Subject: Promoting a first-time home buyer’s seminar
Submitted by Kim Gatson
NPI/GPI FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER’S SEMINAR
A first-time home buyer’s seminar can be a great way to network with agents, lenders and other
real estate professionals who present with you at the seminar. The seminar also allows you to
market directly to potential home buyers who attend the seminar.
You might be asked to participate in a first-time home buyer’s seminar by a real estate agent or
lender. You might also decide to initiate the seminar yourself and ask agents or lenders to join
with you in planning, promoting and presenting at the seminar.
NPI/GPI offers several tools to help you with the process: 1) Seminar promotional poster; 2)
Seminar promotional flyer; 3) Seminar attendee sign up/registration sheet, and 4) Home
inspection power point presentation for the first-time home buyer’s seminar.
Seminar Goals:
1) Build or enhance your relationships with the agent, lender and other real estate
professionals who might be participating in the seminar.
2) Make a great impression on the attendees through your presentation so they will want to
hire you to inspect the home they purchase!
Considerations:
1) Do you know the participants on the panel? If so, are they already good referral sources
or could they become one if you invested time with them?
2) How many attendees are expected to attend? If they had a
seminar last year what was their attendance (10 to 30 is
average)? How will attendees’ contact information be
collected and distributed to you for your follow up after the
seminar?
3) How will the seminar be promoted?
Who will promote it? Who will pay
for the promotion? A lender or Realtor
could use a lobby sign and have a
sign/registration sheet located in their
office lobby, or they might have a customer list they could solicit by e-mail. We have a
poster and flyer you can customize to help with the promotion.
4) You should give a presentation at the seminar, and schedule at least 30 minutes for the
presentation and question/answer time.
5) Plan ahead of time for audio/visual equipment you and the other presenters will need. If
using power point, you might consider having some handouts in case of technical
problems.
Steps for a Successful Seminar:
1) Set up a lunch or meeting with your fellow presenters (e.g. Realtor, lenders) prior to the
seminar to get to know one another. Ask each of them what they intend to communicate,
what their goals are for the seminar and how you can help them reach their goals.
Exchange several business cards with each speaker for future referrals.
2) Personalize the First-time Home Buyer’s power point
presentation with your information.
You can download it from the NPI/GPI forum (go to Parent
Directory-Promotions-Home Buyer’s Seminar Folder).You can
also download the flyer and poster for the seminar.
3) Practice your presentation several times. Make sure your message is positive,
informative and personable. In your opening remarks of your presentation, compliment
your fellow presenters (e.g. Realtor, lender, etc.). This helps promote them to the
audience and helps build your relationship with the presenters. Close by asking for
questions, and stay as long as you can.
4) After the seminar, follow up with the speakers and attendees by sending e-mails and
handwritten Thank You notes. Stay in touch with the attendees several times (newsletters
and html e-mail flyers are great tools for this), as you never know when they will
purchase their first home! Follow-up efforts will help maintain relationships.
5) In following up with your fellow presenters, volunteer to offer technical or education
presentations at their company or write articles for their company newsletters.
**Special thanks to Doug Kendall of GPI, Peterborough, ON for his help. His inspiration,
selfless contribution of knowledge, experience, time and tools helped to create our New-Home
Seminar Promotion tools. The ultimate team player!
**Please call Kim Gatson *23 with any questions.