How to Get Listings in 2023: 20 Top Listing Agents Share Their Secrets

There are many signs that show your real estate marketing campaigns are effective. Do you have a lot of leads? Are you making significant income? High lead generation and steady income are both indications that your efforts are successful.

Listings are also a sign that your hard work is paying off. If you have a good number of homes listed for sale (or even for rent) you are doing well.

The question is, how do you get listings? It requires getting seller leads. This article will review techniques that will ensure your success.

1. Reach Out to Friends and Family

When you are starting out as an agent, friends and family may make up the bulk of your network. Don’t hesitate to target them for lead generation. Let them know you are launching a real estate career and familiarize them with what you have to offer.

Even though you may not be as experienced as some agents, you will have a personal connection that may make them choose you first.

2. Use Open Houses

Open houses are a great way to generate leads. The people that come to the event will be interested in buying and, if they are not interested in the property, they may be interested in another one you can show them.

This makes open houses an ideal way to generate buyer leads. Just lay out some open house sign-in sheets for guests to leave their contact information. But what about seller leads?

Many agents upsell their buyer services at open houses and neglect to mention their seller services. Mentioning both is a great way to generate business and get more listings.

3. Increase Product Knowledge

Agents only have so much time to make a good impression on a client. They need to use that time wisely by impressing them with product knowledge out of the gate. They should be familiar with the neighborhood, the market, and effective selling techniques.

4. Use the Tools That are Available to You

Today’s realtors have an advantage over the realtors of yesterday as they have various tools to use in creating and maintaining their digital marketing campaigns. These include social media, the best real estate lead generation companies, the best real estate CRMs, paid ads, and more. They should continue researching to ensure they are on top of the latest trends and using the tools that are best suited to their needs.

Digital tools will also be useful in the selling process. You should be prepared to offer virtual tours, and virtual sharing tools that make it easy to keep track of documentation. You should also offer various forms of communication so clients can use the method of their choice.

5. Send Out Just Sold Postcards

The more you sell, the more you will sell. If you have a good selling record, you are likely to generate more seller clients and gain more listings.

But you can’t count on clients finding out about your selling record from word of mouth. Sending out ‘just sold’ postcards will let people know that you have the skills to get the job done.

Just sold postcards will work best if you target people that have similar properties to the one you just sold. So, send them out to those in the neighborhood you sold in. Or if you just sold a ranch house, send the postcards to people living in ranch houses.

Real estate postcards are effective because they are low cost, they stand out, and they produce a high ROI.

As an aside, just sold postcards can also be beneficial in targeting buyers. If you just sold a property similar to one they are looking for, they may want to know more about the listings you have available.

6. Join a Team

Consider joining a team as a junior agent or broker assistant. This is a great to generate leads when you are starting out. You will make contact with tons of buyers and sellers opening the door for when you are ready to branch out on your own.

7. Network with Others

Joining a team will open networking possibilities, but you can also network with others in the industry. For example, you can ask more experienced agents for information on a certain area they have worked in. Or you may simply ask them to refer you to clients that they are unable to take on.

Keep in mind that networking is a two-way street so be sure to have something to offer in return.

8. Integrate a Combination of Old School and New School Methods

In today’s world of technology, there are several digital marketing strategies that you can use to find sellers. However, old school strategies like mailings, door knocking, and hosting events can set you apart. It’s smart to integrate both old and new to find the methods that are best suited to your needs.

9. Avoid Seeming Desperate

Real estate is a competitive industry, and it can be difficult for agents to get ahead. However, that last thing you want to do it come off as desperate and use overly salesy techniques. Sellers will smell it a mile away and they won’t want to work with you.

The best thing to do is listen to your client’s needs and come up with solutions. This will show them that you can add value and give them a much needed helping hand.

10. Shadow Agents on Listing Appointments

A listing appointment typically consists of a tour of the home, and a brief chat about what the seller wants and what the agent has to offer.

If you are starting out in the real estate field, a listing appointment can be intimidating. You may be unsure of how to present yourself. You may come across as lacking confidence. You may meet with several seller clients until you build the self-assured attitude you need to make sale.

If you shadow other listing agents, you can learn from their examples. You can use their techniques and strategies for converting clients and moving them down the funnel.

It’s also advisable to go on as many listing appointments as possible. The more experience you have with them, the more confident you will get.

Don’t be afraid of failure. Think of your efforts as a necessary way to develop the skills you require.

11. Focus on What Sets You Apart

There’s fierce competition in almost every industry. It’s important to advertise that you have something different to offer.

When it comes to real estate, you may specialize in a certain niche. Or maybe you have particularly strong negotiating skills. Or maybe you have strong experience with a certain neighborhood or a certain type of property.

When you market yourself, you should always focus on what sets you apart. And you can adapt your pitch in accordance with the client’s needs.

For example, if the client is selling a property in a specific neighborhood, talk up your knowledge of that neighborhood. If they need someone with exceptional staging skills, emphasize your staging abilities.

12. Door Knocking

Door knocking is an old-fashioned tactic, but it works. It establishes face-to-face contact adding a personal touch. This makes it more effective than many digital strategies in several ways.

When door knocking for listings, it’s important to be armed with information about selling prices in the area. You can even offer to do a free assessment of their home. If they like the results, they may just decide to sell.

When door knocking, be sure to take some flyers with you. You can place the fliers in their door if they don’t answer. That way, they can contact you if they are interested.

13. Get a Farm Area and Get Involved

Farming is a marketing technique that involves targeting a specific area and farming it for leads. It is a strategy many successful agents include in their campaigns. It’s ideal to farm the area you live in or one you know a lot about.

Once you determine your farm area, do what you can to get involved. Host events, help with local charities, and make connections with schools and community centers.

This will help you become a familiar face and a trusted personality in the neighborhood. It will make people want to turn to you when they need someone to manage their listings.

14. Get a Pool of Buyers

One effective way to snag a listing is to let the seller know that you have an interested pool of buyers. This tell them that you are likely to sell their home quickly and get them a decent profit.

Of course, you need to have the resources to back this up. So, start working on building that buyer pool!

15. Find a Mentor

Shadowing agents and networking with others is a good way to increase your listings. But not everyone will have time to make you a priority and help you when you need it. Getting a mentor may be a better strategy.

In most instances, you will need to pay a mentor. But in return, you will get their undivided attention when you need it. You will be able to turn to them when you are dealing with issues, and you will be able to use their skills to get ahead.

16. Try Cold Calling

Cold calling is another old school method that can help generate listings. There is no doubt that cold calling can be frustrating. And you will need to deal with a lot of hang ups before you get any solid leads.

The trick is to develop a light, persuasive phone manner. You can’t be too pushy so getting the perfect balance is essential. If possible, listen to other agents who have had success with cold calling before moving forward with your own strategy.

17. Persist

If you have a lead in the works, don’t give up. Follow through. Of course, you don’t want to seem too aggressive. But with gentle nudging, you may just get your listing.

Fortunately, many of today’s lead generation tools automate systems to ensure you remain visible to clients. But it’s nice to add a personal touch as well. Reach out by sending a personalized message or call to let them know you have their needs in mind.

18. Target the Right People

Learning how to generate real estate leads can be difficult if you simply target the first people you see. But leads will be warmer if you approach people you know may be interested in selling. These include people in pre-foreclosure, people going through a divorce, FSBO, FRBO, and so on.

It’s also smart to market to the client’s specific needs. For example, if the person is going through a foreclosure, you can provide marketing materials that let them know their options based on their specific situation. If they are going the FSBO route, you can educate them as to why working with an agent is preferable.

19. Stay in Touch with Clients

It’s important to form a good relationship with your clients and to keep in touch over time. Beyond sending them newsletters and emails, you can message them privately to see how their kids are doing or to wish them a happy birthday.

Maintaining a connection will increase the chances of them choosing you when they are ready to buy or sell. And remember, the buyers you help may eventually become sellers.

20. Build a Strong Marketing Strategy

When it comes to getting real estate clients in the door, marketing is everything. Create a marketing campaign plan with about 50 touchpoints that you feel will be effective for you.

Today’s successful agents emphasize a need to create a strong social media presence. While posting, commenting, and liking will increase your visibility, joining groups can be especially effective. Not every platform has groups. Facebook and LinkedIn are two that offer this feature.

The idea is to find a group of like-minded people. The group doesn’t have to be real estate oriented. It can focus on your farm area or interior design.

Interact in the group by offering advice and starting conversations. This will establish you as a thought leader. When people are ready to list, they’ll turn to you first.

Getting listings is key in becoming a successful realtor. The tips in this article will help you produce seller leads so you generate more listings.  We wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.