If you have tried Craigslist without success, I know that it is because of how you used it and the kind of ads you ran. In fact, there are five common reasons that a Craigslist ad will fail. Do any of these things, and I can almost guarantee your ad will bomb…

Love it or hate it, using Craigslist to generate leads tends to bring out strong reactions from those Real Estate Agents who have used it. Many agents who do use it end up feeling like it is a waste of time — bringing them no sales and crummy leads.

I can tell you that it’s not a waste of time at all.  In fact it is responsible for 3-5 sales a month for me, and has put over $236,000.00 in my pocket …for free!  So not only does it work …it works predictably and consistently when done correctly.

If you have tried Craigslist without success, I know that it is because of how you used it and the kind of ads you ran.  In fact, there are five common reasons that a Craigslist ad will fail.  Do any of these things, and I can almost guarantee your ad will bomb:

1. Your Ad Was Like Everyone Else’s Ad

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in crafting and creating your Craigslist ads is to model them after the other ads you see on there.  Look at what everyone else is doing – and DO NOT do the same.  Do something different and bold.

Every time I hear someone tell me, “But Vince, no one else in my marketplace does Craigslist ads this way,” my response is “COOL!”  That is the exact reason you want to do them differently …it is the way you will become an industry leader.

So, for example, when you see all of the headlines on most real estate Craigslist ads looking the same, and giving the same boring information, RUN.  You want your headlines to be bold.  Don’t be afraid to say things like “once in a lifetime” and other dramatic type language.

Only headlines that move your audience will get them to click — which is the objective of placing all these Craigslist ads.  Plus, you want your ads to stand out from all the others, not blend in with them.  So start getting creative and make your headlines pop!

 2. Too Much Information!

Another mistake that many real estate agents make is to try to include every selling feature of their listings in their Craigslist ads.  This is not only not necessary, but not advisable.

While you DO always want to include a picture, you want to provide vague information …especially in the headline.  Do not try to give as much detail as possible.  Don’t say, for example, “1,497sq ft., 4 br, 3 bath…” because you want them to click on your ad not just read it.  What I will explain more later is that the objective is not to sell anything in these ads, but instead to get people to click on the ad and go to the next step (it’s what I call going to the next point of success, which is KEY!)

3. You Tried To Sell In Your Ad

I started leading up to this in the last section, but one of the quickest ways NOT to get sales from Craigslist is to try to sell something in your Craigslist ad.

Sound counterintuitive?  Sounds nonsensical, right?

It is true though!  I don’t sell homes in my Craigslist ads – ever.  It’s not my objective.  My objective with my Craigslist ads is to generate leads, and to drive those leads to contact us.  Then I can convert those leads into a buyer presentation over the phone.

My job is to sell ALL the homes in the MLS — not just one.  So I never make my objective in my Craigslist ads to sell one particular property.

Your job when you create Craigslist ads is not to sell, but instead to create value and point people to your lead magnet website (more on this in the next section), and to get as much information from them as possible so that you can convert them to a client.

4. You Sent People To Your Business Card Website

So let’s say you have created the ideal Craigslist ad. It has a killer headline, and people are clicking on the ad left and right.  What can kill all of this great momentum is sending people when they click on your ads to your business card website.

What is a business card website you ask?  Well, if you have a website that just has your picture, your phone number, your email address and your listings — and that’s it — then you have a business card website.  It is any website that serves another function other than only lead generation.

The only reason you want people clicking on your Craigslist ads is so you can CAPTURE THEIR INFORMATION!  Capturing people’s information allows you to do your job, which is to convert them into a customer and, ultimately, a paid closing.

Capturing people’s information is your number one job!  So don’t ever post Craigslist ads that send people to a business card website.  It is setting your ads up to fail.

5. You Timed Your Ads Wrong

The last and final mistake you can make when posting Craigslist ads is to not be strategic about when and how many ads you post.

Some people believe if posting one ad is good, then posting twenty ads is better.  While I am a proponent of posting multiple ads, you do not want to post all of your ads at one time.  This will backfire on you.

Lead generation and marketing is the most important thing we do as real estate agents.  So you need to spend 70% of your time on this, or you’ll fail in this business.

Being strategic about your Craigslist ads and taking some time to spread out when you post your ads will go a long way toward your ads succeeding.  So ideally you want to break up your ads so that they are posted at different times of the day.

Avoid these five major Craigslist mistakes, and you will see your results from using the great, free resource of Craigslist, explode. Take advantage of this great resource, and hit it right, and you could start seeing consistent sales every month from it.

Do you know the most misunderstood and incorrectly answered question ever asked of a real estate agent?

“Why should I (your prospects) do business with you rather than another agent?”

If the first thing that comes to your mind is the laundry list of designations and initials behind your name, your eons of experience and impressive sold volume, or a clever tagline—“Everything I touch, turns to Sold” you probably think you have this question in the bag.

You would be wrong.

Consumers don’t care about all this talk about YOU!  Whether you are a fan of country music or not, you should understand that every one of your prospects subscribes to Toby Keith’s line of thinking when it comes to buying or selling a home—“Let’s talk about ME!”  They are concerned with their fears, their time, and their money.  Period.

Here are three things you should be doing as an agent to alleviate your prospect’s fears, develop a loyal client base that is eager to do business with you, and continually generate referrals.

Offer a Performance Guarantee—An advertisement that reads, “I’ll sell your home in 29 days or I’ll sell it for FREE…100% Guaranteed!” is a lot more compelling than “If you or someone you know is looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate, I can help.”  This is sure-fire way to get your phone to ring off the hook with sellers who are motivated to sell.  Let’s face it; more leads mean more listings, which in turn means more closings.

Of course, as with any type of guarantee, there will necessarily be some restrictions that the seller must abide by, such as not overpricing the listing.

Take Away the Risk—The number of people who balk at signing a binding agreement to work with an agent is staggering.  How can they be sure that you will look out for their best interests, communicate with them, or do what you say you will do?  Make yourself irresistible to your prospects by providing them with the security of knowing that they can cancel the agreement if they aren’t satisfied.

Simply knowing the option exists doesn’t increase the odds that the client will take advantage of it, but it will greatly increase the number of prospects you convert into clients.

Provide a Communication Guarantee—The number one complaint consumers report about real estate agents is a lack of communication!  Fortunately, this is actually one of the easiest complaints to fix.  Simply provide your client with a schedule for communication such as, “I will call you every Tuesday to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly.”  Then make it part of your weekly calendar.  This is a great tool because it provides the accountability to maintain communication regardless of the level of activity on the home and it makes it easier to discuss any issues you may have to address like price changes or staging needs.

Implement these tools into your business and you will be able to answer with confidence why you are the only agent your prospect would ever want to work with.

When you understand what the consumer fears and wants you have the power to offer the precise solution they need and distinguish yourself as not only an expert in your field, but also as an advocate for your client and others like them.    This is what will set you apart in the hearts and minds of the public and will build a strong foundation for your continued growth and success through repeat business and referrals.

If you have used these or other types of performance guarantees in your business, please leave a comment below and let me know how they worked for you.

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Jim I will say I had an inspection today with another guy and it was just not the same as you an Merlita.  My bar is raised now since you are so thorough and a great communicator.  You better not ever retire!

Thanks!

Kelley Face - NWG Real Estate

You did a great job! We are very pleased with your thoroughness and organization. We will definitely recommend you!

-The Fankhausers