It’s amazing when leads start coming into your pipeline on autopilot. The summer months and low interest rates can give real estate agents a real boost in lead generation. But what happens outside of these ideal scenarios? Unfortunately, you can’t always rely on external factors.
Nobody wants to get stuck in the feast and famine cycle, but that’s a real possibility if you don’t know how to generate leads consistently. Understanding how to get real estate leads all year round is essential for business stability.
There are lots of ways that you can secure real estate leads. A mix of inbound and outbound marketing strategies is the best way to attract as many leads as possible. This article explores 10 techniques in real estate lead generation to help you generate real estate leads.
Before implementing new lead generation strategies, look at your real estate website through the eyes of the customer. Many websites fail to capture the number of leads they would like. Sometimes, this is the result of poor design or your website not being mobile-friendly. Another common reason is the content doesn’t serve the customer.
Across websites, businesses write about their experience, service standards, awards, etc. While this looks nice and reads well, it’s not enough to capture leads. Website visitors are left thinking, ‘That’s great, but how can you help me?’.
“The best websites are built around the needs and wants of the user, not the whims of the designer.” — Jeffrey Zeldman, Web Designer and Author
A well-thought-out website that speaks your customers’ language and addresses their needs will help to secure leads and inquiries around the clock.
How to make a customer-centric website:
Social media has become the top tech channel for realtor growth. 52% of realtors’ high-quality leads come from social media. It’s an area where many businesses feel lost, as it can be tough to know where to start and what platforms you should be on.
We suggest sticking to the major platforms that have proven to be successful for real estate agents:
You don’t have to use them all. It’s better to master one or two platforms than overcommit and underdeliver.
Build your company brand and leverage your personal brand, too. Instagram and LinkedIn offer great ‘low effort, high reward’. Mini blogs on LinkedIn can gain fantastic engagement, as can Instagram stories. Both are relatively quick to create compared to other writing blogs, case studies, slideshow content, etc.
It’s also worth pointing out that TikTok has 73.7 million monthly active users but only 12% of realtors use it. If you’re asking yourself how to get real estate leads on social media, the competition isn’t as fierce on TikTok. It’s also known for having a younger user base, so being an early adopter could pay off well.
Content marketing is a popular way to generate real estate leads in your pipeline. The key to really making content marketing work is publishing content that gives your audience value. Blogs, articles, guides, podcasts, etc. filled with actionable tips builds trust with prospective customers who have been viewing your content for a while.
Remember, content that follows best SEO practices will get more eyes on it. And once you have people’s attention, you can educate, empathize, and entertain your audience. Valuable content marketing turns viewers into customers.
Real estate content marketing ideas:
Partnerships may not be the fastest route to getting real estate leads, but they can be some of the most impactful. People tend to think big with partnerships and, while that’s a good thing, it can be overwhelming.
Take the pressure off yourself! Create partnerships with local bakeries, moving companies, real estate attorneys, banks, etc. You’re likely to meet many valuable connections that help you grow faster. Every partnership, big and small, boosts visibility and builds trust within your community.
Hosting events is a great way to speak to an engaged audience. You can host niche events that cater to your ideal audience, or more generalized topics that always have an audience, such as ‘How to buy your first home’.
Events don’t need to be in-person events, either. Online events are a great way to share value with an engaged audience.
Virtual events ideas:
Keep your eyes open for events nearby, too. You may find new leads or opportunities for partnerships.
According to the National Association of Realtors, just 3% of FSBOs sell within the desired time. So contacting FSBOs and FRBOs is a no-brainer.
FSBOs might be having a tough time with the mountain of work that comes with selling a property. Plus, plenty of evidence suggests that agent-sold homes sell for higher prices than those sold without one.
It’s a similar story for FRBOs. They may be willing to hand over the workload if you can communicate the benefits of working together.
How to reach out to FSBO and FRBO listings:
Before you invest any serious time researching how to gain more real estate leads, create a referral scheme. This is a simple way to encourage former clients and friends to recommend your services to others for an incentive such as a cash reward, gift card, or free service in return.
This can return high-quality leads on autopilot but it may take some time to fine-tune as you learn which incentives are the most successful.
Promote your referral program and share it on your website, email newsletters, and mention it to leads and prospects. It should be easy to understand, track, and share.
You may be getting more real estate leads than you think. 25% of property sector calls come outside of regular 9-5 office hours. While you can capture missed calls with voicemail, a lot of people don’t leave messages. Missing calls could mean missing out on leads and upsetting current clients, too.
An 24/7 real estate answering service makes it possible to provide 5-star customer service around the clock. Real estate agents can give full attention to in-person clients, knowing a team of friendly receptionists are answering calls for them when they’re busy.
Not only can answering services help generate real estate leads by answering calls and live chats 24/7, but they can also qualify leads and transfer call data to your systems.
Understanding how to get real estate leads may involve learning some new tech skills, however, this tip doesn’t! This one couldn’t be simpler: just strike up more conversations with people in your community. You may find yourself making friends with the staff at the cafes and restaurants that you take clients to. And they have a knack of connecting you with new leads. So become a regular wherever you go.
Simply attending your favorite spots and chatting to staff in you areas could lead to many referrals. It’s free, it makes your days more enriching, and it can generate leads and partnership opportunities with minimal effort.
When thinking about how to get more real estate leads, many people think of online marketing. It’s understandable why as that’s what most popular marketing publications focus on. But traditional advertising still deserves attention – especially in real estate.
“The problem with most advertising isn’t that people think it’s bad, it’s that they don’t think it’s anything.” – Dave Trott, Creative Director and Author
People are already heavily engaged with their screens, so you need to push the boundaries with any traditional advertising. People don’t go out of their way to look for billboards or print ads. You need to grab their attention and inspire them to take out their phone and call you. “Playing it safe” isn’t a good strategy.
Plus, it’s fun to create billboards, print ads, and direct mail campaigns. You get to unleash your creativity!
Gaining the confidence and know-how to generate leads on-demand is key. A mix of inbound and outbound strategies will help you see a steady flow of real estate leads all year round.
When your lead generation strategies start working, your phone will start ringing more.
If you’re struggling to answer calls and you’re tired of going through your voicemails every morning, book a free consultation.
We’ll show you how we can answer your calls professionally, capturing and qualifying leads while looking after your current clients 24/7.