When thinking about how to generate real estate leads, a lot of agents look for new and creative ways to approach this. While innovation is always a necessary element of a successful real estate business, sometimes reviewing the foundations of lead generation is all you need.
There are basic ways that, if approached strategically, really work for generating quality leads. So rather than racking your brain for new ways to land leads, check out these tried and true methods for how to generate real estate leads.
#1. Optimizing Your Real Estate Agent Website
If you don’t already have a professional website set up, then that is step 1 here. However, if you do have a website but it’s not one of your main sources for real estate leads, then you need to take a step back and review all the major aspects. That’s because a real estate agent website is a really effective platform for lead generation. Even if yours hasn’t been, it can and should be.
Review Your Site
Go back and review your online lead generation strategy for your website. Review your use of CTAs, landing pages, and make sure everything is as SEO-friendly as it can be. If something is not working, a thorough review and even research on new tactics of how to generate real estate leads through a website may be necessary. You can even consider hiring a professional to help.
Use Analytics Tools
Are you using analytics tools to track your website’s real estate lead generation? You need to know where your leads are coming from and make sure they are being nurtured on your website in an effective way. You can also use these tools to see where your leads are falling off your website and work to optimize those pages and weak points.
Read the second half of this post for inspiration: 20 Best Real Estate Websites for Agents
Add Live Chat
Consider adding live chat to your website as a way to interact with real estate leads. Some real estate agent websites skip out on this. They view it as a “customer support tool,” but you should be using it and viewing it as a “sales tool.” When you are able to answer the question of an online real estate lead or present them with key info in real time (or ASAP), it’s possible to push them down the funnel a little further. Even if they don’t convert immediately, they will see value in returning to you when they are ready.
Analytics tools can help you target the pages that require live chat- places where real estate leads are falling off or visiting often to no avail.
Create Valuable Content
Having a website that displays active listings, client testimonials, and your contact information is important. But take it a step further and set up a blog page. Here, you are adding another source for real estate lead generation. Writing blog posts about your local market, sharing neighborhood insights, and revealing your best tips for property buyers and sellers can move leads to reach out to you. Use CTAs in your posts and find ways to promote yourself through your content.
Most important of all, make sure all the content on your real estate agent website is SEO-friendly. That means using the right keywords and choosing the right topics to allow quality leads to find you through search engines. Content can be a powerful tool for real estate lead conversion if used correctly and consistently.
Don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up an SEO-friendly blog? Then claim your FREE agent profile at Mashvisor where you’ll always have a place to post content.
#2. Creating an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy
Just as you probably already have a website, it’s likely you have set up a page for yourself on every social media platform. But if you’re asking how to generate real estate leads and you do have a social media marketing strategy in place, then it’s not as effective as it could be.
Here are a few tips on how to generate real estate leads through LinkedIn and Facebook.
Facebook Real Estate Lead Generation Tips
This real estate marketing strategy isn’t as simple as we’d like to think, but there are a few things that can help push it to succeed.
Switch to a Business Profile
Your profile should be a “Business or Brand” profile. You have this option when you first sign up to Facebook. If you’re using your personal profile, it may be best to create a new profile. The difference is, with a Business Profile, you’ll be given different marketing tools to use which will allow you to advertise your real estate business more efficiently and keep track of its effectiveness.
Use Only the Best Images to Attract Leads
If you have the right profile, then the next step is to review all of the images you’re using- from your logo to your headshots. Do they all represent you and your real estate agent business in the best light? If not, then consider updating them with more suitable replacements. Sometimes it helps to look at the photos a few different successful real estate agents are using to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t.
Add a CTA Button
Are you using a CTA button? This CTA button is how to generate real estate leads through your profile. It’s an easy and obvious way for someone who lands on your profile to reach out to you. Choose the option that best suits you- whether it’s Call Now or Book an Appointment.
Share Content
Promote your content on Facebook, share useful content from around the platform, and interact with comment sections and groups. Setting up even a business profile and just letting it be is not the best way to generate leads for real estate. You have to be active for it to be effective.
Use Facebook Ads
Finally, don’t forget about setting up Facebook ad campaigns as well as messenger ads. Facebook has millions of users and you want to optimize your ads to reach as many real estate leads as possible. Be sure to use the tools provided by the platform or other tools to track your ads and adjust your real estate marketing strategy for what works and what doesn’t.
LinkedIn Real Estate Lead Generation Tips
The reason LinkedIn is getting a special spotlight here is that some real estate agents underutilize this powerful online lead generation tool. Setting up a profile and simply listing your past feats is not typically enough to get real estate leads.
Make Sure Your Profile Is Professional
Just like with Facebook, your LinkedIn profile has to be professional. Use appropriate headlines and photos to represent your real estate brand. Set a professional background photo for extra appeal to online leads. Check out your summary. Do you think it’s effective for lead generation? You can always review the summaries of some real estate influencers and see how they use this section properly.
Start Connecting
You don’t want to just send a connection request to people you already know or to just anyone either. Start thinking about people who could actually be real estate leads in your market as well as those that would make for great referral sources. Look to connect to real estate investors who make for a possible untapped source of leads for your business. Local lawyers, mortgage lenders, tax and financial advisors, and other real estate agents can be great connections to get more real estate referrals.
While everyone talks about utilizing Facebook groups as a way for how to generate real estate leads, LinkedIn groups are often overlooked. Join a few local ones. You can even consider creating one if you can’t find any good local ones. This will help establish you as a leader and also provide a place for a lot of home buyers/sellers and real estate professionals to congregate- one that may not have existed before.
Share Content
Sharing content on LinkedIn means reaching a different audience than on Facebook. You may find you end up with higher quality leads from this social media platform. How is that possible? Did you know that over 44% of LinkedIn users have an income of over $75,000? And 75% of users have an income of over $55,000. This is important as you need to target social media users that are in a financial place where buying a home or investing in real estate makes sense. And LinkedIn is probably your best bet. So share content and be active to make this real estate marketing strategy effective in generating quality leads.
Other social media platforms like Twitter and Pinterest can also be useful for generating leads. Be sure to review your strategy for all outlets and adjust and optimize.
Related: 5 Top Real Estate Marketing Strategies for Agents
#3. Cold-Calling Expired/Withdrawn and FSBO Listings
There is a lot of focus on getting more online real estate leads. While this, of course, needs to be part of your strategy, cold-calling can be just as effective. Before you skip ahead because you know cold-calling has a very low success rate, we are talking about specifically calling people who have properties they want to sell. You know they want to sell them as the listings were active at one point. So the chances of conversion are much higher here than cold-calling just anyone whose number you have come by. Of course, that’s if you approach this lead generation strategy correctly. Here are a few tips for cold-calling expired/withdrawn and FSBO listings.
Expired/Withdrawn Listings
The first step is research. Make sure the listing is no longer under the contract of another agent. Then, try to figure out what went wrong for this seller lead. It’s not always an inherent problem with the property itself. Sometimes, it comes down to insufficient marketing, bad photos, an unappealing description, ridiculous asking price, etc. Find a solution to the issue before picking up the phone. This will increase your chances of real estate lead conversion.
FSBO Listings
Don’t hesitate to contact FSBO listings just because it seems they have made up their mind on not working with a real estate agent. While you might have to suffer through a few speeches on why you charge too much for commission, you’re likely to find a lead who just wants to sell his/her property and is ready for help.
Experts are split on the best approach here. Do you contact FSBO leads right away to get ahead of the competition? Some believe calling first will keep you top of mind with the lead as everyone else will repeat the same pitch. Or do you wait a few weeks after the listing has become active? Here, it’s likely the lead will have realized how hard it is to sell a property without an agent. At that point, they could be ready to work with someone who offers help. You could combine the two approaches- try to be the first to call and then follow up a few weeks later.
If it’s your first time cold-calling FSBO listings, try a few different approaches and see what lands you more clients.
#4 Joining a Real Estate Lead Generation Program
Some agents have written off real estate lead generation companies. Why pay for something when you have found a few ways to do it for free? While that seems sound, if you really want to scale your business and always have qualified leads you can depend on to close a real estate deal, then lead generation programs are the answer.
The issue comes with which company/program to choose. Unfortunately, many will sell you a list of contact information and you have to figure out if each one is qualified or not. This can make buying real estate leads fruitless, especially when a whole list fails you. That’s why many avoid this method of how to generate real estate leads.
Well, Mashvisor has found a solution to this issue with lead-gen programs. First, the contact info we have isn’t of just anyone- it’s of real estate investors who have started searching for an investment property on our platform. Then, rather than just passing on their info, we put them through our lead qualification process and then it’s your turn. You decide if they are the quality real estate clients you’re looking for. If not, you don’t pay for those leads and we work to pass on the number of leads you have signed up for that you can actually convert. It makes buying real estate leads worth every penny.
Not sold on buying leads yet? Then schedule a demo and learn more about how Mashvisor’s lead generation program can boost your career.
#5 Strategizing to Get Real Estate Referrals
Waiting for the natural interactions with your SOI (sphere of influence) to pay off in referrals doesn’t have the best results. Instead, you have to form a strategy to get more referrals. A few basic tips for real estate agents include:
- Keep in touch with past and present leads/clients. They have to remember and value your relationship to be able to refer you.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals. Just be respectful and make sure the timing is appropriate.
- Network to expand your SOI. Go to local gatherings of professionals and get yourself out there. These people can end up being great sources of referrals.
Most importantly, you have to remember that everyone around you is either a lead or a source of referrals. Carry yourself in a manner that you hope would reflect on your business and boost your career.
Learn more: 5 Great Ways to Get More Real Estate Referrals
#6. Nurturing Real Estate Leads
The final strategy is lead nurturing. This might not sound like it fits in with a list of ways to generate leads, but it really can be a great source. A lot of leads that land in your lap may not be ready to buy or sell property yet. They’re simply not at that stage in your real estate sales funnel and that’s okay. At some point down the line, they will be and you want to be the real estate agent they turn to.
You can only ensure this by keeping up your relationship with them. Provide value through email campaigns, send them your newsletter, share content from your blog, follow up with automated emails to save time, and wait. This investment might take some time and even some money, but you’ll find it’s worth it in the end when leads you found 6 months ago are calling you and saying “I’m ready.” It’s one of the most effective ways for how to generate real estate leads.
If You’re Wondering How to Generate Real Estate Leads…
The answer may be in some of the basic ways you are already aware of. If any of these strategies have been failing you, then you should go back and review them as they are all great ways to generate leads.
Of course, every real estate agent, niche, market, and client is unique. So it’s possible one of these strategies is working better and will always work better for your business. It doesn’t hurt to review the classic ways of real estate lead generation and make sure you’re attacking each channel in the best possible way. Use this list of 6 ways that really work to help you do just that.
If someone were to ask you how to generate real estate leads, what would be your first response?
Need more ideas? Read: How to Get More Leads for Your Real Estate Business in 2019
