Does it feel like the well of ideas is running dry as you try to drum up business to keep your pipeline healthy? Even if you’re a seasoned veteran, it always helps to take a step back and go to the drawing board to see if there are some tactics you can revisit or put a new spin on.
Real Estate Lead generation tactics constantly evolve. What brought in a host of leads last month might not work for you now. Constant change calls for a switch in marketing and lead generation strategies for real estate agents.
To help you think outside the box, here are 69 real estate lead generation ideas. These underrated and unspoken-for lead generation strategies should keep your phone ringing.
Find It Fast
Offline real estate lead generation ideas (17)
Make personal outbound phone calls
You don’t always need to go out seeking prospects for your business. Comb through your phone contacts and make outbound calls to those you believe can be prospects. Contact people you know — it will cost nothing. Start with setting up a doable daily goal. Once you complete one lead conversion, you can get more with consistency as days pass.
Build local connections for more referrals
An experienced real estate agent would say referrals are the best source for harnessing new leads. The only problem with referrals is that they are hard to come by and even more challenging for new agents. However, you can always work on building up your local connections to generate more referrals.
With a new strategic approach, reach out to clients in a targeted geographic area to get hands-on local leads and referrals after every positive conversion.
Attend a first-time buyers’ seminar
Information for all real estate-related queries is available, but people attend a first-time buyers’ seminar to gain more in-depth knowledge. Potential buyers have many questions and get new ideas and even more questions in a group setting. Make the situation favorable for you by jotting down a list of commonly asked questions by first-time buyers and answering their questions to generate more leads from the seminar information and attendees.
Pitch to news outlets
Dig up more clients by pitching to news outlets — a proven strategy for getting and converting more leads. You can get a commendable list of calls when backed by a reputable publication. Sell your property listings quickly and gain more new clients by their referrals. You can also expect media coverage.
Knock on doors
While everyone is busy leveraging only the digital platforms, take advantage of the traditional methods of door-to-door communication. Head out for fresh air, and knock on some doors. An added benefit is that it’s an excellent opportunity to hone your elevator pitch and practice your sales skills.
Master cold calling
Take the bold route and pick up your clients instantly rather than waiting for them to approach you. Sure, it can be a little intimidating to experience hang-ups, but you need to build a thick skin to become a top real estate agent.
Free seasonal treats with business cards
You can always share your business cards during seasonal affairs. For example, you can hand out your business cards when you go shopping in a mall, or if you prefer, share festive items. Another idea is to pass out water bottles with your business name and the services you offer.
Join your local chamber of commerce
Join your local chamber of commerce to get on the listing for names and businesses in newsletters and websites. Get referrals, make valuable connections, and work on lead generation established in your area by becoming a member of the town and county chambers where you belong or in nearby areas.
Become a coffee house consultant
It may sound a tad bit cliché, but if you do spend some time at a nearby coffee shop, how about adding a tiny ‘Free real estate advice’ sticker on your laptop. It provides free advertising to people in the coffee shop who see you, and it may attract more leads.
Buy exclusive seller leads
You also have a shortcut to leads. You can access several online platforms for leveraging and getting the desired data for real estate leads. Depending on their ZIP code, you can get exclusive leads for real estate agents. The platform provides you with the best seller leads at the beginning of the buyer journey before agents can approach to pitch them.
Plan out your holidays
Most employees prefer to take vacations and holidays. Your real estate agent competitors are most likely taking a break during the holidays. You do not need to work all through your holidays to create lead-generation tactics. Instead, set a plan that entails all of the aspects of lead generation while you have fun with your family. Plan out strategies focusing on automation to dominate the market for exclusive lead generation. Another trick to leverage holidays is having holiday-themed listings for your respective leads. You could even plan pictures for your holiday-decorated homes and post them on social media.
Work on divorce leads
If you want to think outside the box and close more deals, think about leads that come with a court order to sell the home. Focus on leads that need or want to move. While working on divorce leads, you need ample patience and empathy, but divorce leads can be quicker to close.
Networking at non-real estate events
Many brands focus on generating demand for their products/services before selling the solution. Similarly, as a real estate agent, you can network at non-real estate events and generate leads for the future.
Pitch to your local news media
Take advantage of your local print media and publish your property listings in the newspapers for the locals to see. Even when they may not be interested in your listing, they may share your information with someone who might be interested.
Target FSBOs
With the right approach and consistency, focusing on the FSBO niche can help you have a steady list of leads. Do not approach them with a know-it-all attitude. Instead, communicate and interact with them in a way where you subtly promote your value.
Attend open houses
Open houses are still one of the most popular and preferred approaches for attracting respective clients. Regardless of the house, you are selling, arrange an open house. Invite potential buyers and their real estate professional representatives to your showcase of the house and spark their interest.
Give back to the community
Besides attending parties, events, and social gatherings in the community, volunteer for a charity or a nonprofit event. Start making a difference to earn trust in the community.
Online real estate lead generation ideas (19)
Learn SEO backlinking techniques
SEO has proven to be the best technique to spread brand awareness, boost traffic and generate leads. To be specific, SEO backlinks help draw more leads to your real estate business by having other sites link back to yours.
Focus on brand building
You can generate leads while you sleep by establishing an exclusively compelling and memorable brand. A brand is formed by how people talk about your services and products. Remember, this will bring a compound interest in the investments made to the business. Over time, all the deposits to the bank will turn into a massive lead generation machine bringing you prospects even while you sleep.
Using predictive analytics to get leads from the local area
For a couple of years now, predictive analysis has been a part of real estate lead generation tactics. Several platforms and channels offer predictive analysis to bring you leads from your local area. These tools use artificial intelligence and machine learning to parse hundreds of data points and find the leads you want. The tool scours through the Internet and gathers information from the local MLS to determine your targeted geographic area’s property owners.
Build an attractive UX/UI website
While current real estate websites are excellent, user experiences have them asking for improvements. Spending money on a well-designed, developed, and maintained website is an investment for your business. If you get the content and features right, your website can be the lead magnet for lead generation. It’s not easy to build a website, so having a professional build it for you might be worth the cost.
Rank articles on Google for listings
Too many real estate agents believe Google ranking is a thing of the past. Grow your interest in a property organically by targeting niche-specific keywords on Google that showcase your listings by using dedicated single-property websites that capture local search traffic. The article will be for an individual property listing with pictures and a story behind them. Potential buyers can explore their opinions on the properties and their strengths and weaknesses. The buyer hears the tone and gets a feel for personality from the honest insights of the properties they are considering buying.
Launch an email campaign
Email is one of the best resources to get leads for real estate. Designed and well-strategized email campaigns can bring a higher opening rate and work as a powerful marketing tool with potential for real estate lead generation.
PPC Advertisements
Generate leads via targeted search engine placements using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. These text-only ads will show up at the top of searches and if done correctly will produce high-quality, low-cost leads. If you are on a tight budget, leverage PPC ads.
Start a podcast
Today, 160 million+ Americans have listened to podcasts. Creating a podcast is an effective long-term marketing tool. If you can captivate listeners with a regular cadence of fodder for their daily commute or interesting tidbits to listen to while they complete household chores, you can build a strong loyal following.
The only drawback here is that it is difficult to localize a podcast audience. You can get around this by making the topics specific to your market and advertising the podcast in your locality.
Affiliate marketing
Leverage affiliate marketing to earn a commission by recommending others’ businesses or services. Investors may also take advantage of this affiliate marketing technique by having others recommend your product or services.
Online local Ads
Use online ads to take advantage of a local market targeting local homeowners. This is a traditional advertisement technique for generating real estate leads.
Create a quiz
Asking questions is one of the best ways to pique people’s interest in engaging with your services or brand. A quiz will drum up potential buyers and improve credibility.
Answer online questions
Don’t only focus on asking questions. Also, put effort into answering questions. You can use this opportunity to showcase your authentic and credible resources.
Use a pop-up ad
No more asking prospects about their interest in your business. You can simply pop up and grab the opportunity. An excellent real estate lead generation method, pop-up ads act as non-intrusive exposure — advantageous for real estate investors.
Take advantage of Craigslist
If you are looking to reach out to a more extensive set audience, try Craigslist. The site generates more than 40 billion page views per month and more than 50 billion users monthly in the US alone.
Create a virtual tour
Videos are popular at all times. Yet, real estate agents fail to take full advantage. Add a virtual tour of the property to your listing for a nice little touch to the listing.
Submit a PR release
Write and submit a PR release to provide yourself with brand recognition and jumpstart lead generation. Thanks to the power of the Internet, the PR release has the potential to reach a more comprehensive set of audiences.
Sponsor a web post
Take a step further to find and invest in sponsoring a web post. This real estate lead generation idea shall combine both content and image to give potential buyers a nice blend of authenticity, credibility, and brand exposure.
Scale your lead generation with CRM
Regardless of your industry and niche when working with lead generation, you need to scale your process with a CRM. A CRM will help you better handle lead generation, scaling, and nurturing processes. An intelligent CRM involves AI-based intelligence, machine learning, and essential human intelligence. The CRM dashboard helps in understanding and analyzing leads’ behaviors even before they are ready to transact.
Add your property listing on Facebook Marketplace
Facebook offers a marketplace where you can list your properties with the necessary information in the groups. The groups are mostly named “Flats in City Name.” Some of these groups ask new members to read policies and fill out questions before they accept them. After you complete those steps, start listing your properties.
Unique real estate lead generation ideas (9)
Help buyers find an investment, not only a home
Not all agents know buyers’ needs for real estate investing versus their needs for a primary residence. Work with your business managers and accountants to understand and offer potential buyers the best deal. Buyers not only want a home, but they also want an investment. You can guide them to have a win-win situation for all parties. An excellent real estate agent directs their buyers toward the right path based on their wants and needs.
Put up Bandit signs
Although in debate, Bandit signs are the best tool for real estate investors. They are similar to billboards and act as the perfect marketing sign. Real estate lead generation becomes more accessible with this type of exposure.
Start a partnership
Real estate can flourish when integrated with a partnership. Besides providing exceptional real estate knowledge, you can share skills and contacts and provide moral support in case the need arises.
Real estate auctions
You can take care of stressed sellers by generating leads through real estate auction events. Besides networking, real estate auctions are the ultimate source of lead generation for real estate agents to have both buyers and sellers.
Partner with a local handyman
You can partner with the local handyman to provide an invaluable resource to investors. These workers are the first to hear when someone wants to buy or sell properties. As they handle repairs, renovation, and upgrades, they also come across the needs of potential buyers.
Advertise in local newsletters
You can advertise in your local newspaper or newsletter. This advertising will help your branding and can also work as a lead magnet for easier lead generation.
Sponsor a local program
No marketing tactics or strategies are too small to quest leads. As a new or a beginner real estate investor, you may utilize the local program to network and attract new clients.
Advertise on the radio
Radios are not outdated. In fact, a large part of the population is still active on the radio. Radios can sway the mindset of potential buyers and sellers daily, especially if they hear you often.
Use automated text marketing
Text messages have a 97% open rate compared to the 20% open rate of emails. But, the problem lies in approaching the individual leads via text messages. It consumes more time than cold calling and bulk emailing. Therefore, indulge in text automation if you want to send texts to your leads. Using the automated tools, you can get more clients or, at the very least, establish your brand among your prime users.
Direct real estate lead generation ideas (5)
Use leaflets
Leaflet distribution can be one of the best lead-generation tactics for investors. You can share your business and services via leaflets to attract more leads when starting your lead generation.
Use business cards
When you visit someone or engage in networking, share your business cards with them and update them about your business.
Use door hangers
A simple door hanger can bring surprising results for real estate agents. It reinstates the old-school or traditional mentality of doing whatever it takes to approach clients. It also shows that the person planning to invest in real estate is open to possibilities.
Send sales letters to absentee owners
For sending letters, you have two distinct options: drip mail and direct mail. Drip mail is when you send out postcards or flyers to all of the contacts and residents of a neighborhood or your contact list. On the other hand, direct mail is when you send mail to select recipients.
Approaching old or expired listings
After a year or so, listings become unlisted. You may want to reach out to the owners of those listings and find out if they still want to sell their property. When you scrutinize your listings, you will come across a few potential listings ready to sell. If you have a list of people interested in older properties or properties within their budget needing a bit of repair, then this is the perfect deal for you.
Free real estate lead generation ideas (4)
Share testimonials
Nothing benefits your business better than positive word of mouth from past clients to potential clients. These testimonials act as endorsements for your business and bring in new clients.
Be part of garage sales
Get out in front of your clients by interacting with potential prospects at garage sales. This will bring more clients, and then you can attract future buyers with the right strategy.
Ask for referrals
Don’t beat around the bush. Simply ask for referrals from your friends, family, relatives, and coworkers.
World-class customer service
Besides merely focusing on attracting new leads, you should also emphasize customer service for your clients. If you provide exceptional service to your clients, they can bring you more clients in the future.
Social media real estate lead generation ideas (15)
Create an avatar of your client to target them on social media
Create an avatar of your client based on their preferences, interests, needs, personality, family, age, and hobbies. Once you learn about your ideal customer, create and post videos and blogs on different social media platforms. Identify your ideal client and post about things they love to attract them and divert their attention towards you.
Build credibility in Facebook groups
Facebook makes a great place for real estate agents and potential buyers to collaborate and find the best listing together. You don’t need to create a new group. Instead, join existing ones. Once you get accepted into the group, you can start discussions like ‘What stops you from buying your dream home?’. Questions like these will trigger buyers to share their problems, and you can work out the problem and serve them with an ideal solution.
Drive engagement with Instagram stories
Like any other social media channel, you can leverage the changing Instagram algorithms. Recently, Instagram has been pushing its users to create and share more video content. This content helps creators engage with the platform and have their followers follow them and engage with them. Creating Instagram stories and engaging users here is no easy task. It won’t come naturally to the agents, especially older agents.
Prospect on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for an array of businesses, so you can leverage it for the real estate niche, as well. The platform is designed to attract business professionals and for professional networking.
Create LinkedIn ads
Don’t only use organic methods on the LinkedIn platform o grow your brand’s following. The platform is 277% more effective at generating leads than other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Run LinkedIn Ads with the inclusion of a form optimized for all users and their devices.
Start a contest
Contests are the best way to lure potential buyers to a specific property listing. Provide an incentive for buyers to put in an offer and close, like tickets to a popular show or sporting event, or a new TV for their new home. But beware, this tactic can also drive a lot of unqualified attention to your listing.
Utilize Facebook Ads
Be present where you find people. Facebook ads (that run on Instagram, too) can benefit your business. The social media site experiences more than 1.72 billion users every month; you can reach out to them in a second.
Recruit brand ambassadors
Brand ambassadors add an authentic touch to your brand without compromising the quality of the business and services. Investors can showcase their products via social media by utilizing brand ambassadors.
Add to guest blogging
Besides just posting on your website, you can leverage other businesses’ audience sets too. You can incorporate guest blogging to get your message across by leveraging other platforms.
Share your customer reviews
Clients prefer and love to hear reviews. So, share your thoughts on social media to let the world know about your exclusive services as a real estate agent, and ask current and past clients if they could also review your services.
Create a LinkedIn brand page
A LinkedIn brand page is important when you are running a business. In fact, it has become the front-runner for any social business. Creating a LinkedIn page requires patience and time. It will not grow overnight.
Use Twitter Ads
Like Facebook, you can use Twitter to generate good traffic for your brand. However, like any other advertising, you need to understand the platform, how it works, its algorithms, the kind of potential buyers you will find, how you will attract them, and more.
Answer questions on Quora
Quora is a question-answer platform where you can interact with potential buyers, their issues, and their concerns. Once you provide them with value-based answers for their pain points, you automatically earn their trust.
Start a YouTube channel
YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. Building a channel and growing your following isn’t the easiest task as it requires a significant dedication of time and resources to creating video content that both educates and entertains. However, if you stick to it, a well-executed YouTube strategy can bring in a significant amount of organic traffic and lead flow.
Advertise via Facebook Messenger
Although Facebook Messenger is not the best place for a real estate lead generation approach, it has an excellent open rate. So, if you get the right recipients, content, and image, you are definitely on the path to converting some clients.
Final thoughts on real estate lead generation
Focus on your real estate lead generation ideas, and make sure they are tailor-made for your business. Strategize your approach to suit your personal kind of ideals, customer profiles, business values, virtues, and goals. By ensuring you always stick to a custom strategy, you’ll excel at lead generation.
Let us know your favorite lead generation ideas and strategies in the comments below.
