Part 1: Finding prospecting opportunities during COVID-19

Homely’s agent guide to prospecting during COVID-19

This is part 1 of our 2 part series on how to prospect during COVID-19.

There is a lot of talk at the moment about going digital during this time and it’s great to see so many agents embracing these changes. However, there is one stage of going digital that some are overlooking, which may be resulting in a loss of prospecting opportunities.

Many agents are forgetting to let people know that your new digital offerings are an option…before they ask!

With so much uncertainty out in the world right now, agents need to be very clear with their messaging. As soon as there is the possibility of something not being available or accessible, many customers won’t bother exploring further. So if your messaging doesn’t say exactly what you offer, customers will assume that you don’t offer it.

A great metaphor is, if the menu doesn’t say pizza, it’s pretty unlikely the restaurant sells it. Agents need to update their menus and show what they’re offering.

Are you offering FaceTime home inspections? Live auctions on mobile? FaceTime valuations? 3D virtual walkthroughs? It’s time to get this message front and centre everywhere.

Many customers won’t bother reaching out to ask whether you offer it, they’ll instead move onto someone else who’s messaging is clear.

So how can you make your customers aware of what you offer at this time? How can you increase your prospecting opportunities?

Email and social media are part of every agency’s campaign at the moment. However, there are many missed opportunities where people are looking and you aren’t offering the information they need.

It’s time to create a clear call to action that is front and centre to anyone who might stumble across your agency.

Update your shop branding

Your office location is an incredible opportunity to get your new message across to locals passing by. Turn your premises into a billboard with your new offerings presented front and centre.

Create a large custom-designed window sticker to put across your office windows, letting people driving or walking by know that you are offering FaceTime or Zoom appraisals and inspections. They might not have even known this was an option yet, but your sticker assures them and inspires them to give you a call to organise it. Your building is prime real estate (pun intended) to help you prospect right now.

Create a new website feature

Add a new feature to your site that clearly displays your changes/ new offerings during this time. Don’t make customers go hunting for this information. According to the Nielsen Norman Group, visitors typically leave a website within 10 to 20 seconds. So don’t assume people will go hunting for your contact form, make an enquiry and wait for a reply to see whether you are offering options for valuations. Also, don’t assume that a small update at the bottom of your website will grab their attention either. Make your objective clear that you are offering this service straight away. Customers will be confident they’re in the right place, and not hesitate to reach out.

Options for this website messaging can include:

• • A branded website header image at the top of your website’s home page, dedicated to exactly this message. It can be linked to another page on your website that goes into greater detail about how your office is ensuring that you are doing everything possible to ensure buyers and sellers get the best results while adhering to federal and state government safety guidelines and restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19.
  • A popup message that appears 15 seconds after someone lands on your website, announcing boldly how you can help.
  • A site-wide bar displayed above your website’s navigation that provides the latest information about what you’re doing and how you’re helping buyers, vendors, renters and landlords during this time.

Update your email signature and your autoresponder

These areas are often forgotten about. We see this from the auto-replies we get after sending out our Homely newsletters. Are you still out of the office conducting open for inspections? Or are you actually working from home conducting digital appraisals? Update what is happening in your office in these highly visible and often underutilised spaces.
Another means of making communication as easy as possible is including your Skype or WeChat link in your autoresponder or email signature, should people want to set up a meeting or communicate with you that way.

There are many opportunities for you to continue to prospect during this time. We look forward to seeing some of these being taken on board over the coming weeks.

Are there any prospecting techniques you’ve found success with so far? We’d love to hear them, feel free to add to the comments below.