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Success in real estate requires a whole host of skills, and most of us spend the entirety of our careers refining them. But all the talent in the world won’t help you if you don’t have this one crucial thing: clients.
There are lots of opinions on the best ways to generate leads and cultivate a pool of prospective buyers and sellers. They vary in complexity and in the types of agents they’re realistically a good fit for, such as your own specific background, personality and skills, which are no small things to consider.
But across the board, there are a handful of tried-and-true tricks that I’ve seen prove useful. Use the following tips to invigorate your client pipeline.
1. Door-knock
Knock on doors, but not just any doors: the doors of the immediate 10 houses next to a property that is newly listed (whether by you, your company or a competitor).
Chat with the neighbors about the house. What do they know about the condition? How do they feel about the price? Are they contemplating a move themselves, or do they know someone who is?
Besides likely having inside info, you or other agents might not be privy to, people who live in the neighborhood are also advocates for the area. You definitely want them in your corner.
2. Throw a preview party
Before your open house starts, give neighbors a sneak peak. Hold a contest (who can guess the right final sales price?) with prizes and giveaways, and have small thank-you gifts (like Starbucks cards) for all attendees.
Follow up with handwritten “thank you for attending” notes after the fact that include the dates and times of the broker tour and open houses, along with your contact information.
3. Deploy ‘event style’ marketing to attract buyers and neighborhood sellers
Hold an open house with a multiagent team, so that each visiting prospect can have a “private” tour. To promote and draw attention, have each agent put out five or six A-frames, promote on their own social media networks and knock on doors in the surrounding area to invite neighbors.
This style of open house is more effective, and it creates buzz and generates a database of potentially interested parties. It’s also much safer for the property than a single-agent open house.
4. Create a dossier for each of your clients in your CRM
Yes, you already update their basic info like contact details and price parameters in your customer relationship manager (CRM). But it will be beneficial to go deeper: List their motivations, the reasons for their must-haves and their main supporters or influencers (mom and dad? Best friends? Who will be influencing their decision-making process?).
Do a DISC analysis on them, and learn to communicate with them in a style that works best. These extra steps help you deepen your rapport and create a winning customer experience. Remember, happy customers lead to referrals.
5. Call five friends a day
Phone your sphere, and tell them that you only want to work with great people like them and that you have a goal of helping X number of families achieve the dream of homeownership. Ask if they know anyone who needs your help.
The bottom line is that the secret to finding new clients fast is doing the legwork. Dig deeper into the relationships you already have and the communities where you know you’re going to have a presence. Get to know people, and be where they are. If you do the activities, the result will show up.
Debbie Wong is the managing broker partner and performance coach with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate J.F. Finnegan Realtors in San Mateo County. Connect with her on Facebook or LinkedIn.
