The real estate industry is a highly competitive market with plenty of talented professionals competing against each other. From single-family houses to condominiums, residential real estate is a complex industry where the stakes are high but the rewards are higher.
And if you are to succeed, having a constant flow of new real estate clients working with you is imperative. While there are plenty of ways to find new clients, turning to the conventional methods used by everyone else will not always help you to stay ahead of your competition. This is more so if you are new to the game. So here are 5 unique ways guaranteed to give you a head start in finding new real estate clients.
Be bold and expand your search
If you do your homework you’ll find some incredibly lucrative real estate markets scattered across the country and even overseas. So, ensure that you avoid limiting your search to the locality.
Identify several potential neighborhoods with lucrative real estate opportunities outside your city or state. Consider reaching out to a resident if it’s difficult for you to travel with your schedule or due to the long distance.
Have a drive around or search on Google Maps to list down a few addresses in the neighborhood. You can then use a people search site like Nuwber to perform a reverse address search. These websites will help you uncover a terrific amount of information, including the names, contact numbers and email addresses. A more comprehensive search can provide you with details about their family and neighbors, their professional details, and even information about property ownership, mortgages and credit ratings.
Once you sift through the information, identify a potential resident in the neighborhood to approach for help. You can offer a commission for his services and request him to look around and speak to neighbors in the area to identify any homeowners interested in listing their properties.
Get involved in community events and charities
If there is a specific neighborhood or area that you have identified to target, get involved in its community events and charities, make donations and network as much as possible. This will help you to develop useful contacts with homeowners and build trust. After all, anyone would like to do business with a familiar face.
Put the word out about your real estate business and keep your elevator pitch ready at hand during these events. Be helpful and offer your expert advice and demonstrate your expertise on every opportunity you get. You might get to meet potential sellers or even be able to convince one or two homeowners to test the waters and list their properties.
Reach out to unrepresented sellers
Unrepresented home sellers are a lucrative segment for you to explore. They may be listing their properties for sale by themselves due to various reasons. Some may be reluctant to pay a commission and others may not be convinced of the value addition offered by a professional real estate agent. Whatever the reason may be, it will not do you any harm to approach this ‘For Sale by Owner’ (FSBO) market and have a candid discussion.
But first, ensure that you properly research the listings. You can identify opportunities by visiting websites specializing in the FSBO market like Zillow and Trulia. Go through the listings in the areas that you would like to target and carefully read the advertised property information in detail. You can also drive around potential neighborhoods and identify ‘House For Sale’ signs set up by homeowners. Ensure that you research the neighborhood and locality so that you gain a sound knowledge to help you with the pitch. You can also perform a brief background search of the property owner so that you can better prepare for the discussion.
Then approach the seller and have an open conversation. Ensure that you demonstrate your expertise and emphasize the value you can add for a hassle-free experience for the seller. It will also help you to have a few prospective buyers interested in a similar neighborhood or area, with features that match the seller’s property like the number of bedrooms or a large garden for the kids.
Target potential buyers
If it’s not a first-time buyer, the chances are that your potential buyers will also be looking to sell their existing property.
So, while you are helping them to find that perfect home to buy, have a conversation on their plans for their present home. Even if they are not looking to sell, you can still offer some professional advice based on the current real estate market. You might be able to convince them to sell or at least you can ensure that they reach out to you when they are finally ready to sell their old property.
Share your expertise
Selling a home is a stressful process especially for first-time sellers. Therefore, most homeowners would be happy to hand over this tedious task to the best expert available in the market. This is why building your profile in your area of expertise is critical to improve your chances of getting a long list of property clients.
Share your expertise on both online and offline. Hire a good blogger who can help you get the message across by sharing advice and expert tips with a strong digital content strategy. You can conduct webinars and actively engage in online forums and communities. Ensure that you also invest in SEO.
Try to enlist a few speaking engagements for you in conferences, workshops and other events related to real estate. Actively take part in local events like Home Owners’ Association gatherings and share your valuable expertise. You can even circulate a press release promoting your seminar and workshops and have a few clients share their success stories and provide testimonials. These will all help you to increase your visibility both online and offline.
Instead of trying to become a jack of all trades, ensure that you build your niche. You can specialize in a specific area like townhouses or apartments. This will help your efforts to build your profile as the expert to go to in your chosen niche.