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Working with FSBOs

According to an article on CNNMoney last week, the number of homeowners selling their properties without a broker or agent has increased over the past year. One of the reasons FSBOs (for sale by owners) cite for going it on their own is to save the large commissions most brokers and agents charge.

Of course, at Help-U-Sell Real Estate, our low set fee can save FSBOs money and time and still be involved in the selling process, which is a compelling offer for some FSBOs. Others can successfully manage the sale of their homes on their own. This is something to keep in mind if you choose to market to FSBOs. The approach we advocate taking is that of a friendly resource, free of charge, unless we find a buyer for the FSBO. We are not trying to list the FSBO’s house.

Help-U-Sell Real Estate's approach to FSBOs is as a friendly resource who wants to help the seller, not to land a listing.

To assist the seller, we recommend offering the following items or services of value:
* a suggested listing price
* advice
* showing the seller’s house to buyers
* monthly sales statistics from the MLS
* following up with open house visitors

This approach goes right along with the Help-U-Sell Real Estate founding principle of serving the consumer. Even if the broker or agent never gets the FSBO’s listing, he or she could acquire buyers’ names, be hired to help the FSBO with closing, and gain a new brand advocate.

For more advice and suggested dialogue when working with FSBOs, watch Help-U-Sell University video Module 4: Lesson 1.

How have you reached out to FSBOs successfully in the past? Share your experiences with us.

Top Producers for September 2013

Patrick Wood, Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties — Patrick Wood is broker/owner of Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties, which closed 12 sides in September.

September’s top producers closed an impressive 51 sides among the four of them and hail from almost all corners of the United States.

1) No stranger to the number one spot, Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties closed 15 sides made up of five buyer and 10 seller sides. Two properties sold for more than $1 million.

2) Charlotte-based Help-U-Sell Buy Today closed five buyer sides and eight seller sides to take second place.

3) With a dozen closed sides, Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties in Chino Hills, Calif., had two buyer sides, eight seller sides and one dual-sided transaction.

4) Help-U-Sell Detwiler Realty rounds out the top offices for September. The Carlisle, Penn., office closed 11 sides: two buyer sides, seven seller sides and one dual-sided transaction.

We also want to make an honorable mention of Help-U-Sell Southland Realty, which had a $1.075 million sale in September. The seller saved $53,550 (based on a 6% commission).

Congratulations to all of our top offices for last month!

[Figures as of October 8, 2013.]

Recruiting, Help-U-Sell Real Estate Style

At Help-U-Sell Real Estate, we don’t recruit agents to help grow our business. We recruit agents to help us take care of the business we have created. That means our recruitment is much more strategic than most traditional brokerages.

To assist our brokers in their recruitment efforts, we’ve created a new campaign, which includes a drip email, a poster/flyer and a postcard.

All of these contain bullet-pointed benefits of joining Help-U-Sell Real Estate, a photo of an agent in one of our offices, and her testimonial.

Help-U-Sell Real Estate Recruitment Poster — Help-U-Sell Real Estate's new recruitment poster can be customized with your office contact information.

You can find the postcard (coming soon) and poster on Alexander’s Print Advantage’s website under Recruitment, and the drip email in OMS. We also have recruitment signs and a brochure, as well as other recruitment drip emails.

Send out the drip email to agents from other brokerages or who you meet while networking. Hang the poster in your office and on community bulletin boards at coffee shops. Mail the postcard to agents in your area in addition to, or instead of, the drip email.

When will you be ready to recruit? The general rule of thumb for when to start hiring agents is when you are averaging three to four closed sides per month. Who should your targets be? Newly licensed agents and young, disillusioned agents often make the best candidates. For more about recruiting the Help-U-Sell Real Estate way, watch the University video “Hiring Buyer Agents.” It’s Lesson 1 in Module 6.

How have you successfully recruited agents in the past? Share your advice with us.

Help-U-Sell in October

The theme for this year's Success Summit is Making Connections.

We have an exciting and busy October planned! We look forward to seeing you at one or both of our big events.

* The California Realtor Expo will be held October 8-10 in Long Beach. We will be exhibiting, and our booth number is 217. Please stop by if you will be there. CAR members can attend some sessions and the expo for free. Just register online to get access.

* Our annual Success Summit will be better and bigger than ever this October 22-24 in Las Vegas. With a theme of Making Connections, the event will have four general sessions and four blocks of breakout sessions that are separated into Coaching/Training, Marketing, and Technology tracks. Attendees can choose to concentrate on one track or mix and match. Many of the breakout sessions will have hands-on portions so that everyone can leave the Summit having accomplished tasks such as setting up a drip email campaign and creating a marketing plan for next year.

In addition to staff, John Powell and Jack Bailey will be presenting, and there will be a panel discussion along with opportunities to network with fellow franchisees. Our representative from Excel Printing & Mailing will present new marketing materials and hear the results of our brainstorming session we’ll have during the Summit. We have a few surprises up our sleeves, too!

Almost 60 Help-U-Sell family members are already planning to attend. If you are a franchisee or an agent in a Help-U-Sell office and want to join us in Las Vegas, please register today and make your hotel and transportation arrangements.

Use the hashtag #SuccessSummit13 on Twitter to follow and get involved in the Summit, even if you’re not with us.

The Power of Community Involvement

Help-U-Sell Options Unlimited sponsored the Terre Haute South Little League team this past spring.

Real estate is ultimately a people business and a local business. So getting involved in your community makes a lot of sense from a marketing standpoint, and, of course, it can be emotionally rewarding and fun, too.

This past spring, Bob and Brenda Fischer of Help-U-Sell Options Unlimited sponsored the Terre Haute South Little League team, knowing the area was impoverished and, therefore, not attractive to other marketers. The Fischers attended games so regularly, Brenda was recognized by a team parent as a Help-U-Sell broker while she was at the supermarket. Sponsorship achieved brand recognition, but more importantly helped kids in the community get to play a game they love. Options Unlimited is sponsoring a team this fall, too.

Help-U-Sell Options Unlimited's Army of Red getting ready to march in the Terre Haute Labor Day Parade

Options Unlimited’s support from the community showed earlier this month at the Terre Haute Labor Day Parade. The biggest Labor Day parade in Indiana, it was televised throughout the state. The Fischers mustered up 25 walkers. Besides family, agents and friends, the “Army of Red” contained previous clients who were “more than willing to participate,” says Bob. The Army passed out candy and promotional cards along the parade route.

Options Unlimited has closed 23 sides so far this year in a metropolitan area of only 170,000.

How are you involved in your community? What are your plans to get more involved?