Posted by Merle E Woolley on March 05, 2001 at 07:34:41:
Good morning, Steve …
Not sure I can answer your question as you asked it, but I will tell you a little about our business and what I might do if starting all over.
With more than 16 years in the business of buying and selling houses (probably close to 350 purchases), you cannot underestimate the value of name exposure.
Just yesterday, I wrote a contract with a brother of one of our present buyers. Last week, we bought a house from a relative of people we bought from two years ago.
More than half of business, buying and selling, comes from referrals. Our phone rings constantly … prospective buyers checking our list of available houses.
If we were starting agin, we would make every effort to get our name as well known as it is now. Make your business card like a small billboard. Doesn’t have to be expensive. Not even in color. But, it must tell people what you do. Hand them out everywhere. If you have coffee in a restaurant, leave your card with the tip. Give one to the attendant when you pay for your gas.
Make sure that everyone you meet at least knows that you have something to do with buying houses FAST and that you help people who cannot, under normal circumstances, buy a house. Make those two facts known and they will call you for the details.
Put your name everywhere people frequent. When we run ads, we put them in the local shopper paper … miscellaneous or general merchandis category. All readers read those sections … they may not read the real estate areas.
When you do out your name out, make sure they remember you in a positive way. Make sure you always conduct yourself in a very positive, polite, helpful manner. Go out of your way to help others. When driving, let that person change lanes in front of you. They might be in a hurry to meet someone to sell their house (could be you).
Be nice to that person next to you in the grocery checkout lane. They might be your next buyer.
I guess you can call that marketing … or perhaps you might call it a way of life. It does offer many other benefits in addition to having all the business you want.
Have a GREAT day … TODAY!!
Merle