Real estate lead generation strategies, tips, and ideas for 2023
In this guide, we will cover all top Real Estate Lead Generation strategies & tips. Start generating real estate leads, today!
A successful real estate firm is driven by the generation of real estate leads. Real estate lead generation can be done naturally through networking, family, and friends, or it can be done for a fee using lead-generating services, marketing, and advertising.
What is lead generation for realtors?
Lead generation is actions you take as a business to generate new sales leads with the understanding that the more leads generated, the more business you’ll generate. Lead generation can take different forms, such as Social Media, Advertisements, and Direct Mail. Each form of lead generation is important and will be useful to you throughout your career as a realtor.
Top lead generation strategies for realtors
There are a ton of lead generation strategies for realtors to choose from. It can be overwhelming to choose which strategy to go with but remember that the most important thing is that your strategy caters to potential leads throughout every step of the customer journey. In doing so, you will be able to gather as many leads as possible.
You should also consider the best way to manage all of your leads and track your progress. Implementing a CRM solution is a great way to make this happen. You don’t want to end up collecting leads and then not properly utilizing them!
1. Work on building a brand
Let’s face it, competition in the world of real estate is intense and if you are going to stand out building a unique personal brand is the best place to start. By building a strong personal brand that people can relate to, they will remember you as someone they want to work with when they need a real estate agent. Think of your brand as a way to generate leads 24/7.
Create a visual style
Part of building your brand is creating a coherent visual style to go with it. You want to come up with a style that people will automatically associate with you. Consistency is key here! Use the same visual style on everything so that there is no confusion. There is definitely room for creativity here, but we think simplicity is a good way to go.
Build a website around your visual style
Once you have decided on a direction for your visual language, build a website incorporating design elements that fall within your style guidelines. The color scheme of your website should match the colors you have chosen to use in other areas of your brand. Make sure to include your logo, but don’t overcrowd your website with unnecessary things. Popular platforms would be Wix or WordPress.
2. Email marketing for realtors
The purpose of email marketing for realtors is to help drive traffic to your website and generate more leads. Email marketing is also a way to stay relevant in the minds of people you already know and may have worked with in the past. Make sure your emails are providing something of value to the reader, like a free consultation so they don’t feel like you’re spamming them.
Create a branded email signature
Another important element of email marketing for realtors is creating a branded email signature. Email signatures take emails to the next level by creating an automatic heir of professionalism. Email signatures are also a great way to tie your personal brand and visual style into your email marketing strategies. They also make it easy for the reader to know exactly who they are communicating with and how to get in touch with you.
Email signature for realtors example by WiseStamp:
3. Host open houses
Open houses are a hotbed for real estate leads. Anyone who attends an open house is a potential lead. The great thing about open houses versus other types of lead generation strategies is that they are a chance to meet people in person. Connections can be formed easier face to face than over email.
Make sure that when hosting an open house, you approach every attendee and introduce yourself and provide as much information as possible about the property and yourself. Another crucial step is gathering contact information from as many people as possible and following up with them a few days after the open house.
4. Never stop networking
Networking is a big part of any business and real estate is no different. Expanding your circle and meeting new people is an important part of getting your name out there. Networking can be done in circles with other real estate professionals, but it doesn’t end there.
Pretty much every social interaction is a networking opportunity. If you position yourself as an authority figure on the market and all things real estate, people will remember you the next time they need to buy or sell a house. The more people you know, the more potential leads.
5. Video marketing for realtors
Video marketing is a very effective lead-generation tool for realtors. People want to see what properties look like before committing to an in-person tour and videos are the perfect way to show them. Videos can also be used to generate leads in many other ways, check out our blog post for more details about the best ways to use video marketing.
10 Video Marketing Ideas for Real Estate Agents
Video by ThinkMedia TV
6. Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is more of a long game when it comes to generating leads. It takes time to build up your ranking and you will need to do research about keywords to use in your listing to help boost you. However, the effort is definitely worth it.
Many people rely on Google to search for everything, including realtors. The higher you rank in the search results, the more likely people are to click on your website or listings. The more people click on your listings, the more potential leads.
7. Paid search
Not the billboard type. If you want your advertising to succeed it has to be focused.
Google Adwords, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads offer target advertising schemes that can suit the budgets of small businesses. Often they are based on a cost-per-click business model.
With Google Adwords, you can target search words, geographic location, and the language of your target audience while Facebook Ads can make sure you reach the right audience by targeting age, gender, and/or specific pages that your target audience liked.
Your advertising possibilities are endless. Think about your ideal client, your target prospects, and your budget.
8. Social media advertising
Social media provides real estate agents with the opportunity to reach out and communicate daily with their target audience, on a personal basis.
According to Sprout Social’s Consumer Engagement Index, the real estate industry ranks second for incoming messages – meaning that people are looking to engage with realtors on social media.
However, according to the index, many of those messages are not getting answered, that is, many realtors are not taking advantage of the opportunity to engage via social platforms. That’s a shame. Because it means many realtors are losing out on opportunities to become known.
Social media doesn’t have to be complicated and if you’re looking to build a successful realty business, then it’s really time for you to get on the social media bandwagon.
Example of social media infographic that got a lot of shares
By advertising on LinkedIn Ads you’ll be able to tailor advertising to a specific job title, industry and company size, seniority, age, gender or by the particular LinkedIn groups your target audience belongs to.
LinkedIn is basically the land of virtual business networking. Here you can quite literally build a network of people who double as an audience for your real estate content. Anyone who views your content is a potential lead.
You can also join local real estate groups to stay in the know about the market in your area. Building your LinkedIn profile will build credibility and act as evidence of your status in the real estate world.
Having a business page on Facebook is also important for real estate lead generation. By creating an attractive page that incorporates your brand’s style, you are sure to draw the attention of potential clients. Facebook also offers a business suite that makes the process of setting up and maintaining your page super easy.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms with millennials, with 43% of millennials purchasing new homes in 2022 that’s not a demographic you want to miss out on. Generating leads on Instagram can be done through a combination of content like photos and reels and using popular hashtags so new people can find you.
TikTok
TikTok is hot right now and with one billion active users, has huge lead generation potential for realtors. Utilizing TikTok involves building your personal brand within the app. To do so you will need to put out videos that focus on the niche real estate demographic. Get creative and don’t be afraid to participate in viral trends when they serve you.
Google My Business
You can create a business profile for yourself on Google for free. This helps to verify your business information on Google so more people can find you more easily and connect with you. You can also manage your online presence and interact with people by responding to questions or reviews from within Google My Business.
Other social networks
Depending on your clientele you might find that working on other social networks will be beneficial. Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube are other popular examples of ways to reach potential leads. You don’t have to be active on every single social media platform, but it is a good idea to build an omnipresent social media presence to help generate as many leads as possible.
9. Neighborhood farming
A popular strategy in realtor lead generation is neighborhood farming. No, we don’t mean laying down some new crops. Neighborhood farming is focusing on generating leads in one specific area or neighborhood. This strategy requires learning about the demographic in the area you want to target, and marketing to them accordingly. This can be done via email, direct mail, and other marketing tactics.
10. Direct Mail
Direct mail is unsought for advertising sent to prospective customers via snail mail.
I know what you’re thinking. Snail mail? Who uses snail mail today? But while direct mail may not be the best way to advertise every business, it’s actually an excellent form of advertising for realtors.
With direct mail, you can showcase a property you’ve successfully sold and also gain new leads without having to worry about an overwhelming response.
Do the following to create a successful direct mail campaign:
- Research who your target prospects are.
- Make a list of their names and addresses or buy a mailing list that will target your prospects.
- Create a great mailing piece.
- Mail at the post office
Note: Because you’re a real estate agent, your mailing piece doesn’t need to be more than a postcard.
One side should feature a picture of a property that you sold and a headline or question that will make your prospect want to read about your offer. The other side of the postcard should feature the benefits of working with you, a call to action, and your details.
11. Use a lead generation service for realtors
Leveraging technology is one of the best ways to get and manage real estate leads. Choosing a service depends on what your goals are. We have provided three suggestions for services you might find helpful.
- HootSuite is a social media management system that will help you keep track of and manage the networks you join.
- Task Rabbit is a smart service to use to hire someone to deliver your direct mailing.
- Act! is an easy-to-navigate customer management system designed to make you more efficient and profitable. It will help make following up on your new client relationships easy.
Explore other guides
Realtor lead generation action plan:
- Open a Twitter account, LinkedIn account, and Facebook page for your business, a Trulia account, and a Homesnap profile
- Follow realtors on Twitter
- Join relevant LinkedIn groups
- Post listings on Facebook and follow relevant pages
- Promote listings on Trulia
- Select your area on Homesnap
- Follow great real estate blogs
- Start engaging by sharing top-notch content with prospects and clients
- Send out a direct mailing
- Make a list with your prospect’s names and addresses or buy a mailing list
- Create a great direct mail piece
- Advertise with GoogleAdwords, Facebook Ads and LinkedIn Ads
More lead generation ideas for realtors
We told you the possibilities for a lead generation were virtually endless but just in case you need a few more ideas, we have provided some bonuses. Remember, it might take you some time to figure out what works best for you. Don’t be afraid to try different strategies until you land on the most effective one for lead generation.
Send sales letters to homeowners
There are different methods of sending direct mail to homeowners. One method aims to reach a wider audience by periodically sending general information on postcards. While this method is a good idea, you are unlikely to receive a direct response from this type of mail.
Instead, try sending personalized sales letters to homeowners. Do the research and reach out to homeowners with the potential for immediate action. You are much more likely to generate leads this way.
Cold calling
Sure, it might not be the most glamorous method of generating leads, but you don’t have much to lose. Cold calling is a proactive way of trying to reach as many potential leads as possible. Let’s put it this way, there’s a reason people still do it!
Host buyers’ seminars
Hosting buyers’ seminars is another great way to generate leads by meeting people face-to-face. Prospective buyers often have many questions and appreciate the opportunity to ask them in person. You want to come off as someone who can answer any question and ease any worry. Gather the attendees’ information and follow up with them post-seminar to help push leads.
Work on “divorce leads”
Divorce leads are a relatively untapped source of potential real estate leads. Of course, sensitivity is a must for anyone hoping to gain the business of people going through something as rough as divorce. That said, the reality is that many people going through a divorce are either buying or selling homes and need a real estate agent to help.
Look for expired listings
Expired listings are properties that didn’t sell after their debut on the market. Calling up people you already know who are looking to sell a home seems like better odds for generating leads than cold calling. That said, many realtors check expired listings so expect some serious competition in this area.
Start generating real estate leads, today!
Lead generation in the real estate business is not always easy. It takes time to build a personal brand, credibility, and effective marketing strategies. But don’t give up hope just yet! While competition can be fierce, if you utilize the strategies we outlined in our article, you will be generating new leads in no time.
