Your key to a healthy real estate marketing approach: keep in touch with engaged leads and past clients.

It’s obvious. And fundamental. Often challenging.

You’ve done all the work to connect with, convert, and serve your buyer or seller. Staying in touch after close helps prevent them from jumping into another agent‘s lead funnel by referral or by online search when they’re thinking about buying or selling again in the future.

When you keep in touch effectively, you’re stacking your business with repeat and referral opportunities. You’re building and building from competitive advantage.

The key word there is “effectively.” It’s not just about the touch, it’s about the relationship. Anyone can have stuff sent out. The key is the tie back to your personal relationship and emotional connection with that client.

When you worked together, your buyer or seller learned about you. And your family. And your “why.” When you worked together, you learned about your client, as well. You connected.

Rekindling that relationship is what this process is all about. And generic touches can’t do that for you.
Here: we’ll take a look at some National Association of REALTORS® data and share REALTOR®Mag‘s 7 real estate marketing tips to keep in touch.

Plus, you can be the first to know about a new product to help you keep in touch more effectively.

Read Time: 4 minutes 30 seconds
Takeaway: Why and how to generate more business from your database

The Best Real Estate Marketing: Keep In Touch

Every year, the NAR publishes its Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers; they released the 2016 Profile at the end of October.

In the Buyer Highlights of the 2016 Profile:

• 88% of buyers say they would use their agent again
• 11% used an agent they worked with in the past
• 42% used an agent referred to them by a friend, neighbor, or relative
• 70% interviewed only one agent

Even though buyers seem pleased with their agents and say they’d use them again (88%), they’re not (11%). A very likely cause: the agent fails to stay in touch.

Nearly half of the buyers surveyed chose an agent referred to them by people close to them (42%). You need to be top of mind to be referred and you need to keep in touch to be top of mind!

And the consideration set for agents is limited, as the vast majority on buyers only talked to one agent (70%). You have to be in early and almost exclusively to get the business.

In the Seller Highlights:

• 85% of sellers say they would definitely or probably recommend their agent
• 64% used an agent referred to them by a friend, neighbor, or relative
• 72% interviewed only one agent
• 33% used an agent they worked with in the past

Each of these again points to significant opportunities to win more business simply by staying top of mind by keeping in touch.

Sellers want to recommend you (85%), but are they? Well over half of sellers rely on referrals (64%), but are those referrals going to you? Most only talk to a single agent (72%), so how do you get that appointment against competitors?

To win here and to capture all those repeat sales opportunities (33%), you just have to keep in touch.
So how do you close the communication gap? How do you overcome the challenges of time and resources?

7 Real Estate Marketing Ideas to Keep in Touch

One of many stories published about keeping in touch with people in your database to maintain relationships and generate repeat and referral business comes from Melissa Dittmann Tracey in REALTOR®Mag.

Here are 7 ideas from that story:

• 1. Deliver news they can use (email or print)
• 2. Offer an unusual gift (something to remember you)
• 3. Send memorable and personal cards (don’t blend into the crowd)
• 4. Give them a call (yes, pick up the phone)
• 5. Follow up with a survey (show them you care)
• 6. Connect on social networks (less formal, more friendly)
• 7. Get creative (parties, events, value-adds)

Read the story to get details and read about examples of these ideas.
Are you doing any of these? Which ones? Consistently?

Which are effective? Which are cost-effective?

Which make a personal and emotional connection? Which build on the relationship?

Discover what works and do it consistently. Drop what doesn’t and try something new.

Staying in Touch with BombBomb

Nearly 600 sales professions, including approximately 360 real estate agents, shared with us the benefits of using BombBomb.

90% reported that it helped them stay in touch more effectively and nearly 4 in 10 said it doubled or more than doubled their ability to stay in touch effectively.

• One-to-one video emails to check in with engaged leads and past clients (examples).
• Automated drip campaigns triggered for closed clients or engaged prospects (described).
• Monthly market updates and newsletters – often with a personal video (examples).
• These are all smart touches that build relationship, in part through propinquity, over time.

They help you be the agent whose name is mentioned in a lunchtime conversation. They help you be the agent who gets the call from a past client for a new buyer or seller consult. They help you win from business you’ve already closed … the best marketing of all.

For more helpful tips from our partners at BombBomb, check out their blog!