TOPIC: Marketing Ideas

Leave business cards at car Washes, laundermats and apartment buildings bulletin boards, get to know local businesses and leave your cards there, Join ToastMasters - Plenty of leads come from that group, Attend the local realtor board and become an affiliate, alot of new realtors attend the meetings and educational seminars.

I got one for before, during and after.

Yard signs with your company info, get with your realtors and ask to put them in the yards before and during an inspection. Then ask the client, after they purchase the house if you may put one in the yard for a few weeks.

Thanks for the idea.  I have actually bee looking into them a little.  I went ahead and put it under "after inspection" as I think that's the point when its going to work for us inspectors.  Also, I wanted to point out that in my own research, larger signs are just too expensive to put in yards.  I'm currently waiting on a price quote for little yard flags.  I'm also asking around about these things and am finding women tend to notice yard signs and flags more than men do.  If that's truly the case you will want to design something that gears towards women but still acceptable for men!!!!

Big orange signs work. Low in detail with name and number large print

I am kinda new at this and wanting to know if anyone could help me with a flyer or know of a link that I can find a flyer to hand out or put in agents mail boxes in my local Realtor market. I already have a relationship with these realtors and they have my info, my card, brochure ect. I just want something that might would give them some useful information about a home such basement leaks, roofs, fall maintenance ect.. I want to add my logo and contact information on it.   Thank You

Tony, I would recommend that you don't spend a whole lot of money soliciting to Realtors unless you plan on working one office two or three times a week.  I found out real fast that I was burning through money.  And when I say work an office I mean go in there and spend some time getting to know them.  If you just put stuff in their mailbox, it goes straight to the trash.  They get so much stuff they get tired of sorting through it all.  Just my two cents.

Amen John! I used homeinspectorstartupandgrowth.com for a bit which was free to NACHI members for a few months. I have been thinking about re-subscribing as they offer alot of info and marketing templates. Check it out..you get alot of others experiences before you jump into a marketing plan.

Okay, I've read and re-read number 28, and I still don't get it.  So, can someone explain it to me???

1) Most of us have websites.  So how can we get our sites in front of all those clients (other than SEO)?
2) I have been thinking of offering termite inspections as a one stop shop for Realtors!
3) IR scans without the home inspections may be one way to entice Realtors
4) TV and Radio ads may work (but are costly).
5) I thought if you travel around with your IR gun, play with it in front of people, and give them your business card.
6) Get a booth at small festivals and charge $10 or so for taking peoples pics with the IR gun and print it out for them.  Then hand them your business info too.
7) Advertise with Angie's list
8 ) Join a networking group like BNI
9) Monthly or weekly newsletters
10) Open houses
11) Join your local chamber of commerce
12) Vehicle signs
13) Mailing post cards
14) attach large banner to vehicle and sit on a popular corner for a day.
15) Do pre-sale inspections for free, leave 30 copies of your report on the counter for potential buyers to pick up and look at the great report. These buyers will need inspectors and now have your report. Make sure to call the owner to see if they have run out.
16) Advertise to Realtors one free inspection for every 10 you do for them (could do this on a monthly basis too, count resets every month).
17)  Blog and add Realtors to your list of inclusions.
18)  Have a small flyer done up with logo and website address and distribute them to every realtor mail box in your service area.  In my case, that would be over 20,000...
19) Put flyer's on houses with for sale signs in the yard.
20.  Flyer on grocery store bulletin boards
21) Join your local real estate association
22) Get a both at an area real estate home show
23) Discount Coupons
24) Press release to newspapers/TV stations/Inspector associations
25) Leave a brochure and business card at ever home you inspect.
26) Send out cards when people do not expect them.
27) Create a client and realtor questionnaire (Survey)
28) Place a sheet of paper or a post card with your info on it, place in a clear newspaper plastic bag and fill the bottom with pea gravel and delivery to local area and place by drive apron or mailbox.
29) Use company info and make labels for the homes main and interior shutoffs.
30) Put magnetic business cards on every refrigerator you can.
31) Distribute pens, brochures, magnets and business cards to offices and include with inspection materials.

Ron, the intent is to have your name on the piece of paper. I have seen this done before with other sales literature. The line would probably be better if it stated to place a brochure or business card in the bag. The pebbles are used for ballast. I hope that clears it up.

CraigsList, works for me 2 Inspections booked in 2 days...