Can you believe the new year is just around the corner? Though we’re always reminded to live for the present, planning ahead for your business is essential to reach your goals. This is also true if you’re in the real estate business and you’re wondering how to get more leads.
If you’re an experienced agent, then you know that lead generation strategies are always evolving – what brought you real estate leads a decade ago won’t necessarily work nowadays. Since you need leads to succeed in real estate, here are some of the best methods on how to get more leads. Whether you’re a new real estate agent or one who needs a boost in lead generation, keep reading.
Focus on the Right People
Before you go ahead and put your time and energy into generating leads in real estate, take a step back and ask yourself “What type of leads am I aiming to get?” In the real estate business, there are two types of leads: paid and earned. Paid leads come from websites (like Mashvisor) that allow you to contact prospects when they inquire about a property on their platform. Buying real estate leads is certainly not a bad idea, as they could provide you with a steady stream of leads and create immediate action in your real estate sales funnel. However, many argue that earned leads are more valuable.
Related: Is Buying Real Estate Leads Worth It for an Agent?
Earned leads could come from your sphere of influence (family, friends, former colleagues, etc.) and non-sphere of influence (prospects you meet through your lead generation efforts). While they may not cost you money, they do require more time and energy to get and maintain. In addition, one of the common mistakes new real estate agents fall into is trying to attract everyone instead of focusing on the right people. Remember: not all leads are created equally.
Therefore, besides learning how to get more leads, you need to know exactly who you’re advertising for. For example, are your lead generation strategies targeting first-time homebuyers, sellers, or real estate investors? You need to be specific to assure finding leads who will see true value working with you. This will also help you get more qualified leads rather than leads who you’ll end up not hearing back from.
Content Marketing
Today, house hunting begins online, and that’s where you should be to generate more leads in real estate. I’m sure you’ve read other articles that stress on the power of social media to boost your real estate agent career. Facebook, Instagram, Quora, Twitter, and even Pinterest are all great social media platforms that you should utilize for lead generation. New real estate agents might ask: How to get more leads with social media? The answer is all about content.
Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content that attracts an audience and drives profitable customer action. According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing generates 3 times as many leads as traditional marketing and has conversion rates that are 6 times higher! For a real estate agent, content marketing is not to brag about your skills and how many properties you’ve sold. Rather, it’s about putting yourself into the minds of prospects and providing useful information that will solve their issues.
So, think about your clients’ needs and provide content in the forms of blog posts, infographics, videos, E-books, webinars, etc. Don’t forget to promote your content strategy by sharing it on multiple social media platforms. For example, from a blog post, you can share a few quotes on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Alternatively, you could turn that blog into a webinar or a YouTube video. Another tip on how to get more leads in real estate through content marketing is to offer premium content (in an E-book, for example) that has additional value. Insert a catchy Call-to-Action that encourages people to enter their contact details to download the E-book, and they’ll land right into your CRM as real estate leads.
Looking to increase your visibility to homebuyers and real estate investors? Start advertising on Mashvisor! Click here to claim your free agent profile.
Networking and Building Partnerships
Sure, online real estate lead generation is popular in today’s market. However, don’t forget that real estate is a people business – personal relationships and trust are the foundation of this industry. In fact, many hot real estate agents still get new leads from referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations. This is why you should also incorporate networking and building relationships into your lead generation as well. This could bring you a whole bunch of new leads that you typically wouldn’t reach. As a real estate agent, you should network with:
- The general public
- Other real estate companies in your area
- Mortgage brokers
- Real estate attorneys
- Homebuilders
- Local businesses
- Real estate investors
How to get more leads from networking and building partnerships? A simple co-hosted event or seminar with a local financial planner, for example, will benefit both parties. You’ll be able to meet numerous prospects in one place, engage in conversation and learn what they’re looking for, provide valuable information and tips to help them, and exchange business cards or contact details!
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Networking for Agents
Real Estate Farming
Farming is one of the valuable, tried-and-true lead generation strategies for agents in the real estate business. The concept is simple: farming is specializing in one demographic or geographic area to become an authority in the real estate market and, thus, a sought-after agent. Based on the definition, you can see there are 2 main types of farming:
- Geo-Farming: focuses on a specific area or neighborhood. The size of the area you choose depends on several factors. So, a geo-farm might be an entire town, a ZIP code, or a subdivision.
- Niche Farming: targets a specific type of real estate buyers or sellers. Consider first-time buyers, investors, move-up buyers, move-down sellers, or buyers and sellers in a certain price range.
As a real estate agent, you should definitely consider establishing a geo-farm or niche farm. This strategy of getting more leads complements other forms of marketing and lead generation. You can make your farming materials and delivery methods as simple or as fancy as you’d like. Keep in mind though, real estate farming is achieved through consistency, efficiency, expertise, and the right tools.
Door knocking, direct mail, sponsoring local events and e-mails including newsletters, “just listed” and “just sold” notices, postcards, fliers, market reports and the like are all different farming methods. Together, they’ll allow you to expand your business, generate more leads, and become a more successful real estate agent in your area. Through real estate farming, you’ll have the ability to increase your name recognition and the likelihood that qualified leads will reach out to you as they search for their home instead of chasing after them.
How to Get More Leads- The Bottom Line
Savvy agents utilize all (or some) of the above ideas and leverage each lead generation strategy in support of the others. When done right, all of the methods above can bring an agent a massive amount of leads in real estate. However, they won’t work if you act blindly. Thus, make sure you plan in advance, budget your expectations and track your efforts thoroughly. Do you have any other tips on how to get more leads or techniques that worked well for you in real estate lead generation?
As mentioned above, you also have the option of buying leads from lead generation companies – like Mashvisor! We find investors that are actively looking for agents, qualify the leads, and pass their information on to you. Click here to learn more about our lead generation program or schedule a demo.