As a real estate professional, I often get asked about the biggest demographic group that's currently buying homes.
Well, the answer might surprise you:
It's millennials!
In fact, they make up the vast majority of buyers on the market. So, if I want to get these potential buyers off the fence and into homeownership, I need to focus on their motivations, not just on getting more business.
Here are the top three reasons why millennials are buying homes.
1. Millennials want to build equity in their own home instead of building someone else's equity through rent payments.
This is a powerful message that needs to be a part of our marketing campaigns. Have you ever stopped to think that every time you make a rent payment, you're helping someone else build their wealth? What if you could start building wealth for yourself and your family by owning your own home? Homeownership is within everyone's capability, and I can help...
I want to discuss how to follow up with a seller effectively. Having a reliable follow-up process is essential to getting the seller to sell their house for the highest possible price.
Many agents don't have a set follow-up plan, so I encourage you to adopt a consistent and rigid one. This means that you are consistent in delivering your follow-up to the seller. It all starts with a conversation where you set the seller's expectations when you first take the listing. You say, "Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I'm super excited to be your listing agent and start working with you. We're going to get your home sold."
One of the things I like to do is to have a weekly follow-up call, and I will provide a complete update on what's happening. This includes virtual showings, physical showings, feedback from agents, the seller's peer group, and any new listings that hit the market. I will also send you a physical report every week.
I...
I have a great idea for my fellow real estate agents out there.
It's called the Buyer's Eyes Strategy. Here's how it works:
When I have a client selling their house, I treat them as if they are a buyer in the market for a home in their price range. I put them in the MLS as if they are a real buyer, and they start receiving emails with new listings, price changes, and updates on pending or sold houses. This helps them stay informed, in real time, without having to wait for me to tell them what's going on.
I also get CC'd on the same emails, so I'm seeing what they're seeing. This allows us to have a productive conversation and make any necessary adjustments or changes to their selling strategy.
They start receiving these emails right away, and they'll get updates every day or every couple of days. This way, they become really familiar with the market and can make informed decisions about their own...
Use this script to have the "Red Flags" conversation with sellers before you list their house, so they value you as an agent (and don't shift the blame onto you):
"As your real estate agent, I want to discuss a crucial conversation with you, Mr. and Mrs. Seller. When we list your house, one of two things can happen. Either A) we have showings, which means the market is accepting our price. People are viewing the property, and this indicates they believe the price is fair.
Or B) we have very few or no showings, it could be an indication that the price is too high. If that's the case, I'll come to you immediately, and we'll have to make a quick adjustment. We don't want to be one of those listings that sit on the market without any action.
But there's also something else that can happen, a second red flag, other than price: We can have a lot of showings, but no one pulls the trigger and makes an...
I have a really powerful way to have an honest conversation about commissions with a seller.
This is a great script from one of my top producers.
Here's what he says: "Hey, listen, here's my listing fee. My listing fee is [X, which could be 2.5%, 2%, 3%, or whatever number you choose.] I'm not trying to price-fix here. But what we really need to talk about is what we're going to pay the buyer's agent. We need to look at this as a marketing incentive to get buyer's agents to show the property.
To help you make a decision on what to offer the buyer's agent, I recommend doing a commission map survey. Put a pin on a map and look at every listing that sold within a certain radius, such as a mile, five miles, or half a mile. Of the listings that sold in the area in the last six months, you can see what commission they offered to the buyer's agent.
Based on that, you can decide where you want to be. You...
Garrett Maroon will blow your mind during this interview with ideas, strategies, and methods for building an incredible real estate business. Garrett has built a seven-figure business with a database of less than 300 people, closing over 50 transactions a year for 9 years straight! He has simplified his approach into what he describes as his Perfect 36 which he outlines for us in-depth during the podcast. In addition, he walks us through how he went from having a team of 8 agents to just one agent (in addition to himself) and an assistant. Plus he explains how he now transitioned completely out of production and spends less than 5 hours a week running his real estate business. Get your notepad and paper out, you will want to take notes!
I recently learned a great secret about social media advertising from Gary V's head of marketing.
This strategy brought them a 160x return on investment, so it definitely works. Typically, we as business owners focus on creating the most creative and visually appealing ad, as well as targeting the right audience.
However, we often forget about engagement, which is the third important component...
The algorithm watches for engagement, and when it sees it, the algorithm promotes the post to more people. This is why some ads are successful and some aren't.
One way to "juice" engagement is to start with a core group of advocates and ask them to comment on the post. We can also ask our sphere of influence for help. We can say, "Hey guys, please comment on my ad if you like it. Let me know what you think."
Most people who are close to us are happy to help.
Engaging with comments is important. We should respond to...
I recently heard a great story about a real estate agent who moved to a new market and didn't know many people. She knew it would be challenging to succeed without a sphere of influence, so she came up with a brilliant strategy:
She researched the top 10 things people want to do in the area and created a video about each of them. She then posted the videos on YouTube and TikTok, and connected them to her website and blog.
By doing this, she was able to reach a wider audience and get her name out there.
She also used Facebook and Google pixels to remarket to people who visited her website, and started putting ads in front of them.
This strategy paid off, and it paid off big:
She went from zero to 10 million in business in just one year!
If you're interested in trying this strategy, don't worry - it's not technical or difficult. Everything you need to know can be found on YouTube, and most of it is free. The only cost is for ads, but...
Jess Lenouvel is a real estate marketing expert, author, and founder of The Listings Lab. In an age where algorithms rule our lives, her innovative approach bucks the traditional real estate mold and gives agents back their time and freedom without sacrificing growth or peace of mind. With an emphasis on marketing, personal connection, and timeless principles, Jess is a thought leader in the industry, enabling real estate agents to thrive in both their professional and personal lives. Listen to this episode and learn why identifying a niche is critical to creating a winning strategy, the nine posts that are critical to attracting (instead of chasing) your ideal client, how to choose your platform, and how to build your audience. Bring a pen because you will want to take notes!
Do you have a hospitality mindset?
I heard two stories that really brought this home.
The first story is about a restaurateur in New York City who overheard a group of four customers talking about how they had never had a hotdog in New York City, despite just having a $500 lunch at his high-end restaurant. The owner of the restaurant went to a hotdog vendor across the street, bought four hotdogs, had the chef cut them up and arrange them elegantly on a plate with all the condiments the customers wanted, and had the maitre d' bring it out to the customers. They were amazed, even though they had just eaten a five-star meal.
The second story is about Steve Wynn, who owns the Wynn Casinos in Las Vegas and all over the world. He implemented a process where all managers have a daily brainstorming session before every shift, and one of the things they discuss is positive experiences they've had with guests.
One of the stories that...
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