3 Ways Successful Agents Are Killing the Lead Generation Game

Playing the Long Game

We’ve previously looked at some of the reasons why lead generation is such a tough nut to crack for industries across the board, but especially in real estate. But some of the best agents and brokerages out there are taking on the challenge of lead generation with the help of emerging technologies and a commitment to patiently (and proactively) ‘playing the long game’. Here are just three of the many ways they’re doing it. 

1. Automation

The best firms and agents understand the power of automation when it comes to generating (and qualifying) quality leads - Despite many firms still hesitant to bring in new technologies alongside existing processes, reports show that marketers who automate their workflows drive as much as 451% more leads than those who don’t use automation. 

The report also found that 77% of marketers using automation software convert more leads than those that don’t. 

The reason is simple. 

Automated workflow will ensure that:

• No leads are falling through the cracks because their specific needs will be easily identified and categorized into the system. 
• Leads are organized into appropriate pipelines, allowing agents to schedule and automate follow-up messages at specific times.
• New prospects are being collected immediately, but also, agents are able to keep a constant eye on past clients too, (ultimately the most important source of referrals). This is extremely valuable because manual follow-up for hundreds of people is simply too complicated and arduous a process for most agents to sustain realistically. 

2. Follow-Up Process

Successful firms and agents understand the value of putting a robust system in place that deals with sufficient and speedy follow-up processes. Expanding on the last point, 41% of companies say they struggle to quickly follow up with leads, especially when they come in after regular business hours. 

It gets worse: 

• For 44%, following up altogether is an issue in and of itself, saying they are often “too busy” to follow up with leads because they already have too much on their plate when it comes to other tasks and processes. 
• 36% of marketers who use form submissions as a conversion tool struggle to track them.
• 62% who use phone calls as a conversion tool struggle to track them.  
• 53% who use live chat as a conversion tool struggle to track it. 

These statistics indicate the enormous amount of lead generation conversions left untracked and unattributed. What’s more, despite the growing availability of automated lead management tools on the market, only about a quarter of respondents say they actually utilize them. 

That’s why the Realforce CDP (Customer Data Platform) is so relevant for modern-day agents: the CDP enables hyper-targeted marketing campaigns with automated segmentation of audiences. It means agents no longer have to feel powerless, and unable to track and attribute their leads as they tend to other tasks - the CDP drastically improves customer retention and accelerates business growth with ready-made solutions that are specifically tailored for real estate. 

3. The Role of Content

Top-tier firms and agents do not underestimate the impactful role content plays in attracting leads across multiple channels - 76% of marketers use content to generate leads, recognizing it as one of the most effective methods for generating inbound leads. In 2022, the Content Marketing Institute reported that 54% of survey respondents believe that early-stage content (designed to generate awareness and interest) provides the most overall value, while 8% said content geared towards “ready-to-purchase” leads was the most valuable. 

This just goes to show that agents have a lot of scope and freedom when it comes to the type of content they can choose to create to set their business apart. The CMI also noted that the top three types of content most effective at moving leads from awareness to serious consideration were podcasts, blog posts and video. Hubspot also found that companies with 10 to 15 landing pages increase real estate lead generation by 55%, which explains why leading brokerages and firms ensure they use many different types of landing pages to capture leads, from ‘book an appointment’ landing pages, to community landing pages, to home valuation landing pages. 

For more on ROI when it comes to lead generation, see our previous post: Evaluate Your Marketing ROI By Tracking the Right Metrics.