There’s no question that real estate leads are essential if you’re going to make it as an agent. Without leads, you won’t get listings…and without listings, you won’t get paid. But generating real estate leads can be tough, especially when you don’t have money to purchase quality leads.
Thankfully, you don’t actually have to purchase leads to get good ones. There are at least 6 EFFECTIVE ways to generate real estate leads for FREE without a hassle.
1. Networking
One of the best ways to find leads is to get out there in the community and make your name known. That way, when people are staring in the face of a real estate need, they remember that you’re the person they can call for help.
Start by attending local events and meetups that are related to real estate. Many host this type of event to help agents and potential clients with their real estate needs. At these events, make sure to chat with several professionals.
The networking does not stop with only buyers and sellers. You;You can also simplify this process by just getting to know other real estate professionals and asking them to direct clients your way through referrals. You can offer a referral fee (a percentage of the sale) to encourage this relationship.
2. Social Media
Social media is crucial for two things: branding and engaging with your audience. In fact, the average person spends over two hours on social media every day. If you want to get in front of your audience, you need to be active on social media.
One of the most important pieces of social media is that you can use it to create your personal brand. Everyone has a brand, whether they know it or not. Don’t let someone else tell the world who you are as a real estate agent. Tell them yourself!
Create a social media page on all platforms that your audience uses and start engaging. Don’t be afraid to get out there and talk to people online. You also want to create consistent, engaging, and useful posts that attract people’s attention.
Use Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to start. Most homebuyers are a bit older and will be more active on these social platforms than on newer ones like TikTok. But don’t ever write anything off! Keep experimenting to see where your audience is and how they want to connect with you.
3. Blogging
Blogging is another great way to develop your personal brand. It’s also one of the best ways to create meaningful content that actually helps your audience. The more you help them online, the more likely they’ll be to come to you when they need in-person help as well.
Create a blog on your website (it doesn’t have to be anything fancy) and start publishing content. Most of it should be incredibly useful—answering the questions your potential clients have.
Keep your niche in mind too. If you want to work with first-time homebuyers, for example, write content that addresses the concerns of first-time homebuyers. This will encourage them to connect with you and interact with you when they’re ready to buy.
Be sure that you include some kind of call to action in every post so that you get those free buyer leads coming directly to you. If you leave them with no call to action, they may not reach out to you because they won’t immediately see that you WANT to help them. Be sure you provide contact information and a place to connect with you when they’re ready to buy or sell.
4. Hosting Events
Just as you should be attending other agents’ events, you should also start hosting your own. Create workshops on relevant real estate topics or put together regular open houses. Then, invite potential leads to attend those events and learn more about real estate and/or a house they may be interested in.
Hosting events is time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Hosting open houses is simple and easy, and even designing a workshop doesn’t have to be hard if you know your content. Plus, you can use YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and similar platforms to host the workshop virtually and cut your costs off completely.
Don’t be afraid to host events where you can develop relationships with potential clients, other agents, and the local community. These are great places to build connections and market your business.
5. Cold Calling
Cold calling is not the most popular method of getting leads, but it is certainly still effective. If you don’t mind chatting on the phone, there are tons of ways to engage in conversation without sounding too salesy.
Try by calling people who are new to the area (perhaps they’re still renting and keeping an eye out for a new home?) or people who have homes listed as “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) on the MLS. FSBO clients may be hesitant to work with an agent at first, but if you offer valuable advice, you should be able to help them when their initial plan falls through.
Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and give a few people a call. After all, a little chatting with local community members can never hurt. And even if they do hang up on you, at least they heard your name and know you’re willing to help.
6. Posting YouTube Videos
YouTube has become an increasingly powerful method of gaining clients for hundreds of real estate agents around the world. When you create a YouTube video offering valuable advice for potential leads, they notice!
YouTube is one of the most popular sites in the world, and for good reason. People love seeing their questions answered in short, digestible, information-packed videos. If you’re not on YouTube, you should get started as soon as possible!
Create relevant videos on helpful topics (much like the topics you want to write about on your blog) and post them consistently. While you may not get a huge audience overnight, consistent and useful information is going to attract attention, eventually.
You can use YouTube to position yourself as an expert in your area of real estate. Then, when people are in need of your specific services, they’ll literally be chasing you down!
A YouTube video imparts instant authority, credibility, and personality to what you do so that people are excited to speak with you after seeing their questions answered in one or more of your videos.
Getting More Real Estate Leads for Free
These are six of the easiest methods out there to generate free real estate leads for yourself, whether you work with buyers, sellers, or both. If you can start implementing some of these practices today, you’ll see new clients coming in by the hundreds in no time!
Want help getting started on YouTube or creating social media posts to generate leads? Reach out to me and I’ll give you some of my top tips and help you get your channel going fast. Connect with me today!