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This article was last updated Oct. 3, 2024.
Leads are the backbone of every thriving real estate business. Here are 40 effective lead-generation methods that are delivering results right now. The challenge isn’t finding ideas but putting them into action. Pick a few strategies and start implementing them today.
1. ‘Little help please’ social media posts
Many agents have active buyers who haven’t been able to find a home due to limited inventory.
This creates an opportunity to serve your prospective buyer and to uncover potential listings through a post on social media like the following:
“Little help please! I am working with some potential home buyers that have been unable to find a home fitting their needs. They’re looking for a home with a minimum of 4 bedrooms, 2,000 square feet, located on the east side of town. If you know of someone considering selling, please direct message me to see if we might be able to find a win-win solution for both parties. Thanks in advance for the help!”
2. Buy coffee, a cocktail, or lunch with someone in your sphere of influence
Instead of buying online leads, why not reach out to meet someone in your sphere of influence for coffee, a cocktail, or lunch? By deepening your existing relationships, referral and repeat business comes naturally.
3. Open houses
Open houses still present one of the best ways to get in front of prospective buyers and sellers.
4. Expired listings
Expired listings are homeowners that wanted to sell their home, but they didn’t have the right agent, the right pricing, or the right presentation of the home. This is an area where your professionalism can really stand out. Building an expired listing campaign that systemizes the process of helping these homeowners. By doing so, you will generate listings if you are consistent and persistent in your follow-up.
5. Call 6- to 18-month-old expired listings
These homeowners have withstood the typical barrage of phone calls they received the days after their listing expired. A simple check-in call asking what their plans are for the house is an opportunity very few agents take advantage of.
6. Host a first-time homebuyer seminar
Nearly half the buyers in 2022 were first-time homebuyers according to NAR. Educating renters on the value of homeownership through first-time homebuyer seminars is a public service — and a phenomenal way to grow your business.
7. Develop a buyer’s guide for newly engaged couples
Buying and selling real estate is usually driven by a life event like an engagement. Newly engaged couples often move from two residences to one. They are combining their incomes and are at the beginning stages of an exciting life change. Developing a buyer’s guide specifically for this group of people can help you find a new niche area of growth for your business.
8. Optimize your Google My Business Page
Many homebuyers and sellers start their process via online search. Optimizing your free Google My Business page enhances your online presence. This step not only helps your business now, but it is hard to imagine a time in the future when the value of a fully optimized Google My Business page isn’t valuable.
9. Host a going away party for your sellers
Hosting a going away party for your listing clients is a great way to meet their friends and neighbors. I suggest offering to pay for the party, including the invitations. Ask the seller to provide the names and contact info of the people they’d like you to invite. Having cosponsors like a lender, home inspector, or any other service providers is a way to offset or cover completely the expense of the party.
10. Host a housewarming party for your buyers
Just like the going away party above, there are very few ways to generate more referrals than to host a housewarming party for your client. The celebration of your clients completing the successful purchase of a home that you helped make happen is a situation ripe with opportunity.
11. Join a lead-sharing group like BNI
Lead-sharing groups like BNI are built to facilitate referrals between growth-minded participants. Finding a group that you can grow with is highly valuable.
12. Call for sale by owners (FSBOs)
FSBOs are people who have raised their hand to let everyone know they want to sell. Now more than ever, they need your professionalism and expertise. Add value to this group, and you will generate listings.
The next 10 ways to generate listings are leads companies with no upfront fees for the leads but a referral fee due at the time of closing.
13. Veterans United Realty
Veterans United Realty is an affiliate of Veterans Home Mortgage and they specialize in VA loans. The leads that come in have already been approved for a VA loan and are relocating to your area. They are looking for agents with some experience helping VA buyers and good reviews.
14. ReadyConnect Concierge for Agents (formerly Opcity)
ReadyConnect Concierge is owned by Realtor.com. They nurture the leads to the time when they are ready to see properties or list their home. They then refer them out to a group of agents. The first agent to respond is rewarded with the referral.
15. HomeLight
HomeLight utilizes an algorithm that matches buyers and sellers with agents based on their experience and the areas indicated as a specialty in their bios. They look through statistics like the number of transactions, your average list-to-sale price percentages and what people say about you via reviews.
16. Ojo
Ojo is looking for agents with at least three years of experience and a minimum of 25 transactions in the past 12 months. They require a 30 percent referral fee. They provide high-quality leads but also have more stringent participation requirements.
17. Estately
A minimum of three years of experience is required. They only partner with a few agents in each market and require a 30 percent referral fee on closed transactions.
18. Redfin Referral Network
Redfin, the brokerage, generates more leads than their agents can handle in some markets. Redfin Referral Network is the company they use to refer those leads out to other agents. They have a referral fee that is between 33 percent and 40 percent. They have historically focused on agents with a minimum of six to 10 transactions per year and positive reviews.
19. Rocket Homes
Owned by Rocket Mortgage, these are typically leads that have been pre-approved for a home loan. They normally look for agents with a minimum of 24 months’ experience and at least eight transactions in the past 12 months.
20. UpNest
UpNest is a source for listing leads. They require a minimum of three years’ experience and at least six transactions in the past 12 months. You compete for the listing with other agents that Upnest informs about the opportunity. You compete via a proposal that is submitted to the seller or buyer outlining your services and what you will provide. The proposal includes any reductions in commission you are willing to make to secure the business.
21. Agent Pronto
No minimum requirements to join, and they focus on your Agent Pronto profile page as a way for you to win these referrals. Potential buyers will review your Agent Pronto profile and they will decide based on your specialties.
22. Fast Expert
Fast Expert requires you to be in the top 5 percent for transactions in your local market to qualify to receive leads from them. The agent’s profile, online presence and past performance are all factors they use to choose who receives their referrals.
23. Zillow
Zillow is one of the top choices for agents looking to purchase online leads.
24. Realtor.com
Realtor.com is right alongside Zillow as one of the top sources for agents looking to purchase online leads.
25. Geographical farming
Geographical farming is one of the most effective ways to generate listing opportunities consistently.
26. Ask for referrals
Simply thanking people in advance for keeping you in mind when they hear of someone considering buying or selling real estate will generate referrals.
27. Post a listing in a local Facebook Buy, Sell, Trade Group
Posting a listing in a local Facebook Buy, Sell, Trade Group provides free exposure to a large audience of potential buyers. Other people will often tag their friends in the comments section revealing potential buyers.
28. Circle prospecting with a new listing
Calling the neighbors of a newly listed home with the details and asking them if they know of anyone who might be looking to move into their neighborhood is an effective way to uncover buyer prospects. Also asking the owner if they’ve ever considered selling can generate listing leads as well.
29. Circle prospecting with a recent sale
Calling owners to inform them of a recent sale is an easy conversation starter. It also naturally leads to the question of whether they would consider selling.
30. Use buyers as bait circle prospecting
If you have a buyer with very specific needs, calling owners to see if they’ve heard of any of their neighbors that might be preparing to sell offers a great way to break the ice with these owners. If they’re considering selling, they will let you know.
31. Probate listings
Probate is the legal process of settling an estate after someone passes away. The executor that is assigned by the court to liquidate assets has the power to list and sell properties owned by the estate. Providing value to these executors or the estate attorneys is a helpful way to assist people at a time when they might need your expertise.
32. Go live with a virtual open house
Going live on social media still attracts a larger audience than normal posts. By hosting a live, virtual open house the potential to generate buyer and seller leads increases.
33. Call buyers from 2019
The homeowners who bought in 2019 are sitting on a lot of equity. Reaching out to this group of homeowners with solutions on ways they can tap into their equity is a great service to provide. It also leads to both buying and listing client opportunities.
34. Call Airbnb owners
Very few Airbnb owners sit idle. They are usually either looking for their next investment property or considering selling one of their properties. Asking if they are considering selling the subject property or buying another one is a great way to start the conversation.
35. Farm agents getting out of the business for referrals
The change in the market is leading to more agents getting out of the business than getting into it. The exiting agents still have people they have been working with that they could refer to someone. Be that someone by offering to help in any way you can with any of their clients.
36. Farming agents in feeder markets for referrals
The value of referrals is magnified in a market where the number of transactions has decreased year over year. Identify the biggest feeder market where buyers, who are moving to your area, come from. Develop relationships in those feeder markets and offer a 30 percent referral fee instead of the traditional 25 percent to really stand out.
37. Help top producers with the overflow of leads they have
If your business has slowed, find the agents who are still thriving. Offer to help them with any buyers they don’t have time to follow up on. The split you offer could be as much as 50/50. Be a dependable resource for the successful single agents in your office, and you will be rewarded.
38. Call renters for buyer leads
Do you believe owning a home is better than renting? If so, call renters and let them know you’d love to help them buy a home. Developing relationships with lenders and credit repair companies that can help the renters prepare to buy will build a steady flow of buyers now and into the future.
39. Produce YouTube searchable video content for lead generation
YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world behind Google. Producing video content with titles that buyers and sellers search for is a way to generate organic leads that cannot be ignored.
40. Unsolicited video CMAs
Providing a homeowner with an unsolicited video CMA where you record your screen and go through the current valuation of their home is one of the best ways to generate listing leads in our current market environment. Producing an updated video valuation analysis for any homeowners you know is a recipe for success.
Jimmy Burgess is the CEO for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties of Florida in Northwest Florida. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
