Lead generation is commonly done by realtors through existing referrals, or networking. However, the real estate world can be an incredibly lucrative and insanely competitive one.
Your competition will be cut-throat; Your clientele is always shopping around. In order to stay relevant in the game, one needs to be active and creative when seeking to generate leads.
If you haven’t tried anything new, it’s time to venture out. Lead generation has never been more exciting. Gathered here are a few proven ways to get real estate leads that can help you stay competitive.
1. Divorce Leads
It may sound like you are taking advantage of an unfortunate situation, but this is not strictly the case. What it breaks down to is that you are helping yourself while helping individuals get through what can be an incredibly stressful point in their lives.
During divorces, people often need to sell property, and they need to do it sooner rather than later. Whether the reason is court-mandated or emotionally charged, you will be dealing with people who mean business in selling their property and want it done as soon as possible.
You, as an agent, can generate divorce leads similar to any other real estate lead. Here are some good examples of ads you can run on Facebook to target divorce leads.
2. Reach Out to the People You Know
You might not think about it, but the contacts in your cellphone are a great place to start when looking for real estate leads. As people progress through life, they often make changes. They may get married and decide to buy a home with their spouse; Maybe the opposite is true.
It is even possible that someone you know wants to renovate their home. Whatever the case may be, you need to be the first name on the mind of anyone in your phonebook when it comes to real estate. This is an incredible way to generate real estate leads.
3. Craigslist
This somewhat unorthodox medium of lead generation can be surprisingly effective. People are comfortable with Craigslist, and many people still head there first when looking for professionals to hire.
Making yourself known on Craigslist, therefore, is to your benefit. Add in the fact that the platform is free to use, and you begin to see the good in using it.
4. Cold Calling
Old-fashioned; Effective. This time-tested tactic has proven itself over a long career. The key to cold calling is setting goals. One can lose themselves making cold calls because you have to cast a wide net.
Ninety percent or more of your calls will come to nothing, and you simply have to accept that. Choose a number of calls to make, make them, and move on with your day. Even if you get a few leads from an hour or 2 of calling, it's worth it.
5. Networking
As a real estate agent, you need to be confident, approachable, and knowledgeable. You can use these same characteristics to network. The more people you know, the more people with your name in their mouth, the better your bottom line.
Make connections with more accomplished individuals in your field and learn from them. Elicit your peers to increase your leads.
6. Utilize Social Media
Social media is, no exaggeration, one of the most powerful mediums of lead generation on the face of the Earth. You can reach out across the world with the stroke of a key. And you don't need a marketing team to be successful with it.
Not only can you reach out to those you know for real estate leads, but you can easily reach all the people they know as well. Professionally managed social media accounts are paramount in lead generation and networking.
Social media is a great and easy way to get in front of potential customers, and secure high-quality leads.
7. Make a Live Video, On-Site
Videos auto-play on social media, and have higher engagement, so this is a great way to get your audience to instantly see what you have to offer.
You can do a live Facebook or Instagram video, sharing some key takeaways for real estate buyer leads and seller leads.
Or you can go straight to the sell, and talk about the property you have available. Invite your audience to a “sneak peek” of the latest great find in real estate.
8. Publish a Free ebook
This is a tried and tested lead generation strategy for many businesses out there.
It’s all about creating a helpful resource for your potential clients. For example, “The ultimate guide to buying a home” or “Everything you need to know about selling your real estate property.”
After creating your ebook, set up a landing page with a form. People will then provide you with their email addresses in exchange for a download of your book.
Aside from being one of the best ways to get real estate leads, this builds your credibility as an expert in the field. Amongst these benefits, you will also be generating an email list, which is vital to any business.
9. Sponsor Content on Social Media
The beauty of paid ads is the ability to target groups based on demographics and see a range of how many leads you can expect. It's also helpful to target your target zip code.
You do not have to create a traditional headline-and-image ad. Attempt to do new and unique things through storytelling, helpful tips, and slideshows. You can even try something like a comic strip or funny video. This is also a good platform to promote your blogs or ebook.
10. Share Client Testimonials On Social Media
Testimonials on social media can take the form of a story—it could be a photo and a caption, or a video.
Make it a win-win for you and the client by showcasing and tagging them. They will appreciate the exposure, and you will gain increased credibility and trust through social proof. Make sure to use relevant hashtags to ensure that this generates real estate leads, in particular.
If you are looking to maximize your testimonials, I would recommend combining your social media posts with tools such as Reach150. Reach150 is a systematic and simple way to grow your business through referrals. Check out their philosophy and pricing options here.
11. Find Speaking Opportunities
A speaking engagement allows you to address common questions and issues, inspire people, build a connection with a large audience, and meet a bunch of them, all in one go. And, of course, it doesn’t end there. Ensure that the talk is recorded, so you can share it with your network on social media or on your website.
One talk is likely to lead to another, and another, giving you more opportunities to hone your communication skills, build a good reputation, and forge new relationships.
12. Widen your Referral Pool Through Partnerships
If you’re always going to industry events, you’re surrounded by competition. Place yourself in situations where you are the only real estate expert. Network at banking industry events or investment conferences. You’ll be surrounded by potential clients and little or no competition.
Connect with people who have clients who are likely looking to buy and sell a property. You can partner with insurance companies and their home-owning clients, as well as personal bankers, commercial lenders, landscapers, and cleaning services.
13. Develop a Niche That You’ll Be Known For
Today is the age of specialization. You can serve a specific audience and develop a name and reputation in that niche. For example, condominiums. You can become an expert on condominium properties and relevant laws.
A few examples of real estate niches include student rentals, senior homes, vacation homes, commercial properties, and industrial real estate.
It may take time to find your niche, and that's okay. And, for some agents, your niche may be specializing in everything!
14. Predictive Analytics
What if you knew exactly who was going to list their home this year? It would save agents across the nation an astronomical amount of time and money. While predicting future listings with 100% accuracy is not technologically available, some companies have gotten pretty close.
Offrs is a real estate data company that predicts future listings and has been able to do so with a 70% accuracy rate for the past 7 years. While Offrs primarily provides listing leads, they also provide buyer leads, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, email marketing, and much more. Offrs also uses their proprietary algorithm to show which homeowners are most likely to list their home - this is called "lead scoring".
Final Thoughts
Combining some or all of these lead generation tactics can help push your game to the next level. While there are many other ways to get real estate leads, the ones listed here are often overlooked or underrated.
To get outstanding real estate leads (buyer and seller leads), you must be flexible and varied, trying things that the competition ignores. Utilizing many different lead generation tactics is an essential key to success, and those listed here are an excellent kick-off point to keep you swamped in leads for years to come.
