You can be the best real estate agent, loan officer, or business owner in the world, but If you don’t have enough clients, your business will die – and quickly. 
 
In fact, prospecting, networking, lead generation, and sales constitutes about 85% of your actual time and energy! (Or, it should.)
 
So, the golden question for any sales professional is, “How can I exponentially increase my pool of potential clients?” 
 
While there are no magic tricks in marketing, the closest thing you’ll find is publishing a book.

I wrote the book on ______.

It's also a damn-good way to leave your competition in the dust. 
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Envision this - you walk into your next listing appointment/home loan consultation/sales meeting and end with, "Oh, by the way, I literally wrote the book on _______." and then plop your newly published work down on the table. Effective, huh? 

I’ve written and self-published eight books myself now and co-authored or worked on at least twice that number for clients. So, I know how any Realtor, loan officer, or business owner can utilize it as a powerful lead magnet and secret weapon for closing more deals! 
 
To be clear, you aren’t going to make money selling your book. If you think you’ll amass significant coin by peddling your eBook for $2.99, forget about it. (I'll share an awesome marketing system using your book to generate leads.)
 
But, done correctly, publishing a book is an incredibly powerful marketing tool that will allow you to:

• Increase your audience exponentially 
• Funnel large numbers to your website 
• Gain their respect and attention (as well as their email addresses!)
• Open a regular dialogue with them – the precursor to any sale

 
Your book will serve as a powerful lead magnet!
 
There are far more benefits to publishing a book in your field:

• Establish yourself as a credible expert and industry leader
• Create opportunities for speaking invites, quotes in your newspaper, local magazines, radio shows, etc.

• Leave your competition in the dust 
• Create a signature item of value for potential clients
• And something you can send to referral partners
• Gain name (and face) recognition
• Expand social proof and trust (important to sales psychology!) 
• Spark interest with your current clients and database

 
Plus, a book release party will be damn fun!

Let Amazon.com and Apple market for you!

On Amazon.com – the world’s largest bookseller between print and Kindle eBooks – 200 million people shop or browse EVERY SINGLE DAY!
 
Apple Books (formerly iBook), Barnes and Noble.com, Nook, and other smaller distributors see tens of millions of people searching for books and content every day.
 
That’s a monumentally huge untapped resource of consumers who are actively looking for information and content in a particular subject. That includes the subjects of buying or selling real estate, getting a home loans, real estate investing, market updates, How To’s, or whatever field your business operates in. 
 
Think of it like this – so far, you’ve probably been fishing in a small pond (and doing well), but think of the sales potential now that you’ll get a chance to cast out into the ocean! 
 
Don't worry - it doesn’t have to be Moby Dick!

I’m not talking about penning your juicy real estate tell-all memoir (although that would be entertaining to read!) In fact, it doesn't even need to be 100 pages long.

We can call it a “book” for the purposes of this article, but writing and self-publishing content can come in many different forms, including:

• Special Report
• Handbook
• Guide
• White paper
• Instructional course
• Tips, hacks, etc.

 
Some of these can be as short as a dozen pages, or as long as short as you’d like since the material will be instructive and professional.
 
Here are some examples:
 
The First-Time homebuyer’s Handbook, by __________  (Do you think that might generate more than a few first-time homebuyer leads?)
10 Mistakes Home Sellers Make That Kill Their Profits, by_________  
25 Things Every Consumer NEEDS to Know About Home Loans, by________
10 Tips to Save Money on Your Mortgage, by ___________
 
It’s even better to get super specific in your niche and add geo-targeting if you only do business in your local city or region:
 
Your 2020 Sacramento Real Estate Report & Forecast, by _________
Investing in Sacramento; Everything you need to know about real estate for profit in the 916, by_________
Your California Down Payment Assistance Report, by _________
 
You get the idea – and the possibilities suddenly get our pulse racing.
 
The goal is to get your name, face, messages to the largest number of people who are eager to read what YOU have to say and get YOUR help.
 
But I don’t know how to write a book (and I don’t have the time)!
 
Yup. That’s where I come in! 
 
And you’ll be amazed when you see how efficient and cost-effective it can be to write and publish your own content, from A to Z.

(Not to mention, your potential ROI is through the roof when you sell real estate or home loans).
 
Feel free to hit me up if you’d like more information or just to chat about the possibilities.
 
-Norm  :-)

P.S. Look for part two of this next week when I break down the perfect marketing system to leverage your new book into emails, leads, prospects, and closed deals! ​

And mortgage lenders; I haven’t forgotten about you. 
 
Top Home Loan Lead Sources
 
42% Past clients
33% Referrals
18% Realtors
4% Online 
2% Paid ads and services
1% Company or broker leads
 
Of course, this will vary depending on the market, how long you’ve been in business, your target demographic, “farm,” whether you have a team or are flying solo, and, frankly, what you like and are good at.
 
There is no one “right” answer when it comes to marketing or lead generation for real estate professionals, but I did want to point out one thing: 
 
The top one or two categories for listings, buyers, and home loans include:

• Past clients
• Referrals
• Your existing contacts

 
What can we learn from that?
 
The most efficient way to get new leads is to work your existing database, past clients, and contacts. There’s still no replacement for networking, building relationships, and the personal touch.

Of course, you can use social media, websites, email marketing systems, and other technology to network, expand your reach, provide value, and "touch" more people in an organized, systematic way (the exact reason I write and send out this blog you're reading right now!).
 
But please don’t fall for the fallacy that you can pay a few hundred (or, a few thousand) dollars to any company or service and they’ll do all the work for you, handing you a steady stream of new leads that are actually convertible and will end up as dollars back in your pocket. If it was that easy, anyone could be a successful Realtor or lender, and we both know that isn't true.
 
That’s a shortcut, and you’ll never find a seasoned, successful agent or lender who attributes their career growth to shortcuts.
 
However, we do know this:
 
Investing into your marketing efforts into your past clients, referral partners, and ever-growing database is the best way to survive and thrive long term – in any market or economy. 
 
I hope you find this information helpful and, if nothing else, it will confirm what your broker or mentor keeps telling you. 
 
Now the fun part: creative and cost-effective ways to reach those segments and generate new leads! 
 
Contact me if you’d like to chat about your marketing or just exchange some fun ideas and strategies.
 
-Norm  :-)
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I don’t sell real estate - I just make you guys a whole lot of money!