Um, attention grabbing, isn’t it?
(Photo found on geekstir)
The truth of the matter is, more than half of all property managers are self employed. That means you get to set your own hours, pick your own clients, take as many vacations as you want…and find all of your own business.
Some of the best property managers in the business have difficulty making a living because they are simply unable to market themselves well. Regardless of the stellar property management services you provide, if no one can find you, your business won’t take off.
So, while we may all be laughing at the photo of Brad Lamb’s head pasted onto a sheep’s body in outer space which is wearing socks, apparently, Mr. Lamb and his team are doing something right. Not only do they have an HGTV show in Canada called “Big City Broker”, but they are known as one of the most successful private real estate groups in North America.
Are you still laughing?
Yeah, I’m feeling a little sheepish too (badum ching!). Well, here are some easy things to consider when marketing yourself and your property management services to the masses.
1. Choose a niche – whether or not you’re a property management all star, it’s easier to focus your marketing effort on a specific group of people, at least to get started. Don’t worry about showing off your versatility, with success will come the opportunity to expand. Pick the type of property or area you’d like to focus in and build your way up from there.
2. Brand yourself consistently – like when choosing a niche, use a logo, brand colors, or slogan consistently. It might seem boring, but building up a presence requires making yourself familiar to your audience.
3. Use the internet – obviously, if you’re reading this post, you already have some knowledge of what the internet can do for your business, but it’s amazing how many quality managers are still only in the phone book or have only a simple landing page with their contact information. Take advantage of the web’s resources and make yourself more visible:
- Create an interactive website that potential clients can use as a resource
- Utilize social media; make yourself easy to find and a voice within the online community
- Use online rental listing sites; make your potential client and renter pools as large as possible
4. Be creative – okay, so maybe don’t start with the photoshopped ad with your head pasted on a farm animal’s body, but use the same spirit and enthusiasm. Property managers with photo-business cards are ten a penny. Find a way to make yourself stand out.
5. Persevere – if you don’t see instant results, it doesn’t mean your efforts aren’t working. Give your marketing efforts time to be soaked up by the industry. Take the opportunity to network at real estate events or even through the online community you’ve recently joined.
In any case, when you’re working for yourself, you get out what you put in (like notoriety for being a lamb-astronaut in space). If you take the time to build a brand online and in person, you’ll be sure to fill up your schedule and have a successful management business.
