Mega-agent and broker Greg Harrelson recently said, “It’s not about lead generation, that’s old news. It’s about lead identification.” In other words, you probably have enough people in your database to make a great living in real estate, so the challenge isn’t more “leads.” The challenge now is identifying the people in your database most likely to make a move soon. In our latest episode we share some strategies for keeping in touch with your database to identify those people early.
Takeaways + Tactics
1. A CRM with a thousand features that sits unused is a waste of your money - Find a CRM that is so simple you’ll actually USE it
2. Use a 10 Days of Pain follow up sequence to warm up new leads before putting them on a long-term follow up plan
3. Don’t stress out about reconnecting with your database - a simple phone call or pop-by with a simple script is all you need
Consistently make sure you are adding value to their life every time you’re around them. -Greg McDaniel
We started with Greg ranting about how much he hates brokerage award ceremonies (sensitive ears may want to skip this section). Then we took a question from the Lead Gen Facebook Group about how to get a buyer focused on properties that are on the MLS versus Zillow. Greg explained that your job as a buyer agent is to help your clients find the right product even if it’s on Zillow as a FSBO or Make Me Move. If you’re showing too many homes it’s up to you to set expectations and refocus them on MLS properties first then move to the off-market properties as the next step.
So what if you don’t have your database put together yet? There are some great CRM options out there, and you can export all your contacts from Gmail, Facebook, LinkedIn and lead gen programs to put them in one CRM system.
We also talked briefly about delegation, why you should know your hourly value and look for ways to get anything worth less off your plate. Matt explained how he works with virtual assistants and how to find the value you as the agent bring to any part of the value chain.
Then we go into lead follow up so that people are properly put into your database to start with, including how Greg expanded on Ben Kinney’s 10 Days of Pain sequence into 26 Days of Pain. Greg also shared a basic script for following up via phone after your initial follow up sequence ends.
A big challenge we hear from agents is how to reconnect with their database after months or even years of neglect. Greg and Matt both shared scripts and ideas for this situation, including phone follow up and pop-by’s.
Just as Chris Angell pointed out on a previous episode, our industry has changed from a sales industry to a consulting industry. That means focusing on relationships over cold prospecting. Compiling and reconnecting with your database is the first step in building solid relationships that will form the foundation of your business for years to come.
Click here to download your free PDF, Greg’s Favorite Scripts, featuring scripts for buyer and seller lead follow up, price reduction and objection handler scripts and much more.