In our previous blog, Get a jump on your marketing for 2024, we examined how a suitably experienced Virtual Assistant can be invaluable in taking on the planning and implementation of a multi-channel marketing plan on behalf of a busy estate agent. This includes providing input into the overall marketing strategy and creating a detailed marketing plan. It encompasses overseeing content creation and rolling out a multi-channel marketing plan that:
· focuses efforts to connect and build a relationship with prospective clients,
· plans to engage with targeted customers via their preferred medium or channel.
According to HSBC*, from the start of a property search to completion, buying a property in the UK, on average, takes around 6 months – subject to any delays in sales progression. There are many potential client touchpoints, i.e. moments your customer can interact with your brand over their journey before, during and after their property purchase. It is essential to streamline the customer journey, to design a multi-channel marketing campaign that allows for an optimal number of touch points along the way. This results in being able to generate qualified leads and better guide them through a sales funnel and toward a desired action.
A sales funnel can be seen as a visual roadmap that shows exactly where a prospect is in the buying process at any given time. Good sales funnels guide prospects toward a purchase by capturing their attention, nurturing their interest and, ultimately, closing the deal. The typical sales journey of a prospect looking to purchase a residential property goes through the following phases:
TOP OF THE SALES FUNNEL
The need to build brand awareness
Top of the funnel marketing refers to efforts that are focused on brand awareness with new clients. It is all about creating reach, because the more buyers and sellers know about your brand, the more likely they are to engage with you when they need your service.
Prospective clients are:
- Starting to think about buying a new home.
- Noticing property-related news and information.
- May not yet be talking with an estate agent.
How do you create awareness?
There are several ways to reach new prospects via digital marketing. These include:
- Blogs and custom website landing pages
- Social media posts
- Search engine optimised Google Ads
Relevant content
Top of the funnel content should attract the attention of a wide audience within the regions and suburbs an estate agent covers. Ensure you have a consistent online presence and provide relevant and informative content to build trust and familiarity with prospective clients. Your digital marketing should help to drive more visitors to your website. Once there, you can create a sales funnel for different categories of visitors to go down.
MIDDLE OF THE SALES FUNNEL
Once a prospect moves to the middle of the sales funnel, they are likely to be qualified as sales leads, i.e. people who are actively looking to buy a property. At this stage you can make them aware of your services and specific property stock. Focus on how your knowledge and experience can help provide a solution to their needs or pain points. To promote engagement, you can provide the option to fill in a form to book a call, provide more information or download a guide.
What are some of your prospects’ considerations?
Home buyers will be asking themselves:
- Is now a good time to buy?
- What type of home do I need and want?
- What can I afford?
- What areas should I consider?
- How far am I prepared to commute?
Buyers will be seeking information from friends, family, and online. They are interested in:
- Specific market conditions,
- What homes are worth in their area if they are first selling,
- What homes are worth in their location of interest,
- Tips on purchasing a home,
- Details about what amenities homes on the market are offering, neighborhood and school information.
How do you create engagement?
As the prospect moves through the funnel, engaging content can include a call to action to get their email address. For example, a free downloadable property guide could be accessible by providing their details. At the same time, an automated CRM system is the most efficient way to inform your marketing and sales teams of the prospect’s response.
Relevant content
Typical content within the middle of the sales funnel provides useful information, case studies, e-Guides, market reports, webinars on helpful “how to” topics and FAQs along with tailored communication and in-person contact. Once they request your download, you can add them into a nurturing email campaign and provide them with useful information.
BOTTOM OF THE FUNNEL
Once the qualified lead has reached the end of the funnel a degree of familiarity and trust should be established. You’ve spoken to their needs and addressed their concerns and have forged a person-to-person relationship. If you’ve nurtured the prospect effectively, making a sale should be more straightforward.
Clients have reached the point of action
Leads are involved in an active search for a home. Buyers at this stage are:
- Aware of exactly what they want and what they can afford,
- Need recommendations based on an estate agent’s knowledge of a local area,
- Ready to view homes in-person,
- Want specific information about the buying process.
At the point successful buyers are:
- Looking for assistance in finding home inspectors and mortgage brokers,
- Concerned about timelines and logistics,
- Wondering if they are getting a good deal,
- May need help in selling their current home.
How do you stay top-of-mind?
Once a prospect has moved through the sales funnel and you have started to nurture them and feed them content (even if at that time it does not lead to a prospect immediately becoming a buyer) you can remarket to them via Google or Facebook to ensure you remain familiar to them. Then when the time comes for that prospect to choose an estate agent, they will be more likely to choose you.
POST SALE FOLLOW UP
Keeping in touch with your customers is essential to secure repeat business and referrals. Your happy clients will appreciate knowing:
- What is trending in the marketplace,
- if their property is going up in value or not.
Building an effective sales funnel is about knowing your own brand identity and tone of voice, as well as who your buyers are, so you can supply the type of information they need throughout every stage of their sales journey. Creating a sales funnel is an extensive process. It takes time and effort to determine what channels will work best for your team and your buyers. But by systematically starting from the top and working your way to the bottom of the funnel, you can develop a seamless sales process that will allow you to generate leads, convert them to clients retain more customers than you would with ad hoc marketing.
*https://www.hsbc.co.uk/mortgages/timeline-for-buying-a-home/
