8 Lead Gen Tactics For Agents Your Competitors Aren’t Using

Christy Murdock Edgar

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How can you spark that all-important conversation that leads to your next lead—and your next deal? We recently heard about a client who hands out promotional copies of her magazine to the customer behind her in the Starbucks line. This gives her the opportunity to provide value and start a dialogue with neighbors and potential clients in her market. Talk about a win-win!

Getting out there and connecting in creative ways is more important now than ever. If we’ve learned anything from the ups and downs of 2020, it’s that having all of your eggs in one basket is a very bad idea when the unexpected inevitably occurs. Think outside the box and find new ways to get to know folks in your market and beyond with these fun and effective lead gen strategies.

white box with gold ribbonConduct giveaways

Everyone loves to feel like a winner, so think about what you can give away to friends and followers in your sphere of influence and on your social media platforms. You may want to budget for a monthly gift card to a local restaurant or shop, or you may look for more fun giveaways. Consider VIP tickets to your town’s Christmas Tree Lighting or four entry tickets to the county fair—once the pandemic is over, of course.

Make your giveaway a regular event and try to conduct it on the same day each month. Check online for a randomizer to ensure that everyone has the same chance of winning.

Pay it forward

This is a fun giveaway that’s easy to conduct and gets great results. Buy a Starbucks gift card and set it to auto-reload at $10 increments. Decide ahead of time how much you’ll spend and stop the auto-reload once you hit your budget limit. Share the card on social media and invite your followers to stop by Starbucks and have a cup of coffee on you—just be sure to remind them that there’s a limit so they won’t be disappointed if they miss out.

In many cases, grateful followers add to the gift card, paying it forward themselves and keeping the fun going on longer. If this happens, be sure to let your followers know how much you appreciate their generosity and community spirit.

man with headphones working on computerCreate educational webinars

One of the big advantages you have as a real estate professional is your market expertise and transactional knowledge. Share your insights with virtual events designed to educate buyers, sellers, investors, and even new agents in your market. Focus on a niche like first-time homebuyers or downsizing seniors for even more impact.

You’ll build rapport and show your skill while increasing your influence and interacting with potential leads and referral partners. Co-host with a favorite lender or title company representative for even more impact and a bigger reach.

Launch a side project

The best way to increase your influence is to get involved in new areas of your community or your professional field. Get involved with a community organization that is doing great things in your neighborhood. Start a podcast to talk about your hobbies and interests. Use your technical skills to create an app that fills a need in your area or in your clients’ process. Work with your trusted network to begin investing in real estate yourself.

The more you branch out and pursue your passions, the more like-minded folks you’ll meet. Who knows? You may even create a whole new avenue of opportunity and profitability for your real estate services.

laptop sitting on kitchen table with white chairsGrow your online influence

If you’ve been putting off blogging, creating video content, or making connections on social media, it’s time to get out there and make a name for yourself. Start by Googling yourself to see what comes up. Work from there to develop a strong website with solid SEO. Add additional content over time and promote it through social media and email blasts to your sphere. As you grow your skills, and your audience, you’ll start generating warm leads 24/7.

Find cross-promotional opportunities

As a real estate professional, you have a lot in common with local business owners. Find ways to connect with them and feature them in the content you create, either through interviews on your podcast or video channel, Q&As on your blog, or through cross-promotion on social media or at special events. Remember, most business owners are natural connectors, so they’ll keep you in mind when talking with their sphere of influence and may even make some valuable introductions.

podcast microphonePursue media opportunities

Expand your influence when you pursue media opportunities, either as a writer, commentator, podcast guest, or expert in some aspect of the real estate industry. Explore avenues like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and pitch your commentary to journalists at the local and national levels. Connect with the host of your favorite podcast and offer your services as an interview guest. Check with your favorite online information platforms and see if they accept submissions from readers. Talk to a PR professional to see if they can promote you as an industry expert.

Take on leadership roles

Many agents and brokers feel that they don’t have the time to devote to leadership roles at the associational, state, or national levels. After all, if you’re looking for leads, you don’t have time to do anything else, right? However, by raising your profile through leadership roles, you may find that you improve your impact on potential leads, get to know scores of new referral sources, and increase your professional reputation. In addition, by spending time with the movers and shakers in your industry, you learn from them in ways that are sure to positively impact your business.

Written by Christy Murdock Edgar

Christy Murdock Edgar is a seasoned real estate writer and frequent columnist for Inman. Her expertise in the realm of real estate has helped agents all over the world improve their content marketing strategies.