Pros

• Available integrated payment processing features
• User-friendly interface provided
• SMS text capabilities included
• Customizable dashboard

Cons

• No free trial available to interested users
• Audience segmentation capabilities not provided
• Document management is not available
• High monthly costs compared to competitors

The Close Score

4.8

Pricing:

3.4

Lead gen software features/general:

4.6

Advanced lead generation features:

3.5

Help and support:

2.5

Customer rating:

3.4

Export score:

3.8

out
of

5

My Verdict on Market Leader & Why You Should Trust It 

I’m an experienced real estate writer and former real estate operations executive who has taken the time to consider and try many real estate platforms. I deeply understand what every real estate business person needs and faces as a challenge, so I invested the time to review these tools and give you accurate and reliable insights in this Market Leader review. My hands-on experience and in-depth research into the feature set of Market Leader, user feedback, and market positioning ensure this review is comprehensive and trustworthy.

Market Leader is a robust, end-to-end real estate process automation tool that ranges from lead generation to deal closing. It provides a suite of tools covering all real estate marketing and client management phases. With comprehensive features and a user-friendly interface, it is a mighty companion for any serious real estate professional. That said, you have to balance the platform’s benefits against the cost, which can be a pricey expense for an agent, depending on their deal flow. 

Market Leader Alternatives

While Market Leader can provide a lot of tools within its comprehensive suite for real estate professionals, there may be some cases wherein looking at the alternatives that provide more pocket-friendly pricing, customization, or the ability to integrate with present systems in the best possible way would be necessary. Other real estate lead generation platforms can provide different strengths, such as affordable monthly fees, extended customer service support hours, or AI capabilities.

Platform	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	Leverages advanced AI capabilities to personalize follow-up communication and predict lead behavior	Zurple Review	Visit Zurple
	Highly rated by customers for its robust predictive analytics and marketing automation	Smartzip Review	Visit SmartZip
	Extended customer support hours, providing more accessible and timely support	CINC Review	Visit CINC

Platform	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	Leverages advanced AI capabilities to personalize follow-up communication and predict lead behavior	Zurple Review	Visit Zurple
	Highly rated by customers for its robust predictive analytics and marketing automation	Smartzip Review	Visit SmartZip
	Extended customer support hours, providing more accessible and timely support	CINC Review	Visit CINC

Market Leader Reviews: What Current Users Think

The existing users’ experiences help identify Market Leader’s actual performance. Analyzing user feedback helps us understand just how much Market Leader satisfies the needs of real estate professionals and what the users like or feel it lacks. Market Leader received an overall customer rating of 4.47 out of 5 on Cuspera. Here is what others are saying in their Market Leader reviews: 

Key Features of Market Leader

Market Leader is full of features geared towards making the process of real estate easy and productive. It offers an all-rounded toolkit to help agents at each stage of their business, from lead generation and management to marketing automation and client engagement. These features are designed to help real estate professionals capture more leads, stay organized, and close deals efficiently. Now, let’s dive into some standout features that make Market Leader an asset for real estate agents.

Mobile Application 

The mobile application enables any real estate agent to continue working on the go. It facilitates the management of contacts, leads, and even marketing activities directly from your smartphone or tablet. Given the real-time notifications and the ease of access to data on clients, responding to queries, making appointments, and recording updates are easy without being deskbound. This flexibility ensures that agents can stay productive and be connected even when they are out of the field, enhancing the ability to deliver service to clients in a timely and efficient way.

Social Media Integrations 

The social media integrations provided by Market Leader enable real estate agents to seamlessly integrate their CRM with popular social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It gives the agent an automated way of marketing their listings and interacting with potential clients across various social media channels. With this integration, agents can attract more leads without much manual effort by increasing their reach and building an online presence.

Exclusive Real Estate Leads 

One of the significant strengths of Market Leader is the ability to generate and manage real estate leads. One of its standout offerings is access to exclusive real estate leads through partnerships with HouseValues, Leads Direct, and Network Boost. These platforms enable agents to directly receive high-quality, targeted leads, ensuring a steady flow of potential clients. By leveraging these exclusive lead sources, real estate professionals can maximize their lead generation efforts and focus on converting prospects into successful transactions.

Customizable Website

Agents can create custom Market Leader websites to engage and convert prospects into leads. It has websites focused on agent branding and customizable templates for property search functions and lead capture forms.

With a professionally done website builder, agents will grow their online presence and be able to display listings, share market insight, and even provide relevant resources to prospects. This marketing opportunity adds credibility to the agent and helps enhance his lead generation and high-quality lead-capturing ability from online channels.

Engagement Co-pilot

The engagement co-pilot in Market Leader has acted like a virtual assistant to the real estate agent in staying engaged with Market Leader real estate leads and clients through automated and personalized communication. It can send personalized emails, schedule follow-ups, and reminders for key activities to ensure agents have consistent, meaningful interactions with their contacts. 

By automating routine engagement activities, the engagement co-pilot allows an agent to manage other strategic sides of his business and ultimately improve client relationships while increasing productivity.

Market Leader Pricing

You may be wondering how much Market Leader costs. While most competitors are quite upfront about their pricing, Market Leader does not transparently post its price on its website, nor is there a free trial or tiered pricing. Below is a breakdown of what you can expect for costs:

• Market Leader Professional (for individual agents): $189 per month (includes a $20 data services fee)
• Market Leader Teams (for small real estate teams): $329 per month for up to 10 users on the same account
• Market Leader Business Suite (for teams and brokerages): Custom pricing

Leads products—can be added to any of the above software products:

• Network Boost: $399 per month for an average of 25 leads per month. The price includes the Market Leader Professional software system, which is required for agents who want to use Network Boost leads.
• Search engine lead products (HouseValues and Leads Direct): Generally $25 to $50 per lead, depending on your market. Leads in markets like Boston and Los Angeles are typically more expensive than leads in more affordable markets like Kansas City. 

Methodology 

Our team of real estate-focused analysts and editors researched many lead-generation platforms to give real estate professionals the best options. We have studied Market Leader’s features in depth, including its unique lead-generation capabilities, ease of use, value for money, and support provided. Market Leader reviews from users also contributed to understanding how well it performed in the real world and whether people were satisfied with it. 

We aim to deliver to real estate agents and brokers that can assist their decision-making and workflow optimization in a very competitive market. This commitment to researching and reviewing products fairly ensures that our readers get the most efficient and effective reliable information that will make them well-rooted in success in the industry.

Here’s how we came up with our Market Leader review:

• Pricing: 3.44 out of 5
  • We evaluated Market Leader’s cost-effectiveness and the value it offers relative to its pricing structure.
• Lead gen software features/general: 4.63 out of 5
  • We assessed the platform’s comprehensive set of tools designed for general lead generation and management.
• Advanced lead generation features: 3.5 out of 5
  • We looked at Market Leader’s advanced capabilities, such as exclusive lead sources and lead quality. 
• Help and support: 2.5 out of 5
  • We rated the availability and quality of customer support, noting the lack of live chat and 24/7 assistance.
• Customer rating: 3.44 out of 5
  • We compiled and analyzed user reviews to gauge the overall satisfaction and effectiveness of the platform.
• Export score: 3.75 out of 5
  • We evaluated the ease and efficiency of exporting data and integrating Market Leader with other tools and platforms.

Read more about our methodology here.

FAQs

How much would this lead generation platform be?

Will any lead generation platform integrate with my existing CRM?

How do I measure the success of a lead generation platform?

The Bottom Line: Is Market Leader Worth It? 

Market Leader equips real estate professionals with powerful lead management, integrated marketing features, and custom websites and is easy to use. Their training resources and branding features make it worth the cost and provide value-added help to agents maximize productivity and efficiency. At the same time, it can be expensive for solo agents or small teams, while other users may find the customization possibilities too limited. The other thing is that it is chock full of different features, so using all of them will be a learning curve for anyone who isn’t so tech-savvy. 

Overall, Market Leader is suitable for people with a budget looking for an all-in-one solution to help them in their real estate operations. If the Market Leader pricing is a principal factor in your decision or you need further customizations, it pays to shop around. Market Leader reviews can provide additional insights into whether it fits your specific requirements. Ultimately, your CRM should align with your business needs and resources.

The post Market Leader Review: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons (2024) appeared first on The Close.

• Spacio (by HomeSpotter): Best for lead generation
• Curb Hero: Best for digital sign-in
• Open House Wizard: Best for staying connected
• Houzz View in Home: Best for virtual staging
• Open Home Pro: Best for affordability
• Happy Open House: Best for intuitive setup

The Close’s Picks for Best Open House Apps

Don’t be afraid to try a few of these apps since many of them are free or offer a free trial. See what features add value to your business to find the best open house app for you.

1. Spacio

• Best for: Lead generation
• Pricing: Starts at $25 a month
• Available on:

What Is the Spacio App?

Spacio is a game-changer for real estate agents looking to streamline their open house process and capture more leads. Think of it as a lightweight CRM focused on listings. This handy app replaces old-school pen and paper with a digital sign-in, ensuring you get accurate visitor info every time.

Spacio Features That Make Open Houses Easier

With automated follow-ups via email and text, staying in touch with potential clients is easy. Spacio integrates seamlessly with popular CRMs, offers real-time analytics, and has a customizable sign-in form. Don’t worry about security—all data collected is secure with privacy settings. If you want to take your open houses to the next level, Spacio has you covered.

2. Curb Hero

• Best for: Digital sign-in
• Pricing: Free
• Available on:

What Is the Curb Hero App?

Elevate your open house game with Curb Hero. This sign-in open house app is becoming extremely popular with agents, and it’s easy to see why. For starters, it’s 100% free for agents. That’s right, free! The app offers branded templates for popular brokerages like Compass, Century 21, and Keller Williams with automated follow-up to keep your leads engaged. 

Curb Hero Features That Make Open Houses Easier

One standout feature Curb Hero offers agents is a touchless sign-in option. Instead of typing on your iPad, your open house guests can scan a QR code and sign in on their phones. If you get a stand for your iPad and place it at the entrance, your guests can quickly and easily sign in without you hovering over them—giving you more time to connect with visitors. Curb Hero also integrates over 2,000 CRMs, built-in verification, and background information collection.

3. Open House Wizard

• Best for: Staying connected
• Pricing: Starts at $18 a month
• Available on:

What Is the Open House Wizard App?

Are you looking for a magic wand to assist you with your open house prep? Open House Wizard makes open houses a breeze with open house checklists. Digitally capture visitor info and keep the conversation going with automated follow-ups. 

Open House Wizard Features That Make Open Houses Easier

Connect the app to your favorite CRM for smooth integration and a peek into how your open houses are performing. Amp up visitor experience with branded content that fits your style. One neat trick? It sends out follow-up emails right after, so you can keep the convo going with potential buyers. Make your open houses epic and snag those top-tier leads with Open House Wizard.

4. Houzz View in Home

• Best for: Virtual staging
• Pricing: Free
• Available on:

What Is the Houzz View in Home App?

Houzz View in Home is a feature of the Houzz app that lets agents choose furniture, tile, and more to preview how it will look in a room. This augmented reality tool can help your clients visualize their perfect space.

Houzz View in Home Features That Make Open Houses Easier

Use Houzz’s app to show an open house guest what a kitchen or bathroom might look like with a new tile backsplash or to preview couches, tables, chairs, beds, and more from its enormous selection of products. Crush objections to dated features by using the app to show the home’s potential to future buyers. 

5. Open Home Pro

• Best for: Affordability
• Pricing: Free
• Available on:

What Is the Open Home Pro App?

Recently acquired by Placester, Open Home Pro is one of the first open house sign-in apps used by more than 90,000 agents. Like Spacio, Open Home Pro offers premium marketing and lead follow-up features. The best part? It’s free!

Open Home Pro Features That Make Open Houses Easier

Open Home Pro integrates with your preferred CRMs, allows you to customize your brand, and offers tools that make your open houses stand out. The free plan includes digital sign-in on unlimited open houses, but keep in mind you’re only able to view up to 25 guests. The paid plan removes this limitation and offers agents customized lead follow-up emails, in-app lead tracking, and automated seller reports.

6. Happy Open House

• Best for: Intuitive set-up
• Pricing: Starts at $10 a month
• Available on:

What Is the Happy Open House App?

Ok, I have to admit, I personally love this app. The Happy Open House app is a paperless, touchless sign-in process for a simple entrance to your open house. Bring your open house ideas to life with the app’s intuitive set-up. It allows you to include property details and photos and customize questions for your visitors. 

Happy Open House Features That Make Open Houses Easier

Never miss a great opportunity with Happy Open House. The hot leads indicators notify you of visitors who have viewed your property more than once. Integrate with your CRM, send mass messages, and generate reports with the click of a button. You can even spice up your listings with your own flair with personalized branding—think colors, headshots, and logos! The icing on the cake is a 14-day free trial for you or your team.

Honorable Mention: Not Available on App Store or Google Play

These last three programs are worth mentioning, even though an app isn’t available. They may not be widely known, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a big impact on your business. Take a look at these web-based products to see if any of them are right for your business.

Pro tip: You can make any web-based program a button on your phone’s home screen so it appears as an app and is easily accessible.

• For iPhones: When you’re on the website, tap the menu button (looks like a rectangle with an arrow pointing up). Scroll down and select “Add to Home Screen.”
• For Androids: Go to the website you want to add and tap the menu (looks like three dots in the upper right corner). Tap on “Add to Home Screen.”

Showable

• Best for: Maximizing showings
• Pricing: Starts at $49 a month
• Available on: Web Only

What Is the Showable App?

Showable is your new secret weapon for killer open houses! This open house app includes all of the perks and simplicity of digital sign-in with the added benefits of appointment scheduling, virtual tours, email templates, and marketing. 

Showable Features That Make Open Houses Easier

Showable handles follow-ups for you, so staying in touch with potential clients is a snap. Connect with agents who have shown the home by sending broadcast emails directly from your dashboard. Agents can also request showing appointments quickly through an online booking calendar, making scheduling showings hassle-free.

Kagent

• Best for: Showing feedback
• Pricing: $25
• Available on: Web Only

What Is the Kagent App?

Kagent is a super-easy-to-use open house sign-in app designed to streamline and enhance your visitor’s open house experience. You can easily generate a QR code to send visitors to a sign-in page—with a reason to do so. The company sponsors a monthly $500 drawing for guests who guess the closing price within 1% (which Kagent verifies via the MLS once the property closes).

Kagent Features That Make Open Houses Easier

Kagent simplifies open houses with QR code generation, quick surveys, and a streamlined design. It took me less than five minutes to assemble an open house sign-in sheet, including setting up my account. Kagent connects with over 3,000 CRMs and other real estate tools. You can give Kagent a try with a 14-day free trial period.

Real Team Code

• Best for: One-click reports
• Pricing: Starts at $22 a month
• Available on: Web Only

What Is the Real Team Code App?

You suggested, we listened. Next on the list is the Real Team Code app. Recommended by our readers, we dug into the details of this app and found some pretty cool features. Starting with a digital sign-in sheet, it breaks down the whole process into three easy steps, making it feel like you’ve got a map to success in your hands.

Real Team Code Features That Make Open Houses Easier

Coordinate with agents, gather feedback from visitors, and handle other essential tasks related to hosting a successful open house. Step One? Create your event. Step Two? Manage communications and collect information. Step Three? Download the data and generate reports. Everything you need for a successful open house and lead generation is at your fingertips.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Should I serve food at an open house?

Do scripts work at an open house, or should I ditch them?

How do I host an online open house?

Bringing It All Together

Hosting an open house should be fun and focused on building relationships to sell your listing. Ditch the old-school pen and paper that can get lost and messy. Open house apps allow tech-savvy agents—or not so tech-savvy agents—to get quality contact info and feedback while spending more time getting to know potential clients.

What open house apps do you use to connect with leads and promote your listings? I’d love to check out some new and upcoming apps to review. Let me know in the comments!

The post 6 Open House Apps Tech-savvy Agents Use to Get More Leads appeared first on The Close.

Social Media Real Estate Ads Examples

Advertising on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram is always a game-changer for real estate agents. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), social media (52%) is the top tech tool that provides REALTORS® with quality leads. You only need a killer concept, a captivating lead magnet, compelling copywriting, and creative flair to reel in those leads on Meta’s top platforms. I’m here to show you some of the best real estate ads on Facebook and other platforms and explain why they’re so effective.

1. Buyer Quiz Ad

Lead magnet: Quiz

Why this copy works: This copy starts by leveraging first-time buyers’ FOMO (fear of missing out) and then cleverly offers a solution. What’s particularly effective is how it speaks directly to the person reading, making them feel valued and important rather than addressing a general audience. Instead of a generic image, they opted for a picture of the agents teaching the course. This choice makes the agents appear friendly and approachable, creating a sense of familiarity and comfort for the first-time homebuyers they’re targeting.

Pro Tip: Don’t have the time or patience to learn Facebook ads? Top Producer Social Connect makes it easy. Enter your city and budget, and Top Producer’s advertising experts do the rest. Even better, you’ll get a suite of automated lead nurturing tools to keep them warm while you work with clients.

2. Reasons to Buy a Home Video Ad

3. Home Valuation Ad

Lead magnet: Free home valuation

Why this copy works: It’s simple and straight to the point. Emphasizing the word “free” helps draw in people who have not sold a home before and don’t know that all home valuations are free. I love how the agent added a casual yet professionally shot picture of herself. This unique approach sets her apart from other agents and is sure to intrigue and engage potential customers. Too many home valuation ads use bland, generic graphics; we would bet this one converts much better.

4. First-time Homebuyer Tips Video Ad

Lead magnet: Video

Why this copy works: This language is light and fun but gets straight to the point and uses emojis to guide the reader through the real estate ad. The video’s title, in bold and attention-grabbing italic font, immediately draws your attention. This element of intrigue makes the audience feel drawn in and curious, but still professional.

5. Simple Exclusive Listing Ad

Lead magnet: Private tour

Why this copy works: With only one sentence, this copy cuts through the noise on social media and gets straight to the point. Using the terms “accepting appointments” and “private tour” not only makes the listing sound exclusive but also emphasizes the value of the experience, making potential clients feel intrigued. It is simple but very effective: gorgeous photography, brokerage branding, and a headshot in the lower right corner. This professional presentation instills confidence in potential clients, making it perfect.

6. Simple Exclusive Listing Ad: Example 2

Lead magnet: Private tour

Why this copy works: This ad’s success lies in its simplicity. A professional image, precise address, and straightforward price, all presented in an elegant font, instill confidence, rendering additional copies unnecessary. This template is a versatile solution that can be adapted for a wide range of marketing needs. It’s not limited to private tours but could also be used for open houses, under contract, or just-sold real estate ads. Apply your brand colors and logo, and you’re ready to go.

7. Simple Open House Ad

Lead magnet: None

Why this copy works: Once again, the power of simplicity shines through in this copy. It cuts through the noise and gets straight to the point, instilling confidence in the reader. The two charming emojis add a touch of personality without overwhelming the message. Again, simplicity is key! The beautiful real estate photography, clean graphic design, and company branding strategically placed in the lower right corner reinforce the audience’s role in shaping the company’s identity.

8. Open House Ad With Aerial Shot

Lead magnet: None

Why this copy works: The ad’s effectiveness is not reliant on many copies. Instead, it impresses with its minimalistic approach, relying on the strength of its creativity to capture the audience’s attention. Coupled with decreasing attention spans—now just 8.25 seconds—complex ads cause more confusion than conversion. The bold, clean design, a testament to the ad’s effectiveness, draws the audience’s eye into this ad. The headshot and contact information are on the lower left instead of the more traditional lower right, but it still works.

9. Buyer Lead Ad

Lead magnet: None

Why this copy works: This copy is a masterclass in leveraging FOMO and desire. In just two sentences, it taps into the universal longing for a home we truly love. It cleverly positions its website as the key to alleviating the audience’s FOMO. It’s all about simplicity! This is not a grand mansion but a humble, approachable home. It’s nice but not intimidating, making the audience feel comfortable.

10. Six Costly Mistakes Homesellers Make Ad

Lead magnet: e-Book

Why this copy works: This copy empathizes with the fears that every homeseller experiences before, during, and even after putting their home on the market. Even better, it offers a solution to help them overcome those fears. It won’t win any graphic design awards, but it certainly grabs your attention. Photography or graphics would just distract from this simple, powerful copy.

Are you considering social media ads for your property but find the process of creating, posting, and testing them time-consuming? Experience the benefits of Sierra Interactive’s Real Estate Ad Management tool. With just a budget setting, you can leave the rest to them, allowing you to focus on other crucial aspects of your property sale!

11. Seasonal Ad for X (Formerly Twitter)

Lead magnet: Seasonal theme

Why this copy works: Be sure to take note of this intriguing social media post on X (formerly Twitter). The post is designed to grab the attention of potential buyers and sellers and encourage them to learn more about the sales process. Its seasonal theme makes it especially timely and appealing for the Halloween season. It cleverly incorporates the theme into the question, “haunted by the housing market?” and includes a professional headshot and contact details, making it easy for viewers to see them.

12. Short-video TikTok Ad

Lead magnet: Short-video

Why this copy works: Heider Real Estate has achieved tremendous success by harnessing the power of TikTok to showcase its listings. With an astounding 3.7 million followers, Daniel Heider effectively uses trending songs and music to make property listings more entertaining and engaging. Furthermore, as shown in the example above, instead of just showing the property, Heider included real people in the house, allowing potential buyers to visualize themselves enjoying the property, a strategy that has proven effective on such a large scale.

13. Funny Real Estate Memes or Jokes

Lead magnet: Real estate memes and jokes

Why this copy works: Remember to incorporate real estate memes into your social media strategy to highlight your property listings, personality, and brand. Using memes is an engaging and lighthearted approach to grabbing the interest of your audience and establishing a sense of rapport with your page visitors.

14. Real Estate Quote

Lead magnet: Real estate quotes

Why this copy works: The tagline in this post is strategically crafted to appeal to potential home buyers. It uses a simple and comforting image to evoke positive emotions, drawing on inspiration and joy to drive the message home. This is followed by a clear call to action, prompting the audience to take the next steps toward purchasing their dream home.

Outdoor Real Estate Ad Examples

The outdoors is more than just a path from your car to your listing. Many enjoy activities like walking dogs, jogging, and riding bikes. The outdoor advertising market is projected to reach USD 43,900 million by 2028 with a 3.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) during 2023–2028, underlining its enduring value in a competitive marketing landscape. The great outdoors is a good place to reach people who may not use the latest apps. Here are some cool outdoor real estate agent ads.

15. Sense of Home Scratch & Sniff Ads

Why this copy works: These eye-catching and freshly scented scratch-and-sniff ads are designed to make you feel part of a community. They are enough to make your average curious resident pause. Once they’ve got your attention, the message behind these ads—that our new developments foster a sense of ‘home’ and community rather than just a place to live—resonates deeply.

16. Compass: Powering Your Home Search

Why this copy works: A great pun works wonders, and this copy brings everyone in on the joke. These slickly designed and clever ads on electric car charging ports send the perfect message to the very kind of hip, upwardly mobile, and eco-conscious clientele every brokerage covets. 

17. Stribling Building Listing Signs

Why this copy works: This well-made listing ad signs leaves a lot up to one’s imagination. I know there’s a townhouse for sale on a gorgeous, tree-lined street. Maybe that’s all we need. I like the mystery. The simplicity here lets the environment do the heavy lifting, and the bright pink logo elevates the overall look, keeping the ad from feeling stale or boring.

18. Halstead Outdoor Ads

Why this copy works: In the first example, Halstead uses a clever play on words in hopes their audience will pause just one second longer. “Move to what moves you, huh? That’s clever. What’s this? Halstead? I’ll look into them.” This second example lets the bright poppy colors do the heavy lifting. It’s hard to ignore the vibrancy, and an open house with this chic of a sign is probably a property worth seeing.

19. Realtor.com Subway Ad

Why this copy works: Making a pun about the subway seems like a rite of passage (ha!) for advertising execs cutting their teeth on transit signage. Realtor.com’s ad here, on the other hand, is well thought out. The cheeky play on the ad’s placement—an LCD that alternates between ads like this and upcoming subway departures—makes this ad stand out.

20. Realtor.com House Wrap Ad

Why this copy works: This message uses FOMO to entice its audience to switch from Zillow to Realtor.com. A tried-and-true ad strategy. No one wants to miss out on something great. This type of ad can go viral and take on a life of its own. It’ll get people talking, sharing and, above all, checking out Realtor.com.

21. StreetEasy Subway Ad: ‘You’re Dead to Me!’

Why this copy works: This speaks to New York City or any other metro with a massive chip on its shoulder. It gives the audience confidence that the agency is in the know, speaks the language, and has true local bona fides. StreetEasy’s subway ads have always been clever, but these ads take an old-school monster fight from classic movies and insert humorous things that New Yorkers tend to argue about—in this case, moving to LA.

Print Real Estate Ad Examples

The rumors of print advertising’s death have been wildly exaggerated. An eMarketer.com survey found that 82% of Americans trust print ads in newspapers and magazines more than digital ads (only 61% of consumers). Also, some real estate agents still swear by the persuasive qualities of ink and paper. Are they right? Well, judge for yourself. Here are a few killer print ads that we bet will have a great return on investment—or will at least help grow brands.

22. Douglas Elliman: Ask Elliman

Why this copy works: Still one of our favorite real estate agent ad campaigns of the past few years, Douglas Elliman’s “Ask Elliman” campaign hits all the right notes. It manages to evoke expertise and care at the same time. The Elliman-branded blue pops against black, white, and gray shades. It has a slightly nostalgic feel but is appealing to just about any audience in a modern setting.

23. NAR: Most Valuable Square Inch

Why this copy works: This magazine ad makes the NAR aspirational, if not damn near heroic. The copy creates a club that you want to be a part of (or that we want to represent our interests in). I don’t need to see the Realtor’s face to know she’s trustworthy, has integrity, and will sell this house. Or help you buy it. This is an ad that shows us as much as it tells.

24. Lefferts Place Mews

Why this copy works: This copy makes you contemplate your legacy, hopes, dreams, and maybe even hints that the “life is short—buy the pretty house” argument. Of course, it also works on a literal level—it’s a historic property.

25. Nourmand & Associates: New Hire Announcement

Why this copy works: OK, you’re probably wondering why I put a new hire announcement, of all things, on this list, and I’ll admit it—it’s not really for the copy. It’s for the design. This example showcases why it’s crucial to sweat the small stuff to get ahead. The typography, layout, and imagery are all pinpoint perfect.

26. Compass: Door Hangers

Why this copy works: These just-listed and open-house door hangers ideas keep the message simple and let the properties and headshots do the talking. Door hangers are often a check-the-box marketing tool, but if you take the time to think about layout, images, and overall design, they can make a huge impact. Instead of going right into the trash can, someone will pause, take in the beautiful property photos, and maybe even read that testimonial.

27. First Mallorca: Taylor-made Houses

Why this copy works: How clever are these ads for Mallorca-based luxury real estate firm First Mallorca? The “Taylor-made houses” line makes it. It’s a fresh approach to the idea that this brokerage is focused on the client as an individual. The image works here, reinforcing the idea that each buyer or seller is as unique as the properties.

28. Sotheby’s International Realty

Why this copy works: Clean, classic, eye-catching images and pithy copy are everything you need to get the most out of a two-page layout. This Sotheby’s campaign is about creating a vision of an aspirational and familiar lifestyle.

29. Corcoran’s ‘Live Who You Are’ Campaign

Why this copy works: I’m enchanted by this whimsical take on Corcoran’s core statement, which celebrates the life you’ll live in your new home. These illustrations by Simone Massoni are fun and clever while still evoking emotion. Other Corcoran print campaigns showcase photography by Rob Howard, Annie Liebovitz, Paul Costello, and Stefan Anderson. The Corcoran brand believes that storytelling fosters loyalty, and I agree.

If we had to pick a single real estate brochure company to recommend, it would be ProspectsPLUS! It has marketing print collateral in almost every format and size, plus no membership fee. Some providers require a monthly subscription to access designs, but ProspectsPLUS! works well for one-off projects and ongoing campaigns.

Real Estate Brand Promotional Items Examples

Your headshot, logo, and other branding can be used on items like pens, notepads, and similar items for promotion and advertising. Giving away these items can help potential clients and existing customers remember your professionalism, skill, and dedication. According to a study, 40% of consumers keep some promotional items for over 10 years. That’s longer than most other types of advertising. Another study found that 83% of people like getting promotional products with an advertising message.

30. The Helpful Branded Fridge Magnet

Why this creative works: I’m a big fan of any longevity promotional item. This helpful, well-designed magnet will live on the fridge, reminding leads that one cup equals 8 ounces and that you are there any time, day or night, to help with real estate.

31. Custom Mug of Your Mug

Why this creative works: Branded mugs are pretty common, but this illustrated, customized mug has real personality and is likely to stand out among all the clutter in your kitchen.

32. Brokerage Ready-to-Wear Line

Why this creative works: Sometimes, you need your brand to make a statement. It helps when there’s an emphatic period at the end. This SERHANT. hoodie sweatshirt is classic, warm, and brilliant advertising. Imagine people walking around wearing your brokerage name on their clothing, hats, fanny packs, or even swim trunks—it doesn’t get much better than that.

33. Branded Pen Ad

Why this creative works: Discover the power of promotional pens! By putting your contact information and logo on a pen, you’re not only providing a useful tool, but also spreading your brand to a wide audience. Imagine handing out these pens at open houses, listing appointments, networking events, or giving them to buyers as they sign on the dotted line. It’s a brilliant way to get your brand out there and make a lasting impression!

34. Tote Bags

Why this creative works: Branded reusable bags and totes are a massive hit with eco-conscious individuals. When you add a catchy slogan, your contact details, and your logo to a bag, just like the example above, your customers essentially become walking billboards for your brand.

Internet Platform Best Realtor Ads Examples

To attract real estate leads, advertise on high-traffic sites like your local multiple listing service (MLS), Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, and Craigslist. Use Google, Microsoft ads, Yelp, and your website to establish your expertise. Since 41% of recent buyers’ first step in the home buying process was to look online at properties for sale, ensuring that your ads stand out in the crowded online landscape is crucial. Here are some successful real estate ad ideas and what makes them stand out:

35. Zillow Active Property Listing

Why this creative works: This Zillow property listing is effective because the agent, with their professional approach, uses visually stunning images to capture the reader’s attention. The listing also highlights the benefits and details of working with their firm, instilling a sense of confidence. High-quality photos and compelling property descriptions are included to encourage visitors to linger and browse.

36. Google Paid Advertising

Why this creative works: This awesome Google ad may not have any images, but it’s a powerhouse for generating real estate leads. Using targeted keywords and showcasing the brokerage’s impressive 5-star Google My Business profile ratings, this ad pulls in leads from Google in a specific area like a pro!

37. Real Estate Agent Sponsored Google Ad 

Why this creative works: This sponsored real estate agent Google ad is effective because it showcases a professional realtor headshot, adding a personal touch and credibility. The eye-catching headshot helps establish a connection with potential clients, conveying trust, professionalism, and a human touch. This ad is designed to make a lasting impression on its target audience!

Direct Mail Real Estate Ads Examples

Direct mail strategies like postcards and flyers are still super effective for generating leads. They make you stand out, grab people’s attention for longer, and pack a bigger emotional punch than digital ads. Plus, even though they might cost more than online ads, they’re still pocket-friendly for agents. And here’s the best part—you can target specific audiences based on demographics and niche markets, making it super efficient for generating leads in your specialized areas of expertise!

38. Mailable Real Estate Flyer

Why this creative works: This mailable real estate flyer displays a local home in the area with captivating photos to entice buyers and provides sellers with a sample of its high-quality marketing materials. All you have to do is choose a specific neighborhood or get a mailing list for a particular street from a direct mail service, and presto! You’re all set to send out your personalized real estate flyers.

39. Recipe Direct Mail Postcards

Why this creative works: This clever direct mail real estate agent postcard targets potential sellers. It includes a fantastic recipe that not only grabs attention but also gives people a reason to hold onto the card. By regularly sending out postcards with different recipes, you will ensure your brand is always on your contacts’ minds.

40. Personalized Calendar

Why this creative works: Branded calendars, such as the one provided, are valuable household items that constantly remind you of your brand. These personalized calendars are not only excellent gifts for clients but also for potential clients, as well as friends and family. By displaying your information, these calendars can help maintain brand recall and serve as a practical and thoughtful token of appreciation.

Direct Digital Real Estate Ads Examples

Many businesses have effectively used digital campaigns in real estate. According to Statista, 70% of consumers prefer to receive emails from online brands. Effective strategies include clear headlines for direct emails, monthly newsletters, and holiday emails with recipes or tips. Let’s explore some appealing real estate agent advertising examples for digital ad campaigns and why they successfully generate and convert leads.

41. Direct Email Ad

Why this creative works: This straightforward email is effective due to its concise headline, which presents a question to potential buyers. The email copy provides a solution that highlights the real estate agency’s expertise and features its current listings. Use these emails to share your listings with your email subscribers.

42. Direct Text Ad

Why this creative works: This real estate advertisement informs buyers ready to buy by advertising an open house through the highly effective medium of text message marketing. Text messaging is a powerful way to update your contacts about new listings. With a higher open rate of 98% compared to email’s 21.7%, it’s an incredible way to remind clients about upcoming events or open houses or to check in with them.

43. Monthly Newsletter

Why this creative works: A monthly real estate newsletter sent directly to your inbox is a powerful tool for lead generation. It fosters consistent engagement, showcases your expertise, highlights your listings, and provides detailed market updates. But it’s not just about information, it’s also about action. Its call to action is designed to motivate and encourage readers to take the next step, whether it’s exploring your listings, contacting your agents, or making a conversion.

44. Holiday Email

Why this creative works: One of the most effective and non-intrusive ways to engage with your clients is through holiday emails. These emails, unlike traditional sales pitches, are a subtle yet powerful way to reinforce your brand and humanize your relationship. These catchy real estate ads are not pushy or salesy but a gentle reminder to your clients that you’re thinking of them. And for even more impact, share them on your social media platforms. Check out our real estate holiday calendar so you will never miss out!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you write an effective real estate ad?

What is the basic rule of advertising in real estate?

Do Facebook real estate ads work?

Bringing It All Together

Remember to use attention-grabbing taglines, eye-catching images, and imaginative content in your real estate ads. Spreading your ads across multiple channels is essential to connect with a larger audience. Advertising is a crucial investment for a thriving real estate business. Have some powerful real estate ads you’d like to show off? Or do you have some insights about upcoming trends? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post 44 Clever Real Estate Ads: Real Examples (+ Why They Work) appeared first on The Close.

Want to start promoting your listings on Craigslist? Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get real estate leads from Craigslist—from creating an account to posting your listings, optimizing your posts with high-quality images, and reposting listings frequently.

1. Create a Craigslist Account

Although you can post listings on Craigslist without an account, creating one makes managing your real estate posts and communications simple. Follow these steps to create your account:

• Go to Craigslist.org, find your location, and click “Acct” at the top right of the homepage.
• Enter your email address and click “Create an account.” Once you click submit, CL will send you an email asking for a password and to complete your registration.
• Log into your account to access your user dashboard.
• You’re now a Craigslist realtor! Post, view, and manage active and inactive posts on your dashboard. Modify and save drafts.
• You can filter posts by date, status, title, location, and other criteria and search for specific text if you have many posts.

Craigslist homepage for New York

Craigslist log-in page

Craigslist user dashboard

2. Choose a Location & Posting Category

Posting residential listings to get Craigslist real estate leads is simple and free. Choose your target location, create a new post, and add photos and information. Make sure to use high-quality photos and choose the location where you want the real estate ad to run. It only lets you post to one area and category, so you may want to create multiple listings. You must change them for each area, like using different subject line descriptions and mixing up the images.

Here are the location-based steps:

• Select your target location in your user dashboard.
• Click “Go” from your dashboard or “Post an ad” from the top left-hand column of the homepage.
• Choose the location that fits best.

Select the type and category of your post. For example, “housing offered,” then “real estate—by broker.”

Post an ad

Select the location that fits best

Choose the type of post

Choose a category for your Craigslist post

3. Agree to Craigslist’s Real Estate Posting Guidelines

When learning how to list real estate on Craigslist, ensure your ads adhere to the laws and guidelines governing housing ads, restrictions, and tips. Once you’ve selected all the correct categories for your post, you’ll see a screen detailing Craigslist’s guidelines for real estate and a large button that says, “I will abide by these guidelines.” Make sure you review this.

Here’s a quick recap:

• Each real estate post must be about a single property, not loans, services, or multiple properties.
• Do not add photographs of yourself or links to “more information” outside of Craigslist.
• A successful real estate agent will follow these guidelines regardless of the platform.
• After reading the guidelines, click the button at the bottom to agree to the guidelines.

4. Input Listing Information

The next step in learning how to post a house for sale on Craigslist is designed to help you attract leads. You’re only required to fill in the title, city or neighborhood, property ZIP code, and email address. Adding more details will make your listing stand out and give prospects a better picture of the property. It’s a simple form with no styling, but you still want to maximize your chances of capturing a real estate buyer’s lead by making your listing description compelling.

Here are the top tips to learn how to post real estate on Craigslist:

• Write a captivating title: Write something descriptive, like “Lovely Remodeled Bungalow in Walking Distance of Downtown.”
• Include the street name: Only add the street name or indicate the general area by neighborhood.
• Add the property description: Use descriptive real estate words that accurately depict the home and guide the client’s imagination. For instance, write “spacious kitchen with ample cabinet space, breakfast bar with granite countertops, and new stainless steel appliances.”
• Enter neighborhood information: Include neighborhood amenities, such as shopping, transportation options, and walkability scores, using real estate keywords to drive more traffic to your post.
• Include a clear call to action (CTA): To guide viewers on what happens next, add a solid and clear CTA at the end of your description.

Pro tip: Be wary of adding the full street address. For example, instead of adding “123 Main Street,” opt for “Main Street.” This protects the privacy of your listing, especially if someone is currently living in the home. Additionally, this encourages the lead to contact you for further information about the property and schedule a showing.

5. Add Posting & License Details

On the same page, you must provide additional details for selling a house on Craigslist. Though this information is optional, adding more details to your post will give prospects a better idea about the home and encourage them to reach out. Add your real estate license number as a licensed agent or broker for reference. Doing so boosts your credibility and gives interested buyers the confidence to contact you.

Additional details include price, square footage, accessibility, housing type, and number of bedrooms and bathrooms. The only required fields are laundry and parking details. You can also include open house information or details about when the house is available. Once you have added listing details and your license information, click “continue.”

Add property details to your Craigslist listing post.

Add your contact information to your Craigslist listing post.

6. Add Location & Map

After writing an eye-catching title and compelling property description, Craigslist will generate a map showing the location of your listing. Using the map feature is essential because it helps potential buyers determine if the home is in their desired neighborhood.

There are two ways to add the location:

• Input the street name, closest cross street, and postal code into the blank fields to automatically pin.
• Drag and drop the pin or click the interactive map to choose the exact location of your listing.

7. Upload High-quality Listing Photos

The next step to publishing your listing on Craigslist for real estate leads is to upload high-quality photos. High-quality photos are critical to showcasing your property’s best features and attracting qualified real estate leads. Craigslist makes it super easy to add photos. You can only add 24, so add a good variety that provides a solid “sneak peek” into your listing and encourages prospective buyers to want to see more.

Here’s how to upload images:

• Click the “Add images” button to add up to 24 professional property images.
• Use high-resolution (300 dpi) photos in JPG, GIF, or PNG format to attract serious buyers.
• Review the order of your upload to ensure the photos flow in the direction you want the buyer to tour the home virtually.

To enhance your high-quality listing photos for your Craigslist posts, employ real estate photography best practices for the most success. Use Canva to edit images or create social media posts, flyers, brochures, or a professional logo. Canva makes your listing photos and marketing materials more appealing—enabling you to stand out. Get started with the free plan.

8. Review Draft of the Post & Publish

Before submitting your draft, ensure it is precisely how you want it to be displayed. Ensure the images are high-quality and in the order you want viewers to see them. Proofread your text to confirm that there are no typos and that it is grammatically correct. Avoid blocks of text so it’s easier to read. Follow these steps to review and post your listing:

• After finishing the post, follow the prompts to review your draft post.
• After reviewing, click “publish” in the lower right-hand corner.
• Check your email inbox for a message from CL to publish your draft.
• Again, review all the listing information and photos for errors and accuracy.
• Check your spam folder if you don’t see an email within a few minutes.
• If everything looks great, click the “publish” button, and your post will go live.

9. Add New Leads to a CRM

When you’re first learning how to get real estate leads from Craigslist, you might not think too much about where to capture those leads for future reference. Once your Craigslist real estate listing posts, however, you can expect prospects to reach out to you via the email address in your user account.

To maximize your Craigslist real estate ads, use a real estate customer relationship manager (CRM) to track and nurture each lead as soon as they make initial contact. Also, consider using posting and tracking software to save time. Check this one out:

Using a CRM with a Zapier integration or built-in listing management, like the one offered by Real Geeks, streamlines your lead capture and tracking. Real Geeks integrates with the multiple listing service (MLS) and automatically posts your listings to Craigslist. You can then monitor Craigslist-generated leads and follow up with interested buyers using Real Geek’s automated email drip marketing tools. Check out our Real Geeks review to learn more, or visit the Real Geeks website by clicking below.

10. Renew & Repost as Permitted

Free Craigslist posts remain active on the website for 30 to 45 days, though this may vary based on your location. You can renew or refresh an active free post after 48 hours from the initial posting or last renewal. Re-upping a post is only for 30 days from the initial posting. Renewing doesn’t extend its lifespan. Renewing moves your post to the top of the list and can be seen by many active users.

Follow the tips below to refresh your posts:

• Click renew to repost the duplicate listing (before the original one has been removed).
• Reposting creates a fresh copy and moves it to the top of the list.
• A “dual listing” may be flagged by moderators. If Craigslist finds your account posting too frequently, they can delete or “ghost” your listings, making them invisible to users.
• To avoid deleted and flagged posts, create a separate Craigslist account for each day of the week you wish to post listings.
• Alternatively, you can use an auto-posting service like Real Geeks, kvCORE, and TaskBullet to post for you.

Craigslist Statistics

Craigslist is the 23rd-most visited website in the country and the first in the “eCommerce & Shopping” category, with nearly 170 million visits monthly. Most users come directly to Craigslist rather than through search engines, indicating a loyal user base. This means it’s a ripe marketplace for getting your listings in front of interested buyers.

Craigslist’s user base is interesting. Almost 57% of Craigslist visitors are male, while only 43% are female. The 25-34-year-old demographic is the largest group of Craigslist users, making it a popular platform among young adults or first-time homebuyers. The 45-54-year-old group follows closely, or homeowners looking to upgrade.

With these statistics, here are some of the pros and cons of using Craigslist for real estate:

FAQs

Does buying leads for real estate work?

Where do most realtors get their leads?

How do I get real estate leads from my website?

How do I find seller leads?

Bringing It All Together

Generating real estate leads can be daunting and, in many cases, expensive. Learning how to get real estate leads from Craigslist is a great way to maximize your budget. Follow these ten easy steps to get real estate leads from Craigslist—from signing up to posting a compelling real estate ad that prompts buyers to reach out. This maximizes your return on investment by converting even just one client. Moreover, generated leads can also go into your CRM for long-term nurturing and conversion.

The post How to Get Real Estate Leads From Craigslist That Actually Convert appeared first on The Close.

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Online Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas

Lead generation for real estate would only be complete with an online presence. Start with your website and work your way through this list of online real estate lead gen ideas to get things started on the right foot. You don’t need to use all these, but pick a few that resonate with you to find your next real estate clients.

1. Optimize Your Website for Local SEO

• Cost: Free to $129 per month with Ahrefs or Semrush
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Optimizing your real estate lead generation website and content for local search terms is essential for attracting organic traffic from potential clients in your area. By incorporating relevant keywords, creating localized content, and building local backlinks, you can improve your search engine rankings and make it easier for prospects to find you online.

If you plan to scale your business, you’ll want an integrated real estate website that generates leads and automatically populates them into a sophisticated CRM. Sierra Interactive also provides high-end lead conversion tools. It is that unicorn all-in-one sales ecosystem you need. It also offers ad management and a stylish website design.

2. Create a Real Estate Blog

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Blogging is a fantastic way to establish yourself as a knowledgeable resource in your market. Crafting valuable real estate content that addresses the questions and concerns of buyers and sellers will attract potential clients, demonstrate your expertise, and build trust with your audience. Remember to focus on real estate blog ideas that showcase your local market insights and provide actionable advice.

3. Use Google PPC Ads

• Cost: $0.11–$0.50 per click or $0.51–$1.00 per 1,000 impressions
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

If you want to reach potential clients actively searching for real estate services, Google Ads can be a game-changer. You can create compelling ad campaigns that drive targeted traffic to your website by targeting specific keywords. Just monitor your campaigns closely and optimize them regularly to maximize your ROI.

4. Run Social Media Ads

• Cost: $0–$2 per action
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

By the same token, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer powerful advertising tools, allowing you to reach your target audience with less effort. Generate a steady stream of clients from social media by designing eye-catching ads that showcase your listings, highlight your expertise, and offer value to potential clients. Don’t forget to experiment with different ad formats, targeting options, and calls to action to find what works best for you.

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How Social Connect works:

• Digital advertising experts create and run social media ad campaigns on your behalf
• You get exclusive leads from your desired local area
• All leads are automatically nurtured via text and email on your behalf until they’re ready to connect, saving you time and effort

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5. Host Virtual Open Houses

• Cost: Free to $25
• Time to Generate Leads: Days to months

In today’s digital age, virtual open houses and property tours have become increasingly popular among buyers who prefer to explore homes from their devices. Leveraging tools like Zoom, Facebook Live, or prerecorded video tours, you can showcase your listings to a broader audience and engage with potential clients conveniently and interactively. Be sure to promote your virtual events across your social media channels and email list to maximize attendance.

6. Create Engaging Videos

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Real estate video content is a powerful way to capture the attention of potential clients and showcase your personality, expertise, and local market knowledge. Consider creating a mix of listing videos, neighborhood tours, educational content, and personal branding videos to attract and engage your target audience. You can share your videos on your website, social media profiles, and even YouTube to expand your reach and generate leads.

7. Build a Social Media Presence

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Building a strong presence on social media platforms is essential for staying top-of-mind with potential clients and establishing yourself as a go-to resource in your market. For social media post ideas, focus on consistently posting engaging content, interacting with your followers, and joining relevant conversations to build relationships and attract leads. Don’t be afraid to show your personality and share a mix of professional and personal content to humanize your brand. Remember, your vibe attracts your tribe!

8. Engage in Online Communities

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Joining local Facebook groups, online forums, and discussion boards can be a great way to generate leads by providing value and building relationships with potential clients. Look for groups where your target audience is active, and engage in conversations by offering helpful advice, answering questions, and sharing your insights. Just be sure to focus on adding value rather than overtly promoting your services to avoid coming across as spammy. Don’t be that person.

SOLD.com is a free service that matches sellers and buyers with the best real estate service to suit their needs. From traditional realtors and discount brokers to cash buyers, it is the fastest way to connect with a local realtor.

9. Leverage Email Marketing

• Cost: Free to $20 per month
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Email marketing is my jam, and it’s my go-to method for nurturing real estate leads, staying top-of-mind with potential clients, and driving repeat business. By creating a targeted email list and sending regular newsletters, market updates, and personalized property recommendations, you can build trust with your audience and position yourself as a valuable resource. Don’t forget to segment your list based on buyer/seller status, price range, and location to ensure your emails are highly relevant to each recipient. If you’re really ready to take your email marketing to the next level, embed videos in your email marketing campaigns.

10. Implement Chatbots

• Cost: $100–$3,000 per month
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Real estate chatbots are an innovative way to engage website visitors, answer common questions, and capture leads 24/7. By integrating a chatbot on your website, you can assist potential clients instantly, even when you’re unavailable to respond personally. (You know 2:00 a.m. is prime time for buyers to shop on Zillow!) Look for chatbot platforms that allow you to customize your bot’s personality, preprogram specific responses, and integrate with your CRM for seamless lead management. If you haven’t yet, go meet RAIA, the chatbot, and take it for a free test run for 72 hours. 

11. Offer Downloadable Guides

• Cost: Free to $15
• Time to Generate Leads: Days to months

Creating downloadable guides, e-books, or checklists, often called lead magnets, is a powerful way to provide value to potential clients while capturing their contact info. Consider creating resources like “The Ultimate Homebuyer’s Guide,” “10 Steps to Selling Your Home for Top Dollar,” or “The Investor’s Guide to Rental Properties” to address common pain points and showcase your expertise. 

You can find some of those resources here at The Close. We love creating downloads for you, like our Real Estate Marketing Plan Template. You can quickly build your email list and generate targeted leads by gating these resources behind a simple lead capture form. (But we’re not doing that with this one—it’s yours to download!)

12. Cross-promote Online

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Partnering with local businesses to cross-promote your services online can be a win-win for both parties. Look for companies that serve a similar target audience, such as home stagers, interior designers, or mortgage brokers, and brainstorm creative ways to collaborate. Write guest blog posts for each other’s websites, cohost a webinar or video podcast, or even create a joint email campaign to cross-pollinate your audiences and generate new leads. This works amazingly well on social media.

13. Use LinkedIn

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

LinkedIn is a real estate lead hotbed. (Who knew?) The LinkedIn platform lets real estate pros connect with potential clients, referral partners, and industry influencers. By optimizing your profile, sharing valuable content, and engaging with your connections, you can build your brand and attract your next real estate prospect. Remember to join relevant groups, participate in discussions, and use LinkedIn’s advanced search features to find and connect with your ideal prospects.

14. Develop a Mobile-friendly Website

• Cost: $10 per month or $5,000 per site build
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

It may not seem important, but with more potential clients accessing the internet from their smartphones and tablets, having a mobile-friendly website is no longer optional—it’s required. By developing a responsive website that adapts to different screen sizes and offers a seamless user experience on mobile devices, you can ensure that potential clients easily find and engage with your content, no matter where they are. Don’t forget to prioritize fast load times, clear calls to action, and easy navigation to maximize your mobile lead generation efforts.

15. Buy Leads

• Cost: $100–$1,000-plus per month
• Time to Generate Leads: Days to months

Buying real estate leads from lead providers can be a great way to supplement your other lead generation efforts and ensure a consistent pipeline of potential clients. Consider evaluating different lead generation companies based on their real estate lead quality, targeting options, and cost per lead. And be prepared to follow up with leads quickly and consistently to make the most of your investment. By combining purchased leads with your own marketing and prospecting efforts, you can generate a steady stream of business and grow your client base more quickly.

Ready to scale your real estate business? Market Leader makes it easy. If you need an IDX website that generates and delivers exclusive leads directly to your CRM with all the tools you need to manage, track, and nurture your prospects, Market Leader might be the tool you’ve been looking for.

16. Leverage AI & Predictive Analytics

• Cost: $20–$400 per month
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Using artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics tools can help you identify potential leads and target your marketing efforts more effectively. Consider investing in software that can analyze consumer behavior, predict future market trends, or identify homeowners likely to sell soon. By leveraging data-driven insights and automating certain aspects of your lead generation for real estate, you can save time, reduce costs, and focus on the most compelling opportunities.

Offline Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas

Rome wasn’t built on social media alone. It’s essential to mix things up a bit. Use the online strategies for lead generation above, but mix in some offline tried-and-true techniques to add complexity and depth to your lead generation for real estate agents.

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Real estate networking is a critical skill, and attending local events is a great way to expand your network and meet potential clients. Look for events that align with your target audience—such as first-time homebuyer seminars, investor meetups, or business conferences—and come prepared with plenty of business cards and a memorable elevator pitch. Remember, the goal is to build genuine relationships, not just collect leads, so focus on asking questions, providing value, and following up after the event.

18. Sponsor Community Events

• Cost: Free to $500-plus
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Hosting educational seminars or workshops is a powerful way to demonstrate your expertise, provide value to potential clients, and generate leads. Consider topics that address common pain points for your target audience, such as “First-time Homebuyer Tips,” “Maximizing Your Home’s Value Before Selling,” or “How to Get Started in Real Estate Investing.” Promote your event through social media, email marketing, and local advertising, and collect attendee information for follow-up after the event.

20. Participate in Charity Events

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Volunteering for local charities or causes you care about is a great way to build relationships, establish yourself as a community leader, develop your brand, and generate leads organically. Look for events such as serving on a local nonprofit board, mentoring students, or participating in community cleanup events. Bring plenty of business cards to exchange. You’ll naturally attract like-minded individuals who may become future clients or referral sources by giving your time and talents to make a difference in your community.

21. Join Business Associations

• Cost: $50–$5,000 per year
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Joining your local Chamber of Commerce or other business associations can be a great way to network with other professionals, stay up-to-date on local market trends, and generate referrals. Attend regular meetings and events, volunteer for committees or leadership roles, and look for opportunities to collaborate or cross-promote with other members. Remember to follow up with the connections you make and find ways to provide value to your fellow members outside of the organization as well.

22. Collaborate with Professionals

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Partnering with complementary or adjacent professionals, such as mortgage brokers, home inspectors, or attorneys, can be a fun and fantastic way to expand your network and generate referrals. Look for professionals who share your values and commitment to exceptional service, and brainstorm ways to collaborate. 

Try cohosting events, creating joint marketing campaigns, or simply referring clients to one another. By building strong relationships with other professionals in your industry, you can create a powerful referral network that benefits everyone involved.

23. Distribute Door Hangers

• Cost: $0.55–$1.50 per door hanger
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Creating eye-catching door hangers or flyers and distributing them in targeted neighborhoods is a great way to get outside and get some vitamin D while generating leads in real estate and building brand awareness in your local market. Consider highlighting a recent sale, offering a free home valuation, introducing yourself to your new geographic farm, or doing circle prospecting for your open house to capture the attention of potential clients. 

Be sure to include a clear call to action with your contact information. Use a QR code to direct your prospects to your website or landing page. Want to take it up a notch? Consider partnering with a local business, such as a pizza shop or lawn care service, to offer recipients a special promotion or discount.

24. Advertise in Local Media

• Cost: $100–$5,000-plus per month
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Placing real estate ads in local newspapers, magazines, or radio stations can effectively reach potential clients in your area, particularly those who may not be active online. (Hello, seniors!) Consider running ads that showcase your unique value proposition, highlight a specific listing or service, or invite readers to an event you’re hosting. Be sure to include a clear call to action and a way to track the response to your ads, such as a unique phone number or landing page URL, to measure your ROI. Use a QR code in print ads to make getting to your landing page easy.

25. Send Personalized Postcards

• Cost: $0.50–$1.00 per postcard
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Who doesn’t love getting personalized mail in their actual mailbox? Send personalized postcards to past clients, leads, or targeted neighborhoods as part of your real estate prospecting mix. Consider sending postcards that showcase a recent sale, offer a free market analysis, or simply express gratitude for their business or referrals. Be sure to include a clear call to action and your contact information, and consider handwriting a personal note or using a unique design to stand out in the mailbox.

26. Host Client Appreciation Events

• Cost: Free to $500-plus
• Time to Generate Leads: Days to months

Organizing client appreciation events, such as a summer BBQ, holiday party, or movie night, can be a great way to nurture relationships with past clients and generate referrals. Consider inviting your clients to bring a friend or family member who may be interested in buying or selling a home and using the event as an opportunity to showcase your personality, expertise, and commitment to exceptional service. Don’t forget to follow up with any new leads after the event and add them to your email list for future nurturing.

27. Target FSBOs

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

While not for everyone, focusing on for sale by owner (FSBO) properties can generate tons of leads and demonstrate your value as a real estate pro. Consider creating a targeted marketing campaign highlighting the benefits of working with an agent, such as increased exposure, expert negotiation skills, and reduced stress. 

Offer a free consultation or market analysis to FSBO sellers, and be prepared to showcase your track record of success and local market expertise. Building relationships with FSBO sellers (our FSBO scripts can help) and providing valuable insights can sometimes turn them into clients. Still, you’ll definitely need to hone your real estate lead conversion skills to make the most of these leads. 

28. Pursue Expired Listings

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Targeting older expired listings that have been off the market for a while (around six to nine months is the sweet spot!) can be a great way to generate leads and help homeowners who may be frustrated with the selling process. Consider creating a targeted real estate prospecting letter campaign or phone script that empathizes with the seller’s situation and offers a fresh perspective on how to get their home sold. 

Be prepared to showcase your marketing plan, pricing strategy, and success stories with similar properties. You can win the listing and help the seller achieve their goals by providing valuable insights and a renewed sense of hope.

Cut down on your time digging up expired listings and spend more time setting appointments. REDX delivers fresh expired listings to your inbox so you can kick-start your day with fresh leads and spend more time making connections and landing new listings.

29. Network with Attorneys

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Build relationships with divorce, bankruptcy, and probate attorneys to generate leads, and provide value to clients (and their attorneys) going through challenging life transitions. Consider attending legal industry events, joining local bar associations, or offering to provide educational content or resources, like an e-book or guide, to their clients. 

By establishing yourself as a trusted resource and empathetic advisor, you can earn referrals from attorneys and help their clients navigate the complex process of buying or selling a home during a difficult time.

Want to get a jump on properties inherited through probate? Check out how Catalyze AI uses probate and public records to predict homeowners who might want to list their property before anyone else. Being first is often the biggest advantage you have in landing the listing.

30. Target Absentee Owners

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Focus on absentee owners, such as those who have inherited a property or live out of state, and provide valuable solutions. Consider creating a targeted direct mail campaign highlighting the benefits of working with a local agent, such as reduced stress, increased rental income, or a faster sale. 

Offer a free rental market analysis or consultation to help owners understand their options and make informed decisions. By providing expert guidance and local market insights, you may be able to convert absentee owners into clients and even earn referrals to other potential investors.

31. Identify Distressed Properties

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Owners of distressed properties, such as those facing foreclosure or needing significant repairs, need your expert solutions for challenging situations. Create a targeted marketing campaign that offers a free consultation or market analysis, and be prepared to demonstrate your experience with short sales, renovations, or creative financing options. By providing empathy, expertise, and a plan of action, you may be able to help distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure, sell their property quickly, or even keep their home and build equity.

32. Master a Specific Niche

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Focusing on a highly targeted real estate niche, such as waterfront properties, luxury homes, equine properties, or eco-friendly buildings, is a great way to differentiate yourself and attract a specific type of client. Consider creating a website, blog, or social media presence featuring your expertise in the niche. Attend industry events or join relevant organizations to network with potential clients and referral sources. By establishing yourself as the go-to expert in your niche, you can generate distinctive, higher-quality leads, command premium fees, and build a strong reputation in your market.

Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas for Brand New Agents

Starting out in real estate is intimidating, especially since you never learned how to run your business in real estate school. I added this section on finding real estate leads for new agents just for you. Use some of these strategies to kick-start your real estate lead gen and quickly get your business off the ground.

33. Reach Out to Your Sphere of Influence

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

When you’re just starting out as a new agent, reaching out to your sphere of influence, including family, friends, and colleagues, can be a great way to generate your first leads and build momentum in your business. Consider sending a personalized email or letter announcing your new career and offering your services or hosting a small get-together to share your excitement and ask for their support. Be sure to make it easy for them to refer you by providing your contact information, business cards, or even a small gift with your branding.

34. Attend Investor Meetups

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Suppose you want to work with real estate investors. In that case, attending local real estate investor meetups is a great way to network with experienced professionals, learn about the industry, and find mentors or clients. Look for meetups that align with your target audience—such as those focused on fix-and-flip investors, rental property owners, or commercial real estate investors—and come prepared with business cards and a clear value proposition. Be sure to follow up with any promising connections after the event and look for ways to provide value or collaborate in the future.

35. Assist Experienced Agents

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Offering to assist experienced agents in your office with open houses, showings, or administrative tasks can be a great way to learn the ropes, build relationships, and generate potential leads. Consider reaching out to top-performing agents in your office and offering your services or asking your broker to recommend agents who may be looking for assistance. Be sure to approach the arrangement with a learning mindset and a willingness to go above and beyond to provide value to the agent and their clients.

36. Build Your Online Presence

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Building a solid online presence through social media and your personal real estate website and creating engaging content can be great ways to attract leads and establish yourself as a knowledgeable resource in your market. Consider making a professional website showcasing your bio, services, and featured listings and ensuring you include clear calls to action and lead capture forms throughout. On social media, focus on consistently posting valuable content, engaging with your followers, and using targeted hashtags and ads to expand your reach.

37. Create a Direct Mail Campaign

• Cost: $1.00–$1.50 per piece
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Developing a targeted direct mail campaign can be a great way to introduce yourself to a specific neighborhood or demographic. Consider creating a series of postcards or letters that showcase your unique value proposition, offer a free market analysis or home valuation, or invite recipients to an upcoming event or open house. Be sure to include a clear call to action and your contact information, and consider partnering with a local business to offer your recipients a special promotion or discount.

38. Host a New Agent Open House

• Cost: Free to $100
• Time to Generate Leads: Days to months

Hosting an open house event marketed explicitly as a “New Agent Open House” can be a great way to showcase your services, meet potential clients, and build buzz around your brand. Consider choosing a listing that lines up with your target audience and promoting the event heavily through social media, email marketing, and local advertising. During the event, focus on providing exceptional service, answering questions, and collecting contact information from attendees for future follow-up. It’s like hosting your own “coming out” party to introduce yourself and your services to your community.

39. Partner with Local Businesses

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Collaborating with local businesses to offer joint promotions, giveaways, or events can greatly expand your reach. Consider partnering with businesses that serve a similar target audience, such as home improvement stores, furniture retailers, or local restaurants and brainstorming creative ways to cross-promote your services. For example, you could host a homebuyer seminar at a local restaurant.

40. Attend Community Events

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Participating in community events, such as festivals, farmers’ markets, or charity auctions, can be a great way to introduce yourself to potential clients, build relationships, and establish yourself as a trusted local. This is the perfect opportunity to set up a booth or table at the event, offer a free giveaway or raffle, and collect contact information from interested attendees. Be sure to follow up with any leads after the event and add them to your email list for future nurturing.

41. Offer Complimentary Services

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Provide complimentary services like home valuations, buyer consultations, or staging advice to demonstrate your expertise, provide value to potential clients, and generate leads. Consider promoting your complimentary services through social media, email marketing, or local advertising and ensuring you have a straightforward process for collecting contact information and following up with leads. Consider partnering with a local lender or home inspector to offer a joint complimentary service package.

42. Join a Team or Find a Mentor

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Joining a team or finding an experienced mentor can be a great way to jumpstart your lead generation efforts, particularly when starting your business. Look for teams or mentors who align with your values, target audience, and career goals, and be sure to communicate your expectations and what you can offer in return. By leveraging a successful team or mentor’s resources, expertise, and network, you can accelerate your learning curve and start generating leads more quickly.

If you are a new agent and need affordable top-of-funnel leads, zBuyer is a solid choice. Its leads start at just $9 each, with no contract or setup fees. It even offers one free prospecting lead for every dollar you spend—up to 400 free leads per month.

43. Continuously Educate Yourself

• Cost: Free to $1,000 per class
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Investing in your education by attending training sessions, workshops, and conferences can be a great way to stay up-to-date on industry trends, develop new skills, and network with other professionals. Look for courses on social media marketing, lead generation, or negotiation techniques. You’ll be able to provide exceptional service to your clients and stand out from the competition. Use your newfound knowledge to create valuable content for your website and social media profiles.

44. Differentiate with Unique Skills

• Cost: Free
• Time to Generate Leads: Weeks to months

Leveraging your unique skills or background can be a powerful way to differentiate yourself from other new agents and attract a specific target audience. Consider how your previous experience, education, or personal interests could be valuable to potential clients. For example, if you’re fluent in a second language, you could target international buyers or investors. Highlight what makes you unique. Showcase your personality and passions in your branding and marketing efforts—people want to work with an agent they know, like, and trust.

FAQs

How do realtors generate real estate leads?

What is the best strategy for lead generation?

How do you attract lead generation?

How do you nurture leads in real estate?

Bringing It All Together

I hope this list of real estate lead generation ideas inspires you to go out, get creative, and make meaningful connections. Remember, consistency, creativity, and a willingness to try new things are the keys to success. By implementing a mix of online and offline real estate lead gen strategies, focusing on providing value to your target audience, and continuously refining your approach, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a top-producing agent in your market. Now, get out there and generate some leads to build your beautiful real estate business! 

What cool real estate lead gen techniques did I miss that you love? Share your best ones in the comments below!

The post 44 Underrated Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas appeared first on The Close.

Whether you use a paper sign-in sheet, a digital one, or a combination, here are nine templates for your next open house. Then, read the best use cases for each sign-in sheet and extra tips to maximize your lead gen opportunities at open houses.

Basic Open House Sign-in Sheets

• Best for: Agents seeking a quick and efficient method to gather essential contact details

These are simple, but you can use their generic layout in various situations, such as community gatherings or networking functions. Keep some extras of this realtor open house sign-in sheet in your bag at all times for impromptu events. They can be a backup if you’re unexpectedly missing your branded material. Keeping a supply of these basic sign-in sheets prepares you for any opportunity to connect with potential clients.

Here’s what goes in a basic open house sign-in sheet:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Address (optional)

If you expect a crowd at your open house, these basic, easily fillable templates will do the trick. This will minimize inconvenience and make visitors sign in immediately since you only want their basic information.

Download Template #1:

Download PDF | Google Doc

Download Template #2:

Download PDF | Google Doc

Detailed Questionnaire Sign-in Sheets

• Best for: Agents who want to gain comprehensive insights into attendees’ preferences and needs beyond basic contact information

This sign-in sheet includes fields for specific preferences besides the usual name, email address, and phone number. Questions may cover home type preference, a timeline for buying and selling, and whether they’re already working with an agent. Remember to use this template strategically. Some guests are wary of sharing too much information on a publicly visible form and others don’t want to complete many fields.

Here are other things you can include in a detailed questionnaire sign-in sheet:

• Additional fields for preferences and requirements
• “What are your current real estate needs?”
• “What is your preferred neighborhood?”
• “How do you prefer to be contacted?”
• “What is your budget range?”
• “Have you been preapproved for a mortgage?”
• “Would you like to receive updates about similar properties in the future?”

Gathering this information allows agents to customize their follow-up communication and property recommendations to align with each attendee’s preferences. This personalized approach increases your chances of converting leads into clients.

Download Template #3:

Download PDF | Google Doc

Download Template #4:

Download PDF | Google Doc

Did you know? You can organize your sign-in sheet data in a customer relationship management (CRM) to manage your leads effectively. Try Market Leader’s CRM platform as it can streamline your lead management process and improve follow-up communication with future clients.

Open House Sign-in Sheets With Feedback

• Best for: Agents who want feedback about the property

This free open house sign-in sheet provides agents with valuable insights into visitors’ impressions and preferences. Questions include their interest in the property and thoughts about the home’s price and features. All your guests’ answers can help you understand better what they’re looking for and improve future open houses. This approach demonstrates your commitment to visitor satisfaction.

Some questions you can include in this type of sign-in sheet are:

• How would you rate the overall condition of the property?
• Did the property meet your expectations based on the listing description?
• Was the property priced appropriately for its condition?
• What features of the home did you find most appealing?
• What other amenities would you like to see on the property?

If a seller insists on a particular price point (against your recommendation), feedback from an open house can sometimes be a great way to start a conversation about improving the price. It could also help convince seller clients to consider other recommendations, such as decluttering, painting, sprucing, and depersonalizing.

Download Template #5:

Download PDF

Google Doc

Download Template #6:

Download PDF

Google Doc

Download Template #7:

Download PDF

Google Doc

Open House Sign-in Sheets With a Giveaway

• Best for: Agents coupling an open house with a promotional giveaway

The strategy of this approach is pretty simple: Print up a handful of these pages and cut them into individual sign-in sheets. When your guests arrive, have them sign in and drop their slip into a fishbowl. After your event is over, call everyone. Let the winner know the happy news (and ask how you can help them with their real estate needs). Let every other attendee know about your next event and see if there are ways you can help them in the future.

Here’s what you can include in this type of sign-in sheet:

• An opt-in checkbox to give attendees an option to join the giveaway
• A section where attendees can indicate their preferred prize category, such as gift card or home decor item
• Ask if attendees agree to the terms and conditions of your giveaway or raffle

Are you wondering what the prize should be? I love offering something from a local vendor. Rather than bake cookies for the open house myself, I’ll buy some from a favorite local bakery and a gift certificate. While my guests enjoy the cookies, I remind them about the drawing for a gift certificate to the bakery that made those delicious cookies. How do they enter the drawing? All they have to do is sign in.

Download Template #8:

Download PDF | Google Doc

Download Template #9:

Download PDF | Google Doc

The Case for Using Digital Sign-in Sheets

As much as we like the old pen-and-paper system, a digital open house sign-in sheet makes a lot of sense now. Digital sign-in sheets have become more popular and will likely become the future standard in various industries, including real estate. Some benefits of using a digital sign-in sheet for open house include:

• Most people are familiar with the format and find using technology more convenient. Attendees can input their information quickly using touchscreens, eliminating the need for manual entry.
• People type a lot more accurately than they write. You won’t have difficulty decoding their names if everything’s entered electronically.
• You can transfer the data easily to your CRM software. This seamless process saves you time and enhances productivity.
• Many digital sign-in sheets send a message automatically if the email contact information is incorrect, providing more accurate follow-up details.

Imagine pulling together your marketing, landing pages, quick response (QR) codes, and digital sign-in sheets from one easy app and then exporting your new leads directly to your CRM. While plenty of good ones are out there, our pick for a digital open house sign-in platform is Curb Hero. This app offers a ton of functionality, easy sign-in for your guests from nearly any device (auto-fill) and, best of all, it’s free for realtors.

Common Open House Sign-in Issues & How to Fix Them

We want to help you avoid the pit-in-your-stomach feeling at the end of an open house when you look at your list of attendees and realize there isn’t much to work with. Here are some common issues agents encounter with open house sign-in sheets and some solutions to help you address them.

Issue 1: Your guests have illegible handwriting

Let’s face it: not all of us have beautiful penmanship. A standard form will likely have at least a couple of illegible names. The simple act of asking someone to sign in to your open house and then engaging them in conversation while they do so will solve many problems. Since they also talk to you simultaneously, your guests will slow down and write more legibly. If you get someone with a doctor’s handwriting, you can immediately follow up with them to clarify their details.

Issue 2: You put your sign-in sheet in the wrong place

Don’t set the sign-in sheet in the entryway when camped out in the kitchen. Instead, position it next to the refreshments. Whether guests help themselves with food or drink, nearly everyone will cruise by the kitchen, creating an ideal opportunity to invite them to sign in. You also want to avoid crowding guests into a smaller space or preventing them from entering the front door, so positioning your sign-in sheet in an open area of the home will alleviate that. 

Issue 3: You’re not starting conversations with your attendees

Your open house sign-in sheet creates an opening to start a conversation with everyone who enters the door. But it only works if you engage with them actively during the event or in a follow-up communication (or both). Here are two crucial tips:

• Capture one piece of information beyond the basics. Every sign-in sheet will ask for a name and email address. These are essential bits of information, but they only get you to the doorstep of your first conversation about real estate with that prospect—during the open house or in your follow-up.

• Gather one small fact to spark a conversation. Our favorites are “What is a must-have feature of your next home?” and “How long have you been looking for a new home?” Later, when you follow up, you’ll be equipped to have a meaningful conversation right out of the gate.

Issue 4: You’re not asking if the lead is already working with an agent

You’ll want to check with prospective leads to see if they are already working with another real estate agent. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) Code of Ethics states its no-client-poaching policy clearly. Even if you’re not a member of the NAR, it is common courtesy not to poach another agent’s clients. A simple yes or no on the sign-in sheet will give you a good idea of who’s eligible to enlist you as an agent.

Issue 5: You’re not hosting enough open houses

Open houses are that magical win-win-win-win opportunity. Seller clients see how hard you’re marketing their property, brokers see how much you’re hustling, neighbors see you as the go-to expert, and buyers might see you as their new agent. 

If you’re a new agent—or new to an area or a niche like luxury real estate—you want to host as many open houses as possible. It can be tempting to hand them off because they take time (and it can be exhausting to be that charming), but every open house is a golden opportunity to build your business. Make sure you’re hosting your own and even offer to host them for other busy agents.

Issue 6: You haven’t mastered the follow-up

You should follow up with every attendee of your open house. After all, why collect contact information if you won’t use it to build your business? This process takes time but it shows off your professionalism and dedication. Whether you call, email, or text, it’s a crucial step in taking advantage of your open house. Read our article on the best open house follow-up emails and tips for writing your own.

FAQs: Open House Sign-in Sheets

Why should I use a sign-in sheet for my open house?

Do I need to have graphic design skills to use your templates?

How do I encourage potential clients to sign in at my open house?

Bringing It All Together

Open houses are an essential marketing tool for your business. They allow you to showcase your listing and sales skills to neighbors and potential new listers and—of course—meet and greet buyers. Now that you’ve armed yourself with some solid open house sign-in sheet strategies and templates you can use this weekend, get out there and work.

Tell us about your most successful open house in the comments. What made it stand out above the rest?

The post 9 Free Open House Sign-in Sheets to Try This Weekend appeared first on The Close.

What Is LPMAMA? 

LPMAMA is a sales framework for real estate buyer’s agents that provides a structured approach to building rapport and converting leads into clients. It uses questions to uncover important information about the buyers and allow them to share their stories with the agent. This inquiry process simultaneously helps agents qualify the leads and learn how to help them most effectively. Think of it as the foundation of a trusting relationship.

The 6 LPMAMA Questions & Scripts

With a complete understanding of the LPMAMA meaning, it’s time to learn how to use the framework. Let’s dig into each part of the acronym, paying close attention to the goals of each section. We’ve included sample LPMAMA scripts with phrases and questions but download our free example conversation for an even better understanding of how to develop your strategy.

Location

As we say in real estate, “location, location, location.” Location is one of the most critical factors in any home search, which is why it’s the first letter of the LPMAMA real estate framework. Ask questions to encourage clients to express their ideal location, desires, and concerns. This inquiry helps you gather information to find them a property and builds rapport.

Goals:

• Learn where your buyers want to live and (even more importantly) why they want to live there
• Determine how educated your buyers are about different neighborhoods
• Discover where your buyers don’t want to live and why
• Decide if they are willing to consider other areas

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Sample location scripts:

• Do you have a specific neighborhood in mind yet?
• What are you looking for in a neighborhood?
• Can you describe your perfect neighborhood?
• Have you thought about opening up your search to ______?

Price

After asking about the location, you should ask about the price. This type of inquiry can be challenging since money can be a sensitive topic. However, if you have the right mindset and use a strategic LPMAMA script, the price discussion can help you build trust and rapport with leads.

For example, don’t start by asking sensitive questions about their personal finances. Approach the topic with curiosity and compassion. Ask about their budget and encourage them to know that they have options within their chosen price range.

Goals: 

• Discover how much they are willing to spend on a home 
• Help them come up with a price range that will give them plenty of options
• See if they have wiggle room in the budget
• Ascertain whether their budget aligns with the home they’re looking for

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Sample price scripts:

• Now that I have a better idea of where you want to live, let’s talk about budget. Do you have a range in mind for your new home?
• Is it easier to think about monthly payments you are comfortable with?
• What is your budget’s low, high, and comfortable range?
• If I found your dream home listed at $_____, would you want to see it?

Motivation

The “motivation” piece of the LPMAMA framework is particularly important for real estate agents but can be more complicated than it seems. Understanding a buyer’s motivation for moving or looking for a specific type of property can help you find options they might not expect, thus providing exceptional service. However, sometimes buyers don’t even realize their own motivations, so it might require some creativity.

Keep in mind that not everyone is moving for a positive reason; they might be trading down after a job loss or personal tragedy. Try to avoid blunt personal questions like “Why are you moving?” which may make someone uncomfortable. If you aren’t getting clear answers, try to dig deeper by saying, “Tell me more about that.”

Goals: 

• Learn the specific reasons why the buyer wants or needs to move
• Discover why the buyer wants to live in a particular area or is interested in a specific type of property 
• Determine the buyer’s highest priorities
• Understand how you can help them

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Sample motivation questions:

• What are you looking for in your new home?
• What would finding the right home do for you and your family?
• Do you have a time frame for when you want to be in your new home?
• How long have you been considering a home?
• How long have you been looking for a home?
• Have you seen any homes yet that you liked?

Pro tip: Consider using this mindset and sample questions for other real estate leads. See examples of sensitive conversations in our expired listing scripts guide and our scripts for FSBO leads.

Agent

The “agent” stage of LPMAMA helps you discover if potential buyers are already working with another agent. This question ensures you don’t spend time nurturing leads who have already signed a contract with someone else. Asking questions about agents they have worked with helps set you up for success. When you understand precisely how your clients want to be supported, you can provide the best service for them.

Goals: 

• Determine if the buyer has signed a contract with another agent
• Learn about the buyer’s history with other agents, positive and negative experiences
• Understand what the buyers want from you

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Sample agent questions:

• Tell me about the home on ______ Street. Did you see it with a buyer’s agent or by yourself?
• Have you met with any other agents?
• Are you already working with an agent?
• Did you sign an exclusive buyer-agent agreement with another agent, or are you still looking for the best deal from an agent?
• What method do you prefer for looking at homes?

Mortgage

In the mortgage stage, you’ll find out how financially prepared the buyer is to purchase a home. Like the “price” section, you must consider your language when discussing money carefully. However, out of all the stages, this one offers the best opportunity to show off your knowledge and help the buyer solve a problem. Don’t treat this stage as a hard sell but consider it a way to educate the buyer.

Goals: 

• Learn about the buyer’s financial preparedness to purchase a home 
• Determine how serious the buyer is about making a purchase
• See if the buyer has already met with a mortgage broker
• Demonstrate your expertise in financing a home purchase

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Sample mortgage scripts: 

• Have you talked to anyone yet to discover the best way to finance the home you’re looking for?
• Do you have any questions about the mortgage process that I can help you with?
• Have you decided what kind of mortgage you’d like?
• Have you already met with a mortgage professional? Would you like a recommendation?

Appointment

The last stage of LPMAMA is to summarize what the buyer has told you quickly, reiterate how you can help them, and then make concrete plans to take the next step in the process: an appointment. If you’re using LPMAMA over the phone or within cold calling scripts, the next step is most likely an in-person meeting. If your conversation went particularly well or if the buyer appears ready to move more quickly, you can set up appointments to visit a few homes.

Unlike a few of the other LPMAMA questions, the goal of this stage is to make concrete plans. Instead of listening objectively and relying on empathy, this step requires more assertiveness to convert the lead into a client. Ensure you are prepared to handle real estate objections during this stage to increase your success rate.

Goals: 

• Demonstrate that you were listening carefully to their story and empathized with their problems
• Provide clear next steps for the buyer
• Confirm their needs, wants, and expectations
• Schedule your next meeting

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Sample appointment scripts:

• Let me review what we’ve discussed to ensure I know how to best help you.
• Do I have everything correct from what we discussed?
• Is there anything else you think I should know?
• Is there anything else you’d like to ask me?
• Let’s set up an appointment for _______ to come into my office to discuss your home search in more detail. If we have time, we can take a quick drive to see a few nearby homes. Do Tuesdays or Saturdays work better for you?

Why Is LPMAMA Important for Buyer’s Agents?

Even agents who don’t have a specific LPMAMA script or strategy tend to use some version of it in their first interactions with potential buyer clients. They often use a buyer questionnaire that contains the building blocks of LPMAMA without even realizing it.

The bottom line is that LPMAMA is one of the best ways to uncover a buyer’s true motivations and build rapport quickly. It provides an organized, thorough, and simple way to increase your lead conversions with home buyers.

When to Use LPMAMA

When the LPMAMA questions are used at the right time, they can be a potent tool for agents to convert potential buyers into loyal and repeat clients. Ideally, you’ll follow an LPMAMA script during your first one or two interactions with potential buyers. If you do buyer presentations with new leads regularly, LPMAMA should guide the process. However, the framework can and should be used to build rapport in various environments and interactions.

A few ideal times to use the LPMAMA framework include: 

• During open houses
• During follow-up calls or visits
• After a website inquiry on a property
• During cold calls or door knocking sessions
• Automated real estate text message scripts
• Within email templates for online leads
• During networking events

Mindset for Using the LPMAMA Real Estate Script

One of the most important parts of successfully using the LPMAMA real estate framework is mindset. Since it is meant to be used at the beginning of an agent-buyer relationship, some agents mistakenly view it as an opportunity to show off their expertise. However, LPMAMA is ultimately about the buyer, not the agent. The questions should be used to uncover information about the buyer, which benefits the agent for a few key reasons: 

• Builds rapport: Asking good questions makes it easy for buyers to open up and share the details of their home search. When they feel understood and valued, they automatically trust the agent more.
• Qualifies buyers: Asking specific questions about their preparedness to purchase a home will expose buyers who aren’t ready to make an offer. This inquiry can save you months of wasted time and energy and allow you to focus on buyers prepared to purchase.
• Sets expectations: Communicating the buyers’ wants and needs clearly in the beginning will show you exactly how to best help each client. Clarifying expectations will set you up for a successful homebuying journey and relationship.

As you go through the LPMAMA steps, make sure your mindset is one of curiosity, problem-solving, and empathy. Approach the steps like a detective or therapist, allowing the buyers to give you their point of view without interjecting. This small but important mindset shift will help you use the LPMAMA framework most successfully.

Bringing It All Together

LPMAMA is an essential framework for real estate agents who want to work with homebuyers. It provides a strong but simple strategy for building rapport with buyer leads and setting their relationship up for success. These LPMAMA scripts and tips will increase your chances of converting leads into clients.

The post The LPMAMA Script for Real Estate & How to Use It appeared first on The Close.

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What Are Real Estate Landing Pages? 

A real estate landing page is a dedicated webpage for your business designed to capture leads by providing value in exchange for contact information. It’s different from a general real estate website because it focuses on prompting visitors to act, such as signing up for a newsletter, requesting a home valuation, or searching for properties. 

Real estate landing pages are a vital part of your digital marketing strategy because they insert leads at the top of the funnel, hoping to carry them toward taking action, culminating in a sale.

Remember that the realtor landing page is separate from your personal website or business homepage. It is a single page specifically made to capture leads and prompt visitors to act in a certain way, whereas your real estate website is built to house multiple pages with broader information.

Top Real Estate Landing Page Examples (+ Providers)

Before we get into how to create your landing page, you need to see some examples to understand what they should look like and get inspiration for your own. Creating real estate landing pages that convert requires a blend of art and science. You want to balance engaging visuals with strategic content and technical back-end optimization. 

Each example below is from a reputable landing page provider, so if you like one of the designs, check out the provider to use their services to create your landing page.

Example 1: Agent Image

This realtor landing page from Sharona Alperin was created with Agent Image. She has a clear call to action (CTA) reading, “Let’s connect – Don’t miss a beat,” which stands out against the rest of the page in capital bold letters. Sharona also tells the visitor what you’re exchanging for your contact information: market updates, restaurant picks, and home inspiration, all enticing items for a buyer or seller. Agent Image specializes in full agent websites, so you can use their services to complete an online makeover. They also offer IDX and CRM integrations to make sure listings are seen, and leads are captured.

Example 2: AgentFire

Using a home valuation page is a great way to snag seller leads at the beginning stages of the selling process. AgentFire offers multiple landing page options that are engaging and easy to set up. A cool feature from AgentFire is that you can set up realtor landing pages to provide an instant valuation, meaning visitors get a result immediately. However, those are based on algorithms. If you’d like, you can also set the system up to notify you when visitors provide their information and then create a custom comparative market analysis.

Example 3: iNCOM

This example from iNCOM entices clients with exclusive “VIP Platinum Access” to brand new condos in exchange for their contact information. This type of landing page is great for realtors who specialize in niches, particularly condo sales. Other iNCOM landing page features include mobile-optimized designs, higher conversion and click-through rates, and lifetime support from the iNCOM team.

Example 4: Placester

To be a functional landing page, it’s important to provide your visitors with value, like the above example made by Placester for Atoka Properties. In exchange for contact information, visitors will receive a guide to homebuying, which will help them in their journey and encourage them to work with the people who created it—and that’s the way to get people into the sales funnel! Placester has other amazing landing page designs and a Do It For Me lead generation website system where professional designers will create your online pages and maintain your site.

Example 5: Easy Agent PRO

This simple yet effective landing page from Easy Agent PRO hits visitors with a stunning visual and a quick CTA of “Get the newsletter.” While minimalist, it appeals to the foundations of a successful landing page to bring buyer and seller candidates to the beginning of the sales funnel. And don’t forget, with Easy Agent PRO, you can create an unlimited number of neighborhood sites. This feature helps establish your credibility and improves your website rank in the top results for search engine optimization (SEO).

How to Create a Strong Real Estate Landing Page

Now that you have a better understanding of what a landing page is and ideas of what you want yours to look like, let’s talk about how to create a real estate landing page for yourself. To see success with your real estate agent landing page, you’ll need to offer something of immediate value to your visitors in a super-easy process. All they’ll have to do is provide their contact information to get your value-add item. 

Strong Headline 

The headline is the first thing visitors will see on your landing page. It should be simple, direct, and short. It is one or two concise sentences (see what I’m doing here?). The font and colors should stand out from the page and be exceptionally legible. The goal is for visitors to know what you are offering and be enticed to click on that offer. That way, you’ll have generated a lead for yourself. 

Here are some examples: 

• Join Our Newsletters
• How Much Is Your Home Worth? 
• Get Our Free Homebuying Guide
• Find a Home You Love 
• Sell Your Home Fast 

Pro tip: When you’re writing your headlines and landing page copy, make sure to pay attention to the words you’re writing. The words should appeal to the audience that you intend to capture by using proper keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) tactics.

Call to Action

A call to action (CTA) is a statement and typically a button on your page that directs visitors to the item you’re offering. Similar to the headline, it should be kept short, have bold colors, and give an obvious directive to your landing page visitor. When people click this link, they will be prompted to complete a lead capture form. Choose from some of these CTAs: 

• Get in touch 
• Get an estimate
• Sign up today 
• Get my free offer
• Sell with us 
• Send me a newsletter 
• Schedule a tour

Lead Capture Form 

Everything you’ve done so far has led to your lead capture form. This is the most important piece of the landing page real estate puzzle because it moves website visitors into your sales funnel. The form should contain all the pertinent information you need to contact the person on the other side of the screen. This includes someone’s name, email address, and phone number. However, you can also include more options to learn about your visitors. 

• Radio buttons asking someone is a buyer or seller
• Message box to add a personal question
• Drop-down with a preferred method of communication (email, phone, text, etc.) 
• Checkboxes asking how far they are in their home search or sale (Just started, saw a few houses, have been working with an agent, lost one offer, etc.)

Keep in mind that you want the form on your real estate landing pages to be as easy as possible so that visitors aren’t deterred from completing it. According to Email Vendor Selection, the landing page conversion rate is 10% when you ask for three pieces of information. Even though it’s tempting to include all of the above information in your form, be selective and pick only what is necessary to move your leads forward in this process. 

Value Proposition

While your ultimate goal is to snag contact information, you must provide value to website visitors in exchange. This value proposition can be anything from e-books to free consultations. Still, it has to work in the favor of your target audience, whether they’re buyers, sellers, investors, renters, etc. Here are some ideas: 

• Free home valuation or comparative market analysis
• E-book about the homebuying or selling process, home staging tips, templates for investors, etc. 
• Listings and property information 
• Free marketing materials like flyers and brochures 
• Virtual meet-and-greet

No matter which you choose, it has to be enticing enough for visitors to willingly give up their information (with the assumption you will use it to contact them). 

High-quality Images 

Your visuals are crucial because you only have a few seconds to grab a visitor’s attention. For a real estate landing page, high-quality images representing the neighborhood, the type of properties, or your marketing location could be the difference between a visitor and a lead. These images should capture the area’s essence—appeal to your ideal client and help them create an emotional connection that encourages them to engage with your landing page.

Mobile Experience 

Optimizing your landing page for mobile users is non-negotiable. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 76% of homebuyers used a mobile or tablet search device in their home search. With such a large portion of web traffic coming from mobile users, your landing page needs to focus on two essential things: 1) it should load quickly, and 2) your landing page should look great on all screen sizes. Before publishing your site, preview the mobile experience and ensure it’s easy to navigate and looks amazing. 

A/B Testing

A/B testing is an invaluable way to improve the performance of your landing page over time.

To do this, experiment with different elements, change the number of fields in your lead capture form, and continually tweak the performance of your CTA buttons. Does a red button or a green button do better? How about filling out three forms vs four? Perform the tests and take the data to improve your landing pages through ongoing optimization.

FAQs

Are landing pages for real estate still a thing?

Do I need a professional web designer to set up a landing page?

How much should a landing page cost?

What is a squeeze page in real estate?

How do I drive traffic to my landing page?

Bringing It All Together

Have you succeeded with a real estate lead generation strategy that includes landing pages? Do you have a genius strategy for converting traffic into clients? Still have questions about landing pages? Let us know in the comment section below.

The post Real Estate Landing Pages: 5 Stunning Examples & Tips appeared first on The Close.

To help you get started, we created the Ultimate Real Estate Farming Strategy Guide for those who want to dive in headfirst. Download our comprehensive, proven resource for all things farming!

Download Free Farming Guide

What Is Farming in Real Estate?

Real estate farming is a lead generation and marketing strategy agents use to generate consistent business from a specific geographic area.

Agents “farm” a specific neighborhood by providing consistent value while cultivating relationships and generating leads that evolve into long-term clients. This practice also helps build a reliable business. Ultimately, the goal is to become the local expert and go-to agent for a particular geographic area.

Real Estate Farming Ideas

Ready to start farming real estate? Here are the four basic steps to this powerful strategy, plus the budget you’ll need to get started in your first year.

1. Target the Right Neighborhood

To get the rate of homes sold/turnover rate, look back 12 months to see how many homes were listed for sale in your farming area, and how many sold. You can find this information in Zillow or your multiple listing service (MLS). We want to know the rate of homes sold to tell us how many months of inventory are in this neighborhood. Take your time frame (let’s say, one year or 365 days) and divide that by the number of homes sold.

For example, if there were 16 homes sold in your farm over the last year, we can divide 365/16 to get 22.8. So now we know that for your farm area, the rate of homes sold is roughly 23 days.

Stick with me to get the absorption rate. Let’s say there are two active listings in your farm. To do this math, we’ll multiply the number of homes sold by the rate of homes sold (which we just calculated).

So we will do 2 x 22.8 = 45.6 (or about 1.5 months). That’s a reasonable absorption rate—the average varies, but as a quick rule, you’re looking for less than three months.

Now you know that the current market conditions of the farm you’ve chosen are pretty hot—as long as market conditions remain consistent. 

Next, gather information on your farm area and get to know the market backward and forward. In addition to understanding average sales prices and days on market (DOM), you’ll need to be knowledgeable of the average age and income of homeowners, typical home styles and age, local employers, upcoming developments, zoning and permitting regulations, neighborhood amenities, and other local agents who might be competition. Use the tools at your disposal, like your local MLS and market reports from a place like Altos Research.

Arming yourself with neighborhood knowledge will immediately help you stick out when you get a lead from your efforts.

Download the Ultimate Real Estate Farming Strategy Guide

2. Plan How & When to Deliver Value to Your Farm

This neighborhood strategy goes a long way in easily establishing you as the local expert. It’s also easy to do—once a month, send out your postcards to your farm. We like PostcardMania for this because their designs are simple. Try to include images of the recently sold homes—your farm will recognize the homes and they will come to associate you with the neighborhood. 

PostcardMania is offering our readers $50 off their first purchase when you use the link below.

3. Make a Plan to Manage & Track Your Leads

4. Start Delivering Value

Where Does Social Media Fit Into Real Estate Farming?

Social media doesn’t replace traditional farming techniques but can go a long way in enhancing them. Many local neighborhoods have their own Facebook groups. Some homeowner associations also have dedicated websites and social profiles, not to mention active residents on social platforms. We’ve got you covered if you’re looking for a deep dive into social media post ideas. The Close’s own Sean Moudry suggests this proven, unique social media approach to farming:

Start by connecting with members of your farm area using your personal social media profile. Then, using Facebook, create a custom audience for specific posts that include only the people in your farm.

Sean Moudry, Real Estate Broker, Close Contributor

Sean’s strategy is great for promoting any neighborhood-specific content you’ve created for your website, like market updates or neighborhood guides.

Essential Real Estate Farming Tools You’ll Need

Learning how to farm a neighborhood in real estate requires a high level of organization, a solid execution plan, and—of course—the necessary tools to consistently deliver value to your farm area.

Regularly Scheduled Real Estate Postcards

• Frequency: Once or twice per quarter
• Typical annual cost (250 homes): $1,260
• Our suggested provider: ProspectsPLUS!
• The Close resource: Real Estate Postcards Providers + Postcard Examples That Actually Work

Direct mail is the backbone of your farming campaign. Postcards and flyers are the ideal tools to convey messages, statistics, and authority to your farm area.

Use direct mail to deliver quarterly touches. Mix it up with a snapshot of the market, recipe, inspirational quote, joke, or sports schedule—anything that will provide value to your recipients. ProspectsPLUS! has dozens of geographic farming campaign postcards, perfect for quarterly mailings that keep you top of mind.

On-demand Postcards

• Frequency: Whenever a home is listed or sells in your farm area
• Typical annual cost (250 homes): $1,584
• Our suggested provider: LabCoat Agents
• The Close resource: Circle Prospecting Case Study

If your regularly scheduled postcards are like a dependable, professional handshake, then on-demand postcards are your unexpected high-five. Use this marketing tool to make homeowners aware of market activity in their community, especially after a property sells. 

Sending about 250 postcards to the homes in your farm area, most similar to the market activity you’re highlighting, is a wake-up call to homeowners. You provide valuable information and insight into their financial opportunities if they also sell.

If you don’t already have a postcard provider you work with, we like LabCoat Agents, known for their effective, real estate-specific templates—including that perfect “just sold” postcard.

Farm-specific Content on Your Blog

• Frequency: At least monthly
• Typical annual cost (250 homes): Free (as long as you have a website)
• Our suggested provider: Placester
• The Close resource: Viral Real Estate Blog Ideas (+ Examples & Expert Tips)

Your farm area should have a dedicated section on your website where you can post weekly updates about the micro-neighborhood market, neighborhood goings-on, and even events in and around town. Your content can be short and sweet, with five or six sentences and a picture.

Remember, your website serves two purposes: to act as an online hub for your neighborhood and to show potential clients that you’re the go-to expert. Placester offers a package with unique, custom content to add to your site, including prewritten social media posts.

Market Update Letters

• Frequency: Quarterly
• Typical annual cost (250 homes): $550
• Our suggested provider: Coffee & Contracts
• The Close resource: Our Best Real Estate Prospecting Letter Templates

A real estate letter can share in-depth, thoughtful market insights and analysis, but it’s also a chance to talk about what’s going on in your business or give shoutouts to those doing good work in your community. Share messages that communicate that you’re the expert for buying and selling homes, but—perhaps just as importantly—you’re also the expert at living in your community.

If you’re farming a luxury, higher-end neighborhood, consider your design elements. You can use a service like Coffee & Contracts to put together a high-end, aesthetically pleasing, branded market update for your farm.

Neighborhood Website

• Frequency: New content one to two times a month
• Typical annual cost: Starting at $3,500
• Our suggested provider: Easy Agent Pro
• The Close resource: Best 7 Real Estate Website Builders

With Easy Agent Pro, you can create an unlimited number of neighborhood sites. This helps establish your credibility and improves your website rank in the top results for SEO. For example, Keeton & Co Real Estate has 19 different neighborhood sites for Goochland, Ga. Each one of these sites includes a small summary of the area, notable points of interest and activities, nearby restaurants and amenities.

As a tip, also try including interviews with neighborhood business owners, local news, coupons, and, of course, all the latest information about the real estate market.

Our suggestion for this platform type is Easy Agent Pro. Easy Agent Pro creates websites for you that are focused on driving engaged leads directly to your website. There are other providers on this list that focus on SEO, but we like how easy it is for agents to make small edits to these premade pages. Book your free consultation below.

Door Hangers for Your Annual Door-knocking Session

• Frequency: Once a year
• Typical annual cost: Starting at $100
• Our suggested provider: Canva
• The Close resource: Fun Real Estate Door Hanger Ideas to Inspire You

Door-knocking isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s helpful to remember that you’re not going into these neighborhood walks cold. When you kick off your door-knocking weekend, residents will have heard from you multiple times. They know of you, even if you haven’t met yet, and they should be familiar with the value you’ve already provided.

Your farming efforts will be significantly more effective if you’re intentional about getting face-to-face with the people in your farm. Leave a little something behind, like these brand-friendly, easily customized templates. Purchase a template on Etsy or create one with a free Canva account.

Automated Home Value Email Updates

• Frequency: Once a month
• Typical annual cost: Starting at $300
• Our suggested provider: Homebot
• The Close resource: 23 Real Estate Email Templates That Will Generate Business in 2023

Home values in this market are volatile. As your area’s go-to real estate expert, one clear way to personalize your expertise is to help nervous homeowners understand how volatility will affect their investments. After all, a family’s home is often their most significant asset. 

If you want to automate this farming technique, consider Homebot. Using thousands of data points and the power of artificial intelligence (AI), the company sends automatic, consistent, and accurate information on what a home is worth (and if it’s incorrect, you can easily tweak it).

Many agents are hesitant to leave home valuation to the robots (and for good reason), but we’ve found that Homebot is much more accurate than Zillow, and it’s an easy way to nurture the owners in your farm on their home’s value. You can also partner with a lender on this tool to decrease your monthly cost. You can check out our full review of Homebot here.

An Annual Sponsored Event

• Frequency: Once a year
• Typical annual cost: Starting at $1,000
• Our suggested provider: You!
• The Close resource: Unique Client Appreciation Event Ideas

Whether you’re throwing a summer block party and BBQ, a holiday gathering, wine tasting, or a Super Bowl watch party, events are a fun way to meet and greet community members.

If you’re new to events, start with something you know will be a hit, like a pumpkin giveaway in October or a trivia night with great prizes. Or, try sponsoring a neighborhood garage sale, a community fireworks display in July, or a community service project with plenty of food and drinks afterward to celebrate all that hard work.

What Does It Cost to Get Started?

You can expect to pay some upfront costs for effective real estate farming, but the returns will repay your investment many times over if you remain consistent. Here’s my estimate of typical annual costs for a real estate farming operation with 250 homes:

While this is a sizable investment, don’t forget to look at the big picture. If you’re farming a neighborhood where the typical home sells for $400,000, a single 3% commission equates to $12,000 in gross commission income. 

In this case, a single property sale would recuperate your approximately $11,000 investment—and then some. The positive return on investment is clear if you turn over three or four transactions a year from your real estate farm area.

Real Estate Farming FAQs

Why is it called ‘farming’?

What kinds of activities constitute real estate farming?

Why should my real estate farm be 500 homes or less?

How much of my real estate farming message should be about the local market?

What kind of results should I expect from my real estate farm?

What if another agent is already farming in that area?

How long does it take for a real estate farm to produce results?

Bringing It All Together

Real estate farming is an effective means of prospecting and developing a consistent source of seller and buyer leads. The best part about farming is that the rate of return on your investment improves over time as your messaging gets sharper, more people recognize you, and your sales stats in the neighborhood improve.

Have a real estate farming idea we didn’t cover? Let us know in the comment section!

The post Real Estate Farming: How to Become the Go-to Agent in Your Neighborhood in 2024 appeared first on The Close.

Learning how to prospect in real estate can be one of the most rewarding pursuits, and, undoubtedly, it’s the best way to generate new leads. If you need to level up your real estate prospecting, I compiled this list of my 15 best tips and have a resource to help you get started right away. 

However, before you jump right in, take a look at Sold.com. It’s a referral service that matches sellers and buyers with agents in their area—and best of all, it’s completely free. So while you’re out there prospecting, Sold.com is busy generating leads.

1. Learn the Art (& Science) of Real Estate Prospecting Letters

A critical tool in a real estate professional’s toolkit is the prospecting letter—especially handwritten ones. Simple, efficient, and inexpensive, a prospecting letter serves several purposes:

• It conveys a lot of information (like a neighborhood comparative market analysis).
• It’s an easy way to introduce yourself and soften the ground before a phone call.
• It’s effective: People read hand-addressed letters more often than marketing postcards.

Make sure your prospecting letters are personalized, professional, and authentic. Your goal is to demonstrate your value and prompt prospects to reach out, so include a motivational call to action.

2. Try Circle Prospecting

Circle prospecting is all about reaching out to the 30 (or so) homeowners who live close to your latest listing or recent closing. Let them know real estate activity is happening in the area and that it is an opportunity for them to get in on the action. 

I use a one-two-punch strategy for circle prospecting:

1. The moment a listing goes live (or a sale closes), send a postcard or letter alerting your community to the activity.
2. Follow up with a phone call (or, if you’re feeling bold, a door knock) the day after to start the conversation.

3. Base Your Real Estate Prospecting on Predictive Analytics Data

Realtors who use data to guide their decision-making processes are going to come out ahead when prospecting in real estate. Track what you’re doing, what’s working, your response rates—and especially who you’re targeting—so you’re not spinning your wheels. 

You can also use data developed through predictive analytics. Say you want to send prospecting letters but don’t want to waste money on those who aren’t interested. Predictive analytics companies such as SmartZip use thousands of data points to narrow down the prospects in your community most likely to buy or sell.

4. Get Some Face Time With Real Estate Prospects

Let’s start by establishing your overall goal for prospecting. Yes, you want listings and closings, but prospecting is also about establishing the first step in your relationship with a lead. Finishing up a cold call with a listing in your pocket is rare. It’s much more common that you set a date for an in-person meeting. 

My first broker, who’d been in the business for decades, used to say he would prospect in hopes of a handshake. He’d offer to take a stranger to coffee, drop by to see an FSBO listing—anything to get in front of a buyer or seller and establish a connection. 

Humans crave connection on a deep level and the trust that comes with it. A solid relationship with a client increases your chances of closing a deal, which all starts with a handshake.

5. Remember, You’re Providing Value to Your Community

I often hear new agents say they don’t want to bother anyone with cold calls or door-knocking. Yet the reality is you’re providing value to your community.

When you reach out to potential buyers and sellers, letting them know about your services and expertise, you also make them aware of their real estate options. Remember, you’re the professional. You’ve received specialized training to help your clients make the best real estate decisions possible.

Have confidence in your contribution to the community and be the expert who helps clients navigate buying and selling.

6. Make Your Weekly Goals About Work & Your Long-term Goals About Results

Prospecting is hard work, and it’s easy to feel like you’re spinning your wheels if you don’t set benchmarks. Make your weekly prospecting goals about your work (the number of calls you make, the number of texts you send, the number of doors you knock on). Center your quarterly goals around the amount of business you close. 

This high-level thinking will keep you motivated and focused on big-picture targets—not minor setbacks.

7. Use an Autodialer to Improve Your Efficiency

Cold calling is not for everyone. In fact, it can be pretty challenging, especially if you hate to hear “no.” But agents cold call because it works. Research shows that if you’re consistent and put in the time, you will generate leads. 

If you’re a cold caller, you need the best tools available. I like REDX, which provides leads—expired listings, FSBOs, targeted neighborhoods, and preforeclosures—for you in an organized customer relationship manager (CRM). Their power dialers, which can make you much more efficient, keep the phone calls ringing—all you need to do is polish your scripts.

8. Create a Lead-generating Website

Real estate prospecting is easier if people are already familiar with who you are and what you do. If you haven’t already, create a professional website that provides visitors with information about selling a home in your community. Additionally, offer your visitors an opportunity to search for properties currently listed for sale and a way to contact you with questions.

The very best site providers include lead generation services, which means they capture information from people perusing your site so that you can reach out to them. Website lead gen works because you’ll have easier conversations and higher conversion rates when you speak to your prospects directly.

9. Engage on Social Media 

As mentioned above, prospecting isn’t about cold calling and mass mailings. It’s about starting (and cultivating) relationships with people you think will be buyers or sellers. I’m sure you often hear how important it is to market yourself and engage on social media. So, what does that actually mean in practice? 

Post regularly to your social media platform of choice (I recommend you pick two networks to focus on), but also comment on and like the posts of your followers and those you’re following. Use real estate hashtags to connect with new buyers and sellers. Be part of a larger conversation in your community.

In addition, use social media to connect to people who share your interests. My favorite example is a friend of mine who’s a history nerd and agent. He actively posts and comments on our community history pages so buyers and sellers see him as an authority on the local area. He’s so well-known and respected that he has a huge advantage when prospecting for leads.

Grow your database with a steady stream of affordable, exclusive real estate leads from social media ads. Social Connect from Top Producer is designed to get you a high volume of leads and move them through your pipeline until they’re ready to buy and sell real estate. Connect with an average of 30 consumers interested in real estate in your local market for just $300 per month!

How Social Connect works:

• Digital advertising experts create and run social media ad campaigns on your behalf
• You get exclusive leads from your desired local area
• All leads are automatically nurtured via text and email on your behalf until they’re ready to connect, saving you time and effort

Visit Top Producer

10. Dedicate 90 Minutes Each Day to Prospecting

Your real estate prospecting efforts will only be successful if they are consistent. Prospecting is a lot of work, so thinking you will get it done in a couple of minutes daily isn’t realistic.

Successful real estate agents set aside 90 minutes every day for prospecting. If you can commit to a regular schedule, you’ll be amazed at the results that 7.5 hours of prospecting each week will yield.

11. Call Expired Listings. Every. Single. Day.

Expired listings represent a golden opportunity to land real estate seller leads. After all, these owners have raised their hands and said, “I want to sell my home!” For one reason or another, their home hasn’t sold yet. But chances are, they still want a buyer. 

Before you get an owner of an expired listing on the phone, prepare background information on their property. How much was it listed for? Was it priced right? Was it marketed correctly? Has it been listed more than once in recent years? Use effective expired listing scripts to overcome objections and move quickly.

According to Vulcan7, almost 40% of expired listing homeowners relist within 30 days, which means you have an excellent chance of being their new agent and closing a deal. But also, you’re not the only agent prospecting these leads, so the sooner you get on the phone and start making connections, the better.

12. Call FSBO Sellers. Every. Single. Day.

Like expired listing sellers, FSBOs are fantastic prospects because they have publicly announced that they want to sell their homes. 

However, your strategy will differ from expired listings because FSBOs believe they don’t need a real estate agent (or at least they claim to). Either that, or they don’t want to pay a commission. Often, all it takes to win these listings is a savvy pitch and persistent follow-up. Call attention to the fact that homes sold by a Realtor tend to sell for 32% more than FSBO homes. That percentage could more than account for any concerns about the commission.

13. Don’t Fear the Word ‘No’

According to a famous study by Baylor University on real estate cold calling, it takes an average of 209 calls to set one appointment or get a referral. For those of you who fear rejection, the takeaway is that you will have to endure a lot of gut-wrenching “no’s” before you finally get a “yes.”

For those who have already overcome your fear of “no,” this statement is music to your ears. It means that for every “no” you get, you are quantifiably closer to a “yes.” It means that you will get three appointments if you can make 627 calls weekly (which is totally doable in your 90 minutes each day).

14. Send Direct Mail (It’s Still King)

We know it might not be cool, but plenty of people out there (especially older generations, the ones who actually have houses to sell) appreciate direct mail. Whether it’s a postcard, a thoughtful handwritten letter, or a timely market report, put a stamp on it. The Close’s own Trevor Jones says you get bonus points if you time your voicemail drops to coincide with the arrival of your mail—you get double the impact!

15. Nurture Your Prospects

Friends, real estate agents, I can’t say this enough: You can prospect all you want: write letters, cold call, talk to everyone in line at the grocery store, but if you don’t nurture your prospects, they won’t ever turn into leads. OK, lecture over.

How do you do it successfully? Start with our guide on long-term lead nurturing, where we offer plenty of tips and tricks to ensure your prospects aren’t falling through the cracks. 

If you have a great CRM, it should come with automation that will help you maintain contact with your prospects. Generally, it takes dozens of “touches” for a prospect to become a lead, and a CRM’s automated email and SMS drips can do just that.

At its heart, though, nurturing is really about showing people that you actually care about them and are paying attention to their needs. Remember birthdays, anniversaries, favorite sports teams, and kids’ names (or use your CRM to help you remember), and you’re halfway there.

Bringing It All Together 

So, then, what is prospecting in real estate? Real estate prospecting is never forgetting that you’re providing a service to your community through your expertise and professionalism and letting your community know just that! Prospecting in real estate can be tough, but it works. If you put in the time, remain consistent, track your progress, engage with your community, and have some helpful scripts handy, you’ll be successful. On those hard days, remember that each “no” is getting you closer to the “yes.” 

Have additional questions or tips for your fellow agents? Leave us a comment below!

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