How To Get Real Estate Leads Online

It’s no secret that your ability to engage, entice and capture customers can make or break your ability to generate real estate leads.

While you may have mastered the art of all three in the real world, you may struggle to know the best way to convey that charisma when trying to get real estate leads online. Your social media posts may fall flat, your email list generates might cause more unsubscribes than subscribes and your online listings might only receive 15-second views at most.

If you feel like you don’t know exactly how to get real estate leads online, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Real estate agents, brokers and investors are natural people-people, but their online personas can tend to be, well, dry. However, while the closing of a deal may happen in person, you still need to hook prospective buyers, and the truth is that most prospective buyers begin their search online. If you don’t take action to inject some zest into your content, your hook stands to remain dangling for a while.

What are Online Leads in Real Estate?

Before we get too far down the rabbit hole of how to increase engagement with your written SEO content, it’s a good idea to define exactly what online real estate leads look like. Online real estate leads usually come in the form of a “contact us” form, live chat session, phone call, or contact from a real estate lead generation website. Most leads come from direct engagement with your online real estate content.

When interested buyers or sellers come to your website, they’ll typically contact you about your real estate services in one of these ways. Although there are many creative ways to get real estate leads online, there is a catch. To find online leads, you’ll need to increase your traffic. Without that precious traffic to your website, your leads won’t be able to find you. We have a few ideas that can help boost your website and help you generate leads.

How Can You Generate More Real Estate Leads Online?

We’re glad you asked. When you’re trying to learn how to get more online leads in real estate, every little bit helps. Below are 10 innovative ways to generate buyer and seller leads this year.

1. Start a Real Estate Blog

Blogging continues to be one of the most powerful ways to generate website traffic and get real estate leads online. If you want potential leads to find your newly optimized website, you need to start blogging. Why? Because properly utilizing SEO keywords in your blogs is one of the best ways to start ranking on Google and establishing an online presence. The statistics speak for themselves.

According to many sources, SEO blog writing is responsible for 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links. On average, companies that blog produce 67% more leads per month than those that don’t. Companies that publish 16 or more blog posts per month get 3.5 times more traffic and 4.5 times more leads than those that publish four or fewer posts per month. However, those numbers triple for companies that publish longer and more in-depth blog posts of 1,000+ words.

Additionally, Hubspot figured out that consistent blogging leads to compounding results:

How do consumers feel about blogging? Well, 60% of respondents say they feel more engaged or positive about a brand after reading custom content on a blog. The benefits of blogging go even farther than creating a community for your readers and increasing traffic. Providing informative real estate content can establish you as an expert in the industry. Over time, people will see you as a resource and come to you for questions and more importantly, request your services. 

If you don’t have time to blog 16+ times a month, you’re not alone. The average blog post takes more than three hours to develop, which is why 64% of marketers outsource blog writing to an online marketing company. If you want to generate online real estate leads while focusing on growing other aspects of your business, outsourcing is way to go.

Keep in mind, though, that blogging just for the sake of blogging doesn’t cut it! Blogging with a solid SEO strategy is what brings these kinds of results. Writing blogs that are optimized around keyword phrases your target market is looking for while also providing value is the best case scenario. SEO blog writing for businesses also happens to be something we specialize in. 😉

2. Optimize Your Website for Online Real Estate Lead Generation

Optimizing your website to generate real estate leads online is not as simple as throwing a “Contact Us” button on the bottom of each page. Rather, website optimization is a strategic process, one that begins with a basic understanding of the lead generation process, which typically begins with a call to action and ends with the visitor filling out a contact us information form. But how do you get the customer from A to Z? Below are a few ideas to get you started when learning how to find real estate leads online:

• Up Your Number of Landing Pages: According to a recent HubSpot survey, websites with 30+ landing pages produce seven times more leads than those with one to five landing pages.
• Incorporate a Basic CTA Into Your Homepage: Your homepage is at the top of your marketing funnel so should therefore offer visitors something of interest – a free real estate e-book or a subscription to a “How To Sell” course, for example.
• Personalize Your CTAs: Want to take your real estate CTAs to the next level? Personalize them to each visitor’s interests, items they’ve purchased or pages they’ve viewed. Websites that do this convert 42% more leads than those that don’t.
• Send a Kickback Email: Once a visitor converts to a real estate lead, send a “thank you” email. Studies show that kickback emails double the engagement rates of standard marketing emails. In addition to sending a kickback email, consider sending real estate leads to a thank-you landing page, which may include social sharing buttons or a link to download the promised offer.
• Include Live Chat: Once a person decides to buy or sell their real estate, he or she wants to get started right away. Make yourself immediately available to answer any questions prospective clients have by allowing real estate leads to communicate with you via a live chat.

A few tweaks to your website can help increase your ability to find leads online. Optimization can also help your website become more user-friendly, which satisfies readers and increases their likeliness to trust you with their real estate needs.

3. Launch an Email Campaign

If you haven’t already done so as a part of your real estate content marketing efforts, launch an email campaign. Email is one of the most valuable tools you have at your disposal if you use it correctly. BoomTown! details seven ways to use email as a real estate agent, but for real estate lead generation purposes, the content email is our personal favorite.

The content email is informational and serves to establish yourself as a local real estate expert. Anyone can appreciate the content of this type of email, especially when they are seeking more knowledge about real estate. Well-crafted content emails can help you get real estate leads in a practical way. When a personalized real estate email catches the eye of a potential buyer, they’re only a few clicks away to becoming your next real estate lead. As another factor in your marketing strategy, an email campaign can be one of the best ways to generate real estate leads online. 

What to Include In a Real Estate Marketing Email

Not sure what to send to readers? The different types of information you share in these real estate emails may include:

• Local Market Updates
• New Development Updates
• “Just Sold!” Listings
• How To Buy a Home in the Current Market
• How To Turn Your Home Into the Ultimate Investment

Some other real estate email ideas BoomTown! suggests include the introductory email, the testimonial email and the get-to-know-you email. Depending on who you’re talking to, any of these emails can produce successful online real estate leads. 

4. Create a Real Estate Quiz

Quizzes are some of the most underutilized real estate lead generation tools, but any reputable online marketing company will tell you that quizzes are a huge moneymaker.

What’s more catchy than an opportunity to quiz your real estate knowledge? If you don’t know how to get more leads in real estate, this type of marketing gives readers a great opportunity to interact with you. From there, they can explore your website, learn about your services and fill out a form. With a little bit of creativity, you can create an intriguing quiz that can draw readers and potential real estate leads to your website. Here are a few ideas to start with:

• Real Estate Vocabulary: From “proposition” to “appraisal”, quiz readers on their knowledge of challenging real estate terms.
• Interesting History: Give history buffs a run for their money as you create fascinating questions about the history of real estate.
• True or False: Are there some real estate myths that are hard to debunk? Turn them into engaging true or false questions.
• Lead Generation: Cater to potential real estate leads with a quiz that helps them find exactly what they are looking for.

According to quiz stats, 82% of social media users engaged with a quiz that came across their newsfeed, even if it was from a company they’d never heard of before. The standard quiz is shared close to 2,000 times, and in 2015, nine out of 10 of the most shared Facebook publications were quizzes. The typical quiz produces a lead capture rate of 31.6%. Need we say more?

5. Create a Virtual Tour

Example from Infinity Custom Homes

Over 50% of homebuyers found the home of their dreams online, compared to just 7% who followed a yard sign or open house sign. Does that mean the open house is dead? Some real estate experts say yes, but we say no—it’s merely changed. Prospective investors still want to see the inside of a home before they invest any more time into pursuing it. Make it easy for online real estate leads and offer a virtual tour of a property.

What Does a Virtual Tour Look Like?

A virtual showing gives a 360-degree view of each room, including the yard and driveway. Users can look at every angle and have control over what they see. Some tours even allow you to “walk” through the house, making it faster and more convenient to use rather than in person. A virtual tour may very well be the best way to get real estate leads online, as it gives potential customers the chance to see the house without wasting anyone’s time. If they’re still interested after going through the virtual tour, you’re in for a ride.

6. Invest in PPC Advertising

Pay-per-click advertising may not be a long-term solution when trying to generate real estate leads online, but it does help to produce that initial influx of traffic. If you’re just starting out, or if you’re starting from the depths of Google, dedicate a small portion of your marketing budget to PPC ads. Even if you’re working with a small budget, you can generate a wealth of real estate leads to tide you over until your other efforts begin to pay off.

When it comes to attracting the attention of real estate leads online, there are two big winners: PPC advertising and organic marketing. While both can be extremely effective, PPC advertising can yield fast results. Active searchers who need real estate services will look for companies that fit the bill. If you’re not sure how to generate real estate leads online, pay-per-click advertising can more accurately target interested customers by displaying an ad at the top of Google’s search results or within websites they surf. Either way, if someone’s looking for your services, PPC advertising can help you get their attention.

7. Offer Free Real Estate Advice

People who are thinking about buying or selling properties often turn to forums such as City-Data, Zillow, Homes.com and Reddit to ask questions and seek advice. If you can address their concerns or solve their problems, consumers will view you as a trusty source to whom they can turn when they decide to pursue the process more in-depth. In the worst-case scenario, the consumer goes with another agent or decides against taking action, but you expand your reach and influence all the same.

How Do You Spread Free Advice to Online Real Estate Leads?

You can start simply by adding more content to your website. Offer it through informational blogs, or even create a free e-book or guide that can give insider tips and professional advice. As you build your reputation as an expert in the real estate industry, try guest posting on other websites that are related to real estate. One unique way to get highlighted as a professional in the real estate industry is to accept an interview. HARO is a website that provides resources for reporters who need insights from a variety of professionals. Register and watch for opportunities to share your expertise, and receive recognition for the facts or personal experience you supply.

8. Use Social Proof

Like in any line of business, prospective real estate leads want to know you’re good at what you do before they hire you. Highlight your successes in real estate in your blog, on social media and in pop-up ads. If you have several successes under your belt, consider adding a portfolio page to your website dedicated to all the houses you’ve sold and for how much.

What Should You Include in Your Online Real Estate Portfolio?

It takes a lot of effort to build up the real estate portfolio you want. Here are a few things you can mention on your website:

• Education
• Experience in the real estate industry
• Special deals or houses sold
• Customer reviews

Showcasing your successes and expertise are great factors of knowing how to find real estate leads online.

9. Start a Real Estate Podcast

According to Podcast Insights, approximately 51% of the population has listened to a podcast at least once in their life, while 80% of those individuals listen to an average of seven shows per week. The majority of podcast listeners are educated and affluent, which makes podcasts the ideal tool to use to generate real estate leads.

Podcasts offer a unique alternative for users who’d rather listen than read. As podcasts become increasingly popular, you can find online real estate leads by offering a free, informative podcast.

What Do You Cover in a Real Estate Podcast?

If you’re running out of interesting topics to discuss, ask your readers what they want to know about. With such a large scope of topics in the real estate industry, it’s important to focus on what can help you get real estate leads. However, here are some hot topics that can get you started:

• Latest real estate trends
• Beginner’s guide to buying, selling or renting
• Insider tips as a realtor
• Real estate horror stories
• Economic forecasts for the year

Whether you share experiences, make jokes or share valuable information, recording podcasts may be how you generate real estate leads.

10. Use Social Media to Find Real Estate Leads

 Social media platforms are both influential and exciting, especially when they help you attract real estate leads to your website. There are dozens of ways you can use social media to get real estate leads, such as the following:

• Post quizzes.
• Use paid advertising.
• Start a content email campaign.
• Publicize customer reviews and recently sold listings.
• Encourage contact.

Use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn to foster relationships with existing customers, who also happen to be your greatest brand ambassadors. Encourage customers to like your accounts and share content that can benefit their friends. 

Still Wondering How to Get Real Estate Leads Online? We Can Help!

You have charm, charisma and all those other traits that draw investors, sellers and buyers your way—now you just need to inject those attributes into your real estate content on your site. From optimizing your website for SEO to playing around on social media, there are dozens of ways you can begin to generate honest real estate leads online. If you’re overwhelmed with the to-do list, or if you just want to focus your attention on finding the best way to get real estate leads, let us help your voice shine online. Check out our monthly SEO blog writing services for real estate agents or get in touch with us today to see how we can pair you with expert writers that can take your real estate generation efforts to the next level!