Listing Alerts
The Most Effective Method of Follow Up
In the previous section, we discussed how the average interenet lead is 4.8 weeks away from the time they land on your site before they are ready to talk to a real estate agent. During that time, they are conducting their research about where they want to live, what it would take to move, what jobs are available in the new area, what they can afford, and what homes in the area are actually selling for. These are questions they need to be able to answer before they can talk to you. (More on Internet Leads)
When someone lands on your site and says they are lookig for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home for $300,000, and you are able to send them-- automatically-- 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom homes for $300,000 as they come into the MLS, you are looking at one of your most powerful tools for followup. This is going to be the most effective way to keep your name in front of them, to provide them with the useful kind of information they are actually looking for, and to greatly increase the chances that they will contact or respond to you.
As visitors register on your site, you want to be able to capture their search criteria as well as their contact information. Having search crtiteria upfront allows you to take the innitiative to sign them up for this service up front, rather than trying to pry the information out of them in an email response after they have already left your site. If you are doing any kind of Pay Per Click campaign, such as Buyerlink, a Landing Page is definitely the best way to accomplish this. If a Landing Page wouldn't work for you, you may want to have our tech department go in and hard code additional form fields into your Find a Home page for a very nominal fee. (Please contact me for details and samples).
If you are using our IDX solution iHomefinder, you have the ability to sign leads up for listing alerts through your administrative tool. If you do not have iHomefinder, most MLSs give you the ability to sign your leads up for this kind of a service and you could do it directly through them.
Below you will find email scripts you can use to let people know you are signing them up for this free service.
A couple of suggestions (in the order in which you should carry them out):
- Send the email immediately, either script 1 or 2 above depending where the leads falls. The reason for this is that you will be notified by bounceback emails if the lead email address is invalid.
- Set up the following folders within your email inbox:
- invalid leads (bounceback messages from one of the two scripts sent above) - you will be periodically be using this folder to remove invalid leads from your MCC lead database
- listing alert/prospect site subscribers
- those we are waiting on more info for before subscribing
- Begin subscribing those leads that provided detailed search criteria (again, assuming the email address is valid).
If you do not have iHomefinder IDX
With iHomefinder:
You will be using 2 different email scripts, one for those leads you are subscribing to the service and one for those who we need more details from (before subscribing).
Email Script 1 - need more info
Thank you so much for visiting www.YourDomain.com, I hope your found the information helpful and you home search productive.
For visiting I am offering a free email notification service of homes that are currently available in your areas of interest. These notifications will also alert you as new properties come to market. Again, this is a free, no obligation service. I just need a couple more details before creating your account such as (here specify the details you need for this lead - this is the only section of this email you should have to edit)...
- area
- number of bedrooms
- baths
- price range
Once you find something that does interest you, all I ask is you give me an opportunity to assist you in viewing the property.
Thanks again for visiting www.YourDomain.com and I wish you all the best in your upcoming purchase.
Email Script 2 - subscribed
Thank you so much for visiting www.YourDomain.com, I hope you found the information helpful and your home search productive.
For visiting I am offering a free email notification service of homes that are currently available in your areas of interest. These notifications will also alert you as new properties come to market. Again, this is a free, no obligation service. You will start receiving listings immediately, if you need to update your search criteria in any way please contact me via email, phone or simply visit the Buyer Login page at: www.YourDomain.com. (Note: make sure if you use this line you set up a Buyer Login page to match)
Your current search criteria is set as follows: (here specify the details of their search - this is the only section of this email you should have to edit)
Please contact me if you would like a showing of any of the properties you are emailed.
Thanks again for visiting www.YourDomain.com and I wish you all the best in your upcoming purchase.
Note: If you use email spam filtering, be sure to allow receipt of emails from youremail@email.com so you will receive the email updates of new property listings
Without iHomefinder:
You will be using 2 different email scripts, one for those leads you are subscribing to the service and one for those who we need more details from (before subscribing).
Email Script 1 - need more info
Thank you so much for visiting www.YourDomain.com, I hope you found the information helpful and your home search productive.
For visiting I am offering a free email notification service of homes that are currently available in your areas of interest. These notifications will also alert you as new properties come ;to market. Again, this is a free, no obligation service. I just need a couple more details before creating your account such as (here specify the details you need for this lead - this is the only section of this email you should have to edit)...
- area
- number of bedrooms
- baths
- price range
Once you find something that does interest you, all I ask is you give me an opportunity to assist you in viewing the property.
Thanks again for visiting www.YourDomain.com and I wish you all the best in your upcoming purchase.
Email Script 2 - subscribed
Thank you so much for visiting www.YourDomain.com, I hope you found the information helpful and your home search productive.
For visiting I am offering a free email notification service of homes that are currently available in your areas of interest. These notifications will also alert you as new properties come to market. Again, this is a free, no obligation service. You will start receiving listings immediately, if you need to update your search criteria in any way please contact me via email, phone or simply resubmit your criteria at: www.YourDomain.com/property_request.shtml.
Your current search criteria is set as follows: (here specify the details of their search - this is the only section of this email you should have to edit)
Please contact me if you would like a showing of any of the properties you are emailed.
Thanks again for visiting www.YourDomain.com and I wish you all the best in your upcoming purchase
