Moving from Las Vegas to San Diego in 2025, Inman Connect will be bigger, better and bolder than ever. Join us for Inman Connect San Diego July 30-August. January 1, 2025 Join the brightest minds in real estate as they shape the future of the industry. Reserve your seat now to enjoy exclusive offers.
With all the talk about buyer’s representation in this post-National Association of Realtors settlement world, it’s easy to forget one eternal truth: If you control the listing, you control the market. In this article, Jimmy Mackin, CEO of Curaytor and co-founder of Listing Leads, shares five effective strategies for generating listings today.
1. There are some changes to the expired list
When looking for opportunities, identifying trends is crucial. Mr McGinn said the number of expired listings had doubled in the past 12 months.
“I think we’ve gotten away from some of the lockdowns and strategies like dealing with expired listings, because expired listings really aren’t a huge part of the market in 2021. In the real estate industry, we are creatures of habit. , when we stop doing something, we are likely not to immediately start doing that activity again when the opportunity arises again,” he said.
First, you should realize that even though expired listings represent only a small portion of the opportunities in today’s market, McKim believes the opportunities will grow and create a “blue ocean of opportunity.” He doesn’t believe expired items are part of the average agent’s blueprint for attracting sellers.
“But everyone needs to realize that there is a right and wrong way to market past listings, and if done correctly it can attract everything from average selling homes to ultra-luxury listings. The reason for the following letter It’s so effective because it utilizes a copywriting framework called PAS,” says McGinn.
P is for pain. What pain points do potential customers have? The more specific you can get, the easier it will be to connect with them on a deeper level. A is for agitation, which involves identifying the secondary effects of pain. This is where you can develop a deeper understanding of their pain and frustrations. S is for Solutions, where you can share your solutions to your problems.
Utilizing that framework, this is the expired letter that McGinn uses to get huge results with expired lists.
Now your house isn’t selling, and a wave of agents are promising you “they can close the deal.”
You’ve heard this story before.
You don’t pay the bill.
At this point, you’re feeling frustrated, disappointed, and probably very annoyed because your phone hasn’t stopped ringing for the past two weeks.
If your house doesn’t sell, there are three reasons:
1. Pricing errors
2. Not getting enough exposure
3. Not presented correctly
Now, if you think the reason your home isn’t selling is number one…
You don’t need another agent; you just need a lower price.
However, if you think the reason your home isn’t selling is reason 2 or 3, that’s where we can help.
To sell high prices, there are 10 basic marketing strategies.
I checked your home on MLS and you missed six of them.
I believe if we fix them we can sell your home for $865,000.
Even if you don’t plan on relisting your home, I would welcome the opportunity to share my insights with you to ensure you don’t have to go through this situation again.
My personal mobile phone number is (XXX) XXX-XXXX.
I look forward to hearing from you.
(your name)
2. Direct Mail Reimagined
When we turn the conversation to the second tactic, McGinn says, “In marketing, we’re often attracted to the shiny new object. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, tried-and-true direct-mail strategies are delivering value. 390 billion in revenue. There is an opportunity to reimagine how we do direct mail.
Here’s an example of what Mackin calls a ZVA (Zillow Versus Agent) strategy. To take advantage of this strategy, tell the story of your recently sold home above the Zestimate posted on Zillow.
“Most people don’t realize this, but if you go into Zillow and click on the link titled ‘Zestimate History’ under the Zestimate for the home, it will give you the Zestimate history for the home,” Mackin said.
Start by taking a Zestimate screenshot before the house sells and a Zestimate screenshot after the house sells. Place these two screenshots on a postcard to show the difference between the sales price and the original Zestimate. Next to the two photos, list what the Zestimate says your home is worth versus what you sold it for.
“This disparity creates a curiosity gap in consumers’ minds, and if you can get potential customers to question their beliefs, it sparks a conversation. In this case, most consumers believed their home appraisals were generally correct. “Yes,” McGinn said. “What this strategy does is avoid doing what other agents do, which is ‘just sold’ cards that say they sold for multiple offers above asking price in just a few days. Instead, this will Creates a curiosity gap, which leads to more listings.
The following is an example of a direct response email from ZVA:
3. Seller activation email
Many agents have libraries of homeowners, but most aren’t sure how to create opportunities for meaningful conversations.
“The seller activation emails we send start with a technique called qualification by copy. This means that if someone opens an email we send with a specific subject line, that tells me there is a certain level of interest. And at the very least, they should be on my call list that week,” McGinn said.
Below is an example of the exact text that many of his clients use to generate listing opportunities, along with context for each line.
Start the subject line with a qualifying line of copy: Would you sell if…?
In this example, he prefaces his message with statistics from a study conducted by Bankrate that discusses the increasing cost of maintaining a home:
I just read that the annual cost of maintaining a home is 26% higher than it was four years ago.
The next line is used to turn on herd mentality, which means people tend to be attracted to or act on what others are doing.
That’s why many sellers are cashing out on their recently acquired equity.
The final line is what McGinn calls the irresistible hook.
I know this is probably a crazy question – but if you got a great offer, would you consider selling?
If you’re looking for a way to engage with homeowners in your database who might be considering selling, this email can do the trick.
4. Appointment Sales Letter
Our conversation then turned to his fourth list-generating strategy. “Appointment sales letters may be the best new tactic people have never heard of. The reason this approach works so well is that most people believe they should start marketing to that neighborhood when they register their home, and I believe the best time to turn on your marketing machine is when you make an appointment rather than waiting,” McGinn continued.
“Although this example is an email, this strategy can also be accomplished over the phone. It can also be modified for listing appointments, open houses, or showing homes in any community.
Here is an example of his appointment letter:
“Think of it like promotion for a movie. You can promote it before it goes live, before it goes live, after it goes live, and after it goes live. Every opportunity to make a splash about your business, you have to take advantage of it, and that’s what will make every date An effective way to turn it into two or three dates,” McGinn said.
5. Converted Circle Dial Script
“If you don’t have a big budget but you’re looking for clear-cut, ready-to-move opportunities, circle-dialing is one of the most effective strategies. The process of circle-dialing is to place calls during the most recent sales moments, such as new listings, open Show tours or recent sales to make neighbors aware of the event,” explains Mackin.
Here’s a sample script McGinn provided for a recent sale:
agent: These are (Agency Name) and (Agency Company). I know you’re not waiting for my call. The reason I’m calling is that a home near your home at (address) recently sold. Did anyone call you with details?
Homeowner: No.
agent: Well, I have a few minutes until my next call. Let me share some details you should know about this promotion.
If their theme doesn’t appear, ask the following questions:
agent: Before we hang up, I’d be a bad real estate agent if I didn’t at least ask if you might consider selling.
With all the attention on buyer’s agents, now is the time to improve your listing generation skills and try new strategies. Rely on these five and results will follow.
Jimmy Mackin can be found on Instagram or his website.
Jimmy Burgess is CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties in Northwest Florida. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
