Although there is no single most important trait, finding motivated seller leads can be one of the most critical skills in real estate investing.
If there’s one thing that separates a struggling investor from most successful real estate investors, they have systems for generating leads. They have processes that work like clockwork day-in and day-out.
These investors usually generate 20 or more high-quality motivated seller leads per month.
Does that sound too good to be true? It’s not.
In 2003, we built our first website to generate motivated seller leads. Since then, we’ve refined our marketing systems, website platforms, and overall strategy on what it takes to drive leads online.
We’ve brought in over 1,253,267 real estate-related leads alone in the past 5 years.
The lead generation options that we will teach you in this article have been proven. Although they can take a bit of upfront work, you can generate leads every month once the ball is rolling.
When You Get Motivated Leads You Need to Close Them!
Get the fool-proof strategies & step-by-step scripts used by real estate investing’s top closers.
What Are Motivated Sellers?
A motivated seller is a property owner who needs to get rid of their property quickly and meets at least one of the following conditions:
They are willing to sell at a 10-30% price below market value.
They are ready to sell under specific terms. Including no money down and no interest.
In an ideal situation, you’d want both conditions, but one advantage of working with motivated sellers is that they have reasons they need to sell fast. You’re there to help them solve it.
Many investors choose to buy lists of motivated seller leads. For example, you might have the option to purchase a probate list that is pulled from courthouse records. Or a list of pre-foreclosures who are likely to sell in the coming two to three months.
Although finding this information can be time-consuming, if you don’t have the time, you can use services such as DataTree and ListSource.
You must confirm the accuracy of the data. Some services may have data that is no longer relevant.
Drive for Dollars
Driving for dollars can be a great way to generate leads. You simply drive into your targeted neighborhoods looking for distressed or vacant properties.
While driving, you can create a list of properties to contact.
Another option is to use Google Maps Street View and apps such DealMachine. You can drive for dollars without leaving your house.
Find Motivated Seller Leads Online
SEO, PPC, and social media.
Let’s start with SEO. SEO for real estate is what we consider the secret sauce of a real estate investing marketing strategy.
Organic leads are where the majority of leads come from for our members.
It’s not theory, here’s a real peek behind the scenes…
We focus not only on SEO but also on how it builds into Evergreen marketing.
How Would You Like More Motivated Seller Leads (with no paid ads) Using 1 Proven, Simple Marketing Strategy?
Watch thisFree On-Demand Workshop. We Breakdown Exactly How Our Members Generated Over 450,000 House/Land Sellers & Buyers Last Year
The definition of Evergreen marketing is: “a: retaining freshness or interest: perennial. b: universally and continually relevant: not limited in applicability to a particular event or date.”
In marketing terms, it’s marketing you do once, and it works for years… not hours, days, or weeks. Content relevant for a long time serves your best prospects and gets in front of them where they’re searching online.
Results grow momentum over time = Freedom
We then amplify Evergreen with paid marketing and even hamster wheel marketing.
Hamster wheel marketing is defined as: “any situation that seems to be endless without goal or achievement.”
In marketing terms, any marketing that works for a short time after you do has a limited life span. Then you have to do it all over again to keep results coming in.
Cold calling, direct mail, posting on social, open houses, etc.
Results stop when you stop = Stress
Growing more and more into the Evergreen is where you create your consistency, freedom, and flexibility.
You can make a more significant impact with your business, but also, that’s where your most valuable and highest converting leads come from.
If you build a solid lead generation engine for your real estate business, you’ll have leads for life.
It’s a big goal, but don’t be intimated.
Here’s some proof…
Tyler Ford has been getting 2x more motivated seller leads with Carrot than he did with his old site. The Carrot tools and Evergreen marketing content has helped him stand out in my crowded market.
While paid advertising can bring in motivated seller leads immediately and can help your business in the short-term… SEO can build momentum and help grow your business over the long term.
But what is SEO?
It’s pretty simple.
When a motivated seller wants to sell their house fast for cash, many of them go to Google and type in the phrase “Sell my house fast in [MARKET CITY]”.
And when they do, Google shows them different websites that it thinks can help the searcher.
If I search for “Sell my house fast in Dallas”, for example, Google thinks that these websites can help me out.
Now here’s the thing: those websites are getting clicks and traffic from motivated sellers every time someone types that phrase into Google… which is more often than you’d think.
That traffic then turns into leads (so long as the investor’s website is optimized for conversion) and the investor generates deals every month through SEO.
You can also pay to get in those search results…
And that is a good idea when you’re starting. But it shouldn’t replace your SEO strategy.
More than 90% of people click on organic results before clicking on PPC results.
So here’s the question: how do you get Google to rank your website for a high-value keyword phrase.
Well, it can take time and some patience.
To start, you’ll need to put the correct title on your page, have a website that loads quickly, and do a few other things. Reference this SEO guide for help.
And at Carrot, we have TONS of tools to help you.
We give you monthly SEO-optimized blog post content. Our websites have an SEO-friendly tech-stack. We also allow you to track your progress on target keyword phrases and alert you to optimizations that are missing on any given page.
SEO for real estate investors couldn’t be any easier than with a Carrot site. :)
PPC is another valuable asset to generate motivated leads.
Google Ads can work so long as you have a solid strategy. Year after year, it’s one of our Carrot members’ top lead generation methods (behind organic leads).
Our real estate investor members consistently get feedback that their Google Ads leads are closing between 1 in 10 to 1 in 15 leads per deal.
Learn more about Google Ads for real estate investors in this ultimate guide.
Direct Mail
Real estate direct mail is one of the most tried and true methods for real estate investors to generate leads.
Although, a portion of mail ends up in the trash without a second look.
The average mailbox is packed with junk mail, bills, and other correspondence from various sources telling you about deals or offering their services. It can be easy for an envelope containing information on real estate opportunities to land within the other noise.
Direct mail still works and offers different opportunities if done correctly.
It’s interactive.
It’s memorable.
It can have an extensive reach.
It offers a lot of ways to get creative.
You can pair social media and content marketing (websites) with direct mail for an enhanced customer journey.
FSBO sites can be a great place to find motivated sellers for free. Sites such as Loopnet and Trulia are good sites to use and you can also find motivated sellers on Craigslist.
On Craigslist look for deals that have been listed for a long time. This might be a sign of a motivated seller.
Narrow your search by property type, price, location, and whether a broker or the owner is selling the home. You can also search for apartments, condos, and multi-family homes if it fits your niche.
Bandit Signs
Bandit signs are “old school” and not many new investors use them.
They can still be a great way to find motivated sellers and cash buyers.
One of the most significant issues with bandit signs is legality. Cities can have strict ordinances about putting them out. As a general rule, it’s a good idea to check with your city before.
Here are some tips if you find it’s legal:
Don’t put your personal number on the bandit sign – rather use a Call Rail Tracking Number, A Google Voice Number, or any number that will not lead back to you if someone were to Google the number.
Take your sign down immediately if someone has issues with it.
Don’t post signs on private property.
The Difference Between Inbound & Outbound Lead Generation
We’ve shared a lot of different strategies on this blog for real estate lead generation: Traffic plus Conversions, and we’ve shown you a bunch of great strategies for building traffic. If you haven’t read those posts, click those links to check ’em out… I’ll try not to duplicate much here.
Real estate investors can generate motivated leads using outbound and inbound (paid and organic) sources. Both are good ways to generate leads.
Confused?
Let me make it more simple.
“Outbound” marketing are strategies such as direct mail, cold calling, and driving for dollars.
“Inbound” marketingare Google Ads, Microsoft ads, and Facebook strategies. Also, with good content through organic search rankings or SEO.
The Simple Motivated Seller Lead Generation Formula
To generate more motivated seller leads for your business, you first have to understand the simple formula for lead generation.
That is, how is a lead generated in the first place?
Different investors will answer that question differently. Some will say that cold calling is how you generate leads, others will say direct mail, and still, others will say by personally connecting with people in the community.
And none of those answers are wrong.
We know most successful investors also use direct mail and/or cold calling to generate consistent leads for their businesses.
But they also do something that very few investors don’t do.
They systematically generate leads by using the below formula…
TRAFFIC + CONVERSION = LEADS
Let’s break that down.
Traffic is when people visit your website. They might come through paid advertisements you’re running (like Facebook Ads or Google Ads) or they might come organically through a search engine (Google) or a social media site (Facebook).
Wherever they come from, one thing is for sure… you can’t generate leads on autopilot through your website if you’re not generating traffic.
Paid ads effectively drive immediate traffic to your website while building your organic traffic takes a little more time (but the payoff is massive) — more on organic traffic or “SEO” here shortly.
What about conversions?
A conversion is when, after visiting your website, the person takes the action you want them to take. Usually, that’s filling out a form that provides you with their contact information or calling your business directly.
And voila! You have a lead.
Those are the two vital elements to generating motivated seller leads.
You have to drive traffic to your website consistently and consistently convert that traffic into leads for your business.
And Carrot websites have the highest conversion rate in the industry (usually between 10% and 20%).
A conversion rate on one Carrot member’s website.
That’s why we believe in our product so much.
We know that if someone takes their organic traffic seriously and uses Carrot to create their website, they’ll have everything they need to build a winning business.
The Magic of Conversion Optimization
Remember the formula we talked about?
Traffic + Conversion = Leads
Well… you need both traffic and conversions.
It’s not uncommon for us to see a real estate investor succeed at driving traffic to their website through paid ads or SEO… but to convert almost none of that traffic into leads.
Why?
Because their site isn’t set up to convert.
Actually, there’s a big difference between a website that’s built to convert visitors and one that… isn’t.
Let me show you what I mean.
Imagine that you search in Google for the phrase “Sell my house fast in Dallas”.
You’re probably pretty motivated — you want to sell fast for cash and you’re wondering how that’s possible.
So you click on some results in Google.
The first website you go to looks like this…
That’s not too bad, but there’s a lot of text to read on the first page… and you’re looking for a quick solution, so you leave the tab open but go to a different Google result.
The next website you visit looks like this…
Now we’re talking!
This site seems to be able to give you exactly what you want… and by just entering a few details, you can get your fair cash offer today — that’s perfect!
See the difference?
The first site doesn’t solve your problem immediately, but the second site does.
Well… that’s because the second site is a Carrot site… and we’ve run hundreds of tests to determine what converts website visitors the best in the real estate industry. We’ve then taken what we’ve learned and baked conversion optimization into every one of our member’s sites.
That way, as a Carrot member, you start out with a high-converting site.
Most people who switch to Carrot are seeing a measly 2% or 3% conversion rate on their old site… and then get up to a 20% conversion rate on their Carrot site!
Here’s a Carrot member with a 9% conversion rate (693 leads divided by the 7,661 visitors).
Ultimately, you need traffic and conversions to generate consistently motivated seller leads.
How to Negotiate with Motivated Sellers
When it comes to negotiating with motivated sellers, there are some commonalities.
We all know that price is not something that’s set in stone. And neither is a seller’s immediate inclination to work with or to not work with you.
They could call you ready to sell but a few days later lose interest. Or they could call skeptical and leave the call ready to sign.
Part of what determines these outcomes is how you negotiate. What you say, what questions you ask, and even how you talk could impact.
So we spoke with some experienced real estate investors and asked them how they negotiate with sellers to close more deals.
You now know what motivated sellers are and some common methods to find them.
The process of finding motivated seller leads and negotiating with them looks doesn’t need to be complicated. Pick one or two quicker lead generation methods and start working on your Evergreen SEO.
Be persistent with follow-up as you never know what will happen after the third, fourth, or sixtieth time around.
Succeeding in the real estate investing industry is a matter of patience and persistence. Finding motivated seller leads and knowing how to contact them can take plenty of practice.
Be consistent and you’ll be on your way to fulfilling your real estate investment career.
Google Ads, when implemented strategically, is one of the most effective lead generation engines for real estate investors, consistently delivering high-quality motivated seller leads that convert to deals at impressive rates of 1 in 10 to 1 in 15.
Key Takeaways
Target motivated sellers through precise keyword research, focusing on intent-based phrases like “sell my house fast” and using appropriate match types (broad, phrase, or exact) to reach the right audience.
Create compelling ad copy with strong headlines, descriptive text, and clear calls to action, while leveraging ad extensions for maximum visibility and improved click-through rates.
Implement conversion tracking to measure key metrics like cost-per-lead, conversion rate, and ultimately deal conversion rate, allowing for data-driven optimization of campaigns.
By setting realistic expectations, allocating a proper testing budget, and continuously refining your strategy based on performance data, you can transform Google Ads into a predictable source of high-quality motivated seller leads that generate substantial ROI for your real estate investing business.
Google Ads for Real Estate Investors: Steps for Successful Campaigns
Uncertain aboutPPC advertising? Fear of wasted spend or limited time are common concerns. But here’s the truth: Google Ads, when implemented strategically, is a proven lead generation engine. In fact, it’s consistently ranked among the top methods for our Carrot members, translating into high closing rates (1 in 10 to 1 in 15 leads).
This guide empowers you to take control and build a Google Ads campaign that can significantly impact your business, just like it did for Carrot member Brian Rockwell…
and countless others…
Real Estate Investor PPC Keywords
Are you curious what the most profitable Motivated Seller keywords?
We’re committed to your privacy. Carrot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, check out our Privacy Policy.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is an online advertising platform developed by Google, where advertisers bid to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, or videos to web users. It can place ads both in the results of search engines like Google Search and on non-search websites, mobile apps, and videos.
Google Ads for real estate investors can be a powerful way to reach your target audience, but it takes some knowledge and preparation. Check out this list for everything you need before getting started!
Google Ads Basic Terms
Keywords: These are the words or phrases that people type into Google Search, which trigger your ad to appear. When setting up an ad campaign, you’ll pick a list of keywords that you think people might search for when they want what you offer (and don’t worry: we can help).
Bid: This is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay when someone clicks on your ad. (Since, with Google Ads, you don’t pay to show up — only when someone clicks on your ad to visit your site or call you.)
Quality Score: This metric tells you how relevant your keywords are to your ad and your landing page (i.e., the webpage where people will be taken when they click your ad). A good Quality Score can lower your bid costs and improve your ad rank in the search results.
Ad Rank:Ad Rank is a metric that helps determine where your ad will show up, relative to other ads, when it’s triggered to appear on Google. Your rank is determined using your bid, quality score, and other factors.
CPC (cost-per-click): The actual amount you pay when someone clicks on your ad. (You don’t necessarily pay your entire bid price for every click — that sets up a range of possible costs-per-click you might pay.)
Conversion: A conversion occurs when someone who has clicked your ad takes another action you’ve designated as important — like making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or calling you. Here are20 steps to optimize your real estate investor PPC account.
Part 1: Google Ads Fundamentals for Real Estate Investors
In this section, we’ll dive into the foundational elements of Google Ads specifically for real estate investors. We’ll explore the benefits of using this platform to attract motivated sellers and high-quality leads, guide you through setting up your account, and explain how to structure your campaigns for optimal results.
Why Should Real Estate Investors Use Google Ads?
Traditionally, real estate investors have relied on networking, cold calling, and yard signs to find motivated sellers. However, Google Ads offers a powerful and targeted approach to reach a highly engaged audience actively searching for solutions. Here’s why Google Ads should be in your real estate investor toolkit:
Reach Highly Motivated Sellers: Target potential sellers actively searching for terms like “sell my house fast” or “we buy houses in [your city].” These individuals are more likely to be open to your offers compared to cold leads.
Laser-Focused Targeting: Go beyond demographics. Refine your targeting by location, property type (single-family, multi-unit), timeframe (foreclosure, inheritance), or even budget to reach the most relevant sellers.
Measurable Results: Track every click, lead, and conversion generated through your ads. Analyze data and optimize your campaigns for maximum ROI and lead generation. Tip: To streamline your project management and efficiently track tasks, it’s beneficial to create Jira filters that help you monitor your Google Ads campaigns’ performance.
Faster Lead Generation: Compared to traditional methods, Google Ads can deliver qualified leads quickly, allowing you to act fast and secure deals before competitors.
Scalability & Flexibility: Start small and scale your campaigns as your budget and goals grow. Adjust targeting and messaging based on performance data for continuous improvement.
Setting Up Your Google Ads Account (Step-by-Step with Real Estate Investor Considerations)
Creating your Google Ads account is a straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step approach with considerations for real estate investors:
Set Your Campaign Goal: Choose “Leads” as you’re primarily interested in generating seller leads.
Target Location: Enter your target market area (city, zip code, or radius) where you’re actively looking for properties. Your location settings will play a role in placement. For example, if you choose the location target option of “Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations,” and you only buy houses in Oakland, when someone in New York searches for “sell my house fast,” they will not see your ad. That’s because Google’s main objective is to display ads to searchers within the target location.
Budget: Set a daily or monthly budget that aligns with your comfort level and investment goals. Start small and increase as you gain confidence and refine your campaigns.
Bidding Strategy: Consider “Manual CPC” or “Maximize Conversions” initially to prioritize generating leads within your budget.
Real Estate Investor Considerations:
Business Name & Website: Use a clear and professional business name that reflects your brand. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and optimized to capture leads (e.g., contact forms).
Payment Method: Select your preferred payment method (credit card, debit card) for your advertising costs.
Understanding Campaign Structure & Targeting (Campaign Goals, Ad Groups, Keywords for Real Estate)
Now that your account is set up, let’s explore how to structure your campaigns for success.
Campaigns: These represent your overall advertising objectives. As a real estate investor, your primary campaign goal will likely be “Leads.”
Ad Groups: Organize your ads within your campaign based on a specific theme or target audience. For example, you might create separate ad groups for “Cash for Houses Fast” or “Sell Your Inherited Property.”
Keywords: These are the words and phrases potential sellers will use to search for solutions. Real estate investor keyword research should focus on terms related to motivated sellers, such as “we buy houses,” “sell my house fast,” or location-specific variations like “[your city] house buyers.”
Keywords Match Types and Research
The different match types give you room when selecting your keywords. Match types tell Google whether you want to match a search query exactly or if your ad should be shown to anyone with a search query that’s somewhat related. There are three match types to choose from:
Broad match“may show on searches related to your keyword, which can include searches that don’t contain the keyword terms. This helps you attract more visitors to your website, spend less time building keyword lists, and focus your spending on keywords that work. Broad match is the default match type that all your keywords are assigned so that you don’t have to specify another match type (exact match, phrase match, or a negative match type).”
The syntax for broad match is to simply input the keyword. Below is an example of how a broad match keyword would work:
Broad Match Keyword:
Quick Sell Home
Ads May Show on Searches For:
quick sale
private home sale
1 bedroom houses near me
Phrase match“may show on searches that include the meaning of your keyword. The meaning of the keyword can be implied, and user searches can be a more specific form of the meaning. With phrase match, you can reach more searches than with exact match and fewer searches than with broad match, only showing your ads on the searches that include your product or service.”
The syntax for phrase match is to put quotes around your keyword. Below is an example of how a phrase match keyword would work:
Phrase Match Keyword:
“We Buy Houses”
Ads May Show on Searches For:
best we buy houses company
we buy houses for cash companies
we buy houses in colorado
Exact match“may show on searches that have the same meaning or same intent as the keyword. Of the three keyword match options, exact match gives you the most control over who sees your ad, but reaches fewer searches than both phrase and broad match.”
The syntax for exact match is to use square brackets. Below is an example of how an exact match keyword would work:
Exact Match Keyword:
[Sell My House Fast]
Ads May Show on Searches For:
sell my house fast
quick fixes to sell your home
sell my houses fast
If you’re starting out and don’t know exactly how your market will be searching, move away from a broad match to a narrowed approach so you can see which searches yield the best results. You should always keep a close eye on your keywords and modify them as you can gain new data.
Keyword Research
Once you have your direction plan, it’s time to perform keyword research for your market, intent keywords, and competition.
Define your target customer —Most investors likely have an idea, but newer investors might need to take the time to create a customer avatar.
Define your target locations — You can target locations down to the city. You can even exclude cities, counties, or states.
Identify keywords to block —Called negative keywords, adding these in will help block your ads from showing for the wrong searcher.
Sort keywords and identify customer intent keywords vs. research keywords — Research keywords might be on the edge, so be careful when choosing them. You must monitor those to make sure they’re not eating up your budget.
Organize your keywords into categories — For example:
Category: Sell My House Fast Category: We Buy Houses Category: Sell Your House Quick
This will help you build your ad groups around your keywords while staying organized.
Pro Tip: Do some spying on your competitor’s keywords — SEMRush or SpyFu are two great tools that provide helpful information.
Next Steps:
In the following sections, we’ll delve deeper into crafting compelling ad copy, optimizing your landing pages, and using advanced strategies to maximize your return on investment with Google Ads.
Part 2: Creating High-Converting Ads for Real Estate Investors
Now that you understand the fundamentals of Google Ads for real estate investors, let’s focus on crafting the elements that will grab attention and convert clicks into leads.
Writing Compelling Ad Headlines & Descriptions (Examples & Best Practices)
Headlines and descriptions are your prime real estate on the search results page.
Here’s the amount of characters allotted in a Google Ads ad:
Display URL Examples
www.domain.com/We-Buy-/Houses-Cash
www.domain.com/Sell-Your-Home/For-Cash
Dimensions for Responsive Search Ads
Enter your headlines. You’ll need to enter a minimum of 3 headlines, but you can enter up to 15.
Enter your descriptions. You’ll need to enter a minimum of 2 descriptions, but you can enter up to 4.
You can also control where individual headlines and descriptions appear in your ad by pinning headlines and descriptions to specific positions.
Here is an example of a responsive ad converting at 32.52% with 40 leads:
Focus on benefits for sellers (e.g., “Sell Your House Fast for Cash!”).
Highlight urgency (e.g., “Get a Cash Offer in 24 Hours”).
Use strong verbs and action words (e.g., “Sell Now,” “Get Your Free Offer”).
Incorporate location if relevant (e.g., “[Your City] Cash Home Buyers”).
Descriptions:
Expand on the headline’s benefits (e.g., “Skip the hassle of listing & showings. We buy houses in any condition.”).
Address seller pain points (e.g., “Facing foreclosure? We can help.”).
Showcase your unique selling proposition (USP) as a real estate investor (e.g., “Fast closings, no fees”).
Include a clear call to action (CTA) (e.g., “Get a Free Cash Offer Today!”).
Examples:
Headline: Tired Landlord? Sell Your Rental Property Fast for Cash!
Description: Get a fair offer in 24 hours and close in 14 days. We handle everything – no repairs, no hassle! Learn More Now!
Crafting Powerful Calls to Action (CTAs) that Drive Leads
Your CTA is the final nudge that encourages potential sellers to take the next step. Here are some effective CTAs for real estate investor ads:
Get a Free Cash Offer
Sell Your House Now
Learn More About Our Fast Closing Process
Schedule a Free Consultation
Download Your Free Guide to Selling Your Property
Ad Extensions
If you’re running Google Ads, you should be using Ad Extensions for two reasons:
They’re free
They give users additional information and another reason to interact with your ad.
These extensions fall within one of these six categories for real estate investor campaigns.
Call (Phone number)
Location (Link to your Google+ profile)
Sitelinks (Clickable links that can drive traffic to different pages on your site, such as your “About” page, “Testimonials” page, and “How We Buy Houses” page)
Call-Outs (Non-Clickable points. Great for Calls-to-Action)
Structured Snippets (Real estate investors don’t get many options with this one, but can use the “Types” option and list out what types of houses you buy)
Image extensions allow advertisers to upload relevant visuals to complement their existing text ads. Image extensions can help drive performance, with compelling visuals of past deals or cash offers that enhance the message of their text ads.
Landing Pages
Designing Effective Landing Pages for Conversions (Landing Page Optimization for Real Estate Investors)
Once someone clicks your ad, they land on your landing page. Here’s how to optimize your landing page for conversions:
Focus on a single offer: Don’t overwhelm visitors with multiple options.
Match the message of your ad: Ensure the landing page reinforces the benefits and call to action from your ad.
Keep it clear and concise: Use bullet points, visuals, and easy-to-understand language.
Make it mobile-friendly: You will probably already know that your website needs mobile-friendly. 61% of our motivated house sellers, cash buyers, and rent-to-own tenant leads were from mobile devices last year. If your website is not mobile optimized, you’re likely losing tens of thousands of dollars per year in leads and deals without knowing it.
Include a prominent lead capture form: Capture seller information with a clear value proposition for submitting their details (e.g., “Get Your Free Cash Offer Now!”).
By following these best practices and tailoring your messaging to the needs of motivated sellers, you can create high-converting Google Ads campaigns that generate a steady stream of leads for your real estate investment business.
Part 3: Optimizing Your Google Ads Campaigns for Success
Having a well-structured campaign is just the first step. Now it’s time to fine-tune your efforts to maximize leads and ROI.
Bidding Strategies for Real Estate Investors (Maximizing ROI with Cost-per-Lead (CPA) Bidding)
Bidding is the process of determining how much you’re willing to pay for each click on your ad. As a real estate investor, your primary goal is to generate leads. Here’s a bidding strategy optimized for your needs:
Cost-per-Lead (CPA) Bidding: This strategy allows you to set a maximum amount you’re willing to pay for each lead generated through your ads. Google Ads will then automatically adjust your bids to acquire leads within your budget.
In Google Ads, Cost-per-Lead (CPA) Bidding is an automated bid strategy that prioritizes acquiring conversions (leads) at your specified maximum cost per lead. It utilizes machine learning to set bids for each auction, aiming to generate leads within your target cost range.
Here’s a breakdown of Cost-per-Lead (CPA) Bidding in Google Ads:
Focus on Lead Acquisition: This strategy optimizes for acquiring leads (e.g., form submissions, phone calls) at a cost you’re comfortable with.
Automated Bidding: Google Ads leverages complex algorithms to analyze various factors, such as user behavior, landing page relevance, and historical data, to determine the optimal bid for each auction. The goal is to acquire leads within your set CPA target.
Cost Control & Efficiency: This strategy strives to spend your budget efficiently, acquiring leads at or below your target cost.
Benefits of Cost-per-Lead (CPA) Bidding:
Conversion Focus: Directly optimizes for your campaign’s primary goal: generating leads.
Cost Control: Set a maximum cost you’re willing to pay for each lead, providing greater control over your budget.
Efficiency & Optimization: Google Ads prioritizes bids on auctions most likely to convert within your target CPA.
Drawbacks of Cost-per-Lead (CPA) Bidding:
Data Dependence: Google’s algorithms require a sufficient amount of conversion data to learn and optimize effectively. This may not be ideal for brand-new campaigns.
Performance Fluctuations: Actual cost per lead may vary depending on competition and campaign performance.
Limited Traffic Potential: Setting a very low CPA target might limit the number of leads you acquire.
Who Should Use Cost-per-Lead (CPA) Bidding?
Established Advertisers: This strategy works well for those with a history of lead generation through Google Ads and a good understanding of their ideal customer acquisition cost (CAC).
Lead Generation Campaigns: Ideal for campaigns where generating qualified leads is the primary objective.
Optimizing Existing Campaigns: Effective for established campaigns with sufficient conversion data to optimize lead acquisition costs.
Overall, Cost-per-Lead (CPA) Bidding is a powerful strategy for advertisers focused on acquiring leads within a specific budget. However, it requires a foundation of conversion data and an understanding of your target cost per lead.
Here are four additional bid strategies you can test:
Maximize clicks:
In Google Ads, Maximize clicks is an automated bid strategy that prioritizes getting you the most clicks possible for your set daily budget. It utilizes machine learning to determine the optimal bid for each auction, aiming to stretch your budget to reach a broad audience.
Here’s a breakdown of Maximize clicks bidding in Google Ads:
Focus on Clicks: This strategy prioritizes maximizing the total number of clicks on your ad within your campaign budget.
Automated Bidding: Google Ads uses algorithms to analyze various factors like keyword relevance, user search intent, and historical data to set bids for each auction.
Budget Efficiency: This strategy aims to spend your entire daily budget on clicks that are most likely to be relevant to your campaign.
Benefits of Maximize clicks bidding:
Simple Setup: No need to manage individual keyword bids, saving you time and effort.
Driving Traffic: Well-suited for campaigns where increasing website traffic and brand awareness is the primary objective.
Testing & Awareness: Effective for gathering initial data and building brand awareness through a high volume of ad impressions.
Drawbacks of Maximize clicks bidding:
Conversion Focus Limited: Doesn’t directly optimize for conversions (e.g., leads, sales), potentially attracting clicks that don’t convert.
Cost Fluctuations: The cost per click (CPC) can vary depending on competition and auction dynamics.
Quality Control Risk: You may attract irrelevant clicks that don’t align with your target audience.
Who Should Use Maximize clicks bidding?
New Advertisers: Easy to set up and manage, ideal for those starting with Google Ads and aiming to build initial traffic.
Website Traffic Campaigns: Well-suited for campaigns where driving visitors to your website is the primary goal.
Testing & Refining: Useful during the initial phase of a campaign to gather data and refine targeting for better conversions later.
Overall, Maximize clicks bidding is a user-friendly option for driving website traffic and gaining initial campaign insights. However, it may not be the most effective strategy for campaigns focused on generating high-quality leads or sales.
Target impression share:
In Google Ads, target impression share bidding is an automated bidding strategy that focuses on showing your ad a specific percentage of the time someone searches for your chosen keywords. Here’s a breakdown of target impression share bidding in Google Ads:
Impression Share Focus: Set a target percentage (e.g., 70%) of how often you want your ad to appear on the search results page for relevant keywords.
Automated Adjustments: Google Ads automatically adjusts your bids throughout the day to try and achieve your desired impression share goal.
Visibility Control: This strategy helps ensure your ad reaches a specific level of visibility within your target audience.
Benefits of Target impression share bidding:
Visibility Control: Gain more control over how often your ad appears in search results.
Branding & Awareness: Effective for building brand awareness by ensuring your ad is consistently visible to potential customers.
Flexibility: Based on your goals (top-of-page placement, absolute top-of-page), you can choose different target impression share percentages for various ad groups or campaigns.
Drawbacks of Target impression share bidding:
Cost Focus Shift: Doesn’t directly optimize for clicks or conversions, potentially leading to higher costs per click (CPC).
Limited Control Over Budget: Maintaining a specific budget with this strategy can be challenging, as maximizing impressions might require higher bids.
Less Data Dependence: May function adequately without a large amount of conversion data compared to some automated bid strategies.
Who Should Use Target impression share bidding?
Brand Awareness Campaigns: Ideal for prioritizing ad visibility and reaching a broad audience.
Competitive Markets: Can help ensure your ad stays visible in highly competitive search queries.
Complementing Other Strategies: Can be used alongside conversion-focused strategies to maintain brand awareness while optimizing for actions.
Overall, target impression share bidding is a good option for advertisers prioritizing ad visibility and brand awareness. However, it may not be the most cost-effective strategy for campaigns solely focused on conversions.
Maximize conversions:
In Google Ads, Maximize conversions is an automated bid strategy that prioritizes generating conversions within your set daily budget. It uses machine learning to automatically set bids for each auction, aiming to get you the most conversions possible.
Here’s a breakdown of Maximize conversions bidding in Google Ads:
Focus on Conversions: This strategy prioritizes getting you the most conversions (e.g., leads, sales) for your campaign, not necessarily clicks.
Automated Bidding: Google Ads uses complex algorithms to analyze various factors like user search queries, browsing context, and past performance to determine the optimal bid for each auction.
Budget Efficiency: This strategy aims to spend your entire daily budget efficiently, acquiring conversions at the best possible price.
Benefits of Maximize conversions bidding:
Simple Setup: No need to manage individual keyword bids, saving you time and effort.
Focus on Results: Prioritizes conversions, aligning with your campaign goals.
Budget Optimization: Google Ads strives to spend your entire budget on clicks most likely to convert.
Drawbacks of Maximize conversions bidding:
Less Control: You don’t have direct control over the cost per click (CPC) for each ad.
Data Dependence: Requires a sufficient amount of conversion data for Google’s algorithms to learn and optimize effectively.
Limited Transparency: You can’t see the exact bids Google places on your behalf.
Who Should Use Maximize conversions bidding?
New Advertisers: Easy to set up and manage, ideal for those starting with Google Ads.
Conversion-focused Campaigns: Well-suited for campaigns where generating leads or sales is the primary objective.
Limited Time or Resources: Saves time compared to manual bidding, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your campaign.
Overall, Maximize conversions bidding is a user-friendly option for advertisers prioritizing conversions and wanting to automate the bidding process. However, it sacrifices some control over cost per click.
Manual bidding:
In Google Ads, manual bidding gives you direct control over the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for each click on your ad. It’s a hands-on approach compared to automated bid strategies that Google Ads sets for you.
Here’s a breakdown of manual bidding in Google Ads:
Setting Your Max Bid: You determine the highest cost per click (CPC) you’re comfortable paying for each time someone clicks your ad.
Management: You manually adjust bids for individual keywords, ad groups, or your entire campaign based on performance and budget.
Targeting: Manual bidding allows for granular control over where your ads appear. You can adjust bids based on factors like location, device (phone, computer, etc.), and time of day.
Benefits of Manual Bidding:
Precise Control: You have the final say on how much you spend per click.
Flexibility: Tailor your bids to specific keywords or audiences you find most valuable.
Optimization Potential: Analyze data and refine bids to maximize return on investment (ROI).
Drawbacks of Manual Bidding:
Time Commitment: Requires ongoing monitoring and adjustments to maintain optimal performance.
Expertise Needed: Understanding keyword research, competitor analysis, and conversion tracking is crucial for success.
Potential for Wasteful Spending: Setting bids too high can lead to unnecessary costs, while bidding too low might limit your ad’s visibility.
Who Should Use Manual Bidding?
Experienced Advertisers: Those comfortable with Google Ads and have the time to manage bids strategically.
Small Budgets: May be beneficial for keeping a tight control on spending.
Specific Campaign Goals: When focusing on maximizing conversions or clicks within a set budget.
Overall, manual bidding offers a high level of control for experienced advertisers. However, it requires ongoing effort and expertise to be successful.
Pro Tip: Start with a conservative CPA bid and gradually increase it as you gain confidence in your campaign’s effectiveness and refine your targeting.
Conversion Tracking & Measuring Results (Key Metrics for Success)
Tracking conversions is crucial for understanding your Google Ads campaigns’ performance. Here are some key metrics for real estate investors:
Leads: The total number of potential sellers who submitted their information through your landing page form.
Cost-per-Lead (CPA): The average amount you pay for each lead generated.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of people who click your ad and convert into a lead.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who see your ad and click on it.
Website Traffic: The total number of visitors your landing page receives from your Google Ads campaigns.
By monitoring these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement. Analyze which keywords are generating the most leads and adjust your bids accordingly.
Advanced Strategies: Remarketing & Automation (Reaching Past Website Visitors and Using Google Ads Automation)
Once you’ve mastered the basics, Google Ads offers advanced features to further optimize your campaigns:
Remarketing: This allows you to show targeted ads to people who have already visited your website but haven’t taken action yet. Consider crafting specific messages reminding them of your offer or highlighting testimonials from satisfied sellers.
Automation: Leverage Google Ads automation tools to streamline campaign management. Utilize automated bidding strategies to optimize bids for conversions and save time on manual adjustments.
Remember: Google Ads is a continuous learning process. Experiment with different strategies, track your results and refine your campaigns to maximize your return on investment and generate a steady flow of motivated sellers for your real estate business.
Part 4: Taking Your Real Estate Investor Google Ads to the Next Level
By now, you’ve built a solid foundation for using Google Ads to attract motivated sellers. Let’s explore some advanced tactics to elevate your campaigns and maximize your lead generation potential.
Analyzing Competitor Ads (Learning from Successful Campaigns)
Keeping an eye on your competitors can be a valuable learning tool. Here’s how to analyze their Google Ads:
Search for relevant keywords in your target area. See what ads appear at the top of the search results page.
Analyze their headlines and descriptions. What benefits are they highlighting? How are they addressing seller pain points?
Identify their calls to action (CTAs). What action are they encouraging potential sellers to take?
Don’t copy blindly. Use this information to inspire your own creative messaging and identify potential gaps in your strategy. Perhaps a competitor is focusing on a specific seller pain point you haven’t addressed yet.
Integrating Google Ads Data with Your CRM (Streamlining Workflow for Lead Nurturing)
Once you start generating leads through Google Ads, you’ll need a system to manage and nurture them. Integrating your Google Ads data with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool can streamline your workflow:
Automatically capture lead information: Eliminate manual data entry by automatically transferring lead details (name, contact information, source) from your landing page form into your CRM.
Track lead activity: Monitor how sellers interact with your emails, phone calls, and website visits within your CRM.
Tailor communication: Segment your leads based on their needs and interests, allowing you to send personalized messages that nurture them toward a sale.
By integrating data, you gain a holistic view of your leads and improve your chances of converting them into successful deals.
Common Mistakes to Avoid & Troubleshooting Tips
Even seasoned Google Ads users can make mistakes. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid for real estate investors:
Targeting too broadly: Ensure your keywords and ad groups are laser-focused on your ideal seller profile. Avoid generic terms that might attract unqualified leads.
Neglecting landing page optimization: Your landing page is the final step in converting clicks into leads. Ensure it’s clear, concise, and optimized for mobile devices.
Ignoring negative keywords: Identify keywords triggering irrelevant searches and add them as negative keywords to prevent wasted ad spend.
Not tracking conversions: You can’t optimize what you don’t measure. Set up conversion tracking to understand campaign performance and identify areas for improvement.
Troubleshooting Tips:
Low Click-Through Rate (CTR): Analyze your headlines and descriptions. Are they compelling enough to grab attention? Try A/B testing different variations.
High Cost-per-Lead (CPA): Refine your keyword targeting and consider adjusting your bids to focus on higher-quality leads.
Low Conversion Rate: Optimize your landing page. Ensure it’s clear, mobile-friendly, and offers a compelling value proposition in exchange for seller information.
Remember: Consistency is key. Regularly monitor your campaigns, experiment with different strategies, and adapt based on your data. By staying persistent and data-driven, you can continuously refine your Google Ads efforts and generate a steady stream of motivated sellers for your real estate investment business.
Part 5: Expanding Your Reach: Exploring Other Campaign Types
While Search Ads are a foundational element of any real estate investor’s Google Ads strategy, other campaign types can further enhance your reach and connect with potential sellers at different stages of their journey. Here’s a closer look at two powerful options:
Video Ads:
Target Audience: Video ads allow you to showcase your expertise and the appeal of investing in real estate through captivating visuals. You can target these ads to a broad audience searching for real estate-related topics or create retargeting campaigns for website visitors who haven’t yet converted.
Campaign Goals: Video ads are well-suited for brand awareness, showcasing your company’s approach and success stories. They can also be used to generate leads by directing viewers to a landing page with a clear call to action.
Benefits:
High Engagement: Video ads can grab attention and effectively communicate your message in a compelling format.
Emotional Connection: Videos can build trust and establish your brand as a reliable and knowledgeable partner for real estate investors.
Versatility: You can create various video ad formats, from short explainer videos to testimonials from satisfied clients.
Things to Consider:
Production Quality: Invest in high-quality video production for a professional and trustworthy presentation.
Targeting: Refine your targeting to ensure your video ads reach the right audience at the right time.
Tracking & Measurement: Track key metrics like video views, engagement, and website traffic to measure campaign effectiveness.
Display Ads & Retargeting:
Campaign Goal: Display ads are banner ads placed on websites across the web. They can be used for brand awareness, retargeting website visitors who haven’t converted, or driving traffic to specific landing pages.
Retargeting: This powerful strategy allows you to show targeted ads to people who have already interacted with your website or mobile app. Remind them about your offerings and encourage them to take action, like filling out a lead form.
Benefits:
Brand Awareness: Increase brand visibility by placing display ads on relevant websites frequented by your target audience.
Retargeting Power: Reconnect with website visitors who have shown initial interest but haven’t converted yet.
Targeted Reach: Display ad networks allow for specific targeting based on demographics, interests, and online behavior.
Things to Consider:
Banner Design: Create visually appealing and clear banner ads that resonate with your target audience.
Landing Page Alignment: Ensure your landing page aligns with the message and offer presented in the display ad.
Retargeting Strategy: Develop a strategic retargeting campaign with a clear timeframe and compelling message to re-engage website visitors.
By incorporating video ads and display campaigns with retargeting into your marketing mix, you can create a well-rounded Google Ads strategy that reaches potential sellers throughout their decision-making journey, ultimately generating a steady stream of qualified leads for your real estate investment business.
Conclusion and Extra Resources
Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of this comprehensive guide on leveraging Google Ads to attract motivated sellers and propel your real estate investment business forward.
Key Takeaways & Recap:
Google Ads offers a powerful platform for real estate investors to target motivated sellers who are actively searching for solutions.
By crafting compelling ad copy, optimizing landing pages, and utilizing effective bidding strategies, you can generate a steady stream of qualified leads.
Continuously monitor and analyze your campaigns to maximize return on investment (ROI) and refine your approach based on data insights.
Set Realistic Expectations for Your Google Ads Campaign:
Before diving into Google Ads, it’s crucial to set realistic goals and understand market limitations.
Market Research: Research your target market’s potential for seller leads. A high budget allows for more leads and targeting broader markets, while a lower budget might be better suited for smaller areas.
Data & Optimization: Google Ads needs time to collect data and optimize performance. Give your campaigns a few months to reach their full potential.
Return on Investment (ROI): Factor in ROI when planning your campaign. Track key metrics and adjust your strategy to maximize profitability.
To minimize wasted spending and maximize lead generation, plan your campaign beforehand:
Target Audience: Are you targeting sellers or buyers?
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): Determine your acceptable cost per lead.
Maximum Cost-per-Click (CPC): Estimate your maximum cost per click based on your profit margin and sales conversion rate. 4. Budget: Set a realistic budget for your campaign, allocating a portion for initial testing.
Test Budget: Allocate a specific amount to test different keywords and identify the most effective ones. Use the formula: Test Budget = (100 clicks) x (Estimated CPC)
By setting realistic expectations and planning your campaign meticulously, you can create a Google Ads strategy that maximizes your return on investment and generates a steady stream of qualified leads.
Remember:
Focus on the benefits for sellers and address their pain points in your ad copy.
Leverage your unique selling proposition (USP) as a real estate investor to stand out from competitors.
Track conversions and key metrics to measure success and identify areas for improvement.
Resources for Further Learning:
The world of digital marketing is constantly evolving. Here are some valuable resources to stay ahead of the curve and enhance your Google Ads expertise:
What to Learn More? Here Are Some Extra Resources for Our Members:
By implementing the strategies outlined in this guide and utilizing the resources provided, you can become a Google Ads pro and unlock the full potential of this powerful platform to grow your real estate investment business.
In both cases, you’re not alone: 72% of real estate agents are unsatisfied with the number of leads that their current website generates. That’s not because their real estate agent websites can’t generate leads (at Carrot, we’ve generated over one million leads for investors and agents — all online), but, more often than not, because their website isn’t optimized for it.
There’s a HUGE difference between having a website and having a website that works.
This is exactly why you’re here — to find out what works.
Take a Free Demo of Carrot Today
Real Estate Agent Websites – What’s Important?
15 Best Real Estate Agent Website Builders
You’re a real estate agent, not a web developer.
So where are you going to find great user-friendly software to build a high-converting website? Fortunately, you’ve got a lot of options.
And we’ve laid them all out for you below… starting with our very own software designed specifically to help real estate agents like yourself grow their businesses!
We’ve built literally tens of thousands of websites for real estate professionals at Carrot — not just any websites… websites that convert like clockwork and help grow our member’s businesses.
We’ve also got data to back it up. We recently conducted a survey that showed that leads that come through a Carrot site convert 7x better and are 2.5x more profitable than non-Carrot leads (learn why over here).
Our tech stack even outperformed WordPress, GoDaddy, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace in a third-party test.
Here are some of the main features that a Standard Carrot Subscription comes with:
High-Converting Website
Carrot Lead Manager
3 Campaign Tracking Links // to help you track how well your marketing channels are doing
3 Keywords to track // to help you track how well your target search terms are performing
Basic website analytics
Visual Editor and Landing Page Builder
Chat and Email Support
The SEO Tools add-on will help you research, plan, and executive effective SEO and SEM:
Keyword Rank Tracker // track 25 keywords in your Carrot dashboard
SEO Dashboard // the most important SEO data at your fingertips to help you might the right adjustments to your strategy
On-page SEO recommendations // to help you make faster, better decisions in SEO
The Content Toolsadd-on will unleash AI and Automation to save you time when scaling your content marketing.
Automated Content Library // to help you Build Authority in your market through content
VideoPost // transcribe your videos into Authority-Building content
AI Rewrite Tool // rewrite your content to help you create content faster and stand out in your market
Niche Authority Builder // launch multiple Authority-Building blogs on a single niche per month
25 Auto-Location pages // scale your SEO lead gen by creating location pages for your surrounding markets
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Standard Website Subscription: $89/mo
Add-ons range from $29 to $69 per month
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
When you’re choosing between different real estate website platforms, there are seven things you need to take into consideration. The best real estate agent website builders have:
Does it offer website hosting?
Is there a Content Management System (CMS)?
Does it offer IDX integration?
Is it designed to maximize lead generation?
Is it optimized for Search Engines?
Will it notify you when you get leads?
Will it integrate with your CRM?
2. Placester
Description
Placester is a website builder that’s specifically designed for real estate agents. It comes with built-in lead capture and CRM tools, as well as custom templates and design options to help you create a professional website quickly and easily.
The Pros:
Excellent lead capture and CRM tools
Lots of design customization options
No need to hire a separate web developer
The Cons:
Limited template selection
Some users find the design customization options overwhelming
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Lead capture forms
CRM integration
Customizable templates
Easy to use drag and drop interface
No need to hire a separate web developer
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Monthly plan – $49/month
Yearly plan – $468/year (save $132)
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
3. Propertybase
Description
Propertybase is a comprehensive CRM and website builder for real estate professionals. It offers everything from lead capture and management to IDX search integration and automatic website updates.
The Pros:
Comprehensive functionality
Strong customer support
Automatic website updates
The Cons:
Steep learning curve
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Lead capture and management
IDX search integration
Automatic website updates
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Basic: $49/month
Professional: $99/month
Enterprise: Contact for pricing
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
4. IDX Broker
Description
IDX Broker is a website builder specifically for real estate agents. It integrates with your MLS to give you access to property listings from all over the country (or even the world).
Pros:
Integrates with your MLS
Great customer support
Cons:
Not as many templates as some of the other builders
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Agency Management: easily manage all of your listings and agents from one central location.
Lead Capture and CRM Integration: capture leads directly on your website and automatically sync them with your CRM software.
Responsive Design: make sure that your website looks great no matter what device it’s being
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Free: get a basic website with limited features.
Paid Plans: start at $39/month and include more features and support.
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
5. InCom
Description
InCom is a website builder that’s specifically designed for real estate agents. It offers an easy-to-use platform with all the features you need to create a professional website, including lead capture forms, property listings, and more. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with InListings so you can manage your online presence and marketing efforts all in one place.
Pros:
Easy to use
Integrates with InListings
Cons:
No customer support phone line
Pricing model is subscription-based
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Lead capture forms
Property listings
IDX integration
One-click listing posting
Customizable templates
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Starter: $49/month
Professional: $99/month
Elite: $199/month
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
6. BoomTown
Description
Boomtown provides lead generation tools and a customer relationship management (CRM) system for real estate agents. It gives you the ability to generate leads through its many online marketing tools, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media.
Pros:
Lead Generation
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system
Cons:
May be too expensive for some agents
Can be difficult to use
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
A customizable website builder
Lead capture forms
Listing syndication
Drip marketing campaigns
Property search tools
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Starts at $59/month for the basic plan.
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
7. Squarespace
Description
Squarespace is a website builder that offers users a simple drag-and-drop interface. It’s an easy way to create a beautiful website without any prior experience or design knowledge.
Pros:
Squarespace offers a wide range of templates that are all optimized for mobile devices.
You can try out Squarespace for free before committing to a paid plan.
Squarespace provides 24/seven customer support.
Cons:
Some users find the interface to be confusing and difficult to use.
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Websites
Ecommerce Features
Marketing Features
Analytics
Templates
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Personal – $14 Per Month
Business – $23 Per Month
Commerce – $27 Per Month
Advanced – $49 Per Month
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
8. Duda
Description
Duda is an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder for real estate professionals. You don’t need any coding skills to create a beautiful website with Duda.
Just choose from one of their many templates, customize it to match your brand, and add your listings.
Duda also offers some great features specifically for real estate websites, such as IDX integration and mortgage calculators.
Pros:
Very easy to use – no coding required
Lots of templates and design options are available
IDX integration and mortgage calculator built-in
Cons:
Not as customizable as some other builders
Some users have complained about the customer service
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
User-friendly drag and drop editor
Mobile responsive design
Over 280 templates specifically designed for real estate websites
IDX integration
Lead capture forms
SEO tools
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Free plan with limited features
$14/month billed annually for the Standard plan, which includes all the features listed above.
$24/month billed annually for the Pro plan, which includes everything in the Standard plan plus additional features like unlimited pages and bandwidth, Google Analytics integration, and more.
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
9. Wix
Description
Wix is one of the most popular website builders on the market. It’s easy to use and offers a wide variety of templates to choose from. Plus, it’s free to get started!
Pros:
Wide range of templates available
Very user-friendly
Free to get started
Cons:
Some templates are a bit dated
Limited customization options available
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Templates
Design Freedom
SEO Tools
Mobile Optimized
App Market
Unlimited Fonts
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Combo – $14 Per Month
Unlimited – $18 Per Month
Pro – $23 Per Month
VIP – $39 Per Month
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
10. WordPress
Description
WordPress is a popular content management system that helps you easily create and manage your website’s content. It’s user-friendly and relatively inexpensive, making it a great option for small businesses.
Pros:
User-friendly
Inexpensive
Great for small businesses
Cons:
It may require some web development knowledge to use effectively
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Themes
Mobile-Friendly
Plugins
Everything You Need to Build a Website
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Personal – $4 Per Month
Premium – $8 Per Month
Business – $25 Per Month
eCommerce – $45 Per Month
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
11. GoDaddy
Description
GoDaddy offers a website builder that is simple to use and helps you create a website quickly. It includes templates for real estate agents, as well as SEO tools to help your site rank higher in search results.
Pros:
Simple to use
Includes templates specifically for real estate agents
SEO tools included
Cons:
Not as many features as some other website builders
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Email and social media marketing
One-time appointments
PayPal payments
SSL certificate to keep your site secure
24/7 customer support
Branded content creation with GoDaddy Studio
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
Basic – $6.99 Per Month
Standard – $10.49 Per Month
Premium – $13.99 Per Month
Commerce – $14.99 Per Month
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
12. Ylopo
Description
Ylopo is a website builder that’s specifically designed for real estate agents. It comes with all the features you need to create a beautiful and high-converting website.
Pros:
You don’t need any coding or design skills.
A library of beautiful real estate templates to choose from.
24/seven support from a team of experts
Cons:
Ylopo is relatively new software, so there are still some features that are in development.
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Customizable templates
Lead capture and CRM integration
SEO optimization
One-click IDX integration
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
$75/month for the Pro plan
$150/month for the Agency plan
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
13. AgentFire
Description
AgentFire is a website builder specifically designed for real estate agents. It comes with built-in lead capture and CRM tools, as well as custom templates and design options to help you create a professional website quickly and easily.
Pros:
Easy to use
No design or coding skills needed
Custom templates and designs specifically for real estate agents
Cons:
Limited customization options outside of the pre-made templates
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Custom templates and design options
Built-in lead capture and CRM tools
Mobile responsive
SEO optimized
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
The most basic plan starts at $29/month.
The top-tier plan is $49/month.
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
14. Union Street Media
Description
Union Street Media is a website builder created specifically for real estate agents. With this platform, you can easily create a beautiful and professional website in just a few minutes – no technical skills are required.
Pros:
User-friendly platform
Beautiful and professional templates
Integrated lead capture forms and CRM software
SEO optimized for maximum visibility
Cons:
Limited customization options
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
User-friendly platform
Beautiful and professional templates
Integrated lead capture forms and CRM software
SEO optimized for maximum visibility
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
$39/month or $348/year for the Basic plan
$59/month or $588/year for the Professional plan
Custom Enterprise pricing available
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
15. Luxury Presence
Description
Luxury Presence is a website builder that’s perfect for luxury real estate agents. It offers an easy-to-use drag and drop editor, as well as professionally designed templates to help you create a stunning website in minutes. Plus, it comes loaded with features like lead capture forms, photo galleries, and property search tools.
Pros:
Beautiful and professional templates
Advanced customization options
Integrated lead capture forms and CRM
Built-in photo galleries and property search tools
Cons:
Limited integrations with other software platforms
Features
Here are some of the main features that this website builder offers…
Drag and drop editor
Professionally designed templates
Lead capture forms
Photo galleries
Property search tools
Pricing
Here are the website builder’s pricing options…
$49/month for the Basic plan
$99/month for the Professional plan
$199/month for the Enterprise plan
Example
Here’s an example of the website builder’s templates…
Take a Free Demo of Carrot Today
Your Real Estate Agent Website Builder Must-Have’s:
Think of real estate website hosting like the building that people walk into to visit a store. If the building is clean, crisp, and fast, people will stick around longer. If it’s dirty, cluttered, and unattractive, then people will leave.
“Consider a situation: you are called as a guest to someone’s house. The host serves you with a cheap, rotten, and unhygienic food. What will be your reaction? You would simply not like the experience you have with your host.
You feel uneasy and there is a sense of you being insulted with the kind of food served to you. You will have a bad opinion about your host. Same is the case with website hosting.
When you start facing problems with your cheap host, you feel that your money is lost. Your efforts went in vain. You know that you have a bad experience with your so called cheap host.”
Said another way, website hosting impacts the way that people perceive your website, business, and credibility.
But it impacts more than that. In fact, choosing the right website host is critical for four reasons.
1. Support
There’s no such thing as a perfect website. You’re going to need help at one point or another. Maybe it’s because your website crashed or your DNS records are out of whack or your load speed took a sudden hit.
Whatever the case, you need people who are on your team, ready to help.
“Nobody can prevent glitches 100%, so if and when you find yourself in the middle of one, its best to have someone you can call on to get immediate resolution.”
This is why, at Carrot, we aim to have a world-class support team.
With most cheap website hosting options, you’re not going to receive that kind of attention.
Here’s just a couple of what our 6000+ members say about our support team:
“James has been extremely patient with helping me fine-tune my website – He responds to all my emails same day and answers all of my questions” – Linda
“Great support team and awesome features. We had a custom site for years and recently migrated it over to Carrot. We’re very happy with our results so far! thank you” – Omer
You need to find a company that’s going to help you when you need it, is familiar with industry patterns, and can knowledgeably discuss website changes you can make to drive more traffic and convert more visitors.
2. Speed
You need a fast website.
This is important for several reasons. First of all, most people will outright leave your website if it takes more than two to three seconds to load. End of story. Bye, bye forever, potential lead.
Second, and equally important, is where you rank in search engines.
“The first step for us was moving all of your site assets to a distributed CDN (content delivery network). This means once your website is loaded by a visitor, all the images you have uploaded to your site are served from an additional server located close to your visitor.
This is faster because we are using a system built for speedy image delivery, and we are spreading the load of serving the whole site onto multiple systems.”
But tech-speak aside, the best real estate websites for agents have hosting that keeps the website fast so people (and search engines) give the website the chance that it deserves.
Don’t just take our word. Check out this page speed study done by Fresh Chalk.
3. Scalability
I’m willing to bet that you have some ambitious dreams for your business. This year, you probably want to do more deals than last year. You probably want those deals to be bigger, and you probably want to drive more revenue, overall.
But, all of those dreams mean something to your website. Namely, if you do it right, more people will visit your website and more people will take action on your website.
As you grow, though, all of those demands can cripple unprepared hosting options.
This is why it’s important that you choose website hosting that’s going to scale with you.
Cheap options usually won’t.
When website hosting is remarkably cheap, it’s often because the company uses traditional shared-hosting. This means your website is hosted on the same server as hundreds or thousands of other websites. That, in and of itself, isn’t a bad thing. But it becomes bad when cheap hosting companies don’t carry the necessary integrations to organize and streamline the demands on your website.
“Although shared hosting is a less expensive way for businesses to create a Web presence, it is usually not sufficient for Web sites with high traffic.”
At Carrot, we use app clusters to split up and clean up the demand on our customer’s websites.
“The first step for us was moving all of your site assets to a distributed CDN (content delivery network). This means once your website is loaded by a visitor, all the images you have uploaded to your site are served from an additional server located close to your visitor.
This is faster because we are using a system built for speedy image delivery, and we are spreading the load of serving the whole site onto multiple systems.
Next, we took that same idea and applied it to the initial load of your website – spread that job of serving carrot sites out to a cluster of servers.
Finally, we implemented a system to control the size of our application cluster, so no matter how many visitors (or bots) are hitting your site at any time, we can keep up with the demand and scale up/down our number of servers accordingly.”
But, not all website hosts are so scalable. Before committing, make sure that the host is ready to grow just as fast as you are.
4. Security
There are a lot of reasons that your website needs to be secure. First off, you don’t want visitor information to get stolen because you didn’t take the necessary security precautions.
After all, nothing will kill trust faster than a visitor getting their information stolen while on your website.
Second, you don’t want your own information to get stolen.
And third, SSL certification (also known as the HTTPS in front of a URL) has some correlation with search engine rankings.
So yeah, having a secure website is crazy important — for you and your visitors. However, you probably don’t know the first thing about hacking or website security.
You’re not alone.
One report found that the primary reason a WordPress website gets hacked is because of something remarkably simple: outdated plugins.
That’s why, at Carrot, all websites automatically have SSL certification and our in-house development team is constantly fighting ferocious hackers for you.
You don’t have to do it yourself and you definitely don’t have to go to college to become a cyber attack specialist.
Whatever website hosting you choose, make sure it’s equally prepared to protect you from cybercriminals.
Your Real Estate Agent Website Builder Must-Have: A Content Management System
The last thing you want to do is get locked out of your own website.
I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to that had a designer create a website for them and then said, “Yeah, the website looks great… but I can’t change anything because I don’t know how to code.”
Ideally, you should build your website on a CMS (Content Management System) that is easy to use and allows you to make changes to content whenever you want.
WordPress is easily the most popular CMS — accounting for about 25% of all websites — and that’s for good reason. WordPress is one of the most user-friendly CMSs around.
It allows you to easily add content to your website, includes video and images within that content, and organize all of that content within a dashboard.
This is exactly why we chose to use WordPress as the CMS foundation for our customers. Of course, we also added some of our own flairs to make things even simpler and more efficient.
That’s not to mention how easy we make it is to add listings to your website, feature some of those listings, and optimize every single page for search engines with our built-in SEO tool.
Note: We don’t allow our members to install WordPress Plugins on their websites as a traditional WordPress website would. This is for several reasons. Most importantly, it ensures that your website will remain fast, secure, and consistent. If you do want to make additional changes to your website, then don’t hesitate to contact us — we’d love to help you however we can :-)
“Third-party plugins are required in many CMS platforms. While seemingly convenient, they can be both a pro and con at the same time. Plugins may save hours of development time and even money in the short term.
But they can also be developed by a third party who may or may not continue to support the tool consistently or at all, which could leave you in a vulnerable position.
Plugins can also be a major security problem — even well-established plugins like Yoast, a widely used Google Analytics plugin, can be exploited by hackers.
In fact, the more widely a plugin is deployed, the more attractive it may be for hackers to go after it.”
When I asked Danni — one of Carrot’s Customer Success Heroes — to comment on Carrot’s CMS, she said,
“I feel like our system is crazy simple to use. It’s also a huge perk that the content is fully customizable and fully optimized, and that customers can do their own thing with it if they want to.
Tyler Ford [a Carrot member] was telling us that he has gotten in a habit of doing a few additional tweaks to his content each week and the dude is crushing the rankings with the help of our blog content.”
Before choosing a real estate agent website builder, explore the CMS a bit. What does it look like? How does it feel to use? Is it easy to navigate or difficult? If you wanted to make some changes to a blog post, how easy would it be?
In the end, you want a CMS that allows you to make changes quickly and easily. If the CMS doesn’t allow for that, then find a different CMS.
Your Real Estate Agent Website Builder Must-Have: Allowance for IDX Integration
When people land on your website, there are only a few things that they could possibly want to do. Often, browsing through house listings is one of those things.
Of course, you don’t have time to manually add house listings to your website.
IDX automatically updates your website with house listings pulled from 3rd partly listing websites. The best part is that you don’t have to do anything to update this system once it’s set up on your website.
IDX will update automatically and it will even host the listings natively on your website.
Here’s what IDX allows you to do on a website: view and search for house listings.
You’re a real estate agent, so you probably should have house listings on your website — IDX is the easiest way to do that.
This is why we recommend choosing a website builder that at least has the option to use IDX.
At Carrot, we offer IDX integration to all of our real estate agent customers. You don’t have to use it, but many of you will want to.
In the words of our most famous Tech Support team member, Jake,
“Adding IDX to any site is a giant pain in the ass… Having someone you trust to help you submit all the paperwork and get the IDX added to the site itself is a huge burden taken off of a business owner.”
In other words, don’t just choose a website builder that allows you to use IDX, choose a website builder that helps you along the way. That’s what we do at Carrot and we think everyone else should be doing the same thing.
Your Real Estate Agent Website Builder Must-Have: A Design Proven to Convert VisitorsInto Leads
Many website builders aren’t niched specific.
WordPress and Squarespace and Wix are all great website builders, but the theme you choose isn’t necessarily designed to convert visitors. Sure, it might look pretty and navigate easily, but that doesn’t mean that traffic is going to convert once they arrive.
Here at Carrot, we are niche specific to real estate. This means that we’ve run lots of tests to determine what makes people convert on a website in the real estate industry.
You’re not going to find that kind of expertise anywhere else.
And unless you know how to manually design a website that converts, with most website builders, there’s no guarantee that your visitors are going to take the action you want them to take.
In fact, 40% of salespeople said that prospecting is the most difficult part of the sales process, 36% said closing and 22% said qualifying.
What if you had a website that helped you sell rather than hindered you?
Regardless of if you choose to work with Carrot, let me walk you through some of the ways our websites are built to turn visitors into leads. That way, if you do go off on your own, you’ll be better prepared.
When designing a website that’s built to convert, you really only need two things:
Simple usability.
Compelling credibility.
In terms of the first, consider that 38% of people will outright leave a website if the content or layout is unattractive.
And in terms of the second, consider that people said honesty and credibility are the most important factors when choosing a real estate agent.
This is exactly why we’ve baked these two elements into all of our member websites.
As you can see, our goal is to build immediate trust with people who land on our customer’s websites. We don’t want them to visit the website and think, “Hmm… is this legit?” We want them to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’re in the right place, on a trustworthy page.
The contact information in the upper right corner is particularly important — 44% of website visitors will leave a website if there’s no contact information or phone number.
Then, as I scroll down the page, you can see that we include easy navigation elements and an un-intrusive “Write a review” CTA that will help build credibility down the road.
Then, the customer has included a video to help make all of it seem more real, and some credibility-building facts to show industry expertise.
Then, they share their story, mission, and vision, which further personalizes their business.
And finally, they end with a testimonial, a friendly note from the realtor, and a CTA.
Those, of course, are just the homepage elements. There’s a lot more to see on G.Stiles blog and other pages, but those will have to wait for another time.
The point is this, though: Make sure your website (1) builds credibility and (2) is easy to use.
Without those two elements, your lead-generation strategy will suffer.
Try visiting your website as though you’ve just seen it for the first time and ask yourself these questions.
What draws your eye first and is that where you want the visitor’s attention?
Is your CTA noticeable?
How easy is your website to navigate?
When you land on the website, does it feel trustworthy? If not, what can you do to change that?
Your Real Estate Agent Website Builder Must-Have: Search Engine Optimization
If you want to be one of the best real estate agents in your area — which you do — then there’s no question; you must rank high in search engines.
And the first result in Google receives 33% of that traffic. On the other hand, clicks drastically decrease the further your result falls.
This means that the higher your website ranks in Google for certain keywords, the more traffic and leads you’re going to generate. Period. End of story. The winner takes all.
But how the heck do you rank on the first page instead of the 10th, 100th, or 1,000th?
Well, SEO has a lot of moving pieces; keywords, backlinks, domain authority, internal linking, second-tier links, and anchor text are just a few players. What you need is a website builder that can help you optimize each page to rank in Google.
Because when someone types in, “Real estate agent in [your city],” you want to be at the top of the page.
How can a website builder help you, though?
The sad truth is that most won’t. But, at Carrot, this is how we help our members rank.
First, we have an SEO tool for all of our members that tell them if their keyword strategy is likely to perform well in Google.
We even offer a more detailed breakdown telling you what you need to do in order to increase the likelihood of pulling a first-page result.
We also automatically integrate SSL (or HTTPS) on our customer’s websites, which increases how much Google trusts your domain.
Then, we keep our customer’s websites crazy fast and mobile-responsive to decrease bounce rates and increase time on page (thus increasing your Google ranking).
Most website builders wouldn’t even go this far, but we go one step further. We even write monthly blog posts for your website (depending on the plan you choose) that are already optimized for search engines (websites with 51 to 100 pages generate 48% more traffic than websites with 1 to 50 pages).
In other words, more blog posts equal better rankings which equals more traffic and leads.
Now I know what you’re thinking. That’s all fine and dandy, but what’s the ultimate result? Does all of that search engine optimization actually work?
Yes. Yes, it does.
As you can see below, G.Stiles Realty is the first result after Zillow and Century21.
If your real estate agent website builder doesn’t help you rank in Google, then consider going somewhere that will. Because all of that passive traffic from SEO can quickly turn into passive lead generation — which makes running a business a whole lot easier.
Your Real Estate Agent Website Builder Must-Have: Lead Notification
When I asked the team at Carrot why lead notifications is so important for real estate agents, Grady — a Customer Success Hero — said,
“With all the other agents vying to get prospects as leads, being able to instantly respond to a new lead is key for real estate agents. If the leads bounce to another site where they opt-in and get a response quicker, most likely they’ll go with that company.”
And he’s right.
American companies that contact a lead within the hour are seven times more likely to have a meaningful conversation with a decision-maker than companies that wait the full hour. In fact, lead qualification drops ten times when salespeople wait just five minutes to respond, and an additional 400% when they wait ten minutes.
Sadly, over 50% of companies don’t respond to queries within even five business days.
Naturally, that’s no recipe for success.
And it illustrates exactly why you need a website builder that offers a function for notifying you of leads when they happen.
At Carrot, we offer our customers exactly that. And it’s dead simple to set up.
This will then send you a text message when you receive a new lead. This means that within seconds (rather than minutes, hours, or even days) you can contact the lead and increase your chance of turning them into a deal.
And if our customers are really ambitious, they can even add Olark to their websites and chat with visitors live.
You need a website builder that offers similar features or integrations. You need to follow up on leads immediately, which means you need to know about leads immediately.
Your website should help you do that.
Your Real Estate Agent Website Builder Must-Have: CRM Integration
Two years ago, I bought a car from a salesperson. I still remember the experience with fondness. Not just because he did a good job during the sale, but because he calls me about every six months to chat.
Normally, I’d be annoyed and ignore the phone call altogether. But with him, I’m not.
When he calls, he only ever talks for about five minutes, he asks me relevant questions about things going on in my life and he never pitches me on anything.
At the end of the phone call, he’ll sometimes say, “And if you know of anyone looking for a car, let em’ know I’d love to help.” I tell him I will and we go our separate ways to chat again in about six months.
To be honest, he doesn’t feel like a salesperson so much as he feels like a faraway friend.
How does he pull that off?
Well, he always uses my name, he always knows what’s going on in my life (if I just had a baby or bought a new house, for example, he’s always sure to ask me about it) and he always keeps it short and friendly.
And it’s no secret that he’s more than likely using a CRM to keep track of my information.
Perhaps there’s no better illustration of how powerful and applicable CRM software can be for your business. It allows you to track prospect information (from a phone number and email to interest level and talking points) and then leverage those when communicating with your prospect.
That’s why you need a website builder that integrates with CRMs and doesn’t block you from all of that follow-up potential.
In fact, the average ROI for a CRM is nearly $9 for every $1 spent and effective organizations are 81% more likely to consistently use a CRM or some other sales-record system than their ineffective counterparts.
At Carrot, we have a simple CRM-type tool for all of our customers.
You can use it to tag certain leads as being in different parts of your funnel and track lead-specific information (email, phone number, and address, for instance).
For more serious real estate agents that need a dedicated CRM, Carrot easily integrates with Podio, Soho, and more!
Make sure the website builder you choose offers similar integrations so that you can follow up and convert leads like the friendly car salesperson that calls me every six months.
Conclusion
The vast majority of real estate agents are unsatisfied with their website’s lead generation. Either it’s not generating traffic as they want it to or it’s not converting that traffic as they want it to.
In the end, though, it’s all the same: they don’t generate leads with their website and their business potential suffers.
We don’t want that to happen to you.
At Carrot, we’re passionate about helping entrepreneurs build the businesses of their dreams. This is why — regardless of if you choose to work with us — you should consider these seven things before choosing a real estate agent website builder:
SEO is like owning a house. Paid ads on Facebook is like renting.
– Bryan Driscoll
All About Conversion – How to Optimize Your Digital Marketing for Maximum Conversions w/ Bryan Driscoll
When it comes to generating leads that convert, Bryan Driscoll is crushing it. Using just the standard Carrot site, a few highly-targeted pages, and some PPC, Bryan is bringing in more qualified leads than he knows what to do with.
In fact, he gives the majority of his leads away, focusing only on one zip code. Today we are going to discover how he got here, what he’s doing that works, and why he’d choose Carrot time and time again vs. any other platform for his website.
Read the Full Show Notes Below…
First, you should know that Bryan isn’t in the real estate business. He owns a digital marketing agency and stumbled into real estate after using a wholesaler to buy a home of his own. He learned about the process and thought, “why don’t I just go get the leads and do it myself?”
Today, Bryan is generating leads for himself, other investors in his area, and now leads for buyers all over the country. It means a lot to me that someone who truly understands conversion rate optimization and the dynamics of digital marketing would choose us as their lead-gen platform.
I found Bryan through an ad on Instagram. I was scrolling through my feed and his ads kept grabbing my attention. I checked him out and sure enough, he was a Carrot client.
I found out who he was, discovered he was using just a standard Carrot site, yet somehow he was generating more leads than 90% of our other Carrot members. In fact, he pulled in almost 200 leads in the last 30 days alone.
So how’s he doing it? We’re about to tell you…
Less Can Be More
The first thing that struck me was how simple Bryan’s website really is. His homepage features our standard content, the design hasn’t been altered, and he has even kept the stock photo that we supply.
What he has done is create a good amount of city-specific landing pages that generate highly targeted and motivated leads. Bryan isn’t reinventing the wheel, but he is amplifying more than many others in his market.
SEO Like a Pro
Bryan started his real estate SEO journey back in 2005. He created one website for a friend, saw results, and realized he could do this for other people too. SEO used to be easier. You could even add your keywords at the bottom of the page, change the text to white, and make it so search engines could see your text, but your readers were none the wiser.
Today, Google and the algorithms have evolved. You can no longer manipulate search engines. The content you create needs to be informative and highly targeted. But as stated above, it doesn’t have to be complex.
Some of Bryan’s landing pages are barely over 300 words. He makes sure his content is spot on, his meta description, title tags, and alt attributes all checkout, and he gives the search engines exactly what they want: great content.
The Importance of Pre-Framing
Pre-framing will walk your potential leads through the entire experience. It will answer questions and blast objections You should have a solid FAQ page letting people know that YOU have the ability to solve their problem.
Show them that you have the solution, how you will do it, that you are trustworthy, and how they can take action – in that order.
Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads
Bryan works in the Pittsburg market and for him, both Google Ads leads and Facebook Ads leads cost about the same. You’d think Google would convert better as the leads are searching you out vs.
Facebook where your ad will interrupt the homeowner’s scrolling. However, Bryan sees higher conversion rates from the leads that visit his website from Facebook.
His theory is that this is because, on Google, your top two competitors will likely have ads right up top there with yours. It can be more difficult to stand out vs. when you advertise on Facebook. Your Facebook ad should be bold and direct. Letting people know that you buy houses plain and simple.
Testing it All Out
At Carrot, we tend to through things out there, then continue to test and modify as needed and we encourage our clients to do the same. For Bryan, he tested out the use of 5,000 incredible-looking postcards, only to be left without a single lead. Now, with his focus on the digital realm, he tests out everything he does modify as needed.
We do the same thing with our websites. For example, we have tested our CTA forms using 1-9 fields. We have discovered that 3 really is the magic number. Your form should ask for the address, a phone number, and an email.
And more importantly – it needs to be in that order. You want to start with the least resistant ask first. Giving up the property address is subconsciously easier than giving up your phone or email. Once they have that first field filled out, they are much more likely to fill out those other two. Of course, it’s essential to have the email addresses collected and run a Google Sheets email verification. Thus you will have a valid list of valid people.
Getting a high-conversion rate doesn’t have to be complicated. Don’t over-complicate the process or the design of your website. Start with a logo and stack things on as you go. Start building using SEO and high-quality content, using Facebook and Google Ads to fill the gap in the meantime.
When you follow the process, you too will be able to generate the leads and close the deals you have only dreamed about in the past.
Workshop: Learn How to Attract More of Your Favorite Clients by Flipping Your Marketing To “Evergreen” at Carrot.com/evergreen
Be a man or woman of integrity, both with yourself and others. Not only will this build confidence, but it will allow you to hit bigger and bigger goals because you have a track record of following through.
– Greg Helbeck
The Analytics, Data, and Numbers You Should Be Tracking to Gain Consistency in Your Business w/ Greg Helbeck
In the first episode with Greg Helbeck we talked about negotiations, raising margins, and the questions he always asks his leads when talking about their property.
A lot of his deals are done remotely, which makes it even more important that he stays on top of his analytics. Today we will be diving into what you should be tracking, how you should be tracking it, and who you should be comparing yourself to. (Hint: it’s not other people.)
Read the Full Show Notes Below…
Greg lives in San Diego but does most of his deals in his home state of New York. As such, he relies on the data to tell him what’s working. Just showing up each day and being productive isn’t enough. You need to know what’s working, what’s not, and more importantly why.
This will allow you to pinpoint where you need to step-up or step-back
Metrics = Freedom
For many entrepreneurs, taking action isn’t a problem. They thrive on the hustle and have the motivation to work long hours day in and day out. The thing is – maybe they don’t have to.
When Greg started his business, he was putting out signs, knocking on doors, doing Craigslist ads, handwriting letters, and everything else new investors do when they are looking for those first few deals.
What he didn’t realize is while he felt like he was being productive in his goals, what he was doing was actually pushing them further away from them. He wasn’t tracking what he did, when he did it, or what the results were. He was throwing out a net and hoping for the best.
While his persistence helped him find his initial success in real estate, if he had been tracking, he would have been able to accomplish more, while spending less time and money in the process.
What to Track
When Greg realized he was in the direct marketing business and not the real estate business he had his lightbulb moment. He knew he needed to better gauge his efforts so he could grow his business and find better uses for his time. Greg began tracking his metrics strategically.
Income – Are you really making money? The first thing to do is make sure your books are in order so you know exactly where you’re starting. This will help you to forecast and set the goals to help you get to where you want to be.
Leads – Take a look at your leads about once a week. Where are they coming from? Who are they? How can you help them?
Offers – How many offers are you making each week? Who are they for?
Deals – How many of your offers are actually turning into closed deals?
Revenue – How much are you making per deal and what could be done to improve your margins on the next one?
Once a week Greg will sit down for about 20 minutes to review his numbers. On a monthly basis, he will spend an hour or so to take a more in-depth look to make sure things are staying on track.
Putting it All Together
When Greg is tracking these analytics in his business, he will look at his past performance to forecast the future. If his business isn’t performing how he would like, he can look at the numbers to see where he can improve.
While building Carrot I have learned that you don’t need to track each and everything, rather focus on the 3-7 KPIs that really matter. If we aren’t hitting our numbers, it’s not the end of the world, but at least we will be able to determine where we need to improve.
Playing the Long Game
Keeping track of your numbers doesn’t need to be a long or intimidating process. A simple spreadsheet can help you quickly compare trends from one week to the next. You’ll be able to forecast and predict your outcomes and if something isn’t lining up, you’ll be able to respond accordingly.
When you are first starting out, it can be easy to become discouraged by low numbers. It’s important to remember that in many cases, the efforts you are putting in now, will be rewarded not today, but a couple of months down the road.
PPC, SEO, and direct mail campaigns all take time to build momentum too.
Stay the course and always lead with math over emotion.
Setting Your Benchmarks
As Simon Sinek says in his book, The Infinite Game, we are in this for the long haul. There is no end or defined players. Businesses change all of the time and the bell isn’t going to sound for things to stop.
When setting your goals and benchmarks, it can be so easy to compare yourself to what others in your field are doing.
Social media can give the appearance of “success” but you never know what is going on behind the scenes.
To define your goals, all you need to do is try to be a bit better than you were before. It is nice to set targets, but as you grow your business it’s ok to take some of the pressure off and just enjoy the ride.
Put the right things and people in your ear. If you keep sitting on it without taking action, opportunity is going to pass you by for sure.
– Russ Williams
$420k in 6 Months of Flipping Land with a “Basic” Carrot Site
Buying and selling land is a powerful investment strategy that anyone can do. With little overhead, low competition, and an abundance of leads, creating a land investment business is a popular strategy we are seeing with many of our clients. Russ Williams has worked as a loan officer, flipped properties, and held a portfolio of long-term rentals. However, it has been land that has allowed him to grow and scale his business without any ceiling. Here’s the story of how Russ made $420k investing in land in just 6 months using a basic Carrot website.
Read the Full Show Notes Below…
We don’t often talk about land here at Carrot, however, we should! It’s a great option for those who are new to real estate investment and for those looking to diversify or shift their investment strategy. Land deals are typically pretty simple and do not come with the headaches of contractors, repairs, or tenants.
And the sellers are out there, in fact, it’s the third most popular lead type we receive! Here’s how Russ Williams is building a scalable business and how you can too!
Transitioning to Land
Many investors gloss right over land leads because of their low margins and income potential. This is often a mistake as land can prove to be extremely profitable whether it is developed or resold. Plus, it can be a lot less work. Most transactions can be completed remotely, with buyers never even stepping foot on the land before reselling it again. You will not have to pull permits, hire contractors, or worry about expensive holding costs. For Russ, it was these great perks that made moving from residential investments over to land, an easy choice.
The Marketing
Russ gets leads both on and offline. Direct mail does well in his markets as does simply sticking up a “for sale” sign. His letters will include a contract, making it simple for owners to sell right away. Russ was an early adapter here at Carrot and has had a site with us since 2015. When he transitioned to land in 2018, Russ created a stock Carrot site, with very few modifications. He has created some basic city/state landing pages and made sure to upload testimonials after every deal. Over the next year, he plans to hone in on his PPC and evergreen content.
Options With Land
Land allows for different types of contracts and ways for deals to get done. One of those is an option contract which allows the buyer a specified amount of time to buy the property. For the “skinny” deals, Russ will use an option contract, allowing him 3 or so months to buy the property. During that time, he will market the land in an attempt to find a buyer. He will then use the buyer’s funds to close on the property. This helps Russ to maximize his marketing dollars by making some money off of a property he likely wouldn’t have purchased on his own.
Taking Back Your Time
The ultimate goal of many entrepreneurs isn’t to make all of the money, but rather to buy back your time. With its low maintenance, overhead, and hassles, land can be a simple way to build a career in real estate investment. Its simplicity and scalability have allowed Russ to take two months off each summer to spend time with his family – even though through most of his journey he has been a one-man-show. Now Russ is able to scale his business, expand his team, and dive into new markets. It is this type of freedom that we are all looking for within our businesses – and with land investment, you may be able to find that too.
Beau Hollis is the founder of SimplySold in Louisville, Kentucky.
He’s been investing in houses for the past 7 years.
Currently, the majority of his business involves acquisitions that he does himself. He also has an acquisitions person and a full-time videographer.
It’s a low-key, small operation, but it has a high intention, and they go aggressively after deals.
“You know, I spend my time and effort and energy to do this business to provide for my family, not only money but years of my life, getting this up and going to have it, work is worth, the journey is not in vain.”
From Beau’s Carrot leads, his average profit per deal is nearly $40,000.
He’s done $400,000 in assignments in his Carrot site alone in the last six months.
Before using Carrot, he had no online presence and no experience in building websites.
“I had no world tech experience, and I just didn’t have an online presence. I didn’t want to have to build a website. So Carrot made that really easy for me.
Obviously, people cannot find you, people have no clue who you are, they can’t find your business, they don’t know if you’re in business at all, and so if they can’t find you, they can’t do business with you.
So you have no lead flow inbound from a website.”
At first, his vision was to dominate the outbound marketing space, whether it was cold calling, texting, or other things.
However, the lifespan of somebody doing outbound marketing all the time is limited.
“I have come from a background of sales, and I understand that you’re gonna do this one thing all the time, whether it’s cold calling or texting or putting out bandit signs, and there’s a lifespan to that.”
Outbound versus inbound leads are two things that are drastically different. Outbound leads are when you’re seeking out someone. A lot of work, effort, and energy is going into it before you even think about reaching out to the person.
Inbound marketing, or evergreen marketing, is a completely different mindset. You optimize your website with content: videos, blog posts, and testimonials.
Inbound offers a whole other world. People are seeking you out.
The challenge: Creating the path to the world of inbound marketing
This is a business to close deals. Serious real estate agents and investors want to make Evergreen inbound marketing a real avenue, not just a little street but a highway.
Evergreen inbound marketing takes a plan and plenty of patience. It takes a lot of video work on YouTube and on-page SEO with keywords and good content for high rankings.
“My expectation was that I’m just going to turn it on, get it up and live and then it would just bring in the people just saying, please take my house, that’s why I thought it was at the beginning when I first got, I just got it up and I just had, I just had it out there, I didn’t do any kind of optimization. I did zero, absolutely zero customization to the website.”
His website had been just sitting there for a long time. Years.
Then Beau had a conversation with Trevor to get the ball rolling.
He started implementing on his website and using the tools Carrot provides our members. Keyword tracking, campaign tracking, video postings… and over time and hard work, Beau’s inbound marketing started to click.
Once he started optimizing his site, he could see a bit of movement in his rankings.
That movement proceeded forward for a year or two then it was time to dive into the PPC world of inbound marketing. The one-two punch of paid and organic traffic really exploded his business.
In 2021, Beau’s Carrot leads have had an average profit per deal of roughly $40,000.
In comparison, Beau’s outbound leads have had an average profit per deal of roughly half that.
The tools: Carrot features
Although the real estate niche can sometimes be inconsistent, Carrot brings consistency to Beau’s business. He can count on deal flow.
It’s good because when you can count consistent leads, it means that you’re not stressed all of the time.
For Beau, Carrot has become a hub that brings all his inbound marketing efforts together. Since he’s driving traffic from all inbound marketing efforts to his Carrot site, he can track performance across all campaigns and channels, giving him the clarity needed with his marketing.
Here are some of the tools Beau is using to tie together his marketing efforts:
EvergreenTraining Beau needed to get many unqualified outbound leads to close deals. More leads meant more time and expense to sift through the tire kickers.
Automated blogs Carrot’s pre-written automated blog posts have allowed him to stand out in his market as an authority. This saves time and money and puts SimplySold at the forefront of its industry with expert quality content that he can customize for his needs.
Keyword Tracking How do you know if your SEO rankings are climbing? Tracking is easy with Carrot. Simply input the keyword, and we’ll track where that particular term ranks each week, making optimizing accordingly easier!
Campaign Tracking Links Learn how many leads you generate with your ads by following the conversions from them. Easily see which campaigns produce results and create a link to track click-throughs and leads better.
CarrotCamp CarrotCamp is a place where people come to get inspired by other entrepreneurs, hear first-hand stories about how they built their successful businesses and strategies for success. The knowledge Beau has gained from meeting these individuals has been essential in helping him grow his own real estate investing business.
The results:
Beau has been successful in implementing an Evergreen inbound marketing plan. He went all-in and began building his SEO content, which he followed up with PPC. Now he has a team and consistently closes inbound deals to grow his business.
He also knows how to scale his business using Carrot and inbound leads.
What about you? Are you ready for consistent and predictable growth in your business?
Everything in my life from the outside in looked amazing. My friends, family, and colleagues in the industry thought I was an example of “success.”
I owned 3 separate companies, the world’s best family, amazing business partners in 2 of my businesses, and great customers, and felt I could do anything I set my mind to.
The only problem was… I was overwhelmed and unhappy.
In this blog post, I’m going to walk through how I fell into the “too many great opportunities” trap, how it nearly crushed my entrepreneurial and life dreams, and how the advice of a pumpkin farmer changed my perspective on business and life.
Why am I opening up and writing this right now?
First, I wrote this post a few years ago, and a lot has happened since then. Good stuff. We’ve grown Carrot to over 8,000 active members and multiple 7 figures in revenue… and I’ve had to use this process multiple times this past year to clear out the “distraction” and focus on the “big pumpkin.”
So just know… this process I went through a few years ago is one I still use to this day… that’s how much it’s changed my life.
Also…
Now is the perfect time of the year to make some mindset adjustments so you can hit next year hard and make it your best year yet. Also, this one shift in my business has made the single most dramatic impact on my income, fulfillment, and impact on the world of anything I’ve ever done.
This article is for you if you…
Are a high achieving entrepreneur and don’t want to settle for living an average life
Feel like you’re working your butt off but not getting closer to your ultimate goals
You have all kinds of revenue coming in, but your bank account isn’t growing as it should
Find yourself saying “yes” to almost any opportunity that looks “good” and is profitable
Start each day feeling overwhelmed at everything you have to do and the little time you have to do it
You wish that finally one of your businesses or business ideas would grow to its full potential rather than doing “decent” and leveling off
If you’re feeling any of those, you’re not alone.
That Was My Life For 2 Years. Busy. Long Hours. Unfocused. Less Happy. Less Fulfilled.
The frustration that I felt like I was doing all of the right things and I was “successful” in many people’s eyes… but I just never felt that I could crack through to my potential.
It seemed like I’d start a bagillion projects because they all had “promise”, but I would rarely take the important things through the finish line.
I’d always have a backlog of “to-do’s” and always seemed to carry the important “to-do’s” over to the next day for weeks and months on end.
I’d get to the end of the day and feel totally wiped out because I was really “busy,”… but I’d look back on the day and always felt like I couldn’t pinpoint what important project I actually pushed forward in a measurable way that day.
Vision… most of the time, I really couldn’t clearly articulate what I wanted in life and what impact I felt that I was made to make on the world… because I was torn by making a vision too specific that it would alienate some of the “important” projects and businesses I’d already committed my time to… but that didn’t jive with what in my heart I knew i loved to do.
And worse, I felt that the more I took on and the more things I had going in my business and life, the better off I was.
In that life, being “busy” was a good thing, and when people asked how I’ve been my default answer was always…
“Really busy as always!”
… almost like it was a badge of honor to be “busy.”
I Hit A Breaking Point, And Things Had To Change. So Here’s What I Did…
I couldn’t do things like this anymore. You can maybe relate.
If I wanted to live the life I knew I was made to live and to make the impact in life I knew I could make, I had to figure out how to change the way I lived and worked.
Then, a deceptively simple mindset shift helped me break through to a new way of living and thriving in life and business.
I now work less, am focused and excited about the vision, am extremely fulfilled, I’m making more money than I ever have, have an amazing team of A-players around me, and I’m helping more people than I’ve ever been able to help.
Enter the pumpkin farmer.
How A World Record Pumpkin Is Grown (and why it matters to you)
… you have the “busy” and unfocused entrepreneur. Likely you. It used to be me.
That overwhelm, lack of finishing things, achieving below your potential, lower income, always being “busy” but nothing to show for it, etc.
That’s how I was during those 2 years of my life.
I started to see success in my businesses, and that success opened up more and more opportunities.
I didn’t realize it then, but opportunities are often times just distractions in disguise.
Each of those arrows is a different project, focus, or thing… that required my energy and time.
And as you may be able to relate… when you are working on so many things… none of those things can really grow to their full potential.
On the right…
… is what happens when you say “no” to 99% of everything (even things that look like great opportunities) and say YES to just the essential few things that are going to help you make the biggest impact in your life and income.
If you add up the length of all of those little arrows in the first diagram, they equal the length of this one long arrow here. So you’re expending the same amount of energy doing a bunch of unfocused things. None of them do all that well, and you feel like you’re spinning your wheels.
But what if you focused on ONLY THE BEST opportunity and used that same energy to make that great? The results are a factor of 10x+.
As a real estate investor, you may try to wholesale, fix and flip, and do that new townhouse development you’ve got your eye on. They all seem related (all real estate)… but each of them requires your focus, energy, and time.
So unless you build out an amazing team of people, none of those sides of your real estate business will really grow to their full potential like they would if you focused on just one of them… BUT MAKING THAT ONE THING EPICALLY GREAT.
That was the decision I made several years back after I read another book called “The Pumpkin Plan“… that hammered home in a very simple way why it was so critical that I trim stuff down in my life and only focus on a few great things.
Enter The Pumpkin Plan And The Farmer
I’ve found over the years that many of the answers we need in business and life can be learned from farmers.
Farming is a 10,000-year-old discipline, and while technology has changed to help make farming more efficient, the essence of what it takes to grow great crops is the same.
You prep the soil, plant the seeds, water and fertilize those seeds, nurture that crop, and harvest it when it’s ready.
But looking back today, at that time when I was overwhelmed, bringing in good money but spinning my wheels… I was spending too much time planting seeds… I had too many crops out there… and none of my crops had a chance to grow to their full potential because I had to tend to so darn many of them.
But in the book “The Pumpkin Plan,” the author talks about an epiphany he had at a similar point in his life after he read an article in his local newspaper where a state record-holding pumpkin farmer was asked how he grows pumpkins that get so damn big.
How to grow giant pumpkins according to a record-setting pumpkin farmer
Taken from the Pumpkin Plan book. Just do yourself a favor and get the book or get the free PDF of the first chapter online.
And that process has crazy similar parallels in life and business.
Notice in steps 3 – 6 how focused that farmer is on getting rid of everything except that one single pumpkin that seems like it’ll grow the biggest and yield the best result.
He knows that if he keeps marginal pumpkins that are “good opportunities” just in case, they may be great… or so he has ones to fall back on if that big one doesn’t work out… none of those pumpkins would ever have a chance of growing as big as it could.
The “ok” pumpkins or “good” pumpkins kill the chances of the great pumpkin from being amazing…
It’s that focusing all of that water energy, sun energy, and his own personal energy on that one pumpkin that has the most promise that makes the pumpkins so amazingly large.
If we relate this life and business… it may look something like this.
How to grow the best life, business, and income possible (following a farmer’s advice)
Notice the same essential themes from farming to business.
Promising seed = your biggest natural strengths.
Water = selling (gotta make those offers and market the heck out of your business!)
Weed like crazy = cut all distractions and things that pose as “opportunities” but are distractions.
Focus all your attention on the biggest pumpkin = focus on your best and most fulfilling opportunity or strength like crazy.
Most real estate investors and entrepreneurs think that trying 14 different things at once is the path to success.
That “trying” direct mail, SEO, PPC, at the same time, is the path to success.
But it’s not.
Maybe dabble with each of them for a month just to see what gets a bit of traction… but then quickly recognize the one that you feel has the best opportunity to crush it for you if you give it more focus… and weed out the rest of the stuff. Then, focus on being insanely great at PPC.
Then once you’re great at PPC, you may want to add SEO.
Or if you are doing wholesale deals, some fix and flips, or developing an apartment building here or there… you’re likely not doing any of them justice.
What if instead, you recognized that your fix and flip business was the one that was the most fun and most profitable?
Then you’d want to weed out the wholesaling and apartment development and laser focus on being the best fix and flip investor in your area.
Your profits, fun, and fulfillment will all multiply.
Or, if you’re like me, who is a serial entrepreneur… you don’t have to cut off everything else you’re working on and choose just 1 thing.
But you should have 1 main thing that eats up 90%+ of your focus for a period of time.
How I Trimmed The Small Pumpkins
For me, at that moment in my life when I had several companies going on… and people were throwing new opportunities at me all of the time… this is what I did.
I got laser-focused on what my unique abilities were (I love business and marketing strategy, I’m a big vision guy, and love amplifying people to think bigger in life and teaching).
I trimmed off everything in my business that didn’t BEST help me do those things above. This also meant a lot of little projects or partnerships that looked like they were a fit at first glance,but they weren’t a “hell ya! I want to do that!” type of project… just a “ya, I could make money on that.”
There’s a BIG difference. I also started having my assistant check my email so I wouldn’t waste time in my inbox every day… but could focus just on the important emails.
I weeded everything that was taking me away from my focus. At one time, I used to be subscribed to probably 50+ email lists. I’d get dozens of marketing emails daily from “gurus” just in case I’d need them someday or in case they had value. I unsubscribed from all email lists, but my favorite 1-2, turned off Facebook email notifications, deleted the Facebook app from my phone, and deleted the Gmail app from my phone.
I also started not feeling bad if I didn’t answer back an email from someone immediately… because anything that wasn’t directly contributing to my laser focus became a low priority.
I focused on growing that one thing the best I could. That one thing was Carrot. Before making this decision, I had always treated this “online website thing” as a side project. One of my many little projects that had potential that I put a half-ass effort into.
But I started thinking, what if I put all my energy into this and made it an amazing company? What if it was so great I could recruit amazing team members, the ideal customers, and could make my business fun and profitable at the same time… while using it as my way to help the most amount of entrepreneurs as possible?
That’s it.
Sounds too simple right?
Well, it is simple. But it can be hard to take that first step because it feels weird.
It feels like you’re cutting out things that are perfectly fine things that are bringing you money… paying the bills.
But if you don’t get rid of those extra things and if you don’t laser focus on that “big pumpkin”… and give it all of your energy, focus, and resources… you’ll likely be spinning your wheels this time next year.
So You Have A Choice…
And looking back, this choice is pretty obvious now… but it wasn’t easy then.
Choice 1: Focus on what you do best and what you love; focus on that 1 business strategy/opportunity and work it like mad. Grow that 1 thing. And be less busy, make more money, and be happier. Buy The Pumpkin Plan (thanks, Mike!) and Essentialism if you’re serious about it.
And… Listen to Mike Line Out How To Plan Your Business For Less Stress And Higher Profits on His Episode of the CarrotCast:
Choice 2: Keep thinking that “more opportunities” is better. Keep thinking that “being busy” is a good thing. Keep hedging your bets by keeping some of those “small pumpkins” on the table as an option to fall back on and ignore the things your biggest pumpkin needs (your full energy and attention).
And keep settling for your life and a business that runs you.
The choice is yours.
It won’t be comfortable at first, but you’ll look back this time next year and marvel at how your life changed. A simpler life, with more focus and more time to do epic stuff rather than half-assing a dozen things.
Follow that pumpkin farmer’s advice and trim your pumpkin vines often (especially at the end of each year).
Do you feel “busy,” over-extended, and stuck at your current income level?
Also, do you want more content like this? Showing behind the scenes of our entrepreneurial journey as we build a multi-million dollar company from the ground by doing the right thing and delivering an amazing product and experience?
If so, we’ll write a lot more about growing your team, creating a culture in your business, hiring, creating income streams other than real estate, increasing productivity, investing your money wisely, etc. If we get enough interest… we’ll start sharing our journey. Let me know in the comment section below.
Hit me with a comment below on what you think you should trim out before the end of the year?
Our new series is taking you behind the scenes of some of the most interesting and rewarding deals that our customers are closing. Keith Sant is a returning guest, avid Carrot Camper, and a trusted home buyer based in Tacoma, WA.
Today we will learn how he found the lead and how the process went while answering all of your questions about the process. Join us every other Thursday at Carrot.com/deal
Read the Full Show Notes Below…
Keith Sant named his company Kind House Buyers for a reason. As we go behind this deal, you will see why. In this situation, Keith was able to not only go above the asking price but also make over $30k on the deal. Here’s how he did it…
Behind the Deal
The lead came in from a PPC campaign, from someone who was doing their research on buyers in the area. Because Keith had a credible website and a strong reputation, he was one of the buyers she called.
Keith answered the phone when other investors didn’t and he was able to immediately set up an appointment to see the property.
This property was a manufactured home, with plumbing and electrical problems. There was an unpermitted addition, which had also put a lien on the home.
The property could not be listed in the traditional sense, and the family wanted to relocate their aging father who was living on the property.
Breaking Down The Numbers
The family owed about $78k on the property and had also spent a good $10k on family-related issues. Keith knew he could easily sell the land alone for $100k.
After crunching some numbers, he was able to offer more than what they owed, helping to reimburse the family and pay for relocation expenses.
Normally Keith would ear down the property and simply add a new manufactured home, He could then quickly resale it as a brand new home.
However, because of the high demand fr mobile homes, he know this would take a while.
So instead, he flipped the property to a fellow investor who had the tools and means to fix up the property. In this situation, everyone came out ahead.
Building Your Reputation
There are many reasons why homeowners turn to Keith when they need to sell. One of those is the strong reputation he has built over the past 4 years. Keith regularly adds content to his website, adds customer reviews, and is completely transparent about how he works.
Recently, Keith was even feated in an article in the Olympian which spoke of this deal in particular. So many times investors will be painted as vultures who are just after a quick buck.
By being informative and getting his name out there, he is not only building trust but changing the perception of the industry for the better.
If you are putting links out there online and not tracking them, how will you know where your leads are coming from? Our keyword tracking tool will help you see where your leads are coming from and which keywords they are searching.
You will be able to make tweaks to your content to get more eyes on it, thus improving your rankings in Google search results. Look for more data to be added to the keyword tool in the months ahead!
Join Us Live!
Join us every other Thursday on Facebook Live. We’ll be taking you behind the deal with some of the top guys and gals in the industry.
Get answers to your questions live on air while learning the fundamentals of the business.
