Claiming Your Service Area

This month, we're thrilled to present a unique feature on Ingrid Medlicott from Gittoes Real Estate in NSW!

Ingrid shares her incredible journey and success story on the "We Are Selling" podcast, where she discusses her innovative approach to achieving the perfect listing stream.

Discover how Ingrid has mastered the art of running a "dwellings first" database, coupled with a unique monthly door-knock strategy based on the anniversary settlement of homes. Her methodical sequence has catapulted her to the top, making it her number-one listing stream!

Ingrid Medlicott from Gittoes on the New South Wales Central Coast specialises in acreage and lifestyle properties. When Ingrid first attended The Complete Salesperson Course many years ago, a particular technique struck a special chord with her – the property anniversary. She decided it would become one of her preferred prospecting strategies. Now, this in itself is not unusual. Many agents acknowledge the anniversary of a property they have sold. What's unique about Ingrid's story is that she celebrates the anniversary of every property in her service area, no matter who has sold it. Initially, only some properties were her settlements, while most were settled by competitors.

Ingrid says, 'It started with just the sales that Gittoes had settled. But then, over a couple of years, I managed to add to our CRM every single sale as they were occurring, and then going through gradually, street by street, getting all those historical records.'

Ingrid's technique in connecting with these owners is also unique. She chooses the doorknocking approach and comes bearing a gift of local honey with a handwritten card and a DL showcasing her recent sales in the neighbourhood. Here is an example of what she writes on the card:

Dear Lee,

Did you realise it's been six years since you purchased your Lisarow acreage? I hope you continue to enjoy living on acres as much as I do. Whilst you may not be considering selling at this time, are you curious to know what your property is currently worth? You may have made significant property improvements, and in addition, the Central Coast acreage market has experienced unprecedented changes in property values over the last few years.

As part of my ongoing service and commitment to our clients and community, I'm always happy to provide you with an update or to assist with any real estate needs.

Please reach out if I can help.

To give you an idea of how many doors Ingrid could claim using this technique, she delivered 134 anniversary gifts in January 2024 and does between 700 and 750 in any given year.

If the owners aren’t home or the property is gated – not uncommon given the prominence of acreages in her area – Ingrid leaves the card, DL and gift in the letter box. Whether she has the opportunity to speak to the owner or leaves everything in the letterbox, she makes it a point to let them know that she, too, is local to the area. She says, 'When I'm dealing with people, whether they're prospective vendors or buyers, I'm always reiterating that I'm walking my talk. I live on acres. I live down the street. I'm vested in this lifestyle, and I'm really committed to this strong community that we predominantly sell in.'

When Ingrid is fortunate enough to meet an owner face to face at their front door, she always keeps the conversation light and social. She says, 'I usually take my cue from them, that vibe they're giving as to what they want to know, if they want to know anything. Generally, it's just more social. I don't get very many that are not receptive because it's not a hard sell, and I'm giving them a gift. I will say something like, "I'm here if you need an update or want any advice on any real estate matters, be it an investment or refinancing, market trends, or anything like that." It's all very low-key. And sometimes I might say, "Do you know anyone thinking of selling, or do you have any family or friends that have any real estate needs that we as a business can help them with? Because our team covers so many areas on the Central Coast."

Over the years, the number of doors she has claimed has risen considerably.

Ingrid's unique property anniversary strategy has become her number-one lead source. The fact that she tracks every settlement in her turf means it's not a 'spray and pray technique. While she hasn't claimed every door – some owners have an established connection with an agent – every dwelling is in the system. So, over the years, the number of doors she has claimed has risen considerably. Her advice for anyone inspired by her property anniversary strategy is this:

• Be prepared to invest the time
• Ensure your data is clean and constantly updated
• Invest in high-quality marketing
• Know your turf – choose your time to doorknock wisely

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