Keep It Ethical

Although general solicitations describing your services are permitted, never direct specific solicitations to prospects who have exclusively listed their property with another company while the listing is in force. —Standard of Practice 16-2

When writing copy for your next marketing piece, try to incorporate these elements into the text:

1. Use words that motivate and interest your prospects and entice them to contact you (“Call me when...” or “Tell your friends...”).
2. Use warm, simple, and direct words in short, crisp, and to-the-point sentences.
3. Answer the question your prospects are asking: “What’s in it for me?”
4. Establish yourself as the “go-to” person for a specific niche or consumer need.
5. Include a statement of your personal values as a real estate salesperson.
6. Include your telephone number, Web site address, e-mail address, and any other contact information.
7. Provide prospects with solid information about buying, selling, and owning a home.
8. Include real-life endorsements and testimonials with clients’ full names.
9. Create a memorable tag, or ending, line that will stick in readers’ minds.
10. Put a different alphanumeric code near your telephone number on every marketing piece, so you’ll be able to track the responses.

Always read your copy aloud before you publish it. It will help you identify awkward phrasing and identify mistakes.

TIP: Looking for substantive topics for your marketing materials? Here are four:

• “7 Steps for Safe Selling”
• “8 Issues to Consider in Negotiating a Sale”
• “15 Questions to Ask Your Agent”
• “Home Warranty Checklist.” 

—Kim Daugherty, Coldwell Banker Gundaker, St. Louis, Mo.

Make Testimonials Count

Lead past customers toward the testimonials you want. When they ask, “What do you want me to write about you?” suggest, “Were my services worth the fee?” or “Why did three generations of your family stick with me for a decade?”

Calling All Potential Customers!

The effectiveness of a marketing piece depends on the headline. Real estate marketer Wanda Loskot suggests you:

• Speak directly to your target readers — name them if possible. For example, “Just for Cedar Hill Residents.”
• Spend more time on the headline than anything else.
• Avoid cute headlines that are not direct.
• Be bold; grab readers' attention.