Why do some Realtors dominate lead conversion while others flounder? Do they know something the rest of us don’t? The answer may surprise you. 

Are All Real Estate Leads Created Equal?

Technically, no. There are a lot of different ways to measure the quality of real estate leads, but the one that makes the most sense to us is conversion rate, or the number of leads that convert to active clients relative to the number of total leads. 

A lead’s conversion rate can usually be tied to where they fall in the lead funnel—a popular marketing term for the journey a lead takes from acquisition to activation. The closer a lead is to activating as a buyer or seller, the higher the conversion rate. 

But, that’s just a short-term measurement. If you zoom out and look at your sales funnel as a whole, nearly all of the real estate leads agents get are part of the same funnel—they’re just at different stages in their buying or selling journey.

This means that if you’ve got an effective strategy for moving your leads down the funnel and toward activation (and building a relationship along the way), it matters much less where they start. In fact, you might classify them as short-, medium-, and long-term leads and consider the explosion in lead volume as an opportunity to nurture relationships for years to come. 

How Do Successful Real Estate Agents Move Leads Down Their Funnel? 

The process of moving real estate leads down your sales funnel toward activation is known as lead nurturing. Effective lead nurturing strategies are what separate top-performing, high-converting agents and teams from those who just barely break even. 

A solid lead nurturing strategy has lots of moving parts (something we’ll talk about in a moment), but at its core, it is: 

• Repeatable: Real estate agents get a lot of leads—at least the successful ones do. Your nurturing strategy can’t be recreated with every lead; you need to create a process that you can replicate and scale. 
• Measurable: An effective nurture strategy allows you to measure your results, both in terms of your overall conversion rate as well as the performance of each individual component.
• Adjustable: As you learn about what your leads need and want from you, you need a strategy that you can easily adjust to accommodate those needs. 
• Dependable: Effective lead nurturing has to be done consistently in order to be effective. The systems you use for lead nurturing must be dependable, and when possible, autonomous.

The 4 Basic Real Estate Lead Nurturing Strategies Every Real Estate Agent Should Use

Now that you know what real estate lead nurturing is and why it’s important, it’s time to outline the basic nurturing strategy all agents should use (or at least start with).

1. Connect With New Leads Immediately

In the age of live chat customer service, real estate leads expect real-time connections and follow-up from Realtors. You can do this by creating automated, immediate responses to any new lead inquiry. We recommend a two-pronged approach: sending an email and a text message the moment a new lead is added to your customer relationship manager (CRM). 

Why two messages? Because they each provide unique value. 

• Email: With an automated email response, you can give your new lead all the resources they need to connect with you on social platforms, check out your website, start property searches, or take in a digital listing presentation. Think of this introductory email as a chance to answer all your new leads’ most frequently asked questions before they ask them. 
• Text message: Using an automated text message response, you satisfy your new leads’ expectation for immediate contact. You give them a direct line to ask questions and start a dialogue—something less likely to happen with email.

2. Begin Delivering Value Immediately & Consistently

After you’ve made initial contact with your leads (an act that shows you’re engaged and active), you need to continue to deliver value consistently. This means creating a communication strategy with them that will offer them your knowledge, experience, and expertise pursuant to their goals. 

Some great examples of consistent value delivery include:

Often, the best way to deliver this type of value is via email. Email can be easily automated, with messages that are rich in information and links to further resources. Plus, it’s easy to track a recipient’s interaction with the value you’re providing using basic email marketing tools.

3. Spark Regular, Relevant Conversations

The passive delivery of value to the leads you’re nurturing is a great starting point, but it’s often more active, relevant conversations that will move your leads more dramatically down the sales funnel. 

These conversations typically take place via text message (or other instant messaging apps) and phone calls. However, take this step with caution. A text message or phone call that feels forced, inauthentic, and irrelevant to your lead will actually drive them away from activation, and in some cases, out of your funnel completely. 

To help avoid this pitfall, here are a couple of pointers: 

Start Phone Calls With “I was thinking about you this morning because …”

Leads love to hear that you were thinking about them, their needs, and doing so first thing in the morning. Make notes about the things that are important to your leads; spark conversation specific to those needs using this opening line. 

Try the “Quick Question / Open Question” Text Message Strategy

This two-question approach to text messages is very effective. Start by asking a quick, easy-to-answer question that’s relevant to your lead. Something like, “Quick question: How do you feel about mid-century modern homes? Is that a style you’d consider?” This will trigger a response from your lead and spark a conversation.

Once you’ve engaged them, you can then ask an open-ended question to trigger their lead response. “I see a lot of homes get listed every day. Are there any specific styles you want me to keep my eyes open for on your behalf?”

The closer your leads are to activation, the more frequent these conversations should be.

4. Include Your Leads in the Community You’re Building

Another key component of lead nurturing is solidifying your reputation as someone who is active, knowledgeable, and experienced in the real estate space. Invite your leads to take part in your client appreciation events. 

Offer “coffee shop happy hours” where you supply the coffee and snacks at a local community spot. Invite them to check out open houses you’re hosting, if only to get inspiration for when they’re ready to buy or sell. 

Well-nurtured leads don’t only connect with you through their devices—they see your face and feel like they’re a part of your business, making you a part of their real estate success.

Want to Supercharge Your Lead Nurturing? Try Market Leader

Applying these four strategies would be challenging to tackle on your own if it weren’t for customized tools designed specifically for real estate lead nurturing and conversion. We recommend Market Leader as your home base to manage these four lead conversion strategies and so much more. 

Market Leader, recently named The Close’s top pick for real estate lead generation, has rolled out a comprehensive real estate business platform that takes lead nurturing to the next level. Here’s what they have to offer: 

• Fantastic paid lead generation: In order to nurture your paid real estate leads, you have to get them in the first place. Using an industry-leading, guaranteed lead volume approach, Market Leader agents know exactly how many paid leads they can expect every month, and in what geographic areas they’ll be coming from. Also, these leads are exclusive, so you know you’ll be the only agent advancing a relationship with them. 

• An MLS-connected CRM: All your Market Leader-generated leads (plus the option to connect directly with other lead sources) are automatically integrated into your Market Leader customer relationship manager (CRM), a place where you can track all your lead activity, including their responses to your lead nurturing communication and value. Best of all, this CRM connects directly to your Market Leader website, natively logging your prospect’s website activity, including properties viewed, saved searches, and preferred communities. 

• A lead-generating website: The Market Leader website search functionality feels a lot like the sort of Zillow experience many of your prospects are used to, except with Market Leader, you can set up custom pop-ups to prompt your website visitors to enter their lead information in order to unlock more searches, save favorites, and access buyer and seller strategy guides. 

• A full-featured Marketing Center: Practically a standalone product of its own, the Market Leader Marketing Center is the launchpad for all your automated marketing, including sophisticated automated email marketing campaigns as well as automated or on-demand print marketing through a partnership with Shutterfly, allowing Market Leader users to bring mailbox marketing into their lead nurturing strategies in ways their competitors can’t.

  Pro Tip

Market Leader’s automated listing alerts are the #1 driver of website traffic from new leads. Partnered with 500+ organizations, Market Leader has one of the largest networks of MLS relationships in the U.S. Use it to drive more interaction and convert more leads into active clients.

Final Thoughts

The real estate industry has largely solved the lead generation problem; there are dozens of options for all sorts of leads available. Now, it’s time to figure out the best way to nurture these leads to activation. 

Following the four-pronged approach of speed to lead, consistent value provision, regular and relevant conversation, and community inclusion are a great start. You can improve the delivery of these strategies and better evaluate their effectiveness by using a platform like Market Leader to automate more of your work, adjust course where needed, and prioritize more effectively. 

Visit Market Leader today to learn more about how they can help solve your real estate lead nurturing challenges.

Visit Market Leader

The post If All Real Estate Leads Are Created Equal, Why Do Some Convert Better Than Others? appeared first on The Close.

Market Leader delivers on its unique value proposition, providing agents with a guaranteed monthly volume of leads or your money back. With the rollout of their updated customer relationship manager (CRM) and new, beautifully designed websites, plus a marketing platform so advanced that it could be its own standalone product, Market Leader is making strides toward the goal of being THE operating solution for real estate agents. Learn why.

Why Should You Trust This Market Leader Review?

This deep-dive review of Market Leader isn’t like other reviews you’ll find online. For starters, we at The Close are seasoned real estate professionals with real experience finding, vetting, and using technology tools to successfully operate our business. We’ve got practical experience and know what works. 

Also, we have used Market Leader extensively. We’ve put this review together using our firsthand experience with the actual tool, not second and thirdhand accounts of other reviewers. 

You can trust The Close to provide an unbiased, firsthand account of Market Leader, its resources and usefulness, and to offer objective analysis as well as subjective impressions.

Market Leader: Pros, Cons & The Close Recommendation

We’re going to go deep into each of the features of Market Leader, plus do an extensive video walk-through of the entire platform, but if you’re just looking for our top-line observations + our recommendation, this section is for you.

Visit Market Leader

What Services Does Market Leader Offer?

Market Leader offers solutions for nearly every step of the real estate lead journey, with a primary focus on lead acquisition, nurturing, and conversion. These tools include:

• Paid lead generation: As mentioned above, Market Leader is The Close’s top pick for lead generation companies in 2022. Their unique lead guarantee makes them a clear pick for any agent who is watching their return on investment (ROI) for paid lead gen closely (hint: that should be all of us).
• Real estate websites: The public-facing, IDX-enabled real estate websites offered by Market Leader have gotten markedly better in the last year. They are attractive, customizable, and offer some really solid lead capture options. Since their websites are critical to the Market Leader nurture strategy, their upgrades are very important. 
• Real estate CRM: Real estate leads are just missed opportunities without a system and a strategy to convert them into clients. The Market Leader customer relationship manager (CRM) provides just that with a number of intriguing features, including a complete MLS integration, a move that offers some very unique marketing power-ups (more on these later). 
• Real estate marketing tools: Most CRMs will give you tools and templates for email marketing and not much else. The Market Leader CRM offers options to do email, paid social, and even print marketing, straight from their marketing suite within the CRM. 
• Dedicated mobile app: The Market Leader mobile app is a bona fide professional tool. This standalone app is not just a mobile browser-accessed, watered-down version of the desktop experience. It’s a standalone app with its own integrations and features that will prove very valuable to agents on the go and who work from their phone a lot (meaning, all of us).

How Much Does Market Leader Cost?

Market Leader pricing is straightforward and easy to understand. For $139 per month, users get all-inclusive access to a website, CRM, and marketing center. A la carte pricing for individual tools is not available. A six- or 12-month contract is required.

For real estate leads, the cost is $25 or more per lead, depending on your market.

Market Leader Video Walk-through

Go Deeper: A Closer Look at Market Leader’s Tools & Features

Now that we know the basics of what Market Leader has to offer and how much it costs, let’s dive into each of their tools to get more detail about how they work and how they plug into the overall Market Leader strategy.

We’ll also provide you with our recommendation on how to get the most out of each piece of the Market Leader puzzle.

Real Estate Lead Generation

The Market Leader lead gen approach is simple: run ads on platforms where your prospects are already spending their time (e.g., Facebook, Google) and direct them to sites like HouseValues.com (for sellers) or your Market Leader IDX website (for buyers).

Sound familiar? You’ve heard this strategy before, but Market Leader does things a little differently.

Before selling you a contract with leads, they calculate, based on search volume, the number of leads they can consistently deliver on a monthly basis. Market Leader clients only pay for the lead volume they can support, as opposed to providers who use the same approach but have no estimate (or accountability) for the number of leads they actually deliver.

How to Get the Most From This Tool: The Market Leader paid lead model is, in our opinion, the best and most effective tool available for getting a positive return on your ad spend. Get the most from this tool by carefully measuring your conversion rates, forecasting your closings relative to your lead volume, and scaling up the number of leads you buy as your success grows.

Real Estate Website

Real estate websites offered by Market Leader used to be a bit of an afterthought (at least in our opinion at The Close), but they’ve recently become a very important part of the success agents can find on the platform.

Their website designs have gotten a facelift, and they’ve got a really solid IDX-enabled search functionality that will give visitors to your site an experience akin to the one they’ll find on Zillow. They also offer excellent lead capture options that will convert more of your paid (and organic) leads than the average, brokerage-provided website.

How to Get the Most From This Tool: The Market Leader websites are attractive, but their true value comes from their lead capture options. If you want to get the most out of this, make sure you turn on (and fine-tune) the “activity wall pop-up.”

This is a pop-up that will fire on the website after a prospect has viewed a certain number of pages, done a certain amount of searching, and so forth. The trigger for this pop-up is customizable, so you can make it as aggressive or relaxed as you like. Most websites only offer casual, optional pop-ups.

Market Leader’s lead capture approach will get more leads into your CRM, giving you more chances to convert site visitors to clients.

Real Estate CRM

The newly revamped CRM is the sun around which all the other parts of the Market Leader solar system revolve. Your website leads (paid or organic) will populate in Market Leader’s CRM, and it connects directly with your website to record any user activity (including properties viewed, searches saved, and so forth). You can access the Market Leader Marketing Center through their CRM.

How to Get the Most From This Tool: Getting the most from the Market Leader CRM is easy—simply lean into its connection to your Market Leader website. The best part about this CRM is, hands-down, the organic integration between your leads’ website activity and their lead profiles. Using this feature will allow you to see what your leads are really searching for, and give you insight into how you can better provide value for them.

Without this connection (or the use of a Market Leader website), this CRM is still valuable, but relatively ordinary compared to its peers.

Real Estate Marketing

Market Leader’s Marketing Center focuses on three pillars: email marketing, print marketing, and automated campaigns that combine these two options.

Their email marketing includes a ton of templates for typical lead nurturing for buyers and sellers, plus tons of customizable templates for special holiday greetings, birthdays, home anniversaries, and more.

Partnered with Shutterfly, their print marketing options allow direct mail postcard and flyer marketing that can make your real estate farming and circle prospecting efforts a lot easier.

How to Get the Most From This Tool: You’ll get the most from these marketing tools by optimizing the third pillar—automated campaigns. With Market Leader automation, you can choose from dozens of preconstructed email drip campaigns for prospects at virtually any stage of your sales funnel.

Plus, you can use their automated direct mail marketing, which is great for new listings, price reductions, open houses, and more. And as a bonus, Market Leader writes an original newsletter each month that you can repurpose as your own and blast to your email audience.

Additional Market Leader Resources

Market Leader offers a surprisingly robust set of tools for agents, teams, and brokers who want to level up their use of the platform, but also grow their business in general. These include collections of scripts, templates, long-form strategy guides, and more with titles like these:

• “Email Marketing & Automation”
• “Guide to Maximizing Your ROI on Old Leads”
• “Paid Online Lead Follow-Up Scripts”

Where Market Leader Could Improve

If you’ve made it this far in this review, you know by now that we’re feeling pretty good about Market Leader and what they have to offer, but the platform isn’t perfect. There are a few things we wish were better:

• Analytics: Market Leader doesn’t offer analytics on par with the rest of their platform. This seems like an odd omission, given how important it is to measure your marketing efforts. There are some tracking options available in the team and brokerage products, but not much for solo agents. 
• Built-in dialer: Without a dialer built in to the CRM, agents are forced to log calls they have with their contacts manually. If you’re like most agents, you’re on the phone A LOT, so it’s inevitable that some of your calls won’t get logged. Not even the mobile app offers this functionality, which again, is a swing and a miss. 
• Automated SMS texting: Though SMS texting is a limited option for Realtors through the Market Leader mobile app, scheduling text messages as a part of automated campaigns is not. This feels like an oversight. With scheduled SMS, agents could add an entirely new dimension to their drip and nurture campaigns.

Is Market Leader Right for You?

In our view, Market Leader is officially the front-runner when it comes to an all-in-one real estate operating system. To be clear, they aren’t there just yet (nobody is), but they are leading the pack. Between their lead gen, website, CRM, and marketing options, Market Leader is offering agents nearly everything they need to operate and grow their business. But is it right for you?

Market Leader is right for you if:

• You’ve got a growing business that already has or is ready to integrate paid lead generation into your strategy
• You are dedicated to using a CRM every day to improve the consistency of your contact management and nurturing
• You’ve got the budget to commit to at least 12 months of using their system

Market Leader isn’t right for you if:

• You’re just getting started in the real estate business and don’t have the budget or bandwidth to start paying for leads
• You won’t use the Market Leader website as your primary marketing hub
• You’re a part-time agent and don’t have time to use all of Market Leader’s offerings

Visit Market Leader

The post Market Leader Review + Video Walk-through appeared first on The Close.

The solution is to create a lead generation plan that leverages your unique personality. Today, we’re going to help you create a custom plan that fits your personality and fills your pipeline with leads and referral opportunities.

Assessment: Determine Your Unique Sales Personality

Your unique personality should be the key consideration when selecting strategies for your lead generation plan. Have you ever considered that there may be a lead generation strategy that aligns with your goals, past experiences, and personality? You don’t have to like or enjoy every lead generation strategy—some are going to be better for you than others.

How to Determine Your Unique Sales Personality

Using the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and the DiSC Assessment, I created the 16 Strategies for Sales Personality Assessment. This assessment is designed to help you learn about your unique sales personality, which will help you become a more effective, successful, and happier salesperson.

Take the free 16 Strategies Sales Assessment on my website, 16 Strategies.com. It should only take five minutes.

Now that you have a better understanding of your unique personality, let’s go through my five-step formula to create a plan that is just right for you.

My 5-Step Lead Generation Selection Formula

With this 5-Step Lead Generation Selection Formula, you’ll create a lead generation plan that you’ll actually stick to. If you’re ready to start creating your plan today, download the Lead Generation Plan Worksheet.

Download the Lead Generation Plan Worksheet

1. Begin With Your Goal

When it comes to getting leads, a goal is simply a destination with a deadline. It defines where you want to go and when you want to get there. All of the decisions you make about your real estate business must align with your goals. 

As a coach, I’ve found that when agents aren’t achieving the results they want, it’s usually because they are out of alignment with their goals, or even worse, they haven’t set concrete goals. They then find themselves jumping from idea to idea and strategy to strategy with no real plan.

How to Set Concrete Goals & Actually Get Results

Setting concrete goals is as simple as asking yourself three questions. Don’t skip this step! The answers to these questions will form the blueprint for creating your lead generation strategies.

• What do you want to achieve? (Be specific!)
• When do you want to achieve it?
• How long do you have before you must produce income?

Now that you have set or refined your goals, we can take a closer look at your sales personality, which will help you select the best mix of strategies to deploy.

2. Match Your Strategies to Your Personality Type

You have your results from my 16 Strategies Sales Assessment. If you don’t, go back and take it! This information will help you select lead generation activities that align with your strengths and reconsider the ones you might find challenging or emotionally draining.

The Success Cycle

We all can “flex” out of our personality for a period of time. However, when we stay out of our preferred strategies for too long, we become stressed and irritable. This is one of the main reasons new agents fail so often—they spend too much time working outside their comfort zone and burn out.

The secret is finding lead generation strategies that align with your personality and don’t require you to flex out too often. When you do, you may find that you actually enjoy lead generation. Your positivity will lead to more appointments, and more appointments lead to more contracts—which generates inspiration, excitement, and passion.

It really is that simple. I call this the Success Cycle.

The key to remaining in the Success Cycle is engaging in lead generation that you naturally enjoy—activities that are in sync with your unique personality.

3. Identify Your Available Resources

Putting together the right lead generation plan means taking a serious look at your resources. Every agent has unique experiences and opportunities that will help create success in sales. You just have to figure out what they are and how to benefit from them.

How to Identify & Assess Available Resources

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Who do I know who can help me reach my goal faster?
• Specifically, what can they provide or teach me?

Next, consider your education and work experience. School and work provide both skills and knowledge to help you achieve your goal. Ask yourself:

• What advantage do I have from my education to help me reach my goals?
• What knowledge from my work experience can help me achieve my goals?
• What skills have I already developed from my previous experiences?
• What other experiences benefit my real estate goals?

Lastly, identify what lead generation opportunities you have: tools, systems, and resources in your company or association. To identify these resources, ask yourself:

• What lead generation systems does my company provide?
• What lead generation education is available to me?
• What other resources can provide lead generation systems, tools, and education?

Define Your Budget & Brokerage Resources

You’ll need to consider your budget in your lead generation plan. Some lead generation strategies are more expensive than others, so be sure you’re adhering to a careful budget. 

Research and utilize resources that are offered by your brokerage, like lead management systems, FSBO (For Sale By Owner) and expired leads, advertising, and consumer apps.

Now that you have identified your unique resources, we can discover the lead generation options available to you—and how they work with your budget.

4. Explore Lead Generation Options & Costs

It’s simply impossible to cover every lead generation strategy available to agents, but we’ve compiled 37 Underrated Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas for 2022 to get your wheels turning. 

Choosing the right mix of strategies can be overwhelming. To make it easier, I categorized the strategies by active and passive, cost, time commitment, and lead quality.

Active vs Passive Lead Generation Methods

Active lead generation methods are strategies where you control the result. For example, calling FSBOs (For Sale By Owner) to get listing appointments is active because you can continue to call FSBOs until you find a seller willing to meet with you. You control your lead-generating actions.

With passive lead generation strategies, you can’t control the result. For example, marketing is passive because you can’t control how many people contact you on a given day.

Some strategies can be both active or passive, depending on the activity. For example, having a booth at a local bridal show is considered active if the agent engages with prospects. But, if the agent just stands behind the booth, waiting for the prospects to engage, it’s considered a passive strategy.

Prioritize Your Optimal Lead Generation Strategies

Begin by reviewing and ranking the lead generation strategies that fit your personality. Next, create a list of them organized by cost and lead conversion time. Ask yourself these probing questions:

• What are lead generation strategies already available to me?
• Do I have access to free or discounted lead generation strategies?
• What is my budget to spend on lead generation systems?

Let’s put it all together and create a blended lead generation plan that includes everything we just discussed.

5. Create Your Custom Lead Generation Plan

Now that you have reviewed your goals, deepened your understanding of your personality, uncovered resources, and analyzed options, it’s time to select the best strategies for your lead generation plan.

You should choose at least three strategies—but no more than four. Like the legs of a table, your business can’t stand on just one or two strategies—a table is stable with three legs but stronger with four.

Pinpoint Your Pillar Strategy

At least one of the strategies you select should be active, which ensures that you will have the ability to generate leads even when times are slow. We call this your Pillar Strategy. You will need to hold yourself accountable to your Pillar Strategy on a weekly or monthly basis.

Choose Your Support Strategies

Your Support Strategies work to enhance your Pillar Strategy, and they can be a mix of active and passive ones. Remember to take into consideration your resources, budget, and the time your overall plan will take to convert leads.

As part of your overall plan, you should manage your sphere of influence (SOI) database by contacting leads, following a marketing plan, and holding small events. Managing your SOI database will ensure a consistent stream of repeat and referral clientele.

Use this list of questions to guide you in designing your own unique lead generation plan.

• Which lead generation strategies are available at low or no cost to me?
• Which lead generation strategies do I already have experience with?
• Which lead generation strategies excite me?
• Which lead generation strategy is in alignment with my personality?
• Which lead generation strategies have I already tried?
• Which lead generation strategies did I enjoy or dislike?

Real Estate Lead Generation Plan Worksheet

Now that you know my step-by-step formula, it’s time to put it into action! Download the lead generation plan worksheet and create your own custom real estate lead generation plan.

Download the Lead Generation Plan Worksheet

How I Developed the Lead Generation Plan That Transformed My Career

I have had several different lead generation plans in my real estate career. My unique strength is educating people, and my preferred method is speaking to groups. Writing and public speaking allow me to work within my strengths and achieve my goals.

A few years ago, I ran a real estate investment group and was often a guest speaker at other groups. Offering education was my Pillar Strategy. My other three strategies were managing my SOI database, advertising investment properties, and seeking out business-to-business opportunities.

The advertising generated leads who were then invited to hear me speak about real estate investing. The customers generated through the speaking and advertising were presented as potential buyers to homebuilders and banks with foreclosed properties. In the four years I ran this lead generation plan, my team and I closed on more than 2,000 homes!

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Over to You

Now that you have completed your custom lead generation plan based on your personality, resources, options, and most importantly, your goals, you’re set up to accomplish something great! If you want to deepen your understanding of how the strengths of your personality can help you be successful in sales, I invite you to read my book on sales personalities.

Do you have a lead generation tactic we didn’t mention here? We invite you to share your success stories in the comments. If you’re an active agent, join our Facebook Mastermind Group to learn and share with other agents nationwide.

The post How to Create a Custom Real Estate Lead Generation Plan (+ Template) appeared first on The Close.

When it comes to open houses, many agents have already given up. Convinced by some cynical colleague that open houses “don’t work anymore,” they’ll instead spend thousands on online ads. Apply these savvy open house ideas instead, and watch your customer relationship manager (CRM) overflow with leads that are ideal for your nurturing campaign.

1. Use Courtesy Marketing as an Excuse to Meet the Neighbors

Bret Parsons, Compass, Los Angeles, California

With annual production in the top one percent of all agents nationwide, Bret Parsons knows a thing or two about working open houses. His best tip relies on what he calls “courtesy marketing” as an excuse to meet the neighbors. Here’s Bret to explain:

“Before an open house, visit 10 surrounding properties to let homeowners know there will be increased traffic and activity in the neighborhood for three hours. DON’T invite them to the open house, as that’s perceived as selling. They will invite themselves if interested. Residents love the update, and it’s what I call ‘courtesy marketing,’ which has resulted in subsequent listings.”

2. Use Your Open House Marketing to Help Build Your Personal Brand

One of the hardest lessons for new agents to learn is that their personal brands are built by everything they put out there. So if you want to build a brand that lasts, you need to take your marketing seriously, even for open houses.

That’s where LabCoat Agents (LCA) Marketing Center comes in. LCA is the first design app created specifically for real estate agents. They have hundreds of gorgeous, easy-to-edit templates for open house flyers, signs, social media posts, door hangers, and everything else you need to promote your open house like a pro. Think of it like Canva on steroids.

Visit Lab Coat Agents

3. Run a Facebook Livestream at Your Open House

Gary Vaynerchuk | Entrepreneur | Speaker (Crushing It)

What better time to stream and record a video walk-through of your listing than when it’s full of people? Remember, people want what other people want. Here’s online marketing visionary Gary Vaynerchuk on the benefit of livestreaming your open house:

“I can envision a hotshot real estate agent streaming live from an open house while talking to potential clients. Potential buyers will be able to view the house remotely and ask relevant questions that the real estate agent can respond to and show in real time. Think about all the house-showcasing programs that took television by storm in the late ’90s and into the 2000s. It’s MTV cribs made even more compelling with livestreaming.

“Once your video is recorded, you post and boost it on your Facebook page for even more traffic.”

4. Virtually Stage the Home & Offer to Email the New Decor to Open House Visitors

Here’s a great real estate open house idea I learned from a Manhattan listing agent in SoHo. Since most people will have a very hard time visualizing how a space will look with different furniture in it, why not offer your visitors staged images that show how that extra room will look as an office, a nursery, or a man cave?

As you flip through the staged photos on your iPad, offer to email (or better yet, text) them the pictures.

5. Use QR Codes Strategically

Kimberly Jay, Compass, New York City, New York

“When marketing your open house via Facebook and Instagram ads, emails, or regular mailings, add a QR code that links to your website, a video of the home, or even a video of the actual open house. If you take a video of the open house that shows numerous people walking through it, upload the video to your listing page and use a QR code in marketing that directs the consumer to the video.  

“During the open house, use a QR code instead of a sign-in sheet. The attendees’ information will go directly to your CRM, automatically tagging the contact with the address of the open house. Not only will this enable you to easily follow up for feedback from the attendees, but if the property is not for them, they are now a lead.”

While you might not have many open houses scheduled these days, following up with your visitors is a crucial skill every agent needs to learn. That’s why we created seven handy follow-up email templates you can use to convert them to clients down the road. Click below to download it for free.

Download My Follow-up Email Templates

6. Remember That the Money Is in the Follow-up

Beverly Ruffner, Real Estate Coach & Close Contributor

Like all lead generation strategies, the money is in the follow-up. The only problem is figuring out who you need to follow up with, and how often. If you want to compete with the big dogs, guessing won’t cut it anymore.

Luckily in 2022, we have predictive analytics apps like SmartZip that use a billion (yes, really) data points and artificial intelligence (AI) to tell you who is likely to move way, way before they even think about an agent. In fact, SmartZip’s AI is so accurate they predicted 72% of all listings in the US last year.

Visit SmartZip

7. Focus on 3 Features That Make Your Listing Stand Out From Comps

Richard Schulman – Ranked #1 KW Agent in Los Angeles | Keller Williams, Los Angeles, California

“I recommend that agents do their homework on the MLS and find at least three features that their listing has that other comps don’t. Does it have more square footage? Larger bedrooms? Higher ceilings? Being able to confidently rattle off three hot sales features that make your listing unique will show off your market knowledge and help sell the listing.”

8. Invite the Neighbors for a Sneak Peek With This Simple Script

Tom Ferry | #1 Ranked Real Estate Coach

While Bret Parson’s courtesy marketing is a great open house idea, sometimes a more direct approach can work just as well. The trick is to offer visitors an exclusive experience. One open house idea is to offer food and wine. A neighbors-only preview is another great way to do so.

Check out Tom Ferry’s simple script in this video. His proposed script starts at 3:39, but the entire video offers some great advice.

9. Hold Other Agents’ Open Houses & Make It a Win-Win!

Sean Moudry, Real Estate Coach at 16 Strategies & Close Contributor

Do you specialize in a neighborhood but don’t have any current listings? Stop worrying and start asking! Ask the other listing agents in your neighborhood if they would allow you to hold their listing open. As a listing agent, I have allowed agents from other brokers to hold my listings open (especially if it is across town from me). I saw this as an additional service to my seller.

To make this open house idea a benefit to the listing agent, agree to pay them a 10% referral fee for any client you pick up from the open house. If they don’t object, use your own branded open house signs to further build your brand in your neighborhood.

10. Give Your Open House a Quick Boost on Hyperlocal Social Networks

Boosting posts on Facebook and Instagram can work well, but at the end of the day, you’re still paying to reach people who could be hundreds of miles away. Great for brand awareness, but lousy for actually getting people through the door.

Nextdoor is an under-the-radar option to laser-target people who actually live near your listing. Even better, people use Nextdoor to discuss local issues, not argue about politics or look at cute cat videos. They have one of the most engaged local audiences online today.

Nextdoor’s advertising options are affordable, and there’s no long-term contract. Get in now before everyone else in your farm area discovers it.

Visit Nextdoor

11. Offer to Take Visitors on a Tour of the Local Community

Cheryl Lynch, Compass Orange County

Sometimes all it takes to wow your open house guest is an offer to go above and beyond. Even if few take you up on it, they will be impressed with how seriously you take customer service. Orange County Realtor Cheryl Lynch offers to take open house guests on a private tour, right then and there!

“Offer to tour visitors to the local lifestyle places in the community (clubhouse, golf course, downtown, beaches, etc.) to not only showcase the home but the community. Better yet, rent a golf cart and tour that way! Offer right then and there if the buyers are not familiar with the area. It is a great way to really get to know the buyers and their interests. Shows your value and helps to win clients!”

12. Promote Your Open House Video Walk-through as an Instagram Story

Tyler Zey, Easy Agent Pro

Are you active on Instagram? Why not use Instagram stories to promote your open house and Facebook Live Stream? Here’s Tyler from Easy Agent Pro:

“You can also use Instagram and Stories to promote a Facebook Live Stream for an open house. Fact: There are WAY more people on Facebook than there are on Instagram. So try using Instagram posts and Stories like this:

“Showing a crazy nice house right now (or from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., or whatever) on Facebook Live. Use the link in my description to check it out!”

Want more great open house tips? Check out Easy Agent Pro’s quick video on how to get more leads from your open houses below.

13. Don’t Miss Your Follow-up Window

You worked hard to promote your open house, you were a rock star during the event—don’t miss out on your chance to solidify a buyer’s interest after everyone has gone home.

Experienced agents follow up with open house guests the day after the event. They call or text anyone they had rapport with, and put the rest on an open house email drip in their customer relationship manager (CRM). A specialized CRM like LionDesk can make follow-up and lead nurturing after your open house much easier.

Visit LionDesk

14. Hire a Photographer to Take Pictures of Buyer’s Agents & Guests

Eleonora Srugo, Douglas Elliman New York City

They say if you want to get a real estate agent to like you, allow them to like themselves. Hiring a photographer to take pictures of them in action at your open house is a great way to do that. What agent doesn’t want more pictures of themselves for social media? Pictures of people enjoying themselves at your open house will also work great in your next listing presentation.

15. Place Signs to Call Out Unique Features in Different Rooms

Leigh Stubbs, Douglas Elliman Texas

“Use small easels to create signage in rooms that have important features to highlight, especially things that aren’t clearly visible, like a built-in towel warming drawer, a laundry shoot, floor heating, and so on.”

16. Use Door Hangers to Invite the Neighbors

Michael Soon, Compass San Francisco

“At the end of the day, it’s all about the client and the house we’re trying to sell, so I like to focus on the whole experience of the listing itself. I love taking advantage of the area, whether it’s the location or even the sunset for open houses, as it sets the scene. I also invite neighbors to come by, as they usually provide their feedback on living in the area, which, in turn, helps sell the home.”

One of the best ways to get nosy neighbors to your open house is by using door hangers. A targeted door hanger campaign a few days before your open house is the perfect way to pique the neighbor’s curiosity and get them through the door. They’re also a great (and often overlooked) way to stay top of mind in your farm area.

ProspectsPLUS! is a great place to get them. They offer tons of great templates that are super-easy to customize, and shipping is free.

Visit ProspectsPLUS!

17. Give Out Small Branded Gifts as Party Favors

Susan Sanchez, Compass Long Island

Elliman Long Island agent Susan Sanchez gives out small branded gifts to her open house visitors so they will bring something back home with them they might actually keep. She suggests something useful like dishtowels, potholders, compact mirrors, or change purses.

18. Work With Agents Who Have Nearby Listings & Plan an Open House Day Together

Aileen Murstein, Douglas Elliman Long Island

One of the most surprising real estate lessons many agents learn too late is that you should see your fellow agents more as collaborators than as rivals. A great way to do this is to try to find agents who have listings near yours and plan and promote an open house day together. Not only will it let you pool resources, but more than one open house in a neighborhood will be a bigger draw for curious neighbors.

19. Partner With a Local Brand or Shop to Get Influencers to Your Open House

Douglas Elliman Real Estate

Experiential marketing is just a fancy way of saying that building an experience for local influencers to write about is a great way to get them through the door. In order to get them to stay, you need a lure other than a backyard that’s perfect for entertaining. You need brands.

That’s why partnering with a local brand, such as a boutique for a fashion show, a restaurant, a mixology bar, a music school, and so on, can be a great way to build buzz around your open houses.

If you want to learn more about experiential marketing, check out our in-depth guide to experiential marketing with examples from Douglas Elliman and Macallan Scotch whiskey to Compass and Steinway Pianos to help get your imagination flowing.

20. Get a Junior Agent or TaskRabbit to Check In Guests While You Mingle

Although many agents feel like they need to do literally everything on their own, the best agents know when to get help. If you’re taking the time and effort to promote an open house and have a large number of RSVPs, then running around like a rabbit checking people in, refilling drinks, and answering questions about the listing is going to drive you crazy—not a good look in front of your future clients!

To avoid coming across as a frazzled server at Denny’s, get a junior agent or even TaskRabbit to help you keep things running smoothly. Checking in is one of those things where a junior agent or TaskRabbit can offer a great return on investment (ROI). That’s because if you’re checking people in, you’re stuck at the front door, which makes schmoozing with your guests nearly impossible. So dig a little deeper in your pocketbook and find $50 or so to have someone man the door for an hour or two. You won’t regret it.

21. Hold Raffles or Contests

Kenneth Er, Compass, San Francisco, California

“I usually hold a raffle at our open houses and advertise it over Facebook and Instagram. Items we’ve raffled off include gift cards, Google Home, Alexa, and more. This really entices people to come to your open house.

“I also host two open houses—one for just the neighbors, and the other for the public. Oftentimes neighbors come to open houses and aren’t looking to buy, but they still enjoy talking with you and learning more about the house. This is great but can take a lot of time away from speaking to potential homebuyers. Separate open houses ensure you’re taking care of both the neighbors and the public. It’s also great to converse with the neighbors as you get to know them and their thoughts on the area. There’s also usually wine, cheese, and sometimes a gelato cart, which can’t hurt!”

22. Create a Unique Experience for Luxury Open Houses

Carol Cassis, The Cassis-Burke Collection, Miami, Florida

“In order for our buyers to get the full feeling of the lifestyle of the property, they have to live in it! For a four-hour open house, we recreate the essentials of a unique experience at the property. We usually have a yacht outside of a waterfront listing.

“We also offer fine champagne and hors d’oeuvres to tour the property while we explain the uniqueness of it. We stage exotic sports cars to show ideas of what to do at the front entrance,” says Carol Cassis. “We cater to the client who expects top-notch marketing and services, whether it be celebrities, jet setters, Fortune 500, CEOs, or cryptocurrency millionaires.”

23. Give Yourself 3 Days to Properly Market Your Open House

Ricardo A. Olea, Olea Realty Group, Chula Vista, California

“Having three days to properly work an open house via cold-calling neighbors will generate leads, and getting face to face with neighbors will show them you’re a working real estate agent and, in turn, will generate listing leads. The open house is not meant to sell the home; it is meant as a lead source method of what you can actually deliver to a seller.”

24. Schedule Your Open House Strategically

Asiyah Ali | 1st Class Real Estate, Virginia Beach, Virginia

“Being unconventional, against the grain, and in my own lane has served my business well over the past 23 years. Off-hour open hours get me more bang for my buck … and time!

• Weekend open houses 9-11 a.m. or 3-5 p.m. While everyone else does 1-3 p.m., I do mine early or late.
• Weekdays-Thursdays 6-8 p.m. It works especially well during the summer hours and has also netted great foot traffic.
• Any day power hours/happy hours 5-6 p.m., 7-8 p.m.
• Choosing hours more conducive to the buyer’s lifestyle and schedule has worked. I especially LOVE after-hours ‘happy hour’ sessions where folks can come through and kick back.”

25. Raise Money for Charity at Your Open House

Let’s face it: Having a social conscience is part and parcel of being a leader in your community. Even though you might not realize it, as a real estate agent, becoming a community leader is in your job description. If you want to succeed, you need to become a leader.

Being a community leader will not only help you close more deals, it will help you feel good about doing it. Giving something back to the community you work in is good for everybody.

So use your next open house as an opportunity to help raise money for a charity that you’re passionate about that will also help your community. Charities like the ASPCA, ACLU, and Criminal Justice Reform are all good picks. Charity Navigator is a great site to help you find worthwhile nonprofits that are actually making a difference for issues you care about.

Visit Charity Navigator

26. Don’t Forget to Promote Your Open House to Fellow Agents

Jared Barnett, Compass, New York City, New York

“It’s important for the listing broker to send a reminder to the local brokerage community a few days before the open house. There are various email marketing platforms today that make it very easy to send flyers directly to brokers.”

27. Invest in a Bootie Machine

When it comes to great customer service, it’s the little things that count. That’s why big chains like Trader Joe’s offer free coffee to all their shoppers. It only costs them a few bucks, but the payoff in customer loyalty is huge.

Since you worked hard to get your listing, going the extra mile with little touches like a bootie machine for your seller is part of your job as a listing agent. Even if they don’t care at all about keeping their floors sparkling, they will notice that you care enough about their happiness to protect them without asking. That’s a powerful testament to your strength as their fiduciary and advocate, and might just be that little push that gets you your next referral.

Want an even better reason? You get to crack corny jokes about your “bootie machine” to other agents at your open house.

You can get a well-reviewed bootie machine for around $90 on Amazon.

3 Common Open House Mistakes to Avoid

You’ve checked all the boxes for a fantastic event. Don’t miss out on all the payoff of your hard work by making one of these common open house mistakes.

1. Allowing Your Seller to Attend

When a buyer is touring a home, they will ask tough questions that could make some sellers uncomfortable, which will, in turn, make it harder for those buyers to get serious about their interest.

Buyers want to know about home repair history, schools, and the neighborhood, but not through the rose-colored glasses of your seller.

Get all the information you need from them, send them to the movies, and then meet them for lunch afterward to tell them how it went.

2. Leaving Pets in the House

We get it—we love our furry family members as much as you do, but Rex and Fluffy won’t do your open house any favors.

Pet smell and hair can be a problem for some buyers who have sensitive pet allergies. You want your prospective buyers leaving your open house with dreams of how this could be their dream home, not with itchy eyes and trouble breathing.

3. Not Using Follow-up Scripts

After the initial rush of excitement from an open house, new agents often stare down at a list of names and email addresses with a furrowed brow. What’s the best way to reach out to open house leads in 2022?

If you ever find yourself asking this question or just want to sharpen your lead generation skills, we put together this list of the best open house follow-up email templates.

Over to You

Have some great open house ideas that are working for you? Let us know in the comments. If it’s super top-secret, send me an email.

The post 27 Open House Ideas That Will Actually Get You Leads appeared first on The Close.

Since choosing a real estate lead generation company can be tough, we’ve done a deep dive into the top six real estate lead generation companies and reviewed them side-by-side so you can make the best choice for your business. Let us help you determine where to spend your paid lead generation dollars most effectively in 2022.

Best Real Estate Lead Generation Companies for 2022

Company	Prices Starting At	Best For
Market Leader (Best Overall)	$139 /month, plus $25+ or per lead (varies by market)	A guaranteed number of leads each month
BoldLeads	$399 / month, plus $250 minimum ad spend	Exclusive, unique leads you won’t have to share with other real estate agents
REDX	$40 /month	Real estate agents who are great at phone or direct mail prospecting
Real Geeks	$299 / month	Leads you can easily share with your team or brokerage and track the progress of
Zillow	$250 / month	A high volume of mostly buyer leads
SmartZip	$400 - $500 per month, depending on market	Predictive analytics-generated leads focusing on sellers likely to list within a year

Visit Market Leader

Best Lead Generation Company for Guaranteed Leads: Market Leader

Prices starting at $139 / month

Market Leader Pros	Market Leader Cons
Guaranteed number of leads every month	Missing some key analytics features
Great mobile app	Public-facing websites are a little dated
Easily scalable for teams and offices	Leads tend to be higher funnel than other providers

How Market Leader Generates Real Estate Leads

Market Leader pricing starts at $139 per month, plus $25 or more per lead, depending on your market.

To generate real estate leads, Market Leader takes the ad agency approach (similar to BoldLeads), placing targeted ads in places your prospects are already spending their time (Facebook, Google, and so on). These ads direct prospects to Market Leader’s landing page HouseValues.com (for seller leads) or a personally branded, IDX search-enabled site (for buyer leads).

Once a lead gives their information, it’s automatically populated in the Market Leader customer relationship management (CRM) system (or wherever you’d like it to go), and then you take over with nurturing and conversion.

[Related resource: Lead Nurturing: Tips & Scripts to Avoid Overtasking]

Get Started With Market Leader

Best Lead Generation Company for Exclusive Leads: BoldLeads

Prices starting at $399 / month

BoldLeads Pros	BoldLeads Cons
Exclusive leads	No low-cost options
Fully functional CRM included	Limited control over the ads run on your behalf
40+ landing page templates available	BoldLeads territories are no longer exclusive to a single agent

How BoldLeads Generates Real Estate Leads

BoldLeads pricing starts at $399 per month, plus a $250 minimum ad spend.

Like Market Leader, BoldLeads generates leads by creating and placing ads on platforms like Facebook and Google to draw prospects to customized landing pages. There, your leads are enticed to provide their contact info, and BAM—you have another lead in the hopper.

However, they differ from Market Leader by providing more landing page and lead magnet customization, as well as providing specialized follow-up tools like their automated text concierge to help you better convert your leads to clients.

Since BoldLeads ads are created specifically for you and your business, the leads you get are yours and yours alone, unlike other lead gen companies that will create generic ads and then divvy up the leads among subscribed agents.

[Related resource: The Close Deep Dive BoldLeads Review]

Get Started With BoldLeads

Best Real Estate Lead Generation Company for Prospecting Leads: REDX

Prices starting at $40 / month

REDX Pros	REDX Cons
Affordable, a la carte pricing	Relies heavily on cold calling
Different types of leads are available	A time-intensive strategy
Dialer is available for phone prospecting	Little or no performance analytics

How REDX Generates Real Estate Leads

Rather than creating a system where you wait for leads to come to you (like all the other providers on our list), REDX flips the script with an outbound real estate lead generation system. REDX users choose from lead types like Expired Listings, FSBOs, and Preforeclosures (just to name a few), and REDX provides contact information for you to reach out and start real estate conversations.

With a constantly updated system, you’ve always got an up-to-date list of the leads in your area, and you decide how much time you want to spend reaching out, following up, and converting them to clients.

[Related resource: The Close Deep Dive REDX Review]

Get Started With REDX

Best Lead Generation Company for Team-distributed Leads: Real Geeks

Prices starting at $299 / month

Real Geeks Pros	Real Geeks Cons
Great for teams and brokerages	Websites could use a facelift
More control over the ads run on your behalf (if you want it)	Limited CRM functionality
Lead capture widgets for your personal website to extend your reach	Limited customization options for your lead magnets

How Real Geeks Generates Real Estate Leads

Real Geeks follows the well-trodden path of BoldLeads and Market Leader on their initial lead generation approach: they strategically place your ads on sites like Google, Facebook, and Instagram that drive traffic to landing pages designed to convert your prospects into leads.

However, Real Geeks is different in that the landing pages that your prospects arrive at are ultra-personalized and customizable for you and your business. And once you actually capture leads, Real Geeks gives you some pretty sophisticated tools to distribute them across your organization, making it a great option for teams and brokerages.

[Related resource: The Close Deep Dive Real Geeks Review]

Get Started With Real Geeks

Best Lead Generation Company for Buyer Leads: Zillow Premier Agent

Prices starting at $250 / month

Zillow Premier Agent Pros	Zillow Premier Agent Cons
Ads run on the largest real estate website in the world	Customer service track record is not strong
Proven track record of success	Almost entirely buyer leads
Zillow Live Connections connects you directly with leads over the phone	Leads aren’t exclusive

How Zillow Premier Agent Generates Real Estate Leads

Zillow harnesses its 229 million unique monthly visitors to put real estate agents directly in front of active home shoppers in their market. Zillow sells display advertising for Premier Agents next to listings in specific ZIP codes, the price of which varies depending on the number of agents competing for space and the median sold price of a home in that market.

Zillow leads are either transferred to the Zillow CRM or into whatever CRM you’re using (they are famously collaborative and can connect to just about any platform). Then, you take over with outreach, nurturing, and eventual conversion. Pricing starts at $250 per month for most markets.

Zillow’s lead generation approach is unique in that they rely only on ads on their platform, which is great because you know that buyer intent on Zillow is high compared to places like Facebook and Google. On the other hand, Zillow’s system doesn’t prevent leads from clicking on multiple agents, so your leads aren’t necessarily exclusive to you.

[Related resource: The Close Deep Dive Zillow Premier Agent Review]

Get Started With Zillow Premier Agent

Best Lead Generation Company for Seller Leads: SmartZip

Prices starting at $400-$500 / month

SmartZip Pros	SmartZip Cons
A focus on seller leads	No month-to-month payment option
Predictive analytics makes your marketing more targeted	Leads are likely to take longer to convert than the average
Customizable landing pages	No onboard CRM

How SmartZip Generates Real Estate Leads

SmartZip uses sophisticated algorithms that take into account hundreds of demographic, geographic, and consumer behavior data points to predict which homeowners in a particular market are the most likely to consider selling their home in the next 12 to 18 months. SmartZip then gathers contact information for these potential sellers and packages it for real estate professionals.

Their predictive analytics approach is an outbound marketing strategy (similar to REDX’s), since it’s up to you to make the calls, send the direct mail, and connect with the leads on your SmartZip list. This format makes SmartZip more labor-intensive than the inbound strategies of Market Leader, BoldLeads, Real Geeks, and Zillow.

But, unlike REDX, SmartZip allows you to focus your marketing efforts (and budget) on only the most likely sellers in your market, making the bang for your buck much bigger. Pricing depends on your market, but starts at about $400 to $500 per month.

[Related resource: The Close Deep Dive SmartZip Review]

Get Started With SmartZip

Real Estate Lead Generation Companies FAQs

Before diving into paid real estate lead generation, take a look at some of our readers’ most frequently asked questions. If there’s something we haven’t covered here, please leave your question in the comments section.

Do any real estate brokerages provide leads?

How do most real estate agents get leads?

Is there a lead generation source with no upfront cost?

Are paid lead generation companies worth it?

What’s a good price per real estate lead?

A Note on Methodology

As a part of this buyer’s guide, I reviewed dozens of paid real estate lead generation companies and pinpointed the very best options for our readers based on each company’s strategy and approach, price, usability, scalability, service, support, and more.

As lead generation companies continue to improve their processes and increase their efficiency, I’ll continue to update this guide and review new and existing lead gen companies to reflect the best available options for realtors.

Your Turn

Did we miss a real estate lead generation company you want more information on? Comment below to suggest new additions to this list.

The post The Top 6 Real Estate Lead Generation Companies for 2022 appeared first on The Close.

To help you think outside the box, we’ve compiled 37 underrated yet innovative real estate lead generation ideas and links to more than 30 deep-dive articles. This trove of lead gen strategies should keep your phone ringing off the hook through 2022 and beyond.

Next Steps: How to Create a Real Estate Lead Generation Plan That Works for You

More Useful Lead Generation Resources

Are you a new or experienced agent who is trying to shake things up a bit? If so, check out some of our deep-dive resources to learn more about filling your pipeline with qualified leads:

• Get More Real Estate Buyer Leads With These 11 Proven Strategies
• 15 Proven Strategies to Get More Seller Leads in 2021
• How to Get Listings: 18 Luxury Listing Agents Spill Their Secrets
• 11 Savvy Ways to Generate More Real Estate Referrals From Your Sphere
• 13 Clever Real Estate Prospecting Ideas to Boost Your GCI
•  5 Smart Ways to Buy Real Estate Leads

Over to You

What real estate lead generation ideas and strategies are you using to gin up new business in 2022? Still sticking with Zillow or have you discovered something new? Let us know in the comments.

The post 37 Underrated Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas for 2022 appeared first on The Close.

Learning how to prospect in real estate can be one of the most rewarding pursuits, and without a doubt, it’s the best way to generate new leads. If your real estate prospecting needs to level up, here’s some expert prospecting advice from five top producers in the residential and commercial real estate game to help you generate more business.

1. Learn the Art (& Science) of Real Estate Prospecting Letters

The first tool in a real prospector’s toolkit is the prospecting letter. The real estate prospecting letter is a fantastic tool for prospectors because it serves several purposes:

• It conveys a lot of information (like a neighborhood CMA)
• It’s an easy way to introduce yourself and soften the ground before a phone call
• It’s effective: Hand-addressed letters are read more than a cold postcard

Though prospecting letters are great, they’re not all created equal.

Download the 17 Best Prospecting Letter Templates

Make sure your prospecting letters are personalized, professional, and authentic. Nobody likes reading mail addressed to “Dear Sir or Madam.” Remember, your goal with your letter is to demonstrate your value and prompt someone to reach out for more information, so make sure you include a motivational call to action as well.

2. Make Your Real Estate Prospecting Decisions Based on Data, Not Comfort

Marc Azfal, Real Estate Broker, Marc Azfal Homes

Realtors who use data to guide their decision-making are going to come out ahead when it comes to real estate prospecting. Here’s what California real estate broker and marketing guru, Marc Azfal, had to say on the topic:

“When you’re real estate prospecting, make sure you’re tracking your results very carefully. If there’s a particular strategy that connects with your prospects well, leverage that strategy and focus more on it, even if it’s relatively uncomfortable.

“For instance, a letter is easy to write and non-confrontational, but if it doesn’t advance your goals, why would you consider sending it?

“That neighborhood garage sale you sponsored was time-consuming and required a lot of face-to-face prospecting, but it netted you three new clients. Even though the garage sale took longer and was more difficult, it’s clearly the way to go.”

3. Remember: You’re Providing Value to Your Community

One of the biggest complaints we hear from new agents is that they don’t want to “bother” anyone with cold calls or door knocking. We get it—no one wants to be seen as the sleazy salesman.

Of course, the reality of the situation is that you’re actually providing value to your community.

When you reach out to potential buyers and sellers, letting them know about your services and expertise, you’re also making them aware of their options in the real estate community. I’m sure we’ve all heard the first-time homebuyer or seller say, “I had no idea I could do any of this!”

4. Make Your Weekly Goals About Work & Your Long-term Goals About Results

Since real estate prospecting is all about picking up the phone and making it ring for your soon-to-be clients rather than waiting for them to call you, it makes sense that you’re going to talk to a lot of people who are interested in what you have to say, but not quite ready to get active in a transaction. Don’t be discouraged by this.

Make your weekly prospecting goals about the work you’re doing: the number of calls you make, the number of texts you send, the number of doors you knock, and so on, and make your six-month goals about the amount of business you close.

The more seeds you plant now, the more you’ll harvest later!

5. Use REDX to Improve Your Real Estate Prospecting Efficiency

Just a few years ago, real estate prospecting involved a huge amount of grunt work. You’d have to gather addresses for mailers and scrounge through various less-than-reputable websites to try to find phone numbers. Don’t even get us started on trying to locate contact information for Expired Listings.

Luckily, these days we have amazing and affordable software that can do the heavy lifting, meaning all you need to do is polish those scripts.

REDX is a prospector’s best friend because they do all the hard work for you, giving you all the information you need to start reaching out on day one, and even tools to make that outreach more efficient. REDX gives you owner profiles on every single Expired Listing, FSBO seller, and more. Their built-in Power Dialer automates your calling, making your phone prospecting up to 400% more efficient.

Visit REDX

6. Sponsor Seasonal, Family-friendly Neighborhood Giveaways

There are few better ways to ingratiate yourself to a community than to give away fun stuff, and there are lots of chances throughout the year to sponsor giveaways—American flags on Memorial Day and 4th of July, pumpkins before Halloween, and Christmas trees in December, just to name a few.

Either go door-to-door offering these items, or set up a neighborhood pickup night where your potential clients can come to a particular location and meet you. However you choose to do it, each giveaway comes with a handshake, some exchange of contact information, and a call to action, helping to make you the neighborhood real estate expert.

7. Create a Lead Generating Website

Real estate prospecting is easier if people are already familiar with who you are and what you do. Create a website that provides visitors with information about selling a home in their community, an opportunity to search for properties currently listed for sale, and a way to contact you with questions.

You’ll be setting yourself up for easier conversations and higher conversion rates when you do actually get to speak to your prospects directly.

Check out Placester

8. Follow Relevant Hashtags on Social Media & Engage in 1-to-1 Real Estate Prospecting

Claudine O’Rourke, Associate Real Estate Broker, Compass

Prospecting isn’t about cold calling and mass mailers—it’s about starting and then cultivating a relationship with people who you think will be great buyers and sellers, either now or in the future. One-to-one prospecting is a great way to build this relationship, as explained by Manhattan real estate expert, Claudine O’Rourke:

“When I see a baby bump or a stroller, I know there’s a potential client who needs more space! So, not only do I engage in any way I can in person, but I engage on Instagram with those in my sphere who are posting about being a new mom. As a mom myself, I can relate. Instead of offering mommy advice, I offer NYC real estate advice. #nycmoms.”

Claudine O’Rourke

9. Dedicate 90 Minutes a Day to Real Estate Prospecting

Your prospecting efforts will only be as successful as they are consistent. Prospecting is a lot of work (and has a lot of potential reward), so thinking that you’re going to get your prospecting done in just a couple minutes a day isn’t realistic.

Successful real estate agents set aside 90 minutes every day and dedicate them to prospecting. Those who can commit to a regular schedule will be amazed at the results that 7.5 hours of prospecting each week will get you.

10. Call Expired Listings Every. Single. Day.

Expired Listings are golden opportunities for real estate prospectors (no pun intended). After all, the owners of these homes have raised their hand and said, “Yes, I want to sell my home.” For one reason or another, their home didn’t sell, but chances are, their desire to sell their home hasn’t changed.

The only question is whether you’re going to list the home or a more aggressive agent in your office will get to it first? Before you get an expired listing owner on the phone, have the background on each listing. What was it listed for? Was it priced right? Was it marketed correctly? Be ready to overcome objections and move quickly.

11. Call FSBO Sellers Every. Single. Day.

Just like Expired Listing sellers, FSBOs are fantastic prospects to nurture because the sellers have proven that they want to sell their home now.

However, the approach is different with FSBO owners than it is with Expired Listing sellers because these owners are convinced (or at least they claim to be) that they don’t need a real estate agent to sell their home. Either that, or they just don’t want to pay the commissions.

You’d think that these folks would be impossible to convince otherwise, but you’d be wrong.

We know that more than 91% of homes in the U.S. are sold using the services of a realtor. According to Realtor.com, the median home sale price for a FSBO home is close to $60,000 less than the median sale price of a realtor-listed home. Usually all it takes to win these listings is a savvy pitch and persistent follow-up.

12. Stop Fearing the Word ‘No’

According to a study done at Baylor University on real estate cold calling, it takes an average of 209 calls from a real estate agent to a farm area to set an appointment or get a referral. For those of you with a fear of rejection, the takeaway here is that you’re going to have to endure 208 gut-wrenching “no’s” before you finally get a yes.

For those of you who have already gotten over your fear of “no,” this statement is music to your ears. It means that for every “no” you get, you are quantifiably closer to a “yes.” It means that if you can make 627 calls in a week, you’re going to get three appointments out of that hard work.

13. Get Some Face-to-Face Time With Your Real Estate Prospects

Hans Hansson, Founding Partner, Starboard Commercial Real Estate

If real estate prospecting is about establishing a relationship with potential buyers and sellers, there’s no better way to take that relationship to the next level than a little face-to-face time.

Just shaking hands with someone you’d like to do business with is a powerful experience, as explained to us by one of California’s leading commercial real estate experts, Hans Hansson:

“Keeping your face in front of your current decision-makers, as well as getting it in front of any new decision-makers, is a must for real estate prospecting.

In the commercial world, I’ve learned the hard way that I could have worked miracles for a client, but the decision-maker had been replaced, and since I didn’t have any face-to-face time with a new decision-maker, they wouldn’t have a clue as to the great work I’ve done in the past. The same idea can be applied to residential real estate.

People need to see your face; they need to shake your hand in order to really establish a relationship so you become their go-to real estate resource.”

14. Use Video Marketing to Soften Your Prospects

Evan Roberts, Real Estate Agent, Dependable Homebuyers

Prospecting letters aren’t the only way to soften a particular set of future clients. Social media advertising provides some very specific targeting options when it comes to who you want to see your content. Texas-based real estate expert, Evan Roberts, told us:

“YouTube Ads now allow real estate agents to run video advertisements within a specific geographic farm area. We found that recording testimony videos from past clients and running these videos as YouTube Ads to be a great way to build brand awareness within our farm area.

Using YouTube’s targeting features, we were able to reduce our audience size to only homeowners and those likely to buy a house in the near future. YouTube Ads have been cost effective for our marketing efforts since they cost 3 to 5 cents per view and are targeted to only be shown to qualified, potential clients.”

15. Create Facebook Groups Your Prospects Will Flock To

Will Friedner, Broker, Montana Life Realty Team

Social media is a popular place to prospect, but it’s not the easiest place to do it unless you know what you’re doing. In fact, a study done by Kuno Creative showed that for business pages with less than 500,000 followers, on average, only 6% of your organic following actually even sees your post, much less engages with it.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t prospect profitably on Facebook. Take, for instance, the strategy used by Will Friedner, broker with the Montana Life Realty Team:

“We’ve had great success using Facebook Groups to generate real estate leads. I now have four real estate Facebook Groups around the state of Montana with a total membership now over 30,000 people (almost 3% of this state’s population). These groups now account for over 50% of my business.”

Will Friedner

Over to You

The Close has a ton of great real estate lead generation tips for real estate agents of all experience levels. Not sure where to get started? Check out 37 Underrated Lead Generation Ideas to get inspired.

Have a great real estate prospecting strategy that we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below—let’s keep the conversation going.

The post 15 Clever Real Estate Prospecting Ideas to Boost Your GCI appeared first on The Close.

If you want to walk away from your next open house with more leads than you can handle, you’re going to need the right open house sign-in sheet. We’ve got five free PDF templates that you can download, print, and use right away, as well as the option to customize each Close-exclusive template on Canva.

Download 5 Free Open House Sign-in Sheet Templates

5 Open House Sign-in Sheet Templates

1. Basic Open House Sign-in Sheet

Great for: Agents who don’t need customization or info beyond a name, email, and phone number.

Have some extras of this open house sign-in sheet in your bag at all times for impromptu events. Keep them as a back-up in case you’re unexpectedly missing your branded material.

Download Template #1

Customize This Template

2. The Customizable Open House Sign-in Sheet

Great for: Agents who want to customize their open house sign-in sheet with their own branding and a “conversation starter” question.

We suggest “Are you currently working with a Realtor?” but you can choose whatever you like.

Download Template #2

Customize This Template

3. Detailed Open House Sign-in Sheet Questionnaire

Great for: Realtors who want to capture more information about their attendees.

Remember to use this template strategically. Some open house guests are wary of sharing so much information on a publicly visible form and they may want to save the time it takes to complete a lot of fields.

If you’ve got open house guests with privacy concerns, consider using a digital open house sign-in sheet like the one offered from Spacio. Guests can input their information quickly and confidentially, and you’ll never have to worry about illegible handwriting again.

Download Template #3

Customize This Template

4. Open House Sign-in Sheet With Feedback

Great for: Agents who want to start a conversation about the property with visitors or, more importantly, with your seller client.

If you’ve got a seller who’s insisting on a particular price point (against your recommendation), sometimes an open house with feedback from attendees can be a great way to start a conversation about making a price improvement.

Download Template #4

Customize This Template

5. ‘Enter to Win’ Open House Sign-in Sheet Template

Great for: Anyone hosting an open house and also doing a promotional giveaway.

The strategy on this approach is pretty simple: Print up a handful of these pages and cut them into individual sign-in sheets. When your guests arrive, have them sign in and drop their sign-in into a fishbowl. This step is important; studies show guests are more likely to excitedly participate in drawing or contests if they can literally place their information somewhere physical. Also, seeing other slips of paper in the fishbowl encourages people to be a part of the fun.

After your event is over, call everyone! Let the winner know the happy news (and ask how you can help them with real estate). Let every attendee know about your next event and ask how you can help them in the future.

Download Template #5

Customize This Template

The Case for Digital Open House Sign-in Sheets

We know you like the ol’ paper and pen system, but hear us out. A digital open house sign-in sheet makes a whole lot of sense, and here’s why:

• People are comfortable with the format: There are practically no sign-ups nowadays in a retail environment that are anything but digital, so your attendees are already in their comfort zone.
• People type a lot more accurately than they write: We are a lot nimbler with our thumbs than we used to be. When you ask someone to sign in digitally, their accuracy is going to go through the roof, and your chances of a missed opportunity because someone misspelled an email address drops to near zero.
• Your contacts are easily transferable to a CRM: Following up with your open house leads is crucial. A digital open house sign-in sheet enables you to link your sign-in directly with your customer relationship manager (CRM), allowing you to automate the follow-up process. If you need a suggestion on a solid CRM, check out LionDesk. They’re our #1 CRM pick of 2022.

LionDesk syncs with all the major digital open house sign-in platforms, including Block Party. This app offers a ton of functionality, easy sign-in for your guests from just about any device, and best of all, it’s FREE for realtors.

Visit Block Party

Common Open House Sign-in Mistakes & How to Fix Them

We want to help you avoid the pit-in-your-stomach feeling at the end of an open house when you look at your list of attendees and realize there isn’t much there to work with. Here are some common issues agents encounter with open house sign-in sheets and some solutions to help you address them.

1. Your Guests Have Illegible Handwriting

2. You Put Your Sign-in Sheet in the Wrong Place

3. You’re Not Starting Conversations With Your Attendees

Bringing It All Together

Open houses are an essential marketing tool for your business, giving you awesome opportunities to showcase your listings, show off your salesmanship skills for the neighbors and potential new listers, and, of course, meet and greet buyers. Now that you’re armed with some solid Open House Sign-in Sheet strategies and some templates you can use this weekend—get out there and get to work!

Tell us about your most successful open house ever in the comment! What made it stand out above the rest?

The post 5 Free Open House Sign-in Sheets to Try This Weekend (+ PDF Template) appeared first on The Close.

We’ve pulled together a list of our top seven providers of real estate flyer templates. Together, they offer hundreds of well-designed options for you to choose from, and we’ve highlighted our 27 favorite real estate flyer templates.

If you’ve got a project that just can’t wait, we’ve got three custom real estate flyer templates (Open House, New Listing, Price Reduction) that you can download exclusively at The Close and start editing immediately. Click below to get yours today!

Get Your Real Estate Flyer Templates

Top 7 Real Estate Flyer Template Providers

Real Estate Flyer Template Provider	Best For
Lab Coat Agents	Stylish real estate flyer templates that integrate perfectly with your personal branding
Coffee & Contracts	A great source for new, print-ready flyer templates that coordinate perfectly with your social media marketing
ProspectsPLUS!	Multi-format flyers and an optional mailing service to deliver your flyers directly to your prospects
Vistaprint	Ultimate design control over everything including size, paper stock, and more
Canva	A collection of free to design, download, and print flyers, easily shareable with your team or brokerage
Adobe Spark	Anyone who uses Adobe InDesign or Photoshop on a weekly basis
The Close	Anyone looking for three, exclusive real estate flyer templates they can use right away

Just Listed Real Estate Flyer Templates

Got a property about to hit the market? Promote it with “Just Listed” real estate flyers. These can go in your office, your car, at the open house, and if you’re really smart, at other open houses you’re hosting to distribute to home shoppers who haven’t yet found the perfect home.

1. Bright & Modern ‘Just Listed’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Lab Coat Agents
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires Access to Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center, $59/month
Details: This flyer gives you plenty of room for a listing description, beautiful photos, and, of course, all your contact information. Make sure you’ve got high-quality listing photos for this template to show off your new listing’s appeal effectively.

Customize This Template

2. Sophisticated ‘Just Listed’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Coffee & Contracts
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires a Coffee & Contracts membership, starting at $40/month (annual plan)
Details: This new listing flyer feels like a page out of a fashion magazine. Its elegant use of white space, typography, and the arrangement of the photos are very attractive. This a flyer your sellers can be proud of and one that’s instantly attractive to buyers.

Customize This Template

3. ‘QR Code – Just Listed’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Vistaprint
Size: 3.75” x 8.25”
Cost: Free to design, flyers printed for as low as five cents each
Details: If you’re using a QR code strategy, make sure you’ve got a spot on your real estate flyers to promote your landing pages. This two-sided flyer template from Vistaprint prominently displays a QR code while providing plenty of information for an interested buyer to review.

Customize This Template

4. ‘Just Listed + Open House’ Combo Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: ProspectsPLUS!
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design, flyers printed for as little as 30 cents each
Details: This template uses a layout that features bold images and prominently displays your text. It’s perfect for announcing a new listing to the neighborhood, trumpeting your latest sale, or driving traffic to your next event.

Customize This Template

5. ‘Urban Living New Listing’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Canva
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: Smart real estate marketers have more than one new listing real estate flyer template in their toolbox because they know every property’s feel and aesthetic is different. This particular design is excellent for an urban space, somewhere with lots of natural light and nice warm wood, but would work for residential listings of just about any sort.

Customize This Template

6. ‘Minimalist New Listing’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Canva
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: When you’ve got a property whose photos speak volumes, the best thing you can do is let the pictures do the talking. This template does that perfectly with a focus on visuals over the copy. Remember, you always want anyone viewing your flyer to be able to reach out to you with any questions, so consider making this flyer two-sided by putting your contact information and some basic property information on the back.

Customize This Template

7. ‘Modern Two-sided’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Canva
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: Sometimes, a single-sided flyer doesn’t allow you to share all that you want about a property. Opt for two-sided flyers that don’t overwhelm your reader. You’ll have plenty of space for well-chosen photographs, enough information to get a buyer interested, and a layout that’s easy to read. Use this flyer for a mid-century modern listing or a beachfront getaway.

Customize This Template

8. The Close Exclusive ‘Conversation Starter’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: The Close
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: When you’ve got a new listing hitting the market, choose this flyer to generate chatter among the buyers (and, of course, the buyer agents) in your community. Use the ample space to highlight some great photos, a little bit of listing information, and, of course, your contact info. Get the most out of this flyer by printing up a handful of them every time you list a new property for sale and dropping one at the office of the top 10 buyers’ agents in your market.

Customize This Template

Just Sold Real Estate Flyer Templates

As our good friend and resident real estate coach Sean Moudry is fond of telling us, some of the most effective real estate marketing you can do is provide evidence of your own success, and real estate flyers that highlight a property that has recently sold is a great way to do it. Here are two of our favorite templates you can start using today.

9. Modern ‘Just Sold’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Lab Coat Agents
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires Access to Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center, $59/month
Details: This classy, modern flyer communicates the most crucial information and a strong message: THIS PROPERTY SOLD. Who sold it? You. Your neighborhood’s go-to expert realtor. We recommend circle-prospecting after a successful closing. Knock on doors in your neighborhood instead of mailing postcards and tout your success in-person, using this flyer.

Customize This Template

10. Two-sided ‘Just Sold’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Vistaprint
Size: 11” x 8 ½”
Cost: Free to design, flyers printed for as low as five cents each
Details: When you want to show off the caliber of your listings and marketing skills, go with a two-sided Just Sold real estate flyer template. Leverage the added space to demonstrate your excellent work in getting the property sale across the finish line for your client.

Customize This Template

Open House Real Estate Flyer Templates

A real estate open house is a fantastic way to get lots of potential buyers through your listing in a single day, as well as a great opportunity to get in front of a large number of unrepresented buyers. Whether you’re working an open house to try to sell a home or pick up new buyers, marketing your event using the right real estate flyers is critical. Here are some of our favorites.

[Related article: 5 Free Open House Sign-In Sheets to Try Weekend + PDF Template]

11. Super-sleek ‘Open House’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Lab Coat Agents
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires Access to Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center, $59/month
Details: We love the modern design, typeface, and layout of this real estate flyer template. Make this elegant template your go-to choice for high-end listings or property in trendy, up-and-coming neighborhoods.

Customize This Template

12. Co-listed ‘Open House’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Lab Coat Agents
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires Access to Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center, $59/month
Details: Whether you’re sharing a listing with another agent or just sharing open house duties, creating a flyer with space for two agents eliminates duplicate marketing material and presents a unified message of service to any potential buyers.

Customize This Template

13. Traditional ‘Open House’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: ProspectsPLUS!
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design, flyers printed for as little as 30 cents each
Details: Perfect for events, the vertical display of photos in this flexible real estate flyer is ideal for highlighting multiple features in your listing. Its large contact information area makes it easy for those visiting your open house to find your phone number when they’re ready to make an offer.

Customize This Template

14. Two-sided ‘Open House’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Canva
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: When you’re tired of the same old open house invitations, mix it up a little bit with a two-sider that focuses on style and community.

If you frequently market listings within developments, planned communities, or buildings with multiple homes for sale, this fantastic open house flyer template is essential for your toolkit. Your potential buyers are considering the community as much as they are considering the purchase of a specific home.

Customize This Template

15. ‘Open House’ Feedback Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Coffee & Contracts
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires a Coffee & Contracts membership, starting at $40/month (annual plan)
Details: Getting people to your open house or event is one thing, getting feedback from them (especially if that feedback can turn them into a lead for you) is something else. This feedback form is simple, straightforward, highly effective, and makes a great addition to your open house toolkit.

Customize This Template

16. Chic ‘Open House’ Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Adobe Spark
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: When you’ve got a property whose reputation precedes it, especially in a hip and fashionable area of town, you don’t have to follow the traditional rules of property flyers. You can get more creative, highlight a smaller detail, and make the flyer an extension of the personality the owner of the new property would get from living there.

Customize This Template

17. Minimal ‘Open House’ Flyer

Created By: Adobe Spark
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: When style is a part of your personal branding as a real estate agent, the style of your marketing materials matters as much as the clothes you wear or the car you drive. Though this template is missing some key information (we’d definitely suggest you include your name, your brokerage (where required by law), and a headshot), the overall aesthetic of this template is great and can be easily adjusted to fit your personal style.

Customize This Template

18. The Close Exclusive Open House Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: The Close
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: This template is perfect for getting the word out about any upcoming events you have planned. Our favorite way to use this flyer is to affix a real estate flyer box to the yard sign of your new listing, then drop a few dozen of these flyers into it. This strategy is especially effective if your new listing is in a high foot traffic area.

Customize This Template

Specialized Real Estate Flyer Templates

Effective real estate flyers will do more than just promote your listings, sales, and open houses. We’ve got a collection of all sorts of real estate flyer templates for everything from networking events to market reports for specific neighborhoods (and everything in between).

19. Event Invitation Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Lab Coat Agents
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires Access to Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center, $59/month
Details: Members of your community are excited to get back out there and attend events again, and the real estate space is no exception. Make sure your invitations to these events are on-brand and stylish with this flyer.

Customize This Template

20. Vacation Property Management Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Adobe Spark
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: A real estate license enables you to do more than just buy and sell. As a licensed agent, you can also facilitate leases and act as a property manager. Property management is in significant demand right now thanks to the boom in vacation rentals. Use this flyer template to promote the properties under your control and fill up those vacant weekends.

Customize This Template

21. Testimonial Highlights Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Lab Coat Agents
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires Access to Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center, $59/month
Details: Upward of 80% of real estate buyers and sellers report that reviews are very important to them when deciding who they should list or purchase a home with. Highlight some of your best client reviews in this flyer and append it to the marketing collateral that you leave with prospects at meetings.

Customize This Template

22. Free Market Analysis Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Vistaprint
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design, flyers printed for as low as five cents each
Details: In a seller’s market, sometimes the most compelling message you can communicate to prospective listing clients is opportunity. Spark valuable conversations about home values in your area using this flyer that promotes your free, expertly executed comparative market analysis.

Customize This Template

23. Networking Event Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Vistaprint
Size: 3 ¾” x 8 ¼”
Cost: Free to design, flyers printed for as low as five cents each
Details: Building a referral base as a real estate agent is all about who you know. Because of this, many realtors actively seek out networking opportunities. If you want to go the extra mile at these events, don’t just bring business cards; bring flyers that tell more of your story and make you stand out among the crowd.

Customize This Template

24. Distressed Property Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Lab Coat Agents
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires Access to Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center, $59 / month
Details: When inventory in the real estate market is hard to come by real estate professionals need to get creative in how they are approaching sellers. Soliciting listings from distressed property owners is an effective approach that yields results. Many property owners are interested in the idea of selling but are worried their home would require too much work to get to market. Let them know with this flyer that they have opportunities right now with buyers in your community.

Customize This Template

25. Objection Handler Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: ProspectsPLUS!
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design, flyers printed for as little as 30 cents each
Details: If you’ve got a real estate farm area that is ripe for new listings but are having trouble getting homeowners to pull the trigger, this real estate flyer handles homesellers’ most common objections even before they voice them, and is an effective tool for getting your clients over the hump. By addressing the questions sellers should be asking their agents, you’re signaling that you’re ready for the tough conversations.

Customize This Template

26. Fall Home Maintenance Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: Coffee & Contracts
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Requires a Coffee & Contracts membership, starting at $40 / month (annual plan)
Details: The change of season is a great time to do face-to-face prospecting. Many of the agents who report success with strategies like door-knocking say that the end of summer and start of fall comes with a ton of conversation opportunities you can use to engage your real estate farm area or anyone who happens to be a homeowner. This Fall Home Maintenance Checklist Flyer is a great leave-behind for anyone you’re talking to about their home.

Customize This Template

27. The Close Exclusive Neighborhood Expert Real Estate Flyer Template

Created By: The Close
Size: 8 ½” x 11”
Cost: Free to design and download
Details: The key to a successful real estate farming strategy is establishing yourself as the go-to expert for all things real estate in your chosen area of focus. This real estate flyer template is all about highlighting a specific community, what you know about it, and why you’re the perfect person to help when it comes time to buy or sell. Make sure to have this flyer with you whenever you’re door-knocking!

Customize This Template

Your Turn

We want to hear from you: how do you use real estate flyers? Where do you get the most out of this marketing resource? Tell us in the comments—let’s keep the conversation going.

The post 27 Real Estate Flyer Templates You Can Use to Boost Your GCI appeared first on The Close.

In this article, we’ll discuss why you need landing pages, the essential elements of a great real estate landing page, and look at five landing page examples from top producing agents around the country. We’ll also share our recommendations for landing page providers that can help you convert more of your website traffic into leads.

Why Your Website Homepage Isn’t Enough: You Need Real Estate Landing Pages

Studies show that the typical first-time real estate website visitor will visit only two pages of your site—and they won’t stay for longer than a minute or two. Since attention spans are so short and the window to convert a visitor into a lead is so small, you need to be sending them to pages designed expressly for conversion.

The joy and excitement of fantastic Facebook or Google analytics reports for the ads you’re running will be completely dashed when you click over to your customer relationship manager (CRM) to see that not a single one of your visitors converted. Don’t send your leads to your website homepage—you need real estate landing pages instead.

The Close Recommendations: Our Top Picks for Real Estate Landing Page Providers

Real Estate Landing Page Providers	Best For
Real Geeks	Agents who want to create high-converting landing pages and a system that integrates well with popular CRM platforms to help nurture your leads
BoldLeads	Agents who want concierge-level service that includes help with landing page design and the ads that drive traffic to them
InCom	Price-conscious agents who are looking for landing page services for as little as $30 a month
Placester	Agents and teams who are looking for a new website with landing pages and a built-in strategy to help convert web traffic into leads
Chime	Agents who want a high-performering CRM to go along with their top-tier landing pages and an IDX-enabled website

Want to learn more about some of these providers? We’ve done the hard work for you. Read our review and video walk-through of the Real Geeks, BoldLeads, and Placester platforms to help you choose which one works best for you.

5 Live Real Estate Landing Page Examples

Now that we know why landing pages are important and some options for getting one set up, let’s take a look at some real estate landing page examples from actual agents and brokerages that are out there converting prospects into leads.

For the full experience, click the link to visit the page for yourself.

1. Home Valuation Landing Page

Redfin, USA

Our first real estate landing page example comes from Redfin’s Home Valuation landing page, where property owners obtain an estimate on their home’s value at no cost! Actually, that isn’t true—there is a cost. Site visitors must share their contact information, and doing so lets Redfin know that they’re at least considering the idea of selling their home—knowledge that is very valuable.

This page offers an instant valuation, meaning, when someone types in their information, they get an instant result. When it comes to home valuation pages, there is another approach—the delayed valuation, where a visitor types in their information, you get notified, and then create a custom comparative market analysis (CMA) just for them.

Maximizing Your Return From a Home Valuation Landing Page

Providing a visitor with an instant home valuation is a strong conversion strategy. However, instant valuations are based on algorithms like the one used for Zillow’s Zestimate, and aren’t always reliable.

A delayed valuation landing page allows you to put your eyes on a property’s data before confirming an estimated value for your visitor, ensuring a higher level of accuracy and detail but converting at a slightly lower rate.

Experiment with both and see which delivers the best value for your time and money.

2. Property Search Landing Page

William Fastow, Sotheby’s International Realty, Washington, D.C.

The following real estate landing page example comes from William Fastow, a top performer in the DC area.

On the Property Search landing page, prospective buyers can search for available properties on the market and set up custom alerts for the homes they’re looking for. The cost to access these tools? Contact info.

Maximizing Your Return From a Property Search Landing Page

Prospective buyers will be much more likely to exchange their contact information for inside information or exclusive listings. Fastow does this by offering visitors a chance to “see listings before anyone else!”

When putting together your landing page, consider what is most valuable to your visitors, then offer it to them in exchange for their contact information.

3. Real Estate Farm Landing Page

Vintage Oaks, New Braunfels, Texas

Real estate agents marketing entire planned communities or using a real estate farming strategy need to have resources that can attract buyers to an entire region, not just specific properties. This landing page from Vintage Oaks, a builder-developed real estate community in Texas, offers a free e-book to anyone thinking about a purchase in exchange for contact information.

Maximizing Your Return From a Real Estate Farm Landing Page

Real estate transactions are complicated, especially on the buy side. Buyers need to think about the property itself, financing, inspections, appraisal, and more. Offering a resource that hits all those pain points is a great way to start a client relationship (good for you), as well as highlight you as a trusted adviser through a challenging process (great for your clients).

When putting together your real estate landing pages, think about more than just a single pain point. What can you provide the buyers in your market that will help them through the real estate process as a whole?

4. Community Guide Landing Page

Holly Williams, RE/MAX Gateway, Alexandria VA

As a realtor, you’re a community expert. You know every street, every city park, every hip-and-happening coffee shop, and every grocery store. You use these things to promote the listings in your community. Leverage your community expertise like Holly Williams of Alexandria, VA, does by offering exclusive advice on events, insider info on neighborhoods, and suggestions on how to get the most out of what your market has to offer.

Maximizing Your Return From a Community Guide Landing Page

By creating ads for particular communities, you capture the attention of both those who want to live there and those who already live there, making you a local expert for both buyer and seller leads.

Market your landing pages directly to potential buyers through paid advertising, and use them as evidence of your expertise in your listing appointments.

5. Exclusive Homeowner Content Landing Page

Doug Willis, Up2Date Real Estate, Pasadena, CA

Offering content in exchange for contact information is a tried-and-true approach to real estate lead generation, as we see Doug Willis of Pasadena, CA, doing here.

The decision to sell a home often occurs weeks and sometimes months before a homeowner decides to contact a realtor. By offering content designed exclusively for this situation, you can make contact early and begin that nurturing process before any of your competitors has a chance to get involved.

Maximizing Your Return From an Exclusive Homeowner Content Landing Page

Customize your landing pages and lead magnets to your target prospects. Your lead generation strategy will be more effective if your offering speaks directly to their personal profile, goals, or needs.

For instance, if an e-book is titled “6 Projects to Complete Before Listing Your Home for Sale in Oregon,” you will likely get some conversion. But, if you titled it “6 Projects to Complete Before Listing Your Waterfront Home in Portland, Oregon,” you are likely to get a much higher conversion rate from waterfront homeowners in Portland.

The major takeaway here is that multiple, personalized landing pages are much more effective than a single, homogeneous one. When offering content to your would-be listing clients, make it as personalized as possible.

The 6 Essential Elements of Effective Real Estate Landing Pages

Now that we’ve seen some landing pages out in the wild, let’s take a look at what makes these pages so effective. Landing page providers like Placester have each of these elements baked into their templates. How would you tweak them to resonate with your particular community?

Here are six things your real estate landing page can’t do without:

1. A Strong Headline

Your real estate landing page’s headline is the first (and sometimes only) thing that visitors will read from start to finish, so a clear message that captures attention and is easy to understand is a must. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel here, either.

If your real estate landing page’s purpose is to drive leads for an iBuyer platform, a simple headline like “Get an offer on your home with the press of a button” will do the job perfectly.

2. A Crystal-clear Answer to the Question Being Asked

People visiting your landing page are doing so because they were prompted by a question they wanted an answer to—a question like “How much is my home worth?”

Real estate agents who have their landing page game dialed in know that the most effective landing pages answer these questions and ONLY these questions.

If you’ve got someone who is looking for an answer, don’t provide them with unsolicited information, background noise, or further options that don’t answer the original question.

3. A Fantastic Image

Great landing pages use strong imagery to reinforce (and not distract from) their message. The best landing page images represent the geographic area your prospects are either coming from or wanting to go to.

For instance, a landing page image for a real estate agent working in Manhattan could be the city skyline, the interior of a swanky New York loft, an attractive residential block, or the interior of a neighborhood coffee shop. All of these images capture an aspect of Manhattan living without distracting from the visitor’s directive.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: Stay away from videos on landing pages. Videos can slow down the load time of a website, especially on a mobile device. According to a study done by Kissmetrics, more than 40% of your prospects will abort their visit to your site if page load time exceeds two seconds. Your cool drone video of your market’s skyline isn’t worth losing 40% of your leads.

4. A Purpose for Every Word on the Real Estate Landing Page

Every single word and punctuation mark on your real estate landing page needs to have a purpose. Remember, your audience’s attention span only allows you seconds to convince a prospect to become a lead.

The best way to go about sharpening your copy is to get others to read your work. Editing, especially by someone with a writing background and an eye for concise copy, is essential to honing your message.

5. An Optimized Lead Capture Form

The most important part of any landing page is the lead capture form, where your visitors give you their personal information. According to a study by WordStream, top-of-the-funnel lead conversions will drop significantly if a landing page has more than four fields to complete. So, stick with only the information you absolutely need.

Our suggestions are: name, email address, and phone number.

Also, take advantage of the messaging your button allows. “Submit” feels clinical and boring, and doesn’t solicit feelings of urgency. Try button messaging like “Sign Me Up” or “Get It Now” to convey a conversational tone.

CLOSE INSIDER TIP: A/B testing is a great way to continually tweak the performance of your landing page’s lead capture forms. Does a red button or a green button do better? How about three forms to fill out vs four? Perform the tests, and take the data to make your landing pages better through ongoing optimization.

6. A Mobile-friendly Experience

Just shy of 90% of Facebook sessions occur on a mobile device, which means that if you’re running ads on Facebook to drive traffic to your landing pages, making sure the mobile experience is a good one is key. Double-check all your landing pages on both desktop and mobile before sending them live.

Your Turn

Have you had success with a real estate lead generation strategy directing prospects to landing pages? Do you have an amazing strategy for converting traffic into clients? Tell us about your experience in the comments below. If you want more advice from pros nationwide on real estate landing pages, make sure to join our free The Close Real Estate Agents Mastermind Group on Facebook.

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