Is your calendar filled with buyers meetings and showings? If you are like most sellers, even if you consider yourself busy, you are always trying to fill that pipeline with buyers. Do you need to generate real estate buyer leads?
Here Are 6 Ways to Get Started Now in Charleston
1. Open Houses
Open houses are tried and true way to meet people who want to buy a house. Ask listing agents in your market area if they need help with an open house. Busy agents often need the extra time to tend to other matters and welcome an enthusiastic person to show their listing.
Many buyers walking through open houses aren’t represented. If you happen to click with them, get their information and have adequate follow up, you may get some leads.
Rarely will the open house walk-in buy the house you’re showing from, but who would argue with that outcome either. What generally happens is the buyers get a feel for their options through open houses. If you can add value with your service to take their search to the next level, you’ll capture a buyer.
2. Get Your Website Ranked
There are a number of ways to get your website ranked at the top of search engines. One of the most cost effective ways is to create useful content that buyers want to read. Whether your content is about market trends in Charleston or how to make an offer sellers take notice of, content should be engaging and helpful to buyers.
More buyers research online as much as possible online before they ever reach out to an agent. When they finally do, you want to be top of mind. Be their educator through the process online and get inbound leads consistently.
Don’t forget to have some type of email capturing tool embedded on your website. This will allow you to follow up with them by email later.
3. Facebook and Social Media
Getting leads on social media takes more than just posting listings or asking for referrals. Engage audiences to build your brand. People will follow your posts because you are knowledgeable and fun. Yes, Facebook is a place for fun but it works very well for business too.
Create memes of the “worst listing photos” that you come across in on the MLS. Your audience will appreciate the lightheartedness and subtly realize that a professional pays attention to details.
4. Craigslist Ads for Real Estate Leads
Craigslist is useful for more than just advertising listings. By designing a Craigslist ad that directs buyers to a landing page capturing information on potential buyers, you give yourself a growing book of potential buyers.
Your Craigslist ad needs to have a great title and offer something people want. Just saying, “I’m here to help you find your dream house,” will get you little if anything. Be creative. Create a weekly list of the “5 Biggest Fixer Uppers in Charleston .” Something like this attracts investors looking for fix and flip opportunities. These are potential clients that regularly buy and sell homes. Become their expert deal finder.
5. Give Mortgage Lenders A Platform
Power partners are essential for realtors. Many buyers will start with lenders to see what they qualify for before even looking, let alone talking to an agent. While every lender out there is inundated with agents who want to partner up, offer the lender something in return.
No, you don’t need to buy their love. Remember that engaging content you’re putting out there? Feature your favorite lender as the professional expert for a blog about interest rates or FHA financing. Share their contact information with your audience. Help them build their brand and you’ll get some love in return.
6. Complete and Update a Zillow Profile
Yep, we already said it: buyers are shopping online before they ever call a realtor. With Zillow being the biggest and most popular real estate search provider, complete your profile and constantly update it on Zillow. This optimizes results.
If you can, specialize in a hyper-focused area to have Zillow recognize you in smaller markets because competing in the larger arenas is where bigger brands are spending their money, throwing a wider net.
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Charleston or know someone who is, feel free to give us a call at (843) 881-7171 or fill out the form on our website.