Realtors need to maintain a healthy pipeline of leads in order to be successful. They should take advantage of periods when business is good, because there will inevitably be slow periods in the future.
In real estate, it’s important to be prepared for the unpredictable. This means having a fresh supply of leads. Here are some ideas for lead generation that will help you stay ahead of the curve.
1. Build partnerships.
Meet with other local business owners to see how you can help each other out. You may be able to promote each other’s businesses, share resources, or form other types of partnerships. Here are a few industries where real estate agents can form productive partnerships:
- Insurance companies – Homeowners insurance is a must, but some homebuyers are also looking to turn their new property into rentals, flip-homes, or businesses. Having the right insurance is key.
- Personal bankers – A home is the largest financial investment many of us will ever make. Having a personal banker to run numbers by can be a huge help for buyers.
- Commercial lenders – Loan officers are an integral part of the home buying process, but most buyers don’t have one in their back pocket.
- Bakeries – Whether you’re sending pies to former clients to keep your real estate firm top of mind or ordering treats to make your open house extra sweet, connecting with a bakery is never a bad idea for a real estate agent — or anyone, for that matter.
- Landscapers – There’s an old adage in cooking that says, “The eye eats first.” A similar principle applies to real estate. Landscaping is often the first impression potential buyers have of a home. Encourage your sellers to have their homes professionally landscaped to set them apart from the crowd.
- Cleaning services – No buyer wants to enter a home that looks a little grimy around the edges. Partner with cleaning services to offer discounted house cleanings to your clients.
- Staging experts – Very few of us have HGTV-worthy show homes, but an aspirational home is a home that sells. Build partnerships with local stagers to get your clients’ houses under contract faster.
- Title companies – A less glamorous but no less important partnership is the one you’ll have with local title companies. Have a few go-to companies to recommend to your clients.
If you want to be successful, find businesses with clients that match your goals and preferences. Make sure you contribute equally to the relationship so that everyone involved benefits.
2. Creating an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy
Although you may have a website and a social media page, your social media marketing strategy may not be as effective as it could be.
Some tips on how to generate real estate leads using LinkedIn and Facebook are as follows:
Facebook Real Estate Lead Generation Tips
This real estate marketing strategy is more complex than we first thought, but there are a few ways to help it be successful.
Switch to a Business Profile
If you’re using Facebook to advertise your real estate business, you should create a Business Profile. This will give you access to different marketing tools that will help you advertise more effectively and track the results.
Use Only the Best Images to Attract Leads
If you have a good profile, then the next step is to look at all of your pictures and see if they represent your real estate business well. If not, you should consider updating them. Sometimes it helps to look at other successful real estate agents’ pictures to see what looks good and what doesn’t.
Add a CTA Button
The CTA button on your profile is an easy way for visitors to reach out to you and generate real estate leads. Choose the option that best suits your needs, whether it’s “Call Now” or “Book an Appointment.”
Share Content
If you want to generate leads from Facebook, you need to be active on the platform. This means promoting your content, sharing useful content from other sources, and interacting with comments and groups. Just setting up a profile and letting it be will not be effective.
Use Facebook Ads
In addition to setting up normal Facebook ads, don’t forget to create ads specifically for Facebook Messenger. Facebook has a huge number of users, so you want to make sure your ads are set up to reach as many potential customers as possible. Keep track of your ads using the tools provided by Facebook or other similar platforms, and adjust your real estate marketing strategy accordingly based on what does and doesn’t work.
LinkedIn Real Estate Lead Generation Tips
LinkedIn is a powerful online lead generation tool that is often underutilized by real estate agents. A simple profile listing your past feats is not typically enough to generate leads.
Make Sure Your Profile Is Professional
LinkedIn profiles, similar to Facebook, should be professional. Utilize headlines and pictures that accurately reflect your real estate brand. Adding a professional background photo is a great way to attract online leads. Review your summary periodically to ensure it is effective in lead generation. If you are unsure, compare your summary to that of other successful real estate influencers.
Start Connecting
When sending out connection requests, make sure that the people you are connecting with could actually be potential leads in your market, as well as good sources for referrals. Real estate investors who have not been tapped into yet could be a great source for new leads. In addition, local lawyers, mortgage lenders, tax and financial advisors, and other real estate agents can be good connections to have in order to get more referrals.
LinkedIn groups are often overlooked as a way to generate real estate leads, but you can get good results by joining a few local ones or even creating your own. This will help establish you as a leader and also provide a place for a lot of home buyers/sellers and real estate professionals to congregate- one that may not have existed before.
Share Content
If you want to reach a more affluent audience, LinkedIn is a better platform than Facebook. on LinkedIn, 44% of users have an income over $75,000, whereas only 75% of Facebook users have an income over $55,000. Therefore, if you’re looking to generate quality leads, you should be active on LinkedIn.
Although Twitter and Pinterest can also be used to find potential customers, it is important to regularly assess and improve your marketing strategy for all platforms.
Related: 5 Top Real Estate Marketing Strategies for Agents
3. Become a restaurant regular
If you’re meeting clients at a restaurant or coffee shop to discuss terms, be consistent and schedule these meetings at the same place.
If you frequently visit a particular establishment, you will become well-liked by the staff, be given access to the best tables, and appear to be popular and connected within your social group. You may even get to know the other regulars – making you the ideal person for them to reach out to when they are ready to make a purchase.
4. Send a handwritten note
Thank a past or present client for choosing you as their realtor by sending them a note. remind them that you are available to answer any questions they have, suggest a reliable moving company, or send them important documents they may need for tax season.
A handwritten note is a great way to express your appreciation, and it’s also much more personal than an email. If you’re feeling confident, you can follow up a few days later with a phone call and ask for a referral.
5. Leverage the internet to advertise.
Advertising on websites like Zillow is a smart move for realtors, since the percentage of home buyers using the internet to search for a home increased to an all-time high of 97% in 2020, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Here are some of the better ways to market yourself as a real estate agent:
- Run Facebook ads
- Run LinkedIn ads
- Answer real estate questions on Quora
- Run Google ads
- Blog for local or national real estate websites
Here’s what an effective Facebook ad might look like.
6. Advertise through more traditional media.
Media like billboards and print ads can be excellent resources for attracting new clients and keeping your services top-of-mind. Get creative with your advertising to make your brand stand out.
7. Build your own website.
Your brokerage might give you a page on their website, but it’s still important to create your own web presence. This will allow you to build a personal brand, showcase your specialties, and share reviews from satisfied clients. Having your own web presence also ensures you have a cohesive presence in the local market — even if you switch brokerages.
A helpful tip is to remember to optimize your site. This can be done by writing blog posts that address common questions or issues that your clients may have during the purchasing process. You can also create and share helpful how-to videos. Finally, make sure to capture email addresses by having a newsletter signup.
8. Develop a niche.
Find your niche and become an expert. This allows you to focus your marketing efforts on a specific group and develop a reputation as the go-to realtor for these buyers and sellers.
Here are a few common real estate niches:
- Historic homes
- Mid-century modern homes
- Luxury homes
- Neighborhoods
- Student rentals
- School district
- City or town
- First-time homebuyers
- Condominiums or apartments
- Distressed properties
- Senior homes
- Vacation homes
- Land
- Commercial real estate
- Industrial real estate
- Property rights
- For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties
Choose an area of interest and focus on it to become an expert. For example, if you want to help seniors find retirement homes, learn about their needs, research senior centers and senior-friendly neighborhoods, and talk to financial planners who understand the special home buying requirements of seniors in your area.
9. Use “Coming Soon” signs.
Replaceable text on “Coming Soon” and “Sold” signs are a way to create interest in properties and expertise. “Coming Soon” signs generate anticipation before a home hits the market.
Sold signs also help to generate leads from buyers who missed out on a property and want to make sure that they don’t miss out again.
10. Head to an open house.
If you’re not going to open houses to generate new leads, you’re missing out. A lot of buyers (or people who are about to buy) come to these houses without an agent. It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself and offer to help them with the market.
If you are considering attending open houses with the intention of promoting your own business, it is important to be mindful of your approach. Being pushy or aggressive is not a good idea, as it will reflect poorly on you and your business.
11. Generate leads on LinkedIn.
It can be beneficial to join LinkedIn groups that your target audience is likely to be a part of. This can help you get an idea of what kind of conversations they are having and what their interests are. Before trying to pitch them something professionally, it may be helpful to try and participate in these conversations organically.
Once you’ve built a good relationship with someone, follow up with them if they’re interested, and offer to talk more about what they’re interested in.
If you want to be active in a real estate investment group, consider sharing a blog article about upcoming neighborhoods in your city. If a member of your first-time homebuyers group asks a question about interest rates, provide a knowledgeable answer in the comments section.
12. Organize educational events.
Hosting educational events in your community is a great way to build your personal brand while also bringing in new business. Teaching consumers about topics such as buying their first home, the current state of the housing market, or what to look for when renting a property are all great topics that will help you establish yourself as an expert in the field.
Some ideas for promoting your business to potential home buyers include partnering with local businesses to host home buying seminars or co-hosting events with mortgage lenders. This will help you reach a wider audience and generate more leads.
13. Don’t neglect leads.
If you showed a prospect three properties before they realized they weren’t ready to buy, don’t throw their number away. Send them postcards sharing developments in the market, keep them on your email list, and leave the occasional voicemail reminder that you’d love to help them find that perfect home when they’re ready.
Jeff Hoffman offers tips for salespeople trying to bring deals back that have stalled. The biggest piece of advice is to not repeat the close. If the prospect gave a soft yes, or a soft no, the next request should be different.
It’s coming up in a couple of weeks.” Instead of asking your buyer if they are ready to purchase yet, try asking if they would be interested in joining a seminar for first time home buyers.
It’s easier to close the deal if you make your prospect feel comfortable, rather than pressured.
14. Target “For Sale by Owner” listings
The National Association of Realtors report that only 3% of For Sale by Owner listings sell within the desired time. They also report that only 18% of FSBO listings result in the seller getting the right price. You can find these listings on Craigslist or other real estate sites. You could offer to help these sellers get the most from their property listing.
It is beneficial for sellers to work with an agent because agents have – access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), – can show the seller’s home to buyers who are looking for a home like theirs, – help the seller negotiate the best possible price for their home, – and provide expert advice throughout the entire process. Would you like to learn more about the benefits of working with an agent?
15. Reach out to expired listings
Get a list of houses that have been on the market for a while from the MLS. Keep in mind that the sellers probably aren’t happy with their real estate agent, are frustrated that their house hasn’t sold, and are under a lot of stress.
Start the conversation by expressing that you understand their frustration and share a few different ways that you would sell their home quickly.
16. Generate referrals from satisfied clients
If somebody you know recommends a real estate agent to you, there’s a good chance you’ll use that agent. In fact, it’s estimated that 40% of buyers do. And of those buyers, 91% say they would recommend the agent to others or use the agent again in the future.
Your past and current clients can be great resources for generating leads. Therefore, it is beneficial for you to stay in touch with them and keep yourself top of mind. When you are working with them, give it your all.
Make sure you give your clients your undivided attention and provide them with great service. If you can build trust and develop a good relationship with your clients, they’re more likely to refer you to other potential clients.
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