So you got your real estate license, you found a brokerage firm you’re happy with — now what? Are you just going to wait for those calls to come in? If so, I have some bad news for you. It’s not likely to happen unless you invest some time, energy and money in marketing and lead generation.
Marketing involves getting the word out about your business. You can do this through social media, other online means, live events and more. Lead generation requires finding people that are interested in buying and selling and working them down the funnel.
While there are DIY methods for both strategies, there are also online tools that can help.
This article will discuss why investing in marketing and lead generation is so important and what you can do to grow your business.
Marketing and lead generation are important
Lead generation and marketing equal profits
Undoubtedly the biggest reason why lead generation and marketing are so important is that they generate profits. You can’t just sit in your office and expect the phone to ring. If you want to bring clients in, you must get their attention. And the only way you are going to do that is through lead generation and marketing.
It will open up networking opportunities
Getting your name out there through marketing will grow your client base, and help with networking. Forming a genuine network within your community is very important. Having those referrals from trusted community members will boost your client base, and you can help give back by sending clients to the trusted network you have formed.
Helps you create a brand identity
Real estate isn’t just about selling properties, it’s about selling yourself. The best way to do that is by building a brand identity. The identity you create will be based on your personality, your specialty areas, and how you want to represent yourself. Once you have your identity established, it should come through in everything you do including your marketing and lead generation. It will help you appeal to your target audience, and it will allow you to get to know yourself as an agent.
It provides credibility
Agents must do a lot of cold selling of themselves. This includes cold calls, door-knocking, and handshaking. Marketing will make these cold strategies a little warmer. For instance, if you call up someone and they have no idea who you are, they may just hang up. But if you call someone and they recognize you as ‘that agent they saw on the billboard’, they may be more likely to listen to what you have to say.
Saves you time
Most marketing materials are pre-generated and provide information so when customers finally meet you, they already know what you are about. You may have already collected information from them during the lead-generation process as well. This will save you time introducing yourself and finding out what they are looking for when you begin working together.
Saves money
Once you find the right strategies, you may even be able to save money. For example, if you start using a lead generation tool, it may allow you to cut back on other strategies like paid advertising, printing, or postage. It may take time to find the methods that work best for you, but once you do, it can amount to deep savings.
5 Marketing and lead generation ideas
There are several marketing and lead-generation strategies that have proven to be effective. These include:
Inbound and outbound marketing
Inbound and outbound marketing are effective methods of lead generation. Inbound marketing involves creating materials potential clients may come across. It includes generating content, posting ads, and working on SEO. Outbound marketing involves a more aggressive approach of ensuring clients see your content and includes emails, direct mail, and telemarketing.
Referrals
Referrals are a great way to get more clients to your business. It involves providing excellent service and maintaining a good relationship with former clients. This will ensure that you are the first agent they think of when someone asks them for a referral.
Landing pages
Landing pages are standalone web pages designed to come up when certain aspects of your business are searched. They allow users to click on links so they can be taken directly to your website. Many of them have lead capture forms that allow users to enter their contact information so you can add them to your email list and begin working them down the funnel. You can make filling out your contact form more enticing by offering a free download or white paper in return for their information.
Look at the competition
One of the most effective ways to generate leads is to determine where the competition is getting its leads from. This can be done by using a tool like SimilarWeb which will allow you to view the channels driving the most traffic to your competitors. Builtwith is another valuable tool that will give you insight on the competition. Enter any website and it will show you what technology your competitor is using to get leads.
Open houses
Open houses can be a double-edged sword. In addition to being an opportunity to sell your client’s home, you can also collect the contact information of people who visit. Have conversations to find out what they are looking for. If they are not interested in your client’s property, maybe you have another one that works.
Real estate can be quite lucrative, but you will need to invest in lead generation and marketing to make big bucks. Now that you understand why these strategies are so important, and have some ideas under your belt, you’re in good shape to start meeting your goals in real estate.
Chris Heller is a real estate industry expert, best-selling author and currently serves as the chief real estate officer at Ojo Labs.
