Summer is in full swing, with temps topping the 90s and even the 100s in some places. And the real estate market is still just as hot. The demand for housing may have cooled somewhat due to inflation, but that doesn’t mean demand is dead. On the contrary, there are still more people who want to buy than available inventory.
If you’re looking for ways to grow your listings, there are tons of seller lead gen ideas. We’ve compiled this list of the hottest trends in lead gen that you can take advantage of right now to give your business a boost.
1. Get On Board With Video
Short-form vertical video on Instagram or TikTok is a great way to build instant credibility with your audience and attract a constant stream of leads. The best part is you don’t have to create super-polished videos to use this medium effectively.
If you really want to see a return on your investment, try partnering with an influencer to get your message out to their audience. Influencers can promote you, much like they do products for companies, as the go-to agent in your area.
You can also establish your expertise by answering your prospects’ burning questions through longer-form video. Build a sustainable, lucrative business with a YouTube channel that generates leads.
YouTube is the second-largest search engine, right behind Google. So, your future clients are there looking for answers to their questions. Be the agent who gives them the answers they’re looking for.
Whichever platform you choose, it’s time to get past any reservations about being on camera. Whether you’re creating TikTok videos, Reels on Instagram and Facebook, or running an educational YouTube channel, video lets you connect with your audience in a way that creates recognition and trust. It’s the perfect way to build a marketing pipeline that constantly attracts new clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
25 Best Real Estate YouTube Channels (Coaching, Humor & More)
2. Use Predictive Analytics to Target Potential Clients in Your Farming Area
2022 is the year for intelligent predictive analytics. Predictive analytics tools sift through tons of data in your farm area to determine who is most likely to move. These tools have become the go-to for agents and brokers to identify sellers. If your goal is to get more listings this year, predictive analytic tools will help you find them.
Get smart and specific in your farming efforts with a company like SmartZip. They use predictive analytics to locate potential sellers and help you target your messaging with email, online ads, and direct mail, cutting your prospecting time in half. Your efforts will produce much greater results when you don’t waste time on the wrong prospects.
3. Become the Trusted Adviser for Your Clients
The easiest way to find homes to list is through referrals from your sphere of influence. But just calling your clients and prospects and asking for referrals is self-serving and won’t produce the results you want.
According to Sean Moudry, real estate coach, best-selling author, The Close contributor, and founder of 16 Strategies, the best way to approach your sphere is to become the trusted adviser offering to tackle specific questions and concerns of your clients and prospects.
Schedule in-person meetings to sit down and ask what questions they have. Prepare some stats specific to their town and neighborhood to give them a clearer picture of where the market has been, where it is today, and what the possibilities are 12 months down the road.
📌 Pro Tip
Sean has a great script you can use when talking to your sphere. You can download it here.
Once you’ve got the conversation going and you’ve addressed their concerns, ask if they know anyone who might benefit from a similar consultation from you. You might be surprised how forthcoming people can be when you start from a place of contribution and value.
4. Consider Paying for Prequalified Leads
Any agent who can master lead conversion will always have plenty of business. Converting leads is a high-level skill and requires a lot of practice and confidence. While we highly recommend you keep working on mastering your lead conversion powers, using a company to do some of the heavy lifting will prevent lead churn while you’re still working out your ninja prowess.
We think Zurple has some of the most intuitive lead gen you can get your hands on. They don’t just send you leads, they pre-sort them based on behaviors so you get warm leads to work with. Using a cool tool like Zurple, you can work on your conversion skills, land clients, and work more transactions. The more transactions you do, the better you’ll get at converting and getting more business. It’s a beautiful cycle.
5. Target Absentee Owners
Absentee owners can be a sweet source of juicy leads. There are two types of landlords—intentional and accidental. Some buy properties with the intent to rent to others. But some homeowners have to move before it’s advantageous to sell, leaving them with the challenge of becoming a landlord, usually from afar.
These unintentional landlords may be ripe for the picking, especially in this market. Being a landlord is no picnic for many. So, do a little research to find these absentee owners and reach out to them directly. Send them a letter introducing yourself and offering your services. You might be surprised how many will take you up on the offer.
The 15 Best Real Estate Prospecting Letter Templates
You can typically find absentee owners in your farming area through the property appraiser’s site. Just look for listings where the owner is not at the address you’re looking up. If the owner’s current address is different, reach out to them at their current address.
6. Reach Out to Older Expired Listings
The competition for recently expired listings is relentless. But the often overlooked expireds from six, nine, or even 12 months ago are fertile ground for potential listings. The past 18 months have boosted a homeowner selling spree.
But as buyers cooled, many homes languished on the MLS. Some would-be sellers had great expectations that were never realized, and those listings expired with homeowners’ dreams dashed.
Those homeowners, with the proper guidance and more realistic expectations, may still be interested in selling. You can sit down with them and explain in real terms where the market currently is and what they can actually expect.
You can search through your multiple listing service to manually find your older expired listings. Or you can pay a service like REDX to find the data for you, saving you tons of time. Plus, when you use REDX, they will pre-scrub the data so you can confidently reach out to people without worrying about the “Do Not Call List.”
The 26 Best Expired Listing Scripts + Objection Handlers
7. Become a Regular Podcast Guest
Podcasts have grown in popularity over the past few years. We saw them really pick up steam during the pandemic, and they haven’t shown any signs of slowing.
One of the fastest ways to gain name recognition, establish your credibility, and attract more leads is to be a guest on other peoples’ podcasts. You can answer questions for their audiences and encourage them to follow your social outlets.
Check out this list of real estate podcasts that you can contact and pitch topics. Use the links to the podcasts where you’ve been featured to share on your website and social media to add to your credibility. When you put yourself out there on podcasts, you become the authority in your community. Clients will find you and reach out to you directly when they need a real estate agent because they feel like they already know you.
8. Work Free FSBO Leads
Here’s a cool tip—did you know you could find free leads on Zillow? As of right now, For Sale By Owners can still list their homes on Zillow. However, you can also find FSBOs on FSBO.com and For Sale By Owner. If you work with military movers, you might give militarybyowner.com a try.
FSBO leads may seem like a complex group to try to earn listings from, but many by-owner sellers are overwhelmed with the idea of finding a real estate agent. Some just want to try it on their own before hiring a pro. Either way, there are a lot of homeowners out there who could definitely use your help.
And did I mention these leads are free? 😍
Download these five effective FSBO scripts to help land those listings.
📌 Pro Tip
One way to build trust and help snag a FSBO listing is offer to host an open house for them. You may or may not get the listing, but if the sellers decide to hire someone, you’ll be at the top of the list. Plus, if any unrepresented buyers come to the open house, you’ll have the opportunity to land a new buyer client as well. It’s a win-win!
The 10 Best FSBO Scripts (+ Why They Work)
9. Organize a Social Event
One of the most fun ways to stay top of mind in your community is to organize and host an event around something you already enjoy doing. Love wine? Host a wine tasting event. Enjoy museums? Gather community members for a tour of the latest exhibit. A new restaurant opened up in your neighborhood? Organize a happy hour event to introduce some of the food to members of the community. (Hint: the restaurant manager or owner will probably help with this and be extremely grateful for the promotion!)
When you get together with people in the real world, not just through social media, you have the chance to make a more substantial impact on people. It’s a great way to build that know, like, and trust relationship. And when they need a pro Realtor, you will be the one they think of first.
Plus, when you organize events around things you already enjoy doing, it’s much easier to promote. Marketing is always smoother when you dig what you’re doing.
The secret to a strategy like this is not to make it about you. Always come from a place of contribution and giving. Be an active member of your community and engage with people.
Don’t be salesy! Create conversations. Listen more than you share. People tend to tell you a lot about themselves when given the opportunity. Listen for clues and gently let them know you can help when it’s appropriate.
Your Take
These are some of the hottest, most lucrative lead gen ideas you can use today to help you get listings this summer. But these are by no means the only way to land those listings. What ways are you using that I didn’t mention? Let’s keep the ideas coming.
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