Real Estate Rainmakers Vol. 7 – Amanda Bell
Real Estate Marketing Secrets from the Nation's Top Producers
Looking for powerful new real estate marketing strategies to grow your business? You’re in the right place.
Every week, CityBlast asks one of the world’s top agents to dish up their closely-guarded secrets to Realtor® marketing success in a ’21 Questions’ format. They’ll reveal powerful real estate agent marketing strategies, and help draw a roadmap to understanding exactly how to get to the top of the game.
Sound good? Without further delay, here’s one of the top 1,000 ranked Realtors® in the nation, Amanda Bell of At Home Realty, with her top real estate marketing tips and tricks!
1) Tell us what market you work in, and how long you’ve been in real estate.
In the Nashville area for 15 years.
2) Tell us how you got started in real estate.
Accidentally on purpose. I started in real estate because my first husband and I were going to build and sell spec homes. I obtained my license solely for that purpose in April 2003. In August 2003 we divorced and it became a necessity as a secondary source of income.
3) What drew you to the real estate industry?
Extra income.
4) When you began your career, what was your biggest challenge?
Trying to work another full-time job and grow my real estate business.
5) What role does technology play in your business?
It is a necessity. One must always try to stay on top of the latest trends while providing old-fashioned customer service.
6) What are the top tools you couldn’t live without?
Cell phone and laptop, of course, Microsoft Excel and google calendar.
7) If you could give just one tip to yourself as a new agent, what would it be?
Be patient but never be afraid to ask for the business.
8) What’s the best secret strategy you’ve ever discovered?
Point out the bad, everyone can see the good.
9) What’s the best way to build a long-lasting client base?
Look at every client as an investment both short term and long term. Get to know them personally and give back to the community.
10) What is the biggest challenge that prevents others from becoming a top producer?
The lack of desire to be more than they are. Many agents today think that real estate is easy. It is a sacrifice, not only for you but for your family. Make sure that everyone involved is on the same page.
11) How do you think mobile devices have changed the real estate marketing world?
They have made it more difficult to have that personal connection with the client.
12) How do you think social media has changed the industry?
Everyone seeks the approval/advice of others even if it isn’t correct. Many reach out to their sphere of influence to help make decisions and often those bits of advice are not factual or fit the client’s desires or needs. It does provide a free platform for advertising new properties.
13) What’s your best go-to method for selling a listing fast?
Coming Soon! Letting everyone know that there is a property coming up and get ready to bring your clients.
14) How do you generate new leads?
Mostly by referrals. 15 years in the business will generate a lot of new referrals.
15) How do you feel about competition between agents?
It’s healthy as long as everyone plays fair. I want to be the agent that is known to work well with others, not the one that takes other people’s clients.
16) What’s one technology that doesn’t exist yet that you would love to see emerge in real estate marketing?
A security database where potential clients must register that will automatically screen their backgrounds for potentially dangerous situations.
17) What separates a good agent from a great one?
Going the extra mile. I might be fixing window screens one day and having someone’s lawn cut the next to help make a deal go through. 3% commission is the goal but $1 is a dollar more than I had yesterday.
18) What’s your best advice for marketing real estate services to Millennials?
Be loyal to those with the knowledge. Many Millennials are all about the right now. It doesn’t matter how much you know, what your experience is or how good you are. Are you available right now at this moment? And if not they will find someone else even if there is a big difference in experience.
19) What do you think is most important when developing an online real estate marketing presence?
Ability to connect on a personal level with your client.
20) What words do you live by?
Always be honest, even if it costs you the deal.
21) What’s your endgame? What are you working toward in life/real estate?
I have thought about this a lot lately. I don’t need an empire and at this point in my life, I don’t even desire to start a franchise. I have achieved a lot at my young age of 42. My husband and I just purchased our dream home. I would like to be debt free by the age of 45 and jokingly say (but halfway serious) at that point I only want to work 6 days a week instead of 7.
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