Direct mail is the main thing you can do to ensure your future business. There are only so many friends and relatives that can be gone to. From what I have seen if you can find a neighborhood that is turning at a reasonable rate and not dominated by any 1 or 2 realtors, the chances are good that with the right sort of campain, you can get business out of that neighborhood, and if you keep up the campain and give great service as well, soon you can be dominating that neighborhood.

I was able to witness that in action in my past neighborhood. 210 houses, turning at a average of 12 to 14 homes per year. The other agent lived about a block from me, and had lived in the neighborhood about a year longer than I did and had been marketing to it that whole time. During that time, he went from 0% market share of the listings to 20% that first year, second year he was up to about 30% of the listings, then third year he went up to about 50% of the listings, and now he is at about 60% of the listings. During that time period, I made many mistakes, Main one was wasting my time and money trying to market to that neighborhood (even though I lived there) second was not being consistant with my marketing. I got 2 listings in that neighborhood other than my own house in 2.5 years, never even got a interview for any of the other listings. The other agent tipically gets 6% listings there now, on 500K houses. Just goes to show you to do it right.

In my new neighborhood, no agent has done more than 10% of the listings in any 12 month period over the last 3 years, I know I have a good shot of replicating what the agent in my old neighborhood did. My stratagy is to Direct mail every 2 weeks or go door to door to replace a mailing for the first 4 months and then cut that back to every 3 weeks.

For right now business I am trying to deal with FSBO's and Expireds. Calling them, visiting them, most important becouse of time, Mailing to them. Any suggestions for best approach to getting meetings with the expireds.

James Boyer
Keller Williams Realty
Summit NJ
973-647-0253