Step 1. Get the inquiry
After you get your Seller lead inquiries you need to follow up with them. Whether you are looking for ideas to stand out or to increase the number of appointments you book, here’s a list of creative ways other agents are following up with Seller lead inquiries from online requests for a Home Value or CMA.
Step 2. Ideas for sending the CMA response
Typically, I’ll email a week after I’ve sent a Market Snapshot and then call a week after that if I have a phone number. I put the lead on a monthly follow up campaign of content (in addition to the Market Snapshot) once they opt in.
Chris Iverson
Once a lead comes into the lead generation system, we send a Market Snapshot for the property that holds the greatest value in the area. If the home is the worst house on the best block, we highlight the neighborhood value to show that the home could have great resale value if the work is put in.
William Wells
Step 3. Ideas to follow up to book an appointment …
I just gave the lady a call. She came in through my StreetText Facebook system. Then I managed to setup an appointment to go and see her. The chemistry was there. People work with people they like. It didn’t happen immediately. It was a nurturing relationship. She was one of the 2nd or 3rd leads that I went in to see. Since then I helped her buy a place and then helped her sell her home.
I didn’t use BombBomb with her. I didn’t use email with her. I just gave her a simple phone call.
Another guy came through BombBomb. But he didn’t watch any of my videos, he just gave me a call from that.
So they are all on my database and I’m just working them every month; saying hello to them.
The other thing that has been successful is I see how many people I’ve reached on with my advertising on Facebook. So they see my branding, which is super. And I’ve got other areas where I’m advertising. So I’m hoping that they see me on Facebook and then they see me somewhere else.
I use StreetText because I see the benefits of Facebook. I see the benefit of getting to see people that I never would have known about. And I see the benefit of being able to track it.
Amanda Millford
I had a seller lead for a vacant lot last year. The sellers live in Florida. I called them as soon as I saw the lead in my email and also replied by email.
I spoke with the seller and said I would look up comps. I emailed my marketing plan [and] compost the same day and suggested a listing price. The sellers they will be talking to some other agents. I followed up in three days. THe sellers said they are waiting to hear from the other agents. I emailed them something about the township. I followed up. I emailed some information about the neighborhood and houses on the street etc. I followed up again. After two weeks, the sellers said that I was the only one who stayed in touch, returned phone calls right away and they they had seen my website, etc.
They listed with me.
Gita Bantwal
I always include a gift card to Starbucks. I had one seller couple of years ago call to let me know he prefers Dunkin Donuts. I delivered one to their home and he did end up listing with me.
Beth Atalay
At a listing appointment a few years ago, Jean and [the seller] talked about bakeries.
[The seller] waxed reminiscent about a strawberry shortcake she had gotten years ago from a bakery in Bayonne. One phone call later told us that the bakery was still in business, still made strawberry shortcake, and was happy to deliver it to her the next day. We got the listing. We use the same approach when a homeowner indicates a type of candy or flowers they like, or even a book they’re planning to read. The key is to listen.
Wayne and Jean Marie Zuhl
Since we know these sellers have probably visited more than one website to get a home valuation, what we do next really sets us apart.
- We drive by their house that day. We take a couple of photos of their home and the neighborhood. Rather than sending them the standard email drip campaign that most agents send, we create custom content directed toward selling their home. We use long-tail keywords ensuring our post will rank quickly. In addition, we also send a link to the seller’s page on our website.
- Create neighborhood content pages. If we don’t already dominate the search engines for the neighborhood, we quickly write a couple of keyword-rich blog posts about the neighborhood and its features. ActiveRain is great for getting on page one quickly.
- Send sellers links to content pages we’ve created. Over the next week, we’ll send a variety of links to pages we’ve written about the selling process and their neighborhood.
- Provide screen shots of our Google rankings. Since our internet dominance is an important part of our marketing, we want to continually reiterate how sellers found us and our search engine rankings.
- Send daily property updates. During our initial phone conversation, we would have determined their plans for the future. If they desire to stay in the Franklin area, we set them up to receive daily property updates. Sellers who are already receiving our updates are highly motivated.
Tammy White
Researching information provided about leads online might hint at their age and occupation. Once I have that idea, I’ll know how best to respond to them. If they are under a certain age, I might text them and get a better response from them for instance. If I know they are over a certain age, I will probably be calling them at home as that’s the number they probably provided. With that information I can definitely learn more, including an address.
Jan Green
Step 4. Ideas to make an impression during and after a listing appointment …
Forget Me Nots are the state flower of Alaska. Forget Me Nots have special meaning up here as many people left the place they grew up to come to live in this great state, leaving family and friends behind.
After visiting the home and providing a CMA packet, I would include a nice little homemade sachet with Forget Me Not seeds in it for the home owner. I printed up instructions on how to plant the seeds on one side and my Bay Realty Logo and information on the other side. Just a pretty reminder of Alaska and me. Sometimes the most important things in life are the little things. Think outside the box and plant the seed with each person you meet so they will remember you and what you do.
Debra Leisek
After a CMA I would send a personal thank you note, letting the homeowners know I enjoyed meeting them and previewing their home. I would also include a FREE car wash certificate with the note saying I would love to help them sell their home and make a “clean start” in the next chapter of their life. This was often the personal touch needed to set me apart from the masses. When you give people something they often feel compelled to reciprocate. This reciprocation may be their signature on a listing contract.
Carol Williams
I always drive by the home and take a few photos to put in my listing presentation. It gives me an edge when I am looking for special features that may make the home stand out. This shows I took the time to actually see the home and the sellers love that I drove by before the appointment. Not many agents do this easy step.
Tracy Lee Parker
I visited the property, and had to agree that there was a lot of value in the lot and where it was situated. I then had an ‘Aha!’ moment and knew exactly what to do. The next day, I came back with a videographer and his drone, equipped with a GoPro camera. He didn’t do anything fancy, just provided me with a link to 55 seconds of raw footage that really showed the situation of this home to its advantage.
When I met with the sellers 4 days later, I went through my normal flip-book listing presentation on my iPad, showed them sample single property websites, collateral materials and how people could text for info from my sign riders. But then I showed them the drone footage and explained that this was the type of footage that would be included in the video I would do for the property.
I have to say, their jaws dropped. They had never seen an aerial view of their home. They had to watch it at least 4 times! They loved it! They even noticed a loose tile on the roof that they wanted to get fixed before listing.
Marti Steele Kilby
What creative things have you done that have gotten the attention of Sellers?
Let us know in the comments below.
