In the same spirit as the (wildly popular, wow!) last email I sent re: how to craft an impressive REALTOR WELCOME EMAIL that converts like hotcakes, let’s talk about another “missed opportunity” that may exist in your buyer and seller marketing:

Telling past client case studies STORIES the right way. (As in, the way that actually STANDS OUT and SELLS).

I’m not talking about sharing a quick client testimonial alongside a one-sentence blurb about “how I got 123 Main Street sold and made my client’s experience oh-so-stress-free” (although I’m sure you DID do all of that + more, and by the way, you should celebrate your wins way more than you do)…

I’m talking about an effective, elegantly-structured, conversion-driven framework for sharing past client case studies STORIES with your buyer + seller leads.

Because, listen… 

The vast majority of Realtors aren’t actually doing any of this. They’re just posting or emailing out happy buyer/seller testimonials without story or context.

That’s why I frame the whole thing as a “missed opportunity.” This is YOUR chance to come in the stand-out marketing stories that no one else in your market is telling.

Notice I said past client “stories.”

The best evidence you can give a buyer or seller lead about your ability to lead them to Real Estate Promised Land — I.e., whatever that ideal end result/goal state is for them, specifically — is to tell a story about other clients you’ve helped get there.

You do that via A) testimonials, and B) content that goes by the HORRIBLE name of “case studies,” but I will call insist on calling them stories and encourage you to do the same. 😉

Sure, testimonials are important. But in many marketing scenarios they’re simply the cherry on top.

The real meat + potatoes of your real estate services pitch are past client stories as the conduit for selling belonging to the buyers and sellers who are most interested in believing the story you’re telling.

Stripped down — this is all about conversational marketing.

So, ditch the script and tell us a story.

But you need a framework.

Here’s mine. Steal it. It’s airtight.

Use this framework to craft a winning past client story every time, then use the resulting story content for social media carousels, Realtor Welcome Guide / Listing Proposal / Buyer & Seller Guide supporting content, on your website, and more.

Let’s dive in.

How do you craft a killer past buyer or seller story (AKA “a successful case study”)?

01 – STATE THE KEY TAKEAWAY UP FRONT

This is your headline. It’s two sentences MAX, letting me know WHY I should give this case study my time. Give this a lot of thought, because everything you write from here should support that key takeaway.

Example: “Inhabit Real Estate Sells Neighborhood ‘Problem House’ for Double the Expected Net Proceeds, Using 2 Tactics”

02 – STATE THE GOAL OF THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN (or, for buyers, the big goal of the purchase journey)

Use only 1-2 goals. Don’t clutter with many overlapping goals. Keep the messaging clear: we had one big goal, maybe two, and we nailed it.

03 – TALK ABOUT YOUR APPROACH

There is an urge in this section to start listing EVERYTHING you needed to do to serve this buyer or seller effectively — resist that urge.

This section shows how you think about solving problems.

You know what the client’s goal was. SO, what questions did you have to yourself about how to reach this goal?, what concerns or contingencies were considered before any decisions?, etc.

04 – SHOW YOUR EXECUTION

This is where you talk about the end result of your approach. Highlight “Challenge / Solutions / Results.” Include any concierge vendors or partnerships you worked with, strategy and tactics, metrics that show your worth. Remember that this slide has to validate your goal and key takeaway.

05 – SAY IN PLAIN ENGLISH WHAT YOU LEARNED

Don’t use any numbers here, like you did on the previous slide. Tell me what you learned from your approach, your strategy, your execution and your results, that can be considerations in the future. Write like you’d speak to a friend over coffee.

06 – END WITH STRONG SOCIAL PROOF

Conclude with a great testimonial from Client. Refer back to my earlier post on how to get great reviews, and you’ll never struggle in this department again, either. 😉

That’s it!

What are your thoughts?

As always, I’m never in your Inbox with these tips for the purpose of picking apart your approach, or to brazenly say, “Hey, you’re aren’t doing this XYZ thing right.” There’s no one way to do anything, particularly in the wild + wonderful world of real estate…what I can offer is just one piece of the puzzle.

That’s why I framed the whole idea of effective past client stories as a “missed opportunity. Because that’s exactly what it is.

How do I know?

Every good Realtor has a “bank” of favorite past client stories that make them shine, but FAR too many good Realtors are pulling a one-sentence client testimonial from those GOLDMINE conversion stories, posting it on IG, and calling it a day.

Missed. Opportunity.

Talk about a devastating oversight. I know I’m dramatic, BUT it hurts my soul a little bit when I’m on the phone with these top-tier Realtors who tell me the most impressive true tales of their past transactions — stories that literally sell themselves — but when I look through said Realtors’ web copy, pitch pack, and social media, these stories are alarmingly absent. Or maybe they’re “told” in a couple quick sentences on Instagram that, well, sound *mostly* like a weary sales pitch…

…rather than being the vivid, relational, “This can be YOUR success story, too!” that your past client stories ARE capable of being, when told the right way.

Know this:

If you can take the time (and yes, it’s time up front, but with endless lifelong ROI) to unearth your client stories, tell them with a sharp and elegant framework like mine above, and then share the heck out of those narratives within your campaigns and print materials…

You’ll instantly be miles ahead of the other Realtor who has kick-A success stories, too, but is opting to simply put a “5-star review” graphic on their social media with a happy client quote, call it a “case study,” aaaaand stay thoroughly invisible.

The point?

Care enough about your past client stories to unearth them.

Scrub them off real good.

Then tell these stories right — with personality, relatability, and lots of room to breathe — and let.them.shine.

__

P.S – What’s BLUEPRINT, again? 

We’re a gaggle of designers, writers, and creatives on a mission to change the branding narrative in real estate.

We offer a signature branding service and the industry’s most elegant and high-converting digital products to help modern, stylish Realtors do three things:

➝ Communicate their worth;

➝ Become the obvious choice;

➝ Tell the right stories to stand out + SELL more.

We love new friends, so hop on our email list for more value content, take our wildly popular real estate personality quiz, or follow us on The ‘Gram to join the family.