Houston REALTOR® Uses RPR to Deliver Reports and Results

Bruce Inman is a Broker-Associate with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene Memorial Office, out of Houston, Texas.

In real estate for twenty years, he describes himself as a “land guy” that specializes in ranch and farm properties, including land that investors want to develop. Growing up, his parents owned four ranches, so Bruce knows a thing or two about Texas-sized plots of land and how to develop them. He also knows his way around easements, mineral and oil rights, and flood zones.

And he certainly knows his way around RPR! Read on to learn how he farms an area and uses RPR reports as mailing deliverables to drum up business. Here’s a Q & A with super productive RPR user Bruce Inman.

Hi Bruce, thanks for joining us. How did you get started using RPR?

Four years ago I started sending out RPR Seller’s Reports to my family and friends about their homes. I got feedback from them on what they liked to see, how many pages it should be, etc. I wanted to create something that they would keep and not throw away.

How did you come up with the idea?

 I got the idea one day when reading an old Motor Trend magazine. My wife asked “Why do you keep that magazine around, it’s three years old!” And I replied, “Because it has my car in it”. And that’s when it hit me! It was like that “Back To The Future” a-ha moment when Doc Brown hits his head on the toilet.

And this works?

Oh yeah, it works, people keep them around. One time, a couple called me two years after I sent them a Seller’s Report. I walked into their living room, and they had the report on their coffee table, next to all their magazines. It feels special to them when I send it.

Great story! How does a typical report-sending day look for you?

In the morning I get my coffee, and get on the computer. It takes time, but I’m dedicated. First I check for expired and terminated listings, but there’s not too many of those nowadays. Then, using the RPR maps, I look at properties near properties where I’ve had listings. I systematically go around, in a radius, and look for properties that meet my criteria. Basically, I check tax records to see how long they’ve owned it. If they’ve owned the property 10-20 years, and it’s not upside down, I go for it.

Do you have a name for your method?

I call it “Target specific marketing.” Choose a home near a listing, research it, then create and send the report. No mass mailers or recently sold stuff. Just one report on their property and how much it’s worth. I use the RPR current market analysis for that.

How do you deliver the reports?

I get the first page customized with all my brand info, my picture, contact info, and I usually deliver a custom message. I go into my office to print the pages and I use the binding machine to put it together. I handwrite the address on the envelope, put on the stamps, drop in the ten page report, and toss in two business cards. It costs $1.61 per mailer, and yes, I’m on a first name basis with all the folks at my local post office.

Of course! Why not get an assistant or hire someone to fulfill the mailers?

I have found that the personal touch of handwriting the address has a huge emotional impact. I had one client tell me how much they were impressed by the report and that my staff hand wrote the envelope. I told her that I did not have a staff and I addressed the envelope. That blew her away! She was the first listing I got using an RPR report and she still refers clients to me. It made me stand out from the crowd.

Any words of advice for someone who wants to try this approach out in their area?

You’ve gotta be consistent, and stick to doing it every day. And don’t get frustrated if you don’t see immediate results. It took me 6 months until I got a response, and then they just kept coming. There’s over 26,000 agents in Houston that I’m working against, so you have to hustle and think outside the box.