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EP 181: How to Create Freedom in Your Real Estate Business

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Since starting Carrot, I’ve discovered that the biggest struggle for agents & investors is marketing. For anyone new to business, or even those that have been in it for years, focusing on just one thing can be a struggle. With so many options like Facebook Ads, PPC, SEO, networking, open houses, it can be tough to know what strategies to use and when.  Our goal at Carrot is to provide people the information and tools they need to succeed. We are constantly hearing from Carrot users that doing the marketing is too much work, that it is too expensive, or that it simply isn’t working. The good news is that you don’t have to do it all. When you focus on what works, creating a solid foundation, your marketing will begin to work for you, allowing you to get off the hamster wheel of endless marketing tactics. Listen in as we dive in further to help you create a marketing plan that will work for your business! Read the Full Show Notes Below… Your Real Estate Marketing Blueprint | How To Create A Business That Actually Sets You Free Whether you are an agent or investor, using the right real estate marketing strategies is critical to your success. You need to get leads in the door, but with so many options, how do you know where to go all-in? We hear from clients all of the time that doing the marketing work is too much work or that it is too expensive. When you are doing the wrong things, it can be. But when you are able to implement smart strategies and create a unique selling proposition, your business will begin to market itself. And always remember, as mentioned in one of our Truck Talks, people don’t buy your business but they are buying a better version of themselves.  Getting Off The Hamster Wheel I use the example of hamster wheel marketing vs. building a wall quite often. Hamster wheel marketing I consider to be things like cold calling, throwing up random social media posts, and anything else that if you stopped doing, the leads would eventually disappear. While this strategy is great when you are just starting out or when you just need to get some leads in the door, building a wall will help ensure that if you were to take a break, the leads would keep rolling in as normal. When you build a strong foundation for your business, you will be able to get off the wheel for good!  Setting A Strong Foundation When looking at our marketing strategy, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed if you are trying to handle all of it. The trick is to focus on your unique gift, getting that message across to your potential clients. This will help you to build authority, and if you’ve been listening for a while, you know how important creating authority is to the success of your business. Try to do this by offering your own USP, telling your own story, and doing things a bit different from your competition. If you are an agent, don’t just tell them you’re an agent and here are some houses. If you are an investor, you need to say more than you will buy houses fast. In one of our Truck Talks, I lay out exactly how you can create a USP that will stand out from the competition!  Our Marketing Plan Generator We’re thrilled to be very close to launching our new Marketing Plan Generator which will lay out exactly what you need to do when … Continued

EP 177: Journey From Day Job to $100k/year | Every Single Step To Closing 8 Deals in One Month w/ Keith Sant of Kind House Buyers

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When others were out drinking on a Friday night, I was putting up signs or creating Craigslist ads. – Keith Sant We love Keith not just because he’s an awesome guy, but because he doesn’t have anything to hide. His story proves that if you want something bad enough and you’re willing to put in the work, anything can happen. Since closing his first wholesale deal two years ago, he’s tried everything under the sun to build a valuable investing business. Today he shares his entire strategy & marketing mix, everything he’s doing to crush it in such a saturated market. After this, there are no excuses. Let’s get it! Read the Full Show Notes Below… Journey From Day Job to $100k/year | Every Single Step To Closing 8 Deals in One Month w/ Keith Sant of Kind House Buyers For Keith Sant, Kind House Buyers is more than just the name of his business, it is how he conducts business and his life. I first got to know Keith just a few weeks ago at our most recent CarrotCamp, and right away I was struck by his hunger, drive, and gratitude. These are the things that have led him to create a very successful wholesaling business in the Pacific Northwest.  Keith believes in treating everyone the same. He talks to his sellers the same way he talks to investors. He grew up not having much, so his sincere gratitude for all he’s achieved shines through when you talk to him about his business.  A while back, Keith heard a podcast I did about CarrotCamp, the benefits, the highlights, and what people could expect to take away from the event. He knew it was something he needed to attend, but he wasn’t making the 100k per year that he needed to qualify… yet.  Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better. Jim Rohn Instead of feeling defeated, Keith got down to it and closed the deals he needed to. He was able to close eight deals in one month, in a very competitive market nonetheless. Needless to say, Keith made it to the next CarrotCamp, and we were thrilled to have him join us.  In The Beginning In order to get where he needed to be, Keith knew he had to buckle down and do the work. Before real estate, Keith was working in screenprinting. He never referred to himself as an entrepreneur, but he has always known he wouldn’t be able to work with someone who didn’t value him or his contribution.  Eventually, Keith went back to school. There isn’t a degree for entrepreneurs, so he studied marketing instead. Why? Because he didn’t think he was that great at it, so he figured he should learn.  Real estate was always an interest, but the entry barrier seemed too high. He had a friend in Texas doing flips and wholesaling houses. Keith worked with him for a while, then brought his business to the Pacific Northwest. He worked hard, got his first wholesale deal, and it was on from there. This year he’s looking at doing about 25 deals, with an average profit of $15,800.  Initial Marketing Bandit Signs Keith started with bandit signs and a lot of them. To be effective, the signs needed a few key elements.  Keith got an easy to remember, repeating digit phone number The phone number was HUGE so people could see it He included his website as it was something people could remember and look-up when they got home He was strategic in where he put the signs. He didn’t put them … Continued

How to Find Cash Buyers: 8 Creative Ways to Get More Leads

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Serious investors need to know how to find cash buyers. Why? Let’s say you hustled and got a house under contract. You ran the numbers and figured you could profit $10,000 or more on this one property! You’re excited, nervous, and ready to finish the deal. But what now? After all, having a house under contract isn’t enough. You also need someone on the other side willing to pay you cash for that property. And you can’t just have one buyer — you need a whole list of people willing to buy the properties you put under contract if you’re to turn your side hustle into a successful, growing business. (One buyer probably won’t want to buy all of your properties) And while finding cash buyers is typically easier than finding motivated sellers, it still takes some work. To help, here are some tips you can use to find buyers, build a trusting, long-term relationship with them, and get them to purchase your deals in no time. What is a Cash Buyer? A cash buyer is an individual or entity (such as an LLC formed by a group of real estate investors) with the money to purchase a home outright without financing. An actual cash home buyer will check these boxes: A cash buyer offer will most likely land between low and high offers in the multiple offer situation. Experienced investors typically have similar pricing calculations. Offers may not be the highest because investors know how vital an agreement is and don’t want to make false promises or fail to deliver. Many sellers are looking to sell to a cash home buyer because they need to sell quickly and easily. How to Find Cash Buyers 1. Post On Craigslist (Best Option for a Deal Under Contract Right Now) Craiglist is a great place for finding motivated sellers and cash buyers (plus it’s free). By posting a few simple ads every day in your area of operation, you can collect buyer’s leads in no time. Because remember, the cash buyers you’re looking for are probably already looking for properties to buy, and Craigslist is one place that they’re going to look. If they see your ad, they’ll likely reach out to you and you can add them to your buyer’s list. It’s a free and easy way to grow your buyer’s list. What’s not to like? 2. Utilizing Facebook Groups Facebook can a great place for finding local cash buyers. There are many local real estate Facebook groups that you can tap into. Here’s an example of a local group. Active groups are always posting their deals. Simply post within the group… “who’s dealing in [market city] area?” Then wait to see who you can start building relationships with. 3. Call Real Estate Agents Real estate agents usually have their fingers on the pulse of their market. They know how the housing market is doing, they are typically friendly, and they know tons of different people with different real estate interests — from first-time homebuyers to million-dollar cash buyers. And that’s exactly why they’re such a great resource for you when you’re learning how to find cash buyers. Make a list of 10 real estate agents in your area, call them, introduce yourself and what you’re doing, and ask them if they know anyone who might be interested in purchasing your properties. You might be surprised at just how many names you get (heck! Some real estate agents are also investors looking for good deals, so you might even get some buyers that way). 4. Go To Property Auctions Property auctions … Continued

How To Beat Zillow in Google With Your Real Estate Agent Website – Case Study + Guide

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Zillow dominated the real estate industry through 1 primary strategy. Ranking high in Google and controlling the conversation online. In this post, we’ll walk through real case studies that show you how to beat Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com in Google in your local market and scoop up traffic and leads for FREE away from the tech giants. (Dive into the video snippet from a recent AskCarrot episode below!) The video above was a short snippet from a live show we recently did, so we’ve typed out a high-level summary of the steps below and are providing the full video transcription below along with enhanced graphics and action items as well. Each well-done Location Page will likely take you between 30-60 mins. But it’s well worth the time investment for the long-term momentum building results you can get. The basic steps to beat Zillow in Google are: 1. Do things Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com can’t or won’t do. They can’t replicate you, they likely won’t build out as much valuable content as you could on the niches you’re an expert on, and they won’t try to be the authority on that niche like you can be. Build value, be an authority, and stand out. 2. Determine your niches that you want to dive deep into and become an authority in. I get pushback all the time from agents who say “But I don’t want to niche down. It’ll limit me!”. But that’s exactly the opposite of what will happen. When you choose to focus on becoming an expert and authority on a specific topic or niches, it’ll attract more people your way because you stand out as a clear expert. If you don’t niche, you’ll just be a part of the crowd. 3. CRITICAL DETAILS: Build out Location Pages in your Carrot site with our “Beat Zillow” framework (infographic below). We deconstructed Zillows strategy, tested it and tested it until we’ve repeatedly been able to outrank Zillow in Google. Start with your primary cities (those will be hard to outrank Zillow for since they’re so competitive) but then focus on the niches within the markets. Example… your primary market may be “Brentwood California homes for sale”… that will be hard to outrank Zillow for. Create a location page for that since it’s your primary city… but then focus your ranking efforts on the niches within Brentwood. Like neighborhoods, types of houses, etc. Here are some great examples of real local searches in Google that could make great niche location pages you could create in your Carrot account, then aim to outrank Zillow with. 4. Track the SEO ranking of your new location pages. As a Carrot member, you can use our Ranking Tracker tool to track where your pages rank in Google and get smart feedback on how to improve the ranking. Content marketing and SEO is a long-term momentum building strategy and patience is key. The page mentioned in that video took about 2-3 months to get the #1 ranking after we made the right optimization changes. But this site has been around for years and was already starting to pop up in other rankings as well. If your website is brand new it may take a bit longer. The more location pages you create, the more momentum you’ll build over time. This is the exact same way Zillow took over the market. It wasn’t overnight, but a strategic long-term strategy. 5. Rinse and repeat. I’d focus on creating Location Pages on your real estate agent website (we hope you use Carrot :-) every quarter. Each quarter, target the cities … Continued

Carrot Success Story: How Carter Steph Grew His Investing Business To $2 Million In Revenue

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How Carter Steph’s closing rate skyrocketed from 7% to 20% within a few months after switching from a custom website to Carrot. Carter Steph is a licensed broker for 20 years and in 2016, he purchased the real estate investing business that he now runs, which operates in Oklahoma City. Snapshot: What I didn’t expect after switching to Carrot, is my lead to close ratio increased 50% on my offline leads! – Carter Steph Carter Steph is a real estate investor since 1992 and is also a licensed real estate broker in Oklahoma City. He’s also a practicing attorney for almost 20 years and has been the General Counsel at 1-800-2SellHomes since 2014 and co-owner since 2016. He’s no newbie to real estate. He and his team consistently generate seven figures per year in net profits, while closing on about 20% of their leads. The growth is steady and predictable. “You ask anybody in town and they know us,” he said in a CarrotCast interview. Read the tips below, taken straight from Carter Steph’s 7-figure growth strategy. The tools: Carrot features For Carter, Carrot is the central hub that brings all of his marketing efforts together. He’s running PPC ads to drive traffic to his site while leveraging Carrot’s easy content marketing tools and strategy to build his SEO for long-term lead generation. Since he’s driving traffic from all of his marketing efforts to his Carrot site, he can track performance across all campaigns and channels, giving him the clarity needed with his marketing strategy. Here’s how Carter is using Carrot as the central hub to tie together the marketing efforts they were once doing on their own to become the authority in their area: Switching from a custom website to a Get a high-converting websiteBefore Carter Steph went on his journey to $2 million in revenue in 2018, he was doing some things with his website very differently than he is now. In fact, with the powers of technology, I was able to dig up his several-year-old website for all of us to look at. Believe it or not, that custom website cost Carter and his business $5,000 upfront and $700 per month for hosting fees. That’s quite expensive. And it’s even more expensive when you find out that it had a terrible conversion rate and almost never generated any leads for Carter’s business — the leads it did generate weren’t very good quality and Carter’s close rate was only 7%. For that reason, they were spending $1,500 on PPC every month but $30,000 to $40,000 on TV ads. Then they switched to Carrot. The difference was immediate, Carter said. After just 2 days, their new Carrot site had generated its first high-quality lead. And within a few months, their close rate skyrocketed from the previous 7% to 20% because lead-quality increased. After Trevor and Carter ran some estimations on the CarrotCast interview, they determined that Carter is saving between $20,000 and $50,000 every single month in lost lead-gen closing potential after switching from their expensive custom-made site to one of our Carrot sites. Wow! Now they close 20% of leads, their PPC budget is $8,000 per month (because their website is converting as it should be), and they’re growing like crazy. Sometimes, the small changes make a big difference. And at Carrot, small, iterative, conversion-optimization changes is exactly what we’re focused on. ;-) Evergreen MarketingIn marketing terms, Evergreen is marketing you do once, and it works for years… not hours, days or weeks. Content relevant for a long time, that serves your best prospects, and gets in front … Continued

Case Study: Google Ads Traffic To Carrot Website Reveals The Most-Clicked Page On Your Site

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If you’re like most real estate investors, you’re already running paid advertising campaigns to your website (Carrot or otherwise). You’re running Google Ads or Facebooks ads or both… And every day, you wake up and check results. How many clicks are you getting? How many of those clicks turn into leads on your website? How many of those leads turn into deals? And do the results you’re getting justify the money you’re spending? Those questions are enough to give any marketer a migraine… But they are important questions to ask. You’re spending hard-earned money on paid advertising; you need to know if that’s money well-spent or not. If it is, great! If it isn’t, you’d best make some adjustments (advertise somewhere else, tweak the ad you’re running, or change where you’re sending traffic — Carrot converts out-of-the-box). To help you, we helped one of our members with their Google Ads campaign. We monitored their conversion rate and we even ran a nifty heatmap on their homepage which only tracked Google Ads traffic. Here’s what we found. The Case Study: Google Ads Traffic To Carrot Website Reveals The Most-Clicked Page On Your Site The website/company that we ran Google Ads campaigns for is called Henry Home Buyers, a real estate investing company which operates out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here’s what their website looks like. From April 15th to May 15th, we drove traffic to their website via the below Google Ad campaigns. During that time, we tracked their PPC metrics, their website conversion rate, and even put a heatmap on their homepage. Here is an example of an which ran from April 15th to May 15th. For the month, that Google Ad campaign received 127 clicks, which took visitors to there homepage. The conversion rate was an above-average, super healthy 16.54%, meaning that 21 of the 127 people who clicked also opted-in on Henry Home Buyers website to become a lead. Considering that most real estate investors need 20 or 25 leads to generate one deal, this one Google Ads campaign could have theoretically amounted to $10,000 or $20,000 (depending on the width of their wholesale fee) — we weren’t able to actually track how many of those leads turned into deals, so this is conjecture. But you get the point. A good Google Ads campaign can pay you back ten-fold. Perhaps most revealing, though, is the heatmap we ran on their homepage during the test. Take a look. It doesn’t take an eagle-eyed human to spot that there’s two places lit up like a Christmas tree on the above heatmap — two places that people clicked more than anywhere else. Their high-converting Carrot opt-in form. And their “Meet Our Team” page (AKA, the “About” page) Well, it’s a darn good thing they have such an awesome “About” page with a high-quality team photo, their company’s core values, and even a CTA at the bottom encouraging visitors to give em’ a call. (Image Source) Which leads us into the main takeaway from this test. And it really can’t be overstated… The Most-Clicked Page On Your Website… Do NOT Neglect Your “About” Page… We’ve said it a million times and we’ll say it again… Real estate transactions aren’t just expensive financially, they’re expensive emotionally and mentally. Because real estate transactions are so taxing, the average consumer must completely trust the person that they choose to work with. They must believe you can solve their problem or help fulfill their dream, and that you can do so expertly. They also want to know that you have their best interest in mind — you might just be building your … Continued

Real Estate Investor Success Story: 7 Dead-Simple, Secret Strategies That Lead To MS Home Buyer’s First $100k Month

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We recently had the opportunity to interview Adam Johnson and Brent Moreno on the CarrotCast, two partnered-up investors who finished their first $100k month back in March. On the episode, Trevor asks them about how they got to their first $100k month — exactly what marketing strategies they used and what mindset philosophies made all the difference. If you’d prefer to watch or listen, you can go here to view the full interview. Or below, I’ve compiled 7 of the duo’s dead-simple, secret strategies that they shared on the Carrot real estate investor success story. Want to learn how they got to their first $100k month and how you can, too? Read on. Dead-Simple, Secret Strategy #1: Making Uber Do Your Driving-For-Dollars Brent Moreno is likely one of the most innovative online marketers around. While he and his partner often use tried-and-true marketing methods (PPC, Facebook Ads, Direct Mail), Moreno isn’t afraid to think outside of the box in order to get a leg up on the competition. The way he used Uber drivers to find deals is the perfect example of this. Before his real estate investing days, Moreno was a part-time Uber driver. He’d drop his wife off at work and go drive for a few hours to make a little extra money. During that time, he started an Uber Facebook group. When he finally took the leap into real estate investing and gave up on Uber driving, he had an “aha!” moment… Uber drivers literally just drive around town all day… If I could get just a few of them to send me property addresses for vacant or distressed homes, they could do my driving-for-dollars for me. So he reached out to his Uber-driving pals in his Facebook group and asked them to do him a favor. One of them took him up on it and passed him 35 seller leads, 2 of which he was able to close on. That’s just the kind of marketing ingenuity that separates top investors from the rest. Feel free to steal his strategy and try this in your own market. Who knows? Could be a game-changer. Dead-Simple, Secret Strategy #2: Building Your Inner Circle In real estate, perhaps nothing is more powerful than long-term, meaningful relationships in your market of operation. And that is a truth which Adam Johnson doesn’t take lightly: I love to make people smile. I really do. In fact, he’s built so many meaningful relationships in his community that when he walked into the local courthouse (a place he regularly visits, giving chocolates, kind notes, or snow cones to the workers whenever he leaves) to check the title on a foreclosure, something amazing happened. He overheard one of the workers talking on the phone as they said something like this: I’m sorry Ma’am, I just don’t have the authority to offer discounts or lower your payments. There’s nothing I can do. After a moment, the worker noticed Johnson in the room, said Uhh. Hold on, hold on. Let me get someone else on the phone and gave Johnson the county phone to try and help this woman solve her tax problems. That random situation turned into a closed deal for Johnson. What’s more? Johnson literally has his own set of keys to every courthouse in the county because of the relationships he’s built. Don’t underestimate the power of consistent kindness to build meaningful relationships in your community — you never know where your next deal will come from. Moreno even goes so far as to claim that 50% of their success can be directly attributed to the … Continued

Bing Ads For Real Estate: How To Create An Account The Right Way…

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We’ve already written about why Bing ads can be crazy profitable for real estate investors and agents. But how do you set up a Bing Ads account? Well here’s how… × × Demo Carrot: How many deals are you losing to your competitor’s website? Take a Free Demo But first, we need to clear something up. In early 2019, Bing Ads was rebranded as Microsoft Advertising. In this article, we’re going to reference Bing Ads. Real estate investors can be very busy and sometimes don’t have the necessary time to research and create marketing campaigns, especially when it comes to pay-per-click advertising. We understand the requirement to streamline some of this process. That’s why we created this simple step-by-step guide to creating your own Bing Ads account. It’s for short-on-time investors needing to expand their online marketing. In a previous post, we covered why Bing Ads for real estate isn’t a waste of your time and should be considered as a viable advertising resource. But, just don’t take our word for it, check out this post from another highly regarded PPC company 25 Reasons to Use Bing Ads Now. Create A Bing Ads For Real Estate Account In 15 Minutes First, go to the  Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads) sign up page. You’ll be given 2 options: Use an existing email address or create a new email address. Option 1: Use An Existing Email Address To Create An Account Go to the Bing Ads sign up page and enter an existing email address. Click Check availability to check if your email address is available to use. Image: Bing If you have an email address you already use to sign in to Microsoft products (like Skype or Xbox LIVE), all you need to do is sign in and the transition will be complete. If you’ve never used this email to sign into a Microsoft product, you’ll be able to sign up for a new account. After you’ve created your Bing Ads account, you can set up your campaign by importing from Google AdWords (see below) or by creating a new campaign. You can also skip this step and click Continue. Enter your billing and payment information and click Next. You can also skip this step and enter your billing and payment information later by clicking Skip. Option 2: Create A New Email Address And Then Create An Account Go to the Bing Ads sign up page Image: Bing Select Create a new email address and click Next. Image: Bing A Microsoft account is an email address and password you use to sign in to Microsoft services or devices. If you use an email address and password to sign in to services like Skype, Xbox LIVE, or Outlook.com, you already have a Microsoft account. Image: Bing Image: Bing After you verify your email you’ll be Ready to go! Image: Bing You’ll be taken to the Bing Ads Create Account page directly after creating your new Microsoft account and will already be signed in with your new account. Image: Bing After you’ve created your Bing Ads account, you can set up your campaign by importing from Google AdWords or by creating a new campaign. You can also Choose Option 3 to skip this step. Once you choose your desired option click Continue. Image: Bing Enter your billing and payment information and click Next. You can also skip this step and enter your billing and payment information later by clicking Skip. Image: Bing You’ll be directed to billing. Image: Bing Setting Up Your Billing Information When you’re ready to go live with your Bing Ads campaigns, you’ll need to set up your … Continued

How to Create a Google Ads Account for Real Estate

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Are you ready to take the next step in your online real estate marketing? That step is creating a Google Ads account. Real estate investors face several challenges when it comes to generating leads. Traditional methods, such as direct mail and cold calling, can be time-consuming and yield low results. Even with a strong online presence, attracting qualified leads to your website can be tough. This is where Google Ads comes in. According to data, Google Ads can be a highly effective lead source for real estate investors. Without it, investors may struggle to compete in today’s crowded digital landscape. With Google Ads, investors can reach potential sellers and buyers actively searching for real estate solutions, resulting in a higher likelihood of conversion. Furthermore, without a strong online advertising strategy, investors may miss out on valuable leads. The data shows that 97% of consumers search for businesses online before making a decision. If real estate investors are not visible in these search results, they may be losing out on potential leads to their competitors. In addition to missing out on potential leads, not having a strong online presence can damage an investor’s credibility. With 78% of consumers saying they research a business before engaging with them, it’s crucial for investors to have a professional and user-friendly website. By using Google Ads to drive traffic to their website, investors can showcase their credibility and expertise to potential leads. Overall, real estate investors who neglect to utilize Google Ads may miss out on valuable leads, damaging their credibility and struggling to compete in today’s digital landscape. In preparation for creating a Google Ads account, there are a few important steps. While setting up the account itself is relatively straightforward, running effective Google Ads campaigns requires some groundwork. Before You Create a Google Ads Account First and foremost, ensuring that your website is relevant, user-friendly, and adds credibility is crucial. Your Google Ads account will drive traffic to your site, but once visitors arrive, it’s up to you to convince them to take action. To do so, you’ll need landing pages designed to motivate and engage visitors. Your advertising efforts will likely be wasted if your landing pages are disorganized, lack relevant information, or are otherwise not conducive to conversions. For guidance on creating effective landing pages that maximize the return on your PPC campaigns, we recommend checking out our land page best practices. Before Starting a Google Ads Account, You Need to Consider 1. Planning. You need to have your real estate website dialed in with some personalization and credibility. Your Google Ads account (formerly known as AdWords) can help you to bring qualified visitors to your real estate website. Once they’ve made it to your website, it’s YOUR duty to convince them to convert. To make this happen, you must create pages that will compel your visitors to take action. If your pages are cluttered or lack relevant, credible information, you will have a leaky bucket and will likely be wasting money. Take the time to focus on customizing your website a bit, especially your “Testimonials” and “Our Company” pages. Check why these two pages are so important. Also, be sure your real estate website is mobile-optimized. All Carrot websites are mobile-friendly. Therefore you’re maximizing the potential of your Google ads account. 2. Commitment. You must be willing to build Google Ads into your long-term financial and time plan. It’s practically impossible to see the full potential of your Google Ads account from the start. It’s essential to recognize that PPC is not a short-term venture. Establishing a strong structure, expanding … Continued