In a recent Constant Contact webinar, Making Sense of Online Marketing for Real Estate, we asked real estate professionals about their biggest marketing-related challenges.

Almost 29% of real estate professionals said getting more leads and clients was their greatest challenge.

For a lot of realtors, the instinct is to purchase a list in order to connect with brokers or other real estate agents in their local area. However, this is not an effective tactic as there are many laws pertaining to unsolicited phone calls and emails. Many people are unlikely to even return a call and simply unsubscribe or mark an email as spam if they don’t know who you are.

The truth is, there are much better ways to get more leads that actually want to hear from you. 

Having a clear and effective online marketing strategy is essential for realtors and there are a variety of tools to target your ideal audience and get them on your list so you can communicate with them.

That’s why, in this article, I’m going to be sharing important tips and strategies to help you grow your list effectively so you can turn your subscribers into clients. I’ll also go through some of the top tools that modern real estate professionals can use to accelerate their list growth.

Let’s start by talking about the basics of generating leads and growing your agency’s email list. 

Offer something of value

Especially when it comes to your email list, no one gives you their information on the premise of receiving more email. I don’t know anyone who wants to receive more email in their inbox every single day.

Don’t go into the ask by just asking them to “join our email list.”

Focus on offering something of value. We know that people typically sign up for a real estate email list for three reasons:

1. To receive property details and updates
2. To receive valuable content and information
3. To show their support

When you’re asking them to sign up to your list, offer something your audience finds valuable. Think about who you’re targeting and what’s in it for them.

For example, if you’re trying to find leads for sellers, you might offer a free property estimate or a checklist for selling your home.

If you’re targeting buyers, you might offer a first time home buyer guide, a checklist for buying a home, or even some sort of educational event, such as the ins and outs of buying your first home, or an investment property seminar.

What information to collect from real estate leads

Many of the tools mentioned below are going to give you the ability to collect the information that’s going to be relevant to you.

When setting up your form and asking for information, you only want to collect the information that’s necessary at first. 

You can collect more information later on and even use the actions your leads take from your marketing campaigns to learn more about them.

Ideally, you’ll want to collect their name and email address at first, as that’s going to give you the ability to start nurturing your leads.

For many of you, a phone number can be valuable if your qualification strategy involves reaching out via a phone call to discuss their needs.

You may also want to ask another type of question that helps you to learn a little more about your lead. For example, you may want to know if they are a buyer or seller, or even their purchasing budget.

That type of information will help you to send more targeted, relevant information based on their response.

Just remember to keep your form as short as possible. The more information you ask for on your form, the less likely someone is to complete it. 

Tools to get more leads and signups

With online marketing, you have a lot of options and places you can start to collect leads. Ideally, you’ll want to use a variety of tools in different places to reach the most people. 

Here are some suggestions of tools you can use to grow your real estate marketing list.

Facebook and Instagram ads

I hear from real estate agents all of the time who want to find people in their local area to target.

That’s why Facebook & Instagram ads work so well. 

Even with a few limitations to protect against discrimination in housing and credit on how you can target, you still have the ability to target by city and interests which can help you reach the people you want to reach.

Here are a few interests you might consider targeting:

• Zillow
• Trulia
• Property finder
• For sale by owner
• House refinancing
• Land and houses
• Luxury real estate

Depending on your ideal target audience for your ad, you can also look for clues when they are making a big life change that requires a move. Whether it’s baby supplies, relocation, or even weddings. 

While you can create a regular Facebook and Instagram ad that drives people to your site and property information, you can also directly generate new contacts with Facebook lead ads. 

Simply create an ad that offers something valuable, add a visual, set up your target audience and budget, and start collecting leads directly within Facebook.

Add a sign-up form to your website 

When someone is searching for a real estate agent or related service, potential clients are going to turn to an online search. While there are many things that can come up in those search results, your website is just one. 

After all, a real estate website is where many will turn to find out if you’re the agent that fits their needs. 

This is why we suggest adding a sign-up form to your website or even your blog. You have a lot of options, but a pop-up form is a great option to catch their attention at just the right time.

Plus, if you’re utilizing Google Ads to drive traffic to your website, you have a way to capture your visitors’ information and influence them later on.

TIP: Learn more about how to create a real estate website that sells.

Add a sign-up link in your email signature

On a daily basis, you’re having one-to-one conversations in your email inbox. These emails are a great opportunity to grow your email list as well.

Simply add a sign-up link in your email signature and encourage people to join your email list.

Grow your list on social media

Social media is another great opportunity to grow your list and collect leads. You have a variety of options.

Not only can you create posts that drive people to your email list, but you can also add a link in the bio of each social platform you use. 

Facebook has a couple of additional tools that are worth calling out.

At the top of each Facebook business page, there’s a call-to-action button that appears on the bottom right of your cover photo. 

Simply change the call-to-action text to “Sign Up” and provide a link to a sign-up form.

Another great opportunity with Facebook is to add the Join My Mailing List App to your page. This option adds a tab towards the top of the page and allows people to sign up without leaving Facebook.

Create a Lead Generation Landing Page

Lead Generation Landing Pages are a great way to grow your list, especially when you pair them with some of the options we discussed above. 

Create a landing page that offers something of value that entices your audience, publish it, and share it anywhere and everywhere! They pair great with social media ads!

Set up a Text-to-Join option

When you’re out at events or even open houses, you need a way to collect potential buyer information. 

The Text-to-Join option allows you to create a simple flyer with a keyword of your choosing. Potential buyers can join your list, right from a text message. 

Share your keyword and phone number anywhere where potential clients can see it.

A list builder app

Another idea at your open houses and events is to use an app to collect their information.

For example, you could place a tablet with the app open next to your infamous open house cookies and encourage people to enter their information to receive additional details right there.

Sync leads from other sources

Real estate-specific sites online are another important source for leads. 

Sites like Zillow are where potential buyers spend a good amount of time when buying a home. Utilize the power of this site to generate leads and then sync them directly into your Constant Contact account to follow-up with them later.

Other strategies to get more leads

In our recent webinar with guest expert Chris Linsell, he suggested that one of his favorite ways to grow a list is to throw a housewarming party for your clients.

Chris suggests this is a great way to introduce yourself to your client’s friends and family. You can spend some time networking and ask them to sign up to your mailing list. 

Another idea is to host educational events. Events are a great way to share your expertise and make connections. You could host events such as a first time home buyer seminar, investment property seminar, and events that help them with yard maintenance, decorating their home, or give them some remodeling tips. 

You can even encourage registrants to bring a friend.

Don’t neglect your leads

Once you’re collecting leads in a variety of places, it’s important to communicate with them.

You want to start nurturing potential clients and building trust and relationships. 

Remember, people work with realtors they know, like, and trust.

Your email communications are an important piece of the puzzle. 

You’ll want to start sending potential buyers information such as property listings, information on open houses, and your insights into the state of the local market.

Don’t forget that valuable content plays an important role in your strategy as well. Make sure to include information such as tips for buying a home, securing a loan, and anything that helps them through the process.

Start collecting leads today!

At this point, you’re ready to get started implementing these tools and strategies to collect leads and grow your email list.

Generating your own leads through these methods is a much more effective way to grow your list than buying leads. 

Just remember, people are more likely to give you their information when they understand the value they are going to receive. 

It’s not just about you collecting their email address and information, it’s about you being there to provide guidance and help them along the way.

The post Real Estate: Grow Your Email List and Generate More Leads with These Tips appeared first on Constant Contact.