b>The fundamentals of real estate marketing

Before we go into the best practices of a personal marketing program, it would be a good idea to touch on the key elements that make up such a program. Call it "Personal Marketing in a Nutshell."

Marketing is more than just blasting the neighborhoods with your farming pieces. It's about how you present yourself (and how your company presents itself) to prospects and customers. Effective personal marketing combines elements of direct marketing, public relations and education. It is the sum of all your informational parts.

In this article, we'll be dissecting the direct marketing piece of the pie. Specifically, we will examine personal marketing mistakes and how to avoid them.

Where do real estate marketers go wrong?

First off, they put a greater emphasis on technology than they put on the message that technology is designed to delivery. They also ignore the fundamentals of persuasive writing.

Why?

Because it's quick and easy to use a boilerplate message (that's been used 50,000 times before) and simply change the contact info.

Because of the herd mentality.

Because it's easier to imitate than to create.

Because "I've seen other agents do it ... so it must work."

The field is primed for a leader

As far as marketing goes, the real estate industry is primed for a breakout leader. The vast majority of real estate professionals go about their personal marketing, recruiting and general communications all wrong.

Imagine how could capitalize...

Picture this. You're a homeowner in a bustling real estate market. You get 15 direct-mail pieces from real estate agents every week.

Fourteen of those postcards say the same thing, obviously borrowed from some stock message database somewhere. They use worn-out phrases and talk about "superior service" ... "the utmost commitment" ... and the classic "no-obligation consultation."

But the last card -- the one out of 15 that tried something different -- leaps out at you from the first line. It identifies your problem and promises to solve it. It addresses the questions burning in your mind and promises to answer them.

It offers something much more valuable than the no-obligation consultation. It doesn't ramble on about the agent's accolades and personal philosophy. It's written in honest, original language, like one human being talking to another. How refreshing!

Based on all that, which of the 15 agents would you call? An easy decision, isn't it?

Why is it so important to get that first phone call? An NAR survey sponsored by the Gooder Group (of Real Estate Rainmaker fame) found that 74% of people shopping for a real estate professional go with the first agent or REALTOR® they call.

Apply the fundamentals to take the lead

I'm talking about applying proven, tested fundamentals of copywriting to your farming pieces. If that sounds like a simple approach, that's because it is (provided you understand those fundamentals, which I do).

I hope this illustrates how many real estate marketers are missing the point -- and how much you could capitalize on this, provided you have the right guide.