Which Realtor Is More Effective?
The doorbell rang. An area realtor was dropping off a flier of recent sales in the community. We chatted for a minute, then she went on her way.
At day’s end I visited the mailbox, only to discover a flier from another realtor targeting my neighborhood. His mailing uses the Post Office’s Every Door Direct Mailing program (EDDM) to hit hundreds of mailboxes at relatively low cost.
On its face, the EDDM realtor made more efficient use of his time, hitting significantly more sales prospects than the woman going door-to-door. Yet I would argue that ringing my doorbell was the wiser strategy.
Let’s face it: buying or selling a home is one of the most personal decisions anyone is likely to make, and you want to make sure you have good chemistry with the person you’re working with.
This probably explains why a significant portion of real estate transactions involve a realtor with whom the buyer/seller has a previous relationship.
As neither of these realtors knows me personally, the one engaging me would arguably stand a better chance of being remembered should the day come when I need her services.
My grad school marketing professor advised me “It’s only ‘junk mail’ when it doesn’t work.” However, assuming every realtor’s flier touts a recent success, the person adding that personal touch should have the advantage more of the time.
Because despite any headlines you’ve read, customers still want to be treated like people. True, there are transactions that involve commodities (buying books online, for example). In such instances, brick and mortar locations must provide substantial added value to overcome objections from someone who typically shops at Amazon.
However, though much of the real estate business has shifted online (promotional videos, e-signatures), the realtor representing you still needs to have some personal interaction with you.
Furthermore, once the deal is completed, the agent stands to make many thousands of dollars. So the client better feel comfortable this individual will be personable, knowledgeable, and responsive.
Regarding the woman who knocked on my door, she got a big step closer to establishing that rapport than the fellow in the mailbox. Because she showed her willingness to invest her time in talking with someone, delivering a more personal result than her competition did.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
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