The longstanding belief in pretty much any profession is that if you put your name out there you’ll get business coming your way if you’re offering a service people want and are willing to pay for. This is entirely true for real estate agents too, but the fact is that it doesn’t work effectively to the same extent as it does with other means of making a living. Is that because there are too many realtors and every single one of them has their name out there to the same extent? Absolutely, and that’s why in this business you need to be finding them more often than they’re finding you.
None of this is going to be any type of a revelation for agents, as this is something that’s been the norm for at least a few generations now. There is always going to be the same draw and collective appeal that leads so many people to become newly licensed realtors, and the level of business to be had out there is never going to be balanced in the face of the sheer number of people working as real estate agents in Canada. It really is as competitive an industry as you’ll find, and realtors need to genuinely hustle and get creative in unearthing new clients.
Our online real estate lead generation system here at Real Estate Leads is one example of the best way to generate leads for real estate agents. It’s an example of how realtors are incorporating Internet marketing into real estate, and as effective as it is for new client generation it is only one of many approaches real estate lead generation agents can use. So with our first blog entry here this week we will go over 11 lead magnet methods for realtors building up a client base for themselves.
Defining Lead Magnets
A lead magnet is a free offer, and what is really common for most is a digital download that your reader will agree to exchange for their contact information in return for access to it. So obviously it needs to create an immediate intrigue for them and they have to be able to see real potential as soon as they’re presented it. If they’re not choosing to click through right away then it’s unlikely they’ll return to do so. It is best if you offer them something of real value with the idea that’s what will be needed if they are to entrust you with their information.
One key strategy will be to test several different versions and types to see which ones resonate with your audience the most. Different lead magnets for the different audiences will be advisable too, considering that if you’re like most realtors in Canada you’ll be working with both home buyer and home sellers clients as you evaluate the best way to generate leads for real estate agents.
Last thing to keep in mind before we move to the lead magnet approaches is to say that all your content and collateral shared as part of your lead magnet approach should be connecting to a high-converting website. That’s something every realtor should have nowadays, and it is 100% worth it to spend good money on one that’s expertly designed. It’s an associated part of real estate lead generation.
Our List of Lead Magnets
- List of Neighborhood Homes under a Price Point
This lead magnet has the potential to convert like crazy for those searching for homes in specific neighborhoods but doing so with budget constraints. Your communication will offer the exact information they’re looking for in a quick and easily digestible format, and you’ll need to create one for each neighborhood where you’re continuing to work as a real estate agent.
When people download your file then this highlights them as a hotter prospect for you, and then of course you get in touch with them in the manner that you think is best, but will be best served to have an automatic email sequence ready to go for these folks as ideally they’ll take the initiative in contacting you through it.
- Neighborhood-Specific 2020 Real Estate Market Analysis
This is a lead magnet that works equally well for both buyers and sellers. Sellers will be interested to learn of comparative home values in their area, and prospective buyers may be interested in buying homes in neighborhoods where they can see greater equity being built up in the home over time. Providing this for either group in clear and easily digestible content can be a best way to generate leads for real estate agents.
- Foreclosed Properties in Neighborhood List
It’s never what anyone wants to hear of, but banks do foreclose on homes and when this happens the property will be resold by the bank. These types of properties have always been a focus for investors and that is very true in larger urban metropolitan areas of Canada. Investor clients are good ones and often will be return clients if you prove that you’re a good realtor to work with. Plus this lead magnet option will attract investors in your specific area who are ready to buy homes and be competitive in doing so as needed.
One focus of this type of lead magnet that is important is to have an automatic nurture sequence automatically sent on a set schedule that will nurture your relationship with each investor who downloads this lead magnet. Email marketing is often the best approach.
- 2020 Homeowners’ Guide to Selling a Home
This lead magnet is a more general approach to real estate lead generation and may not be as effective for speedier generation of new real estate clientele, but that’s to be understood and this one has aim of promoting activity further down your sales funnel. These subscribers will be easy to convert and need to be nurtured immediately through an optimized sequence.
Done right, you’ll be establishing yourself as an authority on real estate in your area. Then ideally later on down the road the recipient will remember you as they prepare to sell their home and are interested in making contact with a realtor.
- 2020 Guide to Buying a Home
This one will be the opposite of the #4 lead magnet above, but the difference being you are much more likely to hear from these would-be clients as a response to it may indicate they don’t own a home in that region of the country and may have some degree of urgency to buy one. It could be because they’re moving there to take a new job, or they may be retirees downsizing and coming from somewhere else in Canada.
The approach is the same, establishing yourself as a knowledgeable real estate pro who is keen to help them maximize their interests in buying a home.
- Best Home for Your Family Quiz
Here’s a more unique approach to real estate lead generation. By creating some type of quiz like this you can more accurately make determinations about a potential client when they voluntarily choose to complete the quiz and submit it to you. Make the questions fairly specific about certain aspects of homes and you can tie in location interests too. Ask the standard questions, but try to ask a few other ones too and if there are interests that are specific to location those should always be incorporated too.
- Host an Online Contest
It’s natural that people become enticed when there is the possibility of winning something. Of course that will create an expense for you, but if you see that the contest leads to making even 1 new client for you then the cost is often something you can see as worth it. This could be something as simple as offering a $150 dinner for 2 voucher at a nice restaurant in city, or something similar.
Make it as appealing as you can afford, and then make it so that entrants must provide some means of contact information and a little bit about where the interest in the local real estate market lies and whether they are considering buying or selling a home there.
- Up-to-Date Community & Neighborhood Guide
When buyers look in different neighborhoods they will be naturally curious about what it’s like to live there. Neighborhood guides of this sort can be very successful as a best way to generate leads for real estate agents with the way they can feature walk scores, school information and ratings, and recreational possibilities among a whole host of different community information would-be buyers will find valuable. You can highlight upcoming events and attractions too.
- ‘How-to’ E-Books or Videos
There is plenty that goes into selling a home that is the exclusive responsibility of the homeowner, and quite often it required some measure of work on their end. This can be anything from staging the home to properly landscaping and improving the exterior of the home for greater ‘curb appeal’.
An e-book or video that you provide for potential clients may be especially helpful for them, and if they haven’t started working with a realtor yet then they may be very open to speaking with you about that role based on the valuable information you’ve shared with them here. In the real estate market, you can build a robust library of how-to articles on your website. Then flesh them out into e-books that you can offer for free download at the end of the article.
- House Hunting Checklist
This is another good resource idea that you can provide, and it will be especially helpful for first-time homebuyers who are not as familiar with the process of deciding which homes to make an offer on. A checklist will check the boxes for both of those features that increase conversion to your list. When it comes to real estate lead generation, checklists are always a good idea because they’re easy to put together (when you have the experience in the business and have helped many people buy homes) and the information is very simple to review for people.
- Professional Networking Groups / Associations
Using this lead magnet approach will likely require that you are working as a realtor in a large metro region, but if you are then there are probably professional networking groups or associations that you can join. Usually the way these groups work is that members will promote you in their circles and you do the same for them in yours. This can also be a best way to generate real estate leads because if you participate fully and are very proactive in promoting these professionals then they are likely to do the same for you. Plus you may well find that some of them may be looking to buy or sell a home themselves.
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Sign up for Real Estate Leads here and receive a monthly quota of qualified, online-generated buyer and / or seller leads that are delivered to you as the only real estate agent who will receive them. This exclusivity is exactly what makes this system so advantageous. You will have the opportunity to be first in touch with these people and displaying the expertise with real estate they will want to buy and sell with confidence. It is a proven way to supercharge your client prospecting efforts and you’ll quickly see that for yourself.
