15 Ideas For Generating Real Estate Leads For New Real Estate Agents
Generating real estate leads is one of the most crucial components of the real estate business. A real estate agent, both new or an agent with years of experience, has to keep working to improve his lead generation strategy. It can seem particularly challenging for new agents as they need to juggle multiple tasks of setting up a new business along with this responsibility.
To make it easy for you to generate real estate leads, we asked our top real estate agents and experts to offer advice to those starting their real estate careers. These strategies will help you build the strong foundation you require to get through the initial years in this industry.
Table of Contents
- Work Your Sphere Of Influence
- Start Cold Calling
- Get Real Estate Leads Online
- Utilize Social Media
- Host An Open House
- Try Door Knocking
- Target Expired Listings
- Approach For Sale By Owner Listings
- Build A Real Estate Website
- Develop Relationships With Local Businesses
- Attend Chamber Of Commerce Meetings
- Opt For Search Engine Optimization
- Start A Blog To Get New Leads
- Participate In Local Community Events
- Free Real Estate Market Advice
Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas To Adopt
Generating leads need not be a hurdle if agents adopt the right approach and practices to find leads. The key thing to keep in mind is that as agents and realtors, you have to multitask throughout the day and may find it challenging to carve out time to find leads.
However, there is a need to gain leads to sustain your business, and adopting most of these strategies will ensure that you are finding leads even when you are not at work. That is how most successful agents build their brand. They are both actively and passively working to find leads.
1. Work Your Sphere Of Influence
As a new real estate agent, you are starting from square one. Therefore, your first step for generating leads should be to work your sphere of influence (SOI). These are people you already know socially. It is important to tell everyone in your social circle that you have gained a real estate agent license and are looking for new clients.
Your friends and family can help you gain your first set of clients. Word of mouth publicity will help your business gain the momentum it needs in the initial phase. Send everyone on your contact list a short message asking to let you know about leads. It takes time, but you will soon gain leads either directly through your circle or through your family or friends' referrals.
2. Start Cold Calling
Our experts say that if you are not out on the road meeting clients, then you should pick up the phone and start calling people. Most agents shy from cold calling, but it could be a feasible option for new agents.
Making phone calls can be made easier if you have a prepared script. Keep the script short and informational, and always ask when you can call back again. Offer them a choice. The chances are high that they will pick one alternative and be more receptive to what you have to say as they have permitted you to call back.
3. Get Real Estate Leads Online
One of the most effective real estate lead generation ideas is to sign up for an online lead generation service. This type of service significantly helps new agents find leads and clients. A platform of this kind will enable you to find leads easily and focus more on converting them into clients.
Dorrmat, an online seller lead generation platform, provides the registered agent quality leads of home sellers. If you are an agent in Tucson, Arizona, you must include Dorrmat in your lead generation strategy to take advantage of the benefits offered by this platform. A market leader in Arizona, Dorrmat combines top-notch technology and years of real estate selling experience to provide agents with quality seller leads.
4. Utilize Social Media
A new-age real estate lead generation tactic that you must utilize is social media platforms. Your business needs to have a presence on all the major platforms, both for marketing and attracting potential leads. Some of the ways in which you can incorporate social media channels to gain leads are as follows:
A. Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads will help you reach a far wider community of users than any other platform, as Facebook is one of the largest social media platforms. The extensive demographic selection tools provided by Facebook helps you design your ads in such a way that it reaches the right target segment.
B. Instagram
Use the visually rich and interactive Instagram platform to widen your social reach. From putting up stories and pictures of a housewarming party to curated pictures of your new listing, Instagram can help you connect with a wider segment of buyers and sellers.
C. LinkedIn
Utilize LinkedIn to build and strengthen your professional circle. Create a professional page and build links with fellow professionals and those engaged in the real estate business. You stand to gain leads and referrals through these sources, too.
5. Host An Open House
Open houses are an excellent source to attract potential clients. You need to gather the contact information of all those who visit the open houses and add them to your contact list. At the open house event, try to meet and interact with as many visitors as possible.
After concluding open houses, try to reach out to the visitors to gain both feedback and for potential clients. Have a clear plan of action in place so that you do not lose the momentum built at the open houses. This strategy is an excellent way to sell homes for your clients while multiplying your leads list.
6. Try Door Knocking
Anytime you host an open house, it is a good idea to go around and knock on the doors of the neighbors. It is a great way to introduce yourself and meet all the local residents. Inform them regarding the open house event and invite them to it.
These neighbors may know family or friends who are interested in buying or selling a home in that particular neighborhood. So you stand to gain valuable leads through this medium as well. It also helps establish your presence in a particular neighborhood as an agent.
7. Target Expired Listings
A new real estate agent must always have a strategy to approach expired listings. These are home sellers with homes that have remained unsold. First, try to pick a home listing that expired months ago. The reason for this is that the listings that have expired recently will be targeted by many other real estate professionals as well, which increases your competition.
Once you have identified the listings, identify the reason why the home remained unsold, and then approach the seller and convey that you would be able to help sell their home. In most cases, the sellers would be interested in meeting you and discussing the details.
8. Approach For Sale By Owner Listings
Similar to the above, but a trickier target are the for sale by owner listings. These sellers have decided to handle the sale of their homes independently. Prepare a script highlighting the benefit they will gain by having a professional handle the work.
It takes time, but most of these listings remain unsold, and that is when you make your second approach. As you have already opened a communication channel with them, it is easier to get a meeting with them.
9. Build A Real Estate Website
A website for your real estate business is a must. This site will be the focal point of all your marketing efforts. It is necessary that you have a well-designed and informative website so that when potential clients look you up online, they get all the required information.
Always make sure that your website has a well-crafted landing page. Place an effective call to action (CTA) button on your landing page to gain the contact information of all your site visitors. You can gain the information by offering a free e-book on real estate-related market news or anything else that will in useful for the visitors in exchange for the contact details.
10. Develop Relationships With Local Businesses
Real estate lead generation can get a boost by engaging with local real estate businesses. You need to form a business relationship with real estate professionals such as bankers, lenders, home stagers, handymen service providers, builders, and contractors.
You can offer them business by signing them up as your vendors and offering their contact to your home sellers who require their service. Similarly, you also gain leads through them, as these professionals would have business with many customers who plan to sell their homes.
11. Attend Chamber Of Commerce Meetings
You can gain leads and find potential customers by attending these meetings organized by the local commerce and trade departments. Although it may seem old-fashioned, many important people in your city attend these meetings, and it is worth your while to build an association with them.
Moreover, you get to remain up to date with all real estate industry news and developments by attending these meetings regularly. This information can help you serve your home buyers and sellers better.
12. Opt For Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) services are a must to get your business site to the top of the Google search rankings. All aspects of your site, both technical and content-related, will be evaluated by the experts. They would then offer suggestions for changes and improvements.
Local SEO will help attract more traffic to your site, which will boost your real estate lead generation. They will optimize your site to ensure that your page ranks high for most search queries by individuals who wish to buy or sell a home in your city or zip code.
13. Start A Blog To Get New Leads
One of the ways to generate leads is by becoming a thought leader in your city. It means that you are considered an expert in this industry. You can achieve this by starting a free blog section on your site. Put up informative and engaging blog articles that could be of interest to a buyer and seller. A regularly updated free blog section will keep your site relevant to search engines and attract visitors to come back to your site multiple times.
14. Participate In Local Community Events
You can meet potential buyers or sellers at local community events. It is a great opportunity for you to meet people and hand out your business cards. You can become a familiar face and find leads through people you meet at these events.
You can also sponsor or offer to speak at such community events. These will help you establish your brand and become a known face to the local residents. You stand to widen your social reach and get referrals through this.
15. Free Real Estate Market Advice
A great way to generate leads is by offering free advice about the business. You can write a column in your local paper or have a podcast. In these, you can share your insights into how the market is behaving, ways to enhance a home before listing it for sale, or any other informative advice for sellers and buyers.
These activities help you build social proof and will be invaluable when you go for listing appointments. Homeowners tend to be more open to realtors who they have seen on television or their local newspapers.
Summary
The real estate lead generation ideas discussed will help realtors find new clients and boost their business. These strategies are broad and cover technology, social media platforms, personal connection, and in-person lead-generating ideas. Utilizing a broad mix of these suggestions according to your real estate local market will help you gain the necessary boost to your career.
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