Title insurance is boring, but Allied Title & Escrow is here to decode the jargon and make it (somewhat) more interesting. This biweekly column will explore the mundane (but very necessary!) world of title insurance while sharing interesting stories of two friends’ entrepreneurial careers.
We just had our 2 year anniversary at Allied Title & Escrow and are very fortunate to have over 100 customers who we service. One thing we always hear from agents is where do I start and how do I get more business.
A month ago, we hosted a panel of top agents in the area and and yesterday I attended a Keri Shull event where she brought together 6 of the top producers in the DMV to discuss what has worked for them.
Did you miss those events? No problem, sit right there and we will summarize it all for you!
Be Different — Dan Lesniak pointed out that if you are doing exactly what everyone else is doing, it’s going to be hard to come into an industry with tens of thousands of agents and stand out.
How do you do this? Look to see what other industries are doing which you could take to real estate.
For example look at a completely different industry. What does a nightclub owner do to grow their business? What do politicians do to successfully campaign? To figure out unique marketing tactics, it will require a lot of thought along with trial and error.
Maximize Each Opportunity — Kara Donofrio, Managing Broker at Long and Foster pointed out how many opportunities aren’t maximized.
She asked if you’ve ever walked into an open house and the listing agent was sitting down reading the paper? Were they not engaged and not trying to educate you on the property?
If you are going to do an open house, maximize the opportunity. Look at it as an actual event. Go around and knock on doors and meet the neighbors. One agent held a BBQ for the neighborhood. Advertise the open house online. Hand out flyers.
You might end up meeting a neighbor who wants to sell their home down the road. Ask questions for the potential buyers that are walking in because maybe they don’t like that home but they want you to find them another.
Working an open house might suck to do, but if you are going to do it you might as well maximize the opportunity.
Ask Your Sphere For Business — Ryan Zook from Dwellus pointed out that he called all of his friends and his network and asked them if they could refer business to him in the next month.
He told them he had joined an accountability group and although he hates asking his friends for help he promised his group that he would call all of his friends. He was amazed that it led to over well over 10 deals.
Some of his friends reached out a couple weeks later and told him they had reached out to their network to find out if their friends needed an agent. Many didn’t have an agent they worked with and he was connected to people who may not have bought right then, but eventually did.
Go One Step Farther — Sherif Abdalla from Compass goes one step farther with his current clients than most which results in more referrals. For example, he gets to know his customers and searches for articles online that will benefit them.
He is always looking for articles or tactics that will benefit his clients. Also, he gets to know his clients so well he knows what’s going on in their lives (eg., new baby, big life event).
These are great opportunities to follow up and help support new endeavors.
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Have questions related to title insurance? Email Latane and Matt at [email protected]. Want to use Allied Title & Escrow when you buy a home? Tell your agent when you buy a house to write in Allied Title & Escrow as your settlement company!