The beginning of June marks the beginning of homeownership month in the US, a time that is usually celebrated by home buyers and owners alike. If you find yourself struggling to get leads during this global crisis, capitalizing on homeownership month might just be the perfect way to realign your current tactics.
Use this month and beyond to truly educate and engage prospective home sellers and buyers by circling back to network with your previous clients and using your platforms to share valuable information on the benefits of homeownership.
What is Homeownership Month?
As the summertime has generally sparked an uptick in buyer interest, HomeownershipMonth was created during June in light of this trend.
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Originally, Homeownership Month was only a week-long celebration, however, it was revised to include the entire month in 2002.
The purpose of this month is for Americans to celebrate the milestone of homeownership and to encourage others who hope to achieve this goal as well.
Apart from this notion, the month recognizes all that homeownership can do and has done for individual communities. Making the transition to being a homeowner is an investment in the local community and even the local school district for growing families.
Consider how you can use this time within your advertising, client communications, and newsletters to engage and educate future leads.
Engage
Sparking engagement around the topic of Homeownership Month is the first step to gaining new leads in the month of June. There are plenty of ways to begin this conversation even if you’re unsure of where to start. A good rule of thumb is to begin with your own personalized theme.
Have a central campaign
From developing a hashtag to dedicating your social media to outlining homeownership announcements, if you want to capitalize on this time, you should have a specific plan of action.
You might decide to highlight past clients by getting quotes from them to share. Or, simply commit to posting a favorable homeownership statistic once a day for your followers.
Do your research when it comes to the topics people want to hear about and the buzzwords that will grab online attention. People want and need to be reminded that homeownership is still achievable even during a global pandemic.
Contact old Clients
It’s no secret that the greatest asset agents have is their previous clients, so reach out to them. Whether you post a blog update in light of Homeownership Month or send out an email, be sure to take the time to reconnect.
Urge past clients to touch base with anyone they might know who has mentioned an interest in buying and follow up with those who have hinted at such leads previously. This time of year is the perfect excuse for you to reach back out.
Go Digital
If you have yet to follow through on going digital with your current workflow, now is the best time to do so. Beyond publicizing the use of online tours and home walk throughs on Facetime, there are other ways to capitalize on the use of technology during this era of social-distancing.
Developing your own website for the first time or giving your current one a refresh is a perfect way to create a platform for promoting this season of homeownership.
From doing an article feature on how past clients are enjoying their new homes to showcasing the benefits of buying over renting in general, creating this kind of content allows you to promote yourself while engaging with prospective clients online.
Depending on the current budget you may have allotted for advertising, it may be worth shifting gears to only digital advertisements as opposed to local billboards or restaurant ads.
As some individuals continue to shelter in place, online advertising is a much more consistent way to gain exposure. With the money you save on tangible advertising, use it to capitalize on Facebook ads, and social media in general for paid exposure.
On top of our other features, the Home Value Leads subscription integrates with Facebook advertising as a part of our package, making the monthly cost worth it for the exposure alone.
When was the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile? Be sure that all your professional pages are up to date and feature links to your latest articles, resources, and homeownership month guides.
Aside from this, research different groups that have formed on LinkedIn that help agents who are in similar areas, and even homeowners in specific communities. Forming these connections sooner rather than later will set you up for success by the end of the month.
Always Follow Up
Though this should go without saying, but good agents always follow up. Do some spring cleaning in the spirit of Homeownership Month and go the extra mile by following up with leads you may have previously given up hope on.
Whether you send them a list of useful statistics, share a resource, or simply check in with them on a personal level, you might end up being pleasantly surprised by the responses.
Send Letters
Another great way to announce the season of homeownership is by reaching out to potential connections through their physical mail.
If you have the time, handwriting letters offers a much more personal touch and have been proven to result in a higher response rate.
For contacts that you know are more serious than others, it may be worth the effort to run some numbers on affordability or share information on the benefits of homeownership within the note.
Reach Out to Expired Listings
In these times of uncertainty, homeowners whose listings have expired are likely to feel even more discouraged and overwhelmed than usual. Block off a few hours in the coming weeks to reach out to such listings even just to offer some simple encouragement and guidance for them throughout the next couple months.
Engage with Engaged Couples
While many currently engaged couples have postponed their big day, others have opted for smaller ceremonies over video conferences. Many agents have found success with their leads simply by keeping up with marriage announcements in their area.
Set aside time to search through Facebook or find this news through Google It’s well worth the time to use Homeownership Month as an excuse to personally contact them.
Educate
While it might feel as though most individuals aren’t necessarily looking to relocate or make the switch to homeownership, the competitive nature of the current market contradicts such assumptions. It’s crucial to take the time to outline to prospective leads on why now is the right time for them.
If you’re finding that most of your current leads are drying up, take some time during this month to hold a few free online seminars for local buyers and sellers that may have questions.
Though you might usually charge for these sessions, offering them for free will increase the number of participants and likely the number of leads you’ll gain as well. Consider keeping them to no longer than an hour so as to keep your calendar more open and to hold the attention of attendees.
There are plenty of platforms to use in order to spark participation including the use of a personal website, or even a Facebook event. As you consider conducting your own online seminars for buyer and seller education, consider these tips:
Buyers Seminar
Most, if not all, buyers are asking the age old question if now is in fact the right time for them, so it might be in your best interest to devote your seminar to answering this.
While the market remains impossible to predict, it is important to mention that unmotivated buyers have been continually dropping off due to the current crisis.
Agents have seen a small decrease in buyer commitment as the uncertainty of the times sets in, which is good news for those who are set on buying for the first time.
Beyond this, the historically low interest rates are a huge selling point in holding buyer attention. Outline statistics on mortgage payment costs on an annual basis in comparison to renting, and be as clear as possible about the overall costs and loan options.
College graduates from the last five years tend to find it difficult to picture themselves owning a home, however, by showcasing the right statistics and the reasonable FHA loan requirements gaining leads from this demographic might not be as difficult as it seems.
Depending on how you’d like to conduct your seminars, it could be in your best interest to separate current homeowners from first-timers.
Sellers Seminar
The main selling point for sellers during this time is the fact that home inventory is at a nation wide low. This is very good news for sellers even amidst the current crisis.
It should be noted that holding separate sessions for those who need to sell vs. those who aren’t in a time crunch will likely be the best plan of action. Homeowners who have a need to sell during this pandemic should be informed of the fact that most sales will take longer than usual due to the current times.
Those who aren’t pressed for time due to a job relocation or other personal circumstances have the luxury of being picky, which works in their favor despite the crisis.
Mark off some time during the seminar to outline all that goes into selling a home through the lens of COVID-19. Highlight success stories of homeowners who were still able to sell and do your absolute best to alleviate any stress sellers may have about taking on the process. Now more than ever is the time to reassure your current and future leads.
Participate in Open Houses
Depending on your area, there are sure to be at least some in-person or even digital open houses being advertised for homeownership month.
These are a great way to make connections with potential leads. Whether you hand out cards in person or share your email and phone number through a virtual open house chat room, don’t miss out on the opportunity.
Offer Your Expertise
If there are any local or even city-wide blogs or news sites you follow, it might not hurt to send them a message during this month to offer a quote or your expertise.
Real estate continues to be a hot topic for most news sites, so be sure to inquire about any future content they may have on their editorial calendar.
Being quoted on such platforms is an authoritative way to get your name out, and usually you can do so at no cost. Even sharing useful articles for readers on your social media profiles along with any additional information you’d add to the content can be a good way to spark conversation throughout the month.
Optimize your blog or develop one if you have yet to do so in order to increase communication and engagement on your own.
Plan
While considering the options above on ways to capitalize on this time, the last step is to have a clear and organized plan of action.
As you look to attend open houses, hold seminars, and send out email blasts, you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed when it comes to keeping track of all of your connections.
If you know you don’t have the right system in place to take on these commitments just yet, try taking the month to invest in a service that will help you do so. The Home Value Leads free trial is the perfect place to start.
Not only will our system help you organize each and every lead you come in contact with, it will give you pointers on when is the best to send certain emails, and when it might be a good time to hold off.
The program will also help you set up text alerts for your clients, which is proven to help with conversion rates.
Since Homeownership Month is a time of celebration, it can be hard to navigate this topic during such uncertain times. However, with the proper campaign in place and the right organizational tools, using this time to enlighten current homeowners and prospective ones is a great way to gain new leads and re-engage old ones.
As you consider whether to jump into this month full force or to use the help of Home Value Leads as your guide, remember that most clients are looking for comfort and encouragement during the current crisis.
