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The Importance of a Branded Closing Gift

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We are all bombarded with advertising every minute of every day. It’s no wonder most of us have trained our brains to ignore all the noise and focus on what is important to us. If you have been in the real estate industry for any length of time, you know how hard it can be to get noticed. Marketing companies promise you increased prospects if only you buy in to their fancy business cards layouts, and personalized give-away gizmos.  Unfortunately the truth is that unless you already a top 10 producer chances are you aren’t able to afford to compete against the big guys through marketing efforts alone.

The trick to growth is word of mouth. The old saying “A happy customer will tell 1 or 2 people, an unhappy one will tell everyone,” is as true as it gets. The key to getting recognized is by making your clients happy and keeping yourself at the top of their mind so they refer you to their friends and family. Practicing this business philosophy is probably the single best way to grow without breaking the bank.

It doesn’t make sense to invest thousands of dollars trying to attract new customers when your best advocates are the customers you already have. My experience in the industry has shown that time and time again money is spent on having the perfect logo, the best headshot and high-glossy flyers but no thought goes into carrying the same message through with piece of advertising that is likely to stay with the client the longest… the closing gift.

When my husband practiced Real Estate he was often so busy with all the walk-through’s, inspections and paperwork that he had no time to get a closing gift together. I would help take on this task, but without personally meeting his clients I never really knew what would be appropriate. Did they drink wine or where they recovering alcoholics? Do they like fruit or are they allergic to strawberries? There really was no sure way to know. Usually I stuck to the tried, true gift card from a nearby hardware store and a plant. Neither of which did a good job of reminding the new homeowners of all the hard work and good customer service they had received by working with my husband.

In most cases, after 3 or 4 years, some of those customers had completely forgotten who had helped them with their house purchase and the worse case scenarios ended up buying their newest home straight from the listing agent and giving that agent twice the business by listing their home with them!

As I reflect on all the postcards, the nights of stuffing envelops and the 200+ American flags dispersed throughout the neighborhood one 4th of July; I am dumbfounded that we never stopped realized that we were overlooking what could have been the most affective marketing tool at our disposal. Whether you are a new agent or a seasoned veteran please take my advice and invest in a closing gift that speaks to you and the services you provide your customers. More over, be sure that this gift bares your message and contact information to remind your clients about how much you care for them and their business.

Think practical; what would you like to receive if you were just getting into a new home?

My company, RocLok Hide a Key, Inc. just launched a line of closing gift packages to help take the guess work out of the equation. All of the packages include 5 RocLok Hide a Keys that have a personalized message inside to remind your clients how much you care about them and their safety. Since the message can also have your contact information, they will know where to find you when they want to refer your services to a friend or family member. Plus who could ever forget getting a rock in a box as a gift?  Sign up for our Business Benefit’s Program today and save up to 25% on all RocLok Hide a Key products!

A New Twist on the Old Contractor Lockbox

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Asset managers REO brokers and affiliates, what we show you may scare you.

Although contractor lockboxes are a necessity in the REO world unfortunately they are also great for inviting unwanted attention to your vacant asset. We try to hide the lockbox on the gas meter or the water spigot, but many times they end up living on the front door knob. Nosey neighbors and bored kids love to try to get into your vacant homes to take a look, sometimes wary travelers or homeless people seek homage in your place. Much of this can be avoided simply by not drawing attention to the fact that the home is vacant.

Obviously better than leaving the key on top of the outdoor sconce, the contractor lockbox does provide a more difficult way for someone to access the key. However, as you just witnessed in the video above, a handheld hammer and 5 whacks cracks it wide open. Even scarier is how easy it is to pick a push style model. Without force or any damage, the code of a push style contractor lockbox can be easily determined by pressing the clear key and running through the numbers. Within 30 seconds most people can gain access using this method.

 

The Bottom of the St. Helens RocLok Lock Box model.

Unfortunately with all of the trade’s people needing access to the place, keeping a key hidden at the property is a must. Electronic Realtor lockboxes offer better security however the electronic key to open them is not available to subs and contractors for the trash out or repairs. So what is the answer? After 7 years as an REO broker, Ryan Belshee came up with a solution to this problem, The RocLok Hide a Key.

Combining the security of the contractor lockbox and a faux rock that looks, weighs and adapts just like natural stone; the RocLok provides the much needed disguise other key hiding safes lack.

Just like any other lockbox, the RocLok has a 3 digit, re-adjustable code that safeguards spare keys. The code is set by you and changed as frequently as needed when in the unlocked state. However, the most notable improvement is that instead of screaming, “I’m hiding a key, come and get it,” the RocLok hides in plain sight. Nothing like the little pebble sized plastic rocks that have been around for decades, the RocLok is a 12 pound concrete based rock. It is weather and impact resistant, ages naturally and doesn’t depend on batteries or power to operate.

The use of the RocLok in your field services will reduce break-ins and reduce the cost of servicing the

The St. Helens RocLok Lock Box Hides Keys Disguised as a Natural Rock

asset. As an additional safety precaution the RocLok is now available with the new LokDown System allowing the agent to secure it to the ground, tree or pole meaning no one is going to walk off with your keys without a lot of work. The LokDown was designed to withstand over 250 lbs of lifting force when installed into the ground and much more if attached to a pole or other solid object.

For more information about the RocLok Hide a Key or to purchase one please visit: www.RocLok.com – Bulk orders are available and can be shipped to multiple locations for easier disbursement. Contact us at: info@roclok.com to obtain accurate pricing.