Your real estate marketing plan is the single most important piece of your agency. Marketing is responsible for promoting your brand, your listings, your services, and your reputation. Without a solid marketing strategy in place, you’re making it easier for your competitors to gain an edge in the market.

In 2018, it’s no longer a question as to whether you need marketing for your real estate agency. The real question is, how can you make your efforts more effective?

Take a look at these five non-negotiable tips to include in your real estate marketing plan:

#1 – Focus on Business, Not Sales

Commissions are how you make your income, which means you’ve got to sell something. But the last thing you want to do is come off sounding like sales are the only thing that matters.

It’s no secret that real estate agents are in the game to sell. Everyone knows it, so you don’t need to promote it. Instead, focus your marketing on what makes you better than any other realtor or agency. Let them know what you can do for them and why they should choose you.

When you can do this successfully, sales become a natural by-product.

#2 – Create a Budget

Are you spending too much on marketing? Or, are you failing to reinvest enough of your commissions into ongoing marketing?

Budgeting can be a tough subject to navigate, especially if you aren’t sure how much you should be spending. However, that doesn’t mean you should forgo creating one altogether.

If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at your current marketing efforts and what’s bringing in the most leads and sales. That’s where you should focus the majority of your money. If you’re thinking about branching out into other forms of marketing, do your homework first to see what kind of ROI you can expect.

#3 – Go Mobile

Your cell phone is your lifeline when it comes to connecting with customers. It’s the quickest way to respond to emails, plus you have the convenience of texting or calling clients on the go.

But that’s not all your mobile device can do for you. Use free features like Facebook Live to highlight properties or open houses. Keep up with your social media business profiles. Use apps like Zillow or Trulia to promote properties or send links to prospective clients. Your mobile device should be an extension of your office so business can keep going no matter where you are.

#4 – Elevate Your Lead Generation Strategy

Most of today’s real estate shopping process begins online. People want to scope out your properties or agency online prior to contacting an agent. When someone does finally reach out to you, consider them a hot lead whose ready to take the next step.

That’s why lead gen for real estate is now more important than ever. For starters, it saves you a ton of time selling your brand and services because that portion of the sales process is mostly done online. Focusing on digital marketing and great content can help your agency stand out and position you as the leader in your market.

#5 – Don’t Rely on One-Off Sales

Once you make a sale, you might think that’s the end of your client/agent relationship. But this thinking could be fatal to your bottom line.

Studies show almost half of buyers find their agent through a referral from family or friends or by using the agent they used last time.

Getting the initial sale is crucial, but never fail to continue nurturing that relationship.

The post How Effective is Your Real Estate Marketing Plan? appeared first on RealtyBizNews: Real Estate News.