Well that’s £1000 well spent!

Like most agents at this time of year, you may well be gearing up for (or already started) the traditional ‘awareness raising & valuation generating’ early New Year mailshot?

How much are you planning on spending? £300, £500, £1000? More? per office?  You’ll be rationalising that you only need one instruction and it’s paid for itself hasn’t it? Even if you don’t get anything right now, it’s all good for the future. Sow the seeds today, for growth tomorrow and all that…

Or do you privately feel, that just like your last mailshot, you’ll be left feeling slightly damp at the gills that you won’t be called out to that many additional valuations? If any? Or maybe of the ones you’re called out to will more than likely be tyre kickers, that may at some point in the future, come back to you to sell. Or not? Brand building for the future is all very well, but you need instructions now!!

Above all, like every other agent up and down the country, whilst you’re handing over tons of cash and hoping that all your leaflets get delivered, you’ll probably be wondering if there are any other cost effective, measurable ways to drum up business, get your branding out there and get those phones ringing. Is there anything new – something cost effective and immediate  that can help drive traffic and generate leads?  Something that produces tangible results where the motivation for you doing it is not just because the ‘other guy up the street does it’.

A board that was just for Christmas?

Did you do a Christmas fayre sponsorship for the local school, or are you planning to do the the Easter fete or similar? That’s another set of boards (& slips), the board contractor’s costs. Your time in setting it all up! Your staff’s time fielding all those calls from locals who can’t (or can’t be bothered to) read properly. It says “Christmas fayre sponsorship – not ‘for sale’ stupid”!  But again, at least your agency is interacting with the locals….

After every event, every board promotion, every marketing drop, there’s always the nagging feeling that although you’ve done it and it’s been crossed off your list, where is the bounce  – the tangible uplift in instructions. I bet it’s negligible. And of course, I also bet that you don’t measure it. Most agents don’t. Do you ask where a particular valuation lead came from, every time? And even if you did get an answer, how accurate is it?  It’s not top of a vendors list to remember where they saw your name or why they called you out. They just want their home valued!

At the end of the day, there are other options available that will produce a great bang for your buck and produce great results. Ones which will help generate leads and bring more business to your door (or phones) more or less immediately.  – Where your primary motivation is not just to ‘shut out’ your competitors from doing it instead of you. You’ve just got to know where to look!

Have a great 2016!

Alex Evans

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Budget wishlist

Kevin Shaw, National Sales Managing Director at LRG With the Budget just days away, the property market is in a slightly better place than it was this time last year. Stamp Duty has been ruled out of this year’s changes, which removes the kind of speculation that held buyers and sellers back last autumn. The…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Autumn Budget 2026: Property industry experts comment

Ahead of Wednesday’s Autumn Budget, property industry experts from across the residential sales, lettings, land and property development, mortgage finance and client money protection sectors have shared their predictions, priorities and warnings for the Chancellor. With speculation surrounding property taxation, first-time buyer support, landlord investment, inheritance tax and housebuilding, industry leaders outline what Wednesday’s announcements…
Read More →
Adding second coat of varnish floor boards
Estate Agent Talk

5 Renovations That Can Transform a Property Before It Goes on the Market

Ask a vendor what they plan to fix before listing and the answer is often too ambitious. A loft conversion won’t be finished in time, and it rarely pays back on a quick sale. The changes that actually move a listing are smaller and cheaper, and they show up in the photos. Here are five…
Read More →
Breaking News

Seven things to do if a tree damages your property

Storm Austen and Storm Boelo are bringing strong winds and heavy rain across the UK this weekend, meaning homeowners could find themselves dealing with fallen trees, damaged roofs, crushed cars and difficult conversations with neighbours about who should pay. But what should you do if a neighbour’s tree comes crashing through your roof? Will your…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Leasing demand rises across all sectors

Leasing demand rises across all sectors as investment enquiries remain subdued Leasing enquiries rose across all four main commercial property sectors in the third quarter of 2026, while investment enquiries fell in three, according to Rightmove’s latest Commercial Insights Tracker. The figures point to improving occupier interest alongside a more cautious investment market. Industrial property…
Read More →
Breaking News

Don’t Put The Property Market On Pause

What Estate Agents actually want from the Budget Estate Agents are looking to the looming Budget for something that has been in short supply across the property market in recent years – certainty. That was one of the clearest messages to come out of iamproperty’s recent roundtable attended by agents from across the UK. The…
Read More →