Real estate school didn’t teach me how to become a working agent – or how to generate business. It taught me things like the size of an acre, meets and bounds, and all the different ways someone can take title.
So when you’re a newbie in the industry, what are you supposed to do to attract actual buyer/seller biz?
Cold call? Door-knock? Hold opens? Post on socials? Pay for leads? Farm a neighborhood? What actually works to generate business?
Well… there’s not a roadmap or guarantees to success but I’ll share the secret sauce that’s helped organically grow my business – and my first hand takeaways from other approaches.
My Secret Sauce
#1 Take More Meetings
Early into my real estate career a top producing agent encouraged me: “Take more meetings.” She suggested I meet up with friends + family and get to know people in the industry. Truthfully it seemed kinda vague – and a little too simple.
But I tried. I began checking in with my close friends and family and I’d suggest we meet up for coffee or lunch. Then I expanded my touch points to my people on IG and FB. I quickly learned that face to face meetings were an organic way to build relationships. Naturally the conversations flowed into what we’ve been up to – *insert new career in real estate here*. So not only was I catching up with my people and genuinely deepening relationships, I quickly became top of mind for real estate. The more I nurtured my relationships, the more I noticed leads trickling in. And these weren’t paid leads or strangers who needed to be strongly vetted. They were people who already knew me, therefore we already had a level of trust before ever actually working together.
These leads didn’t happen immediately but they were solid, more reliable, and they became consistent. Those clients turned into repeat clients – and people who referred me to their friends and family. It was a snowball effect.
#2 Connect with Agents While Traveling
This method brought me my first sale over a million dollars and all I did was have coffee with an agent when visiting Los Angeles.
Any time I traveled outside of my area I’d make a point to connect with an agent in the city I was visiting. It was the same concept of “take more meetings”, but usually it was with someone I didn’t personally know.
The easiest ways I’d find an agent…
#1 I’d ask my in-house agent network for their go-to agents in the city.
#2 Social media. I’d link with an agent I was already connected to online.
#3 Check affiliate locations within my same brokerage, then read through agent bios.
When I found someone who resonated with my vibe, I’d reach out and set up a coffee meeting. It might seem silly to do all that just to connect with an agent *esp while traveling*, but at the end of the day I saw this as a long-term connection. If I couldn’t personally assist my clients, I’d want them to work with someone who had a similar professional approach. This benefitted the agent for potential incoming referral business and outgoing referrals. They might have clients looking to relocate to my city, in the future. It’s another low risk approach to attracting new leads and it has paid off on many occasions.
#3 Post Online
When I didn’t have any clients I would tour properties to capture free content. I’d highlight details of the property, community amenities, and tout neighborhood features. Then, I’d upload the photos or videos to social media, highlight the city / state, and include real estate hashtags that pertained to the property in the caption. I kid you not I’ve gotten so many leads from doing this. Not just from local clients either – from out of state agents who wanted to refer their clients to me, or from clients searching in specific areas (in-state and out of state). Take it from me… utilize social media. Post, be consistent, but make sure the content is something worth pausing for while someone’s scrolling.
The Methods that Weren’t for Me
Cold Calling
I’m not someone who enjoys calling strangers, let alone strangers who more than likely do not want to be disturbed. If I don’t want to receive unwanted calls, I don’t want to be the one to make unwanted calls.
Door-Knocking
As a woman I don’t think knocking a stranger’s door is very safe. This went against everything I learned as a kid: “Don’t talk to strangers.” I’ve known agents who’ve teamed up for safety purposes but even then you’re already splitting leads.
Open Houses
Open houses are absolutely beneficial, but as far as leads go, the capture rate was very low. I quickly learned most buyers were already represented, there were a lot of looky-loos, and a lot of people provide inaccurate contact information for follow ups.
The Takeaway
I believe any lead generation approach will work if you commit you time and energy. But from my experience, a more personal approach worked best for me. It felt more natural – instead of a cold attempt to create business with strangers.
You might like: Building a Referral Network Through Genuine Connection or How to Choose Your Brokerage
