About 75% of home buyers choose the first real estate agent they interview. If potential clients cannot find you online, however, they might not hire you.
With a strong digital marketing strategy, you can start generating more brand awareness and website traffic. Then, you can turn your website visitors into new real estate leads. You will have an easier time setting your agency up for lasting growth as a result.
Not sure how to generate leads online? Here are the ten tips you need for success.
With these tips, you can expand your reach online. These digital marketing tips can help you get ahead of competing real estate agents, too!
Set your agency up for lasting growth. Discover how to generate real estate leads with this simple guide today.
1. Research Your Target Audience
Before you start developing your lead generation strategy, it is important to gather research. Otherwise, you will fail to make informed decisions regarding your campaigns.
You might waste time and money marketing your agency on the wrong online channels. You could use the wrong tactics or marketing messages, too. Instead, develop a strong marketing strategy by researching your target audience.
Consider who your clients are based on demographics and psychographics. For example, you might consider:
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Marital status
- Education
- Language
- Career
- Buying behaviors
- Household income/budget
- If they are first-time buyers
- If they have a family
- Buying versus selling
You will need to use different marketing language based on who you are trying to reach.
Consider segmenting your overall audience into distinct buyer personas. For example, you might separate buyers versus sellers. You might focus on first-time buyers versus repeat homeowners.
Once you segment your audience groups, start gathering keyword research. You can use tools like:
- SEMRush
- Answer the Public
- Ahrefs
- Google Trends
- Keyword Planner
Focus on long-tail keywords that are made up of four or more words. Look for keywords that are phrased as questions, too.
The research you gather can help you personalize the rest of your digital marketing strategy. Personalization will make it easier for you to connect with your customers. Otherwise, your content might not appeal to their needs or interests.
2. Update Your Branding
Before using the rest of these lead generation tips, take a look at your branding.
An old, outdated brand could impact your ability to engage clients. They might think your business is old and outdated, too. Consider refreshing your brand this year.
First, determine your unique value proposition. What can you offer clients that they cannot find from another real estate agent? Make your value the heart of your brand.
Then, determine the rest of your brand identity, including your:
- Vision statement
- Mission statement
- Values
- Personality
- Voice
- Tone
- Logo
- Color palette
- Font styles
- Imagery styles
As you develop your lead strategy, keep your branding consistent on every marketing channel. Consistency will help brand awareness and recognition grow.
Make sure your brand is unique, too. Otherwise, clients might confuse your real estate agency with another.
3. Audit Your Website
If you want to learn how to generate real estate leads, take a look at your website.
Your website is one of the strongest tools you can use when developing your digital marketing strategy. If your website is slow and unappealing, it could scare away customers. Instead, use your website to engage, inform, and generate leads.
First, run your website through Google's:
- Core Web Vitals
- PageSpeed Insights
- Mobile-Friendly Test
The Core Web Vitals are a series of user-centric ranking factors. Google wants to make sure you are providing users with a positive user experience. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and use.
Make sure your site is fast as well. No one wants to wait around for a page to load.
Google now uses mobile-first indexing to determine search engine rankings. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly, too. Otherwise, people might leave your site without exploring your content. Your search engine rankings could drop as a result.
Optimize your website to generate leads. First, simplify your forms. Make sure people have an easy way to contact you. Consider adding a button mobile users can use to call you, too.
You can also add a chatbot to your website to generate real estate leads when you are away.
Otherwise, add a lead magnet. For example, you can add an eBook. Encourage people to provide their email so you can send them the file.
Make sure your lead magnet offers something interesting and helpful. You can also offer infographics, checklists, and other real estate tools. Some real estate agents add calculators to their sites as well.
Optimizing your website for conversions can streamline your entire lead generation strategy.
Consider IDX Search Functionality
You might want to update your IDX search functionality as well.
Make sure it is easy for people to explore your listings. They should have an easy way to contact you if they find a listing they like, too. Add a convenient call to action button along with each listing.
You could have an easier time learning how to generate leads if you offer multiple opportunities on your site.
4. Start Creating Content
Developing a content creation strategy will help you demonstrate your experience and expertise. Boosting your credibility will encourage people to trust you. You might have an easier time generating real estate leads as a result.
Create different forms of content this year, including:
- Blog posts/articles
- eBooks
- Polls
- Quizzes
- Webinars
- Calculators
- Videos (vlogs, testimonials, company culture, Q&A, etc.)
- 3D tours
- Aerial videos
- VR tours
- Augmented reality
- Virtual staging
Take a look at what your competitors are doing. Then, go above and beyond. Creating dynamic content like VR and virtual tours will help you stand out from other agents.
Search Engine Optimization
Once you start creating fresh content for your website, take the time to optimize your posts.
Search engine optimization (SEO) can improve where your website ranks on search engine result pages. When someone searches for a local real estate agency, your site could appear. Improving your search engine rankings can help your site rank ahead of the competition.
Potential clients will see your real estate website before anyone else's.
Boosting your rankings can help you:
- Boost brand awareness and recognition
- Establish your credibility in the industry
- Generate more website traffic
- Increase for submissions and phone calls
- Generate more real estate leads
- Improve your ROI
In fact, about 68% of all online journeys start with a search engine. Over 53% of website traffic comes from organic searches, too. In fact, SEO drives over 1,000% more traffic than social media marketing.
The real estate leads you generate through SEO could have a 14.6% close rate, too.
Unfortunately, only 0.78% of Google users look at the second page.
Optimize the content you create for search engines to reach the top of the page. Consider working with an experienced agency to get started.
They can help by offering tools you can use to create your dynamic content. Then, use your keyword research to optimize each post with SEO.
5. Create PPC Ads
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising allows you to create text and display ads online. Your ads can appear on search engines, websites, or social media platforms.
Consider creating more visual ads this year. Visual ads can help boost your branding. You can also display images of your listings through display ads.
Otherwise, use remarketing. Remarketing ads appear in front of people who previously visited your website. You will have an easier time remaining top of mind.
6. Stay Social
Once you start creating blog posts, VR tours, or aerial videos, share it all! Post the content you create on social media. Social media marketing can also help you generate brand awareness.
Share user-generated content this year, too. If a happy client posts about their experience with your agency, reshare the post.
7. Request Reviews
Positive reviews can boost your brand's reputation. You could have an easier time generating brand trust with new clients.
Ask your clients to post their reviews on your Google My Business listing. Consider creating testimonial videos, too. Then, share the reviews on your website and social media.
8. Automate Emails
Once you start generating real estate leads through your website, make sure to nurture your leads. Create a drip email marketing campaign. You can share tips, success stories, and new listings with your subscribers.
Make sure to segment your email subscription lists to continue personalizing.
9. Track Trends
Keep track of the latest digital marketing trends that pop up throughout the year, too.
For example, video content is dominating IP traffic and overall Internet growth. By the end of 2021, video content could represent 80% of all Internet traffic.
Live Internet video is increasing by 15-fold, accounting for 13% of all Internet video traffic. Meanwhile, virtual reality and augmented reality are gaining traction, too. VR/AR traffic could increase by 20-fold this year.
Consider creating more 3D or virtual tours.
Keeping up with the trends can help you get ahead of the competition.
10. Analyze and Adjust
Once you develop your lead generation marketing strategy, analyze the results of your campaigns.
Which strategies are helping you generate the most leads? Which campaigns fall flat?
Use your data to make adjustments and generate more leads in the future.
Set for Success: 10 Tips for Generating Real Estate Leads With Ease
Do not fall behind competing real estate agencies this year. Instead, learn how to generate real estate leads with these 10 tips. Using these tips can help you attract clients and remain relevant year-round.
Do not forget to equip yourself with the right tools for the task. We can help.
Explore our latest resources today to get started.