Being a real estate agent can be a very lucrative career. However, one of the biggest challenges that real estate agents face is generating leads in real estate. In such a competitive industry, your ability to get new prospects will determine your success. Otherwise, you are likely to go broke, regardless of how good you are. Therefore, you should learn how to get real estate leads. There are countless real estate lead generation ideas you can follow. However, not all of them will be effective and give you the best results. If you want to maximize your efforts in real estate lead generation in 2020, you should focus on the most effective strategies. You need to look at the methods that the most successful real estate agents are using. To make your work easier, this blog will take you through the tried and tested real estate lead generation tips and ideas.
Here are the 20 best real estate lead generation ideas that real estate agents should follow in 2020:
1. Real Estate Referrals
When it comes to real estate lead generation ideas, real estate referrals are the most reliable and will cost you nothing. Your previous clients are your greatest advocates. Make sure you stay connected with your past clients as well as your friends and family. Basically, everyone around you can be a source of real estate leads. When someone from their own personal network needs an agent, they will be able to refer them to you. You can offer a certain percentage discount to your commission to someone who provides you with a referral as an incentive. It’s best if you start building a referral system early on as a beginner. Always give your clients excellent service, appreciate them, and ask for referrals. Don’t forget to follow up even after you close the deal.
2. Social Media Real Estate Marketing
Social media has revolutionized real estate marketing. In this day and age, social media real estate marketing is among the best real estate lead generation ideas and you shouldn’t leave it out of your real estate lead generation strategy in 2020. Some of the social media platforms you can use include Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Use social media to engage and establish relationships with prospects, stay in touch with previous clients, and promote your brand. Join social media groups, post relevant content, engage prospects by commenting, etc.
3. Videos
Many real estate agents don’t realize the potential of using videos for real estate marketing. Very few real estate agents actually create videos. However, videos are very effective at driving engagement and can help you get more leads. In fact, viewers tend to spend more time on pages that have videos. They are more personal, engage potential leads, and are also easy to share.
Related: Keeping Up with New Trends in Real Estate Marketing for Agents
4. Follow Up on Old Leads
One mistake that many real estate agents make is neglecting stalled leads. If a prospect is not ready to buy now, you shouldn’t throw away their number. Follow up your stalled deals a few months down the line without making them feel pressured or cornered.
Related: 10 of the Worst Real Estate Lead Generation Mistakes to Avoid
5. Ask for Testimonials
Testimonials are good for real estate prospecting since they show potential clients that there are real people who endorse your services. This helps to build trust. Prospects will often check your reviews to decide if you are worth contacting. Therefore, make sure leveraging reviews is among the real estate lead generation ideas you follow in 2020. You can do this by adding a review page on your website. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your clients for reviews. You can share these testimonials on social networks and third-party real estate platforms.
6. Build Your Own Real Estate Agent Website
Creating your own web presence allows you to showcase your specialties, share past client reviews, and build a personal brand. To make your website generate real estate leads, ensure you optimize it. There are a number of ways you can optimize your website, including having a user-friendly design and using keywords. Your brokerage may give you a page on their website. However, having your own website ensures that your presence in the local housing market is cohesive even if you switch brokerage.
7. Provide Valuable Content
Another way to generate real estate leads online is to create a blog on your website and provide valuable content. Write blog posts that provide answers to questions from consumers in your housing market and help them make better decisions. This shows that you are a knowledgeable real estate agent. You can also choose to hire a freelance writer if you aren’t a writer or don’t have the time.
8. Use Lead Generation Websites
There are websites that allow real estate agents to get new prospects by creating an agent profile. Such websites usually have a high traffic of people trying to find properties for sale. Some websites also sell qualified leads to agents.
Interested in a free agent profile? Click here to claim yours at Mashvisor.
9. Network
Networking plays a significant role in lead generation for real estate agents. As you know, real estate is a people business. In 2020, one of your goals should be to build personal relationships with other real estate professionals. You can meet new prospects by attending industry events, seminars, conferences, and membership group meetings. By putting yourself out there, you also open yourself up to more referrals.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Networking for Agents
10. Master a Niche
In a saturated area where real estate marketing competition is stiff, it is hard to be the best. One of the real estate lead generation ideas you can use to make yourself stand out is going niche. Select a particular niche and master it to become the go-to agent for that niche. You will also be able to focus your real estate marketing efforts on that specific group. The goal is to develop a reputation as an expert in that field.
11. Local Sponsorship
Sponsoring local events will create a positive reputation around your name, increase your exposure, build trust, and increase your odds of generating real estate leads. For instance, consider sponsoring a local school event, sports team, or charity event.
12. Reached Out to Expired Listings
One of the best real estate lead generation ideas for agents targeting seller leads is contacting expired listings. These are sellers who, for some reason, failed to sell. Reach out and open a conversation with them to figure out what went wrong. If they are still looking to sell, offer to help them. You need to prove to them that you can help find a solution to the issue.
13. Email Newsletter
You can also generate real estate leads through drip marketing. Send prospects small email newsletters from time to time, say once a week. You can also include useful videos and links to your blog posts.
14. Business cards
Though simple and assumed by some agents, this is one of the central real estate generation ideas. Having a business card is a must for real estate agents. You can always hand them to new people you meet. However, make sure they look awesome and professional.
15. Find “For Sale By Owner” Listings
Some property owners may list a property on their own simply because they don’t know a real estate agent who can help them. You can convert such people into real estate deals. Some may have been trying to sell for a while without success and will be glad to receive help. You can search for FSBO listings online and contact them.
16. Organize Educational Events
To build your personal brand and generate leads at the same time, consider hosting educational events in your community. Teach the local consumers about real estate, such as buying a home.
17. Attend Open Houses
Open houses are a good source of buyer leads and seller leads. They are one of the inexpensive real estate lead generation ideas to follow in 2020. Some buyers show up without having a real estate agent. Therefore, you can present yourself to them and offer to help.
18. Paid Advertising
You can also invest in paid advertising. Although this option is going to cost you some money, it is an effective method for agents looking for real estate leads. There are several real estate websites that offer advertising options for real estate agents. You could also run Facebook ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Google Ads. Other methods of advertising, such as placing ads in newspapers and posting on a billboard, will also help you generate some leads.
19. Drop Leaflets
This is an excellent way for real estate agents to generate leads. Just make sure you keep in mind demographics and find the right target audience.
20. Partner Up with a Local Real Estate Related Business
You can also partner with local businesses or real estate professionals to broaden your audience base, thus increasing lead gen potential.
The Bottom Line
It is crucial for real estate agents to always generate new real estate leads to keep their business on the track to success. Most successful real estate agents have a system in place to generate leads daily. These 20 real estate lead generation ideas all give you the opportunity to take your real estate agent career to the next level. Give them a try and you will be rewarded with valuable clients for years to come.
Don’t forget to qualify all of your leads! You can do so automatically with Mashboard. Learn more.
Looking for a way to attract new clients? Claim your free agent profile at Mashvisor.
