A former IT specialist is coming into the real estate industry with high hopes and a business plan, but the lack of a good marketing strategy has her stymied.

Hi Blanche,

I love your Realty Times' articles and associated advice.

After 34 years of service as an IT Program Manager for the federal government, I realized I didn't want to just sit at home. I had always had an interest in real estate. So I got my real estate license in '06 and began taking additional classes for the ABR and GRI designations.

I have already received my Accredited Staging Professional designation from Staged Homes. I have what I think is a very good business plan as to how I will run my business and how I will take care of my clients, once I get them. The problems is I don't currently have a Marketing Plan and am not marketing myself because I don't know what works and what doesn't. And just starting out in the business I have put out a lot of money, but so far have none coming in. In this market, I know the fact that I am an Accredited Staging Professional should be a great draw for sellers, but again I don't know how to approach marketing my business and what I have to offer.

I'm just starting out in the business working in the Northern Virginia Area where the market is very slow. Can you please direct me to some books, training and/or a coach that can help me lay out both a business and marketing plan for my business that will work in any market?

Thanks. Carolyn

Realty Times responds:

Good for you that you're working on designations to distinguish yourself and provide you with additional education about your new profession. The NAR designations should work as a nice referral base for you as they provide added credibility which new agents sorely need.

You should also consider adding the ePRO designation . This signals to consumers and other professionals that you know your way around a computer, and it also introduces you to lots of other benefits -- like how to make money with your eToys. You'll learn some great marketing tips and you'll network with other ePROs online and get more great information.

In fact, that's a good place to get started in your marketing -- introduce yourself to as many fellow agents as possible, in your office, at sales meetings, MLS and association meetings and online. The more people who know you, the better.

Tell people you know about your interest in staging and what the ASP designation means. Offer to help other agents with their staging. It will get you started toward building a resume. That's not to say you'll work for free. In exchange, get the other agent to mail out fliers for you at her cost. It's all about a quid pro quo that's fair to both parties. Negotiate win-wins and you'll never be low on friends.

You'll want to start a scrapbook or virtual scrapbook to show to prospects whether you've sold a home or not. Be sure to include the list-to-sales prices of any homes you know of that have been staged, so people can see that if they avail themselves of your expertise they'll get more money for their homes. It doesn't matter that you didn't stage the home -- you're selling the concept. As you assist other agents with their staging, you can truthfully say, "I staged this home. This is what I did, and this is the price it sold for." You don't have to say it wasn't your listing.

You'll find that you can use staging to work with buyers, too. Sometimes they have trouble picturing themselves in a new home. Your suggestions can make a home seem like home to them. You can also point out the tricks of the trade of how the seller made a room appear larger or minimized a negative feature.

After you have staged some properties, you can write articles about staging and submit them to publications with rich pictorals of befores and afters that you've done.

It also won't hurt you to be known as the former IT expert. Most agents assume that if you are new that you don't know anything, and that simply isn't true. I'm sure you could show any agent in your office better, faster ways to use software to their advantage and that will also win you lots of friends who might be willing to partner with you to save time and money. For example, computer work may be a breeze for you, but torture for another agent. Offer to the keyboarding, the html, and the graphics for Websites and fliers in exchange for a piece of the listing. Again, make your offer fair, and you'll be treated fairly. You may even find a permanent partner - someone who is good at pounding the pavement while you're good at the behind the scenes stuff.

Other than that, my advice is the same as it is to any new agent -- phone, phone, phone.

There's no better marketing plan than calling every person you know. Start with your former colleagues, people in your neighborhood, family, friends, acquaintances, and people you know from any group. What are your outside interests? Whether you skydive or garden, there are people you know who would love to do business with you.

Before online marketing can really be effective, you have to build a database of people you know or have had some contact with so you can start emailing them newsletters , listings, and other forms of contact. Use contact management software like Top Producer and start registering people with name, address, kids, all the ages of household members, workplace, lifestyle preferences, and their likelihood to buy or sell. Offer to provide them a free newsletter to help them understand the market.

I can't emphasize the importance of personal contact enough. Call your database of contacts personally every 3-6 months. Your persistance and caring will pay off.

Last but not least, if you are already reading Realty Times, then you are already aware that we have an excellent stable of writers that includes some of the finest coaches in the country. If you click on Columnists , you'll see the Agent News list. Click on the names, scroll down and you'll see all the stories that each columnist has written and you can get an idea of their style.

Joeann Fossland and Marylyn Schwartz both do individual consulting, while other coaches such as Brian Hilliard and Dirk Zeller tend to be large-group oriented.

Bob Hunt isn't a trainer/coach, but few know more about ethics than he does, so if you have an ethical question, I'm sure he would answer you promptly. Ralph Roberts is an expert in foreclosures. Michael Russer and Jim Crawford are tops in Internet marketing. You get the idea.

Sign up for Realty Times daily news and advice and when you come across an article that's interesting, write the author and tell him/her. Sometimes they'll answer individual questions or use your question as fodder for an article.

Be sure to sign up for Realtor Magazine and online, too. They have wonderful articles.

I hope that helps you get started. Keep in touch and let us know how you're doing and what's worked/not worked for you.

Each columnist has contact information and you can ask about fees. It's not just what it will cost, but how the coach will work with you, so be sure to find out what their plan for you will be so you'll know how long coaching will take. Some agents stay with coaches for years because they like having them and feel it's well worth the money.