A Personal Realtor Marketing system can provide the ultimate method for listing properties. Like farming expired listings, for example. If you can mail letters you can get listings!

Many agents know about expired listings and how profitable marketing them can be, but opt not to pursue them. I'm not sure why, but there inaction can definitely be your gain!

It's not rocket science, but before you get too excited be forewarned that not just any old expired real estate listing letter will do. Effective ones must have enough information on them to get the most desirable response; a phone call or email message to you.

But if you're going for the ultimate most wanted response, an actual listing, your letter must be outstanding. Hint! A FREE cookie cutter letter won't cut the mustard if you are competing for a $300,000.00 listing.

Fortunately, there are some pretty good ones available to choose from at reasonable cost. But if you're bound and determined to create your own then have at it.

However, the going will probably be slow and you'll lose valuable time and customers to competitors while refining it; neither of which you can afford.

There's another big upside to marketing with pre written letters; they're time tested and can be effective in any state, county, or city in the United States. Effective ones can generate a steady stream of warm, responsive prospects month after month; all interested in one thing, listing and selling their properties. It doesn't get any better than that!

Some letter writing come with complementary letters. If you like the idea of repeat mailings go with a letter series, but if you're not interested in repeat contacts go with the single letter approach. Either way can be effective and there are pros and cons to both, but ultimately the choice comes down to your personal preference.

Your expired listing letter should at a minimum have your full name, address, and phone number(s), and other contact information. It should be as grammatically correct as possible without sounding unnatural and spell checked to be free of misspelled words.

Your letter should also have lots of white space. What I mean is don't have run on sentences in paragraphs seemingly without end. Instead, have short, 2-3 sentenced paragraphs.

For example, every paragraph on this page, excepting this one, is 3 sentences or less.
• Also, use bullets whenever possible to break your sales message to help your reader better comprehend it.

Let's face it - you need listings. The more you have the more money you'll make. On the other hand the fewer you have the shorter your real estate career is likely to be.

A good real estate marketing system, with expired listing letters, can help you get listings - period!

If you're a new agent it can help you get off to a good start. You'll end up contacting a lot of "known" sellers in a relatively short period of time.
And if you've been licensed for a while, but don't have the volume of business that you want a real estate listing campaign can supercharge your marketing results.

It's all about contacts. The more people you market your services to the sooner you'll get to the people that you can "close".

Imagine your many listing signs dotted throughout your community. Now, create a plan to make it happen. They will give you instant credibility and help you generate even more listings and make more sales.

Everybody likes doing business with a winner and a good real estate listing campaign can help make you one.

Lanard Perry is the webmaster of "Real-Estate-Marketing-Talk", a real estate marketing site for real estate agents, buyers, sellers and investors. Discover more marketing ideas at http://www.real-estate-marketing-talk.com/personal-realtor-marketing.htm...