More transactions by e-farming

Want some fresh, proven ideas for how to drive more transactions by building an email pipeline of prospects? Looking for best practices on building a team to grow your business?

Want to manage 4,000 prospective customers at once?

Keep reading...notes from the latest HouseValues Mastermind Conference Call are below...

Featured Speaker: Mary Stetson, Long Island, NY
Moderator: Raymond Gravelle, Distance Learning Specialist

Raymond: Mary, please tell us about your market and how you are adapting.
Mary: Market conditions are changing with a shift to a buyer’s market. The market shut down the end of 2005. Thanks to our pipeline we were able to keep going while others were not doing a thing. Now 2006 is starting to pick up. We have already listed $10 million in properties. We adapt by listing more properties, knowing they will be on the market longer, as well as adjusting the prices and my budget because I know it will take more money to market each listing.

Raymond: How has your pipeline kept your business going?
Mary: Our entire pipeline, almost 4,000 prospects, is in Market Leader. That makes it easy to market to them all using the automatic emails and phone call activities. We can spend our time working with our clients and not worrying where our prospects are going to come from and how we can stay in touch so we don’t lose them.

Raymond: How else do you generate leads?
Mary: HouseValues and JustListed are our main sources. I have seven additional sources:
1. A marketing relationship with a lender. We share leads with each other.
2. Yard signs
3. Walk-ins. We’re in a great location and our listings are in the front window
4. Internet and print advertising
5. Expired listings
6. Personal referrals from past clients
7. Web Capture at http://www.Stetsonrealestate.com

Raymond: How do you manage your leads?
Mary: It’s all about delegating. I have a team of assistants that does the marketing and paperwork. I keep the sales people selling. My lead coordinator distributes the leads to the agents. She also puts the packages together that I hand deliver. We all use the Market Leader system to send out the requested information immediately, put all on a drip campaign, and schedule the phone call activities. Some leads I work personally, $2 million or above and personal referrals. I approve the marketing and budget. I focus on the pricing for all the CMAs and deals, and I hand deliver all the pre-listing packages.

Raymond:You just recently added a HomePages subscription. Why did you decide to subscribe?
Mary: I believe HomePages will be better than realtor.com. HomePages gives better and more complete information of homes and neighborhoods. I can use it for recruiting, and as a listing tool. I’ve already gotten a couple of leads.

Raymond: What is most important to being successful with the HouseValues programs?
Mary: Trust the system. It works if you are fully dedicated to working the system. Hand deliver.

Question & Answer

Question: Why do you feel hand delivering is important?
Mary: It’s important to meet people face to face. I deliver to everyone. I got a listing just recently as a direct result of hand delivery.

Question: How do you get phone numbers for your Internet and email-only leads?
Mary: Send an email that compels them to respond such as “Please give me your phone number so I get a hold of you quickly if a house comes on the market.” Ask them to call you to answer a question about what they’re looking for.

Question: What do you include in your pre-listing packet?
Mary: I keep it simple. An introduction letter, one sheet of information on me, their tax records, and a hard copy of the mini CMA.

Question: Are your assistants licensed?
Mary: I have both licensed and non-licensed. The non-licensed do the marketing, delegating, etc. The licensed assistants can also do phone follow-up.

Question: How did you start building a team?
Mary: First, document your business process. Then read “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent” for ideas on team building. Start with one person. When the time comes, have them hire and train the next person onward.

Read more of Mary's story here.