1. Give Back to the Community – A more productive way to get involved in your community besides attending events and classes is to volunteer your time at a charity or non-profit. Besides helping out people and making a difference in your community, this will also benefit your brand because people will see that you want to give back.
2. Target FSBOs – Focusing on the FSBO niche can bring you a steady source of leads if you have the right approach and consistent follow-up. Don’t approach FSBOs as though you know better than them. Instead, make sure you listen to them, address any concerns they may have, and then describe how you can provide them with value.
3. Go After Older Expired Listings – Many real estate agents focus on newly expired listings, but it can be good to go after older ones that have been expired for some time. You can check in with the lead and see if anyone has ever followed up with them, and if not, what their current plans are. Then, offer them your help so they can successfully reach their goals.
4. Pitch Your Listings to Local News Media – Getting your listing picked up in a newspaper, whether local or national, can quickly draw in many interested leads. You’ll be taking advantage of the paper’s larger audience, and it can also act as a form of credibility for your business. In addition, paying for advertisements in local newspapers is also a great strategy to gain publicity.
5. Network at Local Community Events – Creating relationships in your community is one of the best ways real estate lead generation ideas for finding leads. Join local events in your area or even just classes or places where your ideal client might hang out. For example, take a yoga or cooking class and meet people there. You’re bound to find someone who needs a real estate-related service.
However, be sure not to come across as salesy. Instead, just let the conversation naturally flow, and when you get to the point where you discuss what you do for a living, you can mention all the ways you can provide value as a Realtor.
6. Target Owners of Distressed Homes – Another group you can target for new leads is owners of distressed homes. If a homeowner misses a mortgage, a lender will order a broker price opinion (BPO) on a property in the event that it needs to be foreclosed. If these homeowners end up needing to sell their homes quickly, you can be right there to help them and offer advice.
7. Target Leads Getting a Divorce – A unique lead generation method is to target divorce leads. These leads are likely to be looking for a new property to buy or sell a property quickly. You can even get a professional distinction to help boost your reputation among these leads: RCS-D, or Real Estate Collaboration Specialist – Divorce. Consider partnering with divorce lawyers in your area to find these leads.
8. Sponsor a Pet Adoption Event – One unique way to generate leads is by getting involved in events around your local community. For example, you can sponsor a pet adoption event. Set up a pet-themed real estate table and give advice and answer peoples’ questions. Your community members will appreciate you for helping to sponsor the event, and you’ll likely find some leads who are interested in working with you.
9. Join Your Local Chamber of Commerce – The benefit to becoming a member of your local chamber of commerce is that you can get your name and business listed in newsletters, websites, earn more referrals, and form mutually beneficial relationships with other business owners in the area.
You can join both your town’s and county’s chamber of commerce as long as it’s somewhere that your business provides services to. This will also add an element of credibility to your business if you are a newer Realtor.
10. Attend Real Estate Investor Association Meetings – Real estate investors are an overlooked source of leads that many real estate agents don’t make an effort to target. You can find a great source of real estate leads, whether for residential or commercial real estate, by partnering with your local Real Estate Investor Association and attending their meetings.
11. Network with Homebuilder’s and Sales Reps – Become a member of a homebuilder’s association so you can network and form relationships with people in the same industry as you. Partnering with homebuilders can be a mutually beneficial partnership where you provide each other with leads, advice, and industry news. You can even host open houses within new home communities if you don’t have any new listings of your own.
12. Participate in Your Community During the Holidays – You’ll find great leads by interacting with your community regularly, getting to know people, and forming relationships with them. One great way to do this in your neighborhood is to participate during the holidays. For example, during the Fourth of July you can place flags in peoples’ yards. For Halloween you can leave small pumpkins on their doorsteps.
13. Host a Q&A Event for First Time Home Buyers in Your Community – Events for the first-time homebuyer market are always popular because this group is actively searching for guidance. You can share the answers to common questions most first-time homebuyers have and walk them through a step-by-step guide to purchasing their first home. In addition, try to answer some questions that you don’t see asked very often. This will help to set you apart from similar events from your competition.
14. Partner With Local Businesses – Create relationships with local businesses, contractors, or handymen in your area. When you partner with these people, they can give you referrals, and you can return the favor to them. For example, when you have a buyer client looking for a good plumber, you can recommend them one you’ve partnered with.
