Like many industries everywhere, the real estate industry is also evolving with the changing times. What worked even five years ago is not very effective now. The lead-generating game is becoming even more challenging, especially when information is readily available with a few taps of the keyboard.
From using Facebook ads to ranking your website on Google, what works and what doesn’t? Many agents are looking for new, bright and innovative strategies to get leads and increase their business. Trying new and fresh ways to obtain leads will help you stay on top of the game.
Whatever you do to get leads, make sure you conduct business in the most ethical way possible. Also, be mindful of personal data and information. As your contact list grows, use the best real estate CRM platform to help you manage the client information easily. This tool will help you to organize information quickly and easily, allowing you to focus on getting new leads.
Here are seven unique ways on how to get leads as a real estate agent:
1. Seasonal treats giveaway
Whenever a holiday or celebration is around the corner, you can gift wrap small treats to hand together with your business card. Whether you’re handing out business cards at the mall, meeting people at a networking seminar or attending an event, attach your business card with a seasonal treat. Heart-shaped chocolate for Valentine’s day or a candy cane for Christmas is different treats that can easily be attached to your business card.
2. Go to non-real estate events
If you’re going to a real-estate event where other real estate agents will be, the odds of meeting quality leads are slim. Real estate mixers and networking events are great. However, if you’re looking for quality leads, you need to step out of the real-estate events and get into non-real-estate local events.
Go to your local community funfair Sunday pottery workshop or even a book club. Your next client could be someone who loves a good old classic book just like you do.
3. Engage, don’t sell
Speaking of events, when you go to non-networking ones, remember not to sell .’Instead, you want to engage in conversation and invest in people’s interests. Go to an event you’ll truly enjoy and engage, interact and communicate with like-minded people who share the same interests you.
When you are genuine with your conversations, it’ll show, and people will be more inclined to be interested in what you do. This is when you can tell them about your profession and give them your card. Even if you don’t get any leads, you’ll spend time doing something you love.
4. Host a workshop for first-time homeowners
First-time buyers of properties are looking for insightful information on what to do, what to look out for, and how to find suitable properties. People are looking for genuine and valuable information that they can use to help them solve their problems.
A great way to obtain quality leads is to offer information and knowledge to others either through a charity workshop, an online webinar or a podcast. Organize these workshops with the sole intention of helping people get the correct information.
This will give people an opportunity to learn something from you, and you’ll be more memorable to them as a real person rather than just another agent selling them a house.
5. Farm your local area
You can farm your local area using predictive analytics in the internet age. You can use online tools such as SmartZip to mine through various data points from the internet and the local MLS. This data is used to point you to property owners and potential buyers in your targeted geographic area who are most likely to sell and buy.
AI targeting tools that help with data mining can help you focus only on a portion of the community already ready to buy and sell.
6. Host a real estate seminar
Information may be freely available online; however, many homeowners, renovators, brokers, interior designers and furniture suppliers are all looking for quality information.
Offering to host a seminar with information related to the industry can help people move in the right direction, and it can also connect people within the same industry. This low-pressure space is an ideal setting to generate quality leads.
7. Reward your referral sources
Word-of-mouth and referrals from colleagues, friends and associates are still some of the best ways to obtain quality leads. You want to keep your referrals happy. After all, giving you the contact and consent of their friends and acquaintances is not an easy task. They do it because they trust that you’re one of the best real estate agents in town and you’ll offer the very best service to their friends.
Whenever you do get a referral, reward your sources. Giving your referral sources a handwritten note or a gift card is one way to show your appreciation. It’s also a great way to connect with your clients, friends and family. This will ensure that you’re more likely to stay in their minds and become the person to call should someone else require real-estate services.
