How to Develop a Solid Lead Generation Strategy

Your real estate business depends on your ability to generate leads effectively. Your email inbox should be a rotating door of new clients wanting to work with you, inquiring about new listings, and a network of leads building upon leads through referrals. 

This only happens if you have a robust lead-generating strategy in place to create a steady stream of potential new clients so you can start building your relationships and ultimately close deals.

Not sure how to get started? We got you! In this article, I’ll walk you through developing a solid lead-generation strategy that can help grow your business exponentially. As someone who has experienced the highs and lows of the real estate roller coaster, I’m excited to share what has worked for me in the past with you!

Key Takeaways:

• Lead generation fuels the growth of your business.
• Implementing organic growth strategies helps build credibility.
• Leaning into your brand helps attract strong, motivated leads. 
• Utilize paid lead generation platforms intelligently to help your workflow and save time.

Why Lead Generation is Crucial for Your Business

First of all, let’s be very clear about what lead generation is: the process of attracting and converting anyone interested in buying or selling property into loyal clients. This can be easier said than done at times. 

Potential buyers and sellers typically don’t go looking for agents anymore; they find listed homes and then contact an agent. So, for us, lead-gen means finding potential buyers and sellers who might be interested in our services with engaging marketing and follow-up. 

Why is lead gen so important?

1. Sustains Business Growth: There are a million reasons a deal could be rendered dead in the water, take months to close, or perhaps you have clients who will need months of house hunting before they are ready to purchase. Without a consistent inflow of leads, your business could quickly become stagnant in the interim, which ultimately affects your ROI.
2. Builds Relationships: Generating leads is more than just finding clients. It’s about nurturing relationships in every interaction with your leads to help establish trust and credibility for long-term success and future business, whether through referrals or repeat business with your clients. 
3. Increases Revenue: This is pretty straightforward: More leads equals more opportunities to close deals, which directly impacts our income. This doesn’t mean you should work with everyone who walks through your door; time is always a precious commodity. You want to qualify your leads to ensure you can help them with their needs, which is why a good lead gen strategy is imperative. 

How to Generate Leads Authentically: Lean into Your Branding 

Authenticity is key when generating leads; it begins with your first impression. The first encounter someone may have with you may be seeing a listing posted, your website, a Google Ad, etc. Everything in your wording and design must represent you and the way you do business. 

People can easily tell when you’re being genuine, and if they meet you expecting something entirely different than what was advertised, it’s going to be a bit harder to establish a relationship. They’re more likely to work with someone they trust right off the bat!

Here’s how to generate leads authentically:

1. Showcase Your Personality: Let your unique personality shine through in all your communication without coming across as “salesy.” Stay focused on what you bring to the table that will help your clients and what your goals are that will benefit them. This makes you more relatable and memorable and shows you have their best interest at heart. 
2. Consistent Branding: People like familiarity. Keeping your branding, taglines, and designs consistent across all platforms will help establish recognition, which also helps establish trust, even subconsciously.
3. Engage with Your Community: Don’t underestimate the power of meeting people in person to help you become a staple, “go to” real estate agent in your niche market and neighborhoods.  
   1. Get involved in your local community. Attend events, sponsor local sports teams, and/or volunteer in ways that will benefit the people living in the neighborhoods you specialize in. Being visible and active in your community helps people see you as a trustworthy professional who will go above and beyond to make sure your clients are taken care of even after a deal is closed.

5 Tips to Successfully Generate Leads

Before we implement strategies, we want to ensure that your platforms and “people skills” are in a good place so that you are prepared to generate leads more easily.

1. Leverage Social Media: You probably already know this: social media is a huge resource for generating leads now. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are goldmines for potential leads, and you want to make sure (as we mentioned above) that they are set up and align with your voice and branding so that you can effectively post regularly, engage with your audience, and use targeted ads to reach specific demographics.
   1. I also recommend adopting an automated response system for people who inquire about your services. 
2. Optimize Your Website: Your website is more than likely the first impression potential clients have of you. You want to make sure that people can find you easily when they are searching; make sure you have keywords in your landing pages and site descriptions to help people find you. Also, ensure it’s user-friendly, mobile-optimized, and has clear calls to action so people can easily contact you for more information. 
   1. Agent Image is a great company that will design a branded website that is fully optimized for your business growth and lead generation initiatives. I like them because they specialize in real estate websites specifically. 
3. Network, Network, Network: Some people love to network, and some hate it. Regardless, it’s a necessary part of real estate. Just be yourself! Some ways to get started are to attend industry events, join local business groups, and connect with other real estate professionals who might be able to refer clients to you or partner with you on future deals. 
4. Provide Value: Nobody likes to be spammed with useless information. You want to make sure that in every interaction, you present something (free resources like e-books, market reports, webinars, etc.) that offers value to your leads. Providing value upfront will help you establish yourself as an expert and give potential clients confidence in their decision-making.
5. Follow Up: Don’t let leads slip through the cracks, that would be a true loss of time and money spent. Follow up promptly and consistently to ensure all leads feel like they are your priority. 
   1. Follow Up Boss is a good CRM system that can help you manage your follow-up sequences efficiently.

13 Lead Generation Strategies to Build Your Client Roster

Okay, here’s what you’ve been waiting for… 13 options to incorporate into your marketing efforts to help you generate leads quickly. 

1. Content Marketing – Ways to Showcase Expertise
   1. blog posts – help bolster SEO ranking and give value 
   2. informational videos – helps build familiarity and approachability
   3. social media –  engages a wide-reaching audience
2. SEO: Optimize your website for search engines to attract organic traffic utilizing the keywords you have already discovered in your pre-planning stage.  
3. Email Marketing: In my opinion, the biggest impact on converting leads into clients is incorporating a sophisticated email system into targeted lists built by you. You can send newsletters, market changes, seller updates, etc.
4. Referrals: Don’t let this give you the ick. It’s okay to ask for referrals. In fact, if you’ve worked with people you’ve established a relationship with, they will likely be more than happy to recommend your services and expect to send you referrals. 
   1. It’s also a nice and appreciated gesture to give incentives for referrals.
5. Paid Advertising (PPC Marketing): Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and other paid advertising platforms help you reach a larger audience, and it’s much easier than you might think to get started. 
6. Open Houses are tried and true! They attract potential buyers and showcase your listings. Plus, if anyone in the neighborhood is thinking of selling, they might be interested in meeting you at the open house. 
7. Cold Calling: While old-fashioned, cold calling is a great way to connect with people in your neighborhood. Your approach has to be friendly, and you must give a sincere introduction and impression of wanting to help with your audience’s real estate needs.
8. Direct Mail: Old school again, but effective in building familiarity. 
   1. Postcards
   2. Flyers
   3. newsletters
9. Webinars: Host webinars on topics related to real estate to attract potential clients wanting to educate themselves on the market and feel confident in their ability to make major life decisions like buying and selling their home. Again, this will help establish your expertise, plus help establish trust. 
10. Networking Events: It’s worth repeating: be visible in your neighborhood and community. People want to know that you are invested in the community.
11. Local Sponsorships: Sponsor local events, charities, sports teams, theater fundraisers, etc., to increase your visibility and show goodwill in the community. 
12. Partner with Local Businesses: Collaboration is key in all industries, and local businesses are a great way to show support by cross-promoting each other’s services.
13. Real Estate Portals: Leave no stone unturned – list your properties on popular real estate portals like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia.

3 Companies That Help Generate Leads for You

1. BoldTrail: Provides exclusive seller leads and comprehensive marketing tools.
2. Conversion Monster: Connects you with buyers already qualified with extensive lead nurturing.
3. Grizzly Leads: Offers lead generation by zip code. 

We recommend a few more if you want to investigate lead generation companies in depth to find the best ones for your needs and budget.

Summary

Lead generation is a non-stop, ongoing, essential element in building a sustainable career in real estate. Incorporating all of the above traditional and cutting-edge strategies,  you will be sure to see steady growth in your client list estate business. 

Remember to stay consistent, be authentic, and continuously provide value. With these tips and strategies, you’ll be well on your way to growing your business exponentially.