Bridging traditional comfort zones and new technology

Getting stuck in comfort zones limits Realtors®’ potential to achieve their goals, according to Jared James, a Realtor® and motivational speaker.

“We’ve done things a certain way for years – for example, relying on only referrals for new business – when there are so many different new ways to generate leads and income,” James said.

“We’re often limited by our minds and our comfort zones,” he said. “We have preconceived notions of what works and doesn’t work and we ignore other ways of doing business. We have a tendency to go where everyone else is going, but all we’re really doing is going where the competition is.”

He notes one of the methods overlooked is targeted ads on Facebook. If a Realtor® has a business page with at least 25 likes, he can use Facebook’s ad program.

“You can create an ad and target specific people: homeowners, renters, what they’ve ‘liked’ on Facebook, neighborhoods, ZIP codes. It’s really amazing how specific you can narrow the focus of your ad,” he said.

One Realtor® placed a Facebook ad that appeared in the news feed and targeted two ZIP codes for one weekend. Facebook charges only when someone clicks the ad, averaging about 47 cents per click. “The Realtor® generated 100 leads in one weekend. Out of these leads, he listed six houses and many of these other leads may end up being listings in the future,” James said. “Who wouldn’t spend $47 to get six leads?

“A majority of Realtors® aren’t taking advantage of this because they’ve turned their minds off to different ideas,” he added. “When 90 percent of homebuyers are searching online to find a home, why wouldn’t you invest in your business online? You may have heard that people are leaving Facebook – that’s only really young people. The people buying homes are still on Facebook.”

James likes to bridge the gap between traditional real estate business and new technology. He advises Realtors® to follow longstanding techniques like marketing to a neighborhood when a house is listed there. “You might send the neighborhood a card asking homeowners if they’re aware that the neighbor’s listing may have changed the value of their properties.

“Real estate is still a people business,” James said. “You need to figure out how to get in front of someone first because research shows that most people stick with the first agent they meet. That’s why your marketing becomes so important. You need to figure out how to humanize yourself and make a connection with the buyer or seller so you can develop a relationship with them – whether it’s online or in person.”