We hear you, really we do. Nobody wants to feel humiliated just to get leads. But what if I told you rock star Beverly Hills agent Ben Bacal used door knocking to land clients like Leonardo DiCaprio and even knocked on Keanu Reeve’s and Grant Cardone’s doors? You’d want to learn more, right? Well, you’re in luck! 

In this article, I go over everything you need to know about door knocking for real estate, including the best scripts and 15 door-knocking tips to get more leads. I’ll wrap up with my 2 cents on whether or not door knocking is still effective after the pandemic.

Download Free Door Knocking Scripts

The Best Door Knocking Scripts for 2022 (+ Video Examples)

1. Ben Bacal’s Beverly Hills Door-knocking Scripts

If you’ve been an agent for more than a few months, chances are you’ve heard of Ben Bacal. He’s one of the most successful luxury agents in Beverly Hills—he sold a Bel Air home for a record-breaking $94 million and has sold homes to Matt Damon, Ellen DeGeneres, and Madonna.

What most agents don’t know is that Ben Bacal got his start in real estate door knocking. Here are Ben’s general door-knocking script and the script he uses for “drive knocking” mansions with gates and intercoms:

copy to clipboard

General Door-knocking Script:

“Your house is amazing. If there is any possibility of bringing a buyer your way, would you be interested in selling?”

Drive Knocking Script:

“Sorry to bother you, but my client saw your property on Google Maps and you can’t see it from the street. You probably don’t want to sell it but maybe you do, she is a serial entrepreneur you’ve seen on TV. She’s looking for a property in the range of XX-XX. Maybe you can let me see your property to see if it might work for her.”

2. Sean Moudry’s Door-knocking Script for Listing Agents

Trying to come up with a value proposition to justify knocking on a stranger’s door on a Sunday morning isn’t easy. The best value proposition you have as an agent is a track record of success selling homes in their neighborhood. So if you have a recent listing that received multiple offers, print them out, black out the personal information, and put together a mini-presentation you can use as a talking point. Now that you have a reason to be there, here is a script you can use from Sean Moudry:

copy to clipboard

“Hello, sorry to bother you. My name is [your name] and I am the listing agent for the property down the street [point in the direction of the property]. We received multiple offers [waive the printed contracts in front of them] and, of course, we can only accept one. The home sold well above asking price and these other buyers are still looking for a home in [neighborhood]. Who do you know who would like to sell their home in this HOT MARKET?”

3. Monica Carr’s Beginner’s Door-knocking Script

Coldwell Banker agent Monica Carr went from broke to earning a million dollars in real estate through building a brand and door knocking. The script she used was dead simple, but highly effective. First, because it gave her a valid reason to knock on a stranger’s door, and second, because it built enough curiosity to spark conversations with homeowners. Here is her script from her TomX talk:

copy to clipboard

“Hi, I’m Monica. Your neighbor just sold their home for $1.5 million. What did you think of that price? Did you get a chance to see it at the open house? That one sold for multiple offers. There are still people out there who want to live in your neighborhood. For the right price, would you consider selling your home?”

You can hear Monica explain her script in more detail and share her inspirational story in her TomX talk How to Earn $1 Million in Real Estate in 4 Steps with Absolutely NO BUDGET below, which has been viewed over 700,000 times.

4. Eri Hass’ Market Report Door-knocking Script 

A former music industry executive, Eric Hass started his real estate career door knocking in one of the most expensive cities on earth— Los Angeles. While most agents probably think door knocking million-dollar homes would be pointless, Eric disagrees. Here’s how he framed the issue in his interview with Mike Sherrard: “Luxury doesn’t mean $#$%, it’s just another zero on the price, and those people need to sell too.” 

Like Monica’s script, Eric’s script is simple, friendly, and offers homeowners something to be curious about to spark conversation. Here is the script:

copy to clipboard

“Hi, it’s Eric Hass, I’m with EXP Realty and I’m stopping by with a housing update on [your farm area], keeping you dialed in with what’s going on with quarter one versus quarter four, and I’m stopping by to see if you have any questions or interest in moving anytime soon.”

Watch Eric explain his script and go over his best door-knocking tips in his interview with Mike Sherrard here:

5. Micah Mruwat’s Home Valuation Door-knocking Script

Real estate coach and former EXP Managing Broker Micah Mruwat is another industry thought leader who is bullish on door knocking. Like the other agents here, Micah starts off by introducing herself and wraps up by offering something of value that will stir curiosity and spark a conversation.

copy to clipboard

“Hi, my name is Micah Mruwat from EXP Realty. I promise I won’t take much of your time, I just want a couple of seconds—did you realize that a home just a few houses down just sold for $50,000 over asking price? I don’t know if you have any interest, but I am an expert in the area if you’d like a free valuation of your home.”

Watch Micah explain her script in more detail and go over other door-knocking tips in her video here:

16 Door-knocking Tips to Get More Leads in 2022

1. Don’t Ask for Business, Offer to Help 

Chris Linsell, Senior Staff Writer/Real Estate Coach, Theclose.com 

One of the biggest mistakes new agents make when door knocking is trying to hard-sell total strangers on their doorstep. Unless you have a stellar track record in their neighborhood, this will turn off most homeowners. Instead, focus on how you can help them. The distinction is subtle, but important. Check out Chis Linsell’s video below for a quick run-through of his door-knocking strategy and why it works.

2. Don’t Forget to Bring Your Door Hangers

One of the best leave-behinds you can use when door knocking are door hangers. Simply put, they have one of the best returns on investment (ROI) of anything you can print and put in front of your leads. Full stop.

Illinois Coldwell Banker Broker Danielle Procopio agrees:

“Never miss the opportunity to ‘touch’ a lead. If no one is home, we’ll leave a laminated door hanger with a personalized message and attempt to connect with the homeowners at least four times, and then mail them a neighborhood market analysis. Always follow up with a letter, postcard, phone call, and so on. You want to be seen as the neighborhood expert.”

You can get gorgeous custom-designed door hangers as well as social media templates, business card templates, and more at Lab Coat Agents (LCA) Marketing Center. LCA Marketing Center is similar to Canva, but everything they offer was designed for and by top-producing Realtors. The difference in quality is massive.

Visit Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center

3. Don’t Try to Close the Deal on Their Doorstep

The cardinal rule of any real estate lead generation strategy is to only focus on moving relationships to the next step. In the case of door knocking, that next step is generally either a phone call, being added to a direct mail or drip campaign, or if you’re really lucky, a listing presentation.

While you may be eager to close deals, pushing too hard for goals that are unrealistic is a surefire way to get a door slammed in your face. Sure, you want to seem confident and maybe even a little bit hungry to close, but most people instantly turn off when presented with a “sales pitch,” no matter how good it is. This is especially true when you’re standing on their doorstep on a Sunday morning.

So do yourself a favor and save the hard sell for your listing presentation or better yet, when you’re finally writing an offer for your buyer. Instead, focus on just moving the ball down the field. What next step do you realistically want your homeowner to take with you? A phone call? A visit to your open house? Focus on that and you’ll have much better luck knocking doors.

4. A Small Compliment Can Go a Long Way in Building Rapport

A compliment, if it’s sincere, is one of those ice breakers that has probably worked since the last ice age and will continue to work for a thousand years. So the next time you’re out door knocking, try to find something genuine to compliment the homeowner on.

Cindy Trotier, a Coldwell Banker agent from Illinois, uses small compliments to break the ice with homeowners whenever she can.

“When prospecting, it’s important to find common ground with the potential client, and complimenting them on their home goes a long way. Start with: ‘Nice yard, you certainly have a green thumb,’ or ‘Those are beautiful flowers.’ Make the conversation about them, not you. Additionally, share something of value along with your business card (e.g., market area report). Ultimately, you want to build relationships first.”

5. Leverage Your Brokerage’s Success if You’re a Newer Agent

Another hard and fast rule of lead generation is that you need to have something on the table that your leads actually want. That can be something as abstract as a conversation or advice, or something as concrete as a well-researched comparative market analysis (CMA) or market report.

If you feel like you have nothing to offer, then you’re doing it wrong. Just by virtue of having access to your MLS, you have more information at your fingertips than the average homeowner. It’s just a matter of packaging that data in creative and useful ways. Why not hire a virtual assistant to put together 20 CMAs for homes in a neighborhood you want to target?

Sure, that will cost you money, but how many other agents are going the extra mile like that? As Close Contributor Beverly Ruffner always says: You only need to be a little bit better than the competition.

But you don’t even need to go this far. Instead, you can just leverage your brokerage’s success. Many large brokerages like Douglas Elliman create market reports specifically for their agents to use as marketing pieces. A hot-off-the-press market report can be very useful for homeowners who may not be paying attention to the market … YET.

Just remember that data on its own is cheap these days. The real value comes from analyzing and packaging that data in ways that are useful to your potential customers.

6. Allow Yourself to Fail in Order to Get Better

If you’ve worked in real estate for more than 10 minutes or own a television, you’ve probably heard of Barbara Corcoran. What you may not know about Barbara is that she grew up poor, dyslexic, and was waiting tables before she decided to become a real estate agent.

Fast forward a few years and she ended up selling her innovative brokerage, The Corcoran Group, for more than $66 million. Like many entrepreneurs, she credits her amazing success to learning lessons from failure.

So now you may be sitting here thinking this is the sappiest cliche of all time, and why are you even reading this? Well, let’s just say that successful people didn’t get that way without breaking a few eggs. So smile and laugh when someone slams a door in your face, learn to meditate, start a healthy morning routine, and always remember that you’re not a brain surgeon—you’re just trying to close some deals. So don’t be so hard on yourself. Things are going to work out, but you need to let yourself fail first. It won’t kill you. I promise.

7. Dress for Success, but Don’t Forget Comfort

One of the best-kept secrets of success in any sales job shouldn’t be a secret at all. Here it goes: People are going to judge you, and harshly, based on your appearance. Yes, we know it’s not fair, and yes, we know you really think your leads won’t care if you show up in sweatpants and a T-shirt to show them houses. We’ve heard these arguments over and over again. Of course, that doesn’t make them right. 

Far from it, actually. In reality, people, especially the older people who own the majority of the homes in this country, are going to judge you for what you wear, and there’s nothing you can do about it. As long as you’re comfortable, dress as nicely as you can when you’re out door knocking.

Not sure how to dress to impress? Luckily, we put together guides for women and men on how to dress, and more importantly, how NOT to dress to close more deals.

8. Make Some Fun Pop-by Gifts & Bring Them With You

Texas Coldwell Banker agent Andrea Smith swears by pop-by gifts:

“Create some fun, well-thought-out pop-bys that convey your message. When Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I attach my business cards to a small bag of chocolate hearts that say, ‘You’re the heart of my business.’ It’s a great way to help people remember me and begin a positive interaction as I’m out knocking doors. I feel like the addition of a special touch helps to open the door to a better opportunity to generate a lead or referral.”

Pop-by gifts are small gifts that you can leave with homeowners in order to get them to remember you. Things like candy, seeds, or any other small gift with your message and contact info will work. Cheesy jokes optional, but kind of encouraged.

9. Learn the Best Days & Times to Door Knock in Your Farm Area

Learning when to knock doors is like asking which baseball team is the best. No matter who you ask, you’re going to get a different answer. But there is a general consensus from people who use door knocking as their primary lead generation strategy:

Saturdays between 10 a.m. & 5 p.m.

Most people are home, but are more than likely still in get-stuff-done mode instead of full-on relax mode, like they are on Sundays. The only caveat here is neighborhoods where observant Jewish people live. In that case, you just might want to wait until Sunday, as Saturdays are days of rest in the Jewish religion.

And likewise, knocking on doors on Sunday if your community is devoutly Christian may not be well received. In short, know your audience and respect their private time.

8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. during the week

Another good time to door knock that most people skip is in the morning during the weekday. You’ll catch a lot of entrepreneurs, home workers, and retired people who are just getting their day together, and so may be more receptive to dealing with “work.”

10. Invite Them to the First Open House at a New Listing

I don’t know about you, but I’m always desperately curious to see how my neighbors live. What does that cool-looking brownstone with the cute little yard look like inside? I bet it’s nice …

In order to satiate their curiosity, always take the time to door knock in a circle around a new listing before you have that all-important first open house. It not only helps you look good to your homeowner (neighbors gossip), but might just help keep you top of mind with the neighbors as well.

Minnesota Sotheby’s Shawn Leetz takes advantage of the curiosity factor to help drive traffic to her open houses:

“Before the first open house at a new listing, I will door knock to hand out personal invitations to the neighbors, introducing myself and letting them know that it is always a good idea to know what is going on in their neighborhood. Also, I like to let them know that it’s OK to come and take a peek; some folks are shy about walking through their neighbor’s home. Not only does this engage the community, but this is another way to offer value to your client (the seller).”

Need some ideas to actually generate leads at your next open house? Check out our guide to open houses here.

11. Avoid Burnout: Don’t Try to Knock Too Many Doors in One Day

Contrary to popular belief, being physically and emotionally exhausted at noon is not a signal that you worked hard, and definitely not a signal that you were effective. It’s a signal that you’re stressed, tired, and probably cranky to boot. Basically the exact opposite mindset you need for a successful door-knocking campaign. Who wants to talk to a stressed-out stranger on their doorstep? The answer, of course, is literally no one.

So if you want to avoid burnout, set yourself a realistic goal of say, 20 doors to knock before you head to the office or start your open house this weekend. If you don’t believe us, just imagine knocking that super-lucky door where a millionaire who wants to sell lives and being too wiped out to build a rapport with her.

12. Track Your Progress: That Which Gets Measured, Gets Improved

One thing many agents forget when out door knocking is to track their progress. How many doors did you knock? How many doors got slammed in your face? Which doors should you absolutely avoid next time? Which seemed kind of promising? Who seems like a decent candidate for a direct mail campaign?

You don’t have to hire MIT to crunch the numbers for you here. Just keep a little log book or notepad app on your phone and take some notes when you’re out door knocking.

You also need to measure your performance if you want to get better. What went right? What went wrong? Does your script need tweaking? Are you getting less nervous or more nervous?

13. Ask Open-ended Questions: Avoid Yes or No Questions

Want to know a secret to not being boring? Get people to talk about themselves and then really listen to what they’re saying. That’s it. Easy, right? Well, yes and no. After all, you have a pretty clear agenda here, right? You’re not just walking your farm area at 8:30 a.m. on a Tuesday to chat about the weather.

Not only does the same rule apply to door knocking, but it’s actually crucial to your success. Think about it. You have maybe 15 seconds to get and keep their attention. Even if you’re super-charming, they’re probably looking for an easy excuse to get back to their newspaper and bagels. Answering a simple yes or no is one of those excuses.

So to avoid giving them an easy out, never ask questions that can be answered by a simple yes or no. Instead, try to get them engaged in a conversation by asking open-ended questions and actually listening to their answers instead of just waiting for your turn to talk.

14. Stay Safe: Knock With a Partner

Since safety should be one of your main concerns, you might want to think about finding a partner to door knock with. It could be a junior agent who needs to work on their pitching skills or an equal team member, but the facts are that pairing up is almost always safer than going it alone.

By the way, this applies just as much to “safe” neighborhoods as it does to neighborhoods with higher crime rates. The simple fact is you never know who is going to answer that door, so having a buddy across the street watching your back is always a good idea.

It could just be a creepy old man who gets too flirty, but a quick “Hey, would love to chat more but my partner is across the street” should be enough to throw cold water on most people.

While the odds of getting into trouble are pretty rare, you never know. As an added bonus, you’ll have a margarita partner if you decide to knock off early.

15. Don’t Be Afraid of Luxury Neighborhoods

Can we talk about super-attractive people for a minute here? If there’s one thing they say over and over again, it’s that fewer, not more, people hit on them. While this might seem counterintuitive, it makes sense when you think about it. After all, most people assume they have no chance, so they don’t even bother.

Well, you can think about wealthy neighborhoods like that super-hot guy in your spin class. You might have a low chance of getting his digits, but if you don’t go talk to him, you have ZERO chance. Why not give it a shot?

The other good part of knocking on rich people’s doors is that they’re more likely to be entrepreneurs—and maybe also more likely to be self-made entrepreneurs who appreciate a good hustle! Maybe some eccentric billionaire will take a shine to you and give you 10 listings to sell this year. Hey, you never know until you try, right?

16. Good Deeds Can Help Build Good Will in Your Farm Area

If you want to get in good with the locals, there’s nothing like doing something selfless and useful for the community. I don’t know about you, but whenever I see someone helping others in my neighborhood, I can’t help but like them.

Like a lot of successful agents, Texas Coldwell Banker agent Scott Bullard started out with empty pockets, but a deep desire to help his community:

“I started with no money, so I had to be creative. I had a T-shirt made with my real estate company in big letters, and walked my neighborhood at strategic times to come face to face with as many people as possible while I picked up any trash that I saw and disposed of it. I also went around collecting email addresses of my neighbors and started a weekly e-newsletter.”

The 30,000-Foot View: Is Door Knocking Still Effective in 2022?

If you had asked us this question in April 2020, we probably would have said no. There were just too many unknowns about the pandemic for us to even think about telling agents that knocking on strangers’ doors was a good idea.

Of course, now with multiple successful vaccines being distributed and Omicron waning, we are once again bullish on door knocking for one simple reason: Agents have been relying on technology to generate leads way, way too much over the past few years.

These days, it seems like every agent is obsessed with perfecting custom audiences for Facebook ads, or trying (and failing) to go “viral” on Instagram instead of honing the one skill they need to last in this industry: making a personal connection with another human being.

So, the more everyone in your office leans into technology, get up, go outside, and go knock some doors.

Over to You

Do you think door knocking will disappear or make a huge comeback in 2022? Let us know in the comments.

The post Door Knocking for Real Estate in 2022: Will It Still Work? (+ Tips & Scripts) appeared first on The Close.

Luckily, beating a cash offer on a house is not as hard as many agents think. We’ll share our strategies to improve your offer by reducing the negative aspects of financing while creatively solving some of the other concerns a seller may have. Here are the top 10 that have helped my team successfully beat out cash offers—yes, even in this red hot market.

Disclaimer: All suggestions mentioned in this article are for informational purposes only. We are not offering legal advice. Laws and restrictions are different in each area. Check with your local real estate commission and attorney for guidance before using any of the techniques listed.

1. Use a Cash Lender

One of the best ways to beat a cash offer is simply to transform your offer into a cash offer by using a cash lender. Born from the needs of mortgage buyers to compete with cash buyers, cash lenders will buy a home with cash then allow the buyer to refinance or purchase the property after closing. 

Here’s how it works. Once a buyer is qualified with a cash lender like Homeward Mortgage, they can select a house and Homeward will place a cash offer on the property. Once the property is purchased, the buyer rents the property from Homeward until their loan is finalized.

There is a charge for this service. The fee is about 2%, but it is reduced if the buyer uses Homeward Mortgage for their final loan. For buyers with a home to sell, they also offer a buy with cash before you sell option.

2. Submit Your Offer Early

Competing with cash offers can be stressful, but don’t give up hope. Many listing agents today will not review the offers for three to four days after the property becomes active. This allows more buyers to have the opportunity to see the property so the seller can receive more offers. 

Some buyer’s agents believe the best strategy is to wait until the last minute before submitting an offer. Don’t do this! We have found that the best practice is to submit your offers early! 

There is nothing worse than finding out the day before the offer deadline that the seller got tired of having to be out of the house for showings and decided to accept an offer the day before. Think of it this way: If your buyer’s offer is on the table, at least they will have a fighting chance, and if you follow some of my other suggestions, your buyer’s offer may even win!

3. Offer a Signing Bonus

A common seller negotiation tactic today is to hold all offers through the weekend and present all the offers received on Monday. This allows the listing agent to pit desperate buyers against each other and drive the price up even further. This technique also increases the chance of getting a cash offer that sweeps the rest of the competition.

The best way to overcome this is to offer a “signing bonus” for accepting your buyer’s offer quickly. To be successful at this, your buyer must put their best foot forward and make the “signing bonus” the highest and best offer they can make.

Assuming the list price of a home is $400,000 and your buyer is willing to pay 10% over asking. Instead of offering $440,000 and waiting through the weekend, structure the offer so the sales price is $420,000, but if the seller accepts the offer within the next four hours, the sales price will be $440,000. A $20,000 bonus just for accepting your offer sooner.

This approach allows your buyer to submit their offer early, eliminating the competition, and the seller gets to feel like they got a fair price. A true WIN-WIN! The best part is if the seller doesn’t accept the offer, it stays in the mix so your buyer can still have a chance to win.

However, to win against cash offers, you need to do more than just offer a signing bonus.

4. Be Memorable & Likable

Winning an offer is a competition—literally. It’s your buyer’s offer against all the other buyers. So, if you want to win against cash offers, you need to be memorable and likable! 

I’ll deny it if asked, but in the past, I have been known to help polite agents that I liked get their offers accepted. On the other hand, I have not lifted a finger to help an agent who was rude and standoffish. So if you want to beat out a cash offer, kill them with kindness. Here are two easy ways you can be more memorable and likable to the listing agent:

Leave Unique Feedback

When your buyer is interested in a property, you have a great opportunity to set the tone. Instead of leaving the same old feedback, mention how your buyer loved the home, the neighborhood, and how they can see themselves living there. 

In many cases, the feedback goes directly to the seller. This is their first impression of your buyer’s offer. Just be mindful not to mention anything about your client that can be considered discriminatory under Fair Housing. 

Think of it as a mini-buyer love letter without the potential issues that love letters present.

Send the Listing Agent an Introductory Video

Next, record a quick introductory video of yourself to the listing agent. (Due to Fair Housing, I don’t include videos of my clients.) Let them know you will be submitting an offer and for them to keep you abreast of any status changes. 

These extra little touches can be the difference between your buyer’s offer being in second or first place!

5. Offer an Appraisal Gap

One of the main reasons cash is king in bidding wars is because of the requirement of an appraisal for mortgages. Bidding wars are causing sales prices to rise far beyond what we as agents or appraisers can realistically justify. 

The difference between the sales price and the lower appraised value is called the appraisal gap. When a financed buyer offers to cover any appraisal gap, they are putting up additional money for the down payment and closing costs. For example, if a property is marketed for $400,000 and it gets bid up to $420,000, the financed buyer may agree to bring in an additional $20,000 in the event the property doesn’t appraise.

Coach your clients who don’t have the additional funds for an appraisal gap to try to restructure their loan to a lower down payment option. If that won’t work, have them ask parents, grandparents, or even borrow from their 401(k) in order to cover the gap in the event the appraisal comes up short.

Remember, they will only need this money if the appraisal comes in lower than the agreed sales price and in most cases, the deficient amount is less than the agreed appraisal gap. While this is a top strategy, today many buyers are offering appraisal gaps. So, to win your offer, you may have to pull out the big guns.

6. Have Your Buyer Pay Your Commission

When you are competing with cash offers, sometimes you have to pull out the big guns. Commissions have always been a touchy topic for buyers and sellers, and many sellers feel that it isn’t fair that they pay commissions for both their agent and the buyer’s agent.

Since this experience, I have successfully used this technique to differentiate my offers to gain an advantage over the competition.

7. Add an Escalation Clause

Escalation clauses often get a bad reputation. However, if used correctly, they are powerful tools that allow your buyers to make their strongest offer without the risk of overpaying compared to the other competing offers. 

For example, a home I sold recently had six offers. This beautiful four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in a small rural town east of Denver was listed for $460,000.

Three of the offers were under $470,000, two were at $480,000, and one was $500,000. The buyer who offered the highest amount had already sold their home (without a contingency to find a new home) and had to find a home ASAP or they were going to have to rent. 

They were in a pinch and because of their situation, they made an over-the-top offer to ensure they would win. What they didn’t know is that the other offers were $20,000 less than their offer. 

To prevent the buyer from overpaying, the buyer’s agent could have made an offer of $475,000 with an escalation clause of $1,000 more than any viable competing offer up to $500,000.

Had they done this, we would have had their offer accepted at $481,000 ($480,000 highest competing offer + $1,000 escalation), thus saving the buyer a whopping $19,000!

This technique is sure to place your buyers in the top spot, but this alone won’t always beat out cash.

8. Pay the Seller’s Closing Costs

While this next tip will give you an edge when the offers are close, sellers today feel like they are getting nickeled and dimed. That sounds funny when they are getting offers 10%+ over asking, but ask a homeseller and that is what they’ll tell you.

In most real estate transactions, the seller pays for the costs of the title insurance, escrow, and homeowner association (HOA) fees. Despite the common practice of having the seller pay for these fees, there isn’t a requirement for the seller to do so. Combined, these fees can range from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the location, HOA, and the price of the home.

One benefit of this is that in most cases, when the buyer pays for the title policy, they are able to select which title company they wish to purchase the title insurance policy from. If your buyer wants this option, be sure to make this clear in your offer. Also, be sure to get estimates of the fees prior to having your offer accepted, or place a limit on the costs your buyer is willing to pay.

While saving the seller a few thousand dollars seems miniscule compared to the hundreds of thousands buyers are paying for the house, this little gesture goes a long way with some money-conscious sellers.

9. Give the Seller a Flexible Possession Time

Since many sellers also need to buy a home, many get nervous about finding a home they can afford and actually want to buy. To relieve the seller’s fears, your buyer can be flexible with the seller when it comes to them having to move after they sell the home.

Of course, cash offers have an advantage when it comes to flexible possession dates. However, there are two main strategies buyers with financing can use to give the seller more time to move. Each has benefits and drawbacks for both the buyer and the seller. The key is finding the right solution for both parties.

No-cost Rent-back 

If the seller needs time to stay after the home is sold, then a no-cost rent-back can give them time to stay in the home long after the home has been sold. 

The challenge with this strategy arises when your buyer needs a mortgage loan. FHA loans and conventional loans have a requirement that the new buyer occupies the property within 60 days of ownership. If the seller needs more time than that, your buyer may have to qualify for an investment loan.

Recently, our team had a seller who was waiting for their new home to be built. The winning buyer agreed to get an investment loan so they could allow the seller to rent back the home for up to six months after closing. This saved the seller from the cost and inconvenience of having to move twice. Once moved in, the buyer plans to refinance the home to a lower interest rate owner-occupant loan. 

Most states provide a pre-approved form for post-occupancy. To protect your client and yourself, if your state doesn’t provide these forms, advise your client to have a lease drafted by a local real estate attorney.

Replacement Home Contingency

If a no-cost rent-back doesn’t work for your buyer, try using a replacement home contingency. A replacement home contingency is a two- to four-week contingency for the seller to find, contract, and inspect a replacement home. If the seller cannot complete this by the end of the time period, they may extend the time or the buyer or the seller may terminate the contract.

The benefit of this technique is that you don’t run into the 60-day occupancy requirement as you would with other options, since the closing and possession will be coordinated with the seller’s replacement home purchase.  

The downside is that if the seller cannot find a replacement home, they can terminate the contract and stay in their current home. In this case, the buyer may lose any money they paid for inspections and appraisals.

Having good communication with the listing agent and understanding the seller’s needs is key to making deals like this work.

10. Communicate!

I am appalled when I get offers in my inbox from agents who didn’t even bother to call or text before they sent it over. What kind of agent does this? A lazy agent who doesn’t really want to do their job, that’s who!

When writing an offer for my buyers in this competitive market, I want to make accepting it as easy as possible for the listing agent. To do this, I always call the listing agent (yes, on the phone! … and no, not in a text message!) to get a crystal-clear understanding of what the seller’s situation is and how we can draft an offer that meets their specific needs. 

Call me old-school, but I appreciate the details when I’m presenting offers to my sellers. Many of the other listing agents I know do too. So write a detailed cover letter that contains bullet points of key features of the offer, and how the buyer’s offer takes into account the needs of the seller. If needed, explain the buyer’s situation and their financing. 

Lastly, I call or text the listing agent and let them know that I sent them an offer and ask them to confirm that they received it. This shows them that I am proactive and communicative.

Bottom Line

The way to beat out cash offers on a home is to relieve as much stress and eliminate any fears the seller may have. You can do this by writing your offers in a way that reduces the hassles of financing and takes into consideration some of the other concerns a seller may have. We wish you the best in applying my team’s 10 strategies for writing winning offers!

The post How to Compete With Cash Offers: 10 Ways to Write Winning Offers appeared first on The Close.

Here on The Reynolds Team, giving up is not an option. Our persistence and strategy led to more than $1 billion in sales in 2021 and we’re on track to hit our goal of closing a thousand buyers in 2022. Our agents use a 10-step search plan to find homes for their desperate buyers. I’m sharing our property search plan with you because I want each and every one of you to succeed.

1. Kick Off Team Meetings With an Internal ‘Wants & Needs’ List

Our first step to finding homes to show desperate buyers is to post to our internal “Wants and Needs” list. This is a private Facebook group for our team and brokerage where agents list what their buyers are looking for in a home. 

To cast as wide a net as possible, we also review our clients’ “wants and needs” at our weekly team meetings. This helps keep our buyers’ needs top of mind for listing agents. The minute a new listing comes in, our listing agents will already have showings lined up from the list.  

If we can match a new listing with a buyer from our “wants and needs” list, we call this a “Love Connection”! We don’t stop there, though. If a connection isn’t made through our brokerage and team, we reach out to other agents in our network.

  Pro Tip

If you want to learn more about The Reynolds Team, check out my interview with team leader Sarah Reynolds Oji on The Close Weekly Podcast.

2. Contact Top Listing Agents From Other Brokerages

This technique is great for buyers who have a home to sell or a low down payment. The secret is to get access to homes before there is a lot of competition for them through the MLS. 

To do this, we begin by looking up the top agents in the specific neighborhoods that our buyers wish to live in. We often don’t know who is selling the most homes in any given area, so we train our buyers’ agents to search the MLS for properties sold over the past six to 12 months. 

Then they sort the list by the listing agent’s name. This will consolidate the names and show who has sold multiple properties in the area. With this information in hand, they can contact the listing agents who have sold multiple properties in the area, and ask them if they have any upcoming listings that may fit our buyer’s criteria.

Agents who are neighborhood specialists typically have sellers who would sell their home if they got an offer they can’t refuse, as well as other homesellers who are preparing their home to sell it in the next few months. 

The goal is to make their seller client an unbeatable offer even before they’ve signed a listing agreement. This technique works wonders for buyers with contingencies and special circumstances. In fact, I have bought two houses this way myself!

3. Prospect OLD Expireds, Not New Expireds!

Our team’s next step is to search for expired listings and homes that have been withdrawn from the market. Even in today’s low inventory market, some listings don’t sell the first time around. 

Start by searching your MLS for expired homes over the past three years. Many older expired listings are from sellers who were not able to get the price they wanted. Prices have risen so much over the past year that the unrealistic price they were asking two years ago probably isn’t so unrealistic today!

If a listing has recently expired or has been withdrawn, contact the listing agent and ask them if they know if the property is coming back on the market.

For older expireds, go ahead and call them yourself. The good news is that homeowners of older expired listings aren’t receiving the 20 calls a day from desperate real estate agents that are typical for newly expired listings. Therefore, they are more likely to answer the phone and they are much more pleasant to talk to. 

BONUS TIP: Use Artificial Intelligence to Find Homeowners Who Are Getting Ready to Sell 

When you want to find homes for desperate buyers, human intelligence is great, but artificial intelligence is better. Why? That’s simple. Platforms like SmartZip use artificial intelligence to instantly sift through hundreds of data points on the internet and your MLS with one goal: to find homeowners who are getting ready to sell—before they contact their first agent. 

Even if you don’t find “the one” for your buyers with SmartZip, you can be the first agent to contact homeowners who are likely to sell in the next year. ZIP codes are limited and going fast, so if you want to unleash the power of artificial intelligence, check if your ZIP code is available here: 

Visit SmartZip

4. Write Backup Offers With a Backup Clause Written by an Attorney

In today’s market, you have to be proactive, creative, and BOLD to find your buyers a home. If your buyers love a neighborhood or home, don’t be afraid to write a backup offer on homes that are already pending. 

Bidding wars can drive the price so high that the winning buyer may feel they overpaid and subsequently get buyer’s remorse. Due to this, we are seeing a higher number of contracts terminate shortly after the contract is ratified than we have in the past. This is why we coach our buyers’ agents to encourage their clients to submit backup offers on hot properties. 

To protect our buyers and give them the ability to keep shopping, we have a strong backup clause, written by an attorney, that allows their client to terminate the contract prior to going into first position. This technique works well with homebuilders and fix and flips too!

5. Start Door Knocking With Your Rejected Offers (+ Script)

If you have been working with your buyer for more than a few weeks, chances are you have already made—and lost out on—at least a few offers. This can feel devastating to you and your client. Luckily, there’s a way to turn that rainy day into a glorious win—prospect around your recent offers!

After you dust yourself off and collect your thoughts, print out the offer your clients just made and start door knocking the neighborhood for other potential sellers who may be considering a move in the near future.

With your (redacted) offer in hand, go door-to-door and tell the neighbors that you have a motivated buyer who just made an offer and lost out on the home down the street. Let them know your buyer loves the style of homes and the neighborhood, and that they are set on living in the area.

Rejected Offers Door Knocking Script

When they answer the door, you will say:

copy to clipboard

Hello, my name is [Name] with [Company] and my client made an offer on the property down the street.

[Point in the direction of the home and hold up the previous offer.]

My client lost out on that home to a higher bidder, but they love this neighborhood and the style of homes here. Have you heard of any neighbors who may be thinking of moving in the near future?

[Pause for their answer, then ask:]

Are you considering selling while the market is HOT…HOT…HOT!

Do this and you will be surprised how well-received this approach will be. Many neighbors who love their community will want to help you find a home for your buyer client.

6. Trade Your Buyer’s Contingent Property With a Flip

One of the biggest challenges our buyers’ agents face is finding a home for a contingent buyer. These are buyers who have to sell a home before they can buy. This becomes even more challenging when the home they need to sell is in dire need of repair. 

This was exactly the case for one of my seller clients last fall. They had a home in a desirable area but it hadn’t been updated in more than 20 years. They wanted to find a home in the same area that offered more bedrooms and was already completely remodeled.

Since the homes in the area were built in the ’60s and ’70s, my strategy was to find them a recently flipped home. Using the seller’s home as bait, I contacted the fix and flippers in the area and asked them if they were looking for a new fix-and-flip project in the area. 

Hungry for inventory, several flippers expressed interest in my seller’s home. I told them that in order for them to be able to buy my client’s home, they had to sell my client another home that they had coming on the market. It took a little legwork, but in the end, we were able to negotiate the purchase of newly remodeled home with the caveat that the flipper would buy their home at a fair price. A true WIN-WIN!

7. Prospect FSBO Listings

The buyers’ agents on The Reynolds Team are expected to do the unthinkable … call FSBOs! If you have been selling real estate for more than a few months, you may have also found that these sellers are always reasonable, generous, and a pleasure to work with. 

OK, OK, so that may not be true all the time, but when you contact FSBOs, you will discover that most agents ignore them. They think these homeowners have no interest in listing their home with an agent. 

The truth is, they are happy to offer a commission to an agent who has a bona fide buyer for their home. That could be your buyer, but you’ll never know until you pick up the phone and start cold calling homeowners who have listed their own home for sale. 

8. Prospect Rental & Short-term Rental Ads

Calling the “Home for Rent” and Short-term Rental ads is a great way to find homes for your desperate buyers. Why? Because many investors may be interested in selling in this hot market. With interest rates rising and economic uncertainty everywhere, some investors might be looking to cash out at what they think is the top of the market. 

As a real estate investor myself, I would be interested in selling … if I didn’t have to go through the effort of getting a rented house ready for market. Getting a house “for sale ready” is different than getting a home “rent ready.” 

A “rent ready” home may have white semi-gloss paint, matching trim, and a neutral gray carpet. To get a home “for sale ready” requires nicer features like gray walls with a bright white trim and doors, and nice laminate flooring. Many landlords don’t want to take the chance on updating a property to make it “for sale ready” only to find they didn’t get the price they wanted.

What investors may not realize is that many buyers in this low inventory market are willing to pay nearly the same amount for properties that haven’t been updated as the recently renovated competition. This makes now an outstanding time for an investor to unload some inventory without having to invest the time and money to update their property.

On our team, buyers’ agents call the for rent, VRBO, and Airbnb advertisements to see if an investor is ready to sell. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to coach the buyer to reconsider some of the diamonds in the rough. Worst case scenario, you will have conversations with local rental property owners that might lead to future business. 

9. Coach Your Clients to Consider Aged Listings

If we haven’t found a home that matches our buyers’ needs at this stage, agents on our team still don’t give up. They then coach their clients to reconsider the aged listings (listings that have been for sale for longer than seven days). 

These homes may not be priced as well—or they may even be a little overpriced for the condition—but with a little coaxing, you may get the seller to come down a few dollars. 

Of course, your buyer may have to wait a few more years for the Instagram-perfect kitchen or yard, but they will be able to stop paying rent and start building equity—and that’s what’s important, isn’t it?

If you don’t have your hopeful buyer in a house after all this, it’s time to look in other areas.

10. Take Your Buyers on ‘Turf Tours’ of Other Neighborhoods

While I’m sure this idea has already crossed your mind, you may not have had much success getting a stubborn buyer to look into other areas. Well, I’d like to help you with that! Buyers tend to buy in locations with which they are most familiar. They might want to be close to work, schools, or shopping, or may be trying to invest in an up-and-coming trendy neighborhood.  

This can be difficult if the area they want is priced far above their budget. Some buyers will tell you they would rather rent than to consider moving outside their comfort zone. This can be a huge mistake since homeownership is what is going to help them build enough equity to afford to live in their desired neighborhood someday. 

If they say they want to live in a specific area because of the recreation and lifestyle, then consult them on how they can have a similar lifestyle in another location that is more affordable.

To get clients to consider new areas, our team conducts “Turf Tours.”  First, we ask them to take a ride with us. (Yes, in the same car!) We say, “I have an area I would like to show you. I just have one condition. You can’t ask me where it is until we have already seen the area and some homes.” 

Curious, they will usually agree. To be successful at this, you must remember that you are a consultant, not an order taker. The clients tell you what they want to achieve and why they want to achieve it. Your role is to serve as a consultant who guides them toward reaching their goals.

Bottom Line

This is our strategy for finding homes for buyers in today’s market. Our goal on The Reynolds Team is to serve over 1,000 buyers in 2022. To achieve this, we know we MUST leave no stone unturned when searching for homes. We hope you will do the same. Please share tactics that have worked for you and your team in the comments.

The post The 10-Step Plan My $1 Billion Team Uses to Find Homes for Desperate Buyers appeared first on The Close.

The first step is to take my 10-question real estate sales personality assessment. As a certified MBTI practitioner and real estate coach, I have used this assessment with more than 1,000 people—from brand-new agents to billionaire real estate CEOs. I sincerely hope that it helps you too. 

For this assessment to work for you, you need to take it seriously. If you don’t answer the questions as honestly as possible, the results won’t help you, and they may even lead you down the wrong path. Once you’ve finished the assessment, return here for resources to help you tailor your lead generation approach to your personality. See you soon!

Take My Quiz

The Best Lead Generation Strategies for Every Personality Type

Here is a rough overview of the different lead generation strategies that work for each personality type. Just make sure you take the quiz to find your own real estate sales personality. Below the strategies, we include some helpful resources to get you started.

Why Finding Your ‘True Self’ Will Help You Succeed as an Agent

As Shakespeare said, all the world’s a stage and we all have many roles to play. In my life, I have three main roles: parent, spouse, and real estate agent. Each of these roles requires me to behave and respond accordingly to meet each unique situation.

Think of each role as wearing a different hat. When I am wearing my parent hat, I must be responsible, polite, and calm. My spouse hat helps me to be patient and loving, and when I wear my real estate agent hat, I must be confident, outgoing, and responsive.

But who am I really? Who am I when I’m not a parent, spouse, or real estate agent? What is my true self? The real Sean is the person I have always been. From the time I was four years old, through my twenties, today, and someday, into my sixties. It’s the part of me that doesn’t change. 

In order to succeed at real estate, I had to dig deep and find my true self through tools like the MBTI. I discovered my true self loves reading, learning, and spending long periods alone. This doesn’t sound much like the personality of a nationally recognized, top-producing real estate agent and real estate coach, does it? Fortunately, I have found ways to incorporate the real me into my real estate career so I don’t lose interest or burn out … and so can you!

Why Aligning Your Personality to Your Business Is Crucial to Your Success

Your personality plays a crucial role in your success (or lack of it!) in real estate—but not in the way you might think.

Too many unsuccessful agents try (and fail) to adapt their personalities to “fit in” better as real estate agents. They think they need to be highly extroverted to succeed, so they push themselves way too hard to “become” the fast-talking extrovert they see on “Million Dollar Listing.” This approach is doomed to failure, and at the very least, it’ll make you miserable in your chosen career.

To achieve long-lasting success and happiness in real estate, you must approach your business in a way that’s aligned with your personality. Here’s why. Studies show that changing your personality is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for most people. The scientific evidence is clear. While most people understand that our upbringing and life experiences shape our personalities, modern researchers have discovered that our personalities are also partially determined by genetics. 

So that means the harder you push against your personality type, the more miserable you will be, and the faster you will burn out. I’ve seen this happen many, many, times in my career.

Personality Is Crucial, but Sometimes You Still Need To Eat the Dog Food…

I would love to tell you that you will always enjoy every part of your real estate career, and you will never have to do the things you don’t enjoy, but that would be a lie. While personality is a critical factor in determining your approach to real estate, it’s not the only factor. Your budget and urgency will also play an essential role in determining the best strategy for your success.

Suppose you have an unlimited budget and the time to slowly develop your real estate business over many years. In that case, you could write a blog that ranks number one on Google or become a real estate influencer on social media. I know agents who have done both, but again, it took them years to get to this level. 

Short-term goals and urgency to make money will often require you to do things outside of your comfort zone to achieve the results you want in the time frame you want them. The good news is, we all can “flex” out of our personality preference for short periods of time.

This means that even I can “eat the dog food” and spend a few hours each quarter calling my sphere of influence (SOI) to invite them to an ice cream social. 

However, if we stay outside our comfort zones for long periods, we can become stressed, irritable, or worse, burnt out. This is one of the main reasons many top-producing agents eventually fail. They spend years forcing themselves to work outside of their comfort zone, and eventually, they burn out. Ask me how I know.

As a result, I sought out a personality assessment to help me better understand the agents I was coaching, with a goal of helping them build sustainable real estate careers that complement their strengths. I wanted them to be excited about the business again.

Next Steps: Learn My 16 Strategies for Real Estate Success

Want to stop pushing the boulder up the hill for good? My book, 16 Strategies for Sales, will help you laser-focus your lead generation strategy so that it works seamlessly with your personality, not against it. 

Get the Book

Bottom Line

Knowing your real estate personality will provide you with a deeper understanding of the best approach to grow your real estate business. You can increase your sales by gaining awareness of your personality type and adapting a sales strategy that complements your innate strengths and abilities.

The post What’s Your Real Estate Sales Personality? Take Our Quiz & Find Out appeared first on The Close.

In this article, we offer a host of great tools to help you write a new bio, including our exclusive, mad-libs-style bio generator, three free real estate bio templates, nine bio examples that we love, plus a list of industry buzzwords to help spice up your writing. Use our exclusive real estate bio generator as a starting point.

Real Estate Bio Templates

Our three free real estate bio templates were designed exclusively for our readers. Download these templates or copy them to your clipboard to make them your own.

New Real Estate Agent Bio Template

This template is perfect for new real estate agents without a lot of experience to lean on. Focus on your community ties, your excitement, and your enthusiasm, and show your potential clients who you are.

copy to clipboard

[Real estate agent name] has been an active member of his/her real community for [years of experience] now, and is so excited to be turning that community focus toward real estate.

With a passion for service in the [your community name] area, [real estate agent name] is ready to help with your homebuying and selling needs. As a proud member of the [brokerage name] family, [real estate agent name] carries the values of hard work, integrity, and outstanding client service into everything he/she does.

When [real estate agent name] isn’t making homeownership dreams come true for his/her clients, he/she enjoys spending time [leisure activity 1] and [leisure activity 2]. [Real estate agent name] lives in [locality of residence] with [family members].

Successful Real Estate Agent Bio Template

Your bio isn’t written in stone; you should revisit it at least once a year to see what sort of tweaks you can make to sharpen your message. Here’s a real estate bio template perfect for those of you who are coming off a very successful year and want to further that momentum.

copy to clipboard

[Your locality] and [your broader regional locality] are great places to live and work, which is why [real estate agent name] chose to call it home. With roots in [hometown], [real estate agent name] came to [your locality] in [date you arrived]. Real estate is a passion for [real estate agent name], and with his/her background in [former career or education], it is easy to see why more than [clients serviced last year] families in [year] called [real estate agent name] for help buying and selling.

[Real estate agent name] has been a part of the [brokerage name] family for [amount of time with the brokerage] years, but he/she isn’t just passionate about helping families find their next home. [Real estate agent name] has served on his/her local [charity organization] and loves being a part of other [your locality] community events.

A passionate [hobby], when [real estate agent name] isn’t in the office or volunteering, you’ll often find him/her at [location where the hobby takes place], enjoying time with his/her friends and [family members].

Long-form Real Estate Agent Bio Template

Sometimes you’ve got a little more room to write, but that extra space can be intimidating. Here’s a good bio template for times when you have room to really express yourself.

copy to clipboard

[Real estate agent name], of [brokerage name], based in [your locality], is a [years in the business] veteran of the real estate industry and has represented clients all over [larger regional locality] in over [number of transactions] real estate transactions. [Real estate agent name] has built a solid foundation of clients in this community through her/his professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to always put his/her client’s needs first.

He/She studied [academic focus] at [school name], and afterward began work in [previous industry or “real estate”]. Passionate about [a particular aspect of real estate], [real estate agent name] has continued to leverage his/her know-how and experience to exceed his/her client’s expectations.

Active in the community, [real estate agent name] is a proud part of the [nonprofit organization]’s effort to [community initiative]. [Quote from real estate agent about their nonprofit community work.]

In his/her free time, [real estate agent name] is an avid [hobby] and [another hobby]. Spending time in the [location one of the hobbies takes place] together with his/her friends and [family unit] as well as his/her [pet name and type] is never something [real estate agent name] takes for granted. [Quote from real estate agent about how lucky they are to have the chance to do their hobby in this place.]

Download Your Free Real Estate Agent Bio Templates

9 Real Estate Bios We Love

Before you dive headfirst into writing (or rewriting) your bio, take a look at these examples of real estate bios from rock star agents and brokers from around the country. Find ways to incorporate their savvy strategies into your new bio.

Connecting on a Personal Level

1. Gentry Todd Radwanski, Realtor, The Boulevard Company

I’ve sold $40+ million in property the last three years, received sales awards, and grown my business’ metrics each year, but the number I focus on every day is the exact number of clients who have homes and investments currently in Charleston. My approach is deeply analytical and I work tirelessly to ensure my clients are up to date on their home and/or their investment.

Prior to real estate, I spent the first part of my career (and most of my life) in my family’s business, commercial construction, primarily building schools, hotels, and municipal buildings in eastern PA. Having been part of a building family, home flips and investment property came naturally. My career in general brokerage began by helping a few friends with their investment properties and snowballed from there into helping many more on my way to becoming a top-producing agent in Charleston.

Like everyone who falls hard for Charleston, I am a total foodie, outdoors enthusiast, and history nut. When I’m not hustling houses, you’ll find me around Charleston kayaking, biking, jogging, boating, exploring our nation’s best food scene, or at one of our dog parks or beach side. It’s easy to sell something when you have an absurd passion for it. It’s why many of my out-of-town clients get an itinerary to explore as many parks, restaurants, beaches, and historic sites as they do neighborhoods and houses. Along with my sidekick (my dog Brutus), I spend most of my free time reinforcing all the reasons Charleston is home!

What We Love About Gentry’s Bio

Gentry does a great job of talking about how his background prepared him for success in real estate. His real estate agent bio is laid-back but professional. He shares the activities that he enjoys and reasons why he loves his community. He also offers insight into what it’s like to work with him and what clients can expect.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: Buyers and sellers want to work with a person, not a robot. Make sure your bio reflects who you are, your interests, and something unique about you. More prospects will turn into new clients if they can connect the dots between what’s important to them and what’s important to you.

Demonstrating Leadership

2. Brendan Bartic, CEO of the Bartic Group, Keller Williams Realty

As a Colorado native and a seasoned real estate professional, I recognize and value the trust my clients place in me, and I strive every day to exceed their expectations.

I have been a leading top producer for over 18 years. My sales consistently rank in the top 1% of all Keller Williams Teams internationally.

Prior to entering real estate, I served my country in the United States Army Infantry with multiple tours in Iraq and Kuwait. These experiences instilled in me the discipline it takes to build the most powerful real estate team in Colorado.

Outside of real estate, I take pride in giving back to the community and serve as a Board Member of Third Way Center, which helps high-risk, disadvantaged youth become successful adults.

What We Love About Brendan’s Bio

Most real estate agents write their bio in the third person, but Brendan takes a more personal approach by writing in the first person. His bio comes across as strong and effective—we can feel Brendan’s leadership qualities from reading his profile.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: Leadership is an essential trait for any real estate professional. Your clients depend on you to lead them through one of the most important financial decisions of their lives, so make sure your bio communicates your leadership abilities.

Connecting to the Community

3. Suzi Farajiani, Realtor, Douglas Elliman

Coming from three generations of Realtors, Suzi grew up in a family of real estate developers. She specializes in residential buying and selling with an emphasis on marketing properties as well as consulting for investing purposes.

Suzi’s achievements include working with her family on buying and selling properties, renovating homes with her husband, and collaborating with developers to create new and unique construction projects.

When it comes to Los Angeles real estate, Suzi admires the city’s landscape and how it interacts with its architecture.

Suzi says, “I am certain that Los Angeles has everything that anybody could ever need in a home, and that’s what I love about the city—its abundance in style and neighborhoods.”

When it concerns her clients, Suzi believes in a philosophy of transparency. She says, “I feel creating something of value has to lead first with integrity, which then creates a solid foundation to do great business together.”

During her spare time, Suzi can be found soaking up the sun on the beaches of Malibu where she was raised. Organizations that Suzi has worked closely with include Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, The Boy & Girls Club, Alzheimer’s Association, Manna Worldwide, and Break the Cycle.

What We Love About Suzy’s Bio

Suzy does a great job of underscoring her knowledge and familiarity with her community and also why she loves living there. Her attention to detail lets local buyers and sellers know that she’s deeply connected to the community that matters to them.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: Real estate is a local business. When writing your bio, remember that your audience is made up of residents of your local community. Make sure you’re identifying yourself as both a subject matter expert and an enthusiastic advocate for the place where you live and work.

Showcasing Expertise

4. Shannon McNulty, Realtor, McNulty Levac Realty Group

Shannon McNulty has been passionate about real estate since her earliest years growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Shannon always knew that she wanted to chart a path helping others and found her true calling in real estate serving her clients and guiding them through one of the biggest investments of their lives. Over the past decade, Shannon has been involved in the sales and marketing of $1 billion of real estate in Western Canada and has won awards including the President’s Club Award (representing the Top 1% of all Vancouver Realtors) and the Medallion Club Award. Shannon feels incredibly blessed to work with amazing clients who become her friends and a strong part of her network.

Passionate about real estate investment, Shannon is an active investor in Western Canada’s emerging real estate markets and shares this knowledge and experience to assist and educate aspiring investors with their goals. A long-term resident of the North Shore, Shannon enjoys spending her weekends in the forest with her Sheepadoodle Smudge.

What We Love About Shannon’s Bio

Shannon does a great job of keeping her agent bio local while at the same time trumpeting her accomplishments that span the region. The professional, third-person narrative adds sophistication and success while still sounding approachable.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: Experienced and successful realtors can level up their bio by demonstrating proof of their success and positioning themselves as subject matter experts. There’s a fine line between sharing your successful track record and bragging, so tread lightly here, but if you’ve got accomplishments that are worthy of noting, note them.

Leveraging Past Experience

5. Stephanie Weitzner, Realtor, Realty Austin

As a child of real estate investors, Stephanie has been excited about real estate since she was a kid but took the long route when turning her passion into her profession. Stephanie’s interest in advocating for clients initially led her to law school, after which she spent years as a litigator in New York City, working for firms both large and small.

Moving to Austin and finding inspiration in this phenomenal city led Stephanie to realize that she wanted a career that was more connected to her new hometown. When purchasing her first Austin home, she found that she wasn’t ready to let go of the experience. Although she had already taken (and passed!) the Texas Bar Exam, she was hooked on real estate, and there was no turning back.

Stephanie feels fortunate to have discovered, through the peers and mentors who guided her, a unique way of working in real estate that aligns with her personal and professional values; working by referral means that she focuses on her clients and their needs with a long-term perspective, helping clients with real estate issues or questions wherever and whenever they arise. Moreover, she views herself not just as a Realtor but as an adviser, helping clients not only to buy or sell but to strategize toward long-term wealth building with real estate.

When she’s not running around town, you can find Stephanie at home with her husband, Sujan, and their super-cute kiddo, Zoe. Stephanie loves languages (help her practice her French, Spanish, German, or Turkish!) and aspires to someday learn to juggle.

What We Love About Stephanie’s Bio

Stephanie is a relatively new agent, but you don’t even notice because she’s given us so much rich background about her life and how she ended up in real estate. We’re hooked because she has fantastic life experiences, not because she has a certain number of years in the business.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: While we think this bio is a tad long, it offers us reasons to trust this agent with our business. Don’t be afraid to admit that you’re new to real estate, but include all of the ways you’re qualified, dedicated, professional, and whip-smart.

Engaging & Enthusiastic

6. Fernando Ventresca, Realtor, The Jennifer Rosdail Team, Keller Williams

As a long-time San Franciscan, I bring passion and excitement for the city to my approach in finding a home for you. I felt at home in San Francisco the moment I arrived and instantly fell in love with it. You probably fell in love with this place pretty quickly too—if you are like 90% of us and came from somewhere else—and now it’s time to put down some roots and stay a while.

I will help you obtain the San Francisco property you’ve always dreamed of by focusing our strategy on your individual style, needs, and budget. I enjoy keeping up with the latest restaurants, shopping, events, and “only in SF” attractions that make each neighborhood unique, and we will leverage that knowledge, the power of Keller Williams, and the experience of the Jennifer Rosdail Real Estate Sales team to your benefit.

What We Love About Fernando’s Bio

When we read Fernando’s agent bio, it’s his enthusiasm for San Francisco that shines through. If you’re a transplant like he is, you immediately feel a connection. His bio is brief, helpful, and positive—and did you notice you have no idea how many years he’s been a Realtor?

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: Maybe you haven’t been in real estate a long time—or any career, for that matter. We all started out somewhere, and it’s OK to focus on your skills, your hunger to prove yourself, your love of your community, and not how many deals you’ve done.

Real Estate Agent Bios That Are Outside the Box

7. The Logan and Bernard Group, Real Estate Team, Compass

Real estate is a powerful thing. Where you live becomes the center of your universe: your “home base” and a place where memories are made. Even an investment property can have a profound effect on your life’s story—when chosen correctly, it becomes long-term financial freedom and a vital part of your well-diversified portfolio.

Anchored by Logan Link, Bernard Link, and Nicole Grinsell, allow the Logan and Bernard Group to guide you through the real estate process. Whether a buyer, a seller, or an investor, we think of our clients as family. Lean on us—we are here to keep the process fluid, successful, and as low-stress as possible.

Thanks to a combined 20 years as real estate professionals in Marin County, we are proud of our reputation for excellent negotiation skills, cutting-edge marketing, and invaluable connections, both locally and globally.

Not quite ready to buy or sell, but curious about neighborhood options, local schools, our techniques, or current real estate “buzz”? Don’t be shy—reach out to us (note: includes link to contact).

Think of the Logan and Bernard Group as your Marin County Concierge. If we don’t know the answer, we will find it.

What We Love About the Logan and Bernard Group’s Bio

This bio is unconventional, but it totally works. We love how it starts with powerful, emotional language; from the first line, you’re hooked and want to keep reading. This group bio takes an intimate, narrative approach that makes the reader feel connected to Logan and Bernard, thus making the conversion from prospect to client easier.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: The real estate bio is written about you, but for your clients. Crafting a narrative (even within your bio) that captivates your audience is a strong strategy. With every sentence of your bio, stop and ask yourself, “Is this serving my reader?”

---

8. Aaron Seawood, Broker, Team Carte Blanche, Triplemint

Aaron Seawood has raving fans and an impeccable reputation as an advocate, partner, and confidant. “I’d call Aaron the Rolls Royce of real estate brokers. He’s hands-on with physical help and emotional support, which people so often need when taking the step of selling or buying their home. Hands-on, heart on, wisdom on. We didn’t expect to make a real friend from our broker, but we have. Aaron turns the business of selling real estate into an art” remarks one of his many satisfied clients.

A dominant force in the New York real estate market for well over a decade, Aaron formed Team Carte Blanche on the premise that when good people work together, good things happen. With that mindset, he vetted an all-star team that contributes their unique skill sets to each client, so they feel the impact of many with the singular focus of one.

Keenly aware of the nuances that make for a sophisticated real estate experience, he spares no expense to make that a reality for each client. Whether guiding first-time buyers through the complexities of New York City real estate or advising athletes and celebrities on their property plays across the country, Aaron’s level of commitment to his clients can only be described one way: “All-in.”

Prior to real estate, Aaron was an entertainment executive spawning collaborations with a roster of platinum artists and producers with notable stops at Virgin Records and Queen Latifah’s management company, Flavor Unit. Navigating high-stakes situations honed his skills as a negotiator, problem-solver, and artist advocate, which translated nicely into the rough-and-tumble world of real estate. Aaron has called New York City home for over 25 years, and lives in Brooklyn Heights with his wife, two children, and a rescue puppy, Knox. He loves cycling, photography, and the occasional cigar.

What We Love About Aaron’s Bio

This is another bio that is fairly unconventional, but we love it. While it’s definitely on the long side, we kept reading because Aaron almost leaps off the page with personality and confidence. He shares his fascinating background, and while it’s not all directly real estate-related, it’s pretty awesome and makes us want to know him better.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: Consider including a testimonial in your bio. It can speak to who you are, but maybe more importantly, how others see you. Knowing that you’re trusted and respected by other people can go a long way in establishing your credibility.

---

9. Katie Clancy, Sales Vice President, The Cape House, William Raveis

When we want the freshest oysters, we don’t go to the fish counter at the grocery store—we go to John, the East Dennis oyster guy. When we want a perfectly tailored suit, we don’t go to the mall—we go to Puritan Clothing in Hyannis. When we want the best chocolate this side of the Alps, we don’t go to the candy store—we go to The Hot Chocolate Sparrow in Orleans. When you want a home on Cape Cod, entrust your dream to me, Katie Clancy and The Cape House team.

What We Love About Katie’s Bio

We couldn’t resist including this short, pithy, very entertaining example, just to show you that there is no one way to do a bio. Katie’s sense of humor, local knowledge, and professional confidence shine through, and she doesn’t even talk about herself until the last sentence. This blurb is followed by a list of her accomplishments, awards, and local engagements, but really, she had us at oysters.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: Be yourself and remember that the whole point of a bio is to show who you are. You can do that with a 3,000-word memoir or a brilliantly concise and memorable list of beloved local businesses.

Want to Outsource Your Real Estate Bio Writing?

If writing a real estate bio is high on your to-do list but you can’t find the time, consider hiring a freelancer to do it for you. Fiverr is a resource of professional writers willing and able to put together a killer real estate bio for you—for a price as low as five bucks.

Find a Freelancer on Fiverr

Real Estate Bio Toolkit: 4 Tips to Write a Great Bio

Ready to start writing a compelling real estate agent bio? Before you put pen to paper, review these tips designed to help you craft an engaging bio that will connect with readers and convert leads into clients.

1. Your First Sentence Is Crucial

Inspirational speaker Matthew Ferrara has said that many people will make up their minds about you in the very first sentence of your bio. Don’t use that sentence to meander your way toward your message. Jump right into demonstrating your value and capture your reader’s attention early.

2. Bigger Is Not Better

A longer real estate agent bio does not make you seem more impressive. In fact, it makes it less likely someone will even read it at all. Studies show that 50% of readers won’t read more than a single screen worth of text on their phone. Keep your bio to less than 200 words and make them captivating.

3. Social Media Links Are a MUST

A great bio will make a reader say, “I’d like to learn more.” Include links to your social media to give them that opportunity. However, if you don’t regularly engage with your audience on social media, including social links in your bio can be detrimental. Remember to only link to platforms where you spend time online.

4. Use Your Brokerage’s Clout to Build Your Own

Your brokerage has likely invested a lot of time and money in building its reputation in your community. You can leverage these investments to springboard your professional reputation—building on the good vibes they’ve already established. If their ideals run counter to your own, you’re likely at the wrong brokerage.

Spice Up Your Real Estate Agent Bio With These Buzzwords

Struggling with the perfect description for yourself and what you do? Here are some of our favorite buzzwords and descriptors:

Bringing It All Together

Someone who has chosen to read your bio is clearly interested in you. They want to see if you’re a good fit both personally and professionally and get a sense of what it would be like to work with you. Why not give them what they’re looking for? 

If you’re authentic and let your personality shine through, your real estate agent bio may serve as the very first step toward a new client relationship that could last for years. Please share any questions you may have about writing an effective real estate agent bio in the comments section below!

The post 9 Real Estate Agent Bio Examples We Love (+ Templates & Bio Generator) appeared first on The Close.

Why do some Realtors dominate lead conversion while others flounder? Do they know something the rest of us don’t? The answer may surprise you. 

Are All Real Estate Leads Created Equal?

Technically, no. There are a lot of different ways to measure the quality of real estate leads, but the one that makes the most sense to us is conversion rate, or the number of leads that convert to active clients relative to the number of total leads. 

A lead’s conversion rate can usually be tied to where they fall in the lead funnel—a popular marketing term for the journey a lead takes from acquisition to activation. The closer a lead is to activating as a buyer or seller, the higher the conversion rate. 

But, that’s just a short-term measurement. If you zoom out and look at your sales funnel as a whole, nearly all of the real estate leads agents get are part of the same funnel—they’re just at different stages in their buying or selling journey.

This means that if you’ve got an effective strategy for moving your leads down the funnel and toward activation (and building a relationship along the way), it matters much less where they start. In fact, you might classify them as short-, medium-, and long-term leads and consider the explosion in lead volume as an opportunity to nurture relationships for years to come. 

How Do Successful Real Estate Agents Move Leads Down Their Funnel? 

The process of moving real estate leads down your sales funnel toward activation is known as lead nurturing. Effective lead nurturing strategies are what separate top-performing, high-converting agents and teams from those who just barely break even. 

A solid lead nurturing strategy has lots of moving parts (something we’ll talk about in a moment), but at its core, it is: 

• Repeatable: Real estate agents get a lot of leads—at least the successful ones do. Your nurturing strategy can’t be recreated with every lead; you need to create a process that you can replicate and scale. 
• Measurable: An effective nurture strategy allows you to measure your results, both in terms of your overall conversion rate as well as the performance of each individual component.
• Adjustable: As you learn about what your leads need and want from you, you need a strategy that you can easily adjust to accommodate those needs. 
• Dependable: Effective lead nurturing has to be done consistently in order to be effective. The systems you use for lead nurturing must be dependable, and when possible, autonomous.

The 4 Basic Real Estate Lead Nurturing Strategies Every Real Estate Agent Should Use

Now that you know what real estate lead nurturing is and why it’s important, it’s time to outline the basic nurturing strategy all agents should use (or at least start with).

1. Connect With New Leads Immediately

In the age of live chat customer service, real estate leads expect real-time connections and follow-up from Realtors. You can do this by creating automated, immediate responses to any new lead inquiry. We recommend a two-pronged approach: sending an email and a text message the moment a new lead is added to your customer relationship manager (CRM). 

Why two messages? Because they each provide unique value. 

• Email: With an automated email response, you can give your new lead all the resources they need to connect with you on social platforms, check out your website, start property searches, or take in a digital listing presentation. Think of this introductory email as a chance to answer all your new leads’ most frequently asked questions before they ask them. 
• Text message: Using an automated text message response, you satisfy your new leads’ expectation for immediate contact. You give them a direct line to ask questions and start a dialogue—something less likely to happen with email.

2. Begin Delivering Value Immediately & Consistently

After you’ve made initial contact with your leads (an act that shows you’re engaged and active), you need to continue to deliver value consistently. This means creating a communication strategy with them that will offer them your knowledge, experience, and expertise pursuant to their goals. 

Some great examples of consistent value delivery include:

Often, the best way to deliver this type of value is via email. Email can be easily automated, with messages that are rich in information and links to further resources. Plus, it’s easy to track a recipient’s interaction with the value you’re providing using basic email marketing tools.

3. Spark Regular, Relevant Conversations

The passive delivery of value to the leads you’re nurturing is a great starting point, but it’s often more active, relevant conversations that will move your leads more dramatically down the sales funnel. 

These conversations typically take place via text message (or other instant messaging apps) and phone calls. However, take this step with caution. A text message or phone call that feels forced, inauthentic, and irrelevant to your lead will actually drive them away from activation, and in some cases, out of your funnel completely. 

To help avoid this pitfall, here are a couple of pointers: 

Start Phone Calls With “I was thinking about you this morning because …”

Leads love to hear that you were thinking about them, their needs, and doing so first thing in the morning. Make notes about the things that are important to your leads; spark conversation specific to those needs using this opening line. 

Try the “Quick Question / Open Question” Text Message Strategy

This two-question approach to text messages is very effective. Start by asking a quick, easy-to-answer question that’s relevant to your lead. Something like, “Quick question: How do you feel about mid-century modern homes? Is that a style you’d consider?” This will trigger a response from your lead and spark a conversation.

Once you’ve engaged them, you can then ask an open-ended question to trigger their lead response. “I see a lot of homes get listed every day. Are there any specific styles you want me to keep my eyes open for on your behalf?”

The closer your leads are to activation, the more frequent these conversations should be.

4. Include Your Leads in the Community You’re Building

Another key component of lead nurturing is solidifying your reputation as someone who is active, knowledgeable, and experienced in the real estate space. Invite your leads to take part in your client appreciation events. 

Offer “coffee shop happy hours” where you supply the coffee and snacks at a local community spot. Invite them to check out open houses you’re hosting, if only to get inspiration for when they’re ready to buy or sell. 

Well-nurtured leads don’t only connect with you through their devices—they see your face and feel like they’re a part of your business, making you a part of their real estate success.

Want to Supercharge Your Lead Nurturing? Try Market Leader

Applying these four strategies would be challenging to tackle on your own if it weren’t for customized tools designed specifically for real estate lead nurturing and conversion. We recommend Market Leader as your home base to manage these four lead conversion strategies and so much more. 

Market Leader, recently named The Close’s top pick for real estate lead generation, has rolled out a comprehensive real estate business platform that takes lead nurturing to the next level. Here’s what they have to offer: 

• Fantastic paid lead generation: In order to nurture your paid real estate leads, you have to get them in the first place. Using an industry-leading, guaranteed lead volume approach, Market Leader agents know exactly how many paid leads they can expect every month, and in what geographic areas they’ll be coming from. Also, these leads are exclusive, so you know you’ll be the only agent advancing a relationship with them. 

• An MLS-connected CRM: All your Market Leader-generated leads (plus the option to connect directly with other lead sources) are automatically integrated into your Market Leader customer relationship manager (CRM), a place where you can track all your lead activity, including their responses to your lead nurturing communication and value. Best of all, this CRM connects directly to your Market Leader website, natively logging your prospect’s website activity, including properties viewed, saved searches, and preferred communities. 

• A lead-generating website: The Market Leader website search functionality feels a lot like the sort of Zillow experience many of your prospects are used to, except with Market Leader, you can set up custom pop-ups to prompt your website visitors to enter their lead information in order to unlock more searches, save favorites, and access buyer and seller strategy guides. 

• A full-featured Marketing Center: Practically a standalone product of its own, the Market Leader Marketing Center is the launchpad for all your automated marketing, including sophisticated automated email marketing campaigns as well as automated or on-demand print marketing through a partnership with Shutterfly, allowing Market Leader users to bring mailbox marketing into their lead nurturing strategies in ways their competitors can’t.

  Pro Tip

Market Leader’s automated listing alerts are the #1 driver of website traffic from new leads. Partnered with 500+ organizations, Market Leader has one of the largest networks of MLS relationships in the U.S. Use it to drive more interaction and convert more leads into active clients.

Final Thoughts

The real estate industry has largely solved the lead generation problem; there are dozens of options for all sorts of leads available. Now, it’s time to figure out the best way to nurture these leads to activation. 

Following the four-pronged approach of speed to lead, consistent value provision, regular and relevant conversation, and community inclusion are a great start. You can improve the delivery of these strategies and better evaluate their effectiveness by using a platform like Market Leader to automate more of your work, adjust course where needed, and prioritize more effectively. 

Visit Market Leader today to learn more about how they can help solve your real estate lead nurturing challenges.

Visit Market Leader

The post If All Real Estate Leads Are Created Equal, Why Do Some Convert Better Than Others? appeared first on The Close.

Although all Realtors think they’re natural-born salespeople, the cold hard truth is that most Realtors struggle with copywriting. That’s why today, I am giving you my seven real estate copywriting rules that professional writers swear by. As a professional writer, I can tell you from experience that these rules are a game-changer for writing persuasive copy.

As a bonus, I am also including a free PDF: 700+ Real Estate Words That Sell Homes.

Download 723 Descriptive Real Estate Words

1. Transform Features Into Benefits

The easiest way to get someone to act is to appeal to their emotional needs or desires. Studies show that most people use emotional arguments to persuade others without even realizing it. When it comes to persuasion, one good emotional argument is worth a thousand facts.

The only problem is that your listings don’t come with ready-made emotional arguments to persuade a buyer to attend your open house. Instead, you get a list of features. Your job as a real estate copywriter is to turn those features into benefits that will appeal to your readers on an emotional level. Here’s how to do it:

First, list all of the features of your subject matter. It could be a listing, an email newsletter, or even your brokerage or personal brand. Next, determine a benefit of each feature—one that appeals to emotional needs or desires. For example, let’s say one feature of your newest listing is that it’s close to major highways. Here are a few ways we can break that down into benefits that appeal to emotion:

Now go through your list of benefits and pick the one that you think will have the biggest emotional impact for your reader. Do this for all the best features of your listing, and you’ll have a good rough outline for your copy.

2. Start With a Pain Point, Then Offer Your Solution

If you’ve ever tried to convince a friend or loved one of something, you know that just stating your side of the story isn’t enough. If you want to have a chance of persuading them, they need to know that you understand their side of the story, too. 

This is why most good copywriters start their copy by acknowledging a pain point for their readers before even thinking about presenting their solution to that pain point. Good copy should get your reader to nod along as they read and say to themselves, “This person gets me!” Once you’ve built that bond, then you come in with your pitch. 

For example, let’s say you’re writing copy for a landing page to get people to sign up for your email newsletter about off-market listings. Here’s how your copy might sound if you focus on your solution without acknowledging your readers’ pain point first:

Now here’s how your copy sounds when you start by acknowledging their pain point first.

Notice the difference?

3. Write Without Fear, Edit Without Mercy

Every good Realtor knows that the money is in the follow-up. How you got your lead into your customer relationship manager (CRM) doesn’t matter at the closing table. The same is true for copywriting. How you start is way less important than where you finish. This is why all good copywriters write without fear and edit without mercy. Here’s how to do it: 

Take your list of benefits and just start writing. No judgment, no editing. Just write. Once you have something down on paper, start editing. For now, don’t worry about grammar or spelling—you can fix that later. Just focus on your goal. Does your copy appeal to your reader’s emotions? Does it address a pain point and offer a solution? If it doesn’t, edit until it does. 

If you’re lacking emotional punch, grab a thesaurus and try to find more evocative words to get your point across. Is that garden “nice” or is it a “lush oasis”? 

If you want a cheat sheet of descriptive real estate words that appeal to emotion, check out my guide to descriptive real estate words here:

4. Write at Least 3 Versions of Your Headline or Subject Line

If you’re writing ad copy, landing page copy, emails, website copy, or any copy with a title, you should always write at least three versions of your title and pick the best of the bunch. Here’s why: If your title doesn’t draw them in, they will never read the rest of your copy. Your email could reveal the location of the fountain of youth, but if your subject line isn’t persuasive enough to get people to click, no one will ever read it! 

If you have a hard time coming up with three different versions of your headline, try some of these common headline formulas:

FOMO Headlines (Fear of Missing Out)

• XX Homes Just Sold for $XXXXX Over Ask in [your farm area]!
• Here Are XX Market Indicators That Show Prices Will Explode in [your farm areas]
• Owner Says to Sell Yesterday!

Ask a Scary Question Headlines

• Are We Heading for a Recession? 
• Are You Ready to Sell Before Interest Rates Rise? 
• When Will the Housing Bubble Pop in [your farm area]?

Expert Advice Headlines

• When XX Economists Think Interest Rates are Going WAY Up
• X Home Stagers Reveal the Best Affordable Couches 
• A Lawyer Answers Your Most Common Real Estate Questions

Curiosity-building Headlines

• Experts Say Painting Your Home This Color Will Help It Sell Faster & for More $$$
• Zillow Research Says This Month Is the Best Time to Sell
• The XX Home Renovations That Have the Best ROI

  Pro Tip

Write & edit your copy first, and then work on your title.

Writing great titles can quickly drain your creative energy. You might find it helpful to write and edit your copy first, and then tackle your title. As an added benefit, if your copy changes direction as you write it, you won’t be stuck with a headline that no longer fits.

5. Writer Like Ernest & Albert

If you want people to read what you have to say, your copy needs to go down like ice cream. That means simple words, short sentences, and getting to the point as quickly as possible. Anyone can make a great fact-based argument in 20 pages, but great copywriters can do it in 20 words. The best writers can do it in six words. 

  Pro Tip

Discuss complex issues or write one-liners on Twitter. Your followers will give you instant feedback.

Want to learn to get right to the point without sacrificing emotion? Try discussing complex issues or writing one-liner jokes for your Twitter audience. If you already have followers you’ll get instant feedback on your writing.

Still stuck? Might be time to call in the experts. You can hire an experienced and talented real estate copywriter in Fiverr starting at just five bucks.

Visit Fiverr

6. Read Your Copy Out Loud

After you edit your copy, the next step is to edit for style. This is where even great writers stumble. Editing for style is hard. Like, really hard. You can spend hours editing your copy and end up with something that’s worse than what you started with. 

Luckily, there is a trick that professional copywriters use to make editing for style easier: Read your copy out loud. Is it easy to read or did you stumble with some words or sentences? If it’s hard for you to read out loud, chances are it’s even harder for your reader to hear in their head as they read. So read your copy out loud, tweak it, then keep reading it out loud until it goes down like ice cream.

7. A/B Test Whenever You Can

One of the coolest things about writing copy in 2022 is that you have access to tools that would have cost tens of thousands of dollars even 15 years ago. One of the most useful is being able to test different versions of your copy on a real live audience to see how they respond. 

In the digital marketing world, this is called A/B testing and it’s as close to a scientific study of how good your copy is as you can get. Remember the three headlines or subject lines I had you write in tip four? Now’s your chance to see which one actually makes your reader take action. 

If you want to A/B test your emails or email subject lines, use a CRM or email marketing platform that allows you to A/B test. Mailchimp and LionDesk both have easy-to-use A/B testing features for email campaigns. If you want to A/B test copy for your landing pages, then use a platform like Real Geeks or Unbounce.

Over to You

Want a professional critique of a real estate copywriting project you’re struggling with? Sign up for our email list and I will personally critique your copy for you. All you need to do is sign up and forward the first email you get to me at emile@theclose.com, and I’ll help you with your copy for free.

The post 7 Real Estate Copywriting Rules Professional Writers Swear by appeared first on The Close.

Real estate cold calling is one of the most polarizing lead generation strategies in our industry. Experienced agents will tell you it’s an essential part of lead generation, while others argue it isn’t worth the anxiety or frustration because it doesn’t yield immediate results. But with the right preparation and tools, we know that cold calling can help build your business.

If you’re short on time, check out REDX for lead generation. REDX provides you with the leads and helps you make calls faster with an auto-dialer.

Visit REDX

4 Must-have Real Estate Cold Calling Scripts

Every real estate professional needs to have these four real estate cold calling scripts in their arsenal: the Expired Listing Script, the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Script, the Circle Prospecting Script, and the Voicemail Script.

Download Our Real Estate Cold Calling Scripts

1. Expired Listing Script

Cold calling expired listings can be tricky because you know that the homeowner is going to talk to multiple real estate agents, maybe even on the same day you’re calling. Stand out from the competition with a great script from REDX called The Neighborhood Expert:

copy to clipboard

AGENT: Hi, is this the homeowner? I’m [your name] with [your company].

You know, I work in [neighborhood], and I noticed that your home was no longer for sale. Are you planning to put it back on the market?

[Listen—they will sometimes say “maybe later” or “not for a while.”]

AGENT: I can understand why you might feel pretty discouraged—it’s a great house. Any idea why it didn’t sell? Any offers?

[Listen to what they have to say.]

AGENT: I was just surprised to see it on the market for [how many] days. I assumed it would be gone in a few weeks. What made you all decide to sell? Where are you moving to?

I know you’ve likely had a few people calling you, but as I said, I’ve worked in the neighborhood for [#] years, I know this neighborhood, I’ve sold homes in this neighborhood, and I’d love a chance to sell your home or at least take a tour and see what might be holding it back.

Would you mind if I came by this Saturday at [specific time]? I’m happy to give you some feedback.

2. FSBO Script

Many real estate agents consider the FSBO prospect to be a perfect lead for cold calling. The sellers have announced to the world that they want to sell and they want to sell now—all you have to do is convince them they need help and that you’re the right person to provide it.

Most sellers try to sell their home themselves to save money. With this in mind, David Hill’s script will help you deal with this common objection. We’ve even put some mock responses in the script so you can practice hearing “no” and learn how to use those initial rejections to get a listing appointment.

copy to clipboard

AGENT: Hello, this is [name] calling from [brokerage]. I noticed you have a house for sale in my coverage area. Is it still available?”

LEAD: Yes.

AGENT: Great, are you working with real estate agents?

LEAD: No.

AGENT: OK, I know the area well, and I’m wondering how much you’re asking for the house?

LEAD: $264,900.

AGENT: If I had a buyer who would be a fit, would that be helpful for you?

LEAD: Yes.

AGENT: Great. What I’d like to do is schedule a time to come by and look at the house to see if it would work for any of our clients. I’d also like to share some of the things we do to help FSBOs like yourself. Do you have time this afternoon, or would tomorrow work better for you?

LEAD: You know, I really don’t want to work with an agent. If you have someone who’s serious, you can send them by, but I’m not looking to sit down for a sales pitch with an agent.

AGENT: Sure, I can appreciate that. Let me ask you this: Why did you decide to sell your house without hiring a professional agent?

LEAD: Well, I wanted to save money. A 5 or 6% commission would be a lot.

AGENT: Yeah, I can understand that completely. Interestingly enough, 90% of the FSBOs I speak with tell me the exact same thing. If I could show you a way that I could net you the same or possibly even more money by using our services, would that be something you’d be open to?

LEAD: Well, basically what we’re trying to do is break-even. We bought the house two years ago, and the value hasn’t really gone up.

AGENT: So, what is the main reason for your sale?

LEAD: I’ve been transferred. We’re moving to Arkansas.

AGENT: Oh, congratulations. And when will you need to be in Arkansas?

LEAD: We need to be in Little Rock in 90 days.

AGENT: Gotcha. So the clock’s ticking for you. And if the house doesn’t sell in 90 days, what’s your plan B?

LEAD: Well, we’re going to have to go — the house will just be empty.

AGENT: Oh, yeah, I’d hate to have that happen to you. If I could sell the house, have you break-even, and get it done before you get to Arkansas, would that be a win for you?

LEAD: Yeah.

AGENT: OK, perfect. Why don’t we meet? I’d love to see if I can do that for you. I’ll be 100% honest with you. If I can do it, I’ll let you know. If I can’t, I’ll let you know that as well. How does that sound?

LEAD: Yeah, that’s fine. If you want to give it a shot, you can come on over.

AGENT: Awesome, thank you. I’ll see you this afternoon at four. Will that work?

LEAD: Sure, see you then.

Note that in the script, there’s no haggling over the commission. Try to refrain from making any commitments regarding numbers, but be sure that the prospect’s wishes and concerns are heard. You can always say, “I’m making a note of that…,” which shows that you’re listening but you’re not making any promises.

If you want to dive deeper and expand your FSBO prospecting skills, check out The 7 Best FSBO Scripts & Why They Work to learn how to get more listings in 2022.

3. Circle Prospecting Script

Circle prospecting is a great way to increase your exposure in neighborhoods where you’re already active. Remember, though, you don’t have to limit your prospecting to only areas where you’ve already listed or sold property.

Deploy this circle prospecting script from the indelible Ricky Carruth’s Zero to Diamond real estate coaching program to go after homes in neighborhoods where you’re the nearby listing agent or not.

copy to clipboard

AGENT: Hello, is this [Mr./Mrs. Name]? Hey, [Mr./Mrs. Name], this is [your name] with [your company].

[Pause]

AGENT: How are you today? That’s good. Me too. Just enjoying this good weather outside. Isn’t it gorgeous today?

[Pause and let them talk. Listen to what they say. Chances are high that you get into a conversation about the weather, back and forth. This will set the comfort level of the call. If it’s raining, talk about how nasty it is today. Adjust your opening to what the current weather is doing. When this part of the conversation is over, transition into the reason for your call.]

AGENT: Well look, I don’t want to take up too much of your time today, but [market information, e.g., “a house/condo was just listed in your neighborhood/complex” or “a house/condo just sold in your neighborhood/complex”], and I didn’t know if there was anything I could do for you regarding buying or selling real estate at this time.

[Pause and listen. If they say YES, follow up and make a deal happen. If they say NO, continue below.]

AGENT: I gotcha. Well, is there an agent in the area that you would work with if you did buy or sell in the area?

[If the answer is no…]

AGENT: OK, well one day you will want to buy or sell, and I would like the opportunity to work with you when that day comes. Would it be OK if we stayed in touch?

[If they say yes…]

AGENT: Great! What is your email address?

AGENT: Awesome. Thanks so much. I look forward to speaking again soon!

Learn more about the power of circle prospecting in this profile of Christina Griffin, a Tampa Realtor, who generated 200 leads in a single day. You can also access our collection of actionable tips and scripts for knocking-on-doors prospecting by clicking here.

Download Your Cold Calling Scripts

4. Voicemail Script

According to Pipedrive, 80% of calls go to voicemail, which means leaving the right message needs to be an important part of your real estate cold calling strategy.

What does the right message sound like? For starters, it’s between eight and 14 seconds long, but definitely less than 30 seconds. The optimal voicemail establishes who you are and why you’re calling in a warm and friendly tone. But don’t include your pitch—the goal should be securing that next conversation when they call back or you make a follow-up call.

copy to clipboard

AGENT: Hi [first name], this is [your name] with [your brokerage]. 

I’m calling because [your reason for calling] and I would love to hear your thoughts. I will follow up with you [how and when] or you can give me a call back at [your number]. I look forward to connecting with you soon!

Or, if it’s a second call:

AGENT: Hi [first name], this is [your name]. When we spoke last week, you mentioned [fill in the blank]. I just wanted to follow up with you and see how things went [OR I gave you a call last week and wanted to follow up OR fill in the blank, make it personal].

Some real estate cold calling strategists argue that a voicemail is a great way to turn a completely cold call into a lukewarm call. If you want to skip the (sometimes chilly) cold call altogether and dial straight into a warm voicemail, there are companies that help you do that.

The absolute leader in the field is Slydial, which allows you to dial directly into a phone number’s voicemail. These Ringless Voicemails (RVMs) are becoming more common and socially acceptable, so don’t shy away from using them. You can even acknowledge it by saying something like, “I know you’re busy, so I wanted to drop a quick voicemail and be respectful of your time.”

7 Steps in Real Estate Cold Calling

Real estate cold calling is so much more than picking up the phone and dialing a random number. Now that you have these real estate cold calling scripts in hand, use these tips to be more organized and confident in your approach.

1. Set Goals

Most real estate agents think the goal of every cold call is a listing appointment, but even meeting someone for a handshake can turn into a real lead. When your prospect isn’t ready to set a listing appointment, find any excuse to stop by and introduce yourself in person, even if it’s just for a minute or two. A good goal may be to cold call for an hour each day and meet with one new prospect in-person each week.

2. Be Professional

People will always respond best to warmth, enthusiasm, and empathy. The more time you spend listening to your prospects, the better you can address their pain points. Respect people (and their time) and show them that you are the Realtor who will solve their problems.

3. Provide a Service

Yes, cold calling is about building your business, but remember, you’re serving your community with your experience, education, and knowledge. The reason cold calling works is that there are people out there who need your help.

4. Prepare

Get comfortable with your cold calling scripts by practicing them out loud with a friend or colleague. You want to be prepared enough so that you’re not focused on what you’re saying but what they’re saying. Do your research and comb through MLS data. Be sure that you’re zeroing in on prospects who can really benefit from your services.

5. Start Calling

Make sure you are focused, have space to walk around, and maybe do some stretches to be limber and keep that mind sharp. It’s helpful to have an auto-dialer, like REDX (more about this below). It’s important to keep track of your calls and responses. You also might want to look into a customer relationship manager (CRM) to help you keep track of your outreach and take notes on your conversations.

6. Get Past the ‘No’s’

Let’s be clear: If you’re cold calling, you are going to hear a lot of “no” (and maybe even worse). If you’re afraid of this word, you aren’t going to get very far. Watch how cold calling expert Beverly Ruffner overcomes common objections like “I’m just looking—I’m good,” and “I already have an agent.”

7. Follow Up

Be ready to take the next steps with leads to keep the conversation going. Here’s Beverly again with her tried-and-true scripts for the follow-up call.

6 Tips for Leveling Up Your Real Estate Cold Calling

Now that you’re armed with these pro-level scripts and have a step-by-step plan, let’s dive into some more specific advice if you want to go beyond the basics and master the art of cold calling.

1. Spend Less Time Talking & More Time Listening

2. Let the Math Motivate You

3. Memorize Your Scripts & Rebuttals

4. Use an Auto-dialer Like Power Dialer From REDX

5. Strategize Your Call Times

6. Track Your Results

Watch the Experts Reveal Their Real Estate Cold Calling Secrets

YouTube is chock-full of videos from real estate agents who are crushing the cold calling game. Whether you’re looking to learn how to interact with prospects or just need to get hyped up for your next calling session, these videos are a great source of inspiration. Here are five of our favorites.

Bryan Casella is an expert at dealing with objections. He is clearly using a script and is crushing it every step of the way.

Chastin J. Miles shows us how it’s done with a FSBO prospect. We love how ​​Chastin takes the act of LISTENING to the next level rather than doing all the talking. You can see how effective his approach is with his soon-to-be client.

Our own Real Estate Coach, Beverly Ruffner, has put together several live examples of cold calls and offers her best cold calling tip: Treat everyone you’re calling like they’re your best friend.

Here’s one where Ricky Carruth coaches agent Emily Wood as she attempts cold calling for the first time. This one is a 50-minute commitment, but it’s super-valuable to watch someone starting out to see how she improves and gains confidence.

Loida Velasquez speaks honestly about how nerve-wracking it is to get started and offers her tips for first-time real estate cold calling. She has several additional videos on calling expired listings and FSBOs, including one where she critiques her first FSBO cold call.

Bringing It All Together

If you’ve questioned if cold calling is right for you, start with the right mindset and tools to conquer your fears. With some proven real estate cold calling scripts and lots of determination, you have the power to make cold calling a crucial part of your lead generation strategy.

Have any cold calling questions or tips you’d like to share? Anything we missed? Leave us a comment below!

The post 4 Real Estate Cold Calling Scripts + Tips to Conquer Your Fears appeared first on The Close.

That’s why we put together five life-saving checklists you can share with buyers to help answer their questions before they arise. Our checklists will empower your clients to play a more active role in their transactions—giving you back some of your time to foster more client relationships and grow your business.

Download Our 5 Checklists

Real Estate Buyer Agent Checklist #1: Mortgage Pre-approval

Most homebuyers (especially first-time homebuyers) walk into your office with a twinkle in their eye, excited about a brand-new adventure. A call to their mortgage broker will quickly turn that twinkle into stress as they begin to understand what they’ll need to do to secure a mortgage pre-approval letter.

Though there’s a lot of paperwork needed to complete the pre-approval process, most of it isn’t complicated. Our Mortgage Pre-approval Checklist can be a powerful tool to help keep track of the many tasks involved.

[Related article: 15 Powerful Timesavers Top Buyers’ Agents Use to Close Deals Faster]

Tips for Using the Mortgage Pre-approval Checklist

• Customize it: There’s no standard document list needed to get a mortgage pre-approval—every lender is a little bit different. Work with your client’s lender to ensure everything they need is on your list. Customizing it will help you avoid confusion.
• Check in often: Some buyers will go home and gather every piece of paperwork they need in a single evening. These are great clients to have, but let’s be honest, they’re not typical. Check in with your clients to see where they’re at on completing their checklist—a little bit of accountability goes a long way here.
• Partner with a lender: Want to turn your mortgage pre-approval checklist into a lead generation tool? Partner with a local lender to present a co-branded checklist to create a mutually beneficial referral system. You can suggest a great lender to your buyers, and your partner lender can share the checklist with their clients and recommend you as a great real estate agent for their transaction.

Download Checklist #1

Real Estate Buyer Agent Checklist #2: Successful House-hunting

Some of the most challenging real estate buyer clients are the ones who suffer from “shiny object syndrome.” They are easily distracted by homes outside of their price range, that don’t meet their needs, or homes in locations that don’t work for them. And yet, they want to see those homes because there’s something intriguing in the listing.

You can better serve these clients by presenting them with the Successful House-hunting Checklist, which gives them a filter to use on every home they’re considering to make sure it’s worth pursuing. Our checklist also includes a showing sheet your clients can bring to a property to help them compare it to other homes they’ve seen.

[Related article: How to Educate Unrealistic Buyers & Convert More Leads (Quickly)]

Tips for Using the Successful House-hunting Checklist

• Start together: Establish a baseline for the home your clients are looking for using the first half of this checklist. Guide them on the must-haves they may not be thinking about as you complete this half of the checklist together.
• Make lots of copies: The real power of this checklist is the second page—where buyers can record their thoughts about the properties they’re seeing. This feature becomes more powerful when comparing multiple second pages and provides a more objective and logic-driven approach to homebuying.
• Make a plan to revisit it: If your buyers aren’t finding the home they want, it could be that they’ve set some unrealistic expectations. If you’ve seen more than six properties and they still haven’t asked you to write an offer, make a plan to revisit the first half of the checklist to see if it needs adjustment.

Download Checklist #2

Real Estate Buyer Agent Checklist #3: Open House Attendance

Once a buyer has signed with a buyer’s agent, that shouldn’t preclude them from attending open houses independently. Your buyers can view properties without you while you maintain full agency, and they work on their timetable, spending as much time in each home as they’d like.

However, the downside to your buyers attending open houses without you is that they may forget to ask the most important questions. Your absence creates more work for you because you may have to follow up with phone calls or schedule another showing, and ultimately, this strategy may not save you any time or effort.

Our Open House Attendance Checklist puts all the most critical questions your buyers need to ask in one place. If they think a home is one they’d consider writing an offer on, this checklist informs them of the important details that you’d inquire about if you were showing them the property yourself.

[Related article: How to Win Bidding Wars: Tips From 11 Top Producing Agents]

Tips for Using the Open House Attendance Checklist

• Explain it first: Many of the questions on this checklist are relatively technical. You should walk your clients through them step-by-step first, so they understand why they need to ask them and what they’re listening for in the responses.
• Make it digital: Buyers don’t always sit down and plan out their open house attendance. More often than not, buyers see an open house on the way home from the farmers’ market or while they’re out for a family bike ride. As such, making sure this checklist is something your buyer can have on their phone will increase the likelihood that they’ll use it.
• Add local market questions: Use our checklist as a starting point, not a finished product, because every market is slightly different. If there are specific questions that you always ask when showing properties, make sure you add them to our checklist before providing it to your buyers.

Download Checklist #3

Real Estate Buyer Agent Checklist #4: Writing a Successful Offer

When it comes time to write an offer on a property, many buyers rely heavily on their agents for the specific terms and conditions necessary to get them the best deal. But when time is of the essence (especially now in a very competitive market), you may not have time to review every clause of an offer contract.

Using this Successful Offer Checklist allows you to go through each major contract term, such as price, down payment, earnest money deposit (EMD), inspection, appraisal, possession, and more. Your buyer clients will know exactly what each term means and how each one impacts their deal before putting ink to paper.

[Related article: 7 Creative Strategies to Make Your Offers Stand Out in a Seller’s Market]

Tips for Using the Writing a Successful Offer Checklist

• Complete it early: Don’t wait until you’ve found the “perfect house” before talking about this checklist. Consider filling it out with your buyers before you’ve seen a single property. That way, emotions and the heat of the moment won’t be driving their decisions.
• Don’t accept vague buyer responses: Don’t let your buyers get away with vague or generalized answers to the checklist questions. If they’re not sure on a particular point, push them to add a range of responses, rather than no response at all. For example, when it comes to possession date, an unacceptable response is “whenever works.” A more acceptable answer is “any time within 30 days of closing.”
• Use this checklist when bargaining: Encourage your clients to empower you to negotiate on their behalf using the guidelines they set out in this checklist. Doing so will allow you to joust a bit more with the seller’s agent in conversation. Deals get done faster and more frequently when you’re not tied to negotiating only via written offers and counteroffers.

Download Checklist #4

Real Estate Buyer Agent Checklist #5: Contract-to-Close

Getting a property under contract for a buyer seems like the hard part, but the biggest purchase challenges often arise during escrow—in the period between when the contract is signed and when the deal closes.

Buyers need to complete many tasks before they can get their keys, and many of these must be executed in a specific window of time. Our Contract-to-Close Checklist breaks down the primary buyer responsibilities required to reach the closing table. It also breaks them down week by week to keep the transaction on track for your closing date.

Tips for Using the Contract-to-Close Checklist

• Partner with a closing company: Find a closing company to team up with for this checklist for the same reason that you partnered with a mortgage company for your pre-approval checklist. It’s a win-win! The closing company gets a referral source of clients, and you get potential buyers heading your way in the event that your chosen closing company has clients seeking a real estate agent.
• Go granular: Our checklist lays out the major tasks that need to be accomplished, but don’t be afraid to include smaller tasks. Remind your buyers to approve inspection reports, follow up with mortgage underwriters, or create a timeline for their moving day. If there are smaller tasks that would benefit your buyers, add them.
• Make a checklist for yourself: Having a buyer checklist is helpful because you know your buyers will be in the know about what’s happening and what’s required of them. Create an equivalent checklist for yourself with your responsibilities as they relate to each of your client’s responsibilities, then follow along with their progress while making your own progress.

Download Checklist #5

More Resources

We hope that you customize these checklists for you and your market and start using them with your buyers right away.

If you’re looking for information on how you can be the best buyer’s agent in your market, The Close has you covered. Start by checking out our proven strategies for getting more buyer clients. We’ve got tips here on using specific lead generation platforms, plus things you can do with and for your clients to get better reviews and more referrals.

And if you’re looking for more lead generation ideas, we’ve got a fantastic list for you to check out: 37 Underrated Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas for 2022.

The post 5 Must-have Real Estate Buyer Agent Checklists (PDF Download) appeared first on The Close.

In this article, you’ll get all the advice you need to take a great realtor headshot, including what to wear, make-up must-dos, choosing a photographer, and more.

15 Expert Tips for a Great Agent Headshot

A successful real estate headshot seems pretty straightforward: find a professional photographer, schedule a shoot, show up, and smile. However, there’s more to it than that.

We talked to professional photographers as well as seasoned real estate professionals to get their best advice on what real estate agents can do to make sure their next photo shoot is successful, and here’s what they said.

1. Don’t Just Pay for a Photo―Hire a Professional Photographer

Michael Grecco, Photographer & Owner, Michael Grecco Photography

“Of course, just like any important business meeting, you should show up to your photo shoot well-rested, relaxed, and ready to work. But you aren’t paying someone to open and close a shutter. You’re hiring someone to take control of the situation from start to finish, to guide you through your poses, make suggestions on your wardrobe, and teach you how to get the most out of every minute of their time.

“If your photographer isn’t making your photo shoot easy on you, you’ve got the wrong photographer.”

2. Make Sure Your Photographer Knows Exactly What You Expect to Get Out of Your Photo Shoot

Chantay Bridges, Real Estate Agent, Los Angeles Real Estate Now

“I always speak to my photographer the week of my shoot to confirm details. Do they know the purpose of my photos? If I plan on using the images in a branding campaign, do they need to have a particular color and feel? Is it for website, social media, or marketing materials? Is there an additional charge for retouching and post-production? How long until I have images in hand? What is the delivery method?

“Be specific, be vocal, and give your photographer some expectations.”

3. Get Multiple Headshots to Use for Multiple Purposes

Sammer Affridi, Owner, Hero Shot Photography

A great headshot is something you can include on every single piece of marketing and promotion you do for your business. However, trying to make a single image work for many different applications doesn’t always work. We heard from veteran photographer Sammer Affridi on this topic:

“If you know your image is going to be printed small on a proposal or business card or viewed as a thumbnail on a website, opt for a plain backdrop so that there’s less clutter in the frame and your viewer can see you clearly.

“The same advice goes for a headshot that will make up part of a group of headshots on a team page. Having busy backgrounds starts to make a collection of photos intense and confusing to the eye.

“For flyers and social media, lifestyle portraits are now popular for real estate agents. These are the kinds of shots that look like magazine covers or inserts and usually paint a picture of success, confidence, and trust. They’re feel-good images that aren’t overtly about the person and more about the message, making them extremely effective selling tools.”

---

4. Wear Something Professional That Also Makes You Feel Confident

Jackie Taves, Owner & Photographer, Blush & Design

Clothes are always a question when it comes to the real estate headshot, but it’s a question easily answered. Speak to your photographer about colors and prints, and make sure that whatever you wear makes you feel good.

Chicago-area creative director and photographer Jackie Taves shared the following:

“Embrace the fact that this is an activity that most people aren’t familiar with and roll with it. If you need advice, ask! Your photographer knows what works and what doesn’t.

“Find ways to make yourself feel confident. Wear something flattering and professional, but something that is also comfortable. It will be tough to smile and look professional if you are always worried about a wardrobe malfunction.”

---

5. Have Your Photographer Shoot in Several Locations

Lauryn Dempsey, Realtor, Your Castle Real Estate

The real estate business doesn’t happen in an office or a bank or even on your cell phone—it happens in the communities you serve. Having a quality set of studio images is important for all sorts of applications, but don’t miss the opportunity to do a photo shoot out in the community where you work.

Lauryn Dempsey, a top producer in the Denver area, shared the following:

“Agents should include a second location for their headshots in an iconic spot from the community they serve. I did mine in Union Station in downtown Denver, something all Denver residents can identify. A photo on a black or white background is fine for some things, but when I want to show that I am a local, getting out into places my clients recognize is a must.”

---

6. Use Your Headshot Consistently

Shaunda Necole, Real Estate Agent & Business Coach, Shaunda Necole: Get Your Name Out There Magic Marketing

We weren’t satisfied to only speak to photographers and real estate agents. We also wanted the take of marketing professionals on what to do with your headshots after you receive them.

Real estate marketing guru and business coach Shaunda Necole shared the following wisdom with us:

“As a real estate agent and a businesswoman in general, having a professional headshot is a basic necessity when it comes to making a presence in a crowded market.

“The old real estate adage, ‘Location, location, location,’ still rings true. Translation: your headshot image should precede you everywhere. All social media channels, bios, and business cards should be cohesively branded with your professional portraits.”

---

7. Study Realtor Headshots You Like & Emulate Them

Kat Kaye, Photographer, Kat Kaye Studio

They say that imitation is the purest form of flattery and, in this case, it is often the fastest route to getting a real estate agent headshot that you love.

Make a list of the most successful real estate agents in your market and collect their headshots. Los Angeles-based fashion and art photographer Kat Kaye shared these tips with us:

“Study portraits of other real estate agents to see what you like and don’t like. This will help you communicate your needs better to the photographer. It will also help you with posing (although the photographer will help you with that also).

“If there is someone you admire, spend some time looking at their portraits as well. How does their headshot communicate the things you admire about them?”

---

8. Smile! Studies Show That Smiling Makes People Trust You More

The Close Staff

Some real estate agents, especially younger men, think that to look professional in their headshot, a stone-faced blank expression beats out a warm smile. After all, lots of very powerful people look serious in their headshots. If you’re considering going with the stern look, you should be aware that a study at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology showed that smiling increases trust and makes people view you as more “honest.”

---

9. Go With Solid Colors Instead of Patterns

Kiah Treece, Business & Real Estate Analyst at Forbes

The purpose of your headshot is to show the world you’re a capable, confident, and knowledgeable professional who’s ready to get a deal done. Don’t let your clothing choices distract from this prime directive.

Real estate analyst Kiah Treece gave us this advice on choosing just the right colors for your outfit on photo shoot day:

“Busy patterns and loud colors are distracting. The purpose of your headshot is not to show off your new suit or dress―it is to show off you. You can’t go wrong with a classic professional look—traditional colors like navy blue, gray, or charcoal on a sharp man’s or woman’s suit will always work.”

---

10. Hire a Makeup Artist

The Close Staff

Even if you’re a seasoned Sephora junkie, chances are you’re not going to be able to do your own makeup as well as a professional makeup artist can. When it comes to looking great in your real estate headshot, even subtle differences can have a big impact. A professional makeup artist will know how to make you look your best on camera, not just for a night on the town. So, before you book your shoot, ask your photographer if they know a good makeup artist.

---

11. Purchase the Full Use Rights & Copyright for All Your Headshots

Miranda Paquet, General Manager, The Close

Photographers will often retain the copyright for any images they create unless it is specifically purchased from them.

Miranda Paquet, a seasoned marketing expert, gave us this advice:

“Make sure you ask your photographer about copyright and use. Are there any restrictions for how you can use your images? Will your photographer be retaining the copyright for your images and using them for their own purposes?

“If this retention doesn’t affect how you want to use the photographs―great. However, if you have the option of purchasing all copyrights and uses for your headshots, do it.”

---

12. Use Photofeeler to Anonymously Pick Your Best Headshot

The Close Staff

If there’s one thing most people have a problem with, it’s being objective about their own image. It’s just too easy to either fall in love with a headshot that doesn’t work or to ignore one that does. Your friends, coworkers, and even your family can have the same bias. Worse, they may tell you nice things to avoid hurting your feelings.

To avoid this, an app called Photofeeler allows you to crowdsource real, unbiased advice from the general public.

---

13. Take Some Test Shots With a Friend or Coworker Before the Big Day

Chris Linsell, Senior Real Estate Writer & Coach at The Close

Like everything else in life, if you want to be able to take a professional-looking headshot where you look honest and trustworthy rather than just nervous, you’re going to have to practice a bit. Before the big day, pick out exactly what you want to wear, put it on, do your makeup exactly how you want it, then recruit a friend or coworker to start snapping away.

While the pics won’t look as good as the pros’ pics, you can at least try out different expressions and poses while dressed up in your Sunday best.

---

14. Consider an Outdoor Photo Shoot

The Close Staff

Because your goal here is to look as natural and trustworthy as possible, consider ditching the cheesy backdrop and head outside for your photo shoot.

Having a warm-colored brick wall, trees, or a row of elegant homes as the background for your headshot will make you stand out in a sea of bland backgrounds.

---

15. Grab a Drink Before the Shoot

Andrew Helling, Editor, REthority.com

Most of us are out of our comfort zone in front of the camera. Stress and anxiety are revealed easily in headshot photography, and a cocktail or a glass of wine might be an easy way to loosen up a little bit.

Andrew Helling, a real estate content editor, quipped:

“Seriously—if you’re camera-shy, loosen up by grabbing a cocktail. Don’t spend an hour in a bar and show up telling stories about senior prom. Just take the edge off so the smile is a little easier and the shoulders are relaxed.”

---

Real Estate Agent Headshot FAQs

Still got headshot questions? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are the most frequently asked questions (and answers) when it comes to realtor headshots.

How much do real estate headshots cost?

Prices for a single professional image can be as low as $50, ranging up to a full-blown photoshoot with multiple outfit changes for $1,000 or more. Often, you get what you pay for when it comes to portrait photography. Therefore, if you’re only plunking down $50, you shouldn’t expect much in return.

In most markets—other than New York and Los Angeles—$250 will almost certainly get you a quality set of images from a professional photographer.

---

Do I need a professional realtor headshot?

In a word, yes. In order to compete in a crowded market, real estate agents and brokers need to have a unified, professional marketing strategy that is often led by an agent’s headshot. Real estate is a people business, and the headshot is your first chance to make a great impression on the people you want to work with in your community.

---

How often do I need a new real estate agent headshot?

Plan on getting new realtor headshots every couple of years. Your headshot needs to change to reflect who you are and the business you’re doing. Remember, most of your clients will see your headshot before they meet you in person. It’s important that the person walking up the front sidewalk to a listing appointment matches the person in the photo on your website and social media.

---

Bringing It All Together

A great headshot is the unifying piece of content that ties all your marketing together. Take the time to get the right photos done the right way. Need help choosing your headshot? Post in our Facebook Mastermind Group for some advice!

The post Real Estate Agent Headshots: 15 Industry Experts Share Their Best Advice appeared first on The Close.