Real Estate Agents: STOP Wasting Your Marketing Dollars!

You may not know this, but I actively sell real estate. I’m in the trenches with you every.single.day. Managing two businesses can get a little crazy which is why I’m vigilant about managing my marketing dollars. There is no room in the budget for anything to be wasted! And, I think every.single.one.of.you should regularly monitor your expenses to ensure you’re not wasting your marking dollars (or any other dollars, for that matter)!

ASK YOURSELF: ARE YOU USING IT?

Each month I go through ALL the expenses. The first question I ask myself is “Are we using this?” 

If the answer is NO – then go deeper. WHY NOT? 

The answer to this should give you direction.

Are you not using a service because you haven’t taken the time to set it up?

Well for crying out loud, you are a business owner. SCHEDULE THE TIME. 

Does the product/service no longer fit your business? 

That’s a sign it’s time to take action and part ways. For example, I recently realized I wasn’t using a monthly membership anymore. I had just outgrown it. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, but it wasn’t a good fit for me and my real estate business today, so it was time to cancel it. Once you realize you need to take action – schedule time to make it happen. 

ASK YOURSELF: IS THIS MAKING YOUR LIFE EASIER?

I’m totally willing to pay for convenience. If you’re paying for a product or service that’s saving you time in any way – it’s like a good investment.

But, you might want to consistently make sure that you’re still getting the best price. 

For example, I had a problem with my voicemail system. I use BetterVoice to have multiple numbers so I can route calls based on lead source. We used to rely on it heavily. But, as different lead pillars evolved we’ve made changes in the way calls are routed to us. I still use it for sign calls – every single one of our signs have a Better Voice number on it and if I cancelled the service I’d have to print new signs. Yikes! 

However, I thought the $50/month price was a little steep considering how little we use it in comparison to the past usage. After speaking with customer service to resolve the problem I was having, I asked about pricing. Turns out, they could do better. Now I only pay $20 a month. It’s a small change, but so worth it! 

Don’t be afraid to switch services for a better price. 

If Better Voice hadn’t lowered my price, I probably would have researched other services. Looks like I can get about the same thing for $10 a month through YouMail. Today, it was worth it for me to not have to change all those numbers on my signs though. Changing this service would require some time in planning and I’d have to get some ugly stickers for my signs which requires time and a little expense as well. Ultimately, it was worth it to keep everything the same and save a little with my current provider. I’ll reserve the right to change my mind on that later! 

ASK YOURSELF: IS THIS REALLY WORTH IT?

If you’ve got a membership that you’re not really using but you love the Facebook group – maybe that makes the monthly expense worth it to you. But, if you’re not using a service properly, or at all, it probably isn’t worth the expense. (And I want you to stop wasting your marketing dollars!)

But, when you ARE using a product/service you should still ask yourself if it’s really worth it. 

Especially when they raise your prices. 

Yesterday I received an email notifying me that prices are going up with my current CRM. I’ve been with them since 2012 or 2013 – a long time! My needs haven’t really changed that much over the years and the CRM still meets my expectations. They’ve done a lot to improve it and I understand why they need to increase their prices. However, I don’t really use a lot of their new technology. The more I thought about it – I liked it better before it was so updated with tons of features I don’t need or even know about. 

Are you paying for the same service twice?

Plus, I have a website that has a built in CRM. I don’t think it’s as good as my other CRM – but now I’m wondering, is it really worth $250+ MORE a month? So, if you’re like me and you have some redundant services, maybe it’s time to decide if you need them all. After all, you don’t want to waste your marketing dollars anymore than I do. 

Don’t forget to TAKE ACTION. 

No matter what you decide to do, whether it’s keeping the service but learning how to use it, or cancelling it completely – don’t forget to take action. It’s really easy to put something off to deal with later. And before you know it, you’ve paid for this product or service that you’re not using or don’t value for another 6 months! 

If you don’t already have a system in place to keep your expenses organized, you can download the exact spreadsheet I use in my real estate business. I’ve called this “Accounting is Sexy” with a pretty little pig to disguise the fact that it’s a spreadsheet. You’re welcome 🙂