Finding and converting new prospects is critical for agents who want to find success in the real estate industry. There are many ways to do this, but often, the best strategies are the simple ones. Read on for seven strategies that you can use to find and convert prospects and grow your business.
7 Ways to Find and Convert New Prospects
- Invest in a Good CRM
A customer relationship management (CRM) system can help you organize your leads and keep track of when you contacted them. You can also run your email campaigns, pipeline management efforts, and results reporting through your CRM. It’s like having a back office, without needing to restock the coffee room.
Having a good CRM frees up time to contact more prospects, and makes it easier to keep track of the prospects you’ve already contacted, which lets you personalize your messages to them. This, as you probably guessed, makes them more likely to convert.
- Dive into Your Email Campaign Data
When you’re running an email campaign, use its marketing analytics to figure out who’s responding to it and how. The open rates and click-through rates will tell you who’s reading your emails, and who from your client and prospect list might be likely to enter the market soon. It’ll also tell you who your marketing is resonating with the most.
- Know the Prospect Before You Meet the Prospect
If you’re going to ask prospects to take the time out of their day to listen to you, make sure you’re prepared. If someone just moved into a neighborhood, you don’t want to ask them if they want to sell. If you’re trying to target the senior market, don’t channel your messaging primarily through Instagram. Get to know your prospects, and tailor your message to fit.
- Do It Better – Not Just More Often
Way back, when you were writing essays in school, you might have been rewarded more for how many words you wrote than what those words actually said. When you’re marketing yourself, take the opposite approach. Don’t produce reams of so-so marketing content; invest enough time and resources into everything you put out there to make it shine.
- Tell Would-Be Clients How You Helped Past Ones
It’s okay to brag a little. Potential clients really do want to hear how you’ve helped people like them, especially if you can back your words up with a testimonial or referral. Being modest is a good thing, but if you’ve got what it takes to help somebody out, you want to let them know.
- Have Past Clients Tell Their Own Stories
There’s no way around it, your prospects are going to look you up online. These days, many people check out Yelp before they go to a restaurant or go to Angie’s List when they hire a contractor. Encourage your clients to write about their experiences with you online, and, with their permission, share their testimonials so that your potential clients can get a sense of what it’s like to work with you.
- Get Active. Get Known.
Get out in the market. Open houses are more than a chance to sell a piece of property; they’re also a great way to meet future prospects. After all, when someone’s looking to buy a property, they’ll usually be in the market to sell their old one soon afterwards. Even a curious neighbor who has no interest in buying might mention you to a potential client later, if you make a good impression.
Building a Business is Hard Work
You can’t grow your real estate business without landing prospects. Getting people’s attention and getting them to trust you is hard, but if you do your homework, study the data, and adjust your approach as you go, you’ll be in a good position to present your best face to prospects and earn their business.
To learn more about building new prospects into your client base, check out The Real Estate Book blog.
