Did you know that 87% of realtors fail within their first few years*, and the median salary is $15k less than the national average*? So then why do we hear about so many realtors making far over six figures? With the odds stacked against you, it may seem impossible to succeed as a new realtor, but that isn’t true. With the right lead generation strategies, new realtors can build thriving real estate businesses.
In this post, we’ll cover how to get more leads as a new realtor with these 10 proven strategies
*Sources: Tom Ferry ; National Association of Realtors
1. Host Open Houses to Connect with Potential Buyers and Sellers
New realtors will want to host as many open houses as possible to generate leads. Open houses provide direct interaction with buyers who are actively looking and can pique the interest of neighbors who may be interested in selling their own properties in the near future.
Many realtors reference the stat that only 7% of people actually purchase a house from an open house*, but that does not mean they are not important. While your primary goal is to sell, your secondary goal of getting your name circulating in the community can greatly benefit from meeting people face to face and developing relationships with those who pass through.
Tips on how to make floor time a success:
- Have a process in place to ask those who call and walk in qualifying questions.
- Stay organized and follow up with leads in a timely manner
- Leverage the time to work on your website and digital marketing
- Build relationships with more experienced realtors
*Sources: Investopedia
2. Leverage Floor Time to Capture Walk-In Traffic
Floor time, in the real estate world, means spending time in the office to answer phones and capture walk-in traffic. This is definitely worth the time you put in as a new realtor. Even if you don’t receive a phone call, this is an opportunity to network with other, more experienced, realtors in your office.
This time can help get you mentorship from other realtors, it can lead to possible referrals, and can be a distraction free space for you to work on the digital marketing aspects of your business. As you become more and more busy, the opportunity to be able to work on your brand and business may be scarce. That’s another reason why this time can be so valuable in building your foundation as a new realtor.
A few tips to make your open house a success:
- Follow up with the attendees immediately after the event
- Make sure the house is well-staged
- Promote the open house on the listing sites
- Advertise the open house through social media and your email list
3. Maximize Your Social Media Presence
Social Media is a powerful tool for any business, and even more so for new realtors. You may realize that there aren’t many people in your office actively using social media and think it is because it doesn’t work. However, 52% of realtors say that social media is one of their top lead driving tools.* The reason why many don’t actively engage is because between showings, closings, and everything else that goes into real estate work many don’t have time to do social media the right way.
As a new realtor, you’ll likely have more time to work on your social platforms to get leads. The biggest key to making your social media strategy a success is to focus on one or two platforms to be consistent on. Social media platforms that have been successful for real estate agents include Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
*Sources: National Association of Realtors
Here’s some tips to help you create lead driving content for your real estate business:
- Create a cohesive brand and stick to its guidelines across your digital footprint.
- Leverage real photos and videos of homes rather than stock footage.
- Stay consistent, follow posting best practices for your chosen platforms.
- Leverage client testimonials when you can.
- Mention the location in every post so your audience (and the algorithms) know where you are located.
- Stay away from generic or Ai driven text and imagery. Make it real and personal.
From strategy and planning to completely hands off, Media Proper has experts in social media that can help you build out a cohesive social presence across multiple platforms.
4. Reach Out to Your Personal Network
Your personal network is a goldmine for real estate leads—whether you realize it or not. As a new realtor, it’s easy to get discouraged when waiting on new leads to find you. But here’s the truth: 82% of real estate transactions involve a referral or a connection from someone the buyer or seller knows. This means the people in your life—your family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances—are likely to be your best source of leads, even if they’re not currently in the market themselves.
It can be intimidating to reach out to people you know. You don’t want to come off as annoying or worse, be seen as begging for business. But your friends and family won’t be able to help you out if they don’t even know you’re a realtor.
Here’s a few tips on how to approach this subject without seeming pushy:
- Send a personalized message to let them know you’re a realtor.
- Answer their questions about the real estate market.
- Ask for referrals and hand out useful reminders (i.e. magnets, calendars, or pens).
- Offer incentives for referrals.
5. Build and Nurture an Email List
Email marketing can be a powerful tool to help new realtors get qualified leads. That is, if you use the right strategies to build and maintain your list. It can allow you to stay in touch with those you’ve worked with in the past, offer free resources to prospective buyers, and stay top of mind for those who may be in the market later.
Making sure your content is valuable is crucial for any email marketing strategy. As a new realtor, you need to recognize what may be valuable for those in the market, may not be as valuable for those not in the market and cater your content accordingly. It may take a while for email to be a strong lead driver, but, unlike social media, it will be an audience you can fully own. You’ll be able to take it across email platforms and target your list in ads.
Check out these tips on building your email list:
- Offer sign up incentives for everyone you come in contact with (new leads and old).
- Create valuable content in your newsletter.
- Send it out on a regular cadence. Weekly? Monthly? What works best for you?
- Segment your email list so you’re providing the best value for each group.
Learn more about Media Proper’s email marketing capabilities.
6. Use Local Service Ads to Get Found
Imagine that every time someone in your area searched for “real estate agent near me” you appeared at the very top of the search results page. Google Local Service Ads can do just that and are powerful tools in a realtor’s repertoire. Local Service Ads are ads from service providers within a specific location that serve at the ultimate top of the search results page. With LSA’s you only pay when people contact your business. These ads can serve as a valuable asset to realtors who may not be able to afford paying for clicks that don’t result in actionable leads.
Approximately, 14% of clicks on the results page are on Local Services Ads. While true that the majority of clicks are on organic search results, the ability to rank in those results is a challenging and slow process. With Local Services Ads you can get to the top of the page quickly and with low effort.
Here are some tips to get started:
- Sign up with Google and get started speaking to a specialist
- Create a business profile and get it verified by Google
- Add your license information
- Set your budget and go live!
7. Optimize for Local SEO to Get Found Online
For those not in marketing, SEO or search engine optimization may seem like an intimidating tactic. SEO is the practice of optimizing your content and website to rank higher in the search results pages. While this is often a tactic employed by marketers who dedicate their careers to the study of various algorithms, there are some simple things you can do as a realtor to help you increase your rank.
While local service ads are powerful, 69% of consumers go to the local and organic search results. By having a strong local SEO strategy in place, you can be a first pick for people searching for “realtor in [zip code]” or any other type of local search.
Here are some easy things you can do to rank higher:
- Create local guides and host them on your site. For example, a restaurant guide in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia.
- Post frequent updates on your Google My Business page
- Ask your previous clients to leave you positive reviews on Google
- Use local tags in your social media posts
- Create landing pages based on the locations you serve
8. Design a Website That Converts Visitors into Leads
Creating a website for realtors can be a game changer for growing your business and reaching potential clients. A well-built website doesn’t just showcase your listings; it also serves as your digital storefront, establishing credibility, providing valuable information, and improving your search engine rankings. It’s no wonder that 73% of real estate agents have websites, but what should you put on it to make it stand out is a challenge.
Some things that are key to a strong realtor website are having graphics that are aesthetically pleasing, ensuring the information your consumers are looking for is easy to find, and that your site is optimized for both mobile and SEO.
Here are some must-haves for all realtor websites:
- Aesthetic listing directories
- Clear indication of where you are located and the areas you serve
- Content relevant to your local area
- Simple navigation to access the key parts of information on the site
9. Form Partnerships with Local Businesses
Local businesses can be a gold mine for realtors who serve their areas. Not only could business owners recommend you to people exploring the areas, but partnering with them can demonstrate your expertise in the community. 83% of Americans make purchases based on recommendations within their personal circles. Partnering with local businesses can get your name into those circles as you ingratiate yourself within the community.
There are also partnerships you can make to help build your realtor business. Building relationships with mortgage brokers, home inspectors, and contractors can help you provide more information to potential clients and they can recommend you in return.
Here are some ways to get started:
- Reach out to local business owners to build partnership
- Co-host homebuyer seminars with industry professionals to demonstrate both of your skills
- Feature local businesses on your website
10. Proactively Engage in Outreach
Proactive outreach is a great way to both find and engage with prospective clients. Having a segmented newsletter and email drip campaign is key to turning leads into clients. A newsletter is a way of providing updates to those on your email list, while a drip campaign is a series of emails catered to a segmented lead audience. It’s one thing to prospect or even purchase an email list, but nurturing it takes personalization and practice.
Track your leads by how warm they are. Then, create separate drip campaigns to adequately nurture your audience before leading them into the stream for your newsletter. The predominant key to a successful newsletter is to provide valuable information to your subscribers.
Here are some ideas to create content your subscribers will love:
- Provide insights on restaurants with quotes from local residents
- Give information on the real estate market and loan rates
- Discuss concerns that local residents have within the community
- Updates on new buildings and developments in the area
Concluding Thoughts
By implementing these 10 strategies, you can start generating more leads as a new realtor and set yourself up for long-term success. Follow these actionable tips and watch your real estate business grow.
However, this type of marketing isn’t for everyone and the more clients you bring in, the less time you’ll have to dedicate to marketing. Make sure you are ready to partner with an agency who understands real estate marketing. If you’re unsure if you’re ready to make that transition, reach out and we’ll be happy to answer your real estate marketing questions.
Get Started with Your Real Estate Website and Marketing Your Business.
