Recently, NewHomeSourceProfessional.com, the premier new home web site for real estate professionals, has been moving full speed ahead with updates that have increased site visits and leads. Are you taking advantage of this valuable opportunity to connect with agents and do you have specific marketing programs in place to respond to agent leads? Read on to learn more.

We’re always looking for ways to better position new homes and provide the best information to agents. Some of our recent NHS Pro updates include:

• Launched new weekly newsletter to further engage agents. We’re putting your new home information in local real estate agent inboxes each week — just in time for the weekend.
• Launched a resource center with helpful how-to articles for agents — one of our goals is to help agents better understand new home advantages and be better prepared to sell your homes.
• Added CRM tools to help agents track their activity for buyers.
• Added fields for builder commission and agent policies — are you including these with your datafeed or are you updating manually? Make sure you’re not missing out on this chance to get this information directly into agent hands.
• Developed partnerships with dozens of brokers and MLSs to put your new home data in front of agents.

And these changes are paying off with more visitors and leads:

• In 2013, NHS Pro more than doubled the number of monthly unique visitors and visits to the site.
• NHS Pro has also increased the number of leads per visit by 35%.
• Just last month, NHS Pro set a new site record for total leads delivered to builders.

Are you taking advantage? Upping the ante with specific follow-up to agents

In addition to our general improvements to NHS Pro, these updates have brought increased agent leads to our builder clients. What that means is that when you list with BDX, in addition to home BUYER leads, you will also be receiving leads from the real estate agents that represent them. Make sure that you have a specific and different process for following up with agent leads as opposed to buyers since both groups are motivated by different things.

It’s a fact that real estate agents are a vital component of the home buying process with nearly 85% of buyers planing to use one. Real estate agent leads can be some of the most qualified and motivated, so following up is the key to closing more deals. This means that you should review your responses to these leads to help maintain productive, long-term relationships with agents in your markets. It is so important for you to understand their perceptions—good and bad—of you (the builder) and how to better communicate in a more personal way. We recommend the following:

1. Include agent-specific messaging in your communications. Avoid putting agents into a consumer email marketing campaign – this only serves to alienate agents (and their buyers) in your markets.
2. If possible, reach out with a personal email or call, as opposed to an automated email campaign.
3. If you use an automated email campaign, limit the number of emails and include an unsubscribe link. Providing them with meaningful content and inventory updates should keep them engaged to actively read your emails when they come through.

These steps will help you develop agent leads and foster strong working relationships that yield sales for years to come.

Not a BDX builder client? Contact us at info@thebdx.com to find out how to list your homes and have them featured to this exclusive real estate agent audience.