How to Generate Quality Real Estate Leads

In this, the fourth installment of my “Investors’ Realtor” series I would like to dive into how to market yourself and create quality leads. In my mind, quality leads are real, qualified prospects that are ready, willing, and able to buy real estate from you.

My BiggerPockets blog post from last week detailed how I use a local real estate club to generate leads. I realize, however, that starting a real estate club isn’t for everyone; this kind of marketing can be costly and very time consuming.

Press Releases for Lead Generation

The second tool that I use for lead generation requires less initial outlay of time and money. About two years ago, one of my local friends, Robin Jay (author of “The Art of the Business Lunch: Building Relationships Between 12 And 2” and an accomplished public speaker) told me about one of many internet press release websites that allow you to write articles and press releases about any topic you like, and post them electronically on the site. They then distribute these articles to various internet ezines, blogs, websites and other publications.

I have used these services extremely effectively over the past couple of years to promote myself as the “Foreclosure Expert” in the Las Vegas real estate market. As I noted in my previous blog entries, in order to succeed in real estate it is important to pick a niche in which to focus your energies and efforts. Once you decide on your niche, you need to become an expert in that field through reading and doing. Once you are an expert, it is not that hard to sit down, write an outline on a subject that you know a lot about, and create an article that will be valuable for someone who is looking for information on that subject.

There are countless websites (list here, and here) on which to post and tools to aid you in having your article blasted out to the masses. There are real estate websites like BiggerPockets with real estate articles and then there are more generic sites like ezinearticles.com. I combine my use of these sites (and others like them) with a professional internet marketing company that I retain to help refine my articles, submit them, and then utilize them in various other marketing endeavors including email blasts and fliers, as well as on my own blogs and websites. I have been invited on several radio shows, a local cable T.V. show, and have received a huge amount of leads from investors that have found me on the internet as a result of these efforts.

Using Video to Drive Leads

The next tool I have been using successfully for the last year and a half is video. It is quite easy to hook up a webcam to your computer and shoot short videos for marketing that can be placed effectively onto the internet for distribution. With the help of tools like Adobe Visual Communicator software you can put your script into a teleprompter and appear as though you really know what you are talking about while you read your pre-scripted lines. You can also take a step up and use a professional video firm to shoot and prepare much more elaborate, high quality videos and news pieces. This will be the next step for me.

Your Lead Generating Website

Of course it goes without saying that you should have a website. I am on my 3rd or 4th website now. I create different sites to promote different aspects of my services. Blogs are more quickly indexed by search engines and linking a blog to your website can provide an instant boost in search engine optimization. I will soon be adding a video and article site as a place to park all of my creative works that I have accumulated over the last few years and allow others to download them.

Through the use of some or all of these tools along with other methods that we will delve into in future writings, you can rapidly increase the amount of traffic that is coming your way so that you have qualified prospects in front of you in whatever area of specialty you have decided to focus on.

Til next time: My name is Glenn Plantone.

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.