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• Steps to Market A Listing

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When I discovered the power of using recorded messages in 1984, I observed an interesting dynamic whenever I was able to orchestrate more than three or four different parties of buyers in a listing all at the same time.

There was palpable tension — and as a result, viewers were more interested, more engaged. There was an air of urgency as they formed their own conclusion that there was only one house for sale with many people interested.

I coined it an "Auction Effect" and was able to use it to the advantage of my sellers. With it, I was able to market any fairly priced home (meaning I could sell any home at bank or government appraisal in any market,

regardless of season, interest rates, location, condition, the market, the street, the neighborhood).

I was able to market the property in a way that "wowed" the seller, the neighbors of the seller, and the buyers who viewed the property (many of whom also had homes to sell).

Up until that point, I'd always been extremely frustrated with the process of the traditional three-hour open house:

• Three-hour open houses always seemed to be a waste of time.
  
  
• Three-hour open houses seemed to be something I did to placate the seller, rather than being an effective vehicle to market the property. I did it because "everybody else did it."
  
  
• At three-hour open houses I met buyers face-to-face who didn't want to look me in the eye or shake my hand. They were afraid of me because they thought I was a transaction-oriented salesperson. Nothing I knew how to do would effectively position me otherwise.
  
  
• I sold very few of my own listings at a three-hour open house.
  
  
• I had very little control of the process at a three-hour open house.
  
  
• I never knew what to say to my sellers when, after having made a big production out of the open house (signs, advertising, seller cleaning the house, etc.) only two people came through in a three-hour period, kicked the tires, and left. When the seller would ask what was wrong, I never knew what to say.
  

What I did notice was that during a three-hour open house, on those few occasions where I had more than one party in the house at the same time, the whole dynamic changed. As I began to perfect my emotional direct response marketing language on my Gold Rush hotlines, I found that the right words and the right tone of voice on a recorded message could generate five, six, seven, even 10, 12 or 15 buyers into a listing all at the same time, thereby creating an "auction effect."

Whenever there's more than one prospective buyer in a property at the same time, many different subconscious psychological factors go to work in your favor.

Number one is The Law Of Social Proof. Read Robert Cialdini's book Influence to understand that social proof is an enormous motivator for our society. "If others like this house, it must be a good buy. Look at everybody here!" This, again, is the "auction effect." The fact that there are so many people at the property all at the same time makes them all want it just a little bit more.

Then comes The Law Of Urgency. There's only one house. Every prospective buyer sees all the other buyers. They look at each other as potential competition: "If we don't make a decision today, someone else may beat us to the punch!"

Finally, The Law of Scarcity sets in. They're all concerned about the fact that there are so many people there who appear interested in the property. There is lots of "interested looking" competition, but only one house! Now they want it even more. It's human nature. There's only one house, and they want to get it!

The auction effect, urgency, scarcity and social proof all combine to:

• Obtain more activity for your sellers;
• Obtain higher offers for your sellers;
• Double-end more of your own listings;
• Get the attention of the other one in 10 homeowners on the street who are thinking of selling within the next 12 months to call your hotline and learn more about you, and want to do business with you because you're obviously a marketing expert;
• Generate additional buyers for you who see you as a home consultant rather than a typical salesperson;
• And biggest of all, obtain even more listings for you because many of the buyers who come through (and even those who don't attend, but just listen to your hotline) have houses to sell and will ask you to market their homes in the same way.

The Automatic Prospecting System (APS) is a powerful tool to generate dozens of inquiries on your listings. The proper words and the proper tone of voice can compel them to want to see that listing! (This is called marketing!)

It's not at all unusual to be able to create — at will — showings of six to 10 buyers through any one of your listings once a week.

Showing a house to a group of interested prospects once a week saves you the hassle of driving back and forth to listings, inconveniencing your sellers at all times of the day and night, being stood up by buyers who don't show up, or meeting with buyers who have no allegiance or affiliation to you, who just go through the house and waste your time.

Two powerful scripts in the Members Only Resource Exchange (MORE) contain language that literally compels buyers to come to your group showings, rather than asking for a private showing. The benefits to you: more control of your time, you "wow" the neighbors on the street, and you create urgency, scarcity and social proof for the value of your listings to all who come and see it.

You'll find that by using these scripts to market your listings you'll immediately begin to double-end more of your own listings. It's not uncommon for members to report on the Marketing TeleClasses that they are now selling 30% to 40% of their own listings.

These strategies will endear you to your sellers, create more referrals, increase your income, and reduce marketing expenses. They will more than pay for your Coaching Program membership, and give you far more time to work on your business rather than running around like a chicken with your head cut off in your business.

How It Works:

Steps To Proactively Market A Listing

1. Research zero down loans. Have information about at least FIVE options at your fingertips. If you're not 100% convinced about the power of zero down payment loans, download MORE Document 9082, print it, and read it at home tonight.
2. Some regional and local ordinances restrict the use of 800 numbers in the MLS. Be sure to research local and regional ordinances in your state to ensure the information provided in this document conforms to and complies with the legalities in your area.
3. Gather data to create demand. Research the area. Find similar homes that are listed for more and homes that have sold for more.
4. Select script. Download MORE Document 9078 and MORE Document 9079. Print them out, take them home, and read them tonight.
5. Record script on your Automatic Prospecting System.
6. MLS Listing Card Comments (let your competition do your marketing for you!). "Seven new home loan programs are available that enable you to buy this home for zero down payment. Lender pays all closing costs. Call 555-1212, ext 232 for free recorded message." Cost: Zero.
7. Ugly yellow sign. Cost: $5. MORE Document 6002.
   
   Suggested sign copy:

   FOR SALE ZERO DOWN PAYMENT FREE RECORDED MESSAGE 555-1212 EXT 121

   
   
8. Listing Endorsement Letter – MORE Document 5553.
9. Two-sided info box flyer. MORE Document 6001. Cost: $5.
10. 100 postcards to the neighborhood. MORE Document 5283. Cost: $42.
11. 100 Business Cards featuring the home to the seller to distribute to everybody in his church, office, social organizations. MORE Document 5288 Cost: $15.
12. Flyer See MORE Document 6001.
13. Full page ad in your monthly client newsletter (same copy as the front page of your info-box flyer except that you have the words "Please post on the bulletin board at your office").
14. Brief classified ad in weekly or daily. More information on testing ads on MORE Document 5585. Cost: $20-$35
    
    If lovely: KENTWOOD – Lovely 4 bedroom, 3 bath home. Quiet, tree-lined street. $189,000. Zero down payment. Free recorded message. 456-7890, ext 123. U. S. Home.
    
    If not lovely: KENTWOOD – $210,000 home for sale for $189,000. Must sell, zero down payment. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths. Quiet, tree-lined street. Free recorded message. 456-7890, ext 123. U. S. Home.
    
15. Small photo ad in Homes Magazine (1/12th page) with same copy as classified ad. Cost $25-$35.
16. Track The Results Of Each Marketing Strategy:
    Key each ad/sign/flyer with a different extension number. The recorded message does not change, only the extension so that you know at the end of a week or month EXACTLY where your leads are coming from and what your hit costs are. It is vitally important that every person who responds to your recorded message is asked how they found out about the home so that you know your lead costs per media, as well as developing a sense of what works and what doesn't work.
17. After the listing is sold: Neighborhood Alert Flyer – MORE Document 5553.
    

Get MORE Information:

• MORE Document 9078 is for those lovely, single-family homes in perfect condition, where buyers walk in exclaim, "It's lovely!"
• Unfortunately, not all listings meet those criteria. So the other script, Document 9079, will create group showings for you on homes that aren't absolutely perfect, for investment properties, for vacant land or almost any other type of group showing that you want to do.