Meta, previously known as Facebook, has long been one of the most popular and effective platforms for winning new clients and it remains so today! In fact, there are 2.9 billion monthly users on Facebook today and a majority of those users are between 18 and 50 years of age, which is the perfect age demographic for homebuyers and sellers.
Over 3 million businesses advertise on Facebook on a regular basis. Users spend an average of 19.5 hours on Facebook every month, which means there is plenty of time for you to use ads to reach viewers scrolling on Facebook’s pages.
With all those people on Facebook and other Meta platforms, there’s no question that you need to be there and be active about getting more leads and customers. However, it can be hard to know how to get started. So, let’s look at three FREE lead generation strategies that do work on Meta platforms!
1. Use Meta Marketplace
Meta Marketplace is home to millions of visitors seeking to make a purchase. In fact, there are people on Marketplace who are specifically looking to complete a real estate transaction. Your job is to list homes on Marketplace so that interested viewers can find and reach out to you.
Here are the steps to effectively posting homes on Meta Marketplace:
- Secure permission to post homes on Meta, whether they’re your listings, your brokerage’s listings, or some other agent’s listings. Make sure you get WRITTEN permission.
- Post on Marketplace:
- Go to Marketplace.
- Select “Create new listing.”
- Select “Home for Sale.”
- Add basic information—not everything about the home, but enough to get people interested. Add 3-5 images, write a brief property description, and add a call to action (“Reach out if interested”).
- Convert the conversations. Use conversations started in Meta Marketplace to convert leads into clients. Most leads begin with the standard message that Meta offers as a default: “Hi, is this available?” Here’s how you can respond:
- “Yes, it is. How may I help you?”
- “What’s the price?” or “Can I get more details?” or “Can I see inside?” or “When can I see it?”
- “I’ve been getting that question quite often, so I created this page [single property website] to help with the details. Would you like to see the virtual tour video I created as well?”
- “Sure!”
- “Great, here is that video for you [insert URL].”
- Now is the time to let the conversation rest for a bit. Give your lead a couple of hours to look around—remember, you’re getting tons of leads right now and you don’t want to come across as too pushy. Give them time to view the website and video tour (usually a walk-through shot with your cell phone) and decide what they think.
- “What did you think?”
- “It’s too expensive.” or “I didn’t like it.” or “I was just curious.”
- No problem! Are you interested in [city home is in] homes only or would homes from [nearby cities] be okay as well?
- “I’m open.”
- “Understood. Would it be overstepping if we hopped on a 5-minute call so I can create a customized list of homes that stand out in the areas you’re looking in?”
- “That works for me.”
- Now, give your lead a call on Messenger to get started with that conversation.
Now you can see what a typical conversation may look like and what type of objections you may run into. Keep in mind that your main goal is to deliver what you promised in that listing: more information.
I’ve tried in the past to qualify leads before offering information, but it just doesn’t work. They’ll stop engaging with you even before they see the house. Give them the information you promised in the listing and then pre qualify them as soon as they show serious interest.
If you’d like to see the whole process in video form, check it out here.
2. Engage in Meta Groups
There are millions of groups on Meta, but if you break them down, they all fit within two main categories:
- Interest-based groups
- Geography-based groups
There are definitely other subgroups, but these are the groups that matter to you as a real estate agent. Let’s look at how you can use these groups in your business.
Interest-based Groups
Interest-based groups come in a wide variety. You may find:
- Real estate groups. These are the most direct groups for you since you’ll find tons of people wanting to buy and sell homes. You can generally get business from someone with a simple DM.
- Buy/Sell/Trade groups. These groups are made of people looking for opportunities to get good deals on all kinds of purchases, from cars to boats to pretty much anything else. While you might not find as many direct real estate leads, you’ll find tons of people with disposable income. Your best bet is to post some valuable content to the group and become the go-to real estate agent if anyone ends up in need.
- Mortgage information groups. People in these groups are there for one reason—to get their mortgage questions answered. Team up with a loan officer and offer as much free advice as you can on how to get qualified for a home loan. Some people will still be months away from getting the loan, but at least you’ll have a revolving pipeline to source when you need a client.
- Real Estate Program groups. Take Phyllis Buck’s NACA Meta group (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America) as an example. Phyllis is a NACA guru and the head of a group of over 2,000 members after only one year being active! She has at least 10 leads a month who want to work with her and her team, so if you’re looking for some fast business, check out this group!
Geography-based Groups
There are a few main geography-based groups you might enjoy hanging out in.
- “You know you’re from…” groups. These groups are rarely real estate related but are usually focused on creating fun posts about their local community. They are great opportunities, however, as you’ll be seen by thousands of people who live in your area when you join these groups!
- “Everything about” groups. These groups are similar in that the posts are mainly about the city or area—everything about it! Here, you’ll act as more of a reporter, sharing information about the local community. You don’t have to create any information yourself, simply share what the community members may find important.
For some great lead opportunities, check into groups that are both interest-based and geography-based and provide valuable local and real estate knowledge.
3. Create a Personal Meta Profile
Before you even begin joining groups or posting listings, you should set up your personal profile. Seriously—if you don’t have one with an updated profile picture, updated occupation, and updated contact information, you are missing out!
Your personal profile can literally be a superpower, a weapon that you can and should unleash to earn more business. Look, for example, check out Jay Hill’s Meta profile. This North Carolina agent gets multiple hundreds of shares by providing relevant, helpful, local information that allows his community to engage, learn, and share their own opinions.
There is a system for creating content that attracts leads from your personal profile. Here’s what you should do:
- Engage. Start by creating content that allows you to engage with your community and invites them to opine on your feed. Think of it like you’re throwing a party and inviting EVERYONE to join. Just look how many comments Jay gets simply by asking for opinions (note that it isn’t about real estate here, and it doesn’t have to be!).
- Educate. Create content that educates your followers. Make yourself a real estate authority worth following for relevant information. Share all about the homebuying or selling process, real estate myths, real estate opportunities, how to build credit, and any other tips that may be relevant.
- Prospect. This type of post reminds your sphere of what you do. It allows you to seek clients…but really, you’re just showing your audience that they have the right to work with you. Because they follow you, they have the honor of reaching out to you and working with you when they need help.
It’s that simple! With those three types of posts, you’ll be earning leads and clients from your personal profile in no time!
Winning Leads with Meta
Winning leads with Meta is simple. You need to be there and be active, but once you are, you’ll find a HUGE audience at your fingertips. Don’t hesitate to post listings, message people, build a strong personal profile, and connect in local and interest-based groups.
If you can follow these simple tips, you’ll be winning hundreds and thousands of Meta leads in no time!