You might need a fresh perspective on how to get real estate leads in 2023. Whether you’re a new agent or simply looking for some new strategies, I’ve got 11 great ideas to help you generate more leads.
Before we dig in, take heart that you don’t have to execute on ALL of these ideas at once. You wouldn’t have time to do anything else if you did!
Instead, choose one or two strategies that resonate with you and that you can implement with ease. Listen to your gut as you read through these so you can choose the best strategies for your career.
Top Real Estate Lead Generation Strategies
Here are 11 ways that I have seen hundreds of agents get more leads. Let’s dig in so you can choose the right strategy and get to work!
1. Networking and Referrals
Build relationships with other real estate professionals (agents, investors, etc.) in your area. In this instance, you’re building off of the “one to many” concept. Real estate professionals have access to many clients of their own.
When you land a solid relationship with one of these professionals, you yield a 3x, 5x, or even 10x return! Create these relationships by attending local real estate events or simply engaging with community events/meetings. Find people in your sphere and cultivate friendships.
You can, of course, offer referrals and such in return. Real estate professionals should be willing and eager to help one another out!
2. Social Media and Online Ads
All social media platforms offer a paid way to reach the masses (I prefer Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube). This means that you can quickly reach your ideal client en masse for only a few dollars.
As an example, here’s a video that shows you the beginning-to-end process of how to launch ads on Facebook for Real Estate Leads. You can use this strategy on whatever social platform you prefer to gain more views, more clicks, and more leads to add to your database.
When you create an ad, you must add a link for the audience to follow. This link could lead them to your website or a landing page on which they’ll need to enter their name, email, and phone number to get the information they were hoping for. With that contact information, you can reach out to them right away!
3. Open Houses
Hosting open houses is a strategy as old as time. I would say it’s actually a rite of passage for every new real estate agent. And open houses are still one of the most effective ways to generate clients, regardless of your real estate experience.
If you find yourself without a client right now, find a way to host an open house. If you don’t have a home to sell, reach out to your broker and peers. Busier agents may jump at the opportunity to let you host an open house for them while they work with other clients.
Of course, at every open house, you’ll have some visitors who just can’t buy the home. After all, it’s only one house! As long as the agent for whom you’re hosting doesn’t mind, you can collect contact information from everyone else who visits and use that to broaden your database.
As you host more open houses, you’ll get more business, which will allow you to send interested parties who don’t get the home similar options that you have for sale in the area. This will help you land more transactions!
4. Public Speaking and Workshops
For some reason, this option goes unnoticed by so many real estate agents! But it’s easy to put together workshops or events that will allow you to reach many people. Just find a topic worth talking about, maybe ask a friend to join you, and start advertising!
Honestly, you may not even have to create the events yourself—you can network your way onto stages. Just build relationships with professionals who do host events, develop expertise on a topic, and ask if you can share!
If you’d like to see how I do this, let me know and I’ll create a video on it. The goal of this tactic is to both reach people and enhance your profile. When people see you on stage, they’ll view you as a leader in the field, giving you an air of celebrity. And everyone likes working with celebrities!
5. Email Marketing Campaigns
At this point, you can purchase email lists for just about any niche. Want to reach out to nurses so you can share the HERO’s program with them? Yup…there’s a list for that. Want to email all of the employees in HR of Fortune 500 companies to pitch them your relocation services? You bet…there’s an email list provider that will gladly sell you that list.
The important thing here is to send the right message with the right offer. You want people receiving your email to know they aren’t just a name on a list. Instead, you want them to feel seen. Get to know people in your niche and ask them about their struggles and questions.
That way, when you write an email, you know what pain points your audience is struggling with and can address it right off the bat. This will encourage your email list to view you as an actual friend to their cause and needs.
6. Lead Magnets and Content Marketing
Now more than ever you have the ability to create content and distribute it into the world instantly. You can amass an unbelievable amount of followers by creating content that attracts buyers and sellers.
The key here is to produce content that offers value, whether that’s a market analysis, a list of homes under $500,000, or a video explaining the selling process. Once you have that content, you can use it to make offers on your website or YouTube channel.
These offers are called lead magnets. They are a valuable resource that your audience wants. In order to get the information, though, they’ll need to enter contact information. That way, you can immediately follow up with them after they receive that free resource you offered.
This strategy is straightforward and simple. Have you ever signed up to download a free e-book or sample and entered your name and email? Then you too have fallen for a lead magnet. All you have to do is create content that people want and start sharing it.
7. Optimized Google My Business Profile
Maximize the potential of your Google My Business profile page by filling out your entire profile, adding photos/videos, and increasing the number of reviews your page showcases. Since you have the page anyway, make the most out of it! It will be the first place a lot of people go when they find you in an online search.
Google My Business profiles are always out there to answer people’s Google questions, so they can bring you business organically and passively. All you have to do is be there to answer the phone!
8. Video CMAs
Send out video Comparative Market Analyses to homeowners and you’ll get a listing within a couple of hours.
All you have to do is choose a property and record yourself performing a CMA. Then, send it to the homeowner! If you know the owner already, you can do this without asking—you’re just doing it as a favor. If you do NOT know the homeowner already, however, you do want to ask beforehand as it can really backfire if you don’t.
Sending out this CMA will increase your visibility, establish your authority, and get potential clients thinking about what it would mean to sell their homes.
9. Geographical Farming
A good way to never grow is to try farming a new market every other month. Each agent should have a farming area they consistently focus on to get real estate leads, without exception.
While it may feel like you’re marketing to the world…you aren’t. Focus on the area in which you work and build on your success there! Those who want to move to your area will want to work with you if they see you have real local knowledge and a passion for your hometown.
10. YouTube
You know I love YouTube and have been using it for 5+ years now, so of course I must include it here! YouTube has changed my life and provided me with just about every meaningful opportunity I’ve received since I left corporate America.
So, know that YouTube works to help us real estate agents to get leads like nothing else! You can more effectively achieve $1 million+ in GCI by using this platform than anything else out there. All you have to do is create content that people want and post consistently.
If you want help getting started on YouTube, don’t hesitate to reach out to me for more information. I can even help you get started with the editing, optimizing, and publishing of your videos right away!
11. Listings in Facebook Groups
I don’t share this enough, but Facebook Groups can create and sustain your entire real estate career. In a single Facebook Group, you have access to thousands of potential buyers and sellers looking for real estate guidance!
Join local Facebook Groups or those dedicated to real estate topics. In many, you can post your home listing right on the page. In others, you can simply join conversations or make offers to share real estate information with other members.
Either way, you’ll find that Facebook Groups provide a huge audience of real estate leads ripe for the picking!
Get Real Estate Leads
Now, it’s your turn. Remember, you don’t have to dedicate yourself to ALL of these strategies. Pick one or two new ones that stood out to you and start putting in the effort! Before you know it, you’ll have built up an amazing collection of real estate leads to sustain your business for years to come.