While it is important to hear every word of what your client says, it is also important to only focus on the words that will be beneficial for you. This means considering some details of what your client said while automatically dismissing some of it. We call this selective hearing, where we just take in what we want to hear and ignore those we don’t want.

• Your greeting should not go like you are promoting your company. For instance, do not go answering your calls with “Good morning. Thank you for calling Real Estate Company.” Homeowners feel more comfortable sharing their home troubles with individuals, not companies. The proper greeting should go like “Good morning. Real Estate, this is Name speaking.” Your greeting should be more on a personal level to get the sellers to be comfortable with you.
• Get right on the point of how you can help the seller. He or she called for your help, after all.
• There are some homeowners who would want to ask you for information first before going unto the problem. Be patient with them and be courteous. These homeowners may feel upset about having to sell their property and may also not like to trust you. Concentrate on building trust between the two of you and there is a possibility that he or she may warm up to you about their real estate problem.
• Take down some personal information about the homeowners. You will be able to see whether or not the homeowner will face a possible foreclosure or not. They may also share that they are behind bills and loans. You might be able to help them in a different way with these information. For instance, you might be able to help the sellers better by offering to work with their lenders and avoid foreclosures.
• Ask if you could take a look at their property on the same day they called. This will show the homeowners your dedication and sincerity in helping them. Negotiations and talks may also go more smoothly when you are talking face to face and not over the phone. There is also the danger of losing the seller to other investors if you postpone looking at the property on another day and the homeowners are in need of immediate action.

It all goes down to getting that first phone call right. When you have successfully communicated to the homeowners and they warmed up to you, then that real estate deal is yours.

There are some real estate advertisements that just don’t cut it. Some advertising projects might not be appealing to the customers. Some just don’t attract the attention of your target market.

There’s always room for improvements, though. You just need to realize first what is wrong with you advertisements. You should critique your marketing and look into its faults. You can also ask someone else, a friend or a colleague, to take a look at your marketing project and ask for their opinion.

Here are some points to look into when inspecting your advertisements:

1. Your ads are not at the right locations.

All marketers and advertisers know that location is very important when promoting the business. It is not any different in the real estate business. There is really meaning to the famous “location, location, location!” line.

You should obviously put your ads in an area wherein much of your target customers can be found. It should also be in a place where it can be clearly seen by people passing by. It’s no use putting up ads in places where people can’t even see them. Visibility, exposure, and accessibility is important if you want your advertisements seen and read.

2. Your message is unclear.

The message of your ads should be clear and direct. It is what the advertisement and marketing project is all about, after all. Your ads should speak of what you have to offer, your products, and/or your services. You should also be precise on the benefits that the customers will receive when taking your offer, and you should be direct and firm on what you advertise.

3. Your ads don’t catch the attention of potential customers.

Many people will sometimes just take a short look at your ads. In that short amount of time, you need to capture the customers’ attention. You can start by making your headlines big, understandable, and catchy.

4. Your ads don’t help in promoting your credibility and success rate.

You also need to get your potential customers to trust you based on your advertisements. You should also offer some information about yourself and your experiences in the real estate business. With this information, the customers will feel more relaxed and easy when coming to you.

5. You cannot be contacted as easily as you would like to be.

Your ad may have attracted the attention of many people. But it won’t give you customers if you do not give them details and clear directions on how to contact you. Your contact details should be clearly displayed in the ads. Your phone number should be active and it is best to personally take phone calls rather than have the answering machine take them. If possible, show a map where your office is located. You can also add in your email address or fax number.

6. No unique selling proposition distinguishing you from your competitors.

A unique selling proposition is very important in an industry where you need to do better than your competitor to get more leads. You need to have something, or offer something that will allow your customers to think that it is better to do business with you than with another real estate investor.