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

footfall falls
Breaking News

Comment on inflation rising to 3.3%

Industry reaction to inflation rising to 3.3% Daniel Austin, CEO and co-founder at ASK Partners, said: “Today’s uptick in UK inflation will raise fresh concerns across the property market, which is still waiting for the full economic impact of the Iran conflict to feed through. Households, buyers and developers recognise that current data is unlikely…
Read More
Breaking News

London remains top marathon city for property values

Mayfair tops table for the world’s most expensive marathon neighbourhood as London remains priciest race city The latest analysis from Enness Global has revealed that London is currently the most expensive property market of any city hosting a World Marathon Major, with Mayfair also ranking as the world’s most expensive marathon neighbourhood for those wanting…
Read More
Breaking News

HMRC ramps up scrutiny of residential property valuations as it cracks down on inheritance tax avoidance

  Taxman’s requests for help from the Valuation Office Agency with property valuations in IHT returns rises nearly 25% Rise reflects HMRC’s increased efforts to recover revenue from underreported and misvalued estates.   HM Revenue & Customs is increasingly challenging residential property valuations in inheritance tax (IHT) returns, with the number of cases referred to…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 22/4/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The Building Centre launches ‘Small Scale Big Ideas’ a month-long exhibition What architecture can achieve when scale is a discipline, not a constraint.   The Building Centre is pleased to announce Small Scale Big Ideas, a major exhibition and public programme running throughout May 2026…
Read More
Commercial Agent Talk

London office workers want better workspaces, not free lunches

The latest research by BPS London has found that London office workers are more interested in better quality workspaces than superficial perks such as free breakfasts and lunches, with 63% saying they would be more willing to work from the office more regularly if their workplace was more modern, comfortable and better equipped. BPS London commissioned a…
Read More
Breaking News

The hottest prime property markets outside of London

The latest analysis from Enness Global has revealed that whilst London continues to dominate England’s prime property market, Elmbridge ranks as the nation’s leading hotspot outside of the capital when it comes to homes sold for £3m or more. Enness Global analysed Land Registry transaction data, looking at where homes sold for £3m or more…
Read More