Hi Randall.

ActiveRain.com is a great way to network and and blog to get your name out in the public. Another unique idea: When you are going through the drive through at Dunkin Donuts, or someplace similar in Charleston, pay for the coffee of the car behind you and simply ask the teller to also give that person your card with their free coffee. They will be grateful for the coffee and hopefully remember you.

To homeseller Jamie in Mobile: Wow, you must really be having a bad morning to come on a public website and slander the whole real estate profession. I'm sorry you are having such a bad day and such a bad experience with Realtors but it is a but unfair to lump all Realtors as cheap, don't you think? It's particulalry unkind to post a comment like that when you don't even know the Realtor that posted the question. I'm sure you are a more intelligent and nicer person than you are coming across. Randall is simply asking how to market his actual business -which is VERY expensive. Of course you understand some things about buying and selling a home. After all, we live in the information age so most people do know a little bit about real estate but I don't think the general public really does know the ins and outs of real estate and the legalities involved, nor do they know how to sell and negotiate. That's why most FSBOs are unsuccessful and the majority end up listing with a Realtor. I don't even think the average seller and buyer understands that the commission you negotiate with your Realtor does not ALL go to the Realtor. S/he only sees a small fraction of that commission which is split four ways between all the Realtors and Brokers involved. I also don't think the general public knows how expensive it is to list a home and how much money a Realtor is actually investing in a listing. Are there Cheap Realtors out there, maybe, but are all Realtors cheap? Well I don't even need to warrant that with an answer and I think you know better too. When the average Realtor only makes $30,000 a year, we do need to find ways to advertise our business in inexpensive and effective manners and survive. I hope you have a better experience with your new Realtor but please don't steal the focus from a Realtor looking for unique marketing ideas. What would be really helpful is if you could post a blog about what you think an effective Realtor should do. Speak kindly and we will all listen. : )

Sorry Randall to take away from your air space. Hope the ideas I gave you earlier help.

Hi Chris!

I would be excited to share with you some really cool things that took my business off the ground! When I got in the business it felt like I had every obstacle working against me. But with persistence and hard work, I ramped up my listings and closed 28 transactions all on a shoe string budget; I am in my 5th year of Real Estate and love it! The shift in the market can really help you take your business to the next level. Feel free to email me: jessicawinski@kw.com. I'll give you some really cool ideas and tell you what worked for me. Plus there is some new technology that is not being utilized by most agents... This will set you a part and seal the deal (very inexpensive). I look forward to hearing from you~

Any agents with an interest can contact me! I love to chat about new ideas!

Jessica Winski
Keller Williams- Conroe, TX
jessicawinski@kw.com

http://agent.point2.com/ - actually has a free website, (I've had for over six months) You can add listings to it also. ( it also syndicates to other websites)
http://www.alamode.com- has a free agent website (free domain name for a year) ---Type in anita hale and See what top ranking I get on Google for FREE!! --- this the best free website I have, check it out when you google me. It also has a place where people can look up foreclosure listings and they have to input their contact information.

http://charleston.backpage.com/online/classifieds/index

http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/?xid=c2logo--free website with domain name ( I think it's free)

http://www.nationalrelocation.com/real-estate/Georgia/Atlant… I get alot of leads from here ( you just have to put a link on your website back too them)

activerain- I get referrals from other agents!!

Localism

http://www.oodle.com/housing/sale/ -- filters to myspace classifieds and other sites

One other thing. If you are registered to sell HUD homes you can list those on your website or make flyers as long as you follow their advertising guidelines. ( please note**you cannot put a sign up at the actually house)
You may not actually want to sell these homes, but they will definitely get you leads.

Hope this helps!!!

Hi,
I'm sorry I haven't been in touch with you yet today. I did receive your message and then I accidentally deleted before I had a chance to respond. There are a lot of free advertising sites. Some examples other than craigslist and trulia are: postlets, realbird, sawitonline, flyinside, google, oodle, propbot, spotmixer, showingfeedback, realivent, openhouse. All of these are dot coms. Try them. You might like them.

Susie

I have to agree - face to face right now is key so that people know that you're still actually engaged in the business, networking groups are also great.

It seems to me that with all the suggestions posted here...email another card, send a post card... beg relatives and friends (COI) for leads, blog, and add yet another website (that no one will ever see) .... is the trend on this thread.

Most ALL of these ideas are PASSIVE, SIT ON YOUR HANDS "MARKETING". Maybe you'll feel like you're working with all the hours spent filling in, out and the typing you'll do...

Old school used to say "belly to belly" is the way to the bank. Haven't we gotten a little too filled with techno-babble with social sites?

Oh my gosh - put a little face to face in the mix. Meet people - go and find them, knock on doors, beat your competition with FSBOs by...get this...visiting them! Find other business people and network with them! Find out what they do...care about them....develop a relationship...join a referral club...and get pre-qualified referrals!

I mentioned Gold Star Clubs before...referral marketing WORKS. It takes the investment of your personal time. Yes, it takes a little money - but the return on the investment is pure GOLD and comes FAST! And less costly than all of the "free" website you can fill in the blanks for. Having a website and people FINDING it, are very, very different things...and usually costs money!

Get away from the computer as your primary source of business...reach out and shake someones hand!

Regards,
Todd

Hi Randall,

If you are a REALTOR, you have access to a great Free marketing benefit through NAR and Lowe's.

Here is the link: https://www.lowesrealtorbenefits.com/

You can send out an enewsletter or seller or buyer cards. You can brand them with your information and Lowe's will send them out at no cost to you and they include a 10% off coupon to Lowe's. This is a great way to touch your sphere or new prospects and reel them in as clients. All it take is your time in inputing their information.

Good Luck!

Randall, You are already on the right track ....taking advantage of a suite of Web 2.0 tools right here at Trulia! A link to your blog post about staging a home appears on today's "Surviving the Housing Crisis" page under Featured Tips - Buying and Selling. http://trulia.com/voices/marketcrisis

I have some other favorite FREE tools:

I like to use http://jott.com for sending messages by phone ... they arrive in recipient's e-mail totally transcribed with a link of the recording!

FREE virtual tour creator at http://microsoft.com/photostory

FREE real estate tools and widgets from Trulia add BLING to your web site http://www.trulia.com/tools/

I use Craigs list, Trulia, Kijiji, Zillow for my internet "freebies". I do some color postcards from Vista Print and target some rental communities. Good source of 1st time buyers and potential rental listings.
Good luck.

Be careful with that "free" Point2 website. You will note that there are google ads on the bottom of your site that you have no control over and the Point2 collects the revenue on.

One amazing thing that I can recommend to you is going for your CRS Designation. I have been a REALTOR for just over seven years now and I can honestly tell you in this market, it's getting even better thru the marketing techniques I learned through the CRS Referral Course and the CRS Marketing with Microsoft Office Classes. I truly believe if I didn't learn these marketing techniques in this class two years ago, I would not have survived today in this business. Thru Microsoft, the only marketing I do are eNewsletters, monthly to my A and B clients. The eNewsletter they receive are created via CRS. My C clients, clients visiting my website, http://www.linkedin.com/in/traviscwaller, and potential buyers, seller, and renters receive a weekly email from myself that includes a link to frontdoor.com. This website is an education tool for these clients I am hopeful to do business with in the near future, resulting in ZERO MARKETING DOLLARS FOR ALL OF MY PAST AND POTENTIAL CLIENTS. The only expense I have outside of typical mailing contracts, etc., to clients who don't have email is a book I like to bless my clients with when they close on their purchase, rental, or sale is a book by the name of "The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner" by David Bach.

Wish you the best!!!

ZERO MARKETING EXPENSES, BEST RETURN!!!!

This just in from NAR>>>>>>

Daily Real Estate News | November 18, 2008

Marketing Ideas for Lean Times
A market downturn is not the time to cut your marketing, even if your budget is looking leaner than a runway model. It’s critical that you maintain visibility.

At the REALTORS® Conference & Expo last week, three top performers shared secrets for marketing on a shoestring budget.

Free advertising. Terry Miller, of Coldwell Banker Bain Associates in Seattle, recently put a listing on the classified ad site Craigslist and quickly generated a sale. "And it cost me absolutely nothing," she said. Miller has now asked her personal assistant to put her listings on every free Web site.

Just-sold cards. Alicia Trevino, ABR®, of Alicia Trevino, REALTORS®, in Mesquite, Texas, is taking a more old-fashioned approach: Hanging "just sold" cards on doors. "They cost just two cents a piece," Trevino said, yet they continue to prove enormously effective in generating calls because few other practitioners are actively marketing in her market. "It gives people the perception I'm the only one out there selling houses."

Blogging for business. Sharon Simms of Simms Team at RE/MAX Metro in St. Petersburg, Fla., took up blogging for the first time, writing about her market, and is already getting noticed. She’s already received referrals.

Google tools. Session moderator Haley Hwang, a rookie sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Glenview, Ill., is impressing clients by recording everything she's doing to market a house and everything she plans to do. She puts the information online using free Web software called Google Calendar, and makes the calendar accessible to her clients.

There was one piece of advice all of the speakers agreed on: Market downturns are not the time to skimp on marketing. It’s smart to create a marketing “safety net” with a six-month reserve of marketing expenditures, so you can maintain visibility even when business is slow.

They also said REALTORS® should focus marketing dollars on the Web, where you get more exposure for less money.

—Robert Freedman

I don't know about you, however I think I'm going to email Jessica! Actually I have tried several things from mailings, to putting myself on every free website there is and I have found that all my business comes from just talking to people. Everywhere I go (when I don't have the kids with me) I talk to people about real estate and give my card. That has brought me more business that anything else.
Susie Shatley

Why would a successful Real Estate broker want to share his marketing tips?

I would have to agree with the other agents. Using Craigs list, emails, and sphere are going to be the best FREE marketing. Pick up the phone and askes anyone-everyone if they know of anyone looking to by a HOME. You may want to check out any websites that are FSBO owner and get your listing out there. I don't know if a charge will be involved. Good Luck! You may want to call on loan officer and/or title company, they may be able to help with cost, if you allow them to advertise on any flyers or postcards.

Take advantage of the email and sites like Trulia. Great way to get information out to everyone and promote yourself

Craigslist is a ggod place to start and there are more and more opportunities for inexpensive or free marketing. I like, "vflyer.com" which offers free marketing and you can get extra options by paying a small fee each month. Check out this link to view one of my many ads on vflyer.com- http://carlylecondo.vflyer.com/home/flyer/home/1954940 .

Great answers - one and all!

I have a more "hands on" approach:

Join an industry exclusive Referral Club. There are lots of them out there, like BNI, LeTips, AmSpirit, etc....If you can find a realtor chair available.

The alternative would be Gold Star Clubs. (http://www.goldstarclubs.com) They have a compensation plan for starting clubs! What could be better? You get paid for starting the club and also getting referrals from the club?

Check it out. I was with another referral group for several years and did very well! However, I found Gold Star Clubs to be much more "user friendly" and I've gotten more referrals! Business peoople come together weekly to exchange referrals, and increase their business.

It works! Its inexpensive! The cost for a regular membership is $50 one time application fee and then only $39/month. No long term contracts.

I have been a full time realtor for 23 years, and have one website that cost $100/month just to maintain without SEO or pay-per-click.

If you have questions, or know someone that might be interested, please email me at todd@davisteam.com.

I'm doing more business with Gold Star Clubs than any other marketing including the internet.

How about a website that is FREE for 6 months?? You really can't beat that it's called http://agent.point2.com
Take a look.

Randall,

I'm so glad you asked! I do have the perfect solution for you. Its called Flash Gallery Homes http://(www.flashgalleryhomes.com). Its super inexpensive and free to try!

I am a Broker and a professional real estate photographer who has spent the last year and a half developing a product that we agents could use to make our listings look beautiful online and function the way buyers expect them to: fast, fun, and with a full screen view of our photos.

My team and I have designed Flash Gallery to allow agents a quick, easy, and extremely inexpensive way to make listings WOW buyers at first sight. It's an instant attention-getter plus it makes agents look hip, current, professional, and internet-savvy. Think iPhone design and ease of use. Very impressive.

We no longer have to be limited to the dull appearance of how our listings look on the major search engines. Now they can look super attractive, savvy, innovative, cutting-edge and very stylish. Flash Gallery was designed to help sell homes faster online by giving buyers a much more enjoyable experience.

Flash Gallery represents the modern art of real estate marketing. It gives your listings a fun, classy, designer image and its loaded with all the agent tools we need including beautifully designed brochures, unique url, links, lead generation, referrals, embed codes and so much more, plus it has all the functionality to put buyers in control of their viewing experience: full screen, quick scroll, Open House dates, Google Street View and so much more. Give buyers the BIG PICTURE. Agents can easily customize features, upload their photos, and make changes for free anytime.

Be a leader in your industry. Join the new frontier. You can create a free Gallery just for setting up a free account, so try it and get back to me on your thoughts, questions, and experience using it. Take any listing photos you have and play around with creating a Gallery so you can see how fun and easy it is.

I am so excited about Flash Gallery and the positive impact it is having on our industry, both for us agents and for all the buyers tirelessly shopping online. We are setting a new standard in the industry that easily improves the look and feel of our listings and instantly gratifies buyers.

By the way, if you want my tips on how to improve your listing photos just look under the Believe It section of our site on the Photogenic Photo Tips page at http://www.flashgalleryhomes.com.

Cheers to all of you! I'm happy to answer any questions.

Angelina Shamrock, Broker
Founder & Co-creator Flash Gallery Homes

icontact.com is another website for customer relationship management. You can use a DRIP campaign for as little as $9.99/mo. It's not real estate specific, but you should be able to find plenty of templates to use especially for e-mail marketing. I'm sure you know it's easier to get new customer from your old customers then to get complete new ones. I became a realtor when I never heard back from the real estate agent (note the difference) and was ready to buy my second. E-mail marketing is the most inexpensive way to advertise, however, keep in mind you must make sure when you market to NOT overload them e-mails and that you only do so at the most 1 per month, maybe just quarterly.

Hi Randall! I teach classes on free and inexpensive ways to market your listings and there are many! I have 3 lists on my blog: free sites to post listings, free sites to help us with our business and free site to promote yourself. Just join ActiveRain (it's free too!) to access my blog for agents. Good luck!

Tina in Virginia

Free marketing is the old put your business card in any Real Estate book you can find. Books stores and public library are my favorite places.

Free Website: http://www.jicka.com

We use http://agent.point2.com/ They usually offer the first 6 months free. They have many templates, color and graphic to chose from. When listings get entered they get syndicated to over 26 search engines. Really easy website to use. After first 6 months then the website is only 99.95 a year. Plus you can get a domain for 12.95 a year. Check it out. My website is http://www.dianagiardina.com

I use a website called SharperAgent.com. Its not free but a small fee of $29.95/Month and you get TONS of marketing material. Plus you get a free 30 day trial to see if it'll work for you and your business. They have TONS of templates on flyers, postcards, newsletters, prospecting, thank you cards etc... and you can print any of them straight from the website. OR upload your email contact list into sharper agent and start sending out email blasts to your entire sphere of influence.