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What are the most EFFECTIVE strategies for Real Estate Marketing? Dangerous Question?

J. Lamar Ferren
3 min read

It’s that word “Effective” that I want you to focus in on. What does “effective” mean? Why is it that I asked this question at a Real Estate Workshop and was told that it was such a dangerous word? How can you identify what marketing strategies to concentrate on and which ones to push to the side? Let’s answer these questions now!

A couple years back, I attended a Real Estate Investing Workshop held by Frazier O’Leary and we began talking about one of my favorite topics…Marketing! Although marketing is my favorite topic now, it wasn’t always like that.

Marketing used to be very frustrating and the leads coming in were inconsistent and unpredictable. My “take away” goal for attending Frazier’s workshop was too get down to the nitty gritty of this topic and understand what the heck was going on.

As we began covering the different aspects of Marketing, I couldn’t hold back. I had to ask the question.

What is the most EFFECTIVE strategy for real estate advertising?

I asked this question out of frustration because I tried so many different methods and it seemed like some things worked and some things didn’t work. I wanted an answer because I felt like I was wasting time and money. Sure I’d get some leads here and there. I even got a couple deals. However, I wanted it to be more manageable and of course I wanted more leads and deals.

Frazier’s Response
As soon as I asked that question and gave my reason for justifying why I needed an answer, Frazier looked at me like he was afraid for me.

When I asked the question, people in the workshop stood attentively and waited for Frazier to answer. He said, “Lamar, you just asked a very dangerous question!” “You need to scratch the word “Effective” from your vocabulary NOW!” I could now see other people’s expression out of my peripheral vision and it was the same expression I had on my face… Confusion!

As soon as he said that, I said to myself… “What is this guy talking about?” I didn’t think this question was off base at all. In fact, I felt it was a darn good question!  

He said, “Let me ask you something Lamar…Do you want to be Effective in Real Estate or do you want to be Profitable?”

Of course I said Profitable!

Then he said…Exactly!
Is this just a “Play on Words”?

Let’s go ahead and define the word “Effective”. Dictionary.com says:

-adequate  to  accomplish  a  purpose;  producing  the  intended  or  expected  result

As we take a close look at this definition, one might conclude the following:

I’d like to focus on an adequate advertising strategy that is able to accomplish generating leads!

This is the strategy we’re all looking for…Or, so I thought

Let’s see what Dicitionary.com says about the word “Profitable”:

1. Yielding profit; remunerative: a profitable deal. (Yes it really said “a profiable deal”)
2. Beneficial or useful.

As we take a close look at this definition, one might conclude the following:

I’d like to focus on a beneficial and useful advertising strategy that yields a profitable deal by generating motivated leads!

Hmmm…

Now which marketing strategy would you rather have?

An adequate strategy that generates leads or a profitable strategy that generates deals (from motivated leads of course)!

So what Frazier was trying to do was explain to me that I don’t need to worry about the most “effective” strategy, but that I need to focus on the most “profitable” strategy or strategies.

What do you think my next question was?

What are the most profitable strategies for real estate advertising?

His reply was with two words that literally changed the way I look at my real estate business.

  • It’s wasn’t “Direct Mail”
  • It wasn’t “Yellow Letters”
  • It wasn’t “Classified Ads”
  • It wasn’t “Bandit Signs”
  • It wasn’t “Business Cards”
  • It wasn’t even “The Internet”

The two words that Frazier shared with me were plain and simple and definitely something I wasn’t doing at the time…

Testing and Tracking!

If you want to find the most profitable strategies for your business, then you need to TEST different methods and TRACK your results!

Some people will tell you that Direct Mail is the way to go. Some people will say Bandit Signs or Yellow Letters. The only way to know for yourself is by testing and tracking everything you do. This will eliminate all the speculation and guess work. It will also give you proven analytical data to show you what is working in your business versus what is not working.

Network with other investors and find out how they’ve become successful at whatever they’re doing. Duplicate their success!

Get rid of or “scratch” the stuff that isn’t working and focus on what is working and what is bring in the profits. You’ll do more deals that way. Guaranteed!

To Your Success,

J. Lamar Ferren

New Breed Real Estate Investor

Ps. Do you test and track your results? How has that changed your business?

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.