is and why it’s important. Greg Harrelson, who sells over 600 homes a year, offers a fantastic answer, “In real estate, we call practicing ‘role-playing.'” He further explains, “A real estate agent must roleplay consistently if they are to improve skills. Any coach would tell you there is a direct correlation between hours practiced and income earned.”

Think about script role-playing the way actors and actresses do about getting movie parts. They get the script, practice it, and come prepared to the audition. Like them, every prospecting call you make or door you knock is “an audition” to get “the part”. How good you sound determines whether or not you get the listing.

Like most things, seeing an idea in action is better than just reading about it. Ricky Carruth, an accomplished prospector shows what effective role-playing looks like. (more…)

Selling Hope And 21 More Proven Ways To Get Endless Expired Listings

Wednesday, 23 May, 2018

Expert prospector Paula Burlison guides you through her process of getting expired listings. She’s currently in the top 1% of 15,000 Las Vegas Valley Realtors®, earning $368,000 in gross commission income, with a 25%-30% chunk of her business directly from expired listings. If you need help prospecting Expired Leads, Paula’s advice will help you.


How did your last prospecting session go? Are you feeling accomplished or discouraged? Either way, one prospecting session doesn’t determine your future, making continual progress does. As Tony Robbins puts it, “Progress equals happiness. Even if you’re not where you want to be yet. If you’re on the road, if you’re improving, if you’re making progress, you’re gonna love it. You’re gonna feel alive.”

When it comes to achieving mastery, Paula Burlison understands almost everything there is to know about prospecting Expired Leads. She’s in the top 1% of Las Vegas Realtors®, a market with 15,000 agents. In such a large metropolitan area, the competition to get expired listings is fierce. So how does she do it? How does she manage to outperform 99% of the agents in her market strongly focusing on expired listings? In an exclusive interview, Paula shares 22 ways you can become a more successful prospector, even if you don’t work expireds. (more…)

9 Mindset Maximizing Books For Millionaire Minded Prospectors

Tuesday, 17 April, 2018

Successful prospecting sessions start with a positive mindset. So, whether you’re struggling to pick up the phone or highly driven, we’ve got you covered. This article gives you nine books highly effective prospectors read.

Prospecting is Mind Over Matter

Whether you believe you can succeed or not, you’re right. That’s why without believing in your success and a drive to pursue it, prospecting is going to feel more difficult than it ought to.

A key to unlocking your “success beliefs” is to understand the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. Fixed-minded people believe their abilities are fixed and cannot change. However, growth minded people believe they will continue developing and growing.

(more…)

5 Reasons Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Fail and How to Avoid Failing Again

Sunday, 21 January, 2018

New Year’s Resolutions fail without planning. In this article, we’ll share common reasons why resolutions fail and how to pick back up and keep going towards the future you really want.

5 Reasons Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Fail and How to Avoid Failing Again

1. You’re biting off more than you can chew
2. You’re not setting milestones
3. You’re not tracking progress
4. You don’t have a compelling purpose
5. You’re not writing them down

Why do New Year’s Resolutions fail?

We’re a few weeks away the new year. Are you going to keep your resolutions or will they be a thing of the past? Because if you’re like the 90.8% of Americans who give up before they achieve their resolutions, here’s some help and hope you can use to recommit to your resolutions. Let’s look at five glaringly obvious and common reasons.

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10 Prospecting Ideas From The 2018 New Year Battle Plan Panel

Saturday, 18 November, 2017

Successful prospectors Mark Martin, Blair Ballin, Edward Estrada, and Ricky Carruth joined to create the 2018 Battle Plan Panel, hosted by Jason Morris on his Facebook group “Real Estate Agents That REALLY Work”. They met to discuss how to have your best prospecting year ever. If you missed this event, here are the top 10 prospecting ideas from this year’s Battle Plan Panel.

1. Mark Martin on dropping voicemails:

Mark spoke about how he uses voicemails to support his follow-up system.

“We go back and drop mass voicemails to old Expireds once every couple of months,” Mark explains. “We’re able to consistently pull 5-7 listings a month out of that. It’s just a quick message with the same thing I’m talking to them about when I’m calling them. Who I am, what I do, sorry to see their home didn’t sell, I’d love to chat with them about them if they are going to be selling that. I also have a 29-day sale guarantee that I talk to them about.” Mark uses his “29-day promise” so that sellers will compare and contrast that time frame from the 4-6 months they’ve been trying to sell their home, giving them hope that Mark can be the agent who takes care of them.

(more…)

Checklist: 9 Questions To Ask Yourself When You Need More Listings

Friday, 17 November, 2017

Are there immutable prospecting principles that once known and followed help you list more homes? The answer is yes, and from an interview with master implementer John Sullivan who sold 44 homes his first year, this article walks you through a checklist of 9 basic questions that leveraged these principles and slingshot his success. See how many questions you already know and how many you can improve upon.

Here Are The 9 Basic Prospecting Questions For You To Explore:

1. Are Your Expectations or Rejection Really Real?
2. Do You Know What To Do When Too Many Agents Work Expired Leads In Your Area?
3. Does Your Prospecting Schedule Match Your Goals?
4. Are You Calling The Right Lead Types In The Right Order?
5. Are You Calling Your Leads The Right Number of Times?
6. Do You Consider Calling Your Sphere Of Influence A Form Of Prospecting?
7. Have You Found Prospecting Scripts That Work For You?
8. Is Your Prospecting Workspace Holding You Back?
9. Do You Have A Pre-Prospecting Checklist?

Keep on reading to explore each of these 9 questions in detail with expert advice from John Sullivan.

1. Are Your Expectations For Rejection Really Real?

It’s easy to be jealous or discouraged looking at successful real estate prospectors. It might seem like they’re not encountering the same rejection other prospectors face every day, but that’s not the case.

“I used to look at the top agents and think, ‘They don’t get any rejection, they get appointments every time,’ which isn’t true,” recalls John. “They just know not to stop when they get rejection. They just keep going, because they know they are getting very close to the next appointment.”

Remember, when calling expired leads, that these are people whose houses didn’t sell, have big life plans that fell through or are now on hold; in their head, they might be blaming Realtors® for their misfortune… and you’re calling them.

However, John says, “Rejection is normal — it’s not personal. They don’t know you, they just found the end of a telephone, and they shouldn’t dictate your outcome and your goals”.

To help you fearlessly face rejection and overcome it, we recommend the book Rejection Proof, by TED Talk speaker. His book and training program will teach you how to fight through the no’s, so you can get to the yes’s!

2.  Do You Know What To Do When Too Many Agents Work Expired Leads In Your Area?

Prospecting in a crowded market can seem intimidating and dismaying, but it’s definitely not a reason to give up. Most experienced real estate prospectors prospect expireds, but also add geographic prospecting.

“There’s a big Mike Ferry based agency here [in Las Vegas.] So, people are getting called by a lot of agents,” says John. To hit his daily contact goals, John does geographic prospecting following a Just-Listed/Just-Sold prospecting script.

A primary reason John does geographic prospecting is because, “no one’s calling them,” and “our job in real estate is to speak to people about real estate every day”.

Instead of feeling like a nuisance, “you’re doing the community a service,” John says. “We’re telling them, ‘Hey, this home just sold in your area for $300,000,’ and they didn’t know. Now they know.”

John uses GeoLeads to simplify geographic prospecting. Enter an address or draw a boundary on the map and GeoLeads will provide a full list of telephone numbers for each property.

GeoLeads is a great option for prospectors who want to speak to more people in less time, while having more calming and rapport-building conversations.

3. Does Your Prospecting Schedule Match Your Goals?

Consistent prospecting in real estate is the foundation of predictable results. But before you can be a consistent prospector, you need to create a consistent schedule.

“I’ve learned the best agents are fanatic about their schedule, and that’s how I wanna be. Whether or not you can hit those goals depends on time management”, says John.

To hit his goals of 30 new contacts a day, John consistently follows a schedule. His schedule includes: new appointment generation and follow-up with past contacts, as well as physical and mindset exercises. He leaves his afternoon open for appointments. When he doesn’t have any afternoon appointments, he dives back into prospecting for more listing appointments.

For ideas on how to build your own schedule or improve the one you have, the books “Habit Stacking” by S.J. Scott and “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod are resources that will help you.

4. Are You Calling The Right Lead Types In The Right Order?

Once you have your time blocks set, you need to create a Lead Stack™. A Lead Stack is the type of leads you call and the order you call them. There are a number of variables to consider when creating a lead stack. A few of them include:

  • • Your objection handling skills
  • • Your level of rejection resiliency
  • • Time of day you prospect
  • • Your contact goals

John explains his lead stack: “I like to call the Expireds/Withdrawn first, then For Sale By Owners, Just Listed/Just Sold, past clients, my center of influence, and then go to my lead follow-up after that. Sometimes I may mix it up”.

John also mentioned, “If I’m experiencing some bad Expired calls, I may just pick up the phone and call a past client. They’re generally nicer, they like you. A nicer conversation can help get you back in the groove.”

Remember there’s no right way to create your Lead Stack. Experienced real estate prospectors stack their leads differently and periodically make adjustments to the order and timing.

5. Are You Calling Your Leads The Right Number of Times?

You know lead follow-up is important, but it can be difficult to decide who and when to follow up with. A good rule of thumb is put priority on contacts who’ve voiced an interest in listing within the next two weeks.

John explains, “I’ve lost deals in the past because my good leads have got muddled up in poor follow-ups. You want to be prospecting people who are ready to sign contracts in the next 7-14 days.”

To avoid getting muddled in poor lead follow up, John “trashes” leads he’s called six times and who are not ready to list. He recommends that it’s time to focus your energy elsewhere.

6. Do You Consider Calling Your Sphere Of Influence A Form Of Prospecting?

If you wish to be at the top-of-mind with your sphere of influence, then your sphere of influence must be at the top-of-your-mind. That means you need to think of your sphere of influence (SOI) as every other lead type. Just like Expired leads and FSBO’s — SOI needs to be part of your daily Lead Stack.

Like exercising, prospecting to your sphere of influence is a small daily investment that pays off over time. “Building your SOI and center of influence will take time. You have to really maintain and manage that for two or three years,” says John.

To invest in his sphere of influence, the 1st thing John does is call his buyers and sellers 2-3 times during the first month after a deal closes.

For sellers, he says: “Hey, did you get all your proceeds?”

For buyers, he says:  “Hey, do you need any contractors to do your work?”

After that, he calls four times a year at minimum and always on their birthdays. “Staying connected is important. I ask for referrals when I speak to them, too.”

7. Have You Found Prospecting Scripts That Work For You?

Scripts are the best way to keep a call on track towards a qualified listing appointment. The script that works best for you depends on the type of prospector you are, and the type you want to become.

For instance, John uses a Mike Ferry style script when prospecting. He explains: “What’s best about them is they’re a series of questions, and all of the questions have to be answered. None of the questions have ‘yes’ or ‘no’; answers. The scripts really help create a conversation and help the flow.”

John prefers The Mike Ferry organization Expired scripts, Just-Listed and Just-Sold scripts, but he encourages you to “make the script your own.” For more script building resources see the free 26-page REDX script book.

8. Is Your Prospecting Workspace Holding You Back?

Your physical workspace might be the very thing that’s holding you back. Specifically your desk and what’s on it. If your mind is distracted by the clutter on your desk, consider one desk space dedicated to prospecting and another to everything else.

John’s workspace is setup exactly like this, “I have a desk with two screens on with whatever I have to do for that day on a folder. I have a separate desk — a tall, stand-up desk, with my scripts in front of it, no distractions. So, two computers; one for prospecting, one for everything else.”

John insists standing while prospecting helps him stay energized and focused. According to Forbes Magazine a standing desk can “give your brain an edge“. John bought his stand-up desk at the StandupDeskStore.com. Prices for hand-crank standing desks start at $159 and go up to $519 for electric-powered ones.

9. Do You Have A Pre-Prospecting Checklist?

There’s more to fighting distraction than separating your workspaces. To keep your attention where it needs to be, leave anything unrelated to prospecting far from reach — before prospecting.

Here are the five things John does before prospecting that help him stay focused on hitting his daily goals:

 How Did You Do On The Checklist?

Go further into these prospecting principles with master implementer John Sullivan. His interview reveals details not covered here, including advice on how to recover from a bad call, how to find a coach or mentor (even if you don’t have money), and a dozen other highly effective tactics based on the principles shared here. All together, this checklist and principles will help you when you need more listings.

 

*REDX maintains the position that all agents should be compliant with state and federal telecom laws. Learn more here.


About REDX

REDX offers real estate professionals a complete all-in-one prospecting platform for generating listing appointments. The platform includes seller leads, a dialer with up to three lines, and a lead management tool for simple follow-up. REDX maintains the position that all agents should be compliant with state and federal telecom laws – learn more here. Call (800) 731-7339 option 1 to learn more about prospecting FSBOs, Expireds, FRBOs, Pre Foreclosures, GeoLeads, and our Power Dialer – or visit www.redx.com

9 Prospecting Principles To Get New FSBO Listings Weekly

Friday, 17 November, 2017

What do real estate agents who consistently list FSBOs know that you don’t? Find out by reading these 9 facts masters who prospect for-sale-by-owners understand and apply daily! This article offers you a detailed look inside the mind and business of Jason Morris, a dedicated FSBO prospector who has sold more than 2,000 homes in his career. Based on this interview, you’re about to get a decade’s experience in under 10 minutes.


1. FSBOs Don’t Think They Need You, But They Do

The evidence is clear, FSBOs need you. According to a 2016 National Association of Realtors study, the typical FSBO home sold for $185,000 compared to $240,000 for agent-assisted home sales. That’s a $55,000 difference — even after a 6% commission, the seller would be $40,600 better off using an agent.

It’s no wonder FSBOs leave money on the table, the same NAR study further finds 18% of sellers have a hard time with “getting the price right”. Almost 1 in 5 FSBOs need help pricing their home.

In addition to “getting the price right”, the typical FSBO also doesn’t understand how to attract buyer agents who will show their property. “A FSBO owner typically has a problem that is keeping their home from selling”, Jason Morris, a FSBO prospecting expert, explains. “They believe by putting their house on the market that it’s going to solve that problem for them,” even though over 40% of FSBOS report that they do not actively market their home.

That means of the 145,800 people NAR surveyed, nearly 1 in 2 FSBOs do nothing to actively sell their own home!

When you add it all up, FSBOs need help pricing and marketing their homes, and your commission is an investment that maximizes their sale price.


2. You Must Build Your Prospecting “Muscles”

Prospecting FSBOs requires confidence and capability. Roleplaying your scripts with another agent gives you the “muscle” to handle objections with professional poise and fearless finesse. That is why roleplaying is pivotal to your FSBO prospecting.

Jason recommends, above all else, consistent daily roleplaying. Every day you prospect FSBOs is a day you should roleplay – it will nurture your strengths and identify your weaknesses so you can improve.

“You have to role play consistently,” Jason instructs. “If we get on the treadmill once a month, that’s going to really suck. But if we start getting on the treadmill five, six days a week, it’s going to be really easy and we’re going get a lot faster and stronger and be able to go further. Making calls is the same way. You have to build that muscle.”

The next step is to find and choose a roleplay partner or coach. There are many ways to find a partner. Jason’s Facebook group, Real Estate Agents That Really Work, is a popular one for FSBO prospectors, with over 21,983 members at the time this article was published.

TIP: Look for partners who are dedicated to personal growth. A dedication to personal growth translates into a dedication to consistent improvement, which translates into a reliable roleplay partner.

Once you have found a partner, you can use these simple rules for roleplaying courtesy of Greg Harrelson, Realtor and President of Century 21 Harrelson Group, whose team does 1000+ transactions a year.

Roleplaying is like practice before the game and while practice can’t ensure you win every time, without it your odds of winning diminish significantly.


3. Use The “Funnel of Calling”

A “funnel of calling” is the type and order of leads you call in a prospecting session. Every successful prospector creates their own funnel depending on what leads they prospect and their daily schedule.

“I think of my initial calls as a funnel,” explains Jason. “When I’m going through my new FSBOs, Expireds, and all that stuff, I’m dumping everybody into the top level of my funnel. Based on motivation and conversations I have with the sellers, the calls get moved into different levels.”

Jason’s system begins with the lead type he’s most comfortable and experienced with: For Sale By Owners. “I call FSBOs as soon as I get their contact information. I want to be the first person to call them and follow up with them because I don’t want to let another agent get into our conversation,” Jason explained.

To create your own “funnel of calling” consider your skill level and your goals. If you are new to prospecting, consider GeoLeads, For Rent By Owner leads, and then your sphere of influence. They will be most receptive to your calls. If you are more experienced, Expireds and FSBOs should already be at the top of your funnel.

TIP: Many experienced prospectors recommend new prospectors call the leads they enjoy working most first. You could experience the boost of energy you need before working other lead types in your Lead Stack.


4. Stick To One Script

Many agents are always on the hunt for “the one” script and end up switching scripts in search of the “next best script”. Like a professional golfer’s swing or an award-winning recipe, it’s better to develop one and stick with it.

“The key to scripts, whether you’re using mine or you’re using Mike Ferry’s or you’re using one that you found on the internet somewhere, is using the same one over and over again,” says Jason.

Another reason Jason recommends sticking to one script is so “you don’t create an objection that’s not really there”. In other words, if you don’t sound clear, crisp, polished and professional any gaps or fumbles in conversation creates doubt and leaves spaces sellers will fill with objections.


5. Create A Predictable Schedule To Create Predictable Income

One of the biggest problems plaguing agents is their lack of daily organization. “Most agents don’t have a schedule. And they just don’t know what to do when they get to the office every day,” Jason states.

To create a schedule that keeps you on track, begin with the end in mind. Starting with your annual transaction or GCI goal can help you work backward to break down smaller goals to work towards each month, week, or day. Once written, ask yourself which tasks should be achieved first, second, third, etc. in order to meet those goals.

As a reference, here’s Jason’s current schedule:


6. Send A Pre-Listing Package

With many agents prospecting FSBOs every day, it can be challenging to stand out above the rest. To stand out and make a better impression, send a pre-listing package.

Jason explains, “99% of the agents reading this right now have nothing in writing that they can send a seller about their plan to get the house sold, or have no plan at all.”

A typical pre-listing package contains:

• Information about you
• Information about your team or brokerage
• Steps you will take to sell a home
• Information about the local market
• Testimonials from past clients

Once you have a pre-listing package, Jason recommends, “You’ve got to send it to any person you talk to about selling a house”. In a side conversation with Jason, he further explained, “Tell them on the phone you’re going to email a plan to get their house sold, then text them right after you email it to confirm that they got it. Then commit them to reading the whole thing before you come over for the listing appointment. If you do this right, when other agents call them, they will have you in their mind because you are the agent with a proven effective plan”.

Jason offers a free pre-listing package template based on his own FSBO prospecting experiences – feel free to check it out if you need more ideas.


7. Follow Up To Get FSBO Listings

80% of sales are made on the fifth to 12th contact. Most agents stop after one contact and the rest stop after three. Not following up is the cause of unsuccessful prospecting. The saying, “the money is in the follow up” is true for a reason — only chasing new leads, leads to you abandoning thousands of dollars in lost opportunity.

From the first call to the moment you are at a seller’s home for a listing presentation, there can be anywhere from 5-12 contacts. That can be a lot of contacts to make, especially when managing dozens of potential sellers. To manage all of his follow-up contacts, Jason follows this system:


8. Know The Difference Between An Objection And A Condition

Knowing the difference between an objection and condition can be the difference between setting and not getting a listing appointment. The difference between the two is easy to recognize, as is how to handle them.

An objection is a smokescreen and an excuse to get off the phone with you. A condition is a circumstance that legitimately prevents a seller from meeting with you.

When you encounter an objection, stick to your script and apply what you learned roleplaying. Conditions are treated differently. When faced with a situation an owner cannot help, you should respect that situation. Make a note of the condition and set a date to follow up.


9. Top 5 Prospecting Resources

Prospecting FSBOs is challenging. That’s why it’s important to seek out new ways to improve your skills, motivation, and tools that improve your effectiveness. Here’s a list of Jason’s top picks.

1. He uses Vortex® as his prospecting platform. In Vortex he manages his leads, follows-up with contacts, and takes notes after each of his prospecting calls.
2. He uses Google Calendar to organize his day and set listing appointments, so he never forgets or misses an appointment.
3. He recommends Tony Robbins 30-day goal setting program, Personal Power 2 to help get clarity on what you want from your life.
4. He recommends the books the “Ultimate Sales Machine” by Chet Holmes and “Grinding it Out” by Ray Kroc (founder of McDonald’s).
5. He recommends motivational speakers Les Brown and Zig Ziglar to inspire and excite him when he needs to take risks and make positive changes.

Prospecting FSBOs is rewarding, but takes discipline. The more you surround yourself with positivity, the more discipline you’ll have to reap the rewards waiting for you by prospecting FSBOs.

 


About REDX

REDX offers real estate professionals a complete all-in-one prospecting platform for generating listing appointments. The platform includes seller leads, a dialer with up to three lines, and a lead management tool for simple follow-up. REDX maintains the position that all agents should be compliant with state and federal telecom laws – learn more here. Call (800) 731-7339 option 1 to learn more about prospecting FSBOs, Expireds, FRBOs, Pre Foreclosures, GeoLeads, and our Power Dialer – or visit www.redx.com

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