Getting your name into the minds of homebuyers and sellers – as a Realtor, that's your constant challenge. How do you do it? There are as many answers to that question as there are Realtors. Some methods, however, work better than others.

I've been in the real estate business for over 15 years, so I've tried many, many marketing strategies. In the last few years, though, I've discovered a little bit of marketing magic. I call it my “real estate tips.” Each week I write several short paragraphs containing some useful bit of real estate wisdom. These “tips” might be about closing costs, final walk-through inspection, FSBO security risks, or how to choose a good builder. I have a different tip for every day of the week. The first tip of the week is always a mortgage rate update.

But can you do with real estate tips? You use them in a variety of ways. You can post them on your Web site. On my web site, www.jerryfowler.com, I post a new tip every day. People will bookmark my site and come back each day to read the daily tip. I also run a small weekly display ad in my local newspaper featuring a real estate tip. Often I'll run a tip in the newspaper and offer people a whole series of tips on that topic by request. Once the ad runs, people will call in to request the additional tips and I'll gain a new contact.

Sometimes I'll target a certain tip for a certain group of people - for example apartment dwellers - and send out a post card or flyer with a real estate tip on it. The possibilities are endless. Now I'm advertising the tips on the back of my business cards, which has been a big success. These tips drive incredible numbers of people to my web site, they position me as a real estate expert, and most importantly – they forge my name into the minds of buyers and sellers.

The other day at a local business meeting, a man walked up to me and said, “You're the guy who writes the real estate tips, aren't you? I read those every day. I've really learned a lot by reading those tips.” Hearing comments like that convinces me this particular marketing strategy is doing its job.

One of the most interesting things happened recently as a direct result of the tips. I had an elderly couple call me to say they had a small piece of land they wanted some advice on. I scheduled an appointment and during the conversation asked why they called me. "Well," said the man, "we see your tips and hear the tips on the radio so we thought you would be the person we could trust to give us good advice." That small piece of land by the way was a prime piece of commercial real estate across from one of the largest shopping centers in Columbia. Appraised value - one million. They would like to have me help set up a trust and facilitate a sale for which they have a buyer. So I got a one million dollar sale simply because I write tips.

Position yourself as the expert by writing, publishing and, for some of you, recording daily real estate tips.

Editor's note: For those of you who are not writers, consider the daily tips found in the Real Estate Update Newsletter which can be used alone as an emailable marketing tool or as a daily news feature of a custom or template Web site.