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Touted as one of the fastest and most effective ways to generate leads by real estate guru, Brian Buffini, these pop-by ideas for real estate are a win for both you and your clients! Learn how these small gifts of appreciation can help give your business a boost by making real and lasting connections.  What Are Pop-Bys for REALTORS®?A term coined and popularized by Brian Buffini, pop bys are small, inexpensive client gifts used for real estate marketing. Real estate pop-bys are used as a way to reconnect with existing or past clients in order to generate quality referrals and to get real estate leads. Typically, these gifts are given in person, in which the agent pops by a client’s home to say, “hello.” As you are showing up with something special for your clients, it’s easy to open the door to further communication. This in turn makes it almost effortless to ask for referrals. As there’s often a feeling of reciprocity when receiving a gift. It also helps to nurture your existing relationships and ensures that you aren’t forgotten. A practical gift-giving strategy, these small gifts are also a great way to build your brand. Promotional gifts with your logo and contact information make it easy to reconnect and reinforce your word-of-mouth marketing message as a real estate professional. Often these gifts are combined with an amusing pun that relates to the gift in some way. While optional, using puns as part of your marketing message is another great way to reinforce camaraderie and open the door to referrals. Benefits of Using Pop-Bys for Real Estate MarketingThese are the benefits of utilizing pop-gifts as part of your real estate marketing plan:
 What Small Gifts for Pop-Bys Work Well in Real Estate?Whether you’re looking for ideas for small, seasonal gifts for spring, summer or fall, or need Christmas REALTOR® pop-bys, we have solutions for every occasion! While we delve deeper into specific pop-by ideas for real estate below, here are some other common suggestions on what to gift your clients:
You can also pair these pop-by gift ideas with cute slogans or pop-by puns to make your gifts fun! For example, some agents will give a container of mints with a pop-by tag that states, “This home was mint to be.” Or they may gift a package of marshmallow Peeps with phrasing such as, “Have your peeps call my peeps.” for the perfect spring pop-by!  Pop-By Gift Ideas for REALTORS®There are so many great pop-by ideas for real estate! If you’re looking for the best suggestions for your gifting strategy, then be sure to check out our top ideas for REALTORS® and agents below. We’ve even created a list of fun puns you can use for each gift type.  Promotional Pizza Cutters We introduced our promotional pizza cutters at this year’s industry trade shows, and they were an instant hit! One of our top pop-by ideas for real estate, agents and customers alike are totally in love with this product. Here’s what makes this marketing item so successful:
These branded pizza cutters are great for closings! Bring these custom pizza cutters with a pizza to when your clients close on a home. You can also include a gift card for a local pizza joint inside the box! You can explore our designs as well as learn more about these pizza cutter wheels here. Real Estate Pizza PunsOnce you have your promotional gifts in hand, consider pairing them with one of these fun real estate pizza puns:
 Custom Seed PacketsIf you’re in the market for spring pop-bys, custom seed packets are an affordable and effective option to grow your business through referrals! Customized with your business information, our bulk wildflower and forget-me-not seed packets deliver your marketing message with a lasting experience in tow. No time to “pop-by” with a gift? We can also deliver these for you! Simply take advantage of our direct mailing services to reconnect with existing clients or reach new prospects in your farming area. Spring Seed Packet Pop-By PunsTo assist you with creating the perfect spring pop-bys for your clients, we’re providing messages you can use on this marketing. Here are some ideas for cute real estate puns you can use:
 Custom TumblersCustom tumblers are one of the hottest pop-by ideas for real estate right now! These laser engraved travel mugs are the perfect way to display your real estate branding and generate leads in real estate. As a promotional product that is used regularly, you’re practically guaranteed repeat exposure. Drink ware has an average of 1400 impressions over the product’s lifetime. Couple that with the fact that 78% of USA consumers own personalized drinkware, and you have a winner! Gift recipients love the double-walled, vacuum insulation that keeps drinks cold for 24 hours or hot for up to 6 hours. In addition, the upgraded, air-tight snap lid that prevents leaks and accidental spills makes all the difference. Real estate professionals, on the other hand, love the high return on investment as well as the increased brand likeability and visibility this product provides. If you’re looking for a pop-by gift that delivers, you simply cannot go wrong with our engraved tumblers. They make a wonderful addition to gift baskets for a home anniversary or closing gift. Or partner with a local coffee shop to provide these with a bag of specialty coffee or even a gift card. REALTOR® Puns for Tumbler Pop-BysSome coffee and tea related real estate pop-by puns you can use are:
 Stainless Steel SoapStainless steel soap is a fun and unique pop-by gift idea for real estate! If you want to get creative with kitchen gifts, then this option is a must. These customizable gifts are a must for every kitchen as they deftly remove odors like garlic, onions, and fish from hands. Personalized metal soap bars can be included as part of a gift basket. Or gift them individually with a custom GiftNote™. Soap Puns for Real Estate Pop-BysYou can also include one of these fun soap puns with your pop-bys:
 Magnetic Bottle OpenersMagnetic bottle openers also make great pop-by gifts for REALTORS®. Customize these stainless-steel bottle openers with your REALTOR® branding and contact information. Then simply pair them with a six pack for the perfect presentation. Beer Real Estate PunsWant to make this real estate pop-by even more unique? Couple these bottle openers with magnets with one of these real estate beer puns for a fun marketing twist:
 Watermelon SlicerNeed ideas for summer pop-bys? This engraved, metal watermelon slicer is the secret ingredient for all your spring and summer closings. Designed by LifeLong Gifts™, this revolutionary kitchen tool beautifully slices watermelon, honeydew and more. Your clients will wonder how they ever made it through backyard barbecues without one. Watermelon Summer Pop-By PunsHere are a few ideas for watermelon puns for your summer pop-by gifts:
How Often Should I Do a Pop-By?While some real estate agents tackle their gift giving strategy with monthly pop-bys, you don’t have to go overboard. We recommend that you deliver one of our real estate pop-by gift ideas at least once per quarter. You can save money on these small gifts by purchasing in bulk. Reserve the more expensive gifts for clients who deliver qualified leads. Then give smaller client gifts ($5-$10 in value) to customers who do not engage with you as often. To help you make the most of this real estate marketing strategy, you can also use a pop-by tracking sheet to help you gauge your return on investment (ROI) so you know where to focus your efforts.  What If No One Is Home When I Deliver My Pop-By Gift?While the goal of a pop-by is to deliver it when the recipient will home, sometimes this isn’t always the case. In this instance, you want to be prepared to attach your gift to the client’s door. In order to prevent someone accidentally tripping and falling over a gift left at or inside a door, we recommend that you keep door hanger bags with you in your car to attach your REALTOR® pop-bys to the door knob of your client’s home. Not only are these bags a convenient way to secure your gift, but they also help to protect your marketing products and materials from the elements.  More Ways to Distribute Pop-By GiftsAlternately, we have an amazing solution for sending pop-by gifts by mail. If you can’t visit every home that you’d like due to time constraints, you can send a pop-by gift through the postal service. Our greeting card service, Minute Mail Gifts, is a fast, fun and easy way to deliver small gifts by mail. Our mailable greeting cards with gifts are a great way to stand out from the competition. They are also a timely solution to sending gifts on the go! No time to head back to the office? No problem. Schedule a home anniversary card the day you close a sale right from your phone. You can include a photo of the listing right in the card and send it with a gift of your choosing! We hope these pop-by ideas for real estate help forge the way to building successful, long-term relationships with clients. You can explore more ways to say thank you for a referral here. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Magnets USA® newsletter. Or give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Whether you’re a new real estate agent or an established REALTOR®, generating leads is paramount to your success. This article delves into proven, quality real estate lead generation ideas that don’t require cold calls.  What Is Lead Generation in Real Estate?Real estate leads are potential clients that have need of your services. Therefore, lead generation in real estate is the process of attracting these prospects in order to convert them into customers who will rent, buy or sell land or property through you. What Are the Types of Leads in Real Estate?There are numerous ways to get leads for your real estate business as a new or established agent. These include the following:
 How Do I Determine the Quality of Leads?Another important factor to consider with real estate lead generation is the quality of those leads. After all, you want to invest the most effort into qualified leads — those that are most likely to result in conversions. A qualified lead consists of individuals who have done the following:
In addition, you can also use what is called BANT methodology to help further prioritize the real estate leads you generate. This sales qualification method is designed to save you time. It consists of four things to consider in order to help you shorten your sales cycle:
Once this information is determined, outline a system to score your leads in order from most qualified to the least.  What Do You Do with Unqualified Leads?At the end of the day, most real estate agents find that the majority of the leads they generate aren’t qualified. Meaning they aren’t yet ready to buy or sell a home. However, that doesn’t mean you should disregard them. Nurturing your leads with regular contact results in an average of 20% more sales opportunities. While 80% of your leads will close after being contacted approximately five times. Not only that but taking the time to grow those relationships also results in 47% higher sales purchases. Ask if you can opt these potential clients into your email list. Then contact them digitally once per month. You should also call these prospects at least once per quarter to follow up and see if their needs have changed. Additionally, we also recommend that you follow up with either a personalized greeting card or marketing magnet each quarter. (Be sure to check out our real estate marketing plan for product tips.)  Real Estate Lead Generation IdeasMost of us aren’t a fan of making cold calls to generate leads. While cold calling can assist you in finding potential clients, it does take a thicker skin. So, how do real estate agents get leads without making cold calls? To assist with all the ways you can find fresh prospects for your business, we’ve compiled an extensive list on how to get real estate leads without cold calling. Whether you’re looking for new ways to generate online leads or find new prospects without spending any money, we have the tools to help you achieve your sales goals. Following we’ll explore ideas to help you reach more qualified leads than ever.  How Can I Get Real Estate Leads Online?There are lots of innovative ways to get real estate leads online. Some of these lead generation ideas are free and cost you nothing but time. While others may involve a nominal fee. The key here is to choose the methods that work for your budget and provide a high return on your investment. If you’re a new real estate agent, you may want to try several strategies at once until you find the solutions that work best for you. Here are some of our top online lead generation ideas to help you find new prospects both online and on social media. Run Facebook ads.Rather than running ads that direct consumers to a listing or your website, try running lead generation ads. These ads require visitors to fill out a form so you can capture their information prior to sending them to a landing page designed with additional information. When creating these ads, make sure you utilize captivating visual content in addition to your message. Include a visually engaging image or video. Also be sure to limit your form to no more than five fields for best results.  Join Facebook groups.Local groups on Facebook are an effective way to increase your online presence as well as your reach on this popular social platform. While real estate agents use Facebook groups to get leads on new listings, they’re also a great way to garner community support from like-minded professionals, discover top tips and best practices, network, share engaging content ideas, and just get advice. The most important part of these groups, however, is the relationships you build through participation. As an agent, you can use your expertise and knowledge to educate those in your community as well as help plan events that keep your services at the forefront of people’s minds. Examples of the types Facebooks groups that are useful for REALTORS® for generating leads online include:
To find groups to join, simply type your city name into the search bar on Facebook, then click on Groups. From there, you should request to join as many local groups as you can find in your area. Ideally you want to find a way to integrate your services into each group. Therefore, not every group will be the right fit. Once you’ve joined relevant groups, here are ways you can use them to get real estate leads on Facebook:
 Generate real estate leads using LinkedIn.Like Facebook, LinkedIn is also great for exposure. Designed for businesses as a professional networking platform, they also have groups that can be used for successful lead generation. In addition, this platform also provides a space to showcase your expertise and is a great place to contact people with a high net worth, especially when paying for a business or premium account. Basically, a digital version of a cold call, LinkedIn provides a way to generate leads in real estate on a professional level, rather than through a personal relationship. Moreover, LinkedIn also introduced LinkedIn Audio in 2022. This live audio room, which is comparable to the social audio app Clubhouse, allows you to host live audio events. With video also being added, this opens up many new opportunities to connect with your audience. Here’s how to get leads in real estate using LinkedIn:
 Start a real estate podcast.Share your expertise and show off your skills with a podcast! While this method of promotion does require more extensive planning, it’s a great way to not only reach interested parties but to also show clients they can trust you to get the job done. When planning out your podcast material, be sure to include a call-to-call action at the beginning of the podcast as well as the middle and the end. You should also promote your podcast on your website as well as across your social media channels. Write guest posts.Sharing your home buying tips, market insights, or other professional real estate information as a guest writer on a blog with some authority is another viable way to get real estate leads. Be sure to provide information that your target audience will find valuable as well as taking SEO into account. You’ll also want to include a bio at the end of your article along with backlinks to your website, social media links, and a strong call-to-action.  Use video and drone footage.Real estate video marketing is incredibly effective at increasing the number of leads you get from your listings. Industry studies indicate that 73% of homeowners are more likely to list with an agent who uses video to sell their properties. While 70% of buyers watch video tours prior to choosing an agent. Additionally, agents who use video for their real estate marketing find that real estate video attracts 30% more views than static listings. This translates roughly into 403% more inquiries on the listed property. Further, 86% of home buyers research neighborhoods through real estate videography prior to deciding where they want to move. This makes drone footage even more valuable as it provides a quick look at the overall area. Drone footage also results in 3.5x more leads than other types of videography used to sell real estate. You can learn more about using videos to promote your business as well as find tips for making real estate videos here. And don’t be afraid to try new social media networks. Share your video shorts (1-minute or less in length) as reels on Instagram as well as TikTok to branch out and expand your reach with younger generations. Share real estate tips.Sharing tips for buying or selling a home or other related real estate information on social media is another great way to generate leads. We recommend sharing your tips in a weekly video to help create a personal connection between you and your audience. Further, when planning out social media posts to share online, be sure to use static images that are unique and inviting. Viewers assign value to pretty and eye-catching photographs. Therefore, keep them warm yet professional. If using headshots, take care that they accurately reflect your brand. The key is to build trust with your audience. Don’t be afraid to play off your strengths. Why not highlight your local expertise with the best places to dine out. Or share your daily experiences to show your personality. Need other ways to get real estate leads on social media? Be sure to check out our real estate social media post ideas.  How to Get Real Estate Leads for FreeIf you’re looking for additional ways to get real estate leads for free, here are ideas to assist you with the process. Video testimonials.Short form videos and clips are huge right now and great for engagement. Rather than sharing a static image with a testimonial, ask past clients to give a video testimonial that you can record on your phone. Then share the video across your social media platforms as well as on the testimonial or real estate bio page on your website. Not only will this increase interest, but it also helps to put a face to a name and goes a long way toward building trust. Ask for referrals.Customers who are referred to you from past clients have an overall 16% higher lifetime value than those who weren’t referred. Therefore, asking for referrals from the people you’ve done business with in the past is a great way to build confidence in your abilities as a real estate professional. While not everyone is comfortable making a referral, industry studies show that 83% of clients are willing to do so. In addition, 21% of REALTORS® get 50% of their business using this free lead generation method.  Include a call-to-action.Include a strong call-to-action (CTA) n both your website and blog. You’re likely already paying for hosting. Why not improve the return on your investment? Having a CTA on your sites encourages prospects to make contact and supply their information so you can follow up. Make sure that all your top pages include a call to action. This could be an email sign up or a request for more information. You can also create a lead magnet or landing page in which you provide information on a topic relevant to your target audience upon sign up or an email submission. Target sellers.90% of sellers also want to buy another home. Therefore, targeting motivated sellers is an effective way to generate two deals from a single prospect when you need additional leads. Search FSBO (for sale by buyer) listings.You can use resources such as Zillow, Craiglist and local newspapers or websites to find free leads for real estate by searching FSBO listings. Also be sure to keep an eye out for FSBO homes when you are out and about in the neighborhoods you service. We recommend that you have a script ready for contacting prospects with additional scripts for follow-up based on the responses you get. If you aren’t sure how to get started, this post has several script ideas you can utilize when getting your feet wet.  More Ways to Grow Your Real Estate BusinessIn addition to free and online lead generation, there are also other ways to find new customers to grow your real estate business. Mail out promotional postcards.Sending out custom marketing postcards to your prospecting or farming areas with a handwritten message is a great way to reach new people. Using self-mailers as well as direct mail marketing services is a convenient and affordable way to generate new leads and reconnect with past clients.  Engage in circle prospecting to generate real estate leads.Similar to prospecting through direct mail, real estate circle prospecting also involves targeting an audience located within a specific geographic area. In this instance, however, you make cold calls to the individuals in the neighborhood to inquire whether they are planning to move or know of someone looking to do so. While this seller-focused lead generation method does require making calls to unknown individuals, it can be incredibly effective when done properly. We recommend you create a reliable script when getting started. In the end, you’ll be amazed by the rapport you’re able to build with clients while at the same time strengthening your brand. Even if you don’t convert leads right away, what you are doing is planting the seeds for their business in the future. So don’t forget to follow up with interested parties, even if it’s automated through text, a phone call or email. Sponsor an event.Event sponsorships are a great way to show your involvement as well as your investment in the community. It can also help improve your real estate branding. When choosing a charity or event to sponsor, be sure that you’re able to measure the impressions the sponsorship will yield so you can best gauge the return on your investment. You should also choose a brand that maintains a positive image in the community it represents. Event marketing is a great way to get off the internet and do what you do best -- engage with people! So, don’t forget to get involved and show up. Have a clear objective and don’t forget to collect contact information.  Host an open house.An open house is a great way to find parties who are ready to buy! Liven up your event with a fun theme, favor bags with your contact information, and a giveaway. Don’t forget to promote your event on social media and other relevant spaces. Also be sure to use balloons and pointers in the days leading up to, as well as the day of, your open house to bring in additional foot traffic. You can find more ideas on how to generate real estate leads at an open house here. Try text marketing.Automated text marketing for REALTORS® is a simple yet effective way to reach prospects to share new listings or other relevant information. Text messaging provides an additional channel to reach clients and leads so you stay connected and build relationships that convert. Research indicates that 80% of professionals now use texts as part of their business. And they use it because it works! 90% of all texts garner a response within 30 minutes or less. They also have a higher open rate than email — by around 134%. Moreover, 62% of home buyers prefer to have their property information sent via this method of communication. Real estate professionals use text marketing to make communications efficient and effective. It’s great for:
If you’d like to use text marketing to get real estate leads, here’s how to get started:
To assist with your goal of generating leads, you’ll want to ensure that your texts are short and provide information of value to your target audience. Also, include a strong call-to-action and perhaps offers an incentive to reply, much like a lead magnet on a website. Join your local Chamber of Commerce.While there is a small yearly fee to join this association, it does come with benefits. The goal of this network is to help with exposure for your business so that you can find new prospects to grow your business and increase revenue. Historically, your local Chamber of Commerce helps business professionals make new business contacts, brings credibility to your business or services, increases your visibility in the community, provides networking opportunities, and helps you find customer referrals. In addition to helping you generate real estate leads, it also gives you a voice in your local government.  Form local partnerships.Partner with a local business to find new prospects. Whether it’s a local wine or gift shop, a florist or a coffee shop, you can each provide referrals to one another thereby expanding your realm of influence. For example, if you give wine and a custom wine box for closing gifts, you may partner with a local winery that you regularly use when purchasing real estate closing gifts. In turn, the winery agrees to refer your services and may also offer you a discount. We recommend that you provide your business partners with point-of-purchase marketing materials such as tear off calendars or other magnets for marketing. Ideas for local business partners include the following:
Knock on doors.Old fashioned canvassing is another way to get real estate leads. Not only will you meet the people in your community farming areas, but you’ll also have the chance to let your personality shine and expand on your skills. Even if someone isn’t looking to buy or sell their home right now, there’s a good chance they know someone who does. Just say, thank you.Thank your referral sources with a handwritten card and gift. Referral thank you notes are a great resource for real estate agents. They offer a personal way to reconnect and thank clients for their support. By utilizing a greeting card service for business, it’s easier than ever to gain customer loyalty and generate fresh, new leads for your real estate business.  Give REALTOR® pop-by gifts.Pop-by gifts are another wonderful way to introduce yourself to new prospects or reconnect with leads who may previously have been unqualified. If you need pop-by ideas for real estate, then be sure to check out our line of promotional pizza cutters, personalized fridge magnets, real estate calendar magnets and custom magnetic bottle openers. We hope you found these ideas on how to get leads in real estate useful. For more helpful ideas and advice, be sure to also explore our other real estate marketing strategies here. Or discover additional tips and techniques via our 12-month real estate marketing plan.
For more tools to help you execute your real estate marketing plan, subscribe to the Magnets USA® newsletter. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Like any business, you need a solid marketing plan to flourish. This can be a challenge for both new and established agents. However, once you understand how to create a real estate marketing plan to grow your business, you’ll quickly realize how effective it is to make advertising a priority.  Marketing Plan for Real Estate AgentsThe adage that you must spend money to make money still rings true regardless of your industry. But how and where is that money best spent? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the advertising choices that now exist with the ever-evolving digital age. That’s where we can help! Our step-by-step 12-month real estate marketing plan instructs you on how to use print media marketing to grow your client base. So, you make real connections that generate referrals down the road. By automating your real estate marketing strategy using our magnets for marketing, tools and tips, you can effectively advertise your real estate business without taking on more work than necessary. In addition, you’ll also learn how to incorporate print media into a simple marketing plan for real estate agents that works! Our direct mail marketing methods have a proven success rate with a high ROI (return on investment.) Let us put our 30+ years of real estate marketing experience to work for you! Keep reading to learn more about how to develop a real estate business plan to strengthen your marketing. Plus, discover our easy, print media marketing template that spells out when to connect with your target audience and what to send them.  What Is a Marketing Plan in Real Estate?A real estate marketing plan is an outline for a course of action to promote your real estate business. It details your annual sales goals and growth opportunities. In addition, this guide also describes the specific steps to take throughout the course of the year to advertise your services, develop new leads and gain referrals from your existing client base. As real estate marketing is heavily dependent on referrals from word-of-mouth endorsements, it’s important that your business plan gives you credibility in addition to familiarizing others with your brand. How Do I Write a Real Estate Marketing Plan?This overview guides you on how to create a real estate marketing plan for your business. We also provide information on how much to spend on your advertising when formulating your advertising budget. Research Your Industry Research your industry and review your competition. Then identify your target audience and farming areas. (Real estate farming is also known as real estate prospecting.) You want to consider demographics, or who your customer is, as well as psychographics, the reasons why your client base may buy or sell a home. Once you’ve done this, use this information to help you develop a strong mission statement that speaks to your core audience and helps you stand out from your competitors. Some of the questions you should ask yourself include:
Determine Sales GoalsAfter you’ve researched your target audience, you now need to set a sales goal for the year. (You can also set monthly and quarterly goals depending on what works best for you.) To do this, look back on past years sales as well as the current market. Then use this information to make an estimated guess as to the sales volume and commission you think you can make over the course of the year.  Set a Detailed Real Estate Marketing BudgetOnce you’ve set a sales goal, it’s time to determine an advertising budget for your real estate marketing plan. Figuring out how much your annual sales revenue should go toward your marketing budget may seem daunting at first. However, there are basic guidelines to help you get started. The average amount most businesses spend on advertising is between 2% and 12% of net revenue. Small businesses typically spend a smaller percentage of their net income on marketing. However, if you are a new business trying to gain traction, then you’ll want to spend more on advertising while you work toward becoming established. The amount spent is also determined by your industry. B2B (business to business) companies generally allot 2-5% toward advertising. Whereas B2C (business to consumer) industries normally spend between 5% and 10% on marketing expenses. Your budget encompasses more than just the cost of branded marketing products and advertisements. When allocating money for a real estate marketing plan, you need to consider the different types of advertising along with all associated costs. These include, but aren’t limited to, the following:
How Much Should REALTORS® Spend on Marketing? Finding the right amount to spend on your marketing as a REALTOR® largely depends on your income. Obviously, new agents have less funds to spend than those who are already established. While the 2-12% is provided as a guide, most real estate agents spend an average of 10% of their commission income on their advertising efforts. Analyze Past Real Estate Marketing StrategiesLooking back on past marketing strategies to determine what worked in the past — or what didn’t — can help you choose what direction go for the new year. By analyzing what worked previously and seeing where you can make improvements, you can help you form a more successful marketing plan going forward. You can then use your past performance as a starting point for expanding on profitable campaigns to make them even more effective.  Create a Real Estate Marketing CalendarOnce you’ve determined your marketing budget, use this information to create a marketing calendar for your real estate business. This calendar will outline the type of media used for each day/week/month of the year as well as how it’s to be distributed. Track Your ProgressOnce you put your marketing plan into action, you need to track your progress. Track your sales and overall ad performance as well as advertising costs. You should then make changes or updates as needed. If something’s not working, figure out why. Then either adapt it to perform better or scrap it for another alternative. Now that you have the basics of creating a real estate agent marketing plan, keep reading to discover how to use print media marketing for your services. You’ll also find our template for creating a real estate marketing plan specifically for print media marketing.  What is Print Media Marketing?Print media advertising consists of physically printed materials that you used to communicate with and market to an audience. These materials include newspapers, magazines, postcards, billboards, and brochures. It may also include other physical products such as custom magnets that are branded with the company logo and information. Why is Print Marketing Important to a Real Estate Business Plan?Print media is a classic marketing strategy in real estate. However, it continues to work despite the digital age. Even better, it can be used to complement your other advertising strategies to keep you top-of-mind. Not only does print media have a high ROI, but you’re practically guaranteed a high engagement rate. Where you may struggle with your email open rate or social media likes, print marketing doesn’t face the same challenges. There’s also less competition. Not only do 86% of consumers read their mail, but direct mail marketing has shown a 10% increase in new customers when utilized as a marketing activity. As print mediums are tangible, they are a more durable and longer lasting option than digital media. They are also more likely to reintroduce the consumer to your advertisement through repetition. By incorporating our print media real estate marketing plan you’re your advertising strategy, you’ll not only save time and stay on budget, but you’ll also see increased growth over time. Once you’ve learned how to create a real estate marketing plan, you should allocate a percentage of your advertising budget to print media. Why is Repetition Key to Real Estate Marketing?Applying your branding across all your print media materials helps to reinforce your brand. Just like with digital marketing, your target audience will start to recognize you immediately as they are repeatedly exposed to your real estate agent marketing efforts. Repetition branding can mean bigger profits, better name recognition and more referrals. With this in mind, we recommend sending out at least four promotional items of value throughout the year.  12-Month Real Estate Marketing PlanFollowing is our template for a 12-month real estate marketing plan for print media. This plan breaks down the steps to take each quarter to follow up with your target audience and make new connections to gain leads. Just like in retail, it’s important create a marketing plan for real estate a quarter ahead. This gives you ample time to schedule out your strategy based off the prior year’s results. It also allows for the time it takes for print materials to be produced and mailed out to prospects and clients. This ensures materials arrive in a timely manner and your advertising doesn’t miss a beat. First Quarter Marketing Plan for Real Estate Baseball SchedulesBaseball season starts each year either in late March or early April. Therefore, magnetic baseball schedules are the perfect way to kickstart your advertising for Q2. To ensure your baseball schedule magnets arrive in customers’ hands before the season starts, we recommend that you place your order as early as possible in Q1. Not only does this allow adequate time to customize your sports schedules and ship them, but it also guarantees you the best pricing. Pre-orders for our baseball team magnets start around mid-December with the absolute best product deals. If you need to increase your spending before the end of the year, this is a great opportunity to get additional tax deductions along with significant savings. Otherwise, baseball team sports schedules for the current year officially launch in January. As the season starts around the same time as Q2, we advise you purchase these products in January, but no later than February to reach customers at the start of the new season. Household Reference Magnets If baseball isn’t big in your area or your target audience isn’t receptive to sports team promotions, then we recommend you send out a non-dated, custom magnet instead. Our household reference magnets are always a hit. Featuring local phone directories, emergency tips, home maintenance tips, or kitchen measurements, these fridge magnets are a great way to represent your business! Not only do these magnets provide information that customer’s will want to keep handy on the fridge, each one can be fully customized with your business branding and contact information.  Magnet NotepadsAnother alternative to baseball schedules this time of year are our line of magnetic notepads. Notepads are an inexpensive and practical way to provide the recognition you want. Designed with a card stock backer and non-toxic magnet, these memo pads and to do lists also have a kitchen conversion chart and password keeper on the back. So, it will stick around on the refrigerator even after the pages are gone. Second Quarter Real Estate Marketing Plan for AgentsStaying a quarter ahead with print marketing materials, second is the best time to buy football and festival schedules as well as magnetic tear-off calendars. Here are the products we suggest ordering during Q2: Promotional Football Schedule MagnetsSecond quarter places a huge emphasis on football! After all, it is considered one of America’s favorite pastimes. Our real estate football schedule magnets are incredibly popular among prospects and clients. They are also one of the must have magnets for real estate marketing each and every year. We launch our football schedule magnets in April. This gives you plenty of time to customize and distribute them before kick off in September. Choose up to 14 teams to customize your NFL or college fb schedules. Then let our magnetic sports schedules keep your contact information in view for the duration of season. By ordering your schedules in Q2, you can ensure they are delivered ahead of football season which kicks off in the beginning of Q3. Festival and Event SchedulesSummer is peak festival season. Therefore, creating a magnetic festival or event schedule around local festivals, events and celebrations is a great way to connect with your audience. You can even create magnetic schedules that give a line of musical events for an area music festival or highlight weekly family activities that take place at your city’s farmer’s market. Make sure you plan and order festival schedules as early in Q2 as possible, so they reach your audience in time. Alternately, you can also purchase these customized magnets in Q1 as soon as you have the details you need from area businesses to complete your custom content. Magnetic Tear-Off CalendarsTear-off real estate calendars are one of our top-selling products each year — and for good reason! Not only are we home to the ORIGINAL magnetic tear-off calendars — Yep, we made them FIRST! — but this product is PROVEN to work. A customer favorite, our yearly refrigerator pad calendars present dozens of ideas to elevate your marketing strategy. You’ll love our exclusive backer design that meets the needs of professional industries and real estate agents. While our house-shaped toppers are perfect for REALTORS®. While most agents schedule their calendar mailings to arrive either just before or directly after Thanksgiving, we launch the new calendar lineup for the following year in June. Therefore, the end of Q2 is the optimal time to order your promotional calendars for your real estate marketing plan. Not only will you be guaranteed to the best selection, but you will also receive the best price. Third Quarter Real Estate Business PlanYour 3rd quarter marketing plan for your real estate business includes these products:
 Real Estate Magnetic CalendarsPlanning ahead remains key! If you didn’t order magnetic calendars in Q2, then you don’t want to miss this opportunity in Q3. Our tear-off calendars are an affordable year-round marketing solution that you don’t want to skip! If you missed buying your branded calendars for your real estate marketing plan early on, then we advise you complete your customization and make your purchase no later than the beginning of October. This ensures that your calendars get mailed out before the end of the year. Otherwise, you’ll want to consider a New Year mailing instead. Or, for mid-year calendar magnets, try our year-at-a-glance calendars. You can further explore ways to use promotional calendars for your marketing here. Custom School Calendar MagnetsBack-to-school season is always a momentous occasion for households with children. Help parents and teachers keep track of important dates throughout the school year while also keeping your contact information visible. School schedule calendar magnets are a great way to show that you care. Clients will be sure to show their appreciation with repeat business and referrals when you incorporate this useful marketing tool into a business plan for real estate. For schools starting in early August, we recommend jumping the gun on these during 2nd quarter to be delivered in July. Otherwise, if kids head back to school after Labor Day, order your magnetic schedules in July to be distributed the month in August. Basketball and Hockey Sports SchedulesLike baseball and football, basketball and hockey are also huge with sports fan. Therefore, these custom sports schedule magnets are another great addition to a yearly marketing plan for real estate agents. Whether your town has a college team or your community roots for one of the pros, our basketball schedule magnets are a slam dunk when it comes to growing connections. Not only do we customize each of these sport schedules with up to any three teams, but your branding is also prominently displayed on every magnet card, regardless of the format. Together, millions of Americans and Canadians follow a favorite hockey team. Pulling some of the most avid and devoted sports fans in the arena, hockey is a no-brainer for marketing real estate if your community can't stay out of the rink. Our hockey schedule magnets are available in three die-cut shapes with your choice of both American and Canadian teams. Fourth Quarter Print Media REALTOR® Marketing PlanThe end of the year aligns with the largest holiday season of this. Therefore, 4th quarter is a prime opportunity to thank clients for their business, loyalty, and referrals. It’s also a great chance to refresh for image for the upcoming year. Recommended fourth quarter real estate marketing products include: Real Estate Magnetic CalendarsGreat things bear repeating. That’s one reason why we keep pushing our calendar magnets — they really are effective! If you’re late getting started on your 12-month real estate marketing plan, not to worry. Our tear-off calendars make a big impact even as a first of the year mailing. If you waited too long to send calendars out before Christmas, we recommend sending out a calendar in the new year. Our New Year’s themed calendars are perfect for January. Or mail out our popular recipe calendars. Not sold on either of these options? We also provide additional cover themes to fit any niche! Client Gifts from REALTORS®Magnets USA® and LifeLong Gifts™ both feature a unique lines of client gift ideas for real estate pop-bys, referral thank you's, and small tokens of appreciation. All of our marketing gifts can be personalized in full color with your information and custom branding. Choose from our amazing selection of branded bottle openers and kitchen scrapers for affordable everyday marketing products. Or choose from our selection of upscale gifts including personalized kitchen cutlery, kitchen gadgets, and custom wood cutting boards. As the holidays are the perfect opportunity to send thank you gifts, we set this as a 4th quarter task. However, there’s not wrong time to send a gift. So, don’t miss the chance to give real estate closing gifts or other thank you gifts in addition to client holiday gifts, throughout the year. Custom Business Cards The New Year is the perfect time to refresh your image! That makes 4th quarter the perfect time to stock up on custom business cards for upcoming conferences and networking events. If you haven’t updated your photo for your business within the past 5 years, add this expense to your real estate marketing plan for the year! (Discover pointers for your next business portrait along with other great real estate marketing tips here.) You can also find tips on how to design a business card here. More Ways to Build Business Relationships through REALTOR® Marketing In addition to these quarterly gentle marketing methods for your 12-month real estate marketing plan, we also advise making personal connections with your customer base in between your advertising efforts. This includes sending out personalized notecards or greeting cards. Creating custom cards is a wonderful way to nurture your business relationships. Not only are they well received by clients, but they are also an easy and affordable way to increase your profits. Increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%, This clearly illustrates how setting aside a small amount of time to build and maintain quality relationships with clients can help you generate not only more sales, but referrals as well. Therefore, we highly promote using custom greeting cards monthly as part of every 12-month marketing plan for real estate agents. Reasons to Send Greeting Cards as Part of a Real Estate Marketing PlanThere are so many wonderful reasons to send greeting cards to clients. Whether you buy and write out custom notecards in bulk or use a greeting card service for business, here are just a few of the many occasions you can take advantage of to stay in communication with prospects and existing customers as part of your marketing efforts:
Real Estate Marketing Ideas to Help You Implement Your Business PlanOnce you’ve established a marketing plan for your real estate business, it’s time to put it into action. If you aren’t sure how to best go about advertising your business, we’ve put together some great REALTOR® marketing tips, tricks, and ideas to help you get the most reward from your efforts.
From real estate branding to writing a killer real estate bio, we have the marketing advice you need to help you propel your business forward into the new year. Explore more real estate marketing ideas here. Baseball schedule magnets are a great way to connect with your target audience over one of their favorite pastimes. Not only do these custom fridge magnets familiarize clients with your branding through repetition, but they also keep you top-of-mind. After all, what better way to make sure your message is seen every day than by having it displayed on your customers’ refrigerators? Keep reading to learn more about our line of personalized baseball magnets and how they can help you grow your business. Plus, explore the many ways you can distribute our real estate baseball schedules to new prospects and existing clients to get the sales and leads you need for your best year ever! Baseball Schedule MagnetsBaseball is back! While sports fans have been thrown quite a few curve balls recently, we’re all ready to get back into the game. Don't strike out and miss this amazing opportunity to stay top-of-mind as we embark on the new year. Instead, share that new season excitement with our custom magnetic baseball schedules. This easy marketing solution keeps you top-of-mind when clients are ready to put their own ball into play. An effortless way to keep your business ahead of the game, magnetic baseball schedules are a key component of our 12-month real estate marketing plan.  Why Baseball Is the Perfect Real Estate Marketing OpportunityIt’s common knowledge that the majority of homes sell during the months of May, June, July and August. This time frame accounts for 40% of annual home sales. While baseball starts around the end of March or the beginning of April, the average season lasts about 6-months overall. This aligns perfectly with peak home sales during the same time frame. Thereby, setting up baseball schedule magnets as the perfect product to promote your real estate business the second, and into the third, quarter. That our sports schedules are magnetic is just the icing on the cake. As most custom magnets end up on the refrigerator, this gives you a branded marketing product with both high visibility and repetition. It’s been shown time and again that sticky marketing is your best choice for generating leads. So, why not take advantage of this gentle marketing opportunity? Make this the year that rivals sales goals of years past. Ways to Distribute Real Estate Baseball Schedule MagnetsThere are many ways that you can distribute your real estate baseball schedules to clients. In addition to sending them as part of a direct mail marketing campaign, there are also lots of other ways to reach new prospects. Following are our top ideas for getting your branded baseball magnets into community members’ hands.  Local BusinessesCoffee shops, your doctor's office, a favorite sports bar — you're probably visiting these locations anyway. So, why not leave behind some awesome marketing pieces? Our baseball schedule magnets are like prime real estate for sports bars. Friends and FamilyGive a stack of your branded sports schedules to your biggest supporters. Friends and family can help you distribute them while they're out and about. They can also gift them to coworkers. Hair Salons and Barber ShopsBarber shops are especially great for distributing sports and baseball schedule magnets. Their core customer base is male and men tend to be huge sports fans. Elementary SchoolsSend magnetic sports schedules home with students, their parents become your new prospective clients! Chamber of CommerceLeave a stack of baseball team magnets at your local chamber. This is an easy and effective way to get your name out there to everyone who visits. Social MediaPost a photo of your team sports schedules to your social media accounts, like Facebook and Instagram. Then ask followers to contact you if they'd like one of their own. Don't underestimate the power of a real estate social media post! Minor League Baseball TeamsAs minor league teams usually have very tight budgets, most are happy to partner with you to distribute their minor league baseball schedules for the season. Neighborhood CanvassingAs spring makes its way to your town, going door-to-door with your magnetic baseball schedules is a tried-and-true way to interact with potential clients. Convenience Stores and Gas StationsNext time you fill up at the gas station, leave a stack of baseball schedules by the register.  Personalize Your Baseball Magnets Even FurtherWe know how important it is to make the most of the marketing materials you buy. You not only want to them to fit within your budget, but you also need them to be effective. That’s we also offer several options to upgrade your custom baseball magnets and sports schedules to help boost your ROI (return on investment.) Small touches like full-color envelopes ensure your advertisements are being opened. While custom written notes help you establish the personal relationships that the real estate industry is so reliant upon. We can even help you canvas the neighborhoods you serve through full-service direct mail.  Magnetic Baseball Schedule GiftNotes™Upgrade your marketing with personalized GiftNotes™ and turn your sports schedule magnets into more than just an advertisement. It's so simply to use them as an opportunity to make personal connections! GiftNotes™ are essential business builders designed to help you connect with clients and prospects on a more personal level. These lightweight, greeting card-style notes allow you to introduce yourself to your mailing contacts and subtly ask for their business. They can also be distributed in person. Not sure what to say? We provide pre-written copy that you can use. Make changes to customize it for your audience. Or create your own message from scratch to accompany your branded baseball team magnets.  GiftNote™ Messages and Writing SamplesIf you need ideas for messages you can include with your baseball schedule magnets, here are some writing samples that you can use: Dear neighbor, Spring is finally here! I’m so excited to see nature bringing so many bright colors back into play. Not to mention a new season of baseball! Enclosed you’ll find a magnetic baseball schedule to help you keep track of your favorite teams. With that, the end of spring into the beginning of summer is the best time to buy or sell a home! If you’re thinking of making a residence change, please give me a call to discuss your options. I’m also happy to mail out additional sports schedules to your friends or family members. Simply email me their address and I’ll make sure they don’t strike out and miss a game. Best regards, Your Name Dear neighbor, Baseball is back! While sports fans have been thrown quite a few curve balls recently, we’re all ready to get back into the game. To share in the excitement of a new season, I’m sending along a magnetic sports schedule to make it easy to plan out game night with family and friends. In the meantime, don’t strike out when it comes time to sell or buy your next home. My expertise is exactly what you need to hit a home run in today’s market. So, feel free to call or email when you’re ready to but the ball into play! (I’m even happy to pass on more baseball schedules if you need them.) Your neighbor and local real estate agent, Your Name  Full-Service Mailing for Baseball Marketing MagnetsYour time is valuable as a real estate agent. And let’s face it, sometimes marketing falls to the wayside as a result. There’s simply not enough time in your work week to stay on top of every task. Fortunately, we offer a solution that saves you time and keeps you on top of your marketing game — full-service mailing. If you don’t have the time to distribute schedules yourself; we completely understand. That’s why we offer full-service mailing. This benefit is available for not only our real estate baseball schedule magnets, but our other magnets for marketing as well. From stuffing and sealing to addressing and shipping your envelopes, we mail your custom magnets directly to your mailing list. Don't have a mailing list? Need some fresh contacts? Our direct mailing service can help with that, too! For about $1 per contact, we can take the stress out of your next magnetic marketing campaign. So, you’re practically guaranteed to hit a home run for your real estate sales goals from spring into summer when the market heats up.  When Should You Buy Baseball Schedule Magnets?You should purchase baseball schedules as part of your marketing plan for real estate as early as possible in the first quarter. Not only does this allow adequate time to customize your sports schedules and ship them, but it also guarantees you the best pricing. Pre-orders for our baseball team magnets start around mid-December with the absolute best product deals. If you need to increase your spending before the end of the year, this is a great opportunity to get additional tax deductions along with significant savings. Otherwise, baseball team sports schedules for the current year officially launch in January. As the season starts around the same time as Q2, we advise you purchase these products in January, but no later than February, in order to reach customers at the start of the new season. Ready to hit a home run with your marketing? Order your magnetic sports schedules today! To stay abreast of new products and promotions, subscribe to the Magnets USA® newsletter now! You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram for more real estate marketing tips and ideas.
Learn how you can improve your real estate marketing strategy with these tops tips for agents.  Real Estate Marketing TipsLike most entrepreneurs, agents wear many hats and have to multi-task a variety of responsibilities. Not only do you help clients buy and sell homes, but a large part of your job is also marketing. Without new leads and referrals, your business can’t grow. Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in a day to make things happen. While advertising sometimes gets pushed aside, it should remain a primary focus. However, that doesn’t mean it has to be time-consuming. By focusing on key components of your marketing, such as branding and website optimization, you can set yourself up for success without taking on a constant barrage of yet more work. Following are our best real estate marketing tips to help you streamline your advertising. So, it’s both more efficient and highly effective.  Build Your BrandOur top real estate marketing tip focuses on branding. Real estate branding is vital to your success as a REALTOR®. Your brand reflects both you and the services you offer. It’s also what makes you stand out in a crowd. Your brand should cover all aspects of your business. From your own website and social media to the real estate marketing materials you send out. You should also have your own logo. If you don’t already have a website for your real estate business, then it should be a priority for the New Year. NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) indicated that 82% of agents who had their own website made $150K or more in 2019. So, it does make an influential difference. If you need help developing your brand, then we’ve provided a helpful guide on branding for real estate agents here.  Optimize Your WebsiteYou can create the most beautiful website in the world. However, if pages load slowly, especially on mobile, it’s going to result in a high bounce rate. What that means is that prospective clients will click onto your site, but then leave immediately if it doesn’t load quickly. If you have large images on your site, they will quickly slow it down. These days, google not only looks at SEO to determine your rank, but website optimization and load times also play a part. If you aren’t resizing images so the file size is small and loads quickly, then it will have a negative impact on your traffic. Luckily, you don’t need to be a tech guru or graphic design professional to resize images. Canva Pro allows you to resize images and choose the quality and file size. You can also use websites, such as TinyPNG, to compress your images. Alternately, if you want to retain your original photographs (and spend less time editing) Cloudflare Pro will automatically resize your image files or serve them in web-friendly formats such as a WebP image across your entire domain. You simply configure the settings once and forget about it. There are other services that resize images as well, especially if you’re using a self-hosted WordPress platform for your website. However, for any host, Cloudflare is the easiest, quickest, and most efficient option. Additionally, 50% or more of web users are using mobile devices to visit websites. Therefore, you also want to make sure your real estate website is optimized for mobile. No exceptions. Otherwise, you are likely to lose a potential customer to someone else. Most website themes are now mobile friendly. If yours isn’t, then redesign your site with a new theme that is. In addition to these key website changes, here are other aspects of your site you should focus on:
 Utilize Social MediaWhether we like it or not, social media is a huge part of most people’s daily lives. It’s also here to stay. Even if it’s not your favorite platform for your business, it is a great way to find new clients and keep your existing customer base engaged. Best of all, the only thing it costs you is time. To create effective social media posts, however, you do need to have a strategy in place. You can discover some great tips for utilizing social media for your business along with real estate social media post ideas here.  Create Real Estate Marketing VideosIf you aren’t using real estate videography to market your business, then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. Recent data indicates that 73% of homeowners are more likely to list with an agent who uses video to sell their properties. Additionally, it’s been shown that 70% of buyers watch video tours before choosing an agent. Here are other ways video marketing helps real estate agents:
In short, video is a great way to increase your client base and make your services more attractive to sellers. Need help getting started? You can find real estate video marketing tips here to assist you in the creation process. Plus, discover ideas on where to share your videos to drive the best results.  Incorporate Magnetic Marketing Marketing with magnets is another great real estate marketing tip. Magnetic marketing has been proven time and again to generate referrals and nurture lifelong relationships. Whether you send out promotional calendar magnets or branded bottle openers, you’re providing your customer base not just with products they can use, but also ones guaranteed to get constant exposure. The best part about this advertising strategy is that it provides the repetition that keeps you top of mind all from a single product. This makes magnet marketing economical as well as persuasive. Explore the various products you can brand to promote your business. Plus, learn how to use magnets for marketing here.  Automate Your Real Estate MarketingThis marketing tip for real estate agents will save you exactly what you need more of — time! Automating your direct mail marketing is great way to reach new and existing clients. It’s cost-effective and it frees up time for you to do what you’re best at! Industry studies show that direct mail works! It has a higher ROI (return on investment) than both paid search and online ads. You’ll gain 10% more new customers using this method. And with the right media, you’ll also make sure you’re not forgotten. Discover how a full mailing service can give your real estate business the boost it needs inside this informational post! Alternately, if you prefer to be more hands on, you can also utilize self-mailers as a viable way to increase revenue.  Update Your HeadshotAre you still using the exact same headshot from 5, 10, even 15 years ago? Then you need a refresh! You shouldn’t still be using an outdated image of yourself to market your real estate business. While you may not quite be ready to embrace your new look, it doesn’t mean you’re old! Today headshots are a lot less formal. Clients love modern portraits that are casual and fun! Consider taking a new photo outside in front of historic landmark or recognizable hotspot in your area for increased interest. Once you have a fresh look that represents your image, use your photo on business cards as well as other branded marketing products.  Build Relationships Relationships are one of the biggest assets for any REALTOR®. You can connect with potential clients and grow your bonds with existing customers in a number of ways. These, in turn, mean more sales and referrals down the road. Here are just a few ideas to help you build relationships:
 Provide ValueNo matter what type of marketing you use to grow your real estate business, it should provide value. Whether you gift marketing products that consumers can use, provide informational articles, or build relationships through social networking, the best way to make an impact is to provide something of value to your target audience. We hope that these real estate marketing tips and tricks help you make more knowledgeable choices when determining your advertising strategy. By employing these techniques, you can grow your business faster, establish the relationships that are the core of your industry, and increase your year-over-year revenue. For more estate marketing tips and tricks, be sure to subscribe to the Magnets USA® newsletter. We our home to the original magnetic tear-off calendar for REALTORS® and have the experience and knowledge to help you succeed. In addition, you can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram for more ideas to help you get more leads.
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