While it has been the staple for lead generation for a few decades, the usefulness of cold calling as a way to develop leads has dropped off in recent years. There are a few reasons for this, but they all come down to the simple truth that fewer people are invested in voice calling than ever. Many young adults consider it a last resort, but they are pretty responsive to other avenues of communication, even legacy models like direct mail.
Cold calling is also less effective than it used to be because it is now slower than the alternatives. When the other option was a door-to-door sales trip to work leads, calling was an order of magnitude more efficient. Now SMS and email campaigns with automated components allow you to work leads at volumes far more significant than you could with cold calls. Here are some options for developing leads without making a single call.
Networking
Like any other business, real estate is built on relationships. The best way to learn about the investors in your area is to connect with them directly. This can be done through industry events like those put on by local trade organizations, or it can be done by being social in the spaces you already go when you are looking to make a cash purchase for bargain-priced property.
- Realtors’ association events
- Property auctions
- Open houses
- Online discussion boards and social media pages
- Email listers
Networking is a process, so keep an eye out for connecting opportunities. A solid professional network makes most other lead generation strategies more useful.
Referrals
When you know other investors and real estate professionals, they tend to send work your way. Everyone’s niche and profit models are different. If you wholesale single-family homes to flippers, then commercial property people will want to share information because you are not competing for the same leads. Similarly, if you work primarily as a buyer’s agent, make friends with seller’s agents and investors retailing turnkey homes.
Online Inbound Marketing
SMS and email marketing are powerful tools, but they need to work on an opt-in basis because of federal telecommunications laws. Setting up a solid inbound marketing engine online provides you with a way to feed those opt-in campaigns while opening up channels of communication that are preferred by users you can only connect with online.
- Contact information for email, phone, or SMS on websites and social media
- Private messaging on social media platforms
- Online ads that connect to your website, social media profile, or email
- Ads with a call to action that includes your SMS campaign opt-in number
These methods of funneling leads to automated inbound channels are efficient. What’s even more efficient is managing them with a tool like BatchLeads, which is set up to let you handle lead generation, management, and outreach all from one app.
Find For Sale by Owner Listings
Not all off-market properties are hard to find. When an owner chooses to list a home without a realtor, it goes through channels like local classified ads or physical signage instead of being accessible via the MLS. Take time to look at the publications that carry sale-by-owner ads regularly to find some great deals.
Set Up at Trade Shows
The last piece of the puzzle is important because it works with everything else while also providing additional leads you could not find anywhere else. Trade shows bring together industry professionals, owners looking to sell, buyers, and all in a public venue that makes it easy for you to meet with referrals. Set yourself up with online tools you can use from a mobile device, and you can even manage your social media and SMS campaigns from the trade show floor. It’s like having a mobile office with guaranteed foot traffic.
Build a Marketing Machine
As you can see, all of these strategies work together to create a marketing machine with a funnel-shaped scoop for your leads. Bring buyers, sellers, and professional connections to you while keeping all your channels of communication open for new leads so you can keep growing your business. It’s not simple, but the right tools, like BatchLeads, can make it easy.
