…now on to Jim:

Q: (Joe J.) Do you find better success with NEW expireds or expireds that are 6 months + old?
A: Hi Joe,
Great question – I’ve worked both of these areas. I think you do need to have a plan for going after the new daily expired listings because inevitably some sellers will immediately re-list their homes, and you never want to miss those opportunities. On the other hand many sellers – I would say in the neighborhood of 30-50% pull their homes off the market for a period of time before relisting. Because of this you definitely want a longer term approach. Many agents make the initial call, then calendar a series of calls – two weeks, one month, six weeks, two months – until they make contact with the seller.

Q: (Pam F.) Do you have a contact management system to recommend? I currently subscribe to Top Producer…what program do you recommend?
A: Top Producer is definitely the number one contact manager that you see the highest level producers in our industry use. The challenge is really learning the system and using all of the bells and whistles – I heard a stat not long ago that only 17% of agents fully use everything they are paying for with their Top Producer platform. So if you are going to pay for it, be sure to learn everything you can about the program, perhaps even make it a point to spend some time at training event.

Q: (Deb M.) How is Jim getting the phone numbers and is he following up on the “No Call List” prior to calling the expireds.
A: We are not allowed to call any seller who has listed themselves on the “Do-Not-Call” list so the first thing agents must do is cross check their expireds against the list. There are services like “The Red X” that will do this work for you. I see top producers using the phone, knocking on the door directly, emailing, and using traditional mail to make contact. Also try building a webpage for expired listings in your market or advertising for them in your local paper.

Q: (Debbie T.) How often do you contact an expired listing seller (without being a pest?)
A: I keep trying to talk to them until they tell me “no thanks” or the property has been relisted. Honestly if they tell me no –I simply send them a follow up letter or thank you note and then calendar a day to call them a month or two out just to check in with them again. This can create amazing results.

Q: What if you do not have a phone number or they are on the do not call list? Do you send a postcard or drop by?
A:It depends on the quality of the listing. I think you need to prioritize you time – so one expireds that ones that you really want to take I would say definitely go out and knock on the door. On ones that are just OK or not in your target zone I would fall back to letters.

Q: (Amy W.) Does Jim go after short sale listings which have expired?
A:Short sale expired are a terrific market, before you jump in you need to either be an expert yourself or be partnered with someone who is an expert. One way to demonstrate that you are the right person for the job is to show off your success – advertise how many homes you have listed and subsequently sold. Also let people know a long list of banks you have successfully worked with in your marketing – many may recognize their own lender on the list.

Q: (Vicky D ) If the seller does not list with you – let’s say -they want to wait 3 – 6 months – do you continue to call or do you send them some type of mail out?
A: I think I answered this one above…

Q: (Michael C.) Is it best to call the morning after a home expires or is it better to give a seller a few days to cool off?
A: The faster you can contact an expired listing the more likely you will be to take the listing. Always call or visit them as soon as possible to maximize results.

Q: (Stan B.) Is there a laundry list of websites that properties should appear on, a ‘check list’ of websites?
A: This can be often the ones you would expect like – www.realtor.com, www.trulia.com, www.zillow.com but don’t be afraid to put on the site more interesting sites that will appeal to your local market. Personally I love the blog www.thefutureofrealestatemarketing.com.

Q: (Sheri M.) What are your suggestions for commercial property? I am sure they differ from residential.
A: Commercial is a different animal. I specialize in residential so I would recommend talking to some top commercial brokers in market you don’t serve about their approach to expired listings.

Q: (Tammy M.) Should I check to see if they have relisted prior to initial call?
A: Yes, it is a good idea to take a second to double check if they have gone back on the market. This will save you time.

Thank you Jim for sharing with us again!

 Tyra asks:  Can you give us an idea of what you see as some of the most $ productive activities?

Michael:  Phone calls, Events & Seminars (attending and Hosting), and One-on-One Meetings are most productive activieties by far.

Max asks:  Farming with mail or internet farming which is the way to go for a new agent?

Michael:  Farming with your feet – get out there and get people on the phone.

Jaynie asks:  Do you recommend any particular database for Realtors?

Michael: Agent Online/Agent Office/Agent 2000 is the one both Allan and I use.

Click here to watch the Allan Domb & Michael Maher archived webinar!

Here’s more Q&A from Mariana Wagner’s recent Webinar, “Breaking Down the Barriers to Blogging”. Want to watch the recorded Webinar?  View it here!

Q: Please give examples of realtor blogs

A: www.Miamism.com
www.Housechick.com
www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com
www.LongBeachRealEstateHomes.com
MarchantTeam.featuredblog.com
www.BlogBytheBay.com
www.sanmateorealestateblog.com
www.ColoradoSpringsRealEstateConnection.com

Q: If you are new to blogging how do you find another blogger?

A: technorati.com/blogs/directory/business/realestate/ and www.activerain.com

Q: Do your blogs allow interaction by your readers?

A: Yes.  I have the ability for peole to leave comments on my blog posts.  However, most people are not “comment leavers” – which is fine.  Your goal is to educate them and get them to do business with you – not necessarily get them to leave a comment.

Q: What should your headspace say for the search engines to find.

A: Search engines will find you for whatever you consistently write about in your blog posts.  Your header is only of minimal importance.

 You can find me at:  http://coloradospringsrealestateconnection.com/

Enjoy!

Q: Where do I find Google Analytics?

A: Click here for Google Analytics.

Q: What were the three blogging books Mariana recommended?

A: Realty Blogging by Paul Cheney

    The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog by Rebecca Blood

Social By Ben Kinney (the “a” in Social is actually @ but I had to leave it out to create a link for you all!)

Q: What camera does Mariana recommend for making video blogs?

A:  Mariana doesn’t use video at this point.  But Ian Watt uses a Flip camera.  As I said in one of last weeks posts: I think in-car video blogging is perfect for real estate agents. Don’t you always want to get leads in the car!  Now you can invite the world. All you need is a Flip camera (or something like it)  and a little tripod like this one from Joby.    

Q: How much does it cost to buy a Blog?

A: It is free! But there are add-ons you can buy once you have your blog up and running.  Mariana suggested WordPress.com.

View Mariana’s “Breaking Down the Barriers to Blogging” Webinar anytime on SecretsWebinars.com!

Thanks for your questions.  Mariana will be responding to more questions over the next week!  Let me know if this was useful!