I interview Gina, who is her husbands assistant. He's been using the My Books program to target expireds.
Here is what we go over in the interview:
- The owner listed with his friend. Was sent his book and kept it for a year.
- He now wants to work with Rusty.
- They mail out manilla envelopes to expireds and have 6 listings.
Highlights:
Full Interview:
Transcript:
| Smart Agents:
|
So, how long has he been an agent? |
| Gina:
|
Twenty-two years. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Oh, wow. Have you been his assistant the entire time? |
| Gina:
|
No, no just for about three. |
| Smart Agents:
|
And how long have you guys been a member of Smart Agents? |
| Gina:
|
January. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Nice. How many listings have you guys gotten with the books at Smart Agents? |
| Gina:
|
Excuse me. Listings, I believe we have three to date and we have three appointments this week. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Oh, wow. |
| Smart Agents:
|
How have you guys used the books and can you explain how you guys used them to get each of those listings? |
Gina: |
Yeah, we actually ...When we get expireds and withdrawns, that pop up on the hot sheet every morning.We send out a package that has a letter in there as well as his book and a brochure, personal promotion brochure and a business card.And we send it in a manila package, hand addressed. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Oh, so it stands out from just regular mail you think? |
| Gina:
|
Right, I think, yeah. |
| Smart Agents:
|
What ...Are these just expireds that you're getting? What are you- |
| Gina:
|
Yes. Expireds and withdrawns from the MLS. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Ahhh. And what are the typical responses? Do you guys follow up to them or do they reach out to you? |
| Gina:
|
Typically they reach to us. We do try to call them, but a lot of times they don't call back.
So what happens is, a few weeks pass, sometimes they re-list with someone else because they already had that in the works before they expired, but what happened with one in particular that we listed and sold already this year is, he had listed with somebody else and he hung on to the brochure and the book. When that expired again, he called us. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Oh, wow. |
| Gina:
|
And said, "I want to talk to you guys because I want to know what this book's all about" ...blah-blah-blah. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Oh, wow. So do you think ...Could you say the lead followed up for you? |
| Gina:
|
I'm sorry, say again. |
| Smart Agents:
|
So sort of does the lead follow up for you? |
| Gina:
|
Right, yes it did. In this particular case we listed the property and sold it to our own buyer. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Oh, wow. |
| Gina:
|
So it turned out to be ...It was like a ...Let's see what was the price on that? It was a $350,000 listing. |
| Smart Agents:
|
How ...What the three appointments that are coming up in the coming weeks, what are those? Are those expireds as well? |
| Gina:
|
They are. |
| Smart Agents:
|
And did you go through the same process with them or did anything else different happen? |
| Gina:
|
I don't know of anything different at this point, but sometimes when you talk with them you learn that there was something different.
But I know for sure that one of the appointments, he is basically counting the hours until he expires because he just wants to hire Rusty. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Oh, wow. |
| Gina:
|
Because he got the book. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Yeah, did he like it a lot? |
| Gina:
|
Yeah, yeah, he was like, Oh, this just makes so much sense and I think you're going to be the right realtor for me, is basically how that went down. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Did ...What do you think the books are doing for Rusty? |
Gina:
|
I think it just solidifies the fact that you're a real person and you do have credentials, because I think a lot of time in real estate, unfortunately we've experienced this, but there are a lot of people who don't stay in the business very long. But while they're in the business they don't ...They're new.They don't know a whole lot about the business, so sometimes people's first experience with a realtor is with someone who isn't experienced and doesn't have the benefit of learning a lot of the different techniques and how to market, etc. It really, I think just helps give a leg up to the fact that, wow, you obviously know what you're doing. You wrote a book. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Okay. Do ...Have you or him done any lead follow ups and if somebody hasn't called you back or you haven't heard from them, then do you ever call them or swing by their house? |
| Gina:
|
Oh, yeah. We definitely ...Rusty calls every day. When the listing expires, we send out the package and then three days later he calls and says, "Did you get the package?" |
| Smart Agents:
|
Oh. |
| Gina:
|
And that, that's clock work, but a lot of times they don't call you back. It just depends on how interested they are. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Do you guys have any books besides the Expireds that you've given out? |
| Gina:
|
No, not yet. |
| Smart Agents:
|
Alright, you guys have anything else to add about how you guys have been using the books or any suggestions or anything? |
| Gina:
|
Well, just that strictly from a numbers stand point, it's already paid for itself. Every book we've ordered, it's already paid for by that one transaction where we listed the property and then we ended up with the buyer as well. So ... |
| Smart Agents:
|
Yes. |
| Gina:
|
I mean in our market the average priced house is about $175,000, so that particular property was not only twice what the average is, but it was a double ended transaction. It was a quadruple experience, basically, so all of our books are paid for, for the rest of the year. |
What if you left a book that you were the author of with these owners?
Books have a huge perceived value. They don’t get thrown away.
They can get tucked away somewhere, but most people aren’t going to toss them in the trash. They’re worth something, and they’re worth something to the author’s name.
Do this and you will position yourself as the authority in your market. When you give away your book, it will separate you from your competition.
That’s how a Smart Agent thinks!
Want to get a free sample of the book that will get you more listings? Click the link below.
Joe Nickelson is a real estate professional dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers achieve their dreams of owning property, and helping real estate agents stop using the sometimes-vicious tactics that weigh on their consciences. He believes that the Smart Agents books will, quite literally, change people’s lives for the better. Check out his full bio here!
