December 12, 2019 6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

This article is written by Jess Lenouvel, realtor for over a decade and founder of The Listings Lab For Realtors, a multiple-seven-figure business.  

Let’s face it: Not everybody likes realtors, which is unfortunate since most of them genuinely want to help people with the biggest investments of their lives: buying or selling their home.

Realtors have this negative perception because they forget the psychology of marketing: Position yourself as the solution to your customers’ problems. Instead, most of them rely on 1970s marketing techniques, such as flyers with giant headshots and fluff statements like “number one salesperson,” which is disconnected from the problems they solve for customers.  

Because most realtors still market like pizza companies, they can’t attract a consistent flow of qualified leads. They can’t scale the business or hire a team without predictable revenue, so their dream of growing to seven figures eludes them. Rather than distributing thousands of flyers in a neighborhood where only 20 people are thinking of moving, what if you could save energy and money by finding those 20 people online and specifically target them? 

Fortunately, you can. As my real estate business grew to multiple seven figures, I found a better way. It eliminates the need for prospecting, which can free up 50 percent of a realtor’s time. (Yes, that means no more cold calls!) The principles are simple, and they take someone who has never heard of you to the point where they reach out to you. Here’s how.

Craft a foundational message.

To build a business that lasts, you must come from a place of service, with a genuine desire to impact your community and clients. To connect with them on a deeper human level and prove your relevancy, all your messaging should demonstrate how you solve your clients’ problems.

To identify the messaging that you’ll use throughout your marketing, ask yourself: How can I relate to my potential clients? How can my experience add value? What can I share to make them invested in my offer?

Demonstrate that you understand where they’re coming from. For example, acknowledge how important it is to find someone you can trust with your home — and how frustrating it is when you can’t. When you’ve shared their struggles, you can speak to them in a way that makes them feel like you’re reading their mind.

Amplify your message.

To introduce yourself to potential clients and generate leads, start with Facebook ads. Facebook is the cheapest of the social platforms — and you can target prospective home buyers and sellers based on their location, interests, and habits. If you have an existing database of leads, Facebook can target them or a similar lookalike audience. 

Once someone clicks on your ad, they’re placed at the top of your sales “funnel.” Your goal is to move them down this funnel — from an awareness that you exist, to considering your offer, and ultimately becoming a client.

Have you ever clicked an ad or visited someone’s website, and then they seem to pop up every time you browse the internet? That’s omnipresent marketing. Anyone who has taken an online action to get to know you — for example, reading an article or watching one of your videos — can be retargeted. This means you continue to build familiarity with potential clients by appearing on their screen several times a day.

One way to do this is to add a tracking code called a “pixel” to your website, which identifies your website visitors, and then you’re free to retarget them for up to 6 months and in some cases, up to a year.

Nurture your relationships.

When you dominate someone’s social media newsfeed, they’ll remember you, particularly if they’re ready to buy or sell their home within the next 30 to 90 days. Now you want to guide them through a psychological journey of intimately getting to know, like, and trust you — by sharing the right message at the right time, so they ultimately reach out to you.

The information they see should depend on where they are in your funnel. For example, while potential customers first get to know you, share information about how to list their home and your unique process, which positions you as the authority. Imagine that you’re helping a friend and give as much value as possible. Then share customer testimonials and any media coverage to validate your credibility.

We create 50 percent video content, which is more intimate, and 50 percent written content with images because many people like to consume information that way. We’ve found that sending people to content on your blog or website doesn’t convert to customers, so focus on content that lives on social media.

Once they’ve become familiar with you, add more intimacy, so they really get to know you. For example, my marketing includes a personal storyof how I escaped domestic violence, as well as “real life” videos of getting interrupted by my cats and laughing about it. Authentically sharing these details from your life captures prospects’ attention and entices them. By the time they’re ready to make a move, you’re their only choice and feel like they know you already.

Now that your pipeline is automated and predictable, you can hire a team and spend time doing what you went into real estate to do: serving clients who are ready to buy and giving them an incredible experience as they make one of the most important decisions of their lives. You’ll have time to care again, rather than viewing leads as numbers — and reconnect with family and friends. You’ll have the freedom and impact you desire. And you’ll finally be on the path to seven figures.

Follow Jess Lenouvel on Instagram and Facebook or visit her website.