Prospecting for Real Estate Agents
In this article, we’ll first answer the question, “What is prospecting in real estate?”. Then we provide about 150 great real estate prospecting strategies for realtors. There is a special focus on networking ideas. Stay tuned to find out why that’s so essential!
Beyond that, we’ve included 11 super helpful tips for real estate agent prospecting, especially for those new to the residential realty game. We’ve also rounded up 7 of the best tools and resources for realtor prospecting.
Prospecting Strategies That Really Work
What Is Prospecting in Real Estate?
Real estate prospecting includes the various forms of outreach a realtor uses to generate new leads. It’s a key step in a real estate sales funnel. Generally real estate agents begin by targeting their audience. After designing a website, they develop automated marketing tools, a social media presence, email marketing campaigns, etc.
At this point they attract new leads through different real estate prospecting ideas and techniques. The prospective clients move down the pipeline if they are qualified leads. Hopefully they turn into first appointments and then into closings!
“Traditional” real estate agent prospecting has included offline marketing techniques like real cold calling, estate farming postcards, and canvassing a neighborhood on foot. In some ways, there’s still a place for these old school prospecting techniques.
It’s especially true that personal networking and community engagement remain invaluable skills for real estate agents. Word of mouth referrals are the #1 real estate prospecting technique to generate new leads and real estate clients. For that reason, we’ve included a special networking and community engagement section to our list of prospecting ideas for realtors.
5 AI-Driven Real Estate Prospecting Strategies
1. Social Media Listening Tools
What are Social Media Listening Tools?
Social media listening tools use AI algorithms to monitor social media platforms for mentions, keywords, and conversations relevant to your business.
In real estate, they can help you identify individuals who are expressing intent to buy or sell properties in your target area.
This does not mean they listen to private conversations. However, the common parlance does make it seem that way. We’re talking about discussions happening over public posts.
How to Use Social Media Listening
To implement social media listening for real estate prospecting, follow these steps:
- Choose a social media listening tool: Select a tool like Mention, BrandwatchBrandwatch, or Hootsuite Insights that offers real-time monitoring and analytics capabilities.
- Set up alerts and keywords: Define keywords related to real estate buying or selling signals (e.g., “Looking for a new home,” “Thinking about selling my house”) and create alerts to notify you when these keywords are mentioned.
- Monitor conversations: Regularly review the results from your social media listening tool to identify relevant conversations, sentiment trends, and potential prospects.
- Engage with prospects: Reach out to individuals who are expressing interest in buying or selling properties in your target area, offering assistance and information about your services.
2. Chatbots for Initial Engagement
What are AI Chatbots?
Chatbots are AI-powered virtual assistants that can engage with website visitors in real-time, providing information, answering questions, and collecting lead information.
In real estate, they can qualify leads by asking questions about budget, location preferences, and property criteria.
How to Use Chatbots
To implement chatbots for initial engagement in real estate prospecting, consider the following steps:
- Choose a chatbot platform: Select a platform like Intercom, Drift, or Chatfuel that offers chatbot building capabilities and integration with your website.
- Design the chatbot conversation flow: Define the questions and responses that the chatbot will use to engage with visitors, gather information, and qualify leads. Consider using branching logic to customize the conversation based on user responses.
- Integrate the chatbot with your website: Install the chatbot widget on your website and configure it to trigger based on specific actions or pages visited by visitors.
- Train your agents: Educate your agents on how to follow up with leads generated by the chatbot, providing additional information, scheduling appointments, and guiding prospects through the buying or selling process.
3. Virtual Reality (VR) Property Tours
VR property tours use AI-driven technology to create immersive 3D environments that allow prospects to explore properties remotely. In real estate, VR tours provide a more engaging and convenient way for prospects to view listings without having to visit them in person.
To implement VR property tours for real estate prospecting, you can follow these steps:
- Partner with a VR technology provider: Collaborate with companies like Matterport, EyeSpy360, or Asteroom that specialize in creating VR tours for real estate listings.
- Capture 3D scans of properties: Arrange for professional photographers equipped with VR scanning equipment to capture 3D scans of your property listings.
- Create immersive VR experiences: Use VR software platforms provided by your chosen technology provider to stitch together the 3D scans and create interactive VR tours that prospects can explore.
- Promote VR tours: Showcase VR tours on your website, property listings, and social media channels to attract prospects and provide them with a virtual walkthrough of your listings.
4. Automated Email Campaigns
Automated email campaigns leverage AI to send personalized emails to prospects based on their behavior and preferences.
In real estate, they can segment your contact list and deliver targeted messages to different prospect groups, increasing engagement and lead generation. They can also choose the perfect time to deliver emails based on their habits.
How to Use AI for Email Campaigns
To implement automated email campaigns for real estate prospecting, you can follow these steps:
- Choose an email marketing platform: Select a platform like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or HubSpot that offers advanced automation features and segmentation capabilities. Or check out my Robly Review.
- Segment your contact list: Divide your contact list into segments based on criteria like location, previous interactions, property preferences, or stage in the buyer’s journey.
- Create email templates: Design email templates for different stages of the buyer’s journey, including welcome emails, property recommendations, follow-ups, and newsletters.
- Set up automated workflows: Create automated workflows that trigger emails based on prospect actions, such as website visits, email opens, or form submissions.
- Monitor and optimize performance: Track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns. Use A/B testing and analytics to optimize your campaigns for better results.
Extra Tip: Robly is powered by AI tools that send emails over a 23-hour period at the most likely time each contact will open the email.
5. Voice Search Optimization
Voice search optimization involves optimizing your online presence to appear in voice search results when prospects use voice-enabled devices to inquire about real estate options.
In real estate, this can help increase your visibility and attract more leads who use voice search to find properties.
How to Use Voice Search Optimization
To implement voice search optimization for real estate prospecting, consider the following steps:
- Conduct keyword research: Identify voice search queries relevant to your business by researching common phrases and questions related to real estate buying, selling, and local property searches.
- Optimize website content: Incorporate natural language phrases and long-tail keywords into your website content, meta descriptions, and local listings to match voice search queries.
- Improve mobile experience: Enhance your website’s mobile responsiveness, loading speed, and usability to provide a better experience for users conducting voice searches on smartphones and other mobile devices.
- Monitor performance: Use tools like Google Search Console to track your website’s performance in voice search results and identify opportunities for improvement. Adjust your optimization strategies based on user behavior and search trends.
Real Estate Prospecting Ideas
Networking & Community Engagement Techniques
1. Write a hand-written note to former satisfied clients for referrals.
Many realtors call former clients to request referrals, but a handwritten note provides a personal touch. You may shy away from the idea of wrist cramps, but you already know to never underestimate word of mouth.
2. Host an open house for a seller.
Use this as an opportunity to put feelers out for other clients. Some experts recommend sponsoring open houses every weekend. Not only will you gain a lot of in-person exposure to potential leads, you’ll keep a constant finger on the pulse of the market.
3. Volunteer for floor duty at your brokerage or agency.
You can always find clever ways to invest your time when the floor traffic is slow. Just ensure your chosen task can be stopped on a dime.
4. Engage your immediate sphere of influence.
Think about family, friends, and anyone you see on a regular basis. Always remain open to talking about your profession and be forward about your appreciation for referrals. Those closest to you are the most inclined to feed your lead pipeline.
5. Pay special attention to your own neighborhood.
Especially if you’re a new realtor and looking for beginner real estate prospecting strategies, this is a great technique. Consider joining or founding a neighborhood watch.
6. Host real estate seminars.
Clearly this is a more advanced technique. If you have the expertise and experience, it can be a great way to establish yourself as an authority in your target market. Think about the trust you could establish by slipping that into a conversation with potential leads.
7. Approach large companies in your areas and recommend yourself for their relocation services.
Clever, right? Just leave behind business cards and market reports. When presenting yourself to the companies, remember that you are providing them and their employees with a service, not begging for a favor.
8. Attend professional networking events.
It’s key to attend events that include non-real-estate professionals. And be sure to come as a puppy, not a shark. Your goal should be to have fun and socialize, not target fresh prey.
9. Get politically active.
Are you concerned about climate change? Do you have a vested interest in the public safety of your town? Your interest in political issues may range from the global to the hyperlocal. Get involved.
10. Volunteer strategically.
This real estate prospecting idea works on multiple levels. Sure, you’re farming potential leads. But you’re helping those in need and gaining personal enjoyment from that.
Plus it improves your community reputation. Keep in mind that some forms of volunteerism will provide significantly more potential leads than others. But ensure that you’re doing something you love.
Unique Real Estate Prospecting Ideas
More Community Prospecting Strategies
1. Join extracurricular activities.
This real estate prospecting idea is a reminder that whatever extracurriculars you’re involved in can be used as a networking opportunity. It’s also an encouragement to get involved in group hobbies.
2. Join events for your pets or children.
Activities like dog park meetups, high school cross country meets, or playground days are great because they naturally foster conversation among the adults.
3. Get involved in a community event!
Use platforms like MeetUp, Eventbrite, and Facebook Events to find activities that suit you well.
4. Feature a local business on your website each week.
This idea can be somewhat labor intensive, but it also has a great payoff. It fosters a huge amount of community connections. Remember that when you preemptively do something nice for someone, they feel inclined to return the favor, especially a favor of like kind.
So what better way to get people to recommend your services than recommending their services? Plus you develop a bank of great restaurants and activities for people relocating to your area.
5. Door knocking with a strategy.
Many realtors shy away from farming a neighborhood by going door to door because it feels intrusive. That’s fair, but we have two real estate prospecting strategies that mitigate that feeling, both for you and the home-owners.
First, bring along a dog on a walk through a geofarm neighborhood. If you don’t have one, borrow one! People are often happy to pet a friendly dog.
It’s win-win-win-win. You, the dog, your friends, and the home-owners all get a nice treat. Keep in mind that some people are afraid of dogs, however, so it’s best to use a small, harmless, and well-behaved dog.
Second, bring along a free resource like 450 Ideas to Sell Your Home Faster. Suggest sending the document electronically to save the environment and get an email as well.
6. Knock on doors with gifts.
In particular, you should bring market reports that demonstrate a strong growth in home values for a particular area. People are more likely to receive you pleasantly if you give them proof that their home is worth more than they thought. It’s almost like showing up with a gift of $10,000-50,000+.
7. Public speaking.
Yes, it’s the scourge of mankind. Our second biggest fear. But that’s exactly why it gives you a powerful presence and establishes you as an authority. Consider schools, universities, chamber of commerce, networking groups, and community meetings.
8. Sponsor Neighborhood Giveaways.
For example, you could hand out American flags on Memorial Day and Independence Day. Or mini pumpkins before Halloween. Hot chocolate kits in December. Funfetti Puppy Chow (for people) for the New Year. The list is endless.
Bonus Real Estate Prospecting Ideas
Traditional Marketing and Outreach
- Send out personalized handwritten letters to homeowners.
- Host neighborhood open houses.
- Send out monthly postcards featuring market updates.
- Send out holiday cards to past and potential clients.
- Attend local community events and network.
- Collaborate with local businesses for cross-promotion.
- Establish partnerships with local photographers for property shoots.
- Collaborate with local newspapers for advertising.
- Participate in home and garden shows or expos.
- Utilize targeted direct mail campaigns.
Digital Marketing and Online Presence
- Utilize geo-targeted Facebook ads.
- Host virtual home tours on social media platforms.
- Create and maintain a professional real estate blog.
- Utilize Instagram for visually appealing property showcases.
- Create targeted landing pages for different client demographics.
- Create and distribute digital real estate guides.
- Utilize LinkedIn for networking with professionals.
- Host Facebook Live Q&A sessions about real estate.
- Create and share infographics about the local housing market.
- Participate in real estate forums and online communities.
- Utilize targeted Google AdWords campaigns.
- Offer virtual staging services for vacant properties.
- Create and share 3D virtual property tours.
- Send out monthly real estate newsletters.
- Create targeted Facebook groups for local real estate topics.
Client Education and Engagement
- Offer free or discounted home valuation services.
- Organize first-time homebuyer seminars.
- Host webinars on real estate investing.
- Offer free or discounted staging consultations for sellers.
- Offer free or discounted homebuyer seminars at local libraries.
- Create and share informative podcasts about real estate.
- Offer free home inspection consultations.
- Host local homebuyer happy hours or mixers.
- Host home seller workshops on preparing for a sale.
- Offer free real estate investment consultations.
- Giveaway our eBook “300 Ideas to Sell Your Home Faster“.
Networking and Partnerships
- Implement a referral program for satisfied clients.
- Network with other real estate agents for referrals.
- Collaborate with local schools for sponsorship opportunities.
- Attend local Chamber of Commerce meetings.
- Partner with mortgage brokers for client referrals.
- Collaborate with local interior designers for home staging.
- Participate in local charity events and sponsorships.
- Participate in local real estate networking groups.
Digital Content and Engagement
- Create and share interactive quizzes about homeownership.
- Utilize Twitter for real-time market updates and engagement.
- Create and distribute real estate eBooks.
- Create and share real estate market trend videos.
- Utilize Instagram Stories for behind-the-scenes property tours.
- Create and share real estate success stories on social media.
- Utilize Snapchat for real-time property updates.
- Create and share real estate market prediction videos.
- Utilize TikTok for creative property showcases.
Pro Tip: Check out our 150 Viral Real Estate Social Media Post Ideas.
Real-Time Updates and Engagement
- Utilize Snapchat for real-time property updates.
- Implement live video walkthroughs of properties on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
- Utilize chatbots on your website or social media channels to provide instant responses to inquiries and schedule appointments.
- Host live question and answer sessions with industry experts, such as mortgage lenders or home inspectors, to provide valuable insights to your audience.
- Share live updates on local events and developments that could impact the real estate market, such as new infrastructure projects or zoning changes.
- Use push notifications through mobile apps or SMS to alert subscribers about new property listings or price reductions as soon as they become available.
- Engage with followers through interactive polls and quizzes on social media to gather feedback and preferences regarding property features or neighborhood amenities.
- Offer virtual tours of properties in high-demand areas during peak buying seasons to capitalize on buyer interest and generate excitement.
- Provide real-time updates on the status of offers and negotiations for your clients, keeping them informed every step of the way.
Real Estate Education and Workshops
- Host virtual real estate investing masterclasses.
- Organize local real estate investment seminars.
- Conduct virtual seller boot camps on maximizing home value.
- Facilitate local real estate investment meetups.
- Organize virtual home seller workshops on marketing strategies.
- Conduct virtual home staging workshops.
- Host virtual home renovation workshops.
- Organize local real estate investment roundtable discussions.
- Host local real estate investment pitch events.
- Engage in local real estate investment clubs.
- Participate in local homebuyer education programs.
- Join local real estate investor forums.
- Attend local real estate investment conferences.
- Participate in local real estate investment summits.
Consultations and Assessments
- Provide complimentary home maintenance consultations.
- Offer rental property assessments at no cost.
- Deliver property management consultations free of charge.
- Conduct real estate investment property evaluations.
- Offer strategic consultations for real estate investment.
- Provide portfolio consultations for real estate investment.
- Offer risk assessments for real estate investment.
- Provide due diligence consultations for real estate investment.
- Offer financing consultations for real estate investment.
- Provide tax consultations for real estate investment.
- Offer legal consultations for real estate investment.
Content Creation and Distribution
- Produce real estate investment guides for clients.
- Distribute newsletters on real estate investment.
- Share market updates for real estate investment.
- Present case studies on real estate investment.
- Distribute market reports for real estate investment.
- Create eBooks on real estate investment.
- Distribute podcasts on real estate investment.
- Share success stories in real estate investment.
- Present trend reports on real estate investment.
Pro Tip: Give away our eBook on 300 Ideas to Sell Your Home Faster.
Collaborations and Joint Promotions
- Partner with property managers for promotions.
- Collaborate with real estate attorneys for promotions.
- Work with real estate appraisers for promotions.
- Collaborate with real estate developers for promotions.
- Team up with real estate mentors for promotions.
- Partner with real estate wholesalers for promotions.
Innovative Technology and Experiences
- Utilize virtual reality for immersive property experiences.
- Employ 360-degree photography for interactive property tours.
- Implement interactive floor plans for property presentations.
- Utilize 3D virtual tours for immersive property experiences.
- Incorporate drone footage for aerial property showcases.
Virtual Presentations and Experiences
- Employ virtual staging for property presentations.
- Utilize virtual reality headsets for immersive property experiences.
- Implement interactive property maps for location-based presentations.
- Create 3D models for property visualizations.
- Utilize drone footage for aerial property showcases.
How InboundREM Can Help
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You thought we were done with our list of real estate prospecting ideas, didn’t you?
Nope, here are more of our favorite and best prospecting strategies, both offline and online.
Offline Prospecting Ideas
1. Contact the owners of expired listings.
Do some homework first and ask why the listing expired. Then give free advice. But always check the Do Not Call Registry!
2. Contact FSBO listings, especially those on the market awhile.
What’s worse than paying a realtor commission? Never selling your house at all.
3. Contact foreclosure listings.
Though not for everyone, this real estate prospecting technique can be valuable.
4. Connect with CPAs.
They might give you great referrals. Leave your business cards—or even better, beautiful fridge magnets—at their place of business. This is one of our favorite real estate prospecting strategies.
5. Connect with divorce lawyers.
They also can provide great referrals. Get your mindset right beforehand—you’re providing both divorce attorneys and the divorcees with a service during a trying time.
6. Buy a billboard!
Here’s 30+ examples of effective real estate billboards.
7. Get decked out with real estate gear.
It’s wise to have exercise clothes, polos, and other outfits that signal you’re a real estate broker or agent. Wear them on your geofarm neighborhood dog walks.
8. Invest in refrigerator magnets.
Business cards are cheaper, but so easy to misplace. On the other hand, a business-card-sized magnet works like a tiny billboard for everyone that passes through their kitchen. Make sure the design is beautiful and/or funny to incentivize people to place it prominently.
9. Display Listings on a Window Hanger.
This technique obviously works best for offices in areas with high foot traffic. That’s doubly true for areas with vacation homes.
Online Prospecting Ideas
1. Engage in content marketing.
Apart from community engagement for word of mouth referrals, the best forms of real estate prospecting for realtors is online content marketing. You can check out our blog for dozens of quality articles on real estate content marketing.
We’re regularly updating to provide you with free stellar content, the best resources, and helpful reviews.
2. Learn about Real Estate SEO.
This goes hand in hand with content marketing. You can also follow the lead of hundreds of realtors and sign up for Real Estate SEO Consulting. I offer FREE one-hour SEO consulting sessions to realtors.
Read the Google reviews on the right-hand sidebar to see what they have to say. Then sign up to get your hair blown back.
3. Plaster yourself across YouTube.
This is my favorite way to get online real estate leads. You can check out my Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Video Marketing (Coming Soon). For now, learn from the masters Christophe Choo and Krista Mashore.
4. Use NextDoor.
This underutilized app brings together neighborhoods and communities with updates, events, posts, concerns, etc. It’s essentially a digital billboard, and you should be all over it!
Make yourself the “neighborhood mayor”. Be the welcome committee for new transplants and take care of issues that will gain you major street cred.
5. Use Facebook Groups related to your city.
A recent NAR study concluded that 80% of realtors use Facebook to connect with their community and nurture leads. Once you’ve found a few relevant groups, Facebook will suggest more ideas. Soon you’ll be plugged-in to ready-made communities that you can provide value to.
6. Leverage LinkedIn.
Use this Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Prospecting on LinkedIn (from LinkedIn!) for some excellent strategies. Check out our video above, around the 21:30 mark, for more great real estate advice!
7. Develop a presence on Instagram.
Especially if you already enjoy Insta, this is a fantastic way to connect with and entertain potential leads.
Read our 121 Real Estate Hashtag Ideas for a deep-diving guide on mastering this technique.
8. Consider Facebook Ad campaigns.
At the very least, get a Facebook page. Be sure to track your success and decide if it’s worthwhile.
9. Become a Zillow Premier Agent.
10. Post on social media platforms.
It’s a free way to reach a wide audience beginning with your best referees—those close to you and past clients.
11. Add a Live Chat to your Website.
This can be a highly effective method for retaining potential leads.
12. Improve your meme game.
We’ve already compiled 101 great real estate memes for use on social media.
13. Leverage Pintrest
Read our article on why Pintrest is a highly undervalued platform for real estate prospecting.
Free eBooks for Agents
Download any or all of our real estate marketing eBooks. These books contain cutting edge information, deep-diving case studies, actionable hacks to skyrocket your business.
Prospecting Tips & Advice
- Create a calendar and fill it with your real estate prospecting tasks.
Or use CRM software with a built-in calendar.
2. Keep track of how many prospects you contact before getting a listing appointment.
Use it to track your best real estate prospecting strategies. At first, aim to get one secured lead per day and one secured listing appointment per week.
3. Prospect every day during a set time.
It should be a daily routine because inconsistent real estate prospecting is the quickest way to sink the ship. Consider dedicating 2 hours each morning or afternoon to real estate prospecting.
4. Have 5 significant conversations every day.
Be wary of working a pitch into every conversation. Let your real estate services come up naturally. When they do, talk about them enthusiastically. Highly successful real estate agents hit this benchmark naturally.
5. Give a gift when asking for referrals.
And consider writing handwritten notes over a phone call. Include that fridge magnet we keep talking about!
6. Always ask new clients how they found you.
If they were referred, give the referee a gift and a thank you call. Inform the new clients that you always give gifts to referees. Accordingly, you establish trust but also incentivize them to become referees in turn.
7. Consider sending another gift at closing.
Nobody has ever complained about receiving too many gifts, but people remember those who go the extra mile. Here’s a fantastic little guide include a list of gift ideas for realtors.
8. Revisit your contact list.
Reconsider those who you considered too small to call. Put your best foot forward, treating small opportunities like big opportunities, and expect an eventual payoff.
9. Ask for permission to stay in touch.
This paves the way for the next contact.
10. Don’t be discouraged by initial measly results.
Real estate prospecting, like any kind of marketing, takes time to grow. If you’re feeling defeated, use that to re-educate yourself. What can you do better? Get some ideas in mind and keep at it.
11. Be relentless about following up on leads.
Check out this contact probability arc. One-off outreach is easy to forget. Consistent, polite outreach is hard to ignore. Just space out your outreach efforts and make sure you keep asking for permission to get in touch again!
How to Generate Leads and Real Estate Clients
Most real estate agents begin with the wrong mindset for their real estate prospecting game.
The key to finding more real estate prospects, nuturing more potential real estate clients, and creating more business is a shift in focus.
Most real estate agents approach their real estate prospecting efforts by focusing primarily on how to get more real estate leads. They use all kinds of tactics:
- Open houses
- Inbound marketing
- Email marketing
- Cold calling
- Social media ads
- Real estate prospecting letters
- Community events
- Outbound marketing
- Networking events
- Direct message/Text message
- Content marketing
- Blog posts
- Email newsletters
- Expired listings & FSBO listings
You may be a real estate agent who hoped to find new real estate clients and boost your real estate business by finding more prospecting strategies like these.
But hold on. The main thing you should do to fulfill your long term goals is approach potential clients differently.
Instead of focusing on specific techniques, focus on making one new genuine connection every day.
Most highly successful agents use this approach. You can tweak your automated drip campaigns all day. But the best strategy actually isn’t some data-driven prospecting strategy.
It’s deepening and creating genuine connections. So take all the strategies you can from this article, but hear this above all. Make or deepen a genuine connection in a highly personal and thoughtful way every day.
Real Estate Prospecting Tools
- Invest in good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
It will help you keep track of your real estate prospecting and farming efforts. Check out this review of the best CRM software for real estate prospecting. You can also read this article to learn more about CRM software development.
2. REDX is another excellent prospecting resource.
It helps you organize and gather leads on expired listings, FSBOs, pre-foreclosures, and more.
3. You can also design and order a virtual business card with BV Card.
Then order custom promotional refrigerator magnets from Pure Buttons, Fedic Crafts, or AliBaba vendors.
5. Check out this Field Guide to Real Estate Prospecting and Farming if you have a membership with the National Association of Realtors.