Leads for Realtors - How to Earn Free Client Referrals from Trusted Professionals

When you hear the term "referral letter marketing", as a Realtor, what immediately comes to mind? You probably think I'm talking about getting testimonials from your past clients to use in your marketing, correct?

That can also be an impressive marketing thought for Realtors. But, I'm talking about receiving a never-ending stream of client referrals from professionals like CPA's, mortgage brokers, financial planners, atto
eys and contractors. And the only thing you'll need to do is write a nice little letter, written by the greatest real estate agent (you!).

What referral letter marketing actually boils down to for Realtors is this: get hold of a list of professionals with clients likely to purchase or sell a home. Then, sending it by regular mail, jot down a personal letter to your list of respected professionals.

Strive to be creative in terms of the mailing package or envelope you use as well as including a out of the ordinary marketing piece with your letter. Be sure to follow up by telephone, if you can, with each professional that you've sent your letter to.

Scores of Sharp Realtors and agents use this one marketing system to fuel their real estate businesses for their entire careers! Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with copying what the "big boys" practice.

First off, how about we make a list of professionals who are most expected to have real estate buyers and/or sellers for you...

• CPA's

• Mortgage Brokers (obviously)

• Financial Planners (certified)

- Real Estate Lawyers/Atto
eys

• General Contractors

• Certified Appraisers

• Title Reps

• Electrician Contractors

• Residential Plumbers

• Residential Landscapers

• Roofers

• Tree Trimming Contractors

• Residential Handymen

• Makes sense?

That list should get you off and running but there's countless more you can add in the future.

So how do you generate this full list of specific professionals to advertise to? Terrific question. Depending on how many marketing dollars you have, there are a pair of options for you.

The online yellow pages is certainly an alte
ative for you. I'm positive you already have a particular area you operate in, as a Realtor, so it'll be best to stick to that. With the yellow pages alte
ative, the downside is that it can be time consuming.

You'll sift through to locate the full name, phone number and mailing address of each professional. This option is totally free of charge but certainly more time consuming than a number of Realtors might like.

Another alte
ative for building this marketing list of professionals is to simply buy a list. Just as you're on a "Realtor list" out there someplace for sale, these professionals are on lists that the public may pay money for as well.

This isn't some kind of "black market" or unethical list, don't be conce
ed. Whenever professionals, such as us Realtors and agents, sign up for random publications and associations, these lists are compiled and made available for sale to anybody.

Surprised?

Now, there are a few list companies out there to pick from, who will sell you these lists. Make an effort to pick a list company that has all the professions you're searching for, rather than going to separate list companies for each profession. Buying your list will cost you some marketing dollars but you'll salvage yourself a pant load of torment and working hours.

Once you've obtained your marketing list (whichever way you decide to get it), it's time to kickoff penning this personal letter to send to your list. Sorry to say, copywriting is a topic of its own and we just can't get into it right now, or else you'll be studying a novel today. Copywriting and writing sales copy are topics totally on their own.

What you need to recognize for right now is that this referral letter can not be the same type of "sales" letter that you would mail out, trying to get listing prospects.

You can replicate and re-use your letter for each professional however the referral letter itself needs to make each professional who gets it, to feel like they're the sole one in the world that you sent it to.

The point is that you ought to pen this referral marketing letter as if you were talking to them face-to-face. I'd suggest that you don't practice the boring, "professional" language style that you read in the letters you get from your bank. Speak to them like a real human being and capture their attention.

Also, since we're on the topic, this manner of "personalized" marketing goes for all your emails, newspapers ads, postcards and every additional marketing element of yours.

The "meat and potatoes" of the letter needs to make clear that you desire to build a professional relationship with them where you can refer business to one another. You would like to be their "go to" Realtor or agent for the rest of their career. Stress how they'll gain without trying to "sell" them on it, you know?

You might happen to know something about the company one of these professionals work for so feel free to drop that in your letter to make it more personal. Perhaps you personally know of a customer who's used that professional, toss that in the letter too. It's difficult to get "too" personal in these letters unless you decide to gossip about their mom, which I wouldn't advise.

My suggestion would be to certainly write this referral marketing letter in your own words. But, if there's no chance you'll even contemplate about penning your own referral letter, then go ahead and rent a freelance copywriter to take charge of it for you.

Simply type in "freelance writers" on Google and you'll see numerous people to pick from. With some companies, they even let you to screen through their writers from across the globe. You can check reviews on most of the writers, determine their hourly rates, send them "interview" questions, etc. You can even place the job you're searching to fulfill and get writers to come to you. very slick.

OK, you've got your marketing list of professionals and you've scripted your referral letter, now we need to mail it out via the normal mail, not email. But whatever you do, please do not send your letter in a regular white envelope like we see everyday of our lives... please!

Look for a mailing box or another envelope that will stick out amongst all the mail these professionals will be sorting through. What you're trying to do is have their eyes go to your envelope or package 1st and open it before every other piece of mail they have that day. I would also hand-write the address and return address, as it'll seem more personalized to the receiver.

When you collect your mail, which pieces do you open right away and which ones do you toss without a second look? The letters that seem to be hand-written get opened first, correct?

A bonus you'll need to include, in the package, is some sort of marketing piece in addition to your referral letter. A fun marketing piece to include could be a video you make with Animoto and copy onto a DVD (easier than it sounds).

I have a buddy who sold life insurance and had the superb idea to mail out little poker chips with his information printed on them. The catchphrase he printed on the poker chips was "Don't even think about gambling with your life".

Isn't that brilliant? If you desire to be a top producing Realtor like the "big boys", that's the type of idea you need to come up with, or at least know where to get them!

By the way, and this is vital, you'll need to guide these professionals to both your website and your telephone number, within your marketing letter. It's crucial to give them the choice of how to contact you. Several Individuals would rather call you and others would preferably look over your website first.

Our final step might be more crucial than all the others. The mother of all keys to marketing is "repetition". Stats in the marketing world have proven that in order for folks to get familiar enough and answer to an ad or marketing piece, they need to view or hear it 7 times or more.

So it's clearly important to continue following-up with these professionals on your list. After your initial mailing, I'd advise you to follow up with them by telephone or another letter about 1 time a month. If you have it, using a professional's email address would be a good follow up too.

You just need to be extra careful not to smother them with follow-ups. It's a fine line but you need to tell them why you should be their "go-to" Realtor without coming across in a rude or annoying manner.

A small time saving tip: if there's cash in your marketing budget, try hiring a college student or high school teen to stuff your mailers for you. pen the letters yourself but have your hired-help stuff the envelopes with your letters and marketing pieces.

It's cheap labor, just like US companies do when they employ overseas workers for their customer servicing call centers (did I just drop in a cheap shot?).

Bottom line, I just think this is one of the most outstanding marketing ideas for Realtors or agents out there. As long as you are consistent about building these relationships, you can garner yourself a career-long stream of free client referrals.

Trust me, the funds will come as long as you focus on helping them as much as you need them to serve you!