The holidays are a crucial time of year for Agents to market to past clients and prospects. It may be difficult because this is the time of year when your work calendar suddenly opens up. But your past clients and prospects are busy with their own holiday events and to-do lists, so that can leave you feeling stranded!
Would you believe me if I told you that the holidays are one of the best times of year to grow your business? It’s true. The reason is because this season offers countless opportunities for you to make a valuable impact in the lives of your real estate audience. Use these unique holiday marketing ideas for Agents to start building and nurturing relationships with real estate prospects and past clients.
Coordinate a holiday-themed event for family fun and facetime.
If you’re already blogging and sending out email or direct mail newsletters, try including holiday-themed content for this special time of year. Some examples are a roundup of the area’s best light displays, holiday concerts and plays, interior decorating tips, outdoor decorating tips and more. The key is to provide value to your real estate readers while also focusing on this special time of year.
Become Santa Claus for a day!
You probably already know it’s a good idea to send past real estate clients a small gift this time of year. But here’s a little twist to this idea we learned from Inman. This year, send “happy mail” instead of a traditional package. Happy mail is when you send an item through the United States Postal Service without putting it in a package. It has to weigh less than 13 ounces, but otherwise all you do is place the stamp directly on the object and pop it in the mail. Some holiday ideas: a canister with tape and labels for wrapping presents, a small wreath, a cute ornament (nothing fragile, of course), or even a holiday storybook if the client has small children.
Share well wishes over the phone.
It’s never a bad idea to simply pick up the phone and wish your client well during the holidays! Thinking of them and simply wanting to wish them happy holidays is a kind and stress-free way to stay top-of-mind. It’s a good practice for Agents to call their top contacts once a quarter anyway, so make this your quarter four call. Use your real estate CRM to remind you when it’s time to reach out to your past clients and prospects with a friendly phone call.
Treat them like family (at least when it comes to your holiday card.)
If you’re going to send your contacts a holiday card, why not step up your game? Send the same type of holiday greeting that you’d send to your family and friends, and make sure to include a handwritten portion. This will make the contact feel much more appreciated than a generic card would. It shows them you’re willing to take the time to write a note and include them in your inner circle. That goes a long way.
Host a holiday contest on your social media channels.
If you have an active social media presence, don’t neglect your social followers this winter. One way to get them to engage during this busy time of year is to host some type of holiday contest. Ask your followers to share photos of their homes decorated for the season, and whoever’s photo gets the most likes, wins a prize. Be creative. The key is to get your followers talking and sharing so that you can stay top-of-mind among them and potentially grow your followers among their friends and family.
Highlight the importance of giving back to the community.
If you participate in any volunteer or charity organizations and events during the holiday season, don’t hesitate to share your experience with your contacts. It’s important to share community stewardship – it shows you truly care about the area and the people who live there. At any open house or real estate event you host during this time of year, ask for donations for charities like Toys for Tots, The Salvation Army and food collections. Then get the message out to your contacts so they can join in, too.
The holidays aren’t a time to stop marketing yourself and generating leads. Rather, it’s time to take it up a notch. Try IXACT Contact FREE for 5 weeks and start growing your business today!