GET CREATIVE

Yes I know, budgets are tight so you need to start getting a little creative with your marketing strategies and spend. Often the best marketing ideas costs very little to do, especially with the rise and rise of the internet! Before you book that double page spread in the local paper and fight for buyers who are very nervous at the moment why don't you take a single page to retain awareness and invest the rest of the weekly budget into some simple search engine optimisation or setting up your own blog offering weekly localised market advice!

ADD VALUE AT EVERY TURN

It's all about 'value' these days. Tesco has become one of the largest businesses in the world from promoting it! I'm not talking about being 'cheap', quite the opposite. In fact, lower your fees and prepare to die a brutal death! Go right back to basics and look at your 'value offering' at every stage of what you do. How can you add a little bit more to your level of service that will have you remembered and your name thrown around at dinner parties? I'm talking about regimes and processes that set you apart and promote your professionalism. Here's an idea for to get you started... If you're in need of more buyers organise and pay for a spring clean of the property a day before you hand over the keys. Simple and hugely effective!

DON'T JUST SIT THERE, DO SOMETHING!

Why do so many agents struggle with this sort of economic climate? I'll tell you why... because they tend to just batten down the hatches and ride out the storm, most coming a cropper, it's sad to say. I can't stress enough the importance of taking on the challenging market and doing something about it. Doing this alone will immediately differentiate you from the competition and allow you to pick up what's out there. You don't need to spend a fortune doing it either, just start thinking and operating outside the box and you'll not only survive but you'll thrive. Experience suggests that some agents won't survive and that could be great news for those who do!

MAKE THE PROPERTY THE STAR

This, in reality, is what estate agency is all about. Never forget that the reason people use you in the first place is that they want you to make their property stand out from the competition. Aim to perfect your offering in terms of marketing each property and analyze ever detail in the process and offering, do this with your team and you'll be pleasantly surprised at what ideas come to the forefront. I'm talking about improving quality of photographs, offering a little history on the property within the details, being a little more creative with your descriptions, giving larger properties more emphasis in window displays etc. Never forget what the core role of an agent is.

USE THE TIME

'Quieter times are welcome times' - repeat this back to yourself before you have another panic attack. Use the time to refocus the business and what you are trying to achieve for it. Your positioning in relation to the competition should be a key exercise - market mapping as it's called is actually a relatively simple exercise. Also look to new and emerging markets as well as trends (e.g. By 2025 65% of females will control the nation's wealth - what are you going to do to start attracting more females!?)

IS MORE BUSINESS STARING YOU IN THE FACE?

Don't forget what you've worked so hard to achieve in the past... your database - probably the most valuable element of the business! These are warm leads, you've helped them in the past and if they valued the service you'll never be forgotten... sometimes however they just need a little nudge and that's exactly what you need to do every now and then. Pick up the phone today and start calling 10 of your past vendors each week and ask them how you can improve... discover perfection!

A little about us.

We are specialist marketing consultants working exclusively with estate agents in the UK. We work with agents on an ongoing basis to help them establish their differentiators and learn how to make the most of them.

We offer a wide range of creative, new media and marketing services all available for view on our website Property Creative

Interested in talking? We offer a FREE NO OBLIGATION marketing audit of up to 2 hours topped off by a short report outlining areas for improvement.

Call us today on 0871 662 9840 or email us on enquiries@propertycreative.com