The real estate industry is constantly changing. The past several years have been incredibly competitive for both real estate agents and their clients. The good news is, the agents who are willing to think outside the box are growing their business and thriving! In this blog post, we’re sharing five of the best lead generation ideas for 2022 that real estate agents should focus on next year.

Social Media Marketing

Social media can be a great way to connect with potential buyers and sellers, but you have to have a good understanding of how to use social media for Realtors. There are two different ways to utilize social media in your lead generation efforts.

The first is organic social media. With organic social media marketing, you’re not spending money on the platform; you’re naturally growing your following and connecting with your audience. In essence, you’re paying with your time. The two easiest ways to connect and grow your audience are by getting active in community Facebook groups or engaging with hashtags aimed at your ideal client.

The second is with paid advertising. Paid social media advertising can be an incredibly effective way to connect with your audience, but it’s important you understand how to run an effective campaign. If you’re unfamiliar with running ads, or you’re not seeing the results you want, consider hiring someone who specializes in Facebook ads or the ads for the platform of your choice.

How to Generate Leads with Social Media

Connecting and growing with your audience is great, but how do you use social media for real estate lead generation?

The best way is to create an opt-in. An opt-in, also known as a lead magnet, is something you provide to your audience in return for their contact information. Real estate lead magnets may be a buyer or seller guide, a list of homes for sale in a particular price range, a home renovation or valuation guide. To maximize your opportunity of generating more leads, think of something outside the box that other agents aren’t promoting.

Another way you can generate leads on social media is by using chat automation.

Chat automation is when you use a chat solution, like Many Chat, to connect with your audience in real-time. You can set up different automated instant messages based on where potential clients are in the decision-making process. For example, when someone sends you a direct message on Facebook, an automated response pops up, and it’ll take the person through a series of questions based on their answers.

Essentially, it pre-qualifies the lead ahead of time for you and helps you be more efficient.

Host a Client Appreciation Event

Is your town known for putting on events and bringing the community together? Use those events in your marketing! As soon as you know when the event is taking place, add it to your real estate marketing plan and highlight it on your blog. Be sure to include information such as when and where it's taking place, why the event is important, the history of the event, and what event goers can expect.

The great thing about highlighting annual events is that you can reuse the content every year and just update the information to reflect the new date and time.

Be sure to include photos from the event in your blog post where possible!

How to Host a Great Client Event

Your client event doesn’t have to be extravagant or cost a lot of money; it just needs to let your past clients know how thankful you are for their support. When people feel appreciated, they’re more likely to refer their close loved ones.

Here’s an example of how you can host a client event on a budget. Start by partnering with a local business, like a brewery or coffee shop, and reserve a few tables or a room. Pre-pay for a certain number of drinks and hand out drink tickets to those who come. When you’re inviting your past clients, you simply say you’re hosting a happy hour between 2-3 hours in length, and the first rounds are on you.

Email Marketing

Nearly everyone uses email, so it’s a great lead generation option for real estate agents. In fact, email marketing is the digital marketing tactic with the highest ROI. Use email to promote fresh blog material or YouTube videos, advertise listings, or notify people about future events.

How to Have a Great Email Strategy

If you’re not sure where to start with email marketing, here are a few tips.

First, make sure your emails are mobile responsive, so they’ll look good on any device. Emails that are hard to read will be ignored, so play around with formatting and send yourself a couple of test emails ahead of time.

Next, make sure you have a list-building strategy. A great way to build your email list is in conjunction with a CRM, or Customer Relationship Manager platform. You can also build your list through open houses and collecting business cards from everyone you meet.

They say the money is in the list, but the truth is, the money is in the relationship you have with the list. Don’t build up an email list without also connecting with your contacts regularly.

Networking Groups

Networking groups are often looked at as a way to connect with other professionals, but not all networking groups have to be. A networking group can simply be a group of people who get together to discuss a common interest. Becoming part of a networking group is one of the best real estate lead generation ideas because you’re meeting new people who are most likely already your ideal real estate client.

Find Networking Groups

The easiest way to find networking groups is to start by researching some of your interests and hobbies to learn if there are already groups in your area to join. If not, consider starting one yourself. Put out feelers on your social media profiles and in community groups.

Another way is by attending networking events in your community. By Googling “networking events near me,” you’re likely to find lots of events on Eventbrite and meet-up.com. Start by attending the events and see who you connect with.

Start a Real Estate Blog

Starting a real estate blog will create an easy real estate lead generation option because it establishes you as an expert in the real estate field, which is important for marketing purposes. Many agents start a blog because it allows them to be creative with their content, and you can easily repurpose your blog into a video script and other social media posts.

How to Get Started with Your Real Estate Blog

Before starting your blog, make sure you have a clear understanding of the goals you want to accomplish. Are you starting a blog to provide value to your audience, or are you hoping to get your content found on Google? If the goal is to be found on Google, make sure you have a basic understanding of how SEO works.

Next, focus on the type of content you want to share. While you’ll obviously be sharing real estate information, you’ll also want to think of content that attracts your ideal client and provides them value. Here are a few quick content ideas to help you get started and more detail can be found here.

• Community News
• Client Attracting Content
• Lifestyle
• Finances

Start Generating More Real Estate Leads

In the end, the best real estate lead generation starts by creating a marketing plan that works for you. Incorporate methods that come easy to you and that you find easy to stick with. When you enjoy your lead generation efforts, you’re less likely to become discouraged or burned out.