How To Get Clients In Real Estate: 17 Surefire Strategies

January 9, 2022

Carlos Reyes

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Having a consistent stream of qualified clients is one of the biggest challenges for new real estate agents. As independent contractors, real estate agents have a sense of freedom but no guarantee of a steady income.

Real estate professionals must invest their time and money to attract and convert prospects into clients. Once they have a client, they still have to either find a buyer to purchase the sellers’ home or find a house for someone looking to buy. This process leads to several weeks or months before the real estate agent ever gets paid.

Most new real estate agents often don't have a solid lead generation strategy. This lack of planning can lead to them becoming a glorified taxi driver, showing homes to people that have no urgency to buy. They become so desperate to list a seller’s home they will drop their commission to compete, but barely turn a profit.

This article outlines seventeen strategies on how to get clients as a real estate agent so you will have a pipeline of new prospects every month.

While all of the strategies are important, I’ve listed them out in reverse order, starting with what I believe most real estate agents already do, and continuing with those strategies that deserve to be given higher consideration by agents all around.

If you have a real estate license or are thinking about a real estate career, follow these steps and watch as the amount of qualified clients you have rapidly increases.

17. Understand The Type Of Client You Want To Work With

As a real estate professional, you can choose to work with buyers or sellers. You can also specialize in a particular area, such as residential or commercial real estate.

Before you start marketing yourself, understand your ideal client. Your preferred client could be of a certain age, profession, or have a particular lifestyle. This knowledge will help your real estate marketing efforts by giving you an audience to target. This will increase your chances of generating quality leads that turn into clients.

Start by becoming an authority in a real estate niche. Some agents pick a neighborhood, zip code, or a type of property such as condominiums. They’ll start to invest their marketing efforts towards obtaining clients in these areas. They will also attend neighborhood events such as yard sales, block parties, or charity races. Focusing on one particular niche will position you as the authority within that segment of the industry. If you focus on becoming a relocation expert, people and companies will know to contact you when they are planning to move to your city.

Buyer Agents: When working with buyers, you'll need to generate leads by targeting people currently in the market to buy or those who have recently sold their homes. You will be spending a lot of time traveling, showing properties, and making offers. Typically the amount of buyers you can work with at a time is limited.
Listing Agents: You need to generate leads by marketing to homeowners that want to sell their homes. You'll need to follow up with them to schedule a listing presentation and convince them why you're the best agent to sell their home. This type of agent spends most of their time in constant communication with the seller and presenting offers from buyers to them. If the listing agent hires a good assistant, it will allow them to scale and work with multiple homeowners simultaneously.
Top producing agents focus on obtaining listings. Having listings is generally more secure than working with buyers. As a listing agent, you have a written agreement that guarantees compensation if the home sells during the listing period.
There are contracts available between real estate agents and buyers, but they are not commonly used. Also, if the buyer gets several of their offers rejected, they may decide to give up or pause their home buying search.

Six Traditional Real Estate Prospecting Techniques

Agents need to tap into their existing relationships to find prospective clients. You cannot be afraid to share the fact you are in the real estate industry and ask for referrals from the people you know. Whichever way you choose to market your services, make sure it is sustainable even when you are busy with your current clients. That might mean you hire a marketing assistant or join a real estate team.

16. Sphere Of Influence (SOI)

Your personal network is a great place to start because family, friends, and colleagues generally want to help you succeed. Potential prospects could include recent retirees, new parents, or anyone who recently moved.

You'll want to think about groups or organizations you are actively involved in and confidently ask them if they know someone that is considering buying or selling a home.

Many successful real estate agents have found success reaching out to their college alumni or places of worship. If you belong to a big gym, sports team, or attend comic conventions, you are sure to find someone who needs real estate services. Use these common interests to connect and let them know how you help them with anything real estate-related.

15. Effective Cold Calling

Real estate scripts can be beneficial when prospecting and are the most effective when making phone calls. Cold calls are defined as calling someone you have no prior relationship with. The practice is becoming less effective because of the 'Do Not Call' registry.

Check with your local real estate association to ensure you follow the guidelines. The most effective calls tend to be homeowners who had their home listed for sale but failed to obtain an offer with their previous real estate agent.

Per the National Association of Realtors (NAR) 9 out of 10 “For Sale By Owners” or FSBOs. (homeowners trying to sell their house on their own) will eventually list with a real estate agent. They initially try to save on paying commissions to real estate agents but inevitably seek a real estate agent or real estate attorney because they have trouble managing the transaction properly.

14. Referral Sources

An attorney, mortgage broker, or contractor you know may need to refer their client to you in the future. A family or estate attorney may know if a couple is divorcing and needs to sell their home. The estate attorney might be managing the estate of a recently deceased person and are aware their heirs want to sell the property.

You'll want to stay top-of-mind by sending them referrals as well. When someone refers you to a client, it signals they are more likely to use your services in the future. Plus, it feels good to help out other professionals in your industry.

13. Direct Mail

Sending direct mail pieces to homeowners who live in a neighborhood you've recently sold in is a great way to generate leads. You have established that you are successful at selling in their area.

Contact your local title company or search the public records to get the mailing address. You can find homeowners who have lived in their homes for several years and maybe ready to sell. They might need more space for an expanding family or downsize because their kids are grown.

12. Open Houses

Hosting an open house is a popular way to generate leads. If you don't have any listings, offer to host an open house for agents at your brokerage. Homeowners are typically excited when an agent hosts an open house.

You'll need good signage, balloons, cookies, and brochures advertising your services. Hire a real estate photographer to take images of the home, and be prepared to give out your business card to everyone who walks through the door.

You can also post your open house on websites like the multiple listing service (MLS), Facebook Marketplace, and other social media channels. You must make sure to collect the contact information from everyone who enters the home and follow up with them after.

11. Door Knocking

Door knocking was a very traditional way to find clients. You must do your homework before door-knocking because homeowners might be less receptive if you don't know about their neighborhood or what price range homes are selling in the area.

Make sure you have an idea of value for each property by researching recent sales, checking out similar listings on the MLS, and assessing upgrades done to the home through online photos posted by local real estate agents on websites like Realtor.com.

It would help if you were mindful of your safety and the neighborhood's rules when you're door-knocking. Asking someone to visit your open house is a less intrusive way to let them know you are a real estate agent.

10. Attend Networking Events And Trade Shows To Make Connections With Other Professionals In The Field

Attending local community and industry-specific networking events is a great way to meet other professionals such as lawyers, doctors, and small business owners. You can introduce yourself as a real estate agent, exchange contact information, and create a referral business.

If you join trade organizations such as AREAA or NAHREP, you can network with agents in other parts of the country and establish a referral agreement with another brokerage. Referral agreements allow you to share a portion of your commission with another real estate agent after a successful sale from one of the clients they referred you to.

The most important thing about networking is following up after meeting someone new. Send your new contact a thank-you card for their time and invite them out for coffee if they're not busy during business hours.

Attend volunteering workshops, promote local charity events, or host real estate informational seminars with mortgage companies. Volunteering within one's community creates excellent opportunities that help everyone grow together.

9. Develop A Powerful Social Media Presence On sites Like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Or LinkedIn

A strong online presence is vital for real estate agents looking to get more clients. Your social media posts can be about industry news, your opinions about new regulations, and life events. These platforms will help to humanize you and give your prospects ways to relate with you. Potential clients might share the same love of photography, politics, or outdoor adventures as you do. These shared interests could be the deciding factor in their decision to hire you.

Make sure to create a profile on all the major social media platforms and have your contact information easily accessible. Use high-quality photos of properties you have sold, and be sure to post regularly.

Target your ideal client (buyer or seller) and think about what kind of content they would be interested in. Once you have a good idea, start targeting that audience on social media. Share relevant information and make connections with other people in that industry.

8. Humanize Your Personal Brand Online By Sharing Your Interests & Hobbies

Decide on which social media platform you want to invest your time in. Then showcase your industry knowledge and connect with potential clients on a more personal level.

A good rule of thumb is to have 80% of your posts industry-related and 20% of them sharing a bit of your personal life. It's better to go big on one or two platforms than fumble through trying to post on all of them.

Instagram and Facebook for real estate:

Post real estate industry insights, tips, or opinions.
Share the neighborhood - Give people a glimpse into what it would be like to live there.
Announce your new listings or recently sold.
Share testimonials and positive reviews.
Post funny memes related to the industry.
Use the right hashtags (#) to help people find you.

LinkedIn for real estate:

Get in touch with other professionals who are influential in the industry.
Find business opportunities from out of state referrals.
Post or share relevant articles to support your expertise in the real estate niche.

Pinterest for real estate:

Pin inspiring pictures of gorgeous homes and beautiful outdoor spaces.
Share your expertise by posting articles on how-to's and resources (like buying a home).
Pin home decor trends that you love or want in your own house.

Keep track of which social media platforms your referral sources are using most often and adjust your strategy accordingly.

7. Make High-Quality Videos For Your Real Estate Brand

Stand out by making videos for different formats like short videos on YouTube, Instagram Reels, or Tik-Tok videos. Some agents like using highly produced drone videos of a neighborhood, and others like making funny informational videos. Choose the platform that will help distinguish what makes you unique from everyone else selling similar properties in the area.

YouTube for real estate:

Make real estate videos that explain how to find, buy or sell a home.
Create real estate explainer videos for your website and social media platforms. You can help first-time homebuyers understand specific terms they will hear during the purchase process.
Share videos of yourself explaining different aspects of the neighborhood you are selling in. Make them unique by including proximity to local businesses or cultural events nearby.

You want to make it easy for people who come across one of your posts, videos, and photos. Prospects should be able to contact you with ease without having to search through pages and pages of content online. Whenever possible, make your phone number or email clickable.

6. Offer To Shoot Free Listing Videos For Your Clients Or On Special Events

When shooting free listing videos for your clients, think about a unique property feature that you can highlight if it's in a popular neighborhood, showing clips of people walking or biking around.

Shoot video footage of special events happening in the area to help promote the event and the property. These videos could be of a wine tasting event taking place at a local vineyard or an art festival down the street from the house you're trying to sell.

Remember that real estate is all about relationships, so put some thought into how you can connect with your clients.

5. Create Real Estate Email Newsletters

Email is proven to have excellent ROI. Regularly emailing a newsletter to previous clients and prospects helps keep you at the top of their mind when it comes to referrals.

Real estate agents send out weekly or monthly newsletters. The frequency of emails is not as important as the value they offer. Prospects and past clients won't be upset if you regularly send them emails if they provide them valuable information.

Newsletters should contain:

Your recent listings and sales for neighborhoods you are focusing on.
Fascinating articles about the industry or home buying or selling process.
Information about any upcoming local events, seminars, or open houses you will participate in.
Current mortgage rates and how they can affect their ability to purchase a home.
Offer valuable real estate tips directed to owners or buyers.

4. Start A Real Estate Blog

Build your presence online by creating an engaging blog on your real estate website.

You can find high-demand topics using Google trends, answerthepublic.com, or quora. A blog will keep you top of mind with your SOI and help you connect with potential customers looking to move to your city from out of state.

Share your expertise with potential and current clients by writing articles that provide tips on the real estate market or how to buy or sell a home. You can also write about trends in the industry, new technologies in the market, or what to consider when hiring a Realtor.

Another effective way to attract eyeballs to your blog is by using video content. You can create short videos showcasing properties you have for sale, interviews with clients or agents who have had successful sales transactions, or even give tours of neighborhoods you specialize in.

Make sure to use strong keywords throughout your blog posts and website so that you show up at the top of the search when people are looking for information related to real estate.

3. Advertise With Google Ads

A vast majority of people start searching for a new property using Google. You will want to create a Google Ad with your name, brokerage, expertise in an area, and contact information. This way, if someone is searching for a house online, they are more likely to contact you.

2. Social Media Advertising

Creating ads or boosting posts on Facebook or Instagram can be a powerful way to draw attention to your blog or real estate business. You can run a series of ads and analyze which ones are more effective.

Social media networks allow you to target your ideal audience by age, profession, interest, and physical location.

Facebook ads should:

Contain eye-catching visuals. Photos or videos that stand out will get more attention than those that are plain or boring.
Include a call to action. Tell people why you want them to visit your website, call you for more information, or set an appointment.
Verify your messaging is clear and concise. People don't have the interest or time to read long blocks of text, so keep it short and sweet.
Test different versions of your ad to see which performs better.

1. Use Real Estate Software To Identify Prospects & Automate Follow-up

Customer relationship management (CRM) Software products enable you to monitor and analyze leads as they progress through their home buying or selling journey.

You can use a CRM to:

Generate leads from your website or other marketing channels.
Track interactions with leads (phone calls, emails, meetings, etc.) and automatically keep track of their contact history.
Create custom follow-up tasks and reminders for yourself or agents in your team.
Organize and analyze data about your leads to see what is working best for you.

Many different CRM products on the market cater to different budgets. Find one that will suit your needs and ensure it integrates well with the other tools you are using, such as email marketing.

The Bottom Line: There Are Several Great Methods To Find New Real Estate Clients

If you're looking for new clients, there are many fantastic methods to find them. You can advertise online, build authority on social media, or utilize your network. Use technology to help automate many tasks to free up your time so that you can focus on finding more leads or following up with current clients.

Your abilities and personality will determine the method you decide to employ. Persistence and creativity will help you succeed in this endeavor, so go out there and find your new clients using the methods mentioned in this article.

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