FBS, makers of the FlexMLS system has launched a new ‘Success Academy’. It’s your platform of tools that they have created to help you succeed with your IDX home search marketing and more. All of the content is FREE for users of Flexmls (though some of the IDX products are for an additional fee). This is a perfect resource for those agents and brokers taking this time to BUILD for the future to learn about leads, google results, website functionality, and much more. https://fbsproducts.com/success-academy/ Here is their latest post:
The Quarantine Toolkit: Lesson One: How To Be A Hyperlocal Hero, by Mike Price – IDX Trainer 4/2/20
By now you’re probably aware of the fact that much of the guidance we provide is centered around creating and maintaining a hyperlocal marketing strategy. Why? Because it’s one of the single most important ways for a real estate professional to create a steady stream of qualified prospects.
Hyperlocal Defined
In the context of real estate agent marketing, it simply means creating and sharing as much content as you can about the neighborhoods that you “farm”. It’s about telling stories that define the lifestyle that families will experience. One NAR study showed that the neighborhood is a more important factor than the size of a house when it comes to making a home buying decision.
How do you do it properly? It can be done with blog posts, short videos, saved IDX searches, social media…the list is long and the opportunities are boundless.
If you have ever thought that you can’t compete with the large brokers and Zillows of the world, think again. There are examples across the country of hard-working agents and brokers that have built amazingly successful digital strategies. Take a second to read that sentence again and put some emphasis on the term hard-working. In order to achieve the results I am referring to, you must be willing to put in the work and be patient enough to realize it will take time (most especially right now.)
Think of yourself as not only having a farm but BEING a farmer, sowing seeds and cultivating crops that may take some time to grow and show profits for you.
Objection number one is: I’m not a writer! I don’t know how to write all this content. You don’t have to be a videographer, photographer, or web developer either All you need to know is that consumers want to know what you know. If you put in the work to share your knowledge, however rough around the edges, you will succeed. Take your knowledge and wrap it around a feed of LIVE data IDX and you’re now the owner of intellectual property that Zillow and Realtor.Com can’t replicate.
Conclusion
Creating and maintaining a hyperlocal marketing campaign allows you to position yourself as the mayor of your neighborhoods. People searching online will look at 5 to 7 agents. They will be much more likely to work with someone that shows personality and knowledge at a granular level. Telling stories that speak to the heart of lifestyle naturally helps people select you as a person they want to establish a relationship with. Having a solid IDX based website as the resource that all of your hyperlocal efforts point to keeps your prospects in your funnel and less likely to go down a rabbit hole where other agents are vying for exposure. Use all of the channels available to you. Don’t get started and then abandon the effort after a short period of time. This is an effort that works on long term, top-of-mind awareness.
You can be a hyperlocal hero. I’m here to help and would love to see the results of your work. Get in touch!