Real estate lead generation is always a popular topic amongst real estate agents. Leads are the lifeblood of your business, and you want to make sure you’re getting plenty of them. Here are five proven real estate lead generation tactics:
1. Targeted Facebook ads
At some point, we’ve probably all burned with anger at Facebook about something. But when it comes to online ad targeting, they’re really good. Think about it. People on the platform willingly (although sometimes unknowingly) supply all kinds of information about themselves. It’s really an advertiser’s dream. We could dive into a huge course on Facebook ads, but I’m going to keep this simple. Of course you can target ads by all the typical demographic and geographic data, but did you know you could also target people who are more likely to move, or people who are currently renting? Plus, there’s really no minimum spend. You can quickly set up an ad, put $10 towards it and see what happens. As it proves itself, you can easily adjust the targeting, budget, and everything else on the fly. Check out this blog post and video for a quick step-by-step instruction on how to create a Facebook ad for lead generation.
2. Landing pages with valuable downloadable content
Landing pages are probably my favorite lead generation tactic. They’re straightforward and effective. A landing page is a single page on your website where you offer visitors something of value in exchange for their contact info. For example, you could have a landing page that offers a free eBook for first-time homebuyers. It could include information about what to expect, as well as tips for making the process as smooth as possible. What’s great about landing pages is that you’re creating a win-win situation: your visitor gets valuable information from an expert, and you get a lead. Depending on your website provider, you should be able to set up landing pages fairly easily. Once they’re ready, you can promote them via all your marketing channels, and watch the leads come in.
3. Keep a drip e-mail campaign going that’s focused on getting referrals
How great would it be if every client you’ve ever had recommended you to everyone they knew. The problem is, that’s not really how it happens. Maybe their experience with you was so incredible that they go out of their way to tell everyone about it over the next couple of months. But then what? A great way to generate more referrals is to set up an automated drip e-mail campaign to all your contacts. It’s something you can truly set and forget. Being top of mind with all your contacts greatly increases the likelihood that they will refer someone to you. Just remember when you’re writing, it doesn’t have to sound like you’re just begging for referrals. If you structure it as a friendly note, you should get some good responses. This should seamlessly fit into your overall nurturing plan that’s always working to cultivate leads.
4. Be social
I bet you think I’m about to talk about social media. You’d usually be right, but not this time. Remember the good ol’ days of actually interacting face to face with other humans? In all honesty, it’s still one of the best ways to generate new leads and referrals. People like working with people they like. The more people you meet in your community, whether it’s through volunteering, attending local events, or even hosting your own events, the more potential clients you add to your sphere of influence. To be honest, it doesn’t even have to be an orchestrated event – if you’re friendly and outgoing, you should be meeting people everywhere you go. Don’t miss these simple opportunities to make connections that could turn into business relationships. At some point, nearly everyone you meet will be either a buyer or seller. When they are, will they remember you?
5. Buy them
GASP! (Did he really just say that?) Yes I did. Look, I know there’s a pretty decisive split on this issue. Tons of brokers and agents I’ve talked to have spent money with Zillow/Trulia, REALTOR.com, and others, and gotten nothing in return but tire-kickers and “leads” that were supposedly sent to multiple other agents. They’ve cursed the big three and sworn never to spend another dime with them. But I’ve also spoken to plenty of agents who’ve had incredible success closing leads purchased from the aforementioned portals, and been so happy that they’re reallocating more of their budget to what some might call the unholy trifecta. But regardless of what I’ve heard or what you’ve read, the fact remains: It is an option. Of course, if you’re going to do it, having an effective solution to manage these leads and measure your ROI is absolutely imperative. Because what you think about the leads you buy from the portals really doesn’t matter. The question is, are they making you money?