Property Collective
18 min read
How to Get Listings In Real Estate
How To Get Listings in Real Estate
Real estate lead generation and ultimately generating listings for your real estate business is an ongoing task. But! It does not have to be flood or famine! You can set yourself up a lead and listing generation plan and strategy that serves you well, and does not suck your time. Do not wait until you are thin on the ground with leads before starting to think about where your next listing is coming from. Get yourself prepared with our leads and listings strategy toolkit today.
Lead Generation and Listings Toolkit for Real Estate Agents
Network by offering value
Networking is a crucial part of real estate - however, there are ways to be clever about how you show up in your community. It is essential to think, what do I want to portray in my community? And who and what do I want to align with?
Hosting educational events in your community is an excellent way to network while supporting your clientele and community. For example, perhaps you could host an event that offers lessons on tips for those looking to buy their first home - information could include what the market is like now, what to look for in a property, and how the process works. You could even invite complimentary services to extend your network further. These may include mortgage brokers, bankers, or a property lawyer!
Not only will you build your personal brand, but you might also drum up new business at the same time. Successful events demonstrate that you care about your community, bolster your reputation, and prove that you go above and beyond other agents.
Partnering with local businesses or co-hosting an event with other practitioners will broaden your audience base and increase lead potential.
Partnerships may include:
Insurance companies - Insurance for homeowners is a non-negotiable, yet many homebuyers intend to turn their new property into a rental, a business space, or even flip the home soon after. Therefore, having the right insurance is vital, and this is where an insurance company can help.
Personal bankers - Your home may just be your largest and most precious investment. Working alongside a personal banker will help vendors ensure that their figures and plans are on track, realistic, and achievable.
Bakeries and local cafes - Whether you are sending treats to former vendors to keep your name top-of-mind or sending snacks for your vendor on moving day, connecting with a local food joint is a clever idea in real estate. Not only will you sweeten up your clients, but you will gain a strong reputation for supporting locals in your community. Think of how many people your local bakery owner chats to in a day!
Landscapers - The presentation and quality of your garden are the first impressions that potential buyers have of a property. Encourage sellers to have their homes professionally landscaped to set them apart from the crowd and give a low-maintenance feel to the property at the open home!
Cleaning services - Nobody wants to enter a home that appears or smells unclean. Look to partner with a local cleaning company, and see if you can organise a discounted cleaning service for your clients. Everybody wins!
Staging experts - A well-staged home will not only look and feel homely, but it will hide a multitude of sins! Create partnerships with local home-stagers to get your clients' houses looking sharp, without the need to buy unnecessary extra items that can add more work for vendors on moving day.
Title companies - A much less glamorous but no less important partnership is the one you will have with local title companies. Have a few go-to co's to recommend to your clients. Be sure that they are friendly, no-fuss people.
Keep your Social Media up-to-date
These days, many people check social media to see if you exist! In 2022, an up-to-date and powerful social media account shows you are open for business!
LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media sites are the first points of contact for your potential clients. Reviews on sites like Zillow and RateMyAgent are also crucial to your brand image.
Know and always keep in mind that the internet can make or break a business! Most people will Google Search you, and it is your responsibility to make sure that they like and connect with what they find!
Be sure that your online presence communicates your brand well. Does it reflect how you wish to be received by your market?
Investing in paid social media advertising can also be a great way to keep your brand top-of-mind! If you are creating engaging content, whether via your blog, an upcoming event, or simply through a social media post, share it wider! You can choose the exact area or target market that you would like to pin down. Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram have made it reasonably easy to create targeted advertisement groups. Identify your niche market, and make sure your posts and content speaks to them!
Find a niche market
Branding yourself as an agent is the first step to securing listings. However, before you start establishing your brand and web presence, determine the specific group you would like to tailor your marketing toward.
Rather than trying to master everything, aim to be the master of one.
Successful niche marketing can be achieved by specialising in a particular neighbourhood, historic homes, or helping clients who are looking for apartment living! Find your specialty, and own that space! Specialising in a market allows you to fine-tune your marketing efforts, which will mean your audience will most likely be more receptive to the message you are sending. As a result, you will gain a reputation as the go-to realtor for these buyers and sellers.
A few common real estate niches include:
- Historic homes
- Mid-century modern homes
- Luxury homes
- Neighbourhoods
- Student rentals
- School district
- City or town
- First-time homebuyers
- Condominiums or apartments
- Distressed properties
- Senior homes
- Vacation homes
- Land
- Commercial real estate
- Industrial real estate
- Property rights
Nobody is insisting that you to be an expert immediately. Think about your interests or personal strengths, and then look to decide which niche markets you may wish to immerse yourself in it – and what you may excel in! Let's say you are looking to become an expert in helping young families find their first home, for example. You may look to collect information about the surrounding schools, research local parks or recreation facilities in the area, or work with financial planners who understand the unique requirements or families looking to buy.
In a world of digital, go old school!
Craft a personalised hand-written note to send to past or present clients and contacts. Thank them for engaging in your real estate services. Remind them you are still always available to answer questions, offer advice on reliable moving companies, or offer a current valuation of your property. Think back to what value you can offer your clients and delight them with thoughtful and helpful information.
An old-school handwritten letter goes a long way to express your appreciation while ensuring that an email does not get sent to the junk box before it was opened.
Build your own Real Estate website
Building your own website online presence and brand is key to standing out from other agents.
Your own website allows you to build a personal brand, showcase your specialties and niche, and share raving reviews from your happy clients. In addition, investing in your own real estate website ensures you have a cohesive presence in the local market – even if you switch agencies.
International Realty is an excellent example of a real estate brand that we love. Mike and his team have branched out and created a simply stunning user experience on their site, utilizing video and high-quality imagery to make a statement.
Don’t forget to optimise your site for greater SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). The greater the SEO, the more likely you are to pop up in Google when people are searching for services like yours.
Write creative blog posts that tackle FAQs or common challenges that clients may be facing when navigating the buying process. Collate and share helpful videos, or share helpful tips via your email newsletter. Quality is key when you are looking to capture an audience with your material. Ask yourself, how can I help a potential vendor or buyer?
Wrap up
Remember that you can’t do it all at once. Be methodical in your approach to building your brand. All of these activities will have a snowball effect, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Look to craft your time intelligently to improve productivity with your business.
You might also find these articles useful:
6 Super simple ways to increase traffic to your Real Estate website or blog
How to set meaningful goals to achieve stellar results in your Real Estate Business this year
The best marketing tools for modern Real Estate Agents
