Networking Tips

[al123]

Hey everyone,

Today I started networking with mortgage and realestate professionals. This was my first day and seems so difficult to overcome the "gatekeeper". I usually introduce myself and give some cookies or something and tell them why I'm here and how I can help there business close more deals and how they can help me generate more clients. I ask to speak to some of the agents in order to exchange some business cards and they all say there all busy and there's like 50+ agents in each office I go to. How do I approach the next time I do this in order to at least get my foot in the door because I have a feeling they throw my cards out even though they promise to give them to the agents. Anyone go any advice for next time?

 

[blue_wynd]

Hey everyone,

Today I started networking with mortgage and realestate professionals. This was my first day and seems so difficult to overcome the "gatekeeper". I usually introduce myself and give some cookies or something and tell them why I'm here and how I can help there business close more deals and how they can help me generate more clients. I ask to speak to some of the agents in order to exchange some business cards and they all say there all busy and there's like 50+ agents in each office I go to. How do I approach the next time I do this in order to at least get my foot in the door because I have a feeling they throw my cards out even though they promise to give them to the agents. Anyone go any advice for next time?

Who did you buy your house from? Start there. I would continue going there every other week to befriend the receptionist. Ask them if there is any new real estate agents. They would be more motivated to network.

 

[Bertolinoins]

You are targeting them in the wrong way in my opinion. Join the local association of realtors and meet them at times when they are expecting to network. I own my agency and I get really annoyed by drop ins. Carrier reps, servepro, body shops, glass companies, etc. if I said yes to every drop in or "lunch and learn" offer I would never get anything done. I have no problem with telemarketers because it takes me 5 seconds to decide to take a call or not, but drops ins bother me.

 

[al123]

Thank you guys for your input great posts

 

[Larry Tew]

What line are you wanting to promote with the agents? You "might" find some benefit working with mortgage brokers, but in my experience trying to work with real estate agents is a huge waste of time.

RE agents are transactional-minded, and there is NO WAY they will EVER bring you in to one of their customers while a house deal is in the works.

Unless you can help them list a house or sell a house you are of no value to them.

They will take all the referrals you can send them, but you will not get any in return. You might find an exception or two along the way, but they call them "exceptions" for a reason.

 

[Stephen]

Kudos for getting out there and meeting other professionals, but I think that your time could be better spent than cold calling real estate agents.

I have found that the best groups to network with are insurance agents and financial advisers. You would be surprised how many successful agents that are out there who have no interest in selling the type of insurance that you sell.

Working with licensed agents also allows you to split cases, and protect their book of business by providing your services to their clients,which keeps them from looking to other agencies.

Now I don't want to sound like I am trying to sell something here, but I do offer my complete power networking system for a small fee of $1,999.99.

 

[nyc2phi]

a local BNI helped me to get my foot in the door with a mortgage office.

Check on meetup or netmixer for up coming networking events

 

[Justin Bilyj]

I go to atleast 3-4 networking events a month. After awhile its the same people over and over, so you just schmooze away.
I would transition from an elevator pitch to updates, "this is what I helped a client find" when your seeing the same people.
Get a newsletter out to every card you collect.

I purposely seek out the financial people first and for the biggest event (400 people) they wear green name tags, I don't wear that color, I wear the Entrepreneur color (yellow) so people don't filter me like the other financial bankers and brokers.

My pitch is that I am an exit planner, and people will always ask what that is, and I then go into my 5 ways spiel and I will ask if they are a small business owner, and if they tell me yes I will transition, if they aren't a small business owner I will tell them that I am a glorified insurance broker that gets the best price for what they are trying to accomplish whether its life, health, auto, home or Medicare.

I connect with the people who I exchange cards with on linkedin immediately that night or the next day, I tell them I am going to treat them like a client and send a monthly newsletter to them that will inform and update them about what's going on in the financial world

I set up an appointment with the financial and insurance guys asap, they are a great source of coi leads when you get one that works. I also introduce all the insurance and financial guys to my SOC guy, which he greatly appreciates.

I also think its great to make friends with the local SOC guy. Show him insuranceletters.com and with that tool as an affiliate he can upsell and help his mortgage, real estate, and financial/insurance soc clients with card content from the letters.

My soc guy has already referred a mortgage broker that I help his clients with mortgage protection. I am now working on a NY mortgage broker who deals with high cost loans $$$$, if I can write a few of those that will be nice...

 

[Stephen]

Good info, it looks your consistency is paying off. Who is putting on these events that you are going to?

 

[Justin Bilyj]

I go to these events with my girlfriend who manages content and digital marketing for start-ups and mid size companies. So I get to go to digital marketing, social media marketing, etc.
The big event to go to has chapters in every large city, and they have a group on linkedin, Networking After Work.