Generating business through Realtors

[gimmeagig]

Hi,
So I have my website up now and I have a few Realtor customers already, who would be happy to put an MLS e-mail out to all the other realtors to let them know about me.
I'm sure you guys get realtors to give you business. What do you offer? Do you actually go into the offices to distribute flyers and cards, do you use Facebook? Do you make calls? Do you offer incentives?
I am wondering what the best way to generate business might be.

 

[hogjowl]

I wish I could help you. I have several realtors who use me exclusively. One of them gives me tons of work, but I did nothing proactively to get any of their business. I simply did really good work for them, for years, at night, on the weekends, basically whenever they called ... even at the last minute. Over the years, they just came to understand that I was the guy to call.

However, I imagine there is someone here who can give you the magic formula that will knock 20 years off the curve for you.

 

[dealtimeman]

i too, am insterested in how to drum some realty work?

any ideas from those who have marketed succesfully to realtors.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Like marty most of ours which is not that many just happened. Usually a friend of a friend or customer's spouse, we have had a couple rotations of cold calling them but that is not too effective imo.

If it were me i would focus heavily on attending networking events, social media and stopping by the smaller offices for an introduction. Really can be hit/miss as most are just part-timers looking to make an extra buck.

 

[BCC]

I used to be a Realtor. Make way more money doing this. Best way is to stop by once in a while and drop off some magnets. Inquire about some rental properties or something. Or have a friend call the next day and inquire as a referral.

 

[Royal Man]

To work with Realtors you need to get a lockbox key. Then they don't have to run all over town to let you in.

 

[TomKing]

To work with Realtors you need to get a lockbox key. Then they don't have to run all over town to let you in.

Spoken like a man that has no idea how to gain business from realtors!

You do not need a lock box key. We do not have one and we do 3-5 jobs a week from realtors if not more.

Simply make up a flyer and start to do box drops in the offices. You will get business if you do this.

Most realtors place ther own boxes on and will just give you their code. We have lots of realtors that have boxes and we know the codes.

They call up give us the order and we go out and do it.

Most of the time the homeowner calls and sets up the cleaning and we get the code from the realtor.

 

[Chris A]

what lockboxes have keys anyway? isnt that the point to not have a key?

 

[Royal Man]

Spoken like a man that has no idea how to gain business from realtors!

You do not need a lock box key. We do not have one and we do 3-5 jobs a week from realtors if not more.

Simply make up a flyer and start to do box drops in the offices. You will get business if you do this.

Most realtors place ther own boxes on and will just give you their code. We have lots of realtors that have boxes and we know the codes.

They call up give us the order and we go out and do it.

Most of the time the homeowner calls and sets up the cleaning and we get the code from the realtor.

You have different lock boxes than what we have here. Here you have pay the realty companies annually for the electronic keys to open the boxes. Pay to play.

 

[Steve Toburen]

Like selling to everyone else it helps to have a "hook". One neat idea is for the listing home owner after they pay for a full price cleaning to give them a "free" traffic lane cleaning to use after their first Open House.

Steve

PS Another good concept is to set up an online "shared folder" for each Realtor or property manager you work for.

 

[TomKing]

Like selling to everyone else it helps to have a "hook". One neat idea is for the listing home owner after they pay for a full price cleaning to give them a "free" traffic lane cleaning to use after their first Open House.

Steve

PS Another good concept is to set up an online "shared folder" for each Realtor or property manager you work for.

We tried that. The problem is they want the whole thing cleaned again. It is very hard to pin down a partial cleaning or traffic lanes only.

We just give a great deal in the form of a % off. The best is when we clean the house they are selling and the new home. We give a great deal when that happens.

I also love it when the seller has us clean and then the new owner calls after they move in. Its Magic!

 

[TomKing]

You have different lock boxes than what we have here. Here you have pay the realty companies annually for the electronic keys to open the boxes. Pay to play.

And in our town they don't allow anyone but realtors to have electronic pass cards.

In the big city of Indy we have one central system that all realtors use. Not company specific.

 

[curt johnson]

Every real estate office has some type of weekly "marketing" or "sales" meeting with all their agents. If you have something of value or something free (doughnuts) they'll usually give you 5 or 10 minutes for a quick intro/presentation. Be quick and to the point. Give flyers and magnets. (and free food). Remember, they are only going to use you if they feel you'll help them make money.....i.e. help their deals close. Getting into a marketing meeting is key. Also, drop fliers off once a week for their mailboxes. You have to figure out how to get passed the gatekeeper (receptionist). If you have a realtor you've worked with in that office, have them introduce you as an insider.

Another thing are realtor related events. We have a monthly realtor tour, that gladly takes sponsors or vendors. We also have a realtor association that does tons of events during the year.....Just a bunch of amatuer ideas that had I followed I'd probably be successful!!!!

 

[Shane Deubell]

Nice Tom!

Simple and practical, the problem here is we would have to pay $2500 a year for access to the office of the 2 big realtors. Probably would still be well worth it but just always hated the idea.

 

[Mikey P]

Did Curt share his password with Howard Partridge?

 

[Mikey P]

Howard is right though.

IMO you need to been on the cheaper side of what the competition charges. Most of the time the realtor is paying for the cleaning so us premium fags won't get the call.

 

[Desk Jockey]

What is most of that cleaning going for in comparison to residential cleaning? Half, a third?

I think we price ourselves out of that market, we clean for a handful of realtors that sell to the upper end but I'd like to do more. When cleaning do you have one price or two? Vacant & furnished or one price to keep it simple? I think we make them jump through too many hoops and charge them more than they are used to.

 

[curt johnson]

Listen Mikey, you bean eating, knuckle dragging ogre, I tried to provide a little adivce on something that has worked for me........never again!!!!!

 

[Shane Deubell]

Sheesh, what even qualifies as a premium faq these days?

Looks like $15 room should about do it....
Crazy

 

[Mikey P]

Listen Mikey, you bean eating, knuckle dragging ogre, I tried to provide a little adivce on something that has worked for me........never again!!!!!

I see your wife got your weenie in the settlement.

 

[curt johnson]

She may have, but I have a new model weenie in production. Look soon for the release of the new and improved version.

 

[knoxclean]

"IMO you need to been on the cheaper side of what the competition charges. Most of the time the realtor is paying for the cleaning so us premium fags won't get the call."

In 20 years I have never had a Realtor pay for a cleaning unless it was a property they owned. All they do is put you in touch with the homeowner or buyer.

Quickest way to become part of the Realtor scene is become an asso. member of the Realtor Asso. in your area and attend the meetings and sponsor a few of them and they give you a few minutes to speak. This way you have access to all the different brokers at once

 

[hogjowl]

"IMO you need to been on the cheaper side of what the competition charges. Most of the time the realtor is paying for the cleaning so us premium fags won't get the call."

In 20 years I have never had a Realtor pay for a cleaning unless it was a property they owned. All they do is put you in touch with the homeowner or buyer.

Quickest way to become part of the Realtor scene is become an asso. member of the Realtor Asso. in your area and attend the meetings and sponsor a few of them and they give you a few minutes to speak. This way you have access to all the different brokers at once

That may be correct, but as with most things, there are exceptions to that rule. The two that use me, use me for the exact opposite reason. I am not trying to be an ICS millionnaire when I post this, it's just simply the case. Both used cheap cleaners for years and grew tired of having to call them back. I was slowly able to educate them, it took a few years, into undertanding that I clean better and am more trustworthy.

These two realtors are older women who have been around and understand business and life.

 

[BLewis]

I kinda agree with Pork Face. Over the years we have just stubbled across a few, once they are happy with you they will use you over and over. We now do 150 property homes that are managed by a realtors management team. Did a whole house today for a new realtor, we were referred by a property investor that we do college rentals for each summer. She was very inquisitive to our procedures and commented that she really like the corner protectors to protect her freshly painted job. She ask for literature and several business cards that she could pass out. I agree with the other poster I've never had a realtor pay for a cleaning unless they were getting reembursed. We have had 3 different ones in our BNI, one fair, one good (and has passed us some business) even after she got out and the current one which runs the property management team, and they are awesome. I picked up one last fall that we have cleaned 3 large empty houses for and none of the carpets have even been dirty but she was renting them and they just wanted them cleaned before they moved in. I have never gone to meetings etc but I am sure that that would be a HUGE plus.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We have a cousin that owns a large realty company in town, we do their building and some work for a few of their agents as well as their own home but the other 98% of the agents must use someone else or don't get involved.

We are squandering an opportunity, we should probably approach them and see what we can offer them that would get us more work from them.

 

[tmdry]

There are thousands and I mean thousands of realtors within a 15-20 mile radius in my area, why is it so damm hard to get work from one? I just don't get it.

The realtors I've done work in the past have sent me a couple of jobs, the last one thought my price was "high" even though he had a $1 mil listing...right.

 

[FredC]

You have different lock boxes than what we have here. Here you have pay the realty companies annually for the electronic keys to open the boxes. Pay to play.

Similar for a lot of realtors here Dave...they use Supra boxes to log who enters..

http://www.supraekey.com/Pages/Home.aspx

 

[Kevin B]

"IMO you need to been on the cheaper side of what the competition charges. Most of the time the realtor is paying for the cleaning so us premium fags won't get the call."

In 20 years I have never had a Realtor pay for a cleaning unless it was a property they owned. All they do is put you in touch with the homeowner or buyer.

Quickest way to become part of the Realtor scene is become an asso. member of the Realtor Asso. in your area and attend the meetings and sponsor a few of them and they give you a few minutes to speak. This way you have access to all the different brokers at once

Then your working for the wrong realtors. I will be getting my 2nd check in 2 weeks via closing from the realtor(broker actually).

In our town, you can't get in the houses without the IR device that keeps track of everyone in and out of the house. You must be a realtor to have one.

 

[TomKing]

Nice Tom!

Simple and practical, the problem here is we would have to pay $2500 a year for access to the office of the 2 big realtors. Probably would still be well worth it but just always hated the idea.

Shane
I hate paying for access also. The fact is you have to do it. I learned along time ago in medical sales without access I can't sell. I like to teach new reps this " You can't sell who you don't see".

 

[TomKing]

There are thousands and I mean thousands of realtors within a 15-20 mile radius in my area, why is it so damm hard to get work from one? I just don't get it.

The realtors I've done work in the past have sent me a couple of jobs, the last one thought my price was "high" even though he had a $1 mil listing...right.

The problem is most of those people do not sell. You need to find out who the top 20 agents are in your area and market to them. It is the old adage 20% of the sales reps sell 80% of the market.