Effective Cross-Generational...

REALTOR® Marketing Workshop: Spring 2010

Effective Cross-Generational Marketing Techniques and Tools for Working With 5 Generations of

Canadians

Table of Contents

Marketing Fundamentals: The 5 Pillars of Realtor® Marketing ........................................................................1

Canada’s Demographic Outlook .......................................................................................................................1

The REALTOR® Demographic ...............................................................................................................................2

The Age of Buyers and Sellers...............................................................................................................................3

Mass Marketing or Target Marketing? ................................................................................................................4

Breaking Down the Age Demographic .............................................................................................................5

Who Do You Work With? .......................................................................................................................................6

Working With the 5 Generations Working With Veterans (1922 to 1945) ................................................................................................................7

Working With Baby Boomers (1945 to 1965) ......................................................................................................8

Tools to Market to Veterans and Baby Boomers ..............................................................................................9

Working With Generation X (1966 to 1978) ..................................................................................................... 11

Working With Millennials/Generation Y (1979 to 1995) ................................................................................. 13

Tools to Market to Generation X and Millennials ........................................................................................... 14

Newcomers to Canada ..................................................................................................................................... 16

Tools to Market to Newcomers to Canada .................................................................................................... 17

Search Engine Optimization Cross-Generational Trends ................................................................................................................................. 18

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ................................................................................................................... 19

Best Practices for Search Engine Optimization .............................................................................................. 21

Tools and Resources for your SEO ..................................................................................................................... 25

Practice Session Marketing Centre Practice Session .................................................................................................................. 26

CREATE A NEW PROJECT – Prospect Management Campaign ................................................................ 28

Accessing the Address Book ............................................................................................................................. 30

Create a Campaign in the Campaign Management System .................................................................. 31

REALTOR® Marketing Workshop Spring 2010 1

Marketing Fundamentals: The 5 Pillars of Realtor® Marketing

The 5 Pillars of Realtor® Marketing

1. Prospect Marketing: Generating Leads

2. Prospect Management: Converting Leads to Clients

3. Buyer Marketing: Working with Buyers

4. Listing Marketing: Working with Sellers

5. Client Relationship Management (CRM): Building Repeat and Referral Business

Canada’s Demographic Outlook

It is a well know fact that Canada’s population is aging:

Baby Boomers (Canadians aged 45 to 65), the largest

generation in Canada, are moving into retirement (or at

least thinking more and more about it).

Generation X (Canadians aged 32 to 44) are bringing

their sceptical views to their mid thirties and forties.

Millennials (Canadians aged 15 to 31) are progressing

into their professional careers and starting to exert the

influence they have as the second largest generation,

next to the Boomers.

This change in demographic is creating a change in your

buyers and sellers. Generation X are becoming the key repeat

and recreational buyer and the Millennials are becoming the

typical first time home buyer. On top of this natural shift in the

age of buyers and sellers, Newcomers to Canada are exerting

a big influence on Real Estate in Canada.

Current marketing trends already reflect the shifting market: Social Media and the Green

movement is fuelled by the Gen Xers and Millennials, banks and cell phone companies are

advertising in multiple languages (as seen on chmc.ca/newcomers).

As a REALTOR®, if you intend to be part of this shift, it is vital to understand each of the 5

generations that impact the real estate industry (even if the demographic of your area does not

reflect this National trend). In today’s session, we will be looking at each of the 5 generations

and what kind of tools you can use to reach them.

2 REALTOR® Marketing Workshop Spring 2010

The REALTOR® Demographic

The 2009 Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) membership survey indicates that 36% (or

one third) of Canadian REALTORS® are between the ages of 51 and 60 years old.

Source: CREA membership survey 2009

One third of REALTORS® in Canada are Baby Boomers (Born between 1945 and 1965). But, to

gain a clearer picture of the marketplace in which you work, we must also examine the

demographic breakdown of your buyers and sellers.

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

21-30 yrs 31-40 yrs 41-50 yrs 51-60 yrs 61-70 yrs Over 70

Age Distribution of Canadian REALTORS®

The same is true for our neighbours to the south, where the National

Association of REALTORS® (NAR) 2009 Member profile showed that

REALTOR’S® median age increased from 52 in 2008 to 54 in 2009.


The Age of Buyers and Sellers

The following graph is from the National Association of REALTORS® 2009 Profile of Home Buyers

and Sellers, and indicates that the median age of the seller, buyer and first time home buyer is

46, 39 and 30 respectively.

It is also important to note that:

Nearly one quarter (24%) of sellers are between 35 and 44 years of age.

34% of all buyers and 53% of first time buyers are between the ages 25 and 34.

(Source: NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2009)

Comparing this graph with the graph on the previous page suggests that a large number of

REALTORS® were born in a different generation than many of the sellers and buyers in the

marketplace. What does this mean for REALTORS®?

This creates the potential for a generation gap between the average REALTOR® and a

significant number of prospective clients. The Real Estate industry was built by Baby Boomers for

Baby Boomers, but as Gen Xers and Millennials move in to take their place as the key buyer and

seller, the expectations placed upon Real Estate professionals is changing.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

18 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75+

Age of Sellers, Buyers and First Time Home Buyers, 2009

All Sellers (Median Age 46)

All buyers (Median age 39)

First-time Buyers (Median age 30)


Mass Marketing or Target Marketing?

Is it better to target every potential customer with your marketing?

There is a saying in marketing: “Target everyone and you will

get no one!” This is Mass Marketing: creating a marketing

mix that tries to appeal to everyone and attract all

customers. Though Mass Marketing may seem like a great

idea, organizations today recognize that they cannot

appeal to all people in the marketplace, or at least not to all

buyers1 in the same way. Mass Marketing is also costly and

can lead to a perceived lack of service from the customer’s

point of view.

The opposite of Mass Marketing is Target Marketing; creating a marketing mix that speaks

directly to the specific buyer that you intend to service. The goal of target marketing is to

identify which customers will best help you reach your goals and establish a marketing mix that

attracts them specifically. With Target Marketing you want to speak to your customers as

though they were your only customer.

Target Marketing begins by knowing your goals and learning as much as you can about your

Target Audience. This means knowing:

The age range of the buyer/seller/agent you want to do business with.

The gender of your target audience.

The type of work they do, whether as a blue collar worker or a white collar executive.

Any other information that can help you in your marketing.

The more you learn about this target audience, the more focused and memorable your

marketing message will be.

1 Whether they are a buyer or a seller, they are buying your services.


Breaking Down the Age Demographic

Understanding the different generations of Canadians is only one way to know more about your

Target Audience/Ideal Customer, but it is a valuable place to start. Each generation is unified

by major life events that helped shape the way they behave.

Veterans

(Born between 1922 and 1945)

Baby Boomers


Radio LP Records

Generation X


Millennials


Walkman iPods/MP3 Players

The 5th Generation: These 4 generations affect the future of

Canadian Real Estate; however the 5th “generation” of Newcomers

to Canada already play a major part in Canadian Real Estate.

Over the next 20 years, they will continue to exert a growing

influence over the Real Estate industry. These Newcomers to

Canada may not fit the same mould of the other generations as

they may not share the same life defining events. However, there

are some commonalities that will allow us to explore marketing best

practices for them.


Who Do You Work With?

Even though we generalize using national statistics, there are large differences between

national and local demographics. In order to get the most of this workshop, we will need to

identify which generations you work with locally.

Who do you plan to work with in your next 5 years of Real Estate?

Put a checkbox beside the 3 generations that you will work with.

Generation SELECT 3

Veterans/Traditionalists (Aged 65 to 88)

Baby Boomers (Aged 45 to 65)

Generation X (Aged 32 to 44)

Millennials (Aged 15 to 31)

Newcomers to Canada (First

Generation Canadians)

What do you already know about working with your top 3 generations?

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________


Working With Veterans (1922 to 1945)

“This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.”

~Franklin D. Roosevelt

The Veterans (or sometimes called Traditionalists) are

characterised as hard working, with a “get it done” attitude.

This group has lived through the great depression and times of

war. They have a “pay your dues” mentality of dedication and

sacrifice. They value authority, loyalty, and expertise and are a

patient group that honour country and community.

Many Veterans still want to remain homeowners, they would like

to retrofit their homes and “age in place” but they also have

their Baby Boomer or Gen X kids pushing them to downsize.

They are looking for housing that is easy to maintain and near

recreational areas as well as to customize that house to suit

their needs.

Marketing to Veterans

Whether helping a Veteran retrofit their homes or downsize into their new home, here are some

tips for working with them.

1. Stay in touch: Veterans want to be kept in the loop, so it’s important to maintain frequent

communication with them.

2. Outline your Unique Value Proposition (UVP): Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) defines

what sets you apart from the competition. As Veterans value authority and expertise you

will want to outline your expertise, your experience and how you will be able to help

them in your UVP. Present your UVP early to your Veteran clients through a listing

package or presentation.

3. Community focus: Veterans want to know what is happening locally, they grew up

reading the local newspaper and they care for community events. So make sure to

bring a local flavour to your newsletters and other communications.

4. Offline vs. Online: Veterans prefer offline communication; in fact they prefer face to face

communication. However more and more seniors are getting online. The Nielsen Wire

reported that there are six million more seniors on-line than there were just five years ago.

What’s the number one activity for Veterans on-line? Checking their e-mail, so don’t be

afraid to include them in your e-mail campaigns as a complement to your face-to-face

interaction.

5. Social Media: Among Veterans, Facebook is the third most popular website and Youtube

is the fourth. Veterans are logging on to Social Media sites to share pictures with their

children or grand-children. Social media can be used to complement your face to face

communication with Veterans but as this isn’t their preference be sure to keep it simple

and to the point!


Working With Baby Boomers (1945 to 1965)

“We have the power to make this the best generation of

mankind in the history of the world or to make it the last.”

~John F Kennedy

The Baby Boomers are characterised as a career oriented

group that have a “live to work” mentality. Baby Boomers

tend to challenge authority and want to show people what

they can do. They are results-driven, team players that are

rediscovering the excitement of life (and have the resources

to live out their adventures).

It is important to note that the Baby Boomer generation is often divided into 2 sections: The Early

Boomers and the Late Boomers. Early Boomers may be rethinking their plans for retirement in

2010 due to the recent economy. While Late Boomers may be supporting older kids who stay

home longer and aging parents that require their support (thus earning them the nickname: the

“sandwich” generation).

Boomers are looking to buy homes that reflect their image and lifestyle.

Marketing to Boomers

Keeping these characteristics in mind, you may want to incorporate some of the following into

your marketing.

1. WIIFM (What’s in it for me): Boomers want to know the WIIFM factor, so speak to their

senses (home decor, renovations, gardening tips, etc...) and speak of benefits not

features.

2. Stick to the point: Boomers believe that a good idea or product speaks for itself, so keep

to the point without long-winded explanations.

3. Statistically speaking: Boomers are a statistically oriented group, so be sure to have lots

of statistical information to support any of your claims. Things like home values and

trends will be very meaningful to the Boomer client.

4. It’s a contact sport: Maintain regular communication with your Boomer customers and

meet their expectations by following through on promises expediently and completely.

They prefer face to face contact, but are also keen on technology and social media.

5. Tech enthusiasts: When Boomers start using technology, they are enthusiastic, engaged

and quick to share with their peers. Technology that fits their busy lives is contagious, so

keep technology relevant and if you want to introduce some new state of the art

technology (e.g. Mobile marketing) be prepared to demonstrate the value of it.

6. Socially Networked: Boomers are the fastest growing segment of Facebook, Twitter and

LinkedIn. Don’t be afraid to incorporate these in your marketing mix, but keep the

information tailored to them.

7. Intelligent Humour: Don’t be afraid to add a little intelligent humour to your marketing,

but avoid corniness, cute sayings and colours that are too bright.


Tools to Market to Veterans and Baby Boomers

Royal LePage Marketing Centre

Print Pieces: Customisable and professionally produced print

pieces are available in the Marketing Centre (The Homeowner

Newsletter, postcards, greeting cards, personal brochures and

more). These pieces can also be e-mailed directly using the

integrated address book and e-mailing systems.

To start working in the Marketing Centre, go to:

marketing.rlpnetwork.com/mc > login and click Access Marketing

Centre at the bottom of the page

The Red Market – Buffini “Pop-by” gifts

Finding unique small gifts when maintaining frequent face-to-face

contact can be difficult. From as little as $1.75, find just the right

product to help you market, prospect and manage your business.

To access the Red Market, visit: marketing.rlpnetwork.com/rm >

Login and click Access Red Market near the bottom

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

National Garage Sale for Shelter: May 15th, 2010 will be the

National Garage Sale for Shelter a great way to meet and greet

the local Veterans and Boomers.

Shelter Blooms: Every fall the Shelter Foundation sells Tulip Bulbs to

be planted.

For more information on the Shelter Foundation visit:

www.royallepage.ca/shelter or www.facebook.com/rlpshelter

Aeroplan and Aeromove

Award your clients with Aeroplan miles and use the Aeroplan®

brand and logos to attract prospects with your marketing.

From as little as $20 for a 500 Aeroplan Mile gift certificiate.

For more information: Call the Aeromove team 1-866-797-2767

http://www.marketing.rlpnetwork.com/mc

http://www.marketing.rlpnetwork.com/rm

http://www.royallepage.ca/shelter

http://www.facebook.com/rlpshelter


Royal LePage Suppliers

• Photography (Canon): A digital camera from Canon

Consumer Imaging for 15% off could make a great gift for the

Veteran or Boomer.

• Magazine subscriptions (Transcontinental): Customise the

cover and offer your clients a year subscription for a special

Royal LePage rate.

• Unaddressed admail (Canada Post): Get 15-23% off the price

to reach an older community with your personal message

and stay top of mind.

• Agent Calendars (Teldon): Customised Calendars with your

information will remind your customers about you for the

whole year!

For More information, visit: marketing.rlpnetwork.com/suppliers

Carriage Trade

Exceptional homes need exceptional marketing and many Baby

Boomers are looking to reinforce an image that reflects their

lifestyle. Carriage Trade is our exclusive real estate service

offering the most distinguished homes in Canada to discerning

buyers from around the world.

For more information on Carriage Trade, go to:

www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors > Carriage Trade

SRES®

Seniors Real Estate Specialists are qualified to address the needs

of home buyers and sellers aged 50-plus.

For information about the SRES Designation, have your broker

contact: [email protected]

http://www.rlpnetwork.com/


Working With Generation X (1966 to 1978)

“I just want to show society what people born after

1960 think about things... We're sick of stupid labels,

we're sick of being marginalized in lousy jobs, and

we're tired of hearing about ourselves from others.”

~Douglas Coupland, Boston Globe, 1991

The word that is most often used to define

Generation X is sceptical. Gen Xers are the product

of the highest divorce rate in history and saw their

parents’ company loyalty rewarded with layoffs.

These experiences are reflected by the Gen X motto

of “question everything” and explains why they tend to doubt people who claim to be an

expert or an authority on anything. As a result of this, they tend to be a highly self reliant group

(this is also why they want to negotiate on commissions).

Even though Gen Xers may have high personal debt (a “buy now/pay later” mentality),

Generation Xers are becoming the major buyers in the market and are trading up to their

second (or third) homes. They are also beginning to take over from the Boomers as the primary

buyers of recreational properties.2

Gen X women are also a major influence on the market as they further their professional career.

Whether single or part of a two income family, they’re desire for homeownership is high

(According to the 2007 Royal LePage Female Buyer’s Report, 30 percent of single, never-before

married women own their own home and 31 percent of single, never-before married women

who are not homeowners intend on buying a home within 3 years.3)

Marketing to Generation X

Whether the Gen Xer you are working with is a repeat

buyer, first time buyer or seller, here are some tips to

working with them.

1. Speak their language: If you can’t speak their

language, namely the internet, Gen Xers will likely

dismiss you. Be prepared to communicate

mostly via e-mail and be capable of sending

photos and listings via e-mail.

2. No smoke and mirrors: Gen X are sceptical, tell it

like it is, be direct and don’t waste their time.

Also don’t hide information: either you are

representing them or you are not.

3. WIIFM(What’s in it for me): Gen Xers care about what you can do for them. Even more so

than Boomers, they want to know what benefit they gain from working with you over

doing it themselves.

2 REALTY Times, July 7, 2009. Available at http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090707_nextgen.htm

3 To access the full report visit http://docs.rlpnetwork.com/FemaleBuyersReport.pdf to access the press release visit

http://www.royallepage.ca/CMSTemplates/AboutUs/Company/CompanyTemplate.aspx?id=1508

http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090707_nextgen.htm

http://docs.rlpnetwork.com/FemaleBuyersReport.pdf

http://www.royallepage.ca/CMSTemplates/AboutUs/Company/CompanyTemplate.aspx?id=1508


4. Let them do their homework: Gen Xers are being given a lot of information and

misinformation from various sources. Let them do their own research, but guide them to

the correct information and remind them that they will benefit from your expert analysis.

5. Help with financial stability: With the recent economic problems, Gen Xers are more

concerned about their financial future than before. Ask them about their concerns and

be ready with reports and statistics to ease their fears.

6. Showcase social responsibility: Gen Xers are driving open information consumerism

(open business practices) and respond well to socially responsible companies. Be sure to

highlight your commitments to the community (e.g. via the Shelter Foundation). Remind

them that your community is the most important part of your business.


Working With Millennials/Generation Y (1979 to 1995)

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with

no expectation of reward, safe in the

knowledge that one day someone might

do the same for you.”

~Princess Diana

The Millennials share some similarities to

their Gen X predecessors, but don’t

confuse the two: Millennials don’t share

the same sceptical attitude of Gen Xers.

Millennials tend to have more respect for

authority figures that demonstrate

competence and are twice as likely as

other generations to ask their relatives for

advice. They have never known the world without the personal computer and grew up with the

internet. As such, Millennials are tech savvy and are used to getting information right away.

Millennials are taking their spot as the key first time home buyer and are very enthusiastic about

home ownership (Owning a home ranks as being very important for 44% of men and 76% of

women aged 18 to 30.)4 They are purchasing earlier, buying younger and not waiting to get

married before buying because they want to have the investment of owning their own

properties. This view has been shaken a little by the recent economy, but their desire for

homeownership is still strong.

Marketing to Millennials

People born in 1990 are turning 20 years old. According to the US Census bureau,

homeownership in the under-25 set has been increasing from 15% in 1993 to 25% in 2006. As

mentioned, homeownership is important to Millennials. If you are targeting the Millennial buyer,

here are some tips to consider.

1. How about now? Millennials feel crunched for time, they are a “now” oriented bunch, as

such be responsive and direct with Millennials.

2. High tech, not high touch: Millennials have also been nicknamed the dotnet generation.

Their comfort with technology means they value the ability to switch among different

communication methods based on their needs from e-mails to videos, often accessed

on their phone. Staying tech savvy will help you with this generation.

a. Social media: Millennials don’t want you to tell them how good you are, they

want someone else to tell them how good you are. This is why social media is

4 Who’s Buying Now?, REALTrends December 2009

The Boom Boom effect: Millennials also have considerable influence on the choices of their

Boomer parents, much stronger than in previous generations. This phenomenon is often

referred to as the Boom Boom effect. It has been estimated by one study that they may

influence as much as half the spending in the US economy.


such a good tool to reach Millennials, as your interactions with others confirm your

credibility.

b. Mobile Marketing: Millennials have grown up with computers and have flipped

traditional roles by teaching older generations how to use technology. The

internet is available everywhere and many websites (including realtor.ca) are

going mobile as the Millennials’ demand for instant information grows.

3. Share your hobbies: Millennials want to relate to a person not a company, if you have a

quirky aspect of your personality or hobby use it as a promotional tool.

4. Showcase Social Responsibility: Similar to Generation X, the Millennials are keen on

socially responsible companies. But for Millennials, it is an expectation, not an added

bonus.

5. Print to complement web: Millennials prefer digital communications to print. However,

use your print pieces to complement what you have on-line.

6. Be Creative: Millennials also enjoy humour in their advertising, ex: “Would you hire a

lawyer to remove your tonsils?”

Tools to Market to Generation X and Millennials


Customisable and professionally produced marketing pieces

that can be printed, e-mailed or hosted:

Prospect Management Campaign: Information on the

process of selling or buying a home.

Direct e-mail: Easily send your feature sheets, postcards,

etc via e-mail directly from the Marketing Centre.

To start working in the Marketing Centre, go to:

marketing.rlpnetwork.com/mc > login and click Access

Marketing Centre at the bottom of the page

Royal LePage.ca

Press Releases and Reports: Reports such as the Survey of

Canadian House Prices, the Recreational Property Report and

The First Time Home Buyers Report can make great resources

for your Gen X and Millennial customers.

Visit: www.royallepage.ca and click on Press Reports at the top

right

The Red Market

For the Green buyer or seller, there are some eco products

available in the Red Market like the recycled Journal Book ($9)

or the Eco Tote Bag ($1.75 each). As well as gifts such as wine

bags, housewares and apparel.

To access the Red Market, visit: marketing.rlpnetwork.com/rm

> Login and click Access Red Market near the bottom

http://www.marketing.rlpnetwork.com/mc

http://www.royallepage.ca/

http://www.marketing.rlpnetwork.com/rm


National Association of Green Agents and Brokers (NAGAB)

Showcase your social responsibility with a NAGAB designation.

Offered to the Royal LePage network at a discount, All three

courses required to earn your designation are available on-line

through the Royal LePage University and will provide you with

the information you need to counsel sellers on improving

energy efficiency in their homes and assist buyers looking for a

“green” home.

To Visit the Royal LePage University, go to:

www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors > Increase Your Skills > RLP

University and click on Access RLP University near the bottom

Aeroplan and Aeromove

Award your clients with Aeroplan miles and use the Aeroplan®

brand and logos to attract prospects with your marketing.

From as little as $20 for a 500 Aeroplan Mile gift

certificiate.

For more information: Call the Aeromove team 1-866-797-2767

REALTOR® Marketing Workshop Resources

New How-to introductory documents on Youtube and Google

Analytics to help you further your net presence, there are also

how-to introductory documents on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter,

Hootsuite and Craigslist.

To download a copy of these documents, go to:

www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtor > Increase Your Skills > Staying

Current (Scroll to resources)

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation

The Shelter Foundation supports women’s shelters and

violence-prevention programs at the local level through

partnerships with shelters and nationally through the Fourth R

(www.thefourthr.ca) high school, violence-prevention program

or the Canadian Women’s Foundation grant program

(www.cdnwomen.org).

For more information on the Shelter Foundation visit:

www.royallepage.ca/shelter or www.facebook.com/rlpshelter

Royal LePage TV

The Royal LePage TV videos are professionally produced short

online TV clips that offer useful information about buying,

selling and home ownership. Share the video by e-mailing the

link or embedding the videos into your personal website.

Login to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Advertising >

RLP TV



http://www.thefourthr.ca/

http://www.cdnwomen.org/

http://www.royallepage.ca/shelter

http://www.facebook.com/rlpshelter



Newcomers to Canada

The Newcomers to Canada are not a

generation in the truest sense of the word.

Newcomers come from a variety of age

groups and do not have the same

influences and experiences as Canadians of

the same age. However, their influence

over the future of Canadian Real Estate is

not to be overlooked.

To better understand the influence that

Newcomers to Canada will have on the

Real Estate industry in the next 20 years,

consider this: Currently, 66% of Canada’s

population growth is due to immigration

and, as birth rates continue to fall,

Newcomers to Canada will account for more and more of the population growth. According to

the CMHC, Newcomers to Canada will account for 100% of population growth by 2037.

Although 69 percent of recent Newcomers settled in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, a growing

group (28 percent) are settling in cities across Canada like Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau,

Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Kitchener.5

Not only will they be driving population growth, Newcomers to Canada are very enthusiastic

about homeownership and tend to jump into the market as soon as they establish financial

security. A recent study by GenWorth (A Canadian private sector supplier of mortgage default

insurance) found that 58% of Newcomers to Canada bought a house within 5 years of arriving to

Canada.

Newcomers to Canada are more likely to purchase multifamily units because their households

often include extended family members (Newcomers average between 3.6 to 3.7 persons in a

household over their first four years in Canada compared to 2.5 people in the average

Canadian household.6)

Marketing to Newcomers to Canada

Most Newcomers to Canada are in their mid twenties to late thirties, but be cautious not to

target them with a heavy Gen X or Millennial message. Remember, their different life

experiences drive different needs and wants. Here are some things you can do to help your

Newcomer clients.

1. Provide Resources: Develop a booklet/webpage that gives tips on the Canadian

immigration process and on obtaining Social Insurance cards, driver’s licenses and work

permits. This will earn you good will and they may even refer others to you. (A great

resource for you: http://www.cmhc.ca/newcomers/ information in 8 different

languages.)

5 Immigrants Drive Canada’s Housing Resurgence, Jim Adair, RealtyTimes July 2009,

http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090721_immigrants.htm

6 Settling In: Newcomers in the Canadian Housing Market, 2001-2005, CMHC Report: http://www.cmhc-

schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/66387.pdf

http://www.cmhc.ca/newcomers/

http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090721_immigrants.htm

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/66387.pdf

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/66387.pdf


2. Neighbourhood information: Prepare information about neighbourhoods in your area or

create a referral network of other new Canadians to help them get involved with their

new local communities.

3. Legal matters: Creating a list of immigration attorneys in your area can help them with

their legal matters and is easy to maintain.

4. Include foreign-language media: There are often foreign-language medias (such as

newspapers and radio stations) for certain groups. You may want to consider advertising

your expertise helping new Canadians on these channels.

Tools to Market to Newcomers to Canada


Customisable and professionally produced marketing pieces

that can be printed, e-mailed or hosted:

Create professional brochures to give information

about immigration attorneys and neighbourhoods.

Use the “Create your own” project to upload

marketing materials you already have in different

languages.

To access the Marketing Centre, go to: www.rlpnetwork.com >

Realtors > Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre.

My Great Neighbourhood

Even though the My Great Neighbourhood contest is over,

there are tons of videos, images and stories of neighbourhoods

all across Canada. Save the links to nearby neighbourhoods

and share them with people looking to move in!

Visit: neighbourhoods.royallepage.ca

Your profile on royallepage.ca

Royallepage.ca users can search by language, so if you are

targeting Newcomers make sure you properly set your

languages in your profile.

To modify your profile, visit: www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors >

Manage Your Business > Manage your profile. Make the

necessary changes and don’t forget to click save at the

bottom!


http://www.neighbourhoods.royallepage.ca/



Cross-Generational Trends

Now that we know more about each generation, there is one trend that we want to focus on.

Each and every generation in Canada is logging onto the Internet more and more.

This graph from Statistics Canada shows the Internet Usage by age group in 2000, 2003 and 2007.

As you can see, the population aged 45+ are using the internet more and more.

Source: Stats Canada General Social Survey, 2000, 2003 and 2007

According to the NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 90% of Buyers use the internet in their

home search and 36% of buyers go to the internet as their first step in a home search (double

that of going to a REALTOR® at 18%).

As you can see from the graph, Veterans and Boomers are logging on to the internet more and

more frequently. So having a web presence is incredibly important. But how will people find

your website? They may find it through links on Social Media, or from your listings, but most likely

they will find your website through search engines.

0

20

40

60

80

100

15 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75+

Internet usage, by age group, by selected years

2000

2003

2007


Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Being located near the top of the search results is important

because people do not search multiple pages to find your

page. Your website is a portal into your listings, and the easier

it is for someone to find your site, the easier it is for them to find

your listings.

What is Search Engine Optimization? Simply stated, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process

of improving the placement of your website during searches

on websites such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. This placement

results in an increased volume of traffic to your site from search engines. Top ranking can be

achieved either through Organic SEO, a process through which the content and quality of your

site drives its ranking, or Search Engine Marketing (SEM), whereby people pay to have a

“sponsored” search result that appears near the top of the results page.

To ensure that your website is found during a search, we must think about how search engines

“decide” what content fits what words (ex. What kind of website should associate with a search

for “Real Estate”?). We must also consider that users may use search sites to find your website

two, three, even four times before they bookmark your page (they may even rely on searching

for your site every time). So designing a website with the search engine results in mind is

incredibly valuable.

Search Engine

Marketing (SEM)

Organic

SEO


Where to Begin Optimizing a Website

Optimizing a website involves editing its content and code to increase its association with

certain words (these are called keywords) and to better allow search engines to “index” your

site (i.e. scan your site to see what is on it). SEO techniques fall into two categories:

White Hat SEO refers to techniques that search engines (like Google, Yahoo and Bing)

recommend as part of good website design. It involves following the guidelines and

ensuring that the content a search engine finds and ranks is the same content a user will

see (i.e. not hidden).

Black Hat SEO refers to techniques that are not approved by search engines. These

techniques involves tricking search engines into finding more content on your site and

thus making the search engine believe your site is more relevant. This can be achieved

through hidden text (text coloured the same colour as the background so as to make it

invisible) or text positioned off screen. Black Hat SEO poses a major risk: Once a search

engine discovers you are using Black Hat techniques they will severely penalize your

website and rank it significantly lower than others.

We will focus on White Hat SEO techniques and the number one rule for proper SEO is: Put the

Customer First!


Best Practices for Search Engine Optimization

The benefits of incorporating proper SEO go beyond simply having your website ranked first in

search results; it means that your website users will find more relevant content to them. They

may come back more often, keeping you top of mind, and they may even refer others to your

website.

Keywords Simply stated, keywords are the words people use in their searches. For example, while

searching for a Royal LePage office in Medicine Hat, Alberta, users might search for “Royal

LePage Medicine Hat” thus, the keywords would be: Royal LePage and Medicine Hat.

Identify important keywords: Finding good keywords is the most important step in optimizing your

website. Keywords should be used throughout your site and each page should include a short

article around 300 to 1000 words long that uses the keywords as a natural part of the language.

There is a long list of keywords that you could use, so focus on your Target Audience: Perhaps

specific keywords to them (e.g. Buying a First House), to their area (e.g. Montreal) or to their

neighbourhood (e.g. Anjou).

Recommended: Get someone who is not in real estate (a friend, neighbour,

relative etc,) sit them down in front of the computer and ask them to search (via

Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc...) for Real Estate in your area. Take the keywords they

typed and use them on your website and Social Media.


Links There are two types of links you can have on your website:

1. External Links: Links to websites other than yours but that are still related.

2. Internal Links: Links to pages within your own website.

Never copy content: Finding great content on-line can be good for your website. But if you

copy and paste that good content in your website, you will split the SEO for both sites in half!

Instead, paraphrase and add your own spin to the piece, then link to the original article. That

will greatly benefit the SEO of both websites.

Keep in mind that inbound links to your website from other reputable sites will help your SEO too.

1. Make sure your website is displayed on your Royal LePage Profile (as

on the right). To do so:

a. Log in to RLPNetwork.com and click on the REALTORS tab >

Manage your business (just below the REALTORS tab) >

Manage your profile (left side). Make changes and click

Save near the bottom.

b. Customer Care (1-877-757-4545) can also help you with this.

2. Great content may lead to other sites linking to your website which, again, increases

your SEO.

Also make sure that your links, whether internal or external, complement the article or

information that you are linking from.

Think Locally Search engines want users to find relevant content. As such, search engines generally try to find

local results before looking elsewhere. That’s why having rich local keywords and a local flavour

can really help with your SEO.

1. Keywords: When evaluating keyword options think about the local area and

neighbourhoods.

2. Links: Think not just of local Real Estate websites, but local websites that you can link to.

a. Many cities have their own website with a lot of information that could be useful

as an external link on your website.

b. Local events and attractions also make great external links to your website.

Refresh the Content The way search engines look through sites is constantly changing as they search for new and

fresh material. Changing the content of your site is important to do from time to time (which is

why blogs are so popular). This doesn’t mean you have to redesign the whole site every few

months, but the content or articles on the site should be brought up to date on occasion.


An Optimized Page

Utilizing keywords, links and local content is integral to a properly optimized webpage. In this

example, Mike works in AnyTown. He has identified industry related keywords such as: Buyers,

Real Estate, first time buyer, etc… Mike has also identified local keywords: AnyTown, Downtown

and Uptown. He then used those keywords in the titles, headings, and content of each page on

his website. He also includes links to internal and external sites when possible and makes sure the

content is up to date.

Extra Notes on the use of keywords:

The most important keywords should be near the beginning of the title/heading/content.

Keywords should be used throughout the site, and use different keywords depending on

the topic of each specific page.

Page URL

Title with Keywords

Main Page Headline

has Keywords

Related,

Keyword

Rich

Content

Internal Link to a page

about AnyTown

Neighbourhoods


SEO and Social Media

A question that is often asked in regards to Social Media is “How will

people find my Facebook fan page, LinkedIn profile or Twitter account?”

Social Media and SEO work hand in hand to get you more page visits and

more fans, connections or followers. As more people visit your website,

they will also visit your Social Media profiles and vice versa.

Integrate, Don’t Separate It is often the case that people do not link their website with their Social Media profiles, even

though they have a link to their website from Social Media. Integrating your Social Media

profiles into your website will encourage potential clients to join your Social Media networks and

will can open communication channels with them.

At the same time, being involved with Social Media can assist you in

“owning the first page.” When someone searches your name, the results

could include your website, your LinkedIn profile, your Twitter account and

your Facebook Fan Page, thus letting them decide how they want to

connect with you.

Put the Customer First Having a customer first attitude is beneficial to your Search Engine

Optimization and it can also help with Social Media. With your Target

Market in mind, it is important to think about what kind of information

they want to read. With Social Media, your posts are being displayed

adjacent to posts from the user’s parents, siblings and friends. So,

having a customer first attitude and thinking about what the user wants

to read can help you build your following on Social Media. Of course,

this same attitude is vital for White Hat SEO.


Tools and Resources for your SEO

Search Engine Optimization is an organic process, it is not something that can be done once

and forgotten about. As search engines update their methods of indexing sites, it is important to

try and reflect those changes. However, having a website with good and useful content is what

search engines always want to find. Keeping your Target Audience in mind will go a long way to

maintaining that coveted #1 spot.

Client Click Websites

All of the SEO tips discussed in this section are easily done with

Client Click websites. Client Click websites allow for simple

customisation and will soon automatically update with your

listings. Client Click sites start from $169 (for a 1 year Agent Pro

Site).

For More information, visit: www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors >

Client Click or Call Patrick Rioux at 1-877-757-4545

Google Adwords Keyword tool

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

(Note that this web address is case sensitive, you can also find

it by searching for “Google Adwords Keyword Tool.”)

Try different keywords or see what keywords your website

associates with. Compare keywords by search volume and

generate ideas for further keywords.

Google Analytics Introductory How-to

Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to see a number

of statistics about your web page, including how long

someone is on your page, how they found your page, etc...

In order to help you get started with Google Analytics, we

have created an introductory how-to document that will help

you leverage the benefits of Google Analytics.

Visit: www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors > Increase Your Skills >

Staying Current > 2010 Workshop Resources

SEO: A need to know game

The indexing processes that websites like Google, Yahoo and Bing use are closely

guarded secrets and these processes are constantly being revised (For example,

Google’s indexing process went through 4 major changes in 2009 and minor changes

occurred every few weeks.) As such, SEO is not written in stone, it is an organic process.

We must remember however that search engines want their users to find valuable and

relevant information to them.


https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal



Marketing Centre Practice Session

Access the Marketing Centre 1. Go to www.rlpnetwork.com and enter your username and password.

2. Click the Realtors tab in the top navigation.

3. Click (left hand side navigation, third down).

4. Scroll to the bottom of the main content window.

5. Click .

6. The Marketing Centre will open up in a new window – maximize the

window by clicking the button next to the X at the top, right-hand side

of your window.

Navigate the Marketing Centre

There are 4 main tabs in the Marketing Centre:

1. Profile: Where you update your contact information (title, phone numbers), office

information, and your agent photograph.

2. Design Centre: Where you create projects. There are 4 sub tabs:

a. Home: Displays information about new and upcoming features of the Marketing

Centre as well as links to all the how-to guides. (This is the first page you see)

b. Portfolio: All your projects are stored in your portfolio.

c. Design Gallery: Used to browse templates to create a new project.

d. Support: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Marketing Centre.

3. Address Book: An on-line address book integrated into the Marketing Centre, allows you to

import/export contacts, group contacts and e-mail projects directly from the Marketing

Centre.

4. Campaigns: Allows you to create on-going communication campaigns for sending out

your Marketing Centre Projects.

Need Help? Need help with the RLPNetwork or the Marketing Centre?

Contact Customer Care at 1-877-757-4545 or [email protected] (9am to 6pm EST)

View the How-to Guides: RLPNetwork.com > Help > User Guides

mailto:[email protected]


Update Your Profile The first thing that you should do when you access the Marketing Centre is check your profile.

Information found in your profile will be displayed on all of your marketing pieces, so it is

important to complete this section first.

1. Click Profile at the top left of the webpage

Update your Contact Information

Click the red link under Contact Information.

1. Check the spelling of Your Name.

2. Enter your title (e.g. Sales Representative).

3. Enter up to three phone numbers.

a. Use the drop-down menus to indicate the type

for each phone number (e.g. cellular, office,

pager, etc...).

4. Click Save (bottom right of screen).

Update your Office Information

Click the red link under Office Information.

1. Enter your Office Name, Street Address and City.

2. Use the drop-down menu to Select your Province.

3. Enter your Office Postal Code.

4. Enter your Web Address.

a. If you have a Personal or Office website, enter the URL (e.g. www.ISellHomes.com)

b. If not, add the Royal LePage Website: www.royallepage.ca

5. Click Save (bottom right of screen).

Upload your Photo

Click the red link under Photo.

1. Click Upload Photo.

2. Click Browse...

3. Locate the folder on your computer which contains your photo (.jpg, .gif or .png).

4. Click the Photo Name.

5. Click Open.

6. Click Send File.

7. If your photo does not have the proper width-height ratio, the Image Cropper will open for

you. You will see your uploaded image with a dotted line indicating the boundary of your

photo.

a. Zooming in: To zoom in on a specific section of a photo,

hover your mouse around one of the four boxes at the

corners of the crop area, then click and drag to zoom in.

b. Selecting the area: To adjust the location of the crop,

hover your mouse inside the cropped area (the mouse will

become a hand ), then click and drag your mouse in

the direction you would like to move the cropped area to.

c. Click Save.

8. Click Save on the bottom of your profile screen.

What about my e-mail address?

The Marketing Centre e-mail address

is picked up from your RLP Network

profile.

To change your Marketing Centre e-

mail address, you must change your

RLP Network Profile e-mail address.

For further help on this, contact:

Customer Care 1-877-RLP-4545 or

[email protected]

http://www.isellhomes.com/

http://www.royallepage.ca/


CREATE A NEW PROJECT – Prospect Management Campaign

Layout Overview of Project Only your contact information is customized on both the

buyer and seller prospect management campaign.

STEP 1: Choose and name the design you want to build. 1. Click Design Centre in the main navigation menu at the top left of the Marketing Centre.

2. Click Design Gallery to access all the available marketing designs/templates.

3. Click the English folder to see the English language templates.

4. Click the folders Campaigns > Prospect Management > Buyers or Sellers

5. Click the Select link (under the template of your choice) to begin building your campaign.

Name the Project 6. Give your project a name in the Project Name field. (e.g. “Prospect mgmt –

Buyers/Sellers”).

7. Optional: Type in a description of the project in the field marked Project Description. Some

Realtors like to enter with whom, when or where they have used the project or purpose.

8. Place the project in the appropriate folder:

a. If you have already made a folder previously, and would like to store this campaign

along with other projects in the same folder, just click on the folder name that

appears in the box called Select Subject Folder.

OR

b. Create a new folder by typing in a name in the Subject Folder Name field. (e.g.

“Campaigns”).

9. Click Save.


STEP 2: Build your Prospect Campaign At any time during

the creation process,

you can:

1. Click View Layout

to see the project

with all fields

labeled.

2. Click Preview to

view what your

project looks like

so far.

Page One (User Contact Information)

Enter/verify your contact information in the boxes provided.

1. Click Next.

Page Two (User Photo)

1. If you see your photo in place and you are happy with its appearance, click Next.

2. If you do not see your photo or wish to replace it with another one, click Upload Image.

Why is my picture there twice? This is a 2 agent template. You can click Delete

Image to remove the duplicate, or follow steps 3-7 to upload a photo of the second

agent.

3. Click Browse and locate your photo (in .jpg, .gif, .png format) on your computer.

4. Click the photo name > Open.

5. Click Send File.

6. If your photo does not have the proper width-height ratio, a cropping tool will open for

you.

7. Click Next.

Page Three (Text)

Enter the appropriate information in each of the following fields.

1. Disclaimer 1: Text entered in this field appears in small text immediately below the name

of your company. If your province has specific requirements for advertising your real

estate company, enter the label required by your province. E.g. Ontario is “Brokerage,”

Quebec is « Courtier Immobilier Agréé. »

2. Click Save.


STEP 3: Preview Your Prospect Management Campaign Make sure that you are happy with the finished product and that there are no typographical

errors.

1. Click Preview to look at your campaign and examine the product for mistakes.

2. When you’re done checking your campaign, close the preview window.

3. If you wish to make changes to your campaign, click Edit and follow the steps above.

Accessing the Address Book

To access the Marketing Centre Address Book, click Address Book after logging-in.

The Address Book allows easy management of contacts to be used in conjunction with the

Marketing Centre’s e-mailing options.

Add up to 1000 contacts individually or import a list of contacts.

Create groups so that mailing can be sent to different recipients without having to

individually select each contact.

Add a New Contact Manually

1. Click Add Contact(s).

2. Click Add Manually.

3. Enter all relevant information into the fields.

4. Click Next.

5. The default choice is Do not include this contact in a Group. You may leave this selection,

or choose to create a new group or include this contact in an existing group.

6. Click Save.


Create a Campaign in the Campaign Management System

First, name and select the type of campaign as well as the initial contacts to add to the

campaign. To do so, complete the following steps:

1. Click Campaigns in the main navigation.

2. On the My Campaigns page, click Add

Campaign on the left side of the window.

3. Choose a name for this Campaign

4. Select Timing-Specific, then click Next.

5. Choose the initial recipients for your campaign. Double click the contacts/groups to

add them, or you can click the double arrow to add all contacts/groups.

6. Click Next.

Adding Events to Your Campaigns

Each marketing communication that you send out is called an “event” and events are added

one at a time, so you will be repeating these steps for each mailing you wish to add to your

campaign. The Marketing Centre automatically takes you into the creation of the first event.

1. Type the name of your first Event and click Next.

Best Practice: The name of your

campaigns should reflect both what

the campaign is about and the

frequency of the communication.

e.g. “Monthly Home Improvement

Campaign.”

Timing-Specific Campaigns – Events are sent in pre-defined intervals relative to the date a

contact or group is added to the campaign, i.e. setting up weekly or monthly communications.

Date-Specific Campaigns – Events are sent according to specific dates in a calendar, i.e.

birthday announcements or seasonal/holiday communications.

Best Practice: Event names

should reflect what you are

sending, and should be

specific, so that you know by

the name of the event exactly

what communication is being

sent. e.g. “Basement

Renovation Postcard E-mail”


2. Select your marketing piece. The Campaign tool will display your portfolio for you to

select from.

3. Click the Preview button if you wish to confirm that it is the correct project.

4. Click Next.

5. Type an e-mail Subject Line for the event and click Next.

6. Select the layout and size for your

mailing and click Next. If your project

has multiple pages, you can choose

specific pages to send. Check the box

beside the pages you wish to send.

We recommend the following settings:

Layout: Stacked Pages

Size: 75%

Timing-Specific Campaigns 1. Select the interval at which your event will

be sent by typing in the number of days

after a contact is added that he/she will

receive the Event.

OR

2. Click the Calendar Button to select the interval from the grid.

Hover your mouse over the applicable row, then move it to the column related to the Event #

that you are currently scheduling and click the number. Example: For the 3rd event (mailing) in a

monthly campaign, you would move your

mouse to the monthly row and then over

to the event 3 column, then click on the

number (in this case the “60”).

Best Practice: Your subject line should be specific and

entice your recipients to open the message, so identifying

that it is from you (a trusted source) is a good idea.

Avoid using any special characters (i.e. #, !, $, etc) or

words that may cause your e-mail to get caught by the

recipient’s spam filters.


3. Select the time of day that you wish to send the mailing. Note: all times are PACIFIC

Standard Time.

4. Once you have selected the send interval and the time of day, click Done.

After you click the Done button, you will then proceed to the Campaign Detail page (illustrated

above), and should see the Event you just added in the list.

Scheduling the Next Event (Communication) Click to schedule another communication and repeat all the steps listed under

Adding Events to Your Campaign from this document.


Editing a Drip Marketing Campaign

You can edit, delete, duplicate, or track the Event

by clicking on its name in the list (on your

Campaign Detail page).

Note: For Timing-Specific Campaigns, any Events

can be edited or deleted. Changes will affect

only those recipients who have not yet received

the Event.

Editing, Deleting or Duplicating

Events in Your Campaign

1. Click on the Event Name.

2. Click the Edit button to return to

the first step in Adding Events to

your Campaign. You can edit

any or all aspects of your Event.

3. To delete an Event completely

from your Campaign, click the

Delete button.

Note: If the event has already been

sent out (in the case of Timing-

Specific Campaigns), deleting it will

cause you to lose all tracking

information. If you wish to keep this

information, your best option is to edit the event and on the Schedule to Send page (see

screen shot on page 3) deselect the Make this event active option by clicking on the

checkbox (The checkmark should disappear). Click Done to save the changes.

4. Click the Duplicate button to duplicate this Event within your Campaign. You might find

this useful when sending out a marketing piece that consists of multiple pages (e.g. the

Prospect Management Campaigns) and are sending one page at a time. You can

create one Event, duplicate it, and then edit only those aspects that need to change,

(e.g. the e-mail subject line).


Tracking Events in Your Campaign You can track activity for events that have been sent out. This will allow you to see a list of all

recipients, unsubscribers and hard and soft bounces.

1. Click the Event Name on your Campaign Detail page.

2. Click the History Tab.

All tab: Lists all recipients of this Event and the status of your message (Sent/Opened).

In the illustration above, you can see that this Event was sent to 1 recipient, who

viewed the communication once. (Note that it also shows you the date and time that

the recipient viewed the project.) If the event has been scheduled to send, but that

date has not yet come, the recipient’s status will be listed as “Pending.”

Sent tab: Lists any recipients for whom this Event has an opened or sent status. It will

also indicate a viewed date for any opened messages.

Soft Bounces tab: Lists any recipients who have a valid e-mail address but who have

not received your message, usually either because their inbox is full, or your message

has been caught by their Spam filter (junk mail).

Hard Bounces tab: Lists any recipients whose e-mail addresses are not valid, i.e. if you

have mistyped their address or if they have switched e-mail providers and the old

address has been cancelled.

Unsubscribes tab: Lists any recipients who have opted out of receiving further e-mail

communication from you by clicking on the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of your

message (this link is automatically added by the Marketing Centre).

Help with RLPNetwork or the Marketing Centre To get help with the RLPNetwork or the Royal LePage Marketing Centre:

1. Contact Customer Care at 1-877-757-4545 or [email protected] (9am to 6pm EST)

2. View the How-to Guides: RLPNetwork.com > Help > User Guides

mailto:[email protected]

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