Tip: Evaluate your results regularly to see if your marketing is producing income.
Andy Reisinger, e-PRO®, CIPS, is a long way from his hometown of Munich, Germany–but speaking the language of his clients isn’t a concern. In 2001, approximately 80 percent of his business involved international clients. The broker-associate with Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties of Lee County Inc. in Lehigh Acres, Fla., had more than $5.6 million in sales last year, capitalizing on his roots to helped secure a niche in Florida’s second-home market. “You have to be sensitive to certain issues, such as culture and business habits,” he says. “Punctuality and patience are very important.”
Reisinger moved to Florida in 1996, earned his license the following year, and began looking for a way to make his mark. He created a letter in German and mailed it to European prospects. “I sent about 120 letters and received 29 responses from potential sellers. The leads, listings, and sales were unbelievable,” he says, “well worth the money I spent on postage.”
To further differentiate himself, Reisinger has created a 700-page Web site, featuring news, weather, interest rates, local and regional information, and, of course, listings. Reisinger says the site accounts for one-fifth of his business, which increased 150 percent in 2001.