10 New Ways to Get New Real Estate Clients

Top agents always know their market inside and out. Other than knowing the specifications of the house, it’s important to be aware of its surroundings and whether it would be a good fit for your client. This information will help your client make an informed decision as well as help you evaluate your own performance based on sales by other real estate agents.

Factors that impact the market are:

• Demographics of nearby residents

• Demand and supply in the current market

• Statistics of previous sales in the area 

• Features of previously listed and sold homes

• Potential profitability and value of the real estate in the future

• Other economic, social, political, and environmental data that may impact that location

3. Connect with Experienced Realtors

Networking doesn’t just refer to potential clients but also other real estate professionals, lenders, contractors, and home stagers. Always ask a lot of questions and come back armed with their experience. They may have potential leads to offer you or even just their experience in the industry. Making sure other real estate professionals in the field know who you are is as important as making sure potential clients do. Seasoned agents attend events regularly to make sure people keep them top of mind and to always refresh everyone’s knowledge on what they have to offer.

4. Create a Website

Like most commodities now, houses can be purchased online. Homebuyers usually start their research online and narrow down their list before actually seeing the houses in-person or contacting a real estate agent to virtually view a home. A well-designed website will continue growing your real estate business for you even when you aren’t working. Clients that are just starting out in their house hunt can keep updated on listings through your website without having to contact you directly for new listings or information. 

Agents used to have a single page as their profile on their website. However, that is no longer enough. “About 99 percent of home buyers between the ages of 23 and 56 used the internet to find homes in their home buying process.” Keeping an updated website will strengthen your brand as a real estate agent and will also help you generate more quality leads. Since these potential buyers have already done their research, they are more likely to be more serious about their purchase. 

Here are some elements to potentially include in your website:

• Analytics and statistics to demonstrate your understanding of the market

• Interesting, well-placed images of listings

• Virtual tours

• Contact information 

• Newsletter signup (if you have one)

• High-quality content related to real estate or local news related to your market

5. Use Social Media

If you’ve tried all else and are still wondering how to get clients in real estate, using social media might just elevate your game. Even though real estate has traditionally been in-person and relied heavily on word-of-mouth marketing, people are now becoming more open to using social media to find or sell houses. A real estate website, The Close, found in a recent study that 44% of real estate agents gained a new client in 2020 by posting on social media. Social media marketing is only second to referrals and plays an important role in a real estate professional’s strategy. The pandemic may have played a factor in more virtual tours, however with more people moving across state lines, having a stronger digital presence can only help you grow your real estate business.

6. Develop a Content Marketing Strategy

Having a high-quality content marketing strategy is beneficial for almost every industry, especially for real estate where trust is paramount to potential clients. Offering in-depth, knowledgeable content builds trust, increases conversions, generates leads, and forms relationships with current or future clients. It’s important to offer helpful articles at every stage of the customer journey. Whether they are just considering buying for the first time, downsizing, or upgrading to a family home, show customers you care and how you can help them. Read our 12 tips for effective real estate content marketing to get inspired.

7. Become Involved in Your Community

A more natural approach to get clients in real estate is getting involved in your community. Grow your network organically by getting involved in events and volunteering at libraries, community centers, and animal shelters. Not only is this a great way to expand your sphere of influence, finding others with the same interests will help build rapport. 

Other ways to get involved in your community include attending local events, shopping at small local businesses, or supporting your local sports team!

8. Ask for Referrals

Referrals are a reliable way to grow your real estate business because potential clients are more likely to trust a referral from close friends or family. Reaching out to friends and family or keeping in close contact with previous clients are good ways to stay top-of-mind when the opportunity to refer an agent arises. Referral rewards are also a common way to motivate people that send referrals. 

Many sociologists use Dunbar’s number to quantify the amount of relationships a person can successfully maintain in their sphere of influence. It’s estimated to be around 150 people. Since you can count a friend’s friend as a potential referral, your sphere of influence would be around 300 people. Even though it is commonly believed that knowing more people will give you a higher chance of closing transactions successfully, having people in your email or contact list that don’t open emails or return calls are likely not a good use of your time. That time can instead be dedicated to those that also include you in their sphere of influence.

9. Smartly Use Email Marketing

Email marketing is an effective and affordable method of communication that shouldn't be overlooked. Studies show that email marketing has a very high return on investment. For every dollar you spend on email marketing, you can expect $42 in return on average. Some best practices for email marketing include: 

• Making sure newsletters are informative and relevant

• Tracking delivery rates, bounce rates, unsubscribe rates, click through rates, and open rates

• Having a set schedule so readers know when to expect you

• Plan for follow-up campaigns to catch those that you missed in the previous email

• Include a call-to-action and avoid no-reply email addresses

Finally, include a brochure to advertise listings to new clients or show sellers that you are the perfect agent to sell their home. Here’s how Issuu can help you create an interactive real estate brochure.

10. Leverage Open Houses

Even though pictures can be worth a thousand words, in-person viewing at open houses can’t be underestimated for how they help potential buyers envision themselves in that house. It benefits the agent and potential buyers by being more flexible in terms of scheduling and is usually a more relaxing experience for buyers. 

To make the most out of your open house, make it an experience! If there’s a particular area of the house that’s a selling point, make sure it’s at the center of your event. For example, if the kitchen is the highlight of the house, host a cupcake decorating event and make sure potential clients remember this house above all others.