Realtor Lead Generation: 12 Proven Strategies to Get Leads

How do realtors get leads? It’s a question you’ve likely asked yourself. This article will show you the strategies they’re using to generate leads, so that you can use them in your business as well.

If your real estate business is slowing down or you’re struggling to generate useful leads to keep revenue coming in, don’t panic. We all know the real estate business is cyclical, and if your business is drying up, it could be due to several local factors.

It could be the slow season, or your local market could find itself stuck in the middle of a prolonged slump because of COVID-19 and the ensuing economic downturn. Whatever the reason, it’s essential for any self-respecting realtor to know several good, quick ways for drumming up some new traffic.

If you’re a new agent who is just starting or an experienced real estate agent looking for a new way to generate some leads for your business, don’t worry because we’ve got you covered. Read on for several new ideas to jump-start your realtor lead generation, so you can help your real estate business grow and thrive in any economy.

1. Consider Beefing Up Your Social Media Footprint

If your business is drying up or if you’re struggling with realtor lead generation, the first thing you need to do is take a look at your business’s social media footprint. When it comes to the big social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, you’re probably already using those platforms to drum up some new business.

But when it comes to realtor lead generation, there are several small to medium-sized social media platforms that you’re probably not using. While some of these platforms might not have quite the clout that Facebook ads do, they’re still valuable sources of possible leads.

Some of these social media platforms are niche platforms with a narrower application in the real estate world, while others, such as Yelp, Linkedin, and Google, are becoming more standard. This means that if you’re still not signed up and established on some of these platforms, you need to be.

Yelp

Since Yelp was founded in 2004 by Jeremy Stoppelman and Russell Simmons, it’s grown to become the premier online review site for just about anything. As of 2020, According to our friends over at Review 42, Yelp has over 184 million reviews worldwide and 92 million unique mobile users a month.

Users check Yelp for things like restaurants and coffee shops and doctors, dentists, financial advisors, and yes, real estate agents. If you don’t have a Yelp page set up for your real estate business, go here to get started.

If you’re looking for more in-depth knowledge of Yelp’s place in the world of real estate, check out this page from the pros over at Keller Williams.

Google Reviews

If a prospective lead has gotten a hold of your name somehow, you can rest assured that googling it is the very first thing they’re going to do. If your business isn’t on Google, set up a profile now, and make it a habit to ask clients to post positive reviews.

If you’re a real estate professional looking for tips on managing your business’ Google profile, check out this page from our friends over at AgentFire. Stay on top of your Google reviews if you want to keep the traffic coming to your landing pages.

Linkedin

Founded by Reid Hoffman and Allen Blue in 2003, Linkedin now occupies a space adjacent to the other social media giants. Over the past decade, Linkedin has grown to become Facebook for work. It’s also become a valuable resource for real estate lead generation.

With over 700 million members worldwide, Linkedin is your best bet for realtor lead generation. There’s a great ROI with using Linkedin for your real estate business. Over the past few years, Linkedin has evolved from being an online professional directory to being Facebook for work.

Using Linkedin for realtor lead generation is as simple as putting together a decent professional headshot, as well as a headline on your Linkedin profile that clearly states who you are and what you do.

The key to maximizing the lead generation here, though, is consistency; once you’ve got a refined and effective Linkedin profile that’s driving traffic to your real estate business, it’s essential to update your profile regularly to keep generating new leads.

Houzz

According to the real estate professionals at Boomtown ROI, the home improvement website Houzz boasts over 350 million users. What’s even better is that 15% of those users plan to buy a home in the next two years, while another 10% plan to build a custom home in that same time frame.

Houzz is a home improvement site focusing on remodels and custom-built homes, so if you’re considering using Houzz for realtor lead generation, you’ll need to post photographs or content optimized toward what your potential clients might be looking for.

Make no mistake, though, Houzz is a valuable resource for real estate leads.

Quora

Quora is probably the most underappreciated social media platform in existence. If you know how to use it, it can also be a treasure trove of prospective leads. According to DMR Business Statistics, Quora has 55 million distinct internal pages, and the website attracts 300 million monthly users.

Quora’s format is simple. Users log on, ask questions, and then wait for other Quora users to answer those questions. Users can post any question they want on Quora, so you’re going to see a wide variety, and these questions could be anything from “What is the best jazz solo of the last ten years?” to “Should I go into chemistry or molecular biology?”

Recently, more and more home buyers have been logging onto Quora to get specific information about certain home markets and ask questions about the home buying process that they don’t understand. If you play your cards right, Quora could become an invaluable source of realtor lead generation.

If you want valuable insight about leveraging Quora for lead generation, check out what real estate superstar Brittany Ryan has to say.

Pinterest

This social media platform was founded in 2010 by Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra.

Pinterest bills itself as a “visual discovery engine,” a social media platform where users log on and save (or “pin”) clips and visual images they enjoy to “boards.” On the face of it, Pinterest doesn’t sound like much, but you would be wrong. Deployed correctly, Pinterest can be a useful tool for realtor lead generation.

In 2020, Pinterest has over 335 million active members, with 18% of those members earning over $75,000 a year. Pinterest might still exist as something of a niche social media platform next to a behemoth like Facebook, but Pinterest users are loyal. 93% of active Pinterest users plan major purchases using information they found on Pinterest, with 87% using Pinterest to make a significant purchase.

If you want to know how to use Pinterest to generate leads for your real estate business, check out what our friends over at Rochester Real Estate have to say.

Craigslist

You might be surprised to see Craigslist pop up here, but you can generate credible leads through the site. Many real estate professionals swear by Craigslist as an out-of-left-field option for generating online leads.

While you will want to exercise a certain amount of caution to avoid the scammers and spammers who have given Craigslist a bad name over the years, it is possible to use Craigslist to generate a consistent stream of leads.

If you want to use Craigslist as a realtor lead generation source, take a look at this handy list of tips put together by our friends over at Fit Small Business.

Building Your Online Brand For Realtor Lead Generation

So maybe you’ve reached a point where you’re working on expanding your sphere of influence, and you’ve established a presence on just about every social media platform out there. The next part of our list looks at some other more involved ways to generate leads and referrals for your business.

2. Start A Blog

It’s 2020, and if you haven’t started a blog for your real estate business, you need to do so now. A well-written and consistently updated blog could ultimately prove to be your most consistent and successful way to generate new leads.

Starting a blog is one thing that can be as easy or as complicated as you want it to be. Blogs can function as stand-alone websites or linked to pre-existing websites. You can start a blog using a platform such as Wix or Squarespace, which requires no technical skills.

If you’re a little more tech-savvy, with a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS, WordPress is your best bet for building a beautiful, feature-rich blog for your real estate business. If you want the low-down on starting a blog for realtor lead generation, check out this article from our friend James Kimmons.

However, real estate is another industry where having and maintaining a blog has become standard operating procedure, almost like using Realtor.com or Zillow or the MLS listings. All of the best real estate agents are blogging nowadays. If you’re struggling to get good buyer leads and you don’t have a blog, starting one is an excellent and quick way to get your traffic back to where it needs to be.

3. Guest Posts

Along with starting a blog of your own, writing guest posts for other blogs and websites is another sure-fire way to generate leads and traffic for your online. Not only do guest posts get your name out there and boost your credibility, but the guest posts themselves are an excellent way to get backlinks for your blog.

Utilizing guest posts as a resource for lead generation does require some basic knowledge of local SEO. Still, they are another tool that, deployed correctly, can build consistent and reliable traffic to your online real estate business over time. For a great resource dealing with lead generation and guest posts, check out this web page at Hooquest.

4. Local Real Estate Websites

Another avenue for realtor lead generation is that realtors can find prospective homebuyers on local real estate listing sites in your area. Like doing guest posts, this is another way of generating leads that require a basic knowledge of local SEO. Local real estate listings usually offer several different ways to link directly to your online presence.

When appropriately utilized as a part of a broader social media strategy for your business, local real estate websites can be a powerful tool for lead generation because these websites contain several different kinds of information that your prospective clients might need.

For a prospective home buyer moving into your area, local real estate websites will contain information like the median home price. They’re also going to have valuable information on schools, property taxes, parks, and local civic organizations.

Our friends over at RISMedia have put together a great web page covering the in’s and outs of leveraging local real estate listings for lead generation.

5. Automate Lead Generation With A CRM Platform

Using a CRM platform like Salesforce or Hubspot is another way to generate leads. When you deploy them to track realtor leads, a CRM platform can be a powerful tool to drive traffic to your website.

A CRM platform can do things such as track your missed phone calls and emails; they also provide a quick and efficient way of keeping track of real estate listings. Most importantly, they can also be used to keep track of which prospective clients you’ve reached out to or followed up with.

There’s also something to be said about using a CRM platform to automate nuisance tasks such as follow-up emails and property inquiries. Knowing how to utilize a CRM platform helps real estate professionals generate and track prospective leads; they optimize workflow by taking care of many day-to-day tasks that can end up stealing focus as you try to grow your business.

If you’re curious to see an in-depth explanation of what a CRM platform can do for your real estate business, check out this web page from Follow Up Boss.

6. Learn Google Analytics For Realtor Lead Generation

Using analytics is one approach to realtor lead generation that will require some effort and specialized knowledge but has the potential to pay huge dividends. Using analytics for realtor lead generation comes down to leveraging hard data and asking the right questions.

Integrating Google Analytics with your website or CRM platform allows you to track virtually any piece of information that you might want to. Once you have Google Analytics set up, you can track behaviors such as:

• Who created an account on your website versus who just stopped by.
• How long specific customers were on the website.
• The types of listings most popular with visitors to your site.
• The geographical area where your traffic is originating from.

If you’re ready to jump in and learn Google Analytics, look here. If you want a more in-depth examination of what Google Analytics can bring to your real estate business, check out this page from our friends at Placester.

Don’t Forget You Can Still Generate Leads The Old-Fashioned Way

So, by now, you’ve probably taken some time to beef up your real estate business’ social media presence. Maybe you’ve taken the initiative and have gotten started learning analytics or deploying a CRM platform for your business.

Or perhaps you’ve taken a few minutes to purge your contact list, or you’ve gotten rid of some expired listings.

These are the right steps to take, but don’t forget that the best way to generate leads involves pounding the pavement and shaking hands. Real estate marketing is not rocket science. Read on to the next part of the list to learn some low-tech but effective lead generation strategies.

7. Referrals

Referrals are still the best and most straightforward way to generate leads. Referrals are great because they cost nothing, and they speak directly to your abilities. In short, you wouldn’t be getting a referral from a past client if you hadn’t already taken the time to build your brand and your credibility.

The other advantage of referrals is that building a solid referral base takes time; it’s relatively easy. Stay in touch with your past clients and other agents, and never be afraid to directly ask for a referral. Keeping track of prospective referrals is one more day-to-day task easily automated with a CRM platform.

If you’re looking for a few different ways to use referrals for realtor lead generation, check out this page from our friends over at The Close.

8. Positive Reviews

We already devoted some time here to discuss the importance of maintaining a presence on Google and Yelp. While it is essential to have a company on those platforms, merely taking the time to ask every client you have to post a positive review somewhere is another approach to realtor lead generation that can generate big dividends over the long term.

Having an established online presence in the form of positive reviews is especially important if you’re targeting millennial homebuyers. According to the real estate professionals over at Dotloop, 48% of millennial homebuyers consider online reviews a vital metric when looking for a realtor.

If your lead pool seems to be drying up, don’t be afraid to reach out to past clients who have not posted a review and ask them to post one on one or more of your social media platforms. Even just one or two new favorable reviews will drum up some new traffic.

9. Open Houses

Open houses are another tried-and-true method for realtor lead generation. If you want to start finding new leads this way, it just comes down to a few simple tactics. On the day of your open house, make sure you leave a sign-in sheet and some of your business cards near the door.

Whenever you hold an open house, get into the habit of following up with every person who took the time to fill out the sign-in sheet. As prospective buyers show up at your open house, make it a point to introduce yourself to each one.

While practice always makes perfect, learning a few simple tricks for leveraging open houses is a surefire way to generate leads. If you’re looking for more in-depth information about how open houses can help build your real estate business, check out this great page from Homelight.

10. Thank-You Cards

It seems like our society has become buried in a never-ending avalanche of emails and text messages. It’s no surprise then that people (or prospective leads) tend to remember you very clearly if you send them a thank-you card.

Thank you cards serve as a physical reminder to past and prospective clients that you exist and are looking for new business. More importantly, they go a long way in showing prospective clients that you are thoughtful, courteous, and grateful for their business.

Sending thank-you cards is another simple habit that can generate dividends over the long term. Take the time to send a thank-you card for getting a new listing. Send a thank-you card once you’ve closed with a buyer on a new home.

If you want to see how the simple act of sending a thank-you card can generate new business consistently over the long term, check out this page by RE/Max agents Richard and Beth Dewitt.

11. PPC

Pay-Per-Click Advertising is the single best way to generate real estate leads online, no matter what your budget. Through PPC Advertising, you can drive hundreds of visitors to your website in the exact moment they search for properties!

If you want to make it as a real estate agent, good luck. You’re facing stiff competition from the likes of big corporations and small-time players alike. But don’t worry – as long as you have a strategic plan to target and convert users, ppc can be a great tactic for lead generation.

12. SEO

A savvy realtor recognizes the opportunity available online. But where there is great risk, so also do opportunities abound! The only market more saturated than that of realtors may be that of website space- which can make it difficult to get noticed as an individual. Utilizing SEO in order to gain leads is crucial for a long-term more sustainable approach.

There Are Countless Ways To Generate Leads

If you’re just getting started in real estate, and you’re looking for effective ways to start building a broad referral base, then you’ve got countless high-tech and low-tech ways to go about doing it. Often, building a broad referral base for realtor lead generation comes down to common courtesy and professionalism.

Get into the habit of following up with prospective buyers you meet at open houses, wear a name tag, so people remember which company you work for, and get into the habit of sending thank-you cards to every one of your customers.

If you’ve been in the real estate business for a while and you’re struggling with realtor lead generation, then take a good, long look at your online presence. Sure, you’ve got a Facebook page and a Twitter feed, but when was the last time you updated them? Does your business have a well-rounded Linkedin profile?

Often, generating new and high-quality leads over the long term comes down to managing your business’ social media presence in such a way that prospective leads are always being directed to your site somehow. We hope all of the information here has helped you think of new ways to drum up tips for your business.