Those new to real estate have plenty to learn in this ever-competitive industry, beginning with the importance of generating and maintaining leads. It is the single most crucial thing that will help you boost sales and generate revenue, ensuring you receive a reasonable ROI.
A crucial way to build a successful real estate business is by having a sphere of influence, or simply SOI. It includes everyone you know personally and professionally and being able to influence their decisions. These contacts are crucial to growing your business, as they can bring in business through referrals or using your services.
Follow the ways mentioned below to grow your SOI successfully and begin your real estate journey on a promising note.
Network on all possible channels
A significant way to build your center of influence is by networking on every possible channel. For instance, you can use social media to comment on the posts of people in your SOI or reach out to new contacts. You can also send emails or call to ask after them, letting them know you were glad to have met them.
The idea is to establish trust and relationships instead of pitching your business plans, as this can quickly put many potential leads off. Attending industry conferences, community events, and other public programs is also paramount, as these are excellent platforms to expand your circle.
Hold an event occasionally
Although organizing open houses is essential, it cannot be the only way to meet new people. Also, there may be too much gap between such events, causing your competitors to sweep in and take advantage of your absence. Instead, consider hosting a barbeque or another informal gathering to socialize with community members and build a rapport with them.
When you establish trust with people through these get-togethers, they will know to contact you the moment they seek your services instead of looking elsewhere.
Make use of direct mail marketing
Direct mail marketing is a cost-effective way to reach out to your SOI and grow your business quickly. The process becomes incredibly versatile when you use a reliable supplier offering hundreds of ready-to-use templates you can customize to meet your requirements. You can send seasonal greetings, just-sold postcards, open house announcements, house listings, birthday wishes, and more to new and existing clients.
You can also measure the campaign’s effectiveness by tracking progress online or via email alerts when they reach the intended buyers. Some agencies allow you to create and customize mailing lists, enabling you to change them for every campaign. Furthermore, you can order as many postcards as you like since reputable platforms do not have a minimum order requirement.
Reaching out to your SOI in need
You can expand your sphere of influence in real estate by creating a system for reaching out to your contacts during their time of need. In other words, help someone from your network in their crisis so they are grateful for the personal touch. This will make them more likely to refer business your way or buy from you in the future.
For example, suppose one of your contacts needs their roof repaired after storm damage. As their trusted advisor and friend, it would be easy for you to recommend a reputable roofing contractor with experience working with homes like theirs. This way, you gain the trust of your contacts and the vendors you refer, successfully expanding and nurturing your SOI.
Therefore, keep in touch with your contacts to help in any way you can and maintain your relationships.