Priyanka Goswami – Taking a Focused Approach to Marketing

Erin Davis: Welcome to REAL TIME, the podcast for and about REALTORS® from the Canadian Real Estate Association. I'm Erin Davis, proud to be your host, as each episode, we delve into topics relevant to you, about you and helpful to you as you continue to grow as a realtor. Historically, real estate has been a referral business with business development driven by reputation. In an industry where word of mouth is your strongest marketing tool, how does modern marketing fit in, and how do you measure just how effective your marketing is?

On episode 29 of REAL TIME, we are joined by Priyanka Goswami, executive vice president of 1:1 and customer experience at No Fixed Address. The award-winning creative agency, partnering with CREA to promote the value and services of REALTORS® to the public. With nearly two decades of experience in business developments and customer-focused, digital marketing. Priyanka joins REAL TIME to help REALTORS® better understand how to incorporate modern marketing, the trends, tactics, tools, success metrics, and more.

Welcome to REAL TIME, Priyanka. It is such a pleasure to have you with us today.

Priyanka Goswami: Nice to be here. Thank you for having me.

Erin: Wonderful. Now you have built an impressive career in marketing, working with a number of clients across all kinds of sectors. If you could, perhaps not the Twitter version but the Coles' notes of what you do, could you fill us in?

Priyanka: Yes. If I had to sum it up in one word, I would say it's focus. What I do is I take an organized lots and lots of large PowerPoint slides and research decks and documents, and obviously our own research and best practices into something that's very digestible and in human language. Typically, that happens in a form of a customer journey. That really helps identify where brands are winning and where they're losing, and really helps drive that focus.

Erin: When you talk about a customer journey, what are you talking about? Are you meaning finding that person and then taking them along or them contacting you? What are you sort of define as we focus on customer journey? What does that mean to you, Priyanka?

Priyanka: I think it's everything. If you look at the life cycle of how a customer actually go and what stages they go through. It's everything from how they're finding out about a product or a service or a brand, to how are they narrowing down those consideration choices, then moving on to how they're welcomed into that brand or onboarded onto that brand, to everything from community to advocacy and loyalty and all of those wonderful things. It's, how do we progress a customer through every single one of those stages.

I think if you really focus on the meticulous details of how that customer is moving through that, so meticulously interrogating every single moment, every need, every barrier, every opportunity and channel that they're present on, then we can really start to understand where to focus our efforts and our resources and our dollars, and how to successfully really create communications that progress that customer across the journey.

Erin: Perhaps, avoiding falling into the pitfall of trying to solve a problem that doesn't need solving.

Priyanka: That's exactly it. It's interesting, I think in this business a common mistake is, we tend to interchange the words, marketing and advertising, and we use them in the same way, so like there's so much work that ends up just being in brand and advertising work. We're solving things that simply can't be solved through that. Maybe someone doesn't need awareness or maybe there's a loyalty challenge that we're trying to solve or re-engaging a customer base that we're solving.

That's the job is really helping marketers focus their energy. What stage are we focusing on? What audience base should we be zeroing in on? We like to call them high-value audiences, and what time and when should we be engaging with them and so on. Really narrowing into that focus.

Erin: Okay. I think you've already dipped your toes into this and in a really great way. Let me ask on a broader spectrum, what goes into a successful marketing strategy, Priyanka? What needs to be considered?

Priyanka: Great question. I think building on the theme of focus, I think it's just that. I think so much has changed in the last 10 to 15 years in this business. Of course, while the fundamentals are similar, there has been a lot of change. I think the formula used to be fairly simple. You would spend money on brand and advertising and buy media and drive sales. Of course, I'm oversimplifying so I don't mean any disrespect to my colleagues who work in this business. Of course, there's definitely a lot more to it than that.

Now, I think the way customers are experiencing and interacting with brands is just so different. I can discover a brand on TikTok. I can shop directly through an Instagram story. Curbside pickup is a thing. Those words didn't even exist two years ago.

Our expectations from brands are so high. We want brands to be super good. We want them to do good. We want them to provide great products and services and respect our privacy, but still be relevant and communicate with us at the right times and in the right places and the right messages. It's really a lot to think about. I think, I almost feel really bad for marketers, because there's so much more to do now. I'm not really sure if budgets have really increased. In fact, everyone's working on a tighter string. I think focus is so, so, so important because you can't do it all nor should you. Getting focus really requires getting into that detail.

Erin: The detail, it would seem, if I'm understanding you correctly, would be just looking carefully at who your customer is, because there are a plethora of digital channels to reach an audience. How do you go about discerning the best ones to support your particular business? They're all out there and they could all help you, but it would take a superhuman to be able to use them all and use them all effectively.

Priyanka: I think it's a really great question because I think there's a couple of ways to tackle that. I think one, I think a lot of brands are actually sitting on a lot of data, you know your customers well, you know the type of audience base that you might actually typically service. If you're a luxury brand, and you work with luxury cars or luxury houses or whatever, that is one segment. You know that you're dealing with a certain type of audience base and what they typically like so that you can look at that and be like, "Okay, that's our focus area." Then you're not going to waste marketing dollars on other groups of people and vice versa. If your market is simply like renters, then you're going to focus on that. Then, that becomes your high-value audience. It's just really about zeroing in and focusing on the right market that you tend to cater to.

Oftentimes brands are also sitting on a lot of data. We collect so much data as brands. We're sitting on so much customer data so it's really looking through that and segmenting your audiences appropriately to be like, "Okay, who's really engaged? Who's repeat customer? Who's just not really engaged and who uses us once in a while, maybe these guys require a little bit of a pick-me-up." It's really about looking at the data and organizing it in meaningful ways to identify who your high-value audiences are.

Erin: Next on REAL TIME, we're going to talk about how to brand, not just what you provide, but who you are; branding your reputation. One of my favourite marketing gurus is the late Zig Ziglar. There's a quote of his that resonates when it comes to REALTORS Care®, "It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference." There are a lot of reasons to give where you live and we love to hear and share stories from our communities where REALTORS® make a difference. Share what you're doing and amplify this great impact using your social media and the #REALTORSCare. Who knows, you might even inspire others to do the same.

Now back to CREA's marketing partner, Priyanka Goswami on REAL TIME.

Okay, so how do you go about positioning your business when your business is your reputation? It's not like a sandwich or something; your business is your reputation. It's more than just a product or a service.

Priyanka: Yes. I think about yourself, I think about myself, to customers, every interaction with a brand represents the overall customer experience and the impression they have of you. Whether that's someone's experiencing a brand in media or in store or online or anywhere, every single interaction is a reflection of that brand. To us, it's brand equals experience, experience equals brand.

It's not just enough to have really super strong messaging in your mass advertising or say something in a TV spot. You got to make sure that you're paying that positioning off and how people are experiencing your brand. If you're marketing yourselves as really trustworthy and caring, then you got to pay that off in the experience. I think for REALTORS® especially, I think their digital tools and their channels and all of their own properties like their websites and email program and what they have in terms of their marketing collateral has such a huge potential on the impression that they leave their clients.

If someone sees a listing that they're interested in, they're going to – Let's say, if they see it on the app and they contact a realtor, they're going to expect that response from a REALTOR® in a pretty timely manner. If they don't, that's likely a negative experience. If you think about that, that's such a tiny little thing, but it is a different experience and they're hovering from any brand positioning that's being communicated to them. People tend to paint the industry with that same brush. It's really, you have to think about the entire experience and how you're servicing and how every little interaction with your audience base or your customers is being served up.

It's not even just the digital tools and you don't have to be super sophisticated. I think it's just making sure that you're being there in the moments where customers need you, and setting up those right expectations so there is understanding around those things.

Erin: You've got a lot of expertise, Priyanka, in customer experience and one-to-one marketing. We're talking here about reaching the masses and yet making it personal. What is one-to-one marketing to you, and why is personalization so important? I can give you a little example in terms of communication. We talked with James Duffy, in our last episode, and he talked about the personal connection.

I can tell you as a radio host, the one thing that you don't do is say, "Hey, everybody out there, it's going to be a great day." You say, "Good morning. How are you doing? I hope you are having a good day, and here's what you need," because it's the one-to-one. Even in the mass media of radio, where you're talking to hundreds of thousands of people, it's that one person who feels, "Hey, they're talking to me." You tell me why you think personalization is so important because I've told you my story.

Priyanka: Yes, I love that question. I love that example. I love that question because I think there's so much buzzwords that get thrown around in this business, and one-to-one marketing is probably one of them. That really comes down to understanding the needs of your customers at an individual level. It's really not anything new. You just gave an example around radio, and I always like to use this example of a deli shop.

Let's say, the same person comes into this deli shop every Thursday, they order the same sandwich. It's turkey on rye, lightly toasted, with mustard and pickle on the side. If I, as a waiter, start to pick up on that pattern, then I can actually create a better experience for that customer. Perhaps I already have their order all ready to go, or I can repeat it for them when they're starting to place the order to be like, "Yes, I really know you, and I get you." That's a really positive experience and that is one-to-one.

Now, actually, we have more digital tools and tech that's actually available to make that experience probably a little bit more complex and sophisticated, but the principles are still the same. Now that person can probably order that sandwich through an app and get points and all of that stuff. It'll probably have you can favourite it and all that stuff. That same example is applicable to old school and even in the digital space.

Erin: I love that example, because I can imagine when that person comes in and sits down at the restaurant and sees out the window that, "Oh, there's a new sandwich shop that's just opened across the street," but he feels a loyalty because the server knows his name, the place makes the sandwich the way he likes it, and they might miss him or notice him if he's gone. Whereas, at the place across the street he's just another guy ordering a sandwich. There's that two-way loyalty that also is built through that. Isn't there?

Priyanka: Absolutely. I think like brands that do a really good job at really understanding their customers tend to actually do better, obviously, financially as well. They get more profit, more revenue, more of the customer dollars, whether that's in the short term or long term, and they also drive less churn. There's a pretty big stat, where it's 1/3 of customers, if you have a bad experience, then they leave. They'll never come back. That's a big, big number. It's just the little, little things. It doesn't even have to be big things.

That's why I think personalization is just so important because everyone's needs are just so different. We may all love and consume the same brands and products, to your point, there might be another exact same sandwich shop, very similar across the street, but our expectations and needs are going to be so different, so you're going to obviously gravitate towards the one that's going to provide that better experience.

Erin: Coming up with marketing expert, Priyanka Goswami. The keys to being really effective when you make that first connection. Our first connection here with you back in episode 1 of REAL TIME was with a solid gold star named Terry O'Reilly. You got to take the time to go back and listen to it. Terry is a Canadian broadcasting legend, host of Under The Influence on CBC, creator of international award-winning ads and campaigns, and just the best person to listen to when it comes to marketing yourself, your brand, your company. Listen to all of our REAL TIME episodes by subscribing wherever you enjoy podcasts. Go to CREA.ca/podcasts for more, and be sure to listen to Terry O'Reilly on episode 1.

Now, back to our guest here on episode 29, and she fits right in with Terry's messages, Priyanka Goswami on REAL TIME. I've heard you say that something brands aren't doing enough of is working out first-party branding, how often do you want communication and that sort of thing. Can you delve into that a little bit please, Priyanka?

Priyanka: Absolutely. First-party data is really the data that's about you. Erin, it might be, it's like your name, your email, how often maybe you come into the store, or anything that I want to know. I think what brands aren't really doing that well is figuring out what data do they actually need from somebody to be really effective. You've probably gone through this where you'll go on a website and they'll ask you for information, and then all of a sudden you're like, "Why am I giving you so much information about myself? What am I going to get in return?"

Erin: Yes. Or am I going to be inundated with stuff I just don't want?

Priyanka: Exactly. Defining that consent and value exchange between both brand and customer is just so important. What that really means when you break that down, it's like, what information am I asking for? Why am I asking for it? What am I going to give this customer in return for that information? If you can really be transparent about that, as a brand, you can win.

If you really think that through-- It does two things, it forces you to really think about what the heck you're asking for. Why are you asking for this information? People want more privacy, but they still want relevant communication, so that's really important. Then it also allows you to create the right experience. When you look at real estate, for example, the more you can understand about your customers and your clientele, perhaps it's, what circumstances did these people-- why are they moving? Why are they selling? Is it a positive thing? Is it a negative thing?

You don't need to know their whole life history, but understanding these little nuances are really helpful because then you can cater the experience. For a first-time home buyer, for instance, the home buying and selling journey is going to be very different than somebody, let's say, who's moving here from a different country. It's really, really important to know those different nuances because then you can cater that experience.

I'll give you a little bit of an example. A first-time home buyer, they might be really, really savvy with apps and they probably can like find their own listings and all that, but really they haven't done all the research. They might need some more help around really figuring out what they need from a financial readiness perspective or what happens in the overall process because it's pretty complex. Really understanding that, "Okay, first-time home buyers, they're on a budget." That then helps the REALTOR® really understand, "This is the information that I could probably share with these people. Perhaps they can benefit from this tax credit information," or whatnot.

Whereas, let's say, a new immigrant who's moving here, their needs are completely different. They're trying to find a neighbourhood perhaps that feels really like home or has certain stores that they can have access to certain things that make them feel like they're at home. Understanding those little nuances is just going to be a complete game changer in terms of how you can service those clients.

Erin: That is such a great point. I'm imagining right now a REALTOR® driving to her next appointment or out on a power walk or whatever and listening to this and going, "Yes, that's fine. I can't drive three blocks without seeing my own advertising. I am successful." Can REALTORS® be victims of their own success in terms of the one-to-one? Yes, you're mass marketing, but is it worth reminding them about that one-to-one and how important the very basic building block is?

Priyanka: Absolutely. I think it's just such an important thing to just keep on top of. We purchased a cottage last year, and to end up with a REALTOR® who was just very catered to our needs, Abby, if you're listening, shout out to you. She was great and she knew that we weren't in that market. It's two hours away so we didn't know the area very much, so she really educated us on the actual details. She knew that we didn't know the bylaws of like, you're really close to the water and these are the things that you actually need to know around what you can actually build and what you can't and all that stuff.

That was really, really helpful to us and I think sometimes we forget. She knew and she was able to serve up all those information to us because she knew we weren't out of town. She knew that we needed all this help. She also went out of her way and connected us to a bunch of tradespeople, and contractors, and painters, and all of this stuff, which was just such a huge help to us.

It was actually a huge driver of why we actually even put in an offer, because had we not had that, we were like, "No, we're out of our depth here. We won't be able to manage any of this." It's like being able to personalize the experience and almost go above and beyond.

I think like REALTORS® to me, they provide so much value because it's not just about the realtor, they're playing more of a partnership and a collaborator role and that is now changing. That's changed and evolved over the last few years where it was like, it's not just about the paperwork and getting you showings and open houses, it's really about this partnership where they're on this journey with you. Some of them are actually really good at showing you a vision of what you can do to a place, or some of them are really good at understanding like, local neighbourhoods and knowledge and where schools and all of this stuff are.

I think it's really, really important that we pay attention to those things and really think about all of the different value that you can provide and all of the different hats that you wear, and the expertise you have because people are craving that.

Erin: You do wear a lot of hats, so maybe take one of them off for a bit and kick back, enjoy some time in the CREA Café. CREACafe.ca is a cozy place for REALTORS® to connect, share thoughts, and stay up to date on the latest industry happenings over a virtual venti for your own literal latte. That's @CREACafe.ca.

Now back to VP at No Fixed Address, CREA's award-winning marketing partner, Priyanka Goswami on REAL TIME.

Well, as you well know, real estate is unique in that, the customer journey can take years from when a client considers buying or selling a home to when they actually seal a deal. Priyanka, what are some common strategies that a business can use to stay top of mind that whole time with prospects when there's such a long lead life cycle?

Priyanka: We were just talking about this, but I think it really comes down to relationships. It's every business is really built on the foundation of relationships. We talked about the role of REALTORS® really evolving to more of that partner and collaborator and wearing so many different hats. I think it goes back to those moments in the journey and being present in the right ones.

In addition to just-- like I said, sending out listings, it's about like, what are all the different ways that you can provide value? Here's a little exercise, you take out a piece of paper, you map out all of the different moments that home buyers and sellers may need you right from beginning to end, maybe it's initial listing, open house, follow-ups, all of those different moments. Everything from beginning to loyalty, where you've already closed and all that.

Think about yourself, if you're buying a house, are you addressing those needs? How are you addressing them? Where are you addressing them? What channels are you using? At what points are you addressing them? Are you doing them in a timely manner? I think it's really important to think about those very particular details and whether those actually match up with your customer needs.

Some people want to be communicated with over email. Some people are like, "No, I want an in-person chat," or, "I want a phone call every single time we go to a house. I want to have a one-hour follow-up chat with you about it." Everyone's going to be different, and I think understanding and setting those expectations out at the very outset of any client relationship is going to be really important.

Again, that is first-party data, whether you're actually not collecting it in more casual way and just sits in your head or whether it's in like a big database where you can access that information, that first-party data is just so important in strengthening that relationship. It really comes back to being there in those right moments and micro-moments of needs.

Erin: Well, how important is it to tailor your marketing or message to the various phases of a customer journey? We have talked about this long lead life cycle, so I guess there are different messages for different stages along the way.

Priyanka: Absolutely. I think it's extremely important. Otherwise, you end up with just matching luggage. Otherwise, you're not really progressing that customer through every single stage. Every single stage has a different role to play, so naturally the messaging has to be different and reflective of that. I think by tailoring your message to address what stage that customer is, you're helping them.

At the awareness stage, perhaps the job to be done is around brand positioning, and you're saying, "Okay, here's we're trustworthy and we're caring." Or you're all of those wonderful things that you want to say about yourself and your brand, but in consideration, the job might be to be like "Are you financially ready?" It's reviewing listings, it's booking viewing, so naturally the messaging has to be very different and very focused on those driving that consideration and moving that customer forward.

Again, if you really nail that down of where you're winning and where you're losing, well, then that really helps. If you're a REALTOR® in a town and everyone knows you, and to your point, you can't drive three blocks without seeing your billboard, then maybe you don't have an awareness problem. Maybe it's a loyalty problem where people are not really coming back. I always like to look at the numbers.

If you look at awareness and you look at consideration and you look at loyalty, it's like how are you-- if you look at the math on that, how many leads are you actually getting? How many of those leads are actually progressing and you're actually helping? How many deals are you actually closing, and then how many people are like returning back? If the math is somewhere not adding up there, then you know where you're winning and losing.

Erin: It's a pretty clear message.

Priyanka: Numbers don't really lie, so it's always good to check the math out.

Erin: Aside from converting new customers, how do you measure the success of your marketing, the return on investment of your newsletters, digital ad campaigns, YouTube videos, and so on, Priyanka?

Priyanka: I love this question because I think these days it's so easy to get lost in measurement, because there's so many different things that you can actually measure, and soon enough, you're basically drowning in data and so much of it and you don't even know what you're looking at anymore. I think it's really important that you start with your higher order objectives, and then you can break them down so that you are specifically measuring and reporting on from there.

Let's say, if awareness is your goal, then you should be looking at impressions, views, eyeballs, et cetera. Or if it's like more like, hey, you're more worried about leads and referrals, then a lot of that comes back to that successful first-party data capture. If you have that, it makes it way easier to track engagement and makes it way more meaningful as well, so you can attribute it to a source.

I would almost compartmentalize it in two buckets. It's not to say that you can't track all the little tiny things, but it's about compartmentalizing it so that it's, here's the metrics you need to report on to move the needle, so these are the big business driving objectives like perhaps those are the eyeballs, perhaps those are like the leads, but then there's also metrics that you need to optimize like an experience, and these really matter.

Sometimes even moving a little button on a website by five pixels can have a massive impact on sales. I used to work on a massive tech account, and literally, it was that. Moving a buy now button, literally a centimeter over on a page could have so much impact on sales, like millions of dollars.

I think taking a look at, even some of those deeper UX, which is user experience metrics, like just how your site is organized and what pages are people actually looking on or looking to for information or what content isn't working or where people are engaging, those things are obviously really, really important too. Compartmentalizing the two buckets so you know the differences between those two. It's like moving the needle and then optimizing and making things better.

Erin: I love the tech button example, real life and you've seen it yourself. Test and learn sounds like a pretty good motto to put on a t-shirt. In this case, test and learn when it comes to knowing if you're effectively building awareness or nurturing a lead.

Priyanka: Absolutely. I don't think enough brands take advantage of this, but we're living in a pretty open society now where you can be open about not having it all together. You could say, "Hey, we're still building and we're still figuring out how to make our site better. We would love your feedback." Have an open way to get feedback from people. Be open about it say like, "We're always trying to get better." That should be always the goal. Always making things better. I think it's okay to try things and if they don't work, you can try something else.

That's the beauty. Especially in the digital space, you have a lot of flexibility to do that. I don't think shying away from that is definitely not necessary. Be open and try new things.

Erin: Remember that not everything has to be digital. There is such a human component and that's part of what you have to remember first and foremost if I'm hearing your message correctly.

Priyanka: Absolutely. I think none of this should be interpreted as like, you need super sophisticated everything. I think you can get to know your customers, just one-on-one, and have that information. That's why I keep saying, you can have that information on your brain, you can have that information in a big database, however, you want to organize and whatever works for you, but it is really, really important to have those details. This business is built on human connection first and foremost, so it's super important to keep that in mind.

Erin: At the most vulnerable, and the most emotional, and the most exciting in a lot of situations, and most expensive purchase time of your life. There's a lot all converging here in this one moment, isn't there? No wonder there's such a long lead-up.

Priyanka: Absolutely. It is the biggest and most emotional purchase of your life and sometimes, especially in a hot market, you're making that decision and seeing a place for five minutes, or sometimes not even seeing it. I know people who bought places without even seeing them. It's pretty intense. Those having empathy and that personal touch is just so important because literally is the biggest purchase decision of life.

Erin: In a moment using that emotion that comes with a home purchase so you are a client's first choice again and again when the next moves come. Priyanka mentioned having to wear so many hats. Knowing the latest design and marketing trends, DIY hacks and design inspiration may well be among those chapeau you share. Find all of that in one place, REALTOR.ca, your source for everything you and your clients need all in one place.

Now back to our guest and we're getting emotional. Now to some extent, this may sound like preaching to the choir because REALTORS® really do know the value of long-term relationships, but what can you tell us Priyanka, about customer retention strategies?

Priyanka: If you just think back to exactly what we were just talking about, it's like, this is the biggest purchase of someone's life. It's so emotional and REALTORS® are such a huge part of that. We got to use that emotion and stay in touch, and check in and celebrate.

Even if it's six months down the road and obviously that person's not going to perhaps be in a position to move again or maybe they are, but it's just really valuable to check in and see how things are going, get feedback on the place, perhaps even how the process went for them, perhaps offering up tips of what else they can do to make maybe the property appreciate in value. Then it's just little, little things and I think checking in, you forget something just like that.

Again, it doesn't have to be this big elaborate thing. It could literally be just a text. Everyone's busy these days, but it's just, "Hey, checking in, hope everything is good," or whatever, keep it simple and keep it light. It is that stuff goes a really long way. I'm still on email lists and I get listings daily and I am not in the real estate market at all right now, buying or selling, but truth be told it's one of my most favourite things.

I still get those email lists and I know from my realtor, Abby for listening, and I know it's 6:00 PM, I'm going to get that listing and that ends up being like dinner conversation with my husband and we're always like, "Did you see that place? I can't believe that price. That was awesome or maybe one day we can upgrade," or whatever.

I think it just really helps give that validation and lets us dream a little. Even when you've closed and even when you're past that journey, you're still in that journey and that REALTOR® relationship is so important because people will refer you based on that. You could be like, "Oh, we had a really positive experience. That person even checked in after we closed, and let me introduce you to them."

Erin: It is the little things, it's feeling that one-to-one that we talked about the connection, and I'll tell you briefly that my husband and I moved five provinces away from where we were and the person who handled our transaction back in Ontario, every occasion like St Patrick's day or Easter, or whenever they have fun lottery tickets would just send us out a lottery ticket like a scratcher and sure, we'll sit down and do that, but we think, "Oh my gosh, that was so sweet of her."

Then when we had another transaction to do long distance, who did we call? We called the person who spent the $3 on a ticket or $2, I don't even know and the postage and thought of us, and that means more to me than anything.

Priyanka: What a nice way to just surprise and delight and keep the relationship going.

Erin: Right, and it doesn't have to be a million dollars unless I want a million dollars, which would even be better, but to leave our listeners with some new ideas, Priyanka, what are some innovative marketing or advertising trends that you're seeing right now? What are you seeing?

Priyanka: I think everyone's super busy. That's the understatement, I think, and very obvious, but there's these huge expectations, for like, instant gratification. It's just like, we all want answers now. Now, now, now, now.

This is going to sound so unsexy, but really take the time and I know we've talked about this already, but really taking the time to get to understand your clients, whether you're literally making notes on a notepad or if you're actually capturing all of this information in some organized database, that really, really helps define your first-party data strategy. Look at every opportunity where you can capture that information and make a list and be transparent around why you want it and what somebody else can expect in return.

Even if they're a warm lead, a hot lead, a cold lead, being even able to identify that is just really helpful because this is, you never know where a lead can come from or you never know, to your point, you already closed and you're now referring this REALTOR® to so many other people. I do that too, where it's like, I'm on the app and I'm like, "Oh, here you got to check out this listing and call Abby." It's like, even when you're not in the journey, you're in the journey and who have such a huge potential to actually refer other people. It's just so important.

The point is that even when there's a lead, really take the time to get to know them and what circumstances have actually brought them to buy and sell. Like I said, it's not always positive experiences why people are moving. Be aware and be empathetic to what people's circumstances are and what they're looking for, and what they're not, do they have kids, schools, and neighbourhoods, and communities that going to matter to them.

Use that information to your advantage, and use-- There's so many different like CRM tools and tech now available. That's pretty accessible and a lot of it is fairly simple. I try and get your hands on those and get educated on their potential, because if they're used in the right way, they can be really, really valuable.

Erin: You are a big fan of focus and you mentioned that off the top and we will as we're wrapping up here too. Priyanka, if you could focus just a laser focus on one tactic that you think could apply to help REALTORS® elevate their marketing, what would that one thing be?

Priyanka: I would say email.

Erin: Email? Okay.

Priyanka: Email or even text. I think that you can do a lot with that. Like I said, people are busy. Sometimes they don't have time for a phone call, but you can always send follow-up and here's listings or here's inspiration, or maybe you can even have packages for people, where they're pre-organized and baked. Let's say, it's a first-time home-buyer package, it's like, here lead, here's everything you need to know about being a first-time home buyer. Here's some important articles. Here's inspiration on what you need to know or here's stuff you need to know about the process.

Or maybe there's an immigrant package if you're dealing with somebody who's moving here from a different country, or maybe there's a reseller package where somebody's already gone through the process, but they need more help with the staging and the selling side of things and what are all the things that they need to know about staging and all of that stuff. I think all of that stuff can be great little mechanisms that can get deployed by email.

Erin: Wonderful. Priyanka, it's been such a pleasure talking with you here today. Thank you for your openness and for the enlightening information, the one-to-one that we had with you was an absolute pleasure. Thank you again.

Priyanka: Thank you so much for having me. It's such a pleasure.

Erin: That's a wrap on our latest episode, 28 others await you. We invite you to share great conversation and insights by subscribing and be sure to visit CREA.ca for more amazing info and perspective.

REAL TIME is produced by Alphabet® Creative and Real Family Productions. I'm Erin Davis, inviting you to subscribe here and to our social media, and we'll talk to you next time on REAL TIME.