The real estate market is full of buyers and sellers, and it takes more than simple marketing to stand out among them and connect to potential clients. Real estate prospecting is the alternative to waiting for clients to respond to ads—finding and pursuing leads and actively establishing yourself in the community. The methods of doing so vary, but all of them give you a better shot than waiting for someone to stumble on one of your ads.
Starting Your Outreach
Whatever your methods, you can’t start prospecting without having something to show people. A strong digital presence is key for digital marketing, but it also plays a major role in prospecting these days—a business website, social media profile, directory listing and online reviews give leads a way to learn more about you and what you offer. You also want an established network as a way of finding your first leads. Friends, family and colleagues can help you with referrals and connecting people to you, and attending community events lets you put your name out there.
Scale of Prospecting
Making a sale eventually becomes a one-on-one relationship, but you don’t have to start prospecting with such a laser-targeted approach. Strategies for prospecting exist at scales anywhere from personal to community-wide, from mailing out postcards and putting up fliers to going door-to-door or calling up individual listings. Even at larger scales, though, your message should have an air of personality to them. Do research and consider what message you want to send out.
A Confident Approach
Success depends on persistence, understanding the other party and forming relationships. Getting discouraged by prospecting failure is understandable, but don’t give up if you don’t immediately get a client. Avoid putting on early pressure to sign up; instead, approach leads warmly and confidently. Make sure to follow up on any leads that respond so that you can continue towards that client relationship. If it helps you, create basic scripts on what you want to go over with them.
The realtors that take initiative are often the ones that most reliably find clients. By researching the market and taking the first step with leads, you can be more certain to find someone in need of your business.