Door knocking in the real estate industry is more than just a method of acquiring properties or clients; it’s an opportunity to build relationships and provide value.

How do you know when something is worth doing? The answer is, naturally, subjective. Your decision will depend on various factors and personal considerations, including your enthusiasm for the task, whether you believe the reward outweighs the cost and sacrifice, and if you need immediate results or can be patient.

If you’re a real estate agent wondering whether door knocking is worth it, you’ll undoubtedly have a gut feeling, but your decision will be best informed if you first understand what the strategy involves and what you can expect from it.

What is door knocking in real estate?

Door knocking in real estate is exactly what it sounds like. As an agent, you knock on homeowners’ doors to introduce yourself and your services with the hope of generating leads and securing new clients. Sometimes this may work out with you knocking at exactly the right time they need an agent, but that’s a rare event; it’s more likely you walk away from an excursion empty handed. This lack of immediate leads is why so many agents forego door knocking entirely or give up soon after starting.

Approach your door knocking as an opportunity to build relationships and provide value.

However, you can save yourself from disappointment and frustration if you think about door knocking as more than just a method of acquiring clients and understand it as an opportunity to build relationships and provide value. You (and the owners of the homes you visit) will be better served if you approach the task as a chance to create a positive, lasting impression rather than as an opening to make an overt push for business.

In the digital age, how effective is door knocking?

If you’re in business, whether it’s real estate or not, you need to be online. That’s where your audience is, and you can get the most bang for your buck promoting your services and finding leads. Of course, it’s also where your competition is. But not everyone is knocking on doors, so it’s still a strategy you should considering including in your marketing plan if for no other reason than it will set you apart from other agents. 

Amidst the cacophony of digital noise, you can truly set yourself apart by adding door knocking to your marketing plan.

That said, door knocking provides value in many ways. For one, it can be difficult to provide a personal touch in a world of pixels and bytes, no matter how much you share on social media. Likes are not handshakes, and videos are not conversations. The same is true of email—screens don’t do much to convey warmth. There is simply no true substitute for face-to-face interaction when you want to develop a lasting relationship where someone knows, likes, and trusts you enough to allow you to help them navigate one of life’s most significant ventures and recommend you to others.

When building relationships with prospects, there is no substitute for the face-to-face interaction afforded by door knocking.

Moreover, since you are your brand, door knocking is an exceptionally effective way to promote your brand identity. Homeowners get to meet you in the flesh, and you get to deliver your message unimpeded by channel noise. And that message will be a well-scripted and rehearsed presentation of your value proposition, complete with an array of responses for different situations, which gives you a degree of control that random clicks do not.

When you are your brand, door knocking allows you to introduce your brand identity in a controlled manner.

Finally, door knocking may help you uncover hidden opportunities and information you may not have found otherwise. For instance, Mr. Smith at 123 Banana Street may not be in the market, but perhaps his cousin just got a new job and was talking about needing to sell her home over on 456 Apple Lane. And a few blocks over, you may meet Mrs. Jones, who is happy in her home but has a friend three doors down whose youngest child just graduated from college. And wouldn’t you know? That friend mentioned over coffee that she and her husband are thinking about downsizing.

How do you successfully door knock in real estate?

In order to be successful at door knocking, you must keep in mind that while your long-term goal is to generate leads and referrals, your immediate goal is to identify people you can build relationships with and provide value to. The following tips can help you achieve both objectives.

Don’t knock where you’re not wanted

With very limited exceptions, it’s your constitutionally-protected right to canvass a neighborhood, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

Even if they are difficult to enforce, it’s best to be sure you understand and abide by any ordinances that may be in place, so you don’t cause any ill feelings. More importantly, always respect homeowners’ right to privacy—if you see a “No Solicitations” sign, simply move on to the next house. 

When door knocking, respect homeowners’ right to privacy.

If you’re new to door knocking, it may be best to start in your own neighborhood. Letting people know you’re not only a real estate agent but also their neighbor will fortify relationships and can help you get comfortable with the process.

If you need an alternative to door knocking, you can host a community event or farm the area with postcards. In fact, we can help you use postcards in combination with a targeted mailing list to increase your door-knocking efficiency.

Enhance your efficiency when door knocking with a postcard campaign that identifies warm leads.

We assist our clients with the purchase of mailing lists for their farms based on who is likely to move within the next 6-12 months. They use that list to send one of our postcards printed with a QR code to offer recipients a free home estimate. If they scan the code, and regardless of whether they fill out the form it directs them to, we’re able to tell our clients. They then use that information to increase their door-knocking efficiency.

Do your research

Before you hit the sidewalks, take the time to get familiar with the hyperlocal market. Your knowledge will illustrate you as a professional, and sharing what you know is a way to provide value that will promote good will.

A good district can help a homeowner sell at a premium price and may be just the right incentive for them to put their home on the market.

At a minimum, you’ll need to be able to discuss whether it’s a buyer’s or a seller’s market and offer signs of where the market and mortgages are going. (Homeowners will ask.) Obviously you’ll want to know the value of the surrounding homes, but you should also find out how long residents have lived in the neighborhood and whether there have been any recent sales. And demonstrate your knowledge of the local school district and any upcoming residential or commercial developments.

Act and react appropriately

You know as well as anyone that people are reluctant to open their doors to strangers, so expect to visit a lot of homes before you get a bite. To help encourage feelings of safety, step back from the door and allow homeowners to see you through a window. Further, you’ll appear professional but also approachable if you dress in business casual attire. And avoid crossing your arms or putting your hands in your pockets since those gestures will tend to make you look defensive.  

Your immediate task when door knocking is to build rapport with the homeowner.

Once someone opens the door to you, your immediate goal is to establish rapport. Everyone appreciates a compliment, so find something nice to say about the property. As you engage in conversation, look for commonalities you share. Experience will be your best teacher, but remember that you want to be sincere, so be yourself.

And if someone is rude, don’t take it personally. You need to anticipate that, for whatever reason, not everyone will be happy to see you. Remain polite, apologize if you think it’s necessary, and move on.

Use an effective script

While a script isn’t meant to be recited, it is an incredibly useful tool for steering a conversation where you want it to go. A good door-knocking script will help you quickly introduce yourself and succinctly state your value proposition. For an effective starting point, download our door-knocking scripts and customize them to fit your style.

Click here to download this free resource. You’ll find more valuable free sources when you visit our Resource Library.

Offer value homeowners can use

You never want to show up at someone’s home empty-handed, and it helps to have something you can use to initiate a dialogue or leave behind until the next time you pay a visit.

A market analysis is an excellent option. Every homeowner cares about what their home may be worth, and a report indicating the sale price of recently sold properties is something most will be interested in receiving. It’s also a way to start a conversation about how you can provide them with a report specific to their property.

Click here to get enticing free door hangers and never miss an opportunity to connect with a potential new client.

Another option is to bring a small gift, similar to what you might give during a pop-by. Our Resource Library has a multitude of free door hangers and gift tags you can download and print for this purpose. And all have a space for you to attach your business card.

If you really want to stand out and elevate your status as a trusted professional, consider providing a copy of a personally branded magazine from ReminderMedia. For less than the price of a typical greeting card, you can give someone a coffee-table-quality, lifestyle magazine that features your branding in six places, including on two tear-out cards they can keep or share. Click here and we’ll send a free copy of our most recent issue to your inbox.

Request your FREE copy of the magazines that directly produce a 31% referral rate. (2023 GfK MRI-Simmons readers survey)

Be consistent

As with all marketing strategies, your success in door knocking will be largely influenced by the consistency you bring to it and by your commitment to following up. Plan to visit homes once a month, and within three or four months, more doors will begin to open as you become a familiar face—one that homeowners come to recognize and trust as a real estate expert.

Remember . . .

Although your ultimate goal is to generate leads, door knocking in real estate is not just about landing the next client; it’s about forging genuine connections and providing value.

Building relationships through door knocking can lead to future opportunities, referrals, and long-term success. The effectiveness of this strategy and your eventual success lie in your ability to build trust with residents, remain consistent, and provide value. Master the art of door knocking, and you can open doors to a world of new business.