Okay, so we all can agree - listings are the lifeblood of the real estate industry. And if the keys to selling them are location, location and location, then the challenge in getting them is self-promotion.

But how do you promote to the masses without going broke? Below are a few ideas and strategies to effectively market yourself on a shoe string budget.

Sponsor A Workshop
Sponsor a workshop for homeowners attempting to sell their homes FSBO. Advertise it in your local newspaper and note that seating is limited.

Then, require attendees to RSVP their intent to attend. So, with little effort you will have developed a "warm list" of prospective buyers and sellers.

The workshop should be relatively short; 60-90 minutes long. Provide a movie, popcorn and a sitter for kids so that parents won't have to worry about getting a babysitter. More parents are likely to attend and you'll have their undivided attention.

The workshop should be long enough to share useful information, but short enough that you won't stress about how you're going to fill the time. Heck you can even joke with callers that it'll only be as long as "Bambi," or whatever movie you decide to show.

Host the workshop in your office if you have adequate space. If not, the local library, a Title Company, Mortgage Company or other location will suffice. Do not rent a space, but do have it in a nice location.

Title and Mortgage Companies may even be inclined to pay a part or all of the costs for co-sponsoring the event with you. After all, each attendee is a prospect for their products and services, too.

In the workshop you'll be instructing attendees on the dos and don'ts of selling their properties; establishing the right price, creating curb appeal, staging a home for sale, establishing how and when to show their properties, and more importantly how to be safe when showing properties.

One objective of the workshop is to give each attendee sentially the same information you give when you go on listing presentations. It's kind of like a listing presentation in reverse, where they come to you as a group.

So, at the end of it each attendee will have a greater appreciation of the advantages of using a Realtor, your marketing plan, contact number, email address, etc.

Be sure to follow up with a series of letters to continue building the relationship. As a general rule it takes 4 - 7 contacts before you develop enough rapport with prospects to earn their business, but it's well worth the effort. Make it easy on yourself and consider prewritten form letters that are ready made to copy, paste and send.

Every attendee will be a potential customer for you; as a seller and a buyer. After all, how many are likely to sell their properties without the services of a Realtor?

Now, how many are likely to buy a property listed with a ealtor? Right, again! And guess who can be there when they need professional assistance?

So, here are a few final questions before I close. Do you know of another Realtor that host events like this on a regular basis?

How about one who hosts an Open House for his/her office? Okay, then how about one that conducts workshops on how to finance home loans? Still no?

Hopefully, you can now see the near endless possibilities for self promoting your services. And if you institutionalize them, meaning that you make them regular events, they could become part of the services you provide that distinguishes you from your competitors.

So, whenever you hear somebody say location, location, location; think self-promotion, self-promotion, and self-promotion.