Home Buyer and Seller Leads – Building Connections to Generate Leads
Thursday, January 14th, 2010Generating home buyer and seller leads is no small task, especially for a real estate agent who is looking for ways to get some. There are many strategies involved in generating home buyer and seller leads, but their effectiveness is necessarily dependent on current market conditions and current market conditions.
A general approach for struggling real estate agents needing home buyer and seller leads is to employ multiple marketing strategies to leverage leads and prospects. Sure-fire techniques vary, so it is safe to say that trying diverse methods can increase the odds of generating viable leads.
Three Proven Lead Generating Strategies
Below are two successful lead generating strategies that work in most market conditions, Farming Expired Listings and an assortment of Lead Generation Ideas and Referrals.
1. Farming Expired Listings. You know about it, but are you doing it? Farming Expired Listings can be a passive way of generating buyers and sellers. If you get the listings from sellers you’ll then have something to attract buyers.
And guess what? When you have lots of listings sellers will call you you wanting to do business with you. I guess you can say that your for sale signs are kind of a status symbol that advertises you as a successful agent. And everybody wants to do business with a winner…right?
2. Lead Generation Ideas. If you think it you can generate leads by doing it; holding open houses, handing out flyer, networking, putting on home buyer and seller seminars, mailing letters, etc. I call this multiple streams of leads.
The point here is to create as many lead streams as you can, so that when one dries up others will continue generating leads for you. For example, some people work exclusively with sellers, but in a sellers market their commissions may dry up to nothing. So, it behooves them to be great listing agents who may also specialize in first time buyers and low to medium priced condos.
3. Referrals. No matter what your lead generating strategy is it’s important to connect with them people on a personal level, as people will do business with strangers that they like before they will with acquaintances that they dislike.
The real estate business is a business built on trust and constant contact with past and potential clients can cultivate that type of relationship. If you continue connecting with your past clients, the possibilities of getting referrals, recommendations and new acquaintances are high.
Remember, relationships are built and strengthened over time and the more past clients you have the more positive leads you’ll get.
Lead Generation Etiquette
Personally connecting with prospects is of the utmost importance in establishing relationships with buyers and sellers. Unlike what you think, selling isn’t just about having the gift of gab – it’s also about having the gift of likeability. So, the more you connect with people, the better the odds of you getting the quality and quantity of leads you need to have a successful career in real estate sales.
So, here’s the kicker. When you meet old and new acquaintances let them initiate the conversation about your real estate business. It is better if you let them start and open up with the idea to make the conversation casual and less business-focused. It also lets you seem less eager … maybe even a little desperate?
Some real estate agents fail miserably in this regard because they are overly aggressive and cannot wait for others to open up the topic. However, with human nature being what it is people who are serious about real estate business will open up no matter what; you just have to wait your turn before you pitch in.
Getting help from family, friends and co-workers will also increase the odds of generating home buyer and seller leads. But warn them about the opening up thing because you want them on the same page as you. A unified approach is important. So, let them just talk casually until others ask about you and your real estate connections.
Summarily, home buyer and seller leads can be realized from many different aspects, circumstances and situations. The most important thing to remember is to maximize your commitment to build trust and good rapport with everyone you meet.
Click Farming Expired Listings to learn how to average 1 or more listings a week and Real Estate Marketing Talk for more lead generating ideas.
