Problem.
You’re sipping tall, Iced Cinnamon Dolce Lattes. Chit-chatting. Your girlfriend shares, “ I need to make a sale in the next 37 days or I have to quit the business.”
She confesses. I don’t have a single active listing or any qualified buyers. She’s dead in the water. She’s broke in bank and spirit. She’s drowning and frowning.
She pleads for your advice, “What should I do to make a sale? Now!“
What advice would you share? What do you believe is the most productive thing she can do to position herself to make the required sale?
Here’s What I’d Do…
First, I give her a big hug, tell her she can make it happen if she wants too, but it won’t be easy.
Here’s what I’d advise…
The Jessie James Solution.
There’s not enough time to focus on taking a listing. Odds are, it will take too long to sell. Laser focus on attracting a qualified buyer is required. Don’t worry about listings, you’ll attract them naturally as well.
It’s time to Get Your Jessie James ON!
Whoa! Not that Jessie James, this one:
Judge Roy Bean, “Why do you rob banks?”
Jessie James, “Because that’s where the money is.”
I’d implore my friend to hold public Open Houses. 10 Open Houses in 30 days. Here’s why?
- This is the buying season and buyers browse Open Houses like banks hoard house money.
- The looming expiration of the Homebuyer Tax Credits (FREE Money) will create qualified buyer urgency this month. Not next month. This month.
- It’s an activity that allows you to take action, make contact and attract serendipity. I’ll explain what, why, when and how in Open House Tips below.
Open House is not, showing up late, planting a couple of directionals, flipping the lights on and hoping something lucky happens. It rarely does. Lady Luck mostly ignores the lazy.
I’m going to suggest that if the end is near, or you want to create sexy success now, you need to take Dramatic Kick-Ass Action and amp everything. As if your career depended on it. Because it does. If it was me, instead of she, I’d hold 10 Open Houses in 30 days. Strategically selected, well planned, powerfully promoted and passionately executed. Here’s the tips I’d share.
Open House Event Tips
When: Now! The sooner the better. Hold Open House during weekday early evenings. It stays lighter later. Open House signs spied on the way home from work is unusual and attracts attention. Hold Open House Events weekdays from 5pm to 7pm and every Saturday and Sunday afternoon (2pm to 5pm) in April. 10 Open House events in 30 days.
Where: Pick a property that is supremely attractive, easy to find with directional arrows and is priced in the sweet spot (what’s selling) for your market area (you can research the average sold price in your market). If you don’t have a listing like that, no worries, don’t let that sink you, ask your team mates if you can hold their listing open.
What To Do:
- Promote your Open House Online – Trulia.com, Zillow.com, Realtor.com, your blog, Facebook Business Page, Twitter, association and brokerage websites.
- Make 87 Color Open House Flyers.
- Mail 21 OH flyers (invitations) to your current buyers prospects/suspects and 17 of your most enthusiastic cheer leader friends. Follow up with phone calls. Follow phone calls with a written short/ sweet note, mail with 2 business cards. Hand deliver the OH Flyer/Invitation to 26 neighbors. Personally invite them, end your conversations with a question. “When we sell this home, would you like to know how much it SOLD for?” If they say yes, get their contact information, add to your data base, enroll in your personal anti-Chaos, Perpetual Payoff marketing campaign, keep them informed of new activity, write a short/sweet note, mail it with 2 business cards.
- If you are placing an OH sign on the edge of anyone’s property, knock on the door, ask for permission and invite them to your OH.
- Do your homework about the neighborhood: Current listings, recent sales, schools, parks, grocery stores, etc.
- Set the stage – lights, blinds, aroma, music – No TV
- Prepare “Flyer Packets – Your business card or personal brochure goes on top. Include property fliers of your other listings or listings in varying price ranges. The last page of the packet should be your personal profile sheet. You should have 23 left over, use the Open House flyers for the first page of your information packet.
- During slow traffic periods, use your cell phone to make the touching-base phone calls you know you should be making, but haven’t. Contacts leads to contracts. Call. Call. Call.
- At the conclusion of the open house, send Thank You Cards to attendees.
- If you held someone else’s house open, report your results to the listing agent so they can report to their seller. This is professional and polite behavior.
- Follow up, follow up, follow up with all prospects.
On Your Mark. Get Set. G_.
Don’t over complicate it. Every day is precious. Now is the time.
Do this with passion and instead of mourning the END of your real estate career, celebrate the END of Un-Success and the beginning of renewal, reward and redemption.
Thanks for reading and cheers to your success.
PS. If you have something to add or an entirely different approach, share it in a comment below. There are good people who’s end is near and they need our help. Thanks.
PSS. Where and when is your next Open House?
