15 Unique And Effective Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas

There is one activity that is on the daily schedule of every real estate agent, and that is lead generation. Seller lead generation is the very lifeline of the real estate business. It is an integral component that is achieved through effective marketing.

When we carried out a survey, we found that lead generation was considered the primary challenge by most real estate agents. They stated that they were not sure which in-bound and out-bound strategies they should apply. Some were even worried about the increase in expenses, as around half of their current budgets were being spent on acquiring leads. All of this made us head back to the drawing board and ask our real estate experts to come up with solutions that would benefit the majority of the real estate agents.

We specifically focused on identifying those real estate lead generation strategies that have proven to be effective. We have also ensured to include a good combination of online and offline strategies. Most of these ideas are low-cost and should be considered a business investment. As one of our experts said so beautifully, "The real estate lead generation ideas that get me clients are investments, and the ones that don’t are expenses."

Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas To Follow

1. Facebook Ads

The first new-age approach to include would be to run ads on Facebook and Facebook Messenger platforms. The social media giant provides you with a vast pool of buyers and sellers. You can create a specific target demographic and get a greater reach for your ads.

One of our experts said that he uses a mix of new listings and client testimonials in his ads. He calls it the circle of lead generation. By showing available properties, he can find the right buyers, and by showcasing the house and glowing testimonials, he can attract more sellers.

2. Google Ads

Another excellent way to generate new leads is through utilizing the Google AdWords service. It is an excellent tool for an agent who is on a limited budget. For this, you have to write a simple and effective description of the house and include high-resolution images.

You have to pay only when someone clicks on your ads. This method is beneficial because it gives an agent opportunities to try different kinds of ad copy, check which ones are most effective, and pay only for those that worked. You can also keep modifying and improving your ads to ensure a better click rate.

3. Search Engine Optimization

While on the subject of Google, another vital online strategy to employ to generate leads, which comes under the category of digital marketing, is the Local SEO services. Most of the home buyers and sellers are going to go on google to search for help with their real estate transactions. Local SEO will help get your real estate business as one of the top results. It increases the click-through rate and eventually gets you more leads and potential clients.

According to the statistics published by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), around 70% of brokers and 69% of sales agents have their own real estate websites. In such situations, it is all the more important that you have a good SEO service.

4. Online Real Estate Lead Generation Platforms

A favorite strategy among all the real estate experts we spoke to was utilizing virtual real estate lead generation platforms to acquire seller leads. One of the leading seller’s lead generation platforms, Dorrmat is one of the most reliable and popular platforms.

Dorrmat ensures that the registered agents are provided a steady supply of quality seller leads along with a host of benefits for the agents, such as a robust CRM, a vendor inclusion facility, and a professional branded landing page. All these features make Dorrmat a great investment, especially for new real estate agents who may be on a limited budget.

5. Include Video Marketing

The world has become visual. It is no surprise that video marketing has taken over most of the traditional marketing channels. The same has happened in the real estate business too. Video marketing allows you to reach potential clients who are solely looking for video content.

You can create a well-written, informative, and well-shot video to publicize your real estate business. Moreover, you can also create videos sharing information about the real estate market, new listings, guidance to homeowners, and even welcome to the neighborhood video. We found that listings that had a video were the ones that received almost 403% more inquiries compared to the listings without videos.

6. Expired Listings/For Sale By Owner

Most real estate agents are not particularly thrilled when the suggestion is to target the expired listings or homes registered as FSBO. The reason for this is pretty simple. In the former case, the agents are wary that there could be a major issue with the property, which left it unsold. In the latter case, the agents do not want the hassle of persuading difficult clients who have clearly stated that they do not want an agent.

Most of our experts agreed, these are indeed difficult targets. However, that same difficulty also makes these easy to acquire due to the limited competition. In most cases, all these homes need to get sold is a different perspective and change in real estate marketing tactics.

7. Arrange Open Houses

Open houses are not just for potential buyers but are also a great way for a real estate agent to get free real estate leads. There are three steps to generate leads from an open house event. First, ensure that you have a sign-in sheet placed at the entrance to obtain the contact information of all those who are attending the open house. These are your potential real estate leads.

The next step is to prepare a short marketing presentation about you. Try to talk about your successful sales and the current listings that you are handling. Finally, make sure to give out your business cards to everyone. Ask them to reach out to you for any of their real estate-related queries.

8. Include Cold Calling Strategy

Before you decide that you do not want to do this one, do hear us out. Most realtors are averse to the cold calling method as they are either hesitant or have faced rejection one too many times. Our experts say that the hesitation can be overcome by preparing an effective and short cold calling script and set a daily target of making a fixed number of calls.

When it comes to handling rejection, our experts say that a real estate agent has to develop resilience against rejection. In the business of selling, it is the most natural outcome of most conversations. The trick is to be able to bounce back quickly. Get back to the phone calls without too much self-pity. Once you pick up the phone, make sure to complete the day’s schedule of calls before you put the phone down. Utilize the contact information collected from the open houses to start making the calls.

9. Real Estate Website Landing Pages

As mentioned earlier, most realtors have a website, but many are still not utilizing it in an ideal way. Your website should have well-thought-out and customized landing pages. This step is necessary to both get you more reach and to generate more new leads. The focus should be on creating value addition for the website visitor. A helpful e-book with real estate market advice or information about the pricing of homes in different neighborhoods, or information about commercial real estate, would increase the site engagement rate.

10. Utilize Social Media

When it comes to generating leads, the power of social media is not to be underestimated. People are relying on the digital world for all of their daily interactions and transactions. The real estate business is no different. It is no longer possible for a real estate agent to sit on the sidelines when it comes to utilizing social media for lead generation.

Make sure that you have business accounts on all major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Keep all of these social media accounts updated and use them to further your reach. Any individual who wants to sell their home is going to look through these platforms, so make sure that you can reach them.

Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas To Try

These next few lead generation ideas are the ones that are unique and would require some extra efforts from the real estate agent's side to get the results. Yet many of our experts claim that with a little bit of practice and a whole lot of perseverance, these can be used effectively to create a steady pipeline of new leads.

11. Community Pages

The first would be to include community pages on your real estate website. This is a portion of your site wherein you provide detailed information about the neighborhood and locality where you help people sell homes. Try to make this section a very informative and engaging one.

Describe the neighborhood, the cost of living, the local attractions, and the population. You can even put up short blogs about the local history, popular cafes, and local restaurants. Remember to include information about upcoming local festivals and events. It will help with your local SEO rankings, as anytime someone runs a search on any specific aspect of the neighborhood, your real estate website is going to come up.

12. Send Text Messages

Another excellent lead generation strategy is to utilize the automated messaging services. A study on consumer attention and inclination to respond found that there is a much higher chance of people responding to text messages rather than e-mails. Similarly, people did not prefer form-filling on websites.

People also tend to read a message as soon as it gets delivered, and they also find it convenient to text back rather than opt for any other method. It is also necessary to have a messaging facility embedded on your website and make it easy for people to quickly send in an inquiry or show their interest in having a conversation with you.

13. The Friends And Family Sphere of influence

A really old yet remarkable strategy is to ask your friends and family to provide you with referrals. The reason we have included this under the category of efforts is due to the difficulty many realtors complain about when trying this out. No one wants to be the irritating friend or family who can never stop talking about work. However, word-of-mouth publicity is still the best way to find new leads. You never know when a friend's third cousin could be your next lead.

14. Engage With Local Business

Another preferred lead generation strategy that many of our real estate experts suggested is to build relationships with local business organizations. This arrangement could be mutually beneficial. Think about teaming up with the local construction firms, home repair service providers, home stagers, gardening, and landscaping companies. These are all the businesses that engage with people looking to buy or sell their homes. These can be an effective source of quality leads.

15. Attend Chamber Of Commerce Meetings

The last suggestion on our list is to start attending the local chamber of commerce meetings. You will get to meet and interact with other professionals whose work overlaps with yours. You would get to meet bankers, property lawyers, home assessors, and more. These interactions would, in turn, make you a known face in the local community and could also lead to quality referrals and leads.

Summary

All real estate agents need a reliable and effective mix of seller lead generation ideas. Some may be better suited to a particular real estate market than other ideas. A great way of attracting potential clients and quality leads is by employing an ideal mix of in-person and online lead generation strategies. The real estate industry is constantly evolving, and therefore, savvy real estate agents need to keep trying to reach their clients in newer ways.