As a real estate agent, obtaining listings is crucial for your success. It helps you establish your name in the community and generate your needed income. There are various ways to get real estate listings, including automating your social media posts, creating compelling listing presentations, sending personalized emails, targeting preforeclosures, and buying leads. In this article, I’ll explore the most affordable and accessible strategies on how to get real estate listings and grow your business.
1. Attend Networking Events
Cost: Free to $600
Real estate is a people business. Therefore, networking is critical to your success. Networking helps you build relationships, meet professionals, and generate leads. You can do this online, in person, and through free or fee-based associations and organizations.
Some examples of networking groups include the following:
- Local chapter of Business Networking International (BNI)
- Chamber of Commerce
- Local Facebook groups
- Local Rotary Club
- Personal interest groups on Meetup.com
- Small business networking events
- Local chapter of the Master Builders Association
Have a short elevator pitch prepared for networking events on what you do as a real estate professional. This pitch should be no more than 30 seconds to a minute. Collect business cards from everyone you meet and make an effort to reach out within a few days to gauge their interest. As you grow your network, build a sphere of influence and schedule time in your calendar to keep in touch with a brief call, email, or casual meeting.
2. Buy Qualified Real Estate Leads
Cost: Under $1 to $600 per month
Another excellent way on how to get real estate listings is by purchasing qualified leads from a real estate lead generation service. By investing in real estate leads through a lead generation platform, you can save a great deal of time and effort by having access to the right clients who are most likely to convert. This allows you to supplement your existing lead flow and ensures that you’re focusing your resources on the most promising prospects for your business.
REDX is a lead generation company focusing on expired, foreclosure, preforeclosure, for sale by owner (FSBO), and for rent by owner (FRBO) leads. It has a built-in client relationship management (CRM) system, call prospecting and auto-dialer features, GeoLeads for just-listed properties, and a Brand Builder that creates custom marketing materials. REDX’s pricing starts at $49.99 per month.
To learn more about REDX, read our REDX Review: Is It Right for Your Real Estate Business? If you think REDX is not for you and want to know more about other places to purchase leads, visit our article, 8 Best Places to Buy Real Estate Leads.
3. Create an Effective Real Estate Listing Presentation
Cost: Free to more than $100
An effective listing presentation builds a seller’s confidence in your ability to sell their home. It will differentiate you from other agents and prepare you to obtain the information you need to list and sell a homeowner’s property. There are specific elements of effective listing presentations you’ll want to include:
- Prelisting package: So sellers know what to expect when you come to their home
- Brief bio and information about your brokerage: To introduce yourself professionally
- Market data: To show sellers what’s happening with similar houses in their neighborhood
- Marketing strategy: For advertising the home and showing it to potential buyers
- Comparative market analysis (CMA): To help determine the price
- Listing checklist: To keep you on track
You can create listing presentations for free using the template we provided in the article “The Ultimate Real Estate Listing Presentation (+ Free Template).” To get started, download our free template and customize it to your personal style.
4. Work With a Mentor or Coach
Cost: Free to more than $15,000
Mentoring and coaching can come in the form of working with an experienced agent to learn how to get listings as a new agent or paying for private coaching. Both can help you learn how to get real estate listings and keep you accountable for your goals. In addition to personal mentorship, there are many books, blogs, and articles written by successful agents whom you can turn to for guidance. Here are some coaching and mentoring programs to get you started:
- Inman list of top coaches
- Lee Davenport
- Floyd Wickman
- Candy Miles Crocker
- Tom Ferry
- Zig Ziglar
- Tony Robbins
You can also find mentors by talking to successful local real estate agents and asking them if they’d be willing to mentor you. Take them out for lunch or coffee to incentivize them to work with you. Take diligent notes on their suggestions and ask them questions about their experience in the industry.
Pro tip: One of the main reasons many real estate agents fail is due to fear. Confidence is critical when learning to get listings in real estate. If you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone and ask for listings or referrals, you may hear “no” more often than “yes.” If you hear “no,” don’t take it personally. The “no” may mean they’re not ready to sell. Remember to be persistent—you will eventually get a “yes.”
5. Focus on a Specific Niche
Cost: Free to $80 a month
Choosing a real estate niche positions you as a specialist in a specific area, making it easier for sellers to find you. This doesn’t mean you can’t list properties outside your niche, but your main focus, marketing materials, and expertise will lie in one particular facet of the industry. For example, target a precise location or neighborhood near you, homeowners with expired listings, or first-time sellers. By narrowing your scope, you can be more specific about your clientele and attract more listing opportunities from those individuals.
Choosing a real estate niche is a crucial step toward gaining more listings. Some examples of lucrative niches are property type, situational, expired listings, preforeclosures, and foreclosures. Read our 10 Most Profitable Real Estate Niches & Why They Work article for a comprehensive understanding of these niches. This will help you establish a strategy, optimize your time, and, most importantly, position yourself as an expert in your chosen niche.
6. Automate Your Real Estate Social Media Pages
Cost: Free to $499 per month
Integrating social media into your real estate listing marketing plan is necessary for every agent. Creating a business profile on popular social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, is free and remarkably straightforward, empowering you to build your brand and network effectively. Moreover, you might already have a presence on many of these platforms.
Regularly posting content is a key strategy for attracting an audience. Showcase your available listings, sold properties, and testimonials, and provide tips that resonate with sellers. This approach will enable you to cultivate a targeted audience and attract listing leads.
Here is a rundown of some of the most popular social media sites and ways for them to build your business and generate listing leads:
- Facebook: Make business pages and post updates, live videos, memes, and ads. Use your profile to let friends and others know what you do with short posts and photos. Create a Facebook group around a real estate topic (e.g., Homeowner’s Tips).
- LinkedIn: Upload your professional resume and expand your network. Post industry articles and ask for listing referrals, such as, “I just sold [property address] and have buyers looking for similar properties who missed out on this one. Please reach out if you’re thinking of selling.”
- YouTube: Create videos to showcase listings, demonstrate something, and give expert advice on home staging.
- Instagram: Post photos and videos of listings and fun things you do. This enables potential sellers to get to know, like, and trust you when they can experience who you are.
- TikTok: Use hashtags to attract viewers and partner with real estate-related influencers.
Another effective strategy is to schedule and boost posts for a target audience on your Facebook business page. The best part is that scheduling is free, whether you choose to boost a post or not. This is particularly beneficial when managing multiple social media pages, as it allows you to automate tasks and save time.
7. Upgrade Your Social With Paid Ads
Upgrading your social media with paid ads will help you expand your reach and get more listings. Targeted ads toward sellers will make it easier for these leads to find you and will build your brand awareness as the go-to seller’s agent. There are multiple social platforms you can use to maximize your digital campaigns, including:
Click on any of the above links to access a more in-depth guide on advertising on these social platforms.
Make sure it’s location-specific, and the content appeals to what a seller would want to know, such as home values, current market statistics, and neighborhood sales. While this will not be free, you can customize your spending from $1 to $300 or more.
8. Tap Into Your Sphere of Influence
Cost: Free to $60
Friends, family, acquaintances, former clients, and past colleagues, also known as your sphere of influence (SOI), are another excellent source for finding real estate listings. Don’t assume you’re at the top of your SOI’s mind. They may know other agents or have previously worked with specific agents. Nurture these relationships and occasionally ask them if they or anyone they know might be considering selling their home.
Ways to keep your services in front of your SOI include:
- Invite them to subscribe to your real estate newsletter or blog.
- Sharing information about the current real estate market at family gatherings.
- Sending pop-by gifts.
- Calling to catch up with your SOI and asking for referrals.
Another way to stay at the top of your SOI’s mind is to send out real estate postcards when you list or sell a home. They may be thinking about selling soon, and when they receive the postcard, it shows them how you can market their home. Prospective clients are always watching what you do and how you do it. Therefore, it’s essential to have unique and attractive postcards and other marketing materials so they want what you offer as a listing agent.
9. Provide Valuable Content to Your Audience
Cost: Free to $250 a month
Delivering valuable content to prospective clients is another best way to get real estate listings, be considered a homeselling expert, and generate seller leads. Showcase your expertise as a real estate professional by providing content that informs, educates, and assists your clients. Content can be provided physically or online through a website, email marketing campaign, direct mail, or in person. Regardless of how it’s delivered, your content should offer takeaways to homesellers that prompt them to contact you about your services.
Here are a few to start:
- A custom website to build your brand presence online
- Personalized email newsletters
- Live social media events
- Landing pages with expert advice videos
- Downloadable checklists
- A free market analysis or market data report
- Free e-books, case studies, or white pages
This content is typically designed for buyers, real estate investors, sellers, or renters. However, it’s crucial to focus your intentions on topics that sellers would find interesting and valuable. For example, you can create a case study about the homeowners of a recently sold home to showcase your efforts, a downloadable checklist of closing tips specifically for sellers, or offer a free comparative market analysis tailored to someone’s home. All of these will provide tangible evidence to a lead that they are in capable hands with your real estate services.
Looking for content to send to your investor clients? Download our Landlord Handbook.
10. Upgrade Your Follow-up System
Cost: Free to more than $100 per user, per month
To ensure a steady stream of listings, following up with your leads regularly is essential. Automating this follow-up process is even better because it ensures that you stay in touch with your leads without having to keep track of every interaction manually. Many free real estate CRM systems, such as Freshsales and Zoho CRM, automate follow-ups. Using a CRM system, you can ensure that you reach out to your leads at the right time and with the right message.
Staying in touch with your contacts regularly is crucial because most listings come from life events like open house tours or networking events. By staying in touch with your contacts, your name stays top-of-mind, and you become their go-to person when they need your services.
11. Knock on Your Neighbors’ Doors
Cost: Free
“Door-knocking” marketing techniques involve going door-to-door in a neighborhood to introduce yourself as a real estate agent and potentially secure listings. According to the Agents on Fire Publications e-book, the response rate for door-knocking in real estate is 33% if you knock during evenings and Saturday mornings. However, it drops to only 20% if you knock during midday on weekdays, when most people are at work or school.
One simple yet effective door-knocking script is to introduce yourself by name, explain that you’re a local real estate agent, and ask if the homeowner has any questions or concerns about the current real estate market. This starts a conversation and builds rapport with potential clients.
Follow the script below to get started. But remember, practice makes perfect. Take the time to role play different scenarios with a colleague or mentor to build your confidence and prepare for any situation you might encounter.
“Hello there, I hope I’m not disturbing you. My name is (your name), and I’m the listing agent for the property located down the street (point in the direction of the property).
I wanted to update you on the recent sale of the property, as we received an overwhelming response to multiple offers.
Despite the high demand, we could only accept one offer, and the property sold well above the asking price, which is a great indicator of the current market trend. As a result, we have a number of interested buyers who missed out on this property and are still looking for a home in this desirable neighborhood.
That’s why I was wondering if you happen to know anyone who might be looking to sell their home in this hot market?”
12. Try Cold Calling
Cost: Free
While cold calling may seem daunting, it’s important to remember that it’s a tried-and-true method for generating listings. The key is to maintain a light, persuasive phone manner. Being too pushy can deter potential clients, so finding the right balance is crucial. Remember, every call is an opportunity for success.
Consider personalizing each call to the person you are speaking with to make your cold calling more effective. Research the person beforehand and identify their needs and interests. This way, you can tailor your pitch to their specific needs, increasing your chances of success. Remember, cold calling aims not just to generate leads but also to build rapport and establish a connection with potential clients that can lead to a long-term relationship.
Unlock success in real estate with our 10 real estate cold calling scripts. Get expert tips that effectively convert leads into clients. Also, to successfully convert your prospects to clients, read our professional scripts and tips for handling objections in real estate.
13. Post Polls on Social Media
Cost: Free
By taking a proactive approach and leveraging your social media following, you can unearth some valuable warm leads you may have overlooked. Remember, sometimes the best leads hide in plain sight; all it takes is a little creativity and effort to uncover them.
One simple way on how to get listings in real estate is by posting a poll on Instagram or Facebook. By doing so, you can easily gauge the interest of your followers in selling their property or finding out the market value of their home.
For example, you can ask a simple question such as “Do you want to sell your house in the next 12 months?” or “Are you curious about the current market value of your property?” Once you have a list of potential sellers, you can contact them and demonstrate how you can help them get a better offer for their property.
14. Host a Homeseller Seminar
Building personal connections in the real estate industry remains the most effective and valuable way to secure more listings. Attending and hosting events and seminars will expand your sphere of influence and identify potential sellers. Share your knowledge by offering to lead workshops and seminars on topics such as selling real estate, flipping houses, and renovations. Remember, every person attending your homeseller seminar can become a valuable lead at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Real estate agents can increase their chances of getting listings by utilizing the marketing methods listed in this article and experimenting with different strategies to find the best for them. It’s essential to think outside the box when searching for potential clients considering selling their homes. Agents should also be ready to showcase their value and handle any objections that may arise during listing presentations.
Real estate agents are like any other salespeople. They aim to sell listings that can fetch a higher profit while ensuring that the best value is provided to the buyers. Therefore, it becomes crucial for agents to learn how to get real estate listings and focus on acquiring listings with good sale potential. This approach helps agents maximize profits while providing clients the best possible value.
Real estate agents rely heavily on various sources to generate leads. Referrals from satisfied clients and their networks, social media platforms, and attending live events, such as networking sessions and open houses, are some of the most common ways agents acquire leads. Local meetings and gatherings within the community also provide an excellent opportunity for realtors to connect with potential clients and expand their referral network.
Bottom Line
After learning how to get listings, use a combination of the strategies above to get started and evolve these methods as your budget grows. As you do, make sure to strategize, stay on your budget, work hard, step out of your comfort zone, and build your confidence. Don’t take it personally if a homeowner says no to you. Sometimes, it takes many “nos” before getting a “yes” and a new listing.