"I was kind of leery at first, but I have to tell you that it makes such a world of difference."
Like many of our members, Jacque was skeptical when she first ordered her books. But her doubts disappeared when she started seeing results.
"I can't believe that I'm able to share a testimonial that's so inspiring even for me to realize."
Listen to her story here, and read her Q&A with our team below.
Smart Agents: Thank you so much for the video. How long have you been using the books?
Jacque: Probably about six months. Maybe eight months.
Smart Agents: And which books are you using currently?
Jacque: I'm using several: "Home Values that Improve the Value of Your Home," "Finding the Home of Your Dreams without Overpaying," "Selling Secrets You Can't Afford to Miss," and "27 Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers Make and How to Avoid Them."
Smart Agents: Out of these books, which one has been the most successful for you?
Jacque: Well, it depends on what kind of client I’m going after, whether it's a buyer, or a seller, or someone we want to get referrals from. So I have used my "Home Values" book to give to people in my networking groups that maybe own a designer store, a flooring company. This is because it talks about the things that people should do to improve their home in order to improve their values. So, they like promoting me, which promotes people doing things that would use their services as well.
So that's a different twist. I know that's not what most of the agents are doing it for, but I did it so I could get an audience of people that were referred to me by other companies than just my leads. Because I have my buyer leads, and my seller leads, and it's pretty obvious which book works best for that.
I do a lot of work with lots of first-time home buyers, and that's why I enjoy the "27 Mistakes that First-Time Home Buyers Make."
Smart Agents: What are some of the tactics you've been using to hand out the books?
Jacque: Well, I just got off one of my lead calls that was just referred to me today. And I'm about to put it inside a little bubble envelope to send to her because she was looking on my search site at properties here in our area. She also has more properties to sell in a state right next to me, so I'm going to refer her to another agent there. So I'll basically have four referral listings from her, and then I'll have her buy property here. And the opening conversation was really helpful when I told her that. Since she's not here in town currently, I wanted to send her my book to know me a little bit better, and know more about some of the expertise I have. And that was very impressive and it got me to get her address. And that was my most recent.
Smart Agents: Are there other tactics that you’ve used before?
Jacque: I introduce myself to these people and say, "I'd love to have you get to know me more, as well as I'd like to meet you face-to-face." So, one of the ways to get a face-to-face appointment is if I have something I want to give them. And because these are buyer leads generally coming in, and I tell them that I have a couple of books that I've authored. One is "Finding the Home of Your Dreams without Overpaying," and then, of course, the "27 Mistakes that First-Time Home Buyers Make."
So if they're seasoned, I can kind of tell from the voice, I do the first one. The "Buy Home of Your Dreams." But if I can tell that it's a very young person that has never bought a home, then I focus on the "27 Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers Make" and tell them I want to meet with them and give that to them. That helps me get a face-to-face, which is so important to be able to have that connection face-to-face with people. But, if they're unable to do that, it allows me to get a chance to mail it to them if they will give me an address. Because generally, if they make a commitment to give me an address, they're gonna make a commitment to interview me as well. And if they are not interested, then they're not interested. But I've yet to have anyone ever say they don't want a free book.
Smart Agents: In your video, you mention that you went under contract one day after giving out the book. Would you tell me more about that sale?
Jacque: Oh, that was for the for sale by owner, you mean?
Smart Agents: Yes.
Jacque: OK. I only had one of those books just to look at it and read it. Actually, now I want to order more. Because now, I've gone around, I've taken pictures of for sale by owner signs, and so now I want to call those people as soon as I get some more books in, and I want to go visit them — knock on the door and have my book to give them and to visit with them.
This one, it was a lead that came off of the internet that they were selling their home on their own and they indicated that they did not have an agent. And so, when I contacted them, she said, "Well, you know, an agent just put a sign 'Coming Soon' in my yard because we decided to maybe, instead of us selling it, that we might have a Realtor sell it for us." And I said, "Well, have you signed a listing agreement with that agent yet?" She said, "Well no, he just put the sign out there on his own. We haven't even discussed anything with him." And I said, "Well, then let me tell you. I want to come out, and I want to visit with you. I want to see your home, and I want to give you my book, 'Selling Secrets You Can't Afford to Miss,' and for sale ... my FSBO book. And let you know why you need to consider having me market your property."
And so, I did. Within the hour, I went out there and the material in the FSBO book is so, so wonderfully helpful. And it helps them know that we understand where they are and why they wanted to do a FSBO, and why we recommend that they don't.
And I got that listing, I brought my listing agreement with me. I didn't do it like the other agent, just stick a sign in the yard. I didn't bring my sign. But I had a listing agreement with me, they signed it on the spot, and she has my book in her hands, and she is so excited because the very next day, since I had the sign in the yard, and I had the listing agreement, I put it on the MLS the same night. The agent showed it and gave us a contract offer for almost the full price, which was well over almost $20,000 more than the last home that had sold in that neighborhood. And we were very, very excited because she was thinking she was not gonna get that much money for it. But I said, "You know, all we can do is try. Supply and demand. Everything's selling so fast here."
So, we did, and we're closing on that this week. So it didn't even take us three weeks to go from getting my listing agreement and book to where we're closing this Friday.
Smart Agents: Wow, that's awesome.
Jacque: Yeah. So, and I'm gonna use that. And I'll do a commercial video for clients that would consider me to list, because I think that's a real, look-good pitch for me to have a home sold in 24 hours after listing and having it close in less than thirty days.
Smart Agents: So, for my last question, what kind of feedback have you been getting from clients once you give them the books?
Jacque: Well, they're really excited. I didn't know I had not given my last customers that were my buyers that closed on a property two weeks ago. It was an over half-a-million-dollar property. And at the closing table, I'd given one of my books to the escrow agent, and my buyers just said "How come you didn't give me one of those?" And I said, "I didn't?" She says, "Nope." "Well, here, I have one." And so I gave her one of my books and she says, "This is exciting. I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were this good."
So, it was pretty nice to have someone ask for it. I mean, it just gives credibility to us agents that, we know what we're talking about.
Smart Agents: All right. Do you have any other comments you would like to add before we finish?
Jacque: Not really. I'm just now discovering how to use the books I need to get on the blogs for. But I've been very busy, fortunately, so I haven't been able to pay a lot of attention to those. But I wanna try more of the marketing ideas that you have. And so, with that, hopefully we'll have even more successes.
