As a real estate agent, it is paramount that you tackle marketing with due care. And while most agents are aware of the importance of social media and email marketing, few realize the importance of word-of-mouth advertising. And, even amongst those that do, few can articulate the actual benefits. Well, to help combat this, we will use this article to elaborate on word-of-mouth advertising for agents. Interested? Keep reading.
Understanding the basics of word-of-mouth marketing
At first glance, you may think that word-of-mouth marketing is simply having your clients recommend you to their friends and family. And while this is an integral part of it, it is worth noting that word-of-mouth marketing entails a bit more than that. By tackling it properly, you ensure that your clients become a part of your marketing, not just passive observers.
Can you work on it?
If word-of-mouth marketing were simply getting recommendations from prior clients, you would not have to work much for it. Having a good rapport and making a generally good impression would be all you need. But, since word-of-marketing entails a bit more, you should be aware of different methods of improving it. What is important to remember here is that it, just like any other type of marketing, is an investment. As such, it stands to help you find new clients. But only if you tackle it with due care and research.
Encouraging reviews
A big part of word-of-mouth marketing comes through online efforts. While it is terrific for your clients to hear about you directly from their friends, it is also quite helpful for them to find out about you from other clients. And the easiest way to make that happen is to make reviews easy to see and easy to leave. Try to remind and encourage every client to leave a review after working with you. Google and Yelp are clear choices for reviews that you can later copy and post on your website.
The critical thing to remember is that every review is helpful. Good ones will show you in a good spotlight and help build your brand as a capable real estate agent. Poor ones will help you learn from potential mistakes and help convince your audience that you are trustworthy. One thing good real estate agents never do is to argue with poor reviews or try to have them removed. By doing so, you put yourself in a lose-lose situation. Where gracefully accepting a poor review only stands to show you in a good light.
Referral programs
Referral programs are also an effective way to use word-of-mouth marketing to your benefit. It would be best if you found companies that have a natural connection with real estate. These are usually moving and storage companies, but you can also call plumbers and other maintenance specialists. A referral program entails that they will recommend you to their clients, and you'll recommend them.
For instance, clients will likely have to find a moving company if they are selling their property. And you, the savvy real estate agent that you are can give them advice on finding the best fit for what they need. By understanding the client's needs, you can help them solve relocation problems more easily. And the more you work with local companies, the more you will know which ones to recommend and which ones to avoid. The one thing you really ought to avoid is connecting yourself to subpar companies.
Benefits of word-of-mouth advertising for agents
While there are other methods to improve word-of-mouth marketing, those as mentioned earlier are the ones most commonly used among real estate agents. So, to help you get the whole idea, we will now cover the benefits of word-of-mouth advertising for real estate agents.
Finding more customers
The unique thing about word-of-mouth advertising is that clients don't perceive it as traditional marketing. With standard marketing, you have to convince customers that you are worth working with. While with word-of-mouth, other people do it for you. As such, clients often perceive word-of-mouth as far more trustworthy than traditional marketing. This means that the people who hear about you from previous clients or through referral programs with companies like nwmoving.com and others are far more likely to employ you.
Better rapport with future clients
Another benefit is that the clients that come to you due to word-of-mouth advertising already have a positive image of you. If it were simply up to standard marketing, you would have to work harder to make an excellent first impression. Just because a customer called you does not mean that they trust you. And during their first meeting with you, they will make up their mind whether you can help them or not. Meanwhile, with word-to-mouth, an excellent first impression is pretty much guaranteed.
Brand growth
Even if it does not necessarily lead to new clients, word-of-mouth marketing will help you tremendously with brand growth. The more people talk about you, both online and in-person, the more established you will become in the local area. And before long, you will have companies looking to make lucrative referral deals simply to benefit from being associated with you.
How important is word-of-mouth advertising for Agents - Final thoughts
By now, it should be pretty evident that real estate agents need to invest in word-of-mouth marketing. In fact, few other marketing strategies are as effective as word-of-mouth advertising for agents. The only thing to remember here is that you need to tackle it with due care. This means researching your niche market and seeing how to best place yourself. And it also means answering any client request, comment, or review that you happen to come by. Your clients need to feel that you are constantly communicating with them and that you are more than willing to help them. The more they feel that you are a part of their team, the more willing they will be a part of yours.
Written by: Lisa Robert with US Home Experts