Real estate professionals gather to improve marketing skills

Real estate educator Dennis Creps believes real estate agents must develop big ideas in order to get their message across.

Otherwise, their success in the marketplace may be in jeopardy.

"Every time we market ourselves, we have to come up with the best approach possible," Creps told about 45 real estate professionals Thursday. "Small business owners and real estate agents have to do this. It's how we get seen, heard and noticed."

The real estate professionals were on hand for a real estate marketing seminar led by Creps at Cornerstone Assembly of God. The Southeast Missourian, First Community Bank and Capaha Bank sponsored the seminar for those wanting to reach a higher level of sales and service.

Throughout the three-hour seminar, Creps covered topics such as creating a one-of-a-kind message, how to attract more business and the latest research on marketing.

To get one's message out, Creps said real estate agents must create ads that are visually appealing in order to attract potential clients.

"A lot of what we do as Realtors is based on association," Creps said. "Real estate is visual because we have a very visual product, so you need to use lots of pictures of homes that you sell and pictures of yourself on your advertisements."

He encouraged agents to examine advertisements of other real estate businesses, and also ads from outside the industry to stimulate creativity.

But above all, Creps said advertising must grab the potential client's attention. He said most attention-grabbing ads have one of five characteristics -- babies, animals, old pictures, eye images and odd situations.

Creps said that if real estate agents are successful in the potential client perceiving them as a top choice, they have a major advantage over the competition.

"Being No. 1 or 2 gives a person a mental edge on the competition," Creps said. "You want to be one of the top choices on people's minds to sell real estate. And that will help others become more aware of you and you'll become the preferred source."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137