We recently connected with Haley Bartlett and have shared our conversation below.

Haley, appreciate you joining us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?

There are so many realtors out there. Most people know one if not many more realtors. So, getting business in real estate can be harder than expected. I learnt that lesson pretty fast. It took me six months before I was able to sell my first home. My first clients were a sweet young family. They found me in a Facebook moms’ group. I had been posting useful information about the community in the group. Including things like events happening, new places opening and things to do with kids. I had also been out in the community meeting new people. When this sweet family asked for a realtor recommendation my name came up and they were able to see that I had been active in the community and group. It was such a great first sale in my business. I continue to get business from being active in my community.

Haley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got into real estate almost on accident. My son was in 2nd grade, and I had been doing content writing very part time. I was looking for something I could do that would still allow me to drop him off and pick him up from school and be there as needed. I just decided one day to order the real estate books and start studying for the exam. I took a few months to study as I only wanted to do the test once.

After passing the test I literally jumped straight in. I dug deep into getting out into the community, getting to know new people and providing information that was useful to those in my area.

I didn’t realize getting into real estate that I was running my own business. That realization came about in the first 1-2 years.

Once I realized this was my own business, I really dug into building a brand that was recognizable. It was fun being recognized by others while shopping or out and about.

I built my business up without paying money for any leads. A lot of realtors jump in and start buying leads from big companies, but I didn’t want to do it that way. Instead, I have built a successful business around building community and relationships. One community I cherish is my Moms Beer Group. We get together and meet at different breweries each month and I have built amazing friendships from that group of women.

My clients say I am different than the other realtors I know because I am not in it to just sell them something, I really care about them and what is happening in their lives, before, during and after the sale.

Running my business this way makes it more enjoyable for me. There are so many yucky business models out there and I wanted to build my business in a way that was authentic to me, so I could sleep well at night.

Another thing that sets me apart is that I have built systems in my business. These systems help my clients know what comes next every step of the way. I believe this relieves the stress in the home buying and selling process. My home buyers and sellers are informed and that helps them feel empowered to make decisions that are right for them!

I love being a realtor and business owner, that happy accident 8 years ago has turned into one of my great successes in life!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building a social media presence in this day and age can be hard! You have so many people out there competing for the same space.

The key for me was to get involved in groups on Facebook. This is where it all started for me and to this day continues.

I try to provide value wherever I go. I put together the monthly free Days in Denver, I put together lists such as pumpkin patches, Christmas Parades, Outdoor Movies. I also try to post good coupons/groupons and things like that when I see them. This has bought me name recognition in my client realm which is mostly made up of families.

I have also used Facebook Groups to build relationship and recognition. I started a group around something I loved and then put it out there. I have 800 people in my group right now, some of them I have met face to face and other’s are just observers. I am just the event planner and group facilitator now as I have built a group that loves to comment and share.

There are so many ways you can build a brand on social media this was just the way that worked authentically for me!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I love giving back to my clients so I use that as my touch system.

I love using BoomerangDm to send out coupons on a monthly basis. I sometimes grab extras and will mail them out to people on my friends list on Facebook too.

I also love holding regular events. One of my client’s favorites is a private pool party at one of the local public pools. I hire it for a after hour event and invite all of my past clients along so that they don’t have to wait in lines for the slides. I have also held parties at my home and happy hours at local breweries. You just have to know your clients and what they would appreciate.

Handwritten cards a couple of times a year are another favorite of mine. Getting real mail is something that doesn’t happen these days. Popping a surprise in the mail for my clients is so fun.

Lastly, I have a Facebook group that I pop any client I have worked with in. This is to keep everyone in the know with what is going on, when events are coming up, having fun raffles and offering discounts etc.

Find the things that are authentic to your brand and then execute them! You will love the feeling of being connected and giving back to your clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: haleybartlett.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haleybartlettyouraussieagent/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youraussieagentigorealty
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfgaih0D7hqjb1ikGAgNJfg

Image Credits
Naomi Johnston – Rugged Grace Photography