Top 9 Appraisal Marketing Tips
Appraisal, Blog
January 11, 2018 | Nick Chuvalas - Hondros College Contributor
Successful appraisers know that consistent appraisal marketing is critical to growing their businesses. When managing your business, there are a variety of appraisal marketing techniques you can use to build and grow your practice.
1. Differentiate Yourself from the Competition
Your overall goal for your appraisal marketing efforts should be to make your services stand out from the crowd. The best way to do that is to develop a unique brand. Branding doesn’t refer to your logo or slogan, although those things do represent your brand. When developing your brand, you need to identify those things that make your services unique. You can start by asking yourself the following types of questions:
- What do you do to make your services different from, and better than, other appraisers’ services?
- Do you specialize in services for a specific type of client?
- Do you operate in a specific geographic area?
- Do you have unique qualifications?
Once you have a clear understanding of your competitive advantages, you can start building a brand that stands out in the marketplace.
2. Build an Impressive Website
No matter where your leads come from, people looking for an appraiser inevitably look for an online presence. You need to develop a contemporary website that looks professional — a hub for your online appraisal marketing efforts. The website doesn’t need to be elaborate and expensive. Use a clean design and clearly written content that explains what you do, how you do it and why someone should work with you. Your website is one of the most important tools for building your brand.
3. Start a Blog
Once your website is in place, you have the opportunity to increase your online presence by writing a blog. Your blog is the place where you can help prospects and clients by sharing your expertise. Many people are unclear about what appraisers do and the appraisal process. Become the local expert by demonstrating your knowledge and you’ll find people coming to you for answers to their questions.
4. Network Online
Blog posts are an excellent way to kill two birds with one stone. Adding content to your website will improve its authority online. You can then promote your blog posts on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Be sure to respond to people who comment on those social media sites to develop useful relationships.
5. Use Online Advertising
When someone does an internet search for an appraiser in your area, wouldn’t it be great if your website were on the first page of results? You can make that happen by investing in pay-per-click ads.
You can also create ads on social media sites. Let’s say that you want to market to FSBO homeowners, encouraging them to get an appraisal before they set the sales price for their home. Or perhaps you want to target real estate agents. Create ads to reach those types of prospects on social media. Facebook and LinkedIn, for example, provide demographic information that will help your ads reach your target audience.
6. Market Locally
Another way to get more exposure for your business is to pursue local marketing opportunities. For example, you probably have local radio shows that address real estate issues. Volunteer to be a guest to help the station’s listeners understand the appraisal process.
Many local papers have a real estate section, which is another opportunity for you to shine. Volunteer to write guest articles to help the real estate editors broaden their coverage. This will also demonstrate your expertise and increase your exposure while helping people learn about appraising. It’s a win-win-win marketing tool.
Direct mail is another tool that can help you bring in prospects. It’s also an effective tool for staying in touch with your contacts.
7. Network in Person
Since many of your clients are likely local, you can network with them in person. Opportunities abound, including:
- Volunteering in your community: Find out where your best prospects spend their volunteer time. It might be a service organization or a local professional association. Explore becoming a sponsor of local little league teams.
- Attending local meetings: Join organizations such as your local Chamber of Commerce and actively develop relationships with people who could help you grow your business.
- Speaking at real estate offices: Real estate team leaders are often delighted when someone volunteers to speak at a staff meeting.
8. Register with Reputable Appraisal Management Companies
There are many opinions about working through appraisal management companies (AMCs). Some appraisers feel that AMCs aren’t a reliable source of work and the fees are too low. Other appraisers have created a short list of reputable AMCs and consider the lower fee a reasonable trade-off since they can get some work without spending their own marketing dollars.
9. Get Referrals
Referrals are an outstanding source of leads. When an existing satisfied client refers you to someone else, the effort you need to expend to turn that lead into a client is greatly reduced.
It’s always a good move to target part of your appraisal marketing efforts to developing relationships with people who can influence a decision to hire you. These may include real estate agents, accountants, and attorneys. Get into the habit of asking all your clients — especially the influencers — for referrals.
Final Thoughts
Building an appraisal business is just like building any other type of business — it takes hard work and smart marketing. Develop a brand that differentiates you from your competition, and then stick to an effective marketing plan. The reward will be a thriving business you can be proud of.