Every year, I walk into a lot of different kitchens. Sometimes I go into houses that are on the market with other Realtors, and I see my calendar prominently displayed on the refrigerator. Ouch, it certainly hurt the first couple of times I walked into that! That’s okay though because I sell lots of homes where people have been receiving my calendars, and other mailings, for years.
There was even one home I sold where the owners specifically contacted me because they got my calendar every year. They talked about their experiences with me with their friends, and I ended up selling a couple more properties for two of their friends. This fall, I’ll be selling yet another property for that same group of friends. This is an ideal situation in real estate sales, where every piece of business should lead to more business.
What I like about calendars is they are almost guaranteed to stay around for at least a year once they are posted on a fridge. While some people keep my newsletters, just listed, and just sold postcards, it’s the calendars that have most staying power. It’s not unusual for me to go into homes with my calendars posted for the past several years, including in my own home where I’ve got the past three calendars on the side of my fridge.
There are other magnets Realtors give away. If you need an excuse for a mailing, football and baseball magnets are great. They also last at least a season. I figure one magnet a year is enough from me, so I always do a ‘Beaches’ version yearly calendar. There are magnets with model homes, some with recipes, and others are patriotic. These are all fine choices, but I like the beaches calendar best because I love beaches!
Some Realtors like to wait until late in the year or even after the new year when calendars go on sale. That’s a great way to save a little money, but while one Realtor waits for a sale, another Realtor could be out there filling that void. There are only so many calendar magnets people can put on their refrigerators, so there’s something to be said about first mover advantage. That’s why I order my calendars when they become available.
If you aren’t on my mailing list and you’d like a beaches calendar magnet, please feel free to contact me. I’ll be happy to send one to you as soon as they are in!