For better or for worse, your business is only as good as the real estate lead generation ideas you can successfully carry out. Things may be going great with your investing business, but that can all change after you close the deals you are working on. The joy of receiving a check at closing will quickly be replaced by fear and trepidation when you realize you are out of leads. If you neglect to bring your real estate lead generation ideas to fruition, your business will never really take off. Fortunately, there are a few ways to attract new business without breaking the bank. If you do something every day to market yourself and your business, you will never go a prolonged period of time without leads coming in. Having said that, it’s never to late to try out a few real estate lead generation ideas to get the ball rolling.
Before you do any type of marketing, it is important to acknowledge what you want to get out of it. Not all marketing will produce immediate results. This may appear to be counterproductive, but in many cases it is a prolonged process that will prove effective. Small tasks like making a blog entry on your website can seem mundane and almost a waste of time, but once you stop you throw away all of the good work you have done. Many people will not contact someone to use their products or services the first time they see them. It is only after numerous times that they may consider doing so. This is typically the case for anyone involved in real estate. Before you devise a marketing plan of attack, you need to determine what your goals are and make a commitment for a designated period of time.
Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas
The website is the best starting point for any type of marketing. Everything from your business card to a post you make on social media will point people back to your website. You don’t necessarily have to fill your website with fancy bells and whistles, but how it looks and the information it has will be a direct reflection on you and your business. The layout and design are important, but not nearly as important as the content. If the last post you made was months ago, anyone that goes to your website will form an opinion of you. In reality, it doesn’t take too much time to make a short post every day. There are plenty of relevant topics in the real estate world that you probably have an opinion on or want to educate the masses about. If your website is fresh and the content is up to date, people will come back. The more they come back, the more likely they are to work with you in the future.
I maintain that, of the real estate lead generation ideas that coincide with the most success, there is one at the top of the list: video content. The most popular way to do this is to start making posts on YouTube. People like to work with other people that they feel comfortable with. The more posts you make, the more people will get a sense of how you work and what your personality is. YouTube allows you the ability to create your own channel and gain a following. The best videos are the ones that are used to educate buyers, sellers, fellow investors, or anyone that has an interest in investing. Much like your website blog posts, your videos don’t need to be overly lengthy but they should be informative and just long enough to educate. If people in your local area get a sense of who you are from your videos, they will feel as if they already know you and want to work with you.
If you are not utilizing social media you are at a severe disadvantage. Most everyone has a Facebook account, but not everyone is on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and numerous other platforms. This is free advertising! If used right, these platforms can grow awareness for your business quickly. Much like website and YouTube posts, you need to stay active to be relevant. It is no secret that buyers and sellers are using the Internet to do business, but many people in the business are using social media. If you are not on these sites or if your profile isn’t constantly updated, you will be viewed as out of touch with the market or not successful. You need to spend a few minutes each day to update these sites and get your name out. If you can attract a following through social media, your personal website, YouTube and any local networking activity, you will never have to spend money on lead generation.
You should also take advantage of Craigslist, Zillow and Trulia if you really want to come up with some helpful real estate lead generation ideas. Additionally, you should check out Google, learn about search engine optimization(SEO) and Google AdWords before you spend money on direct marketing. Getting a lead from direct mail can produce results, but the inroads you can make through your personal marketing will have a longer lasting impact. You do not need to spend thousands of dollars to improve your website or to create a social media account. The most important thing you can do is to stay active every day. Consistency and motivation is the key to any marketing plan. There are plenty of real estate lead generation ideas you can do without breaking the bank, so get started.
