Generating Real Estate Leads

Look up any article on generating real estate leads, and chances are you will see something along the lines of, “The market is changing.”

As a real estate agent, you know the market is constantly in a state of flux, and you have to be agile enough to keep pace with the changes. One solid way of staying ahead is to make sure all of your marketing efforts are successful. How can you tell if you’re on the right path? If your marketing efforts create leads, then you’ve found a winning combination of tactics. If not, it’s time to try something new. Let’s open the toolbox of real estate marketing and see what you should keep, and what is headed for the trash.

Where everybody knows your name

How are you putting your name out into your market? Sure, if you’re selling a house, there’s a nice sign in the yard with your name, but what about the other times? We have talked about building a website that wows, and how it should coincide with any print efforts you’ve produced. But have you enhanced your site? Have you tried writing a blog, or talking about your hobbies?

It’s called content marketing, and it’s easier than you think.

Find other websites you love in your real estate market community. Link to local businesses on your site to drive traffic to you. Put testimonials from your happy customers and find out if they have websites, too.

The more content you put on your website, the more people will find it when they’re searching online. That means more leads for you. Use a content calendar to plan out your real estate blog posts.

One more tip: make sure you’re using analytics to find out who’s visiting your site and where they’re located. Then you can also see which blog entries are really working for you.

Craigslist isn’t just for couches

As a REALTOR, you might not think about posting in free classifieds anymore, because you’ve raised your profile. You’ve built a website, created digital fliers, you’re a pro! However, do not underestimate the power of a classified listing. Millions of people are on Craigslist every day, and you can narrow down your post so it reaches your desired target area. This is an easy investment. In many areas, it’s still free!

Don’t forget about other social media outlets for real estate, either. Create a real estate page on Facebook, give quick house hunting tips on Twitter, or connect with more people on LinkedIn. In fact, try all of those things and see what works best for you!

SEO is keyword king

You’ve likely heard the term “SEO” before, and politely nodded your head if you had no idea what it meant. We all do that, so it’s ok. It stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it is what helps people find you, so you can turn real estate leads into customers.

When you’re working on the language for your website or blog, make sure you’re using terminology for your real estate business that helps you rise to the top of internet searches. Putting full listings in your blog in great detail, adding keywords in your headlines, and playing around with different terms for the same product are all ways to help you rise in the search so you come up on the first page. Need to know where to start? We can help you with that.

Get out more. No, really.

Typing, “how do I get real estate leads” into a Google search might help you generate some ideas, but there really isn’t any replacement for a good handshake. You have hobbies that don’t involve the number of bedrooms and bathrooms on a gut rehab, right? Of course you do. Go meet other people with similar interests, and see who’s in your community. Maybe you can sit on a board of a local charity, organize a bike ride in your neighborhood, bring breakfast to your local firefighters or teachers…whatever strikes you as a way to positively stay on the minds of people in your community as both a REALTOR and a great person.

The more avenues you try to get your real estate business out in the world, the more leads you’ll generate. Plus, finding new tactics to get yourself into the community more will yield positive results for your business AND you. Now get out there and try something new!