It’s a time-tested method for drumming up new business, but a chore that many agents detest: cold calling prospects. Now a new telemarketing service claims it’s the only one able to take on the drudgery of soliciting sellers to meet with Realtors in their local market.
Listings 4 Agents promises to uncover leads and check their validity, scrubbing them against the National Do Not Call Registry before booking appointments for agents. The company maintains a database of leads by market area, and can also use leads supplied by agents, uploading them to the company’s automated dialing systems.
"We have much greater success with the FSBO and expired leads that are provided to us from agents or investors," said company president and owner Frank Oliveri, in a statement. "Numerous third party companies like Redx and Landvoice can pull this data on a daily basis for real estate agents and our telemarketers dial away."
Realtors are given the seller’s name, address and phone number in an email that also includes an attachment containing a recording of the conversation between the Listings 4 Agents telemarketer and the home seller, so that the Realtor knows what was said and how best to approach the prospect.
If prospects don’t pick up the phone, Listings 4 Agents’ automated system leaves a prerecorded message directing them to a lead capture website. When prospects visit the site, they are prompted to enter their information, which is forwarded to agents.
The company not only sets listing appointments, but provides clients with PowerPoint listing presentations with tips on closing the client.
In addition to a monthly fee, Listings 4 Agents collects a 20 percent referral fee if the appointment leads to an agent listing and selling a home, which the company says gives it "skin in the game."