Marketing real estate is a little like speed dating

ou have a checklist. Hair. Check. The hottest dress or suit you own. Check. Confidence that helps you get the most calls. Double check.

Ok, you may not "date" your potential clients, but your marketing makes a lasting first impression, and like a date, you want your first impression to be a good one.

While these tips are geared towards getting face to face with distressed borrowers looking for alternatives to foreclosure, they can be applied to all of your potential clients.

Paying attention to your appearance
Your outside appearance should appeal specifically to your niche audience. If you are trying to sell a high end home, for example, you might dress to kill. But what if you are talking with a distressed homeowner and your goal is to get them from underneath their hardship with a short sale transaction? You probably don't want to roll up in a new sports car and show off a Rolex and other bling, because you don't want to appear as an opportunist that can profit from their misery.

Keep the conversation going.
Like dating, you can't seal the deal on the first date. You have to get him or her to want to continue the conversation to learn what you are all about. In the same way, give your potential seller a way to further your one-on-one conversation. This is especially true for homeowners that feel vulnerable. For example, you can direct them to a website where they can download a free report on the alternatives to foreclosure or the consequences of a short sale versus a foreclosure, etc. (Read my earlier posts to generate some ideas). This has a high perceived value to the troubled homeowner, at little or no cost to you.

Focus on them, not you.
Talking on and on about how great you are and what you accomplished is most likely a turn off on a date. Your potential soul mate probably wants to know that you are into them, and it would be much more productive to direct your attention to them and speak in the language of their interests. In the same way, a troubled homeowner doesn't care about your 4-letter acronym or certification or training. They don't care if you are a member of the BBB or another organization, or that you've helped hundreds of other people. That's about you. What they want to know is what's in it for them. By working with you, they can move on to build better memories, preserve their credit, sleep peacefully at night, relieve the uncertainty, etc. Those are benefits, not features.

Follow up with no pressure
Nobody likes feeling pressured during a sale, but everyone likes being courted. If you've walked into a retail store and had a salesperson follow your every move, you understand this. You might want to buy, but you come back the next day or decide to go to another store. Instead of these high-pressure tactics, consider sending a "Thank You" or "Nice Meeting You" note or e-mail. It's great to acknowledge a homeowner that is receptive to your help. It shows you are serious about customer service and have their best interest in mind. It may well be a deciding factor on whether they choose to work with you.