New school year a goldmine for Realtors!

I admit, before kids and before real estate, I never even looked at a school calendar. The only time I ever even considered the school year was if I got stuck in a school zone traffic jam. But now that my oldest is starting pre-school, I can't believe that the start date is coming up so soon. Our school starts August 14, others in our area are starting August 21.

So for Realtors, it is definitely time to feature those properties that are languishing in the real estate MLS listings that happen to be in good school zones. Three or four weeks may not leave much time for closing, but with more and more sellers considering alternative terms - lease to own, owner financing, etc. - property buyers still have time to relocate to a better school zone before the coming new school year.

There are many ways to reach prospective clients who happen to be parents of school-aged children. One tactic, perhaps try targeting homeowners in a lesser school district with an offer from a motivated seller. Even someone who hasn't considered moving might not realize that such alternatives are possible. Parents of young children who have been paying for private pre-school might be happy to learn that a great, free, public school is available in a nearby neighborhood, and that it is possible to make the move before the new school year. Or try something a little more unconventional. Many parenting blogs have real estate or homes forums - and it is free to post or comment. Here are some to try:http://www.families.com/http://www.joyunexpected.com/http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/
And if you want all blogging moms and their audiences to find you, try becoming an advertiser on the BlogHer network. That way, your ad will reach an audience of moms as well as all of their visitors for a reasonable amount of money. If you regularly feature properties in great school zones, or if you can position yourself as an expert on information for families in the area, you could gain a whole new source of clients. One site in their network is the really hip and horribly funny parenting site, http://www.dooce.com/. And I mean horribly as in both horribly offensive and horribly true. This site gets lots of traffic from parents and could be a good source of clients for the upcoming and future school years.

When I had kids, I signed up for UPromise at Publix (and the Publix baby club), and for coupons at Enfamil, and they always remember my children's birthdays and send monthly coupons, so perhaps a blog or ad on those types of sites or even in their direct mail would be timely for families looking at moving before the new school year starts. Any site that advertises school supplies is a great opportunity for reaching families. And be sure to work with your local relocation resources - companies that are relocating employees into the area.
Here's to a successful new school (and business) year!

Lisa Merritt, PresidentPegasus Consulting Group, Inc.http://www.lockboxdeals.com/Realtors post listings for free on LockBoxDeals.com.See your listing in our Top Ten Deals weekly email.