| Your first cold call will typically not result in a business relationship. Consider it a way to introduce your business. A good rule of thumb is to consider ten contacts to develop one lead. Your goal should be to sign a written contract, whether a listing or buyer brokerage agreement, although you may need to invest some time upfront to earn your customers' trust before asking them to sign a lenghty buyer-brokerage agreement. In real estate, cold calls and prospect contacts may even just result in an expansion of your database. Useful “lead-in” lines for follow up include:
“I just found out about..., which you might be interested in.” Or, email pertinent information to your prospective client. Interesting information might have to do with interest rates, how to prepare your home for sale, etc.
“I was thinking of you and wanted to tell you about...”
Other ways to follow up include personal notes, mailing a recent article applicable to the sale of a particular property (when dealing with a FSBO), real estate news mailed to the prospects or mailing an endorsement from a mutual acquaintance. Check out systems such as Top Producer or Sharper Agent for easy methods to stay in front of your prospects. |
