Point2 for Brokers

Innovative Strategies for Geographical Prospecting with RPR
Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 9:00 AM PDT In today's competitive market, staying ahead means not only finding new clients, but engaging them effectively. Join us for a dynamic session where we'll dive into modern strategies for geographical prospecting in real estate. Take this class and learn proven methods to build and sustain your pipeline of clients! Discover how to: Analyze and select your farm area Identify "hot" neighborhoods and compare turnover rates Generate mailing labels and export Create lead generation content using Canva Stay on top of market trends We'll help you understand how to utilize RPR to make your prospecting efforts as effective as possible. Register

3 Essential Marketing Emails that Real Estate Agents Can Send Today
Real estate's busy season is here — when's the last time you reached out to your database? While it's a best practice to stay in touch year-round, it's extra crucial to contact those in your sphere during the spring and summer selling season. Not sure what to say? Stephanie Alfonso and Matthew Montoya of Constant Contact have your back. In a recent webinar, they shared a wealth of outreach tips, including three specific examples of emails you can send to your database. In this article, we'll take a closer look at each of these emails. We'll also offer examples of the components that your message should consider, including subject line, call-to-action, desired business result, and send frequency. Ready? Let's dive in… 1. Homeowner Tips Homeowners spend an average of 10 years in their home, according to the 2024 NAR Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report. That means that they're only ready to receive sales-focused messages once every decade. So what should you send those contacts who are not ready to transact in the near future? Enter the Homeowner Tips email. These friendly messages aim to offer homeowners something of value — in this case, advice on maintaining what's likely their biggest financial asset. You can write these yourself, hire a writer or service to create these, or tap into ChatGPT or a similar AI to help you get started. Subject line: This is an easy one — you can use the title of whatever your tip-focused article is about for the subject line. That could be anything from "3 Tips to Get Your Yard Ready for Spring" to "Appliance Care 101: How to Extend the Lifespan of Your Household Appliances," for example. Call-to-action: This email can be a great way to drive traffic to your website. Post the full article to your blog and include an excerpt in your email with a call-to-action like, "Read more tips here," or "Learn more about maintaining your home." Business result: What do you want this email to accomplish for your business? Here are three results to keep in mind while crafting your message: Staying connected to clients, driving traffic to your website, reaching new clients when your email is shared or forwarded. Send frequency: Once a quarter. 2. Share Your Listings Have a new listing? Share it with your sphere. Here's the break down: Subject line: New properties now available! Call-to-action: See more details / Take a video tour / Schedule a viewing now / Share this listing with family and friends Business result: Increase sales or interest in a property. Get new prospects via email sharing. Send frequency: As needed as determined by your market. 3. Request Referrals Let's close out with some good news: 90% of recent buyers and 87% of recent sellers would recommend their real estate agents, according to NAR. Despite these encouraging numbers, many agents feel uncomfortable asking for a referral. You shouldn't let discomfort get in the way, however, because consumers are already primed to give reviews and referrals. "Anytime we get out of an Uber, what's the first thing that we're asked to do? Give that five star rating. Give that review. We're used to it," says Alfonso. She recommends keeping a template that asks for referrals or testimonials ready to go in your email system. "Being able to shoot that out, automate that out, just makes it so easy. The power of referrals powers our business." Here's what to keep in mind when drafting this email: Subject line: We'd appreciate your referral! Call-to-action: Refer a friend, family member, or colleague / Leave a rating or review on [platform of choice] Business result: Acquire quality leads. Connect with other agents. Boost revenue. Send frequency: Once a quarter to your general database. Immediately after closing to specific clients. Building a Better Email The above is just a fraction of the great advice we received in our webinar. Watch the full recording for more tips on everything from building an effective email to leveraging AI to help write your message. Want an easy way to build and send these emails to your database? RE Technology readers can try Constant Contact FREE for 60 days, no credit card

5 Script-Starters to Use When Clients Push Back
Does client skepticism have you scrambling for the right words? When your expertise is questioned or your value proposition stalls the deal, it's tough to stay on track. But with RPR (Realtors Property Resource) in your toolkit, you'll always have data-backed answers to win them over. Here are some common client pushback questions and statements, and how you can use RPR to reply to them… Countering Online Estimates "Wait a second, I know my home's worth _______" This is one of the most common comments listing agents deal with day in and day out. Homeowners keep a close eye on their neighbor's home values and how much they sell for. They feel, often strongly, that their home is of equal (or more) value for a variety of reasons. But the truth is, they might be relying on outdated online estimates or have an emotional attachment inflating their price expectation. Here's your scripted reply: I understand you've looked at online estimates… and that's a great starting point. But I have a special resource that allows me to dig much deeper into the data. We'll look at recent sales of truly comparable homes, not just a computer algorithm. This ensures your pricing is both realistic and competitive. RPR's CMA tools give you everything you need to pull comps and put together on-target pricing recommendations. If you haven't already done so, sign up and attend this free RPR CMA webinar. "An online estimate told us our house is worth more than you're saying." Many consumers seek out online home listing sites when they start to look for homes or do research on how much they think their home is worth. And some have catchy names that homeowners really gravitate to. And who wouldn't want to see an inflated price for their home? However, online value algorithms can often be way off mark and very deceiving when it comes to making sound real estate decisions. It is a place to start when looking for homes, but it most certainly does not replace an experienced CMA or a professional appraisal. Here's your scripted reply: Yes, I understand that you may have seen your home online and you're happy with the number you saw. But are you familiar with how online AVMs work? They take the deed recordings in a geographic area to determine the number, and they don't include the condition of the home or any upgrades. I will provide you with more accurate data, and I can show you recent sales in the area that paint a more accurate picture. I will build you a professional CMA using proprietary REALTOR® tools and data, and I will go even further by creating a Sales Comparison Analysis, which is an advanced, detailed valuation analysis. This will help us find the perfect way to price your home. RPR's home pricing valuation tools and data are second to none. Coupled with your local market experience and insight, you'll be able to push back yourself on off-the-mark online estimates. To sharpen your skills even further, take RPR's advanced valuation webinar for tips and tricks on how to evaluate hard-to-price properties. Emphasizing Market Expertise "I can sell it myself…" Just about every agent in the business has encountered at least one FSBO in their career. And although there are less FSBO transactions than previous decades, For Sale By Owners are still a stubborn bunch. They underestimate the complexities of marketing, negotiation and paperwork. And they fully subscribe to the "Put a sign in the ground and wait for the offers to roll in" philosophy of home selling. Here's how to handle one with an assist from RPR… Here's your scripted reply: Selling a home in today's market requires more than just putting up a listing or a sign. I constantly monitor local trends for things like median days on market and price adjustments. This lets us fine-tune your pricing and marketing as the market shifts and evolves. The RPR Residential Market Trends are your go-to source for hyper-local housing market data. Don't miss out on the market insights that power smarter decisions. Here's how to conduct in-depth market analysis by looking at extended time frames as they pertain to housing market data. This video tutorial, RPR Market Trends, will show you how to track stats and metrics over months or years to see how the market has evolved. Hover over the trendlines to pinpoint specific data points and make informed decisions, and then easily share this information with clients and prospects with a click or two. The Value of Time and Negotiation "All REALTORS® are the same…" Oftentimes, and even more so thanks to the recent buyer commission litigation and settlements, consumers do not understand or grasp what they're paying for. With this fee-focused mindset, they simply don't see the value in paying a commission and push back accordingly. Both buyers and sellers may not understand the different levels of service, expertise and resources offered. Here's your scripted reply for sellers: While selling yourself is possible, my network and market insights help me identify potential buyers who may be a great fit for your home. Plus, I handle complex negotiations every day, aiming to get you the best possible terms, not just a quick sale. Here's your scripted reply for buyers: Negotiations can be tricky. I have access to in-depth market data to back up our offers. This means not just getting you a good price, but the right terms to save you even more in the long run. Use these script starters to prove your value to buyers and sellers. To dig even deeper into everything that RPR offers REALTORS®, be sure to check out these video tutorials in the RPR Learning Center. New neighborhoods "You haven't sold any houses in our area." New agents hear this one quite a bit, especially ones with zero to a few closed transactions. Even veteran agents when they venture outside their "regular" neighborhoods can hear this criticism. And although you might not be familiar with who teaches second grade at the local elementary school, you can learn and know a lot about an area thanks to RPR. Here's your scripted reply: I understand your concern. You'll be impressed by how quickly I've become an expert on your neighborhood. I have access to a special database with local neighborhood insights and pricing tools most people don't have access to—such as the area's walkability, vital metrics, and how neighborhoods stack up against each other. Let me show you how my expertise translates into the best possible outcome for your home sale. The data from RPR can really help you in your rebuttal. RPR Reports, especially the Neighborhood and School Reports, give you a plethora of information about the area and its surrounding area. This includes school scores, walkability, points of interest, shopping and restaurant proximity, and so much more. You can also utilize the RPR Market Trends ScriptWriter to give you some insight as to how the market currently stands by searching for the neighborhood's name or ZIP code. And here's a nice cheat code: choose the "conversational" tone and the "Create Video Script" for your search area, and you'll almost instantly be provided with a script that you can use to help craft your reply, as it gives you all kinds of stats that are local to this neighborhood. Use the video script created by AI to aid you in your scripted responses! Prove your value and your worth using these script starters Clients can be hesitant, nervous or apprehensive in just about every phase of a transaction. And it can be for a variety of reasons, both personal (employment, overall financial situation) and external (interest rates, recession fears). Sometimes, they're simply overwhelmed. However, how you respond to the pushback is key to your success as a REALTOR®. It's your job to remain cool and calm, and provide some clarity amongst the chaos. Having these script-starters at your disposal is a smart way to be prepped for all types of questions and stop signs. To view the original article, visit the RPR blog. Related reading 'How's the market?' Learn how to respond with RPR Market Trends 6 Real Estate Scripts (and When to Use Them) Try This Expired Listing Script to Win More