Real Estate Agents: Don't Rely on the Free Consultation

Does this line sound familiar? Call today for a free
consultation. Or how about the wordier version: Call today for
a no-obligation consultation.

I'm betting it does sound familiar. Because while working in the
direct-mail industry, I saw these exact words on more real
estate marketing pieces than I care to count. And that's the
first thing wrong with the free consultation -- it's overused,
and it has been for years.

Here's what else is wrong with it (and those who have tested
this offer against others will agree with me here). Your
prospects expect a free consultation, and they know they're
going to get one ... if not from you, then from some other agent
or REALTOR they'll inevitably stumble across.

One final problem with the free consultation: Much of the
information you'll share during the consultation can be found on
the Internet, if you know where to look. And believe me, your
prospects know where to look!

They can view homes online. They can find current interest rates
online. And now, with the advent of such websites as
HomeValues.com, they can even get a ballpark valuation of their
home based on current sales information -- and it's free.

Here's the bottom line. The o-obligation consultation can no
longer stand on its own as an offer or initiative. It will not
spur anyone to act. It's okay to use it as a supporting offer,
but you need to include something of real value if you expect
any kind of response.

It's time to adjust your approach.

So what do you do? I'll tell you, and you're going to be amazed
at the simplicity and power of this often-overlooked approach.

Build a stronger offer

The goal here is obvious. You need to strengthen your offer. You
need to build value into your personal marketing program. You
need to give your prospects a good reason to contact you.

Let me repeat that. You want them to contact you. You don't need
to convince them you're the best agent in the universe. You
don't need them to accept your general philosophy on client care.

You need them to call you!

Why so much emphasis on a simple phone call? Remember our
statistic from earlier: 74% of people shopping for a real estate
agent go with the first agent or REALTOR they call.

People are busy. They know they need an experienced professional
to help them with the home-buying or selling process, but they
don't want to spend days calling around town. They don't even
want to spend an hour.

They'll make one phone call -- occasionally two -- based on an
ad or direct-mail piece they saw, an Internet search they made,
or a referral they got from a friend.

They'll make this single phone call simply to gain enough
information about the agent to convince themselves they've
landed a good one. Aside from that, they don't care to look
any further. If the first agent they call is professional,
knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly, then the first agent
they call will be their agent for the long haul.

It's that simple.

So the goal, again, is to be the first real estate professional
they call. And let's face it ... the free consultation has about
as good a chance of earning that call as I have of becoming a
professional basketball player (and you should know at this
point that I was cut from my high school team).

Value. That's what will earn the shopper's first call. Something
of great value to them.