The Trojan Horse Strategy

A New Post By Brian Brady
America's #1 Mortgage Broker
Read other posts by Brian Brady

I'm a Johnny-Come-Lately to The Mortgage Cicerone.  While intimidated is hardly an adjective to describe me, the Cicerone Crew is an accomplished bunch. I'm taken by the assembly of talent we have here.

I'll start off with a simple social media marketing strategy every originator should employ; The Trojan Horse.  Look for online communities filled with real estate agents and few or no originators.  The proliferation of real estate networks like Active Rain, Wanna Network, and RealTown offers us a chance to show up and add value to the community.  SEO should not be the focus of your participation on those networks but you'll get that benefit, nonetheless.

Here are six quick and easy rules to The Trojan Horse strategy of social networking:

1- Add value through educational posts- understand that your readers are real estate agents.
2- Sit back and watch for the talented agents to reveal themselves.
3- Comment and engage those talented agents in an online conversation.
4- Pick up the phone and introduce yourself- ask permission to keep in touch with them via e-mail.
5- Add them to your weekly e-mail newsletter for REALTORs.
6- Call them at the beginning of every month and ask them, "What specific information do you need from me, this month, to help you close a transaction?"

You'll be surprised how quickly you'll build, what social media marketers call, "platform". Before long. real estate agents will go viral about you and recommend you to their colleagues.  They'll be commenting on your posts, calling you for advice, and referring you clients.  Old-timers will remember how we used to gain REALTOR referrals; we banged on office doors and showed up with donuts and rate sheets.  Think of a social network as the busy corner in town with 3-4 real estate offices on it.

The principles remain the same.  Show up regularly, add value, and ask for the business.