Whether you’re a newly licensed real estate agent or you’ve been in the game for a while, you’ll always need clients who want to buy or sell property. Even established realtors can find themselves wondering how to get real estate clients in new ways. And while some tried and true methods still work today as they did decades ago—up-and-coming Gen Z real estate agents are tapping into new markets using techniques the older generations could only dream about.
The key to getting new clients is networking with people and making sure that your contact details are easy to find when your leads are ready to convert. The strategies in this article will help you find new leads and build your reputation, and make it easy for your future clients to find you.
It’s worth noting that many realtors dedicate several hours of every working day to maintaining these strategies so they have a steady stream of new clients. But they can also be a kick-start if you’re new to the industry or if you’ve been too busy to concentrate on marketing and prospecting for a while.
How do real estate agents get new clients?
The National Association of Realtors estimates that about 47% of buyers choose an agent recommended by a friend, family member, or neighbor. This means that about half of clients are coming from word of mouth.
To build a reputation and get new clients, realtors need a network in their local area. The wider the network and the stronger the connections, the more new clients will come your way.
How do you start making those connections? The classic approach is to put yourself out there with a stack of business cards in your pocket.
Networking in person
Although technology has changed the real estate industry, meeting someone face-to-face is still one of the fastest ways to make a meaningful connection. Look at what’s happening in your local area and see if there’s potential to meet or reconnect with people there.
- Your local chamber of commerce might host events
- There might be fundraisers, exhibitions, or business openings in your town
- Or you can catch up with people at local markets and fairs
And if you need more clients fast, you can host events to get potential leads to come to you. Chances are, people who come to an event about real estate are already interested in buying or selling, so you’re more likely to be able to convert these leads.
- Open houses attract people who are curious about the local property market
- Hosting a talk or class will let you share your knowledge with an engaged audience
Network with other realtors
Other real estate agents might seem like your competition but if you can build a working relationship, they can also be a source of client referrals. It’s particularly helpful to have contacts in niche areas—for example, a commercial real estate agent might need to refer a client to someone who specializes in luxury or period homes.
Remember that most real estate licenses are only valid in one state, so it’s a good idea to have a few contacts out-of-state, too. This way, if a realtor has a seller who wants to move across the country, they can refer them to you as a local agent to help their client find a new home.
One of the best ways to meet other realtors is to travel to conferences or industry events. You’ll be able to make new connections and learn about the latest developments in your industry to stay at the top of your game. Win-win!
Network with local businesses
When it’s time to move, people need to organize a lot of help. They might be in the market for:
- Mortgage providers
- Attorneys or notaries
- Cleaners
- Landscapers or gardeners
- Decorators
- Builders or handypeople
- Storage lockers
- Furniture stores
Networking with these adjacent businesses can have benefits for everyone. You can recommend local businesses to your clients and, in return, they might recommend you when one of their customers, friends, or family members needs a realtor.
Networking door to door
Although most Gen Z realtors want to know how to get real estate clients without cold calling, old-fashioned methods can still work. Even if doorknocking is not for you, it’s still possible to expand your network with a postcard or targeted email campaign. If you have a listing on a certain street, for example, you can send your details by mail to other local homeowners who might be the next to move. Apps like Nextdoor and even Instagram can also help you reach out to buyers in a certain neighborhood or city area.
Focusing on one area in this way is part of what’s called “real estate farming”. In an active market, many realtors see a high return on their investment with this strategy, with some winning up to 30% of sales in their chosen area. If you get to know the area well enough to offer unique insights on comps, new property developments, and local amenities, people are more likely to put their trust in you and your client list will grow.
You can see some of the most popular methods to farm an area for real estate clients, and their associated costs in this chart from The Close:
How to get more clients as a real estate agent through social networking
You can also make meaningful connections by building a real estate network on social media. Some 90% of realtors use Facebook to generate leads, and Instagram and LinkedIn are the second and third most popular platforms.
You should take a different approach on each of these sites:
- Facebook is a great place to find local services. If you can answer people’s real estate questions in local Facebook groups, it’ll be easy for them to click right through to your profile.
- Instagram is visual and aspirational, so it’s a great place to show off your listings.
- LinkedIn is for professionals who already expect to network on the site. If you work in commercial property, LinkedIn is also a good place to prospect for clients who might want to move to a new business location.
Statistically, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are also the social networks where most potential real estate clients hang out. These days, the average person buys their first home at 36, and these social networks match up with this age range. If you want to put yourself in front of an audience that wants to buy property soon, these social networks are the place to be.
Wondering how to get real estate leads for free? Social media might be for you. One of the best parts of this networking strategy is that you can extend your reach without paying anything. If you have a marketing budget, you’ll also be able to set up PPC marketing campaigns on your Facebook and Instagram pages to put your ads in front of more people in your local area.
Just make sure that you’re adding something entertaining or useful for your followers. If people feel like a business is giving them a hard sell, it’s very easy for them to unfollow.
Looking for more info? Check out how to collect contact information from your social media channels.
How do realtors get new clients organically?
If about half of people choose their real estate agent based on word of mouth, the other half must be doing their own research. So if you’re still wondering how to get more real estate clients, it’s time to think about ways of helping those searchers find your details.
To turn these potential clients into real bookings, it’s important to have a high-quality website. Even if your clients find you through your profile on your brokerage’s website, you can take steps so that your name and contact details appear closer to the top of the search engine results.
Website tips for realtors
It’s quick and intuitive to customize a template website for your real estate business. With some code adjustments and plugins, you can even add your MLS listings to websites built on platforms like Squarespace and WordPress so clients can view your current properties without leaving your site.
What’s more, optimizing your website for search engines (SEO) isn’t as complicated as you might think. Try asking yourself these questions before your site goes live:
- Is it easy to find the information your clients would need? Here, it helps to break your site into pages and your pages into headings. You should also make sure that your menu is easy to navigate by using clear headings like “about”, “contact”, and “active listings”.
- Have you used keywords? A keyword is a word or phrase you think someone will use when they’re looking for the service you provide. “Real estate agents in <your town>” is a good place to start. It’s helpful to add the keyword to the headings and meta descriptions on your page—that’s the few lines of text under the title in the search engine results.
- Have you added links on every page? Adding a mix of internal links (to other pages of your site) and external links (to other sites like your brokerage, your social media pages, and any awards or qualifications you have) helps your site to rank.
And for realtors, local SEO is also vital. These are the boxes you can tick to make sure that your site appears when people search for services in their area.
- Make sure your Google business listing is up to date. If you’ve never done this before, Google your business and click on the “own this business” link to get started.
- Check your name, address, and phone number are the same on every platform where you have a profile.
- Do what you can to get other local pages to link to your website. This is called backlinking, and it’s a major factor when it comes to how your page ranks locally. If you have the opportunity to be featured on a local blog, business directory, or your brokerage’s website, take it.
Managing your contact list and maintaining your leads
Our top tips for realtors have covered growing your network of contacts and making it easy for people to choose you. But often, signing a new client is a process that involves many smaller steps.
Generally, real estate agents spend a few hours each day finding new leads, nudging people a little closer to becoming clients, and marketing themselves so that their name will be at the top of people’s minds when it’s time to buy or sell. It’s a time-consuming process, and doesn’t happen overnight.
The Magical Chrome Extension can help
The best secret to get real estate leads faster? You can use Magical to create templates for follow-ups, prospecting emails, and appointment confirmations. Once your template is ready to go, just use our free Chrome extension to teleport your lead’s contact details from your list—as if by magic!
Using Magical can save hours on these mundane prospecting and messaging tasks, leaving you with more time to focus on the rest of your to-do list. Add the extension to your browser and start building your templates and expanding your contact list today.
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