How to Find Real Estate Leads and Seller Leads

July 21, 2014 - PRLog -- Author:Christopher Moriarty (https://www.linkedin.com/pub/chris-moriarty/95/220/a91), Recruitment Specialist

In an excellent article (http://www.inman.com/2014/05/19/nar-many-real-estate-agents-spend-their-marketing-dollars-in-the-wrong-places/#.U3oc04FdWls) from a contributing writer for Inman News, Bernice Ross reiterates one of the most important facets of interaction for any real estate agent; the all important “face-to-face” real estate lead. The article studies the data from a recent industry report (http://www.realtor.org/reports/home-buyer-and-seller-generational-trends) that reinforces what many successful agents already know and what many others need to know if they want to maximize their effectiveness, and by design, their profitability too. There are plenty of companies out there who are willing to take an agent’s marketing-budget money when attempting to provide generated leads but there are very few lead generation platforms that can offer agents exclusivity combined with lead generation integration and none available to my knowledge that will actually make the cold-calls on behalf of the agent, essentially as their representative, taking the often unpleasant experience out of the hands of the agent and putting it into the hands of a professional who sets the listing appointment on their behalf, thus creating the opportunity referred to in the article as being one of the most effective means of success; the face-to-face interaction. Ms. Ross is quoted as saying, “any activity that puts you face to face with buyers and sellers is more likely to produce a closed deal than activities that rely on impersonal contact.” This is the primary activity of The Elite Connects lead generation service (http://theeliteconnect.com/real-estate-leads-membership/)! Using the data supplied by the agent, The Elite Connects lead generation and integration service makes contact with the homeowner and sets the appointment facilitating this critical encounter, thereby maximizing the opportunity for a successful closing. The data supports increasing actual contact with individuals over any type of social media interaction or website experience to maximize ones success including making cold-calls to facilitate these face-to-face meetings since the cold-call is one of the best ways to make this opportunity happen, however the troubling piece is that so few agents actually want to make these calls; that’s where The Elite Connect steps in! The facts surrounding the rewards of such a campaign are supported by an earlier Inman News article (http://theeliteconnect.com/stats-cold-calling/)that featured the outcomes experienced when an agent makes these cold-calls versus when they do not, and the fruits of this undertaking contributed to an astounding profit margin for those that took the time to do this important groundwork.

The most powerful impression one must take away is this critical aspect of the “face-to-face” contact. Social media doesn’t provide this important piece, money spent on expanding your website doesn’t either and money thrown at supposed experts in the field of search engine optimization simply cannot boast the same results as the trust-factor and consistency created in the results of an association established by prior contact and face-to-face interaction! The agent from a previous transaction, the trusted friend, or even the friend of a friend all have this important aspect in common with what the cold-call creates which is that it leads to the actual face-to-face experience. When it comes to investment dollars, wouldn’t it make sense to put these funds in areas that have the proven potential to make the most in return on your investment? Why not put your marketing dollars where there is the most likelihood of a favorable return according to the most favorable percentages as reflected by an intensive industry-wide report? Any savvy investor will do their research and place their money in the most suitable arena for a favorable return. For some strange reason, perhaps because we have become so over-sold ourselves on the importance of social media in our personal lives, that we feel it must be the most effective prospect in other aspects of our lives as well. However, it’s never a one size fits all proposition when it comes to business. While social media may play an enormous role in many businesses, in many others allocating large portions of our resources may not be the best solution. One thing seems to be true, supported in part by this latest article, which is that the face-to-face experience continues to be the most consistent means of securing trust, accountability and a sense of security, right alongside the significance of the trusted friend or prior satisfactory encounter. In her article, Bernice further substantiates, “with all the noise around prospecting using websites, social media and other online resources, the one factor that really makes the difference is a referral from a trusted resource or face-to-face contact.” The article goes on to break it down even further by stating, “for sellers, 39 percent found their real estate agent through a friend, neighbor or relative, 25 percent used the agent they had previously used to list or buy a home, 4 percent came from referrals from other real estate agents or brokers, and 3 percent came through an employer or relocation company which amounts to an astounding 71 percent of all closed seller transactions resulted from some type of trusted source or face-to-face contact.”
With the support of the industry data provided in this most recent report, it is easy to see how cold-calling services are most beneficial to agents looking to increase the possibilities for more face-to-face encounters, but an even more convincing argument for allocating some marketing funds with the leads service is reflected in the support provided by the account management services and follow-up procedures that are a part of the membership package. The Elite Connect (http://theeliteconnect.com/) will use all of the data provided by the agent, no matter the source, and utilize this information in following up and following through with these leads utilizing every resource available to us in order to facilitate the critical face-to-face meeting with the homeowner.