A Complete Guide to Real Estate Lead Generation

Phonexa

26 minute read

Successful realtors constantly generate new leads. The best real estate lead generation strategy isn’t just a single channel perfected for incoming leads but a combination of methods that form a robust engine driving your business.

Diversifying your sources allows you to find real estate leads for various property types and potentially target a wider audience. Mastering varying strategies provides the flexibility to focus on free real estate leads during peak seasons and incorporate paid real estate leads whenever gaps in your schedule appear. This multifaceted approach ensures a steady flow of leads, crucial for sustaining and growing your real estate business in a competitive market.

Lead Generation Strategies: A Quick Recap

While all strategies illustrated in this article have one underlying goal of real estate lead generation, they reach it through accomplishing different marketing goals. Some focus on building a strong online presence and brand reputation to attract real estate leads organically. Others aim for immediate engagement with potential clients by employing real estate lead generation software and paid ads.

Adapting various methods simultaneously is crucial for the company’s growth. This approach will over time strengthen lead generation marketing strategies while ensuring a consistent lead flow to secure profits.

Why Lead Gen Is So Important for Real Estate Agents and Brokers?

Getting leads in real estate is crucial for expanding the customer list, generating income, and, essentially, enhancing real estate trading and industry development for agents and brokers alike. Naturally, some real estate generation ideas are the same as in many other spheres, such as the importance of brand credibility for the marketing campaign’s success and lead nurturing for closing deals. However, friction points specific to this sphere must be considered for effective real estate lead generation

First, buying real estate is an important decision that requires careful consideration and often involves investments accumulated over a person’s lifetime. Hence, finding real estate leads is not a walk in the park.

Second, in the U.S., only 14% of the population are real estate owners. These statistics present both challenges and opportunities. For many people, not investing in real estate or owning the homes they live in is driven more by a lifestyle than by financial reasoning. That’s why the best real estate lead generation companies don’t just try to match buyers and sellers but educate them about the benefits of real estate property ownership.

Finally, with buying real estate being such an important and life-changing decision for most people, acquiring real estate leads for new agents may be especially challenging. Establishing a company authority is a road to streamlined lead generation. The novice businesses must seek specific channels for getting real estate leads that would provide them with equal opportunities with established market players.

20+ Methods & Strategies To Find High-Quality Real Estate Leads

Effective lead generation for real estate companies requires mixing and matching various methods to form unique strategies. Depending on your experience, goals, and specific real estate niche, these strategies can range from using social media ads to involvement in community events. Find the best way to generate real estate leads by checking the following approaches.

Enhance Your Company’s Virtual Presence for Successful Real Estate Lead Generation

I’ve mentioned that establishing brand authority is vital for generating real estate leads. One component of building up authority is the company’s visibility on the Internet.

Digital visibility includes building a website dedicated to your business, creating and updating relevant content, managing social media platforms, and engaging with your audience via multiple channels.

Utilizing these mediums for real estate lead generation comprises a digital marketing strategy, traditionally the most cost-effective method for reaching an audience.

Besides attracting prospects by posting new offerings on the market, include your contacts and provide the opportunity to communicate directly with you or your agents live, either through chats or by phone. Keep in mind that even when leads find out about you from other sources, they may want to learn more about your company online before contacting you. And the first thing they will see after looking up your name on the Internet is most likely your official site and social media accounts.

You should also use more than one platform to enhance your online presence. A website is a must for its functionality and status quo qualities. Different social media platforms have different popularity for various age groups and demographics and are optimized for different content types. You can use them all as free real estate lead generation tools, so don’t miss out on a chance.

Establish Connections With Local Home Improvement Companies To Find Real Estate Leads

Just as you are figuring out how to generate real estate leads, home improvement professionals are busy chasing their roofing, landscaping, remodeling, or other leads. Your businesses can help each other out.

A lot of times, people prepare their homes before selling – upgrading kitchens, adding eye-catching front yard elements, etc. The companies that do such types of work can refer you as a trusted real estate agent, and you may be able to add that property to your portfolio or end up helping future house sellers find a new home

Of course, the home renovation guys are even more interested in your referrals. New homeowners often accommodate houses to their needs, and the referrals from a real estate agent who sold them a house would carry a lot of weight. In this scenario, you can source high-quality leads for home improvement companies and, in return, request referrals not only to their clients but also to friends and family.

Use Local Services Ads To Get Leads for Real Estate

One of the best ways to get real estate leads is by targeting a local audience. When it comes to search advertising, Local Services Ads by Google is an optimal solution for acquiring exclusive leads for real estate agents. For starters, these ads appear at the very top of search results, above the regular paid ads. It is also available to limited businesses, including home services and a handful of professional services, so your ad will not compete with restaurants and eCommerce firms.

The real beauty of this type of lead generation for real estate agents lies in the complete control over your ad budget. You’re only paying for each instance when someone calls your business via the number provided in an ad. Hence, you’re buying qualified Google leads for real estate – contacts of people who showed interest in your services and are located in an area where you operate.

Use SEO Best Practices To Generate Online Real Estate Leads

With many ways to generate real estate leads available, having a dedicated website is a crucial part of many of them. The landing pages are where CR codes on the printed materials may lead, social media pages navigate users to payment gateways on the website, and the Google My Business platform sources real estate leads to your contact forms.

While having helpful and engaging real estate content is important, consider optimizing your website for search engines. SEO accounts for how your web page snippet appears on SERP and how it’s ranked compared to other relevant sources.

SEO is a long-term game, often requiring over six months to show results. However, learn SEO practices early, not only because they’ll enhance your site’s rankings but also because they will make it more UX-oriented and allow acquiring free real estate leads.

To maximize the effectiveness of your landing pages, employ robust tools for website analysis and customer customer journey tracking. Phonexa’s HitMetrix provides click-tracking, heatmap, and session-recording software that will help you identify the website’s friction points and optimize them for conversions.

Partner With Loan Organizations To Find Real Estate Referral Leads

The loan industry is one of the closest related to real estate and should be explored for real estate referral leads. Local banks, mortgage brokers, and national mortgage lenders are often incorporated into property purchases, whether people have not saved enough to buy a home outright or have a more profitable investment in mind while still wishing to own their property.

There are several reasons for real estate specialists to partner with various loaners:

• Establishing a referral system with loan organizations may help you find the highest-quality real estate leads. Typically, prospects contact lenders early in their buying journey, so you have an opportunity to be their first or exclusive real estate agent. Additionally, you’ll receive verified real estate leads, which means they have already been screened by a financial organization, and their paying ability has been confirmed.
• Having a trusted lender as a partner provides your real estate business with additional credibility. It showcases the company’s professional network and ability to assist in real estate-related issues. This cooperation may also attract more real estate investor leads.
• Working in tandem with financial institutions makes buying property a more streamlined process. The all-in-one real estate services that include assistance with payment options may result in increased real estate leads for realtors.

Hole Open Houses for Real Estate Lead Generation

Hold an open house for generating real estate leads. It’s not necessary to sell a particular house, but it’s a great way to meet potential buyers, show off your expertise in the area, and grow your real estate leads list. The most important thing is to exchange contact information with guests and be helpful by offering advice instead of pushing the sale of the house. Instruct all real estate leads agents to act in a similar manner if you can’t be present.

All visitors to the open house events are probably interested in the homes in this region, even if they aren’t ready to buy just yet. You can pique someone’s curiosity even more at these kinds of gatherings. If you take the time to advise them, explain the area’s peculiarities and typical prices for homes, and be charming, you might be the first person they think of when considering purchasing a home in this neighborhood.

Make sure the open house is informal and enjoyable. Get the house in tip-top shape with the help of a professional cleaning crew and a landscaping firm, and hand out soda and cookies. Have your printed materials, such as business cards, on a coffee table, and put up a “For sale” sign that prominently features your firm information and branding elements.

Gain Niche-Specific Knowledge To Master Real Estate Lead Generation

Once again, developing the best real estate lead generation system involves raising your company’s authority and showcasing your expertise in the field. For the best results, focus on specific niches within the real estate market. For example:

• Luxury properties
• Eco-friendly homes
• First-time buyers
• Houses for seniors
• Condos and townhouses
• Commercial real estate
• Vacation homes
• Historic homes

You can specialize in several areas if you feel that you want to acquire a more diverse audience. However, always emphasize your knowledge and experience in a particular segment of the market when dealing with relevant leads.

Create separate real estate lead generation websites for each sphere you specialize in, or at least build niche-specific landing pages with relevant content and portfolio. Consider that commercial real estate leads who click your ad will most likely leave your site early if not land on a page devoted to a commercial property.

Embrace Video Content for Real Estate Lead Generation

Source: wyzowl

The usage of video content in marketing has been steadily increasing for several reasons. Here are three main reasons:

• Making videos is now more accessible than ever. The difference between the quality of video that can be shot with professional equipment versus top-tier cell phones has been diminishing. At the same time, online tutorials can teach you basic cinematic principles for creating short marketing bits.
• Most, if not all, digital marketing channels allow the incorporation of a video format. This includes all social media platforms, business listings, messengers, and websites.
• With the increased competition for online customer attention, videos emerged as the top option for conveying maximum information in the shortest possible time. They can prove the product’s quality, explain its characteristics, and confirm brand affiliation all at once.

These factors make videos an important component of all real estate lead generation systems. It’s best to invest time and resources in learning how to create high-quality videos to significantly raise your competitive edge. For instance, this skill may elevate your perceived professionalism among house sellers.

Leverage Traditional Mailing System To Get More Real Estate Leads

Delivering your printed material to individuals mailboxes may be old school but it has several convincing advantages for real estate lead generation. It’s cost-effective, allows precise targeting by location and by some demographics (for example, homeowners or individuals living in residential houses), and has a higher open rate than most other marketing channels.

Much like with cold calling or door-knocking campaigns, the chances to find real estate leads are not high. However, you may capture the attention of residents whose friends or family are interested in moving to this area or selling their property nearby.

The traditional mailing system allows sending a range of formats, such as newsletters, postcards, catalogs, brochures, and packages. Ensure to display eye-catching photographs, customer reviews, and content that confirms your dedication and expertise in the area’s housing market. Think of where you want your potential real estate leads to land when you include your website address, social media accounts, or QR codes.

Tap into Facebook and Instagram Ads To Bring in High-Quality Real Estate Leads

Discovering how to get real estate leads on Facebook involves creating a business account with relevant content that allows you to use targeting tools and monitor your advertising campaigns. The secret to successful advertising is targeting precisely the audience that is most likely to engage with your advertising and deciding on your bidding strategy – whether you want to pay for user actions (such as clicks or likes) or impressions (per 1000 views).

Source: Facebook

For Facebook real estate leads, it’s important not only to bid on earning immediate clicks but also to build long-term relationships with the audience and establish your company’s reputation by popularizing high-quality content.

Busy real estate agents will find Facebook’s integration with Instagram particularly advantageous. You can run advertising campaigns across both platforms using the same settings, monitor results in a single dashboard, and allocate your resources in real-time.

While connecting with a wider audience, you can invite Instagrammers to like your Facebook page and vice versa. This approach allows cross-promoting content like appealing Instagram property photos and stories and insightful Facebook articles about the real estate market and attractions of the local area.

Interact With Local Community To Generate Buyer Leads for Real Estate Agents

Being active in the local community is an essential component of building a realtor’s network. These activities provide opportunities to directly generate buyer leads for real estate agents, establish a word-of-mouth referral system, and increase your company awareness.

Consider weekly attendance at charity events, fundraisers, craft fairs, and similar gatherings as part of your working hours when you don’t need to actively persuade leads. If you have the opportunity, volunteer and contribute to the community’s well-being to foster your sense of belonging. Ensure everybody knows what your profession is without being pushy. Your consistent presence at local events will cement your role as the local specialist in real estate and a person to reach out to for advice.

Attend business meetings outside of real estate. Use these occasions to learn about local business players, establish your professional expertise, and generate real estate leads for investors.

Track Down Expired Links To Find Real Estate Listing Leads

“Old but gold” may be used when referring to expired real estate listing leads now more than ever. In 2023, statistics showed that most of the houses were sold below their initial list price for the first time since the pandemic property-buying frenzy. That led to increased numbers of expired listing leads – properties that failed to sell under the original agreement with the realtor.

For a realtor, such listings are valuable because sellers are often motivated to relist their properties or find new real estate agents, frustrated by their previous experience and ready to lower their prices. Expired leads can be found in various real estate lead generation sources like Zillow, real estate websites, MLS databases, and results from your networking efforts.

While it makes sense to look for listing leads that have just expired to become the first new realtor to reach the seller, older lists may give you real estate motivated seller leads that are easy to convert.

Explore For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Leads

Some of the best real estate leads can originate from sellers who initially intended to sell their property without the assistance of realtors. Remember that average homeowners have modest skills in negotiating prices, targeting buyers, presenting house and location advantages, and performing other chores that comprise the job of a real estate agent.

When you communicate with the property owner, don’t be all over the place trying to prove your expertise. Being overbearing in convincing someone who declares they need none of your help is the worst approach possible. Instead, ask them about their experience selling property and pin down their friction points.

For instance, according to the National Association of Realtors, one of the most difficult tasks for FSBO sellers is setting the right price. Indeed, pricing too high will stall the selling process, while too low will result in a loss of possible income. In such a case, the realtor’s commission may be a reasonable fee for determining the price range and providing all the other due agent’s services.

Find Real Estate Leads on LinkedIn

When considering the social media presence, ensure to create a business account and remain active on LinkedIn. Among other platforms, it is the one optimized for professional networking. Besides acquiring real estate leads with no upfront cost, LinkedIn will help you to:

• Build and showcase your real estate brand
• Research the real estate market to keep up with industry trends and get ahead of the competition
• Engage with local communities and professionals from various spheres

If you’re new to LinkedIn, search for groups by interests in your city. You may find realtors or homeowners groups or more niche-specific, such as first-time buyers.

If you want to turn LinkedIn into your best source for real estate leads, learn about LinkedIn networking algorithms, Unlike Facebook or TikTok, which emphasize viral content, LinkedIn focuses on expertise and interactions, making connections with industry experts crucial for your visibility.

Look out for Engagement or Marriage Announcements To Get New Real Estate Leads

When new families form, they often search for new homes. Look out for people creating new families, especially young professionals ready to flee from family nests. For this search, utilize various channels that you’re already using and add that category to your standard targeted audience. This strategy will produce higher-quality social media and Google real estate leads.

Additionally, you can use Instagram’s hashtags functionality to search for #justmarried, #engaged, #marriage, and other similar tags among users associated with your targeted location. Alternatively, you can combine them with location hashtags.

Ironically, divorces also create new families, but little ones. As with unions, these transitions require individuals to relocate, offering new real estate agent leads.

Make the Most of Reviews for Free Real Estate Lead Generation

Imagine you’re a first-time buyer looking for a realtor who will treat you fairly and not take advantage of your inexperience. Whether you already have a list of real estate agents, you’re considering hiring, or if they’re reaching out to you, you will want to know what their past customers have to say. While the content posted by realtors tells us what realtors wish to people to know about their work, user reviews reveal how their services impact customers.

In reviews, people share highlights of their experiences at various stages of their cooperation with realtors. This may include the quality of interaction with the agent, how quickly the deal was completed, assistance with paperwork, and attention given after the purchase was completed, among other things.

As an agent, it’s crucial for you to make no mistakes when dealing with real estate leads from the moment they see your ad for the first time until you send them a “Welcome to your new home” card. It’s all part of their customer journey, and you contribute to shaping their customer experience.

Always encourage your customers to leave reviews and comments on all your real estate-related platforms. Reviews are important for enhancing brand credibility on:

• Company website
• Social media accounts
• Real estate listings sites
• Specialized real estate lead generation services like Zillow and Realtor.com
• Google My Business listings

Not only do the positive reviews drive online real estate leads, but they also prompt customers who were about to share their unpleasant experiences to reevaluate their perceptions by considering the context.

Leverage TikTok To Get More Online Real Estate Leads

TikTok has the fastest-growing audience in the USA. It can no longer be viewed as only a platform for kids and teenagers, with nearly 5 million businesses using it for various purposes, including lead generation. TikTok focuses on short videos, so viewers view more videos on this platform than, say, on YouTube during the same amount of time. This approach allows more opportunities for businesses to display their products.

The secret to the platform’s growing popularity is not in the video subjects but in the convenient UI and algorithms that find the target audience and allow new accounts to grow in popularity quickly. To generate real estate leads for agents, you can shoot amateur under-30-second videos on your phone featuring the properties you sell. Alternatively, you can create educative mini-tutorials on what to look at when evaluating houses, tips for new homeowners, or share insights about real estate lead generation strategies.

Use Traditional Advertising To Get Real Estate Sales Leads

Development in digital technologies has significantly changed modern marketing strategies. However, when it comes to real estate lead generation, traditional advertising methods still play a valuable role.

We’ve already touched on direct mailers, which are one of the important methods of enhancing brand awareness. Other traditional methods include advertising on media sources from the pre-digital era, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. While consumers spend more and more time online, the traditional advertising channels are more trusted, with 82% trusting print advertising, 80% – television, 76% – direct mail, and 71% – radio to make buying decisions.

Besides increased credibility, traditional advertising provides equal visibility for starting real estate agents and established firms, making it a worthwhile investment in brand awareness.

Host Events To Get Free Real Estate Leads

Hosting public events is one of the best ways to get leads in real estate and enhance your company’s reputation. In addition to meeting potential buyers and creating connections with local homeowners, you can build professional networking. Focus on not only attracting fellow real estate agents but also engaging with lawyers, constructors, mortgage brokers, and business owners.

Your focus topics should also extend beyond the real estate field to be able to make events regularly and attract a wide range of audiences. Here are a few real estate lead generation ideas for events:

• Green living events: sustainable living practices, green construction, and energy-efficient homes
• First-time homebuyer classes: home buying process, securing a mortgage, and understanding home inspections
• Real estate investment seminars: market analysis, financing options, and property management
• Historical tours and talks: peculiarities and history of a neighborhood

While the events may not generate immediate real estate leads, they are crucial for long-term brand building and networking. Ensure to use sign-up lists to capture contacts and incorporate them into your marketing strategies.

Host Webinars To Get Leads for Real Estate Agents

An even more fruitful strategy for real estate lead generation than real-life events may be webinars. People have gotten used to the format of online seminars since the pandemic, and they are a preferable option for many due to their cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Indeed, they remove geographical barriers, are accessible to all age and demographic groups, and require less time or money investment from participants.

Additionally, online events allow the gathering of various participants’ data and webinar metrics. You can easily incorporate them into your favorite CRM software for analysis, enhancing your real estate lead generation strategies.

All the benefits provided by webinars allow organizing them on a regular basis, covering various real estate-related topics. Keep in mind that the attendance rates (i.e., the percentage of webinar attendees among all invited people) are traditionally low in the real estate industry, so organizing an online event without a large contacts list may be challenging. For the best results, explore which factors impact attendance rates, such as the day of the week and the time of the day.

Can You Buy Real Estate Leads?

Many companies specialize in gathering and selling real estate leads online. The leads vary from individuals looking to buy or sell their property, to commercial organizations who need long-term partner to manage their real estate investment ventures.

These companies use different online and offline marketing techniques to capture leads, such as advertising, content marketing, and SEO optimization. Once they have contacts of relevant individuals, they employ lead generation software for real estate agents to match with potential customers and sell them valuable information.

How Much Do Real Estate Leads Cost?

The cost of real estate leads substantially varies depending on several factors, including the source of lead, chosen marketing strategy, and lead quality. The value of the highest-quality leads may be as high as $500, and they can still be profitable since an agent’s commission typically ranges from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.

Lead generation services for real estate agents offer flexible pricing policies. You may choose to pay per individual leads, buy high-quality, expensive real estate leads, or opt for cheap real estate leads for sale that are less likely to convert. Often, you will need to pay a monthly fee to have an active real estate agent’s profile and attract leads.

*Phonexa cannot be held responsible for the conduct of the listed companies, as these are independent companies unrelated to Phonexa. The content reflects the personal opinion of the team.

Top Real Estate Lead Generation Companies

Real Geeks

Real Geeks is an optimal real estate lead generation solution for new agents. It offers the creation of IDX websites with various landing pages and all the necessary functionality for connecting with clients, scheduling showings, analyzing marketing campaigns, and more. The websites are SEO-optimized, so users can find your real estate services immediately after inputting relevant keywords into the Google search bar.

Real Geeks key features:

• IDX real estate SEO-optimized websites with white-labeling options
• 4 pay-per-month subscription plans with an additional sign-up fee and various feature packages
• Integration with Facebook Ads
• CRM automation

Market Leader

A well-known real estate lead generation company, Market Leader started in 1999 and has grown since then to include a wide array of services. The scope of their offerings covers creating customizable IDX sites, generating exclusive real estate leads via their HouseValues platform and social media ads, and boosting pay-per-click advertising campaigns.

Market Leader key features:

• An all-inclusive and cost-effective solution for a one-agent-company
• Google and Facebook PPC-boosting services
• Real estate lead generation websites with drag-and-drop builders
• Email marketing automation
• CRM mobile app
• Guaranteed exclusive real estate leads for a monthly flat fee

Zurple

Zurple is a real estate lead generation and marketing program that is best at nurturing leads, personalizing content, and automating communication with potential customers. The platform uses AI for real estate leads, creating user profiles based on their behavior while browsing MLS listings. Then, it can show your listings to the leads that match your description and even communicate with them on your behalf to ensure they are optimal for you.

Zurple key features:

• Branded IDX websites
• CRM with automated pipeline management
• Email and SMS drip campaigns
• Intelligent real estate leads nurturing
• Lead source tracking tools
• Focus on Google and social media ads

CINC (Comissions, Inc.)

CINC is one of the best real estate websites for lead generation. It sources leads from Google and Facebook based on their location and demographics and sends behavior-driven follow-ups. Its distinctive feature is the advanced lead distribution functionality that matches CINC real estate leads with the appropriate team members for maximum effectiveness. This, along with the fact that its pricing is closer to the higher end, makes CINC suitable for large, established real estate agencies.

CINC key features:

• Offers flawless integration of your IDX website, real estate lead generation, and lead nurturing
• Advanced team collaboration instruments
• CINC’s PROLINC Referral Network allows receiving referrals from any other CINC realtors
• Guaranteed return on investment during the first year

Zillow Premier Agent

Zillow is a major player in the real estate and rental industry in the United States. Its Premier Agent program offers real estate lead generation services and exposure to millions of potential property buyers and sellers. The company’s high traffic and SEO optimization provide its clients with increased visibility on SERPs, while easy-to-use CRM makes it accessible for beginners.

Zillow Flex is another program offered by Zillow. Unlike Premier Agent, which requires upfront payments, Flex operates on a referral fee model. It provides agents with motivated real estate leads and charges commission when the deal closes.

Zillow Premier Agent key features:

• Large database of real estate leads
• Straightforward CRM
• Personalized real estate agency profile

Improve Your Real Estate Lead Generation Techniques With Phonexa

If generating real estate leads is a continuous effort crucial for your business’s success, then employing a robust lead management system to optimize different parts of this process is essential.

Phonexa’s LMS Sync helps real estate companies and agents to access lead details, create custom-set configutaions, and acquire the attribution they need to separate their business from the pack. This solution is also designed to share with or sell your leads to other companies, enabling the establishment of a professional referral network.

The Phonexa suite enhances various aspects of your digital marketing strategies, including automated email and messaging campaigns, call tracking and analysis, and tracking the user journey through click history, among others.

Discover how Phonexa can address your real estate lead generation needs by building your subscription plan or booking a demo to explore the functionalities of Phonexa’s advanced partner and performance marketing software.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are leads in real estate?

In real estate, leads are potential clients interested in buying or selling property. Their contacts may be gathered using various sources, such as website forms, real estate event sign-up lists, or referrals.

How to get leads in real estate for free?

There are many ways to generate free real estate leads, though they require time and effort. One method involves creating a website with engaging content on real estate-related topics and optimizing it for high search engine ranking. Another approach is developing a professional network where you can exchange referrals with other businesses.

How to get leads as a new real estate agent

As a beginning agent, work towards establishing your company’s virtual presence through social media accounts and a professionally looking website as a crucial long-term real estate lead generation method. Additionally, consider investing in digital and traditional advertising for immediate exposure.