4 Things To Know Before Hunting For Leads by Jay Egger
Welcome Realtyna Readers, today’s blog post is written by Jay Egger from FitSmallBusiness.
Jay Egger is a digital marketing specialist for Fit Small Business, a digital small business education publication. He has experience in public relations, SEO, journalism, social media management and video production.
Today’s Blog post will be about
4 Things To Know Before Hunting For Leads
You’re in an industry unlike any other. It’s not like you can just place an ad on Facebook, have someone click it, and instantly make a sale. Finding leads and helping them buy the house of their dreams is a lot more complicated than selling shoes online.
If there’s one thing real estate agents stress over constantly, it’s finding qualified leads. Put too much effort in the wrong lead, and you’ve wasted precious time you could have been selling houses.
You’re selling a product that is more than likely the biggest financial investment an individual or couple has made in their lives. You put in a ton of time nurturing leads, so you’d like to ensure that the leads you find are at least fairly likely to work with you.
Unfortunately, the real estate industry is a crowded market. Few home buyers (especially first-timers) understand what makes one agent different from another. You, of course, know that the level of service is what helps you stand out.
You pride yourself on offering top-tier customer service and treating your customers like family. Put as much energy into your quest for leads, and you’re guaranteed to find better, more qualified leads than you ever had.
Here’s what you need to know before you tackle any real estate marketing strategies to garner leads.
- Know Where Your Audience Spends Time
You may read articles about finding leads through Instagram, but in all honesty, if your target demographic doesn’t even know what Instagram is, you’d be wasting your time there.
Start by identifying your average customer. Maybe you focus on a high-end gated community with smaller square footage, and your average customer is 65 or older. This isn’t an audience that will be found on social media as much as a couple with young kids, so find out where they spend time consuming media and being active online before you invest any time or energy marketing to them.
- Figure Out What They Consider Valuable
You might want to get email signups on your site, so you decide to create an ebook or special report…but what will resonate with your qualified leads? You could create a digital book with tips on finding the perfect house or relocation tips…or you could provide data on the housing market in the neighborhoods you specialize in.
Not sure which would attract more signups? Ask past customers that you have a good relationship with what they would have found valuable. Also ask them if they have other suggestions for you.
- Consider Your Community’s Personality
As you know from working in real estate, every neighborhood has its distinct personality. Before you begin searching for leads who want to live in a given neighborhood (or sell their home there), you must figure out the best way to become ingrained with that area.
If the neighborhood is community-driven, look into associations and organizations you can join. You can also be a sponsor at neighborhood fairs and fundraisers. If the neighborhood is full of working folks, a door-to-door marketing campaign might be effective. If it’s a close-knit community where everyone knows one another, you’ll have to do your work to become accepted. Consider moving there yourself!
Once you understand how things work in a neighborhood, as well as what it takes for a neighbor to refer a lead once she trusts you, you can better build your marketing strategy around it.
- Know Your Budget
Nurturing leads always involves some cost, so before you start looking for leads, decide how much you can afford to spend. Consider costs like:
- Advertising
- Participating in events
- Working with marketers or writers
- Various marketing tools
- Taking clients to coffee or lunch
- Gas and auto maintenance
- Signage
- Thank you gifts
Once you have a budget, you can then determine what you can afford to do to attract leads and nurture them. Keep the end goal in mind: that commission check! If you know that selling that $1 million property will net you a hefty profit, invest enough to ensure that you get it sooner rather than later.
The key to attracting leads who stay with you through the final sale is to always, always put them first. This is a stressful process for many home buyers or sellers, and it’s your job to make it as pain-free as possible. Do that, and you’ll not only get this business, but you’ll also get a string of referrals that will make you a success in your field!
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