Jay Conners asked:


For those of you working in the mortgage industry it is very important to keep your mortgage marketing activities in your daily activities. Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind. Some may seem obvious. But please read on, they come with a fresh new outlook and revisiting the basics once in a while never hurt anyone.

1. Business Cards

It is very important to market yourself via business cards. You should be making a conscious effort to hand out ten per day at the very least.

Have them on you at all times, and keep a supply in your car just in case.

When doing business with someone, don’t give them just one business card, give them two, and ask them to refer someone to you.

2. Mailers and Reminders

Keep a tickler file handy on all of your customers birthdays, kids birthdays, and anniversaries. Send them a card to wish them well on their special occasion. They won’t be expecting it, making them all the more appreciative, it also keeps you in their thoughts, reminding them that they know a mortgage specialist that they can refer should the topic ever arise. It also gives you a reason to send out more business cards and keep them circulating.

Remember, the average home owner refinances, or purchases on average every three years, so it is important to stay in front of your customer.

3. Phone Numbers

Giving your phone number to your customer seems obvious, but it is equally important to give them your cellular phone number as well as your work number, and let them know that they can feel free to call you at any time, this will personalize the relationship you have with your customer and give them a comfort zone where they feel as though they can really trust you.

4. Become Active

Become active in local organizations and charities, here are a few examples:

• Chamber of Commerce

• Rotary

• Lions Club

• Networking Groups

• Church

• Local Youth Athletic Associations

5. Apparel

Wear your company’s logo, It doesn’t hurt to have a few polos or dress shirts in your wardrobe with your company logo on it for attending special events or just going out to lunch, lets face it, it’s free advertising, and it shows that you take pride in the company that you work for.

To sum it all up, you basically want to keep your name and your face in front of prospective customers. When they need a mortgage product you want them to think of you and you only.



Peggy

The Global Property Guide asked:


Almost a decade after the Asian crisis, the mortgage markets of several Asian countries are in much better shape and are poised for expansion.

Increases in capital, the consolidation of banks, and increases in foreign ownership and participation are spurring growth, according to a report released by the Global Property Guide.

(Research available from this link)

The decline of state ownership of banks and the shift of government housing agencies to mortgage market “enabler” instead of direct providers of mortgage loans have paved the way for the expansion of the private sector. Most countries have also started to offer mortgage default insurance for lenders

Asia’s property markets are now growing and banks are more willing to extend mortgage loans around the region. The positive benefits could include stronger house-price growth - and more investment in housing.

While property prices in much of the developed world are currently at historic peaks, property prices in most Asian countries are well below peak levels. Asia’s housing markets have lagged for three main reasons:

1. The Asian Crisis caused a long period of high interest rates. Potential property purchasers did not want borrow at the interest rates being offered.

2. Post-crisis bank portfolios were full of defaulted property loans. Banks were, till recently, often reluctant to lend.

3. Poor credit information, weak legal systems, lack of transparency, high revenue extraction by governments (transfer taxes, registration fees) have raised the costs of housing investment in many Asian countries.

Mortgage markets in Asian countries are also relatively small, particularly Indonesia (2% of GDP), China (10%), Philippines (12%) and Thailand (16%). Only Singapore and Hong Kong have mortgage markets generally at par with most developed countries, with mortgage debt at 61% and 48% of GDP, respectively. Even OECD member countries Japan and South Korea have relatively small mortgage markets, given their level of economic development.

“The small size of Asia’s mortgage markets means there is huge potential for growth,” says Prince Cruz, senior economist of the Global Property Guide.

“For instance, if China’s mortgage market were to increase to 20% of GDP in 2010, the market will be worth more than US$700 billion. Given the strong growth of China’s mortgage market and economy, this scenario is not unlikely,” says Cruz.

Despite the recent interest rate hikes since, mortgage rates are still affordable in most of Asia, below 8%. This should turn the adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) structure typical of Asian loans into an advantage, making borrowing comparatively inexpensive.

In some Asian countries, the long period during which loans were effectively unavailable means that supply is low, and rents are relatively high, leading to good rental investment returns for investors - as in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

The result could be a virtuous circle.

Low interest rates will foster an active mortgage market, aided by pent-up housing demand, which in turn will boost economic activity. A vibrant economy is good for the housing market.

Healthy mortgage markets are a critical factor in the growth of housing markets. With Asia’s mortgage markets now in better condition, the stage is set for further reforms which will provide the financial underpinning for better housing financing, more attractive pricing, more varied product offerings, and generally, the provision of more housing at lower cost to Asia’s citizens.

Economics Team:

Prince Christian Cruz, Senior Economist

Phone: (+632) 750 0560

Cell: (+63) 917 735 2228

Fax: (+632) 325 0642

Email: prince@globalpropertyguide.com

Publisher and Editor:

Matthew Montagu-Pollock,

Phone: (+632) 867 4220

Cell: (+63) 917 321 7073

Address:

Global Property Guide

5F Electra House Building

115-117 Esteban Street

Legaspi Village, Makati City

Philippines 1229

info@globalpropertyguide.com



Carolyn

Jay Conners asked:


When working in the mortgage industry it is important to not only market your business and its products, it is important to market yourself as well. Here are a few mortgage marketing concepts to help you achieve that goal.

1. Body Language Speaks Volumes

Your body language can speak volumes. Always smile when it’s appropriate, and speak clearly and slowly so that people will understand you. Eye contact is also very important when talking to people, it lets your client know that you are very confident in what you do, and that you believe in what you are saying.

It is also important to be empathetic when appropriate as well, sometimes it is better to listen than to speak. Not everybody is in the ideal situation, so it is important that you understand where they are coming from, and exactly what they will need.

2. Using Tag Lines

When your answer the phone, make sure you answer it in a professional manner and state your name. You can also add a tag line promoting a product or promotion. Here are a few examples.

Hello, thank you for calling XYZ Mortgage Company, this is John Doe, how may I help you?

Hello, thank you for calling XYZ Mortgage Company, this is John Doe, have you heard about our interest only loans?

3. Build Partnerships

Partner up with a few Realtors in you area, this way you can attend their open houses, this is a great way to make contacts and make people aware of all the programs you have available. Remember to be prepared with plenty of business cards and literature.

4. Product Knowledge

This is perhaps one of the most important marketing tools that you can posses. It is so important to have the ability to be able to speak off the cuff when asked about a particular product. It sends a clear message to the customer that you know what you are talking about, and the better you know the product the more confident you will be.

Remember, your client is considering perhaps the biggest financial decision they will ever make, they need to trust you and believe in you! Take ten minutes out of every day to learn some of the benefits of the programs your company offers. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you become an expert.



5. Show your appreciation

Over the course of the loan process, it is fair to say that you have built a very good relationship with your customer, and like all relationships you want this one to last. Once the loan is closed, take the time to thank them by sending them something to let them know that you appreciate their business.

It could be a thank you card, or a small care package.

My suggestion would be to send them a small care package, preferably to their work place, this way, all of their fellow employees will want to know who sent it and why, this is a great way to get them talking about you, which could easily lead to lots of referrals.

The best part of these marketing concepts is that they can be done on a shoe string budget or they will cost you nothing at all. The name of the game here is to keep yourself and your products in the public eye, so the next time someone needs a mortgage they will be calling on you.





Allen

Caitlina Fuller asked:


Mortgage marketing consists of 3 basic parts which includes management and sales, processing and underwriting and finally, closing and escrow management. Each part is vital to the other two and each has it’s own responsibility to the consumer.

 

There are mortgage lending products that need to be targeted to specific markets. Sales plans need to be set in place that ensure sales and produces a highly satisfied customer. The loan officer is responsible to carry out these actions. The main goal of a loan officer is to make the customer happy that they made the best decision in choosing a particular mortgage marketing company.

 

When looking for mortgage marketing services, a consumer may find numerous mortgage websites on the internet but he will choose only one that bests suits his needs. When a consumer is ready to purchase any type of housing, he will do a lot of research. Any consumer searching through a mortgage website is a potential customer and the marketing of the website is just as important as the marketing of the services.

 

If the mortgage marketing services are not clearly defined by the mortgage company,  the consumer is bound to look at another website. All services should be laid out in a way that the consumer will receive all pertinent information that they need and can understand them easily.

 

Advertising or marketing that the best houses, for the best prices, can be found through a particular company, a mortgage website should go into detail about their processing and underwriting capabilities. A consumer needs to feel comfortable that the person responsible for writing up the loan is capable of processing and closing the loan quickly and effortlessly. A loan officer can do his best to acquire the customer, but if the customer does not feel confident about the underwriting process, the sale could be called off.

 

The third entity of mortgage marketing involves the escrow officer. Being that the closing is done after the sale process is complete, his job may not be considered as an actual part of the sale. This does not mean that his job is less important than the others and should be laid out for the customer that the escrow management will be in capable hands.

 

With some detail, a mortgage website can bring in potential customers for any mortgage company. With great detail to mortgage marketing services, a website can bring in potential customers for any mortgage company and keep them.



Chris

ginfo geleven asked:


Affiliate Marketing is a popular method of online advertising where advertisers pay for performance based off clicks, leads or sales rather than paying a set rate with no assurance of results. Other website owners may sign up for affiliate schemes and earn money for customers they refer by placing links containing a unique tracking code.

The beauty of affiliate marketing is that you can earn money without the hassles of having your own product or service. For more help go to www.affiliate-windfall-secrets.com .You’re earning money without the headaches of stock, distribution, customer service and so on. It’s seen as a fair form of marketing as those websites that generate high numbers of sales or leads are rewarded with large payments while those that don’t deliver any results don’t get paid. For more details go to www.affiliate-sale-booster.com .Since the advent of affiliate marketing many work at home opportunities have highlighted the earning potential on offer and suggested huge sums of money can be made. While this is theoretically true most people who have aimed to make a fortune with affiliate marketing will still be struggling to make a decent profit.

The key reason most sites relying on affiliate links to earn their revenue fail is because they rely too much on the affiliate links and not on creating a unique website of their own. Consumers have become very media savvy and are often wary of blatant adverts. Click through rates from online banner ads can be extremely low and smarter methods of engaging a customer is required. This can be achieved by creating a website with lots of unique and useful content that gets updated on a regular basis.

The content should be relevant to the affiliate links you use. For example, if you wanted to make money from a mortgage broker affiliate scheme you could include an article on the benefits of mortgage brokers and how to pick a good one. At the end of the article an affiliate text link could allow people to request an appointment with a local mortgage broker which would in turn earn you a commission. If you simply create a page with banners for mortgage brokers your site offers no value and is unlikely to attract visitors or create a loyal following. Having unique and relevant content for your affiliate links will not only increase the conversion rate on your page it will also attract more people to your website as the search engines love fresh and unique content. For more information logon to www.ppc-profit-marketer.com .Another common mistake is to try and cover too much. Many people think they will earn more by signing up to hundreds of different affiliate schemes. The reality is you are much better off creating a site targeting a particular topic. For example, you could create a website hosting comparison website or an electronic product review website. For more help go to www.myspace-marketing-secret.com .Both of these examples add value and create a reason for a customer to visit your site first rather than go directly to the advertisers’ website. Remember that content is king; keep it unique, fresh and relevant to your affiliate links. You will attract more visitors and will boost your conversions by leading them towards the action you need them to take such as making a purchase. If you get it right affiliate marketing does offer substantial income potential.

http://www.firesale-automator.com

http://www.scroll-pops.com



Gerald

Shawn Hutchison asked:


If you’re selling a house in the $200,000 range you need to know who your target buyers are.

Are they married?

Do they have children?

How much do they make?  

And of course they will need good credit and likely not already own a home.  That is unless your property would be appealing to someone as a second home.

You can get very sophisticated with the process of defining your target buyer and for certain properties like beach front condos, that you will want to find buyers out of state who are looking for a second home that may be necessary, but for this example we’ll assume this is a local sale.

You will likely be looking for renters within a few miles, who are making $65,000 to $90,000 household income (this is based off of the monthly payments and the price of the home – debt payments should be around 30% of income), and they should be a likely candidate for wanting to own a home.  Usually people who are married and have children are looking to purchase a home.  Age may also be a determining factor – maybe 30 to 45 years old would be good for this type of home.  And the final thing you would want to look for is a credit score, if you can get it.  Right now 700 is the minimum.  

So how do you find a list of people who meet this criteria?

Utilize a list service like Listsource.com or InfoUsa.com.  Create an account and select your criteria.  You will have to adjust accordingly to get the desired number of leads.  There is usually a minimum purchase amount of $50 and the leads cost between $.15 and $.20 a piece.  Beware of the additional cost for additional criteria – only use what you need.  After doing this once you’ll have a good feel for it and will be able to select a list much more quickly the second time around.

If you’re trying to reach a tenant you will you will need to select criteria that define someone who does not meet the financial requirements of a home buyer.Lower credit score, younger, and maybe just filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy – because when they lose the protection of that bankruptcy, current owner or not, they will need a place to live and renting may be their only option.  However, you will want someone that’s still making a decent income, so they can afford the monthly payments that you’re asking.

Now that you have a list of names you need to create a postcard, put the addresses on it and send them out.  Your easy solution is to go to Click2Mail.com. You will upload your list to the website, create a postcard, and this service does the rest for you!  

If you’re selling you can offer to pay closing costs or to hold a second mortgage for a down payment.  If you’re renting you can offer a free month or a limited time offer monthly rent discount.

Try this on your next property that you need to rent or sell and see how many buyers you can line up!



Louis

Black Book Data asked:


What’s the best way to advertise to your potential clientele? Well, there’s newspaper advertising, which is somewhat affordable. But you only get a limited amount of space to showcase your offer. And Internet advertising will cost you a lot either through money or time. Money becomes the cost if you utilize Adwords campaigns, where having to pay several dollars per click is the norm. But time is an issue if you try to build a website that is optimized for the search engines. So, what else can you do? Consider establishing an advertising campaign through a direct mailing list.

How does advertising through a direct mailing list work? Well first, you must acquire mailing list leads. These are available from a variety of marketing companies. When you get a mailing list lead, you will be provided with basic information including a person’s name and address. More expensive mailing list leads packages will incorporate more detailed information.

Mailing list leads are available for virtually any type of direct mailing campaigns you could possibly need. For example, if you wanted to compile a mortgage mailing list, you would buy mortgage leads. For insurance mailing lists, you would get insurance leads. The list goes on and on.

In fact, speaking of mortgage mailing lists, it should be noted that mortgage programs convert very well through direct mailing. This is because building a mortgage mailing list is relatively easy. You could do it yourself if you had extra time to sift through public records at your local courthouse. But why bother when a marketing company can do the work for you? Besides, many will take a step further and form a telemarkted mortgage list. What is a telemarkted mortgage list? A telemarketed mortgage list contains specific data acquired through telemarketed surveys. Some companies will even advertise your offer to their telemarkted mortgage list, so interest is generated before you even send out your flyer.

Either way, the process of advertising to leads on your direct mailing list is the same… it doesn’t really matter what the offer is. In fact, you don’t even need a fancy postcard, (though they do generate a lot of attention). What you should be concentrating on is creating an ad that hits at your potential clients’ needs and wants. For example, some mortgage companies will include a fake check when sending out circulars to individuals on their mortgage mailing list. They will then say that the person can get this amount of money if they use their company for refinancing. Such an approach hits at the person’s emotions, and may very well lead to a phone call.

In conclusion, don’t overlook the power of a direct mailing list. Granted, there is the chance that the person will throw the advertisement away, but you still get a longer period to connect with them, especially if you use postcards over a letter. Why postcards? It’s simple. With postcards consumers will see your offer for at least a few seconds. But with letters they must open the envelope, something they may not do if they sense the letter is an advertisement. Of course, if you can’t afford to use postcards, go on and use letters, because many marketers will just design the envelope in such a way that it will be too enticing to throw away.

Disclaimer:This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.



Tina