How to stand out from the competition is a real challenge for Real Estate Agents. Consider someone new to the area, how do they judge who to approach, who to trust with what could be the biggest purchase of their life – their new home!

This innovative strategy targets people moving into your area and helps you to "stand-out" and be their agent of choice….

Identify who is your customer.

As an independent real estate agent you have steadily been gaining popularity amongst individual home buyers within your drive market area. This has largely been the outcome of positive word of mouth and references from friends and family. To take your business one notch higher, you would now like to cater to every new potential resident to your community area through aggressive, targeted marketing.

Hence your target customer profile would include those who are relocating to your area for a new job as well people who are moving post retirement. Naturally both groups have very different needs and you would need to address these accordingly.

What is the best thing you can do for that customer?

Irrespective of the reason behind the relocation, all of us feel an apprehension when it comes to uprooting our entire existence and moving out of the comfort zone we have learnt to call home. As a real estate agent, the best thing you can do for your client is as far as possible, reduce their perceived anxiety about moving into an unknown area and making such a major purchase.

How are you going to do it?

You are going to become the local expert on real estate and related matters within your area.

Create a "Property Plus Newcomers Pack" for people who are new to the area or people considering moving to your area. In addition to real estate and housing topics, the package could include information on the job scene, social life, schools, entertainment, dining out, administration and infrastructure within the community. In short it should serve as a comprehensive guide for prospective residents to get a feel of the community they might soon be living in.

Make the Property Plus package available on your website, front-desk, and office window and ensure it is sent with every enquiry from sources such as realestate.com, press advertising etc.

Create a database of all your past, present and potential customers (Property Plus) and mail them monthly newsletters featuring community news, developments and important information. Also advertise all upcoming open houses with a photo feature and maintain a regular column on "how to buy the perfect home".

Don’t forget to say Thank You

Everyone who registers online for information on your website or attends an open house gets a thank you email. Include a link to a survey where every submitted entry is given a voucher for a free coffee and cake at the local bakery.

Suggested Survey questions:

What do they prioritize when buying a new home – price, safety, neighborhood, facilities?

What type of home are they looking for – studio, 2-bed, 3-bed etc?

When are they considering moving?

Where did they hear about you?

What made you choose XYZ real estate agency?

Did we live up to your expectations?

What else could we do for you?

Emails of friends and employees moving into town in the near future that they think would benefit from our services.

Send a thank you email with a couple of days to all customers who have purchased from you. Again ask them a few questions. A nice touch is a delivery of a bowl of fruit, flowers or champagne - a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" gift delivered directly to their home when they move in.

For every purchaser, make a note of the settlement date so that you can send out a congratulatory greeting on the anniversary of their purchase and hence maintain ties.

When to communicate with Property Plus members?

Monthly newsletters as before on the anniversary of their home purchase. This will help you remain their top of mind realtor and may get you additional business in the form of references and word of mouth.

How do you measure success?

Conduct 6 monthly surveys of all Property Plus members to judge their level of satisfaction with your service and to gauge their next real estate purchase or sale. Incentivize survey completion with a voucher for coffee and cake at the local deli.

To check for bottom line performance, compare listings and sales growth across like periods over past years.

Become the "Expert"

Continue to refine the content of your newsletter based on the feedback collected through the surveys. Also try to incorporate guest columns from local experts on matters such as the job market, schooling, work from home opportunities, etc as these topics are bound to evoke popular interest.