Real estate agents who are successful deploy strategies to generate a consistent stream of real estate buyer leads. This is especially important early in their careers. If you want to be successful in the real estate industry, you must create a steady stream of buyer clients.
In order to find out the best strategies for sparking and cultivating relationships with real estate buyers, we talked to people who are successful in real estate from all around the country. Here are the things they told us.
You have to go get them yourself. If you want to be successful as a real estate agent, you need to know how to get clients. You can’t just sit in your office waiting for leads. You have to go get them yourself.
There are several ways to find potential clients, tapping into your sphere of influence being one of them. However, you should be looking for new clients on a daily basis. To help you brainstorm, here are some ideas for thinking creatively about finding new clients.
What Home Buyers Want in a Real Estate Agent
Some people who are interested in buying a home choose to work with a real estate agent to help them with each step of the process. Real estate agents should be able to do the following things: help first-time homebuyers, work with people who are buying multiple properties, and guide buyers through each step of the process.
- Tech savviness
- Negotiation
- Knowledge of the local area
- Communication skills
- Honesty and trustworthiness
What Home Sellers Want in a Real Estate Agent
When homeowners want to sell their homes, they look for a real estate agent who will help them above the competition, keep up with their needs, and understand their wants. By working on the following skills, agents can stay ahead of the game.
- Proper pricing of home
- Neighborhood reputation
- Negotiation
- Marketing skills
- Tech savviness
- Staging creativity
How to Get Clients in Real Estate: 11 Tips
As a realtor, you need to have a database of clients that you actively search for and nurture. This starts with generating leads and finding those clients.
Here are seven tips for finding new clients:
1. Build Authentic Relationships
It takes effort to develop relationships in all aspects of life, but the benefits last a long time. As far as your relationships in the real estate world are concerned, look for ways you can be beneficial. Instead of asking for leads right off the bat, start by asking the person how their job or business is going. Send them items or resources that might be helpful, or introduce them to someone they might be interested in meeting. You’ll know when the timing is right to ask for a referral.
2. Leverage Existing Connections
Think about every person you know and all the possible places you interact with people. Begin with those close to you, like your family and friends. Then, consider all the people you encounter in your daily routine. For example, the barista at your local coffee shop or the parent you see every morning when you drop your child off at school. Remember that the connections you already have, as well as the briefest interactions you have with others, can provide major opportunities to tap into their networks.
3. Maximize Your Digital Presence
If you want to have a stronger digital presence, you need to create compelling content. This might include recording a video introduction so that people can get to know you, your personality, and what you’re offering. Another way to stay engaged with your audience is to send regular email newsletters. This way, you’ll stay top-of-mind, and you can share news and tips related to your industry.
4. Get Involved in Your Community in New Ways
Volunteering at your local community center, library, school, or animal shelter is a great way to get involved in your community and meet people living in the area. If you don’t have time to volunteer, you can sponsor a local non-profit organization’s event.
5. Show Rental Properties
If business is slow or you’re new to real estate, take advantage of showing rental properties. This is not only a way to keep business running by making some money, but an opportunity to develop relationships with property owners who may look to you to find renters or to sell their home in the future. Other agents at your brokerage may not have time for rentals, so offer to help them show or host rental open houses. The commission for lease signings may be lower than a purchase or sale, but the relationships you build along the way will be invaluable.
6. Find Your Real Estate Niche (and Own It)
It is important to specialize as a real estate agent so that you become an expert in a particular area. This will make you more desirable to potential clients who are looking to purchase a new home. groups that you naturally lean towards and enjoy working with. To further enhance your expertise, earn a professional designation in your niche.
7. Know Where to Find Clients for Real Estate
Your database is essential for your real estate business. Are you currently attracting real estate clients in the best way possible? If it’s time for a change, consider refreshing your methods to bring in new leads.
It is important to know how to find the right clients to work with. You can get referrals from past clients and from friends and family. You can also find new clients by being creative.
Open Houses
ROI on an open house doesn’t just come from selling that one home. It’s also about building relationships with people who might become clients for other properties. So be engaging from start to finish, show off your expertise, and get their contact information so you can follow up.
County Public Records
If you have access to the public records of your county, you can look for files on divorces. Many couples going through a divorce may want to sell their homes, making them potential clients you can work with. However, remember that people going through a divorce are going through a tough time. You may need to hold separate meetings for different parts of the process, such as the listing agreement, closing, and so on, and show empathy throughout the process.
FSBO Listings
When homeowners put their contact information out for potential homebuyers to contact them directly, you will also have their contact information. You can turn these FSBO prospects into clients by showing them where you fit in. Most FSBO transactions fail because of a homeowner’s pricing or marketing. So show them you can be of service by evaluating the price they should be listing it for, presenting them with your connections to attorneys or home inspectors, or showing off your staging and marketing skills.
Social Media
If you want to attract potential clients through social media, post content that will give them a positive impression of you and your services. Make sure your contact information is easy to find so they can get in touch with you directly.
Friends and Family
Your friends and family are often a good source of business. But do most of them even know you’re in the business? If you haven’t already, let them know that you’re in the business. If you feel uneasy about telling them and don’t want to sound salesy, keep in mind that you’re offering services and be creative in the way you remind them. For example, if you’re excited that a client purchased or sold a home in your friend or family member’s neighborhood, tell them you’d like to introduce them to their new neighbors.
Real Estate Directories
Choose a website to start your real estate search. Some website options include Realtor.com, Zillow, and Yelp. These directories have free tools where agents can create a profile page for potential customers to view. The profile page would show reviews and the agent’s past sales. The contact information for the agent would also be available for potential clients to see. These profiles could be another source for finding leads.
8. Switch to Demographic vs Geographic Farming
Chevy Chase was making a point in “Caddyshack” that if you want to be successful in attracting a certain type of buyer, you need to think about more than just their demographics. This is especially important to remember when working with younger, first-time homebuyers.
Jamie Klingman is an expert in understanding the needs of her clients. As a Certified Military Relocation Specialist, Accredited Buyer’s Representative, and Certified Master Negotiator, she is able to put herself in her client’s shoes to best understand what they are looking for.
9. Become Every Local Parent’s Go-to Real Estate Agent
There are many different types of communities that people are a part of. These communities can be based on faith, sports, nonprofits, and schools. Becoming involved in the local school community is a great way to get in front of potential homebuyers who are families with children.
Benjamin Ross of the Mission Real Estate Group uses this strategy while serving his Texas clients. Here’s what he had to say:
” School districts are always looking for volunteers to help with various programs. Not only is this a great way to serve the community and help kids learn skills they can use in the real world, it’s also a great opportunity to pick up buyer clients.
I work as a consultant for the entrepreneurship program that our local district sponsors. If the school district trusts you enough to let you work with the students, their parents will trust you enough to help them buy a home.
— Benjamin Ross, Realtor, Mission Real Estate Group
10. Use ProspectsPLUS! to Quickly Reach Entire Rental Communities
Direct mail marketing is still an effective way to generate leads for people interested in buying real estate. This is because many people who are interested in buying a home are currently renting their home. Therefore, rental communities are a good target for marketing purposes.
A great postcard will be put on the refrigerator by the recipient, keeping you in their mind for months to come, which is better than even the most effective email.
It is also very affordable, you should look into postcards. If you want a direct mail option that is easy to use and has lots of design options, you should consider postcards. They are also very affordable.
11. Use Video to Communicate Your Message, Services & Opportunities
This is not news to anyone who regularly uses the internet: videos are some of the most popular content. Google has started giving YouTube videos more space in search results, which gives real estate agents who have good video content a chance to rank higher than giant companies like Zillow.
On average, people spend eight seconds on the internet before losing interest. If you want to grab someone’s attention, it is better to post a video on Instagram than to write a blog post.
Melissa Gomez, award-winning broker with ERA Top Service Realty in Queens, New York, is committed to her video strategy. Here’s what she told us about how to make it work:
” I have found Instagram to be a great way to generate leads for my business over the past few years.
” I have also started a series of short videos on YouTube called “Money Mondays With Melissa” where I answer real estate questions in under 60 seconds. This is also compatible with Instagram. When I use IGTV, I try to keep the videos under 2 minutes so that viewers will not lose interest.
The speaker is saying that by posting videos with answers to common questions that potential customers have, they will gain new followers, and sometimes even receive direct messages or calls from people interested in working with them.
Enter your contact information, slightly adjust the text to fit your locality, and you will have created a tool to generate leads from interested home buyers.
Bonus Tip: Make Yourself the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of Real Estate in Your Neighborhood
The most successful buyer’s agents are those who are intimately familiar with the areas in which they work. If you want to sell homes in a particular location, it is essential that you have a thorough knowledge of the area, including all of the her features and amenities.
Neil Clayton, top-producing broker from Engels & Völkers in Nashville, gave us his two cents on how he generates tons of hot buyer leads just from being a hyper-local agent:
” When a real estate agent focuses on a specific area, they become an expert on that area. I make sure that I am the most knowledgeable agent in my area by keeping up with information such as how many homes are for sale, have sold, the absorption rate, average prices, and average marketing time.
Once I have all the relevant knowledge and a system to keep me updated on any changes, I don’t hesitate to share it with others. People know that I’m the broker to go to when they want to buy a property in this area, and of course, the homeowners in the neighborhood are easy to convert into clients who want to sell their property.
Getting More Real Estate Buyer Leads: FAQs
Myself, being a veteran agent, and a real estate coach, I talk to agents every day who are looking to boost their game in terms of generating leads from buyers. I’ve gathered a lot of great information from experts all over the country for this piece.
Q: How do I get started with real estate lead generation?
A: It’s actually pretty simple to get started with lead generation. The first step is to identify your target market. Once you know who your target market is, you can start to look for ways to reach them. There are a lot of different ways to generate leads, so it’s important to find one that will work well for you.
Q: What are some of the best ways to generate real estate buyer leads?
A: There are a lot of different ways to generate real estate buyer leads. Some of the most popular methods include online advertising, direct mail, and networking. You’ll need to experiment to find out which method works best for you.
Q: How can I make sure my real estate leads are high quality?
A: There are a few things you can do to make sure you’re getting high-quality leads. First, make sure you’re targeting the right people. Second, use a lead generation system that allows you to track your results. This will give you an idea of which methods are working and which aren’t. Finally, make sure you follow up with your leads.
Should I pay for real estate buyer leads or work to get them for free?
There is no such thing as a free lead. You will have to pay for leads in some way.
You can use your time, effort, or money to pay for something, so think about what would be the best option to use.
There are a few things you can do if you’re low on money but have plenty of time. One is to start a neighborhood farm. Another is to do some circle prospecting. If you’re the opposite and have no time but plenty of money, you can invest in something like BoldLeads or Zillow Premier Agent.
How do I attract real estate buyer leads for my listings?
If you want to generate more leads for a listing, there are a few things you can do. You can try to get more attention for the listing by talking to the seller about it, or you can look for potential buyers who might be interested in it. Having more potential buyers makes it easier for you to do your job as a listing agent.
Your first step should be to make sure the home’s visuals are up to par. Get professional photos taken, make sure your video content is excellent, and invest in virtual tour technology.
After you have finalized your listing on your MLS, double check to make sure that it appears the way that you want it to on well-known third-party websites such as Zillow and Realtor.com. These websites usually get their information directly from your MLS, but it is always good to double-check and make sure that all of your materials were copied over correctly, that the photos are in the order that you want them in, etc.
Finally, you can get proactive by placing ads on social media targeted to likely buyers in your community. The rules for advertising real estate on places like Facebook have gotten a little more complicated, but it is definitely still an effective way to get your listing in front of buyers who are most likely to be interested in it.
