Set Yourself Apart: Be The Market Expert With Seminars
The right information at the right time leads to the right action. In a shifting market, being able to educate people about the reality of real estate can be the single-most valuable service your business provides. It can also be your highest ROI lead generation technique.
Earlier this week, KellerINK met with Pivot: Shift Ahead founder James Shaw and to discuss how seminars can position agents for success in a transitioning market. James pointed to this powerful paragraph in SHIFT to help start the discussion:
“Market expectations are a powerful source of motivation for buyers and you want to be the one setting those expectations. It is unlikely that anyone giving your buyers advice – whether from a national columnist, a coworker, and even family – knows as much as you do about the local market. You are the research-based expert; you are the trusted advisor.” (p. 183)
Over the past few months with rising interest rates and high prices, how often have you heard people in your sphere say that they’re going to wait? Their motivation is low because they are confused or afraid. They don’t know the path forward. If you know your market, you know how to find opportunities within it. As their local expert, you may know that waiting will cost potential homeowners the opportunity they’re looking for.
Seminars are a powerful, low-cost way to break through the often ill-advised chatter and help people make decisions based on facts, not fears. If you can reach out to the buyers in your market who are sitting on the sidelines and set the record straight, you could help them get out of their own way and into their first (or next) home.
Succeeding With Seminars
At Mega Agent Camp, Boston, Massachusetts, agent Kimberlee Meserve shared her seminar system and provided great tips for how to turn the event into a lead generation powerhouse.
1. Pick a Dynamic Lender Partner
Finding someone who can clearly explain the mortgage process and make it sound simple will help attendees feel that homeownership is more do-able.
2. Assemble Your Seminar
In a run-time of about an hour to an hour and a half, assemble and share your expertise. Be sure to include current market trends, cover the steps of the buying process, discuss credit scores, and the pros/cons of different types of properties available. Don’t forget to leave time for questions!
3. Schedule Your Seminar and Lead Generate for Guests
The gift a seminar gives your business is a reason for connecting with your sphere – and expanding it. In addition to marketing the event on social media, visit apartment complexes and do flyer drops or pin up announcements on community bulletin boards. You can also run ads in community newspapers and newsletters.
4. Host an Amazing Seminar
Remember – the goal here is to educate and communicate. You want to encourage participation and questions! Ask attendees why they are there and what they hope to get out of the class. Note: When asked questions by your potential clients, provide a simple answer but then add, “We can discuss this more in a buyer consultation, where I can give you one-on-one attention,” to help close appointments.
5. Follow Up Afterward Check in with attendees after the event, seeing if they have any more questions or how else you can be of service. With the right mindset and execution, seminars can be a great way to show your expertise and lead generate. You can also do them virtually, which can allow you to record the seminar and hold it more frequently or at a larger scale (having someone from your team live who can monitor the chat, of course).
The New And Improved First-Time Home Buyer Seminar Is Here!
The First-Time Home Buyer Seminar has been revamped to include new research, informative graphics, and step-by-step processes to guide you through working with first-time buyers. All of these materials have been expanded, just like the newest edition of Your First Home. This book makes an excellent high-value touch for potential clients at your seminars or can be gifted to any lead you may want to help on the homeownership adventure.
In the freshly updated seminar package available on KW Connect, you will find:
- A customizable PowerPoint presentation to guide seminar participants through every step of the home-buying process.
- A marketing plan to help drive motivated buyers to attend your seminars, including email templates, conversation guides, professionally designed graphics and messages to post to social media, and a factsheet of powerful talking points on the value of homeownership.
- Worksheets for participants to fill out at the seminar and take home, including a timeline plan, a lifestyle questionnaire, and a loan application checklist. Also, worksheets for seminar hosts including a preparation checklist and demographic lead information.