But what about after the sale is all said and done?  Are you just so thankful that you got the transaction to close that you pretty much just succumb to the emotional roller coaster you’ve been riding and slump into a big messy heap, recover and move on to the next ride?

What percentage of Realtors® do you think have an after sale plan in place and using consistently?  50%?  40%?  30%?  Nope.  How about less than 10%?   Now, the question is, are you included in that 10%?

Referrals should be the root of your growing tree.

Here’s some savvy ways to continue to be at the top of your past client’s minds when it comes to referrals:

1.  (This first one may seem really elementary, but you’d be surprised how many don’t do this!)  Get a testimonial! It always has and it always will be not what you say you can do, but what other have said you have done.  The easiest way to gain testimonials is to request it within a week of closing and via an email.  Get it while your successful closing is still fresh in everyone’s minds and get it quick!  These can be used in your listing presentations, your blogsite your LinkedIN account, pretty much everywhere.

2.  Send some type of communication to them on a REGULAR basis.  Since 80% of sales happen after the 5th means of communication,  consistent contact is truly a must in this scenario too.  A simple email saying hello, a quick call to see how they are doing… this is also an excellent example of how to use the social networking aspect of Top Producer’s 8i system where you can see what your previous clients have been doing via their Facebook updates – pick up the phone and talk to them about it.  Instant connection!

3.  Remember the dates.   Not just their closing date, but their birthdays too.   I’m still a huge fan of SendOutCards (no affiliation here) or handwritten notes.  They just exuberate emotion.

4.  Be social.  Get out to where your previous clients socialize.  Not in a stalking way, but in a relationship sustaining way!

With just one of these suggestions in place and made part of your business building routine, it’s practically a given that your referrals will grow in numbers and your sales will too.

Have other suggestions that work too?  Share with us in the comments below.

I had a chance to do an exclusive, full hands on review which I have documented in the video above and must say that it may have just been worth the wait.

While many users are overwhelmed by the full power of Top Producer 8i and all of it’s capabilities, the new mobile app is streamlined down to just the features you as a busy Realtor need access to in the field.

Your contacts, calendar, notes, activities, listings and closings will now be at your finger tips if you are using any model of the iPhone including the new iPhone 4.  Not only can you access all of the information you need, you can add contacts, add appointments or notes, edit any fields and the iPhone app will wirelessly sync that new information back to your main Top Producer 8i database.

I also loved the ability to text message a client from within the app, a first for Top Producer.  For Market Snapshot users there is even a button in each clients record for creating Market Snapshots on the fly which I could see being extremely useful while out in the field and being asked “How’s the market?”.

All in all this is a long overdue but worthy entry into the app store for Top Producer. There will be multiple pricing options including monthly, annual or lifetime choices for payment.

For more details CLICK HERE NOW and if you call in let them know that you heard about it first on Tech Savvy Agent!

Below are some screenshots of the app in action:

If you aren’t familiar with this robust system (geared toward gaining both buyer and seller leads), the below detailed market snapshot example will be a great way to learn about it.  This informational page (included below) was designed by me a few months ago, since I felt that not only are Realtors becoming more tech savvy, but so are their potential clients;  entering their name and contact information is no longer expected to be done so freely anymore.  So putting together a descriptive example of the information the potential buyer or seller will be receiving (and, therefore, giving them more reason to give up their contact information) just made sense.  And it worked!

I put this to the test back in April when I created a Facebook PPC Ad and created one with the basic Stealth site for Market Snapshot and one with the below information, exactly as shown.

You should note, each of the visual pictures has an embedded link which takes the prospective client to the sign-up form too, so not only is there the form at the very end of the landing page, but over a dozen additional opportunities to gain a new lead in a single page! 

The result:  The basic stealth landing page received very little response, whereas the detailed landing page provided bonefide leads.   Since this test, I also made the detailed landing page available to be added to websites, blogs, Facebook fan page custom tabs and Craigslist ads, each providing opportunities to gain more leads and more closings.

Pairing this along with Top Producer’s 8i contact management system (where your new leads will be automatically uploaded to and can be set up on an automatic action plan) will put your lead generation on auto-pilot! Ok, so like everything else, you must syndicate/advertise wherever you are posting your services and products, but with this detailed and visual explanation of what your potential leads will be gaining, your work will be half done!

Take a look at the example below and let us know your thoughts (and if you have this in place already, what your results have been like). You can also contact me directly at suzanne@techsavvyagent.com for any questions or more information on how to build a detailed landing page like this.

Want More Leads? Add This Detailed Market Snapshot Landing Page To Your Website, Fan Page, Craigslist Ads & More!

What Is Market Snapshot?

Market Snapshot shows you market trends in the area of your choosing. It charts live market activity including such data as sold homes, properties for sale, inventory counts and even days-on-market. You can’t get that information anywhere else, unless, of course, you’re a Realtor!

Below is a sneak peak to just one Market Snapshot page:

Get All Data For Homes Just Listed And Sold!

The data displayed within the Snapshot is real-time Multiple Listing Service information. The map offers several viewing options:

• Road
• Aerial and
• Bird’s Eye views

where you will see listings identified by green (Active Listings) or red flags (Homes that have Sold).

By clicking the bird’s eye view of the map, you’ll see your backyard and even your neighbor’s back yard! Hover your mouse over any of the listings and a pop up box with a picture of the home will appear. Within the pop up is a link where you can click to view all the details on that particular home. The details will show the asking price, selling price, days on market, property features and comments!

Get answers to questions like,

“What Did My Neighbor’s House Sell For?”

Within your Market Snapshot report, you will also see the inventory based on the last three months (which is the default), the last thirty days or the last week! Below the rop down list are several statistical g graphs showing asking and sold price s, asking vs. sol d prices, time on market, and inventory statistics. Some of these graphs that are included in each report are shown below.

The Snapshot shows homes that are similar in number of bedrooms and bathrooms to yours so not every home for sale or sold will appear.

What Else Is Included?

Additional information is also readily available, including community and school details. If knowing how close the nearest police stations, fire stations, department and grocery stores are to the area you are interested in purchasing is important to you, you will find all this here, and more.

Local school information, public and private, plus colleges and universities can also be reviewed within your Market Snapshot.

Each school is marked on the interactive map, and listed to the right you can click and gain detail for each school as shown below:

All this information is just a click away!

Please complete the form below to obtain your personalized report now.

1.  Full MLS Data Integration Into Each Contact Record

Top Producer recently released a new feature in 8i that will actually map out all of the listing and sold data from any clients neighborhood with the click of a button.  The best use of this feature is prospecting your current database.  We know a lot of Realtors who have names, addresses and phone numbers, but are missing an email address.  By calling your clients and offering to simply help them understand their own market you bring the value of being the neighborhood expert.  Then after you have shown the call to be valuable and not just “know anyone looking to buy”, ask for their email and let them know you will be sending out this information monthly in an email that they can check out on their time!  If you have Market Snapshot it makes it even easier because from the same screen you can choose perform action, create Market Snapshot.  Now that client gets their monthly, automated, detailed market analysis and you go back to work!

2.  Facebook and Twitter Integration In Every Contacts Record

While adding your own notes to a clients file will never go out of style, something big is happening right now with social media.  Top Producer has recognized that and by incorporating both Facebook and Twitter into 8i you now have the clients adding notes for you each time they do a status update or a tweet.  Think how critical that information is when contacting a client.  The movie they just saw, the vacation they were just on, the dinner they just ate, etc are all now right there in your database…point is people are sharing freely what matters the most to them and by that information now adding itself dynamically to each client file in Top Producer.  This new feature really defines the concept of Customer Relationship Manager or CRM.  Database management is not just a “system” but an aggregator of relevant data that makes it easier for you to manage 1000′s of online and real life relationships.

3.  Update Your Facebook Page Without Leaving Top Producer 8i

While updating your profile in Facebook was an added feature to Top Producer updating your business page was not.  I figured out a great workaround that actually allows you to choose which Facebook section to update.  With Facebook Pages becoming the main way of gaining new business in Facebook, it is great that you can now update your page without leaving Top Producer 8i.

4.  Create a Stand Out Craigslist Ad in Minutes Using Top Producer Market Snapshot

Let’s face it.  Most Craigslist ads suck.  The monotony of searching through 2bd/2ba cute and cozy can be an awful experience.  Top Producer has a new ad creator for Craigslist that quickly builds a stand out ad and captures leads by offering a Market Snapshot.  By having a relevant deliverable in your ad that doesn’t require anyone actually gets in touch with you works.  Instant, automated and no need to speak with an agent are music to my eyes when browsing the web!

So there are the 4 ways to leverage Top Producer 8i and Market Snapshot in an effort to get the most bang for your buck.  If you have any questions or suggestions for a topic that wasn’t covered feel free to leave those below.  If you would like to receive regular help on Top Producer Suzanne has a Facebook Page called Top Producer Help that you should like where she provides tips and tricks regularly!

As someone who has spent the last 2 years training Realtors on the best ways to leverage Top Producer 8i to help grow their business I can honestly say this is the best set of new features that I have seen.  We are always looking for meaningful conversations with our clients and sphere of influence and what better way to accomplish that than by them updating their contact record with what is going on in their personal life!  In the past we relied on ourselves to add notes but now with the new Facebook integration into 8i your clients that are your friends in Facebook will be adding notes for you.  I hope you enjoy this quick how to video on the new feature and as always be sure to leave a comment or question on our Facebook page.