According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), only 20% of realtors handle 80% of all closing. Staying afloat as a real estate agent is tough. It requires you to set up consistent plans, processes, and learn new marketing skills every day. Real estate agents are nothing without lead. Lead generation is all about putting yourself in front of potential buyers. When done right, it can take your business to the next level by helping it flourish with a continual flow of new potential clients. Here are a few tips to help you generate more leads and build lasting relationships with your clients.

Give excellent service, be honest and do the right thing

Any successful real estate agent will tell you that most of their leads and resources for new business come from referrals from past clients. As a new agent, this is what you should strive for. Not only is it the easiest way of generating leads, but also the most affordable and efficient way. So how do you get referrals? Simple! Do an exceptional job. Always be ethical, up front and honest no matter how tricky or complicated the situation. Give your customers the best service in the industry by returning calls promptly, and delivering any news, be it bad or good as it is.

No one wants to deal with an agent who is not available to respond to their questions especially in a stressful situation. Whenever you are not available, let your clients know that you will get back to them as soon as you can. Never avoid a client. Also, always keep your self-calm and in check no matter how stressful a situation or client is. Always do the right thing, ethically and professionally and give excellent service and the referrals will come.

Make the most out of the open house

There is no better place for qualified leads than a 2-3 hour open house window, especially on the weekend. No one wants to waste their precious time walking through open houses. Therefore, a majority of people touring open houses on the weekend are potential clients. Create time to be available at every open home. Open houses provide a great place to;

• Bring in possible leads

• Establish yourself as an expert in the area, thereby building authority

• An excellent opportunity to make new connections

• A great opportunity to market your name and website

On average, a real estate agent gets approximately 15% of their leads through open houses. However, with a few strategies, you can easily double or triple the number. During open houses, engage the people who come to view the house but do not attack them. Give them time to see the house and then try to engage them by answering any questions they may be having. However, if you sense a client does not want to engage, do not push it. If a client is willing to listen, this is your chance to prove yourself as a valuable and trustable agent. Have the sign in information on standby for willing clients to leave their contact information. Afterwards, after the open house, follow up immediately, while real estate is still fresh and center in their minds.

Get leads through Social media

In these technological times, almost every potential client will research agents first before doing business with them. Having active social media accounts with useful and diverse content is a sure way of instilling confidence in buyers. Almost everyone is on Facebook these days. This makes Facebook a great platform to share your real estate listings, informative blog post. This can get your message out to hundreds of friends, and potential clients. Whenever you are posting content, always remember that quality over quantity works best on social media. Provide good, local and quality content that your audience will appreciate. Do not be afraid to ask for referrals and also some incentives for anyone who refers business to you.

Relationship building

Always remember to treat every lead like a VIP. Being able to cultivate lasting relationships with your clients is an essential skill for every real estate agent. Remember that every lead is a person and needs to be treated like one. A lead can become a valuable connection to new networks of potential clients.

In today’s technology-based world, having the ability to use online resources adequately gives you the added advantage regarding gaining audience reach. However, it poses a challenge regarding personalizing the experience. That genuine human touch is vital to relationship marketing as it nurtures long-term relationships and enables you to analyze your customer’s behavior to help you better target your message. Here are three ways a real estate agent can build a better relationship marketing strategy.

• Building Trust -Trust is the basis for any healthy relationship and is no different when it comes to relationship building between real estate agents and their clients. For many people, purchasing property is one of the biggest single investment they ever make. Hence, they are looking for an agent they can trust. A client wants to know that they can rely on you being trustworthy.

• Responding promptly – Being able to respond promptly, especially to a client’s initial queries is the first step to developing a trusting relationship.

• Honest Communication – having candid conversations with your clients and not just telling them what they want to hear is a great way to engender trust. Be realistic about expectations and provide your clients with relevant information that will help them make the right decision.

Advertising

Referrals and social media platforms are great for generating leads. However, the most efficient way of reaching the most potential leads is through advertisements. Otherwise, how are they going to hear about you in the first place? Advertising creates a strong presence that may not be achieved by going person to person. Use any advertising media, including digital and print to sell your brand to potential clients. For instance, Google AdWords creates a tremendous online advertising platform. It provides an excellent platform to generate leads while staying cost effective. AdWords provides a large volume of local traffic, giving you access to hundreds of leads searching you’re your product.

Follow up

Always find ways to follow up with people after they contact you or even leave their contact details. If you do not follow up on a potential lead, you may be missing out on potential opportunities. Create schedules for catching up with your leads, be it through emails, calls, postcards or even one to one meetings. This will help you stand out as a reliable agent.