I have a dilemma, I have been mail marketing my home neighborhood for 12 months now

Post Cards (every 4 weeks)
Letters (7 Though the year)
Sponsored Neighborhood Yard Sale
Door Knocked 2 times during the 12 months

Here are the results, the neighborhood is turning at better than 7%, Total of 36 listings, only one agent has had 3 listings, another agent has had 2 listings, the rest have all been 1 listing each.

I have never even gotten a call from any of these people who have listed any of these 36 homes. I always look up the competition when ever a house lists in my neighborhood and 9 our of 10 times the listing agent has not listed any other home in the past 3 years, so obviously these agents who are getting the listings are not heavy hitters.

The average age of these sellers is over 60 years old, and I would say the average length of ownership is probably 20+ years

So given what I have said, how do I reach these people?? I am getting listings else where, I am selling homes, that is not the point, I want to do some business in my home neighborhood, I know I can do a better job for these people than in many cases is being done for them now.

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James Boyer
RE/MAX Properties Unlimited
Morristown, NJ 07960
973-647-0253
Serving the Real Estate markets of Morristown, Morris Township, Madison NJ Real Estate, Chatham NJ , Summit, Short Hills, Millburn, Maplewood, South Orange, & West Orange Referals happily given and accepted. For information on home sales in New Jersey please contact. Morristown NJ Real Estate Madison NJ Real Estate Chatham NJ Real Estate

Do you have a Seller's USP ($) to give them a reason to do Business with you as opposed to their other choices?
All your Competitors will say (and some will Truly Also believe) they can do the Better job.
What's in it for the Seller? That's what they want to know, and that's what will differenciate you from the other Agents Also doing the mail Gig.

Have you seen find a difference between doing letters vs postcards?

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Regarding Post Cards vs. Letters, other than the cost factor being in favor of using Post Cards; I think it's a matter of staying in the face of the Prospect in the Farm Area with a minimum of one mailing per month AND the USP. Some Agents say every two weeks, or a once a week Blast for 2 or 3 months...but I think when the dust settles once a month is fine. I think both the Letter and the Post Card will end up in the trash UNLESS you just happen to CATCH the Prospect when they ARE thinking about Selling their home...and you can drive them to your Website for further indoctrination. A Hot Prospect will call either before or (usually) after the Website visit, as opposed to E-mail and ask for a Online CMA or Report.
This is to say I think you can say more in a letter, but the Idea is to get them to your Website and the SELLERS Info. there. So I believe in Post Cards.

If that's the case, whatever you are doing to do that is working for you. Why not just continue to do what works for you to get those other listings and selling homes? Sounds like you have a niche that works for you already.
Not sure how you know that you can do a better job, but only door knocking 2-times in a year is not working to convince anyone to use you. Apparently, they don't know who you are. Agents that I know that door knock are doing it 4-5 days a week to compliment their mailings. Some are doing $30-$40M/year in business, but that door knocking is the focus of what they do...every day. Who knows, maybe age (trust factor), style, image, etc has an impact on who someone uses. If no one realtor has created a dominant position through daily presence in the neighborhood, they list with an agent that is a referral, family friend, etc.

When we used to do mailings, we found that if we were not door knocking consistently so they knew who we were, the mailers, newsletters, notepads, etc were worthless. Once we were there consistently, the listing opportunites followed. You become reachable when you reach out to them....face to face.

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OK, I guess that came off a little cocky. But what am I left to think when I walk into several of these peoples open house first sunday on the market and there sits a black & white photo copy of the MLS sheet as the brochure, the listing agent sitting there in ratty blue jeens listening to a ipod, or listing agent on cell phone the entire time I and other people not with me are in the house, never get a greating or a thank you for coming when people leave, the agent just talks on with who ever is on the other end of the line. (The conversation did not sound like business if that is what you are thinking).

When I said door knocked 2 times I ment, every house in the farm area got 2 visits during the year.

sorry Jerome I am not sure what a USP is?? please share on that one.

Jim

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James Boyer
RE/MAX Properties Unlimited
Morristown, NJ 07960
973-647-0253
Serving the Real Estate markets of Morristown, Morris Township, Madison NJ Real Estate, Chatham NJ , Summit, Short Hills, Millburn, Maplewood, South Orange, & West Orange Referals happily given and accepted. For information on home sales in New Jersey please contact. Morristown NJ Real Estate Madison NJ Real Estate Chatham NJ Real Estate

USP = Unique Selling Proposition.
What's in it for the Prospect (Generally $$$).

create a mailing that has a call to action. one example "contact us to receive our free newsletter detailing the top ten mistakes no homeowner should make when selling their home."
of course you will have to make a newsletter.

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