“Friends Knock, Salespeople Ring”

Adventures in Door Knocking by CEO Brenda Tushaus

I’m always on the lookout for new ways to connect with and support RE/MAX Results Sales Executives and their businesses. Recently I came up with the idea of door knocking with Sales Executives. I’ve had plenty of experience cold-calling, but door knocking was something new to me. It’s also something I know many of our Sales Executives are afraid to do! So, I picked Tina Bednar from our Woodbury office to partner with me on my door knocking adventures. Tina had door knocked a little in the past, but only to the extent of notifying neighbors about a recent new listing or upcoming open house. Here is a recap of our door knocking journey…

About two weeks prior to our first outing, Tina and I met, mapped out our strategy, and studied the neighborhood we were targeting. We ran MLS searches, pulled Infosparks and RPR reports, and exported addresses and homeowner names from Realist. We did just about anything we could do to bring ourselves up-to-speed on the latest stats and sales activity in the area. For door-to-door handouts, we generated the following reports for each home:

• A neighborhood snapshot of recent Active, Pending, and Solds.
• A BuySide Buyer Market Analysis (“BMA”) report for each home.
• A sample HomeBot report with a call-to-action card (Since HomeBot reports contain sensitive financial information, we avoided custom reports and used sample data instead.)

Thanks to the advice from Results Mortgage Loan Officer, Ali Massa, Tina and I were warned about the need for a registration certificate (or license certificate) that some cities require for door-to-door solicitation. Our city had such a requirement, so Tina took care of the application.

For attire, we wore business-casual outfits with lapel pins. A branded baseball cap or name tag is just as welcoming.

Our first day of door knocking was on a Sunday afternoon around 4:00 pm. It was 95 degrees and sunny. At times, the oppressive weather worked to our advantage because some homeowners felt bad for us and would invite us inside for relief from the heat! Unfortunately, we discovered most people were not home around that time, so we made plans for a second day of door knocking mid-week.

On our second outing, we chose a Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm. It was a perfect 82-degree evening. More homeowners were home, more conversations were held, and by the time we had knocked on 50 doors, Tina and I had our script down to a T.

Here are sample excerpts:

“…We have some information to share with you today about your home’s value, sales of homes in your neighborhood, and new technology that helps sellers.”

“…We thought you’d be interested in seeing what homes in your neighborhood are selling for…”

“…This report (showing a HomeBot report) is a homeowner’s personalized website that helps you track and build wealth with your home.”

“…Are you considering selling or do you know anyone who may be considering? I’m happy to generate similar reports for any of your friends or family who may benefit from these as well.”

Over a total of three hours, we knocked on 50 doors and carried 18 conversations. We had comments like, “I’ll buy 20 of what you’re selling!” In which Tina quickly replied, “I can sell you 20 homes right now!” to “NO THANK YOU” [with a quick door shut] at the mention of, “We’re with RE/MAX Results.”  The 32 homeowners that missed out on meeting us were left custom reports attached to their door handles.

Here is a recap of the lessons we learned:

1. Bring a buddy. There are plenty of Results Mortgage Loan Officers who would love to join you!
2. Although it’s not necessary, it helps you connect with homeowners if you choose a neighborhood you live in or grew up in.
3. Apply for a solicitor’s certificate or license if your city requires it.
4. Mondays through Thursdays around 7:00-8:00 pm are perfect.
5. Door knocking leads to much more meaningful conversations than cold calling. People are less likely to be rude to you in person!
6. To make follow up easy, save your list of addresses exported from Realist in Google Drive. After each house, jot quick notes using your phone and the Google Sheets app.
7. Leave behind something of value. Custom reports about their home go a long way.
8. Don’t forget the “Ask”. Ask them if they plan to sell or if they know of anyone considering selling.
9. Try not to stare into windows.
10. Knock or ring, wait, then do the opposite (knock or ring) a second time.
11. Many homes use Ring. They’re watching and they’re listening…

I have lived in the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul for nearly 20 years and I have never had a real estate agent knock on my door! Imagine how much fun I would have with that!

If your business plan calls for 40 substantive contacts per week, you could easily accomplish these contacts, grow your sphere, and maybe land a listing or two in just a few fun hours!

What are you waiting for?

-Brenda Tushaus, CEO