Best way to lead generate as a new real estate agent

Investor · Princeton, NJ · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 8 votes

Hey all! Soon to be a real estate agent in NJ as my very serious side hustle. I was wondering what some of the best / preferred methods are to lead generate as someone that's new to the industry. Also, really excited in connecting with the BP and local NJ community so feel free to connect. Would love to hear your story!

4 Reply

74 views

Most Popular Reply

Art Kelly

Member since 2018 · 2 posts · 6 votes

I've found Real Estate to be one of the most difficult and most rewarding industries to be in. Your number one job isn't selling houses though. It's "Prospecting". The best Real Estate Agents are the best prospectors!

5 Reply

See this reply in the discussion

26 Replies

Jump to latestLatest

Sort by

Kareem C Micheli
Ketchikan, AK · Member since 2017 · 20 posts · 8 votes
7y
I was wondering the same thing, last weekend I did the driving for dollars in my area. Now going to do the yellow letters, and hoping that generates some leads. Now just need to figure out how to word these letters, if i find any sample letters or if this generates any leads i'll let you know.
2 Reply
Samuel O.
Real Estate Agent · Quad Cities (IA and IL) · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 34 votes
7y
I am a new agent just a few months into the game and based on everything I've learned at this point your network, sphere of Influence (SOI) will be your best form of lead generation starting off. My 1st listing appointment was through a friend of mine for ten plus years.
2 Reply
Bryan Blankenship
Investor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2014 · 538 posts · 432 votes
7y
Make sure everyone you know - knows what you do! There is not a magic bullet that will just instantly create hundreds of new clients at your doorstep but...If you hustle everyday and get your name out there that will create new clients, who become re-peat clients over time and who will also send their friends and family. For now, pick up the phone and call people, network in groups, definitely use social media(FB, LinkedIn, Twitter...) Good luck and just start HUSTLING!!!
1 Reply
Darrian Owens
Real Estate Agent · Member since 2018 · 14 posts · 6 votes
7y
Hi, @Account Closed my team and I used to wonder the same and tried different ways to generate leads. Now what works for us is that we a have virtual assistant team who reaches out to our list and delivers leads to us. They already have established tools and system not just for lead generation but also with skip tracing, transaction coordination, and marketing. In that way, we only get to speak with motivated sellers and focus on closing deals. They're a great help to our day to day operations. Good luck!
1 Reply
Account Closed
OP
Investor · Princeton, NJ · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 8 votes
7y
@Kareem C Micheli hey Kareem! Any luck with the letters?
0 Reply
Account Closed
OP
Investor · Princeton, NJ · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 8 votes
7y
@Bryan Blankenship thank you Bryan. The hustle is real haha. My current goal is to get a couple deals under my belt to really learn the process then work on a reliable investors list to do business with on a consistent basis. Will see where the road leads.
2 Reply
Account Closed
OP
Investor · Princeton, NJ · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 8 votes
7y
@Darrian Owens that sounds like working smart. What is the cost of using virtual assistants if you don't mind me asking?
0 Reply
Darrian Owens
Real Estate Agent · Member since 2018 · 14 posts · 6 votes
7y
@Account Closed It's around $3-$9 per hour depending on the kind of service you would need help with. Hope that helps!
1 Reply
Nanda Netto
Realtor · Orlando, FL · Member since 2018 · 45 posts · 5 votes
7y
@Darrian Owens hi! I sent you a PM inquiring about that. I would love to know more. Thanks!!!
1 Reply
Art Kelly
Member since 2018 · 2 posts · 6 votes
7y
I've found Real Estate to be one of the most difficult and most rewarding industries to be in. Your number one job isn't selling houses though. It's "Prospecting". The best Real Estate Agents are the best prospectors!
5 Reply
Steve Bracero
Real Estate Agent · Westboro, MA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 471 votes
7y
@Art Kelly
Yes, Prospecting is critical!
0 Reply
David Gonzalez
Realtor · Camarillo, CA · Member since 2014 · 162 posts · 102 votes
7y
If you are looking for cost effective ways to get business I would suggest you try your SOI and Open Houses. If you have money to spare market for listings that are Expired, FSBO and Absentee Owners. Door knocking can work but only if you can be persistent.
2 Reply
Cody H.
Real Estate Broker · Elkhart, IN · Member since 2017 · 25 posts · 9 votes
7y
@David Gonzalez @Bashar Salah I agree with David. Your MLS homepage may have an Expireds quick search. Each week I get the phone numbers from WhIte Pages and make a few calls.
0 Reply
Ryan P. Kotschedoff
Real Estate Agent · San Luis Obispo, CA · Member since 2018 · 79 posts · 39 votes
7y
@Bashar Salah What I can recommend for leads is this: 1. I would do many lease listings because they are easy to get, and the connections down the road are very important because those people will want to buy a house at some point! 2. Hold many open houses and have them right down there information if they are real buyers/sellers. 3. Obviously using google/Facebook ads never hurt 4. Be in a brokerage that provide you with opportunities like lease listings and or chances to hold there open houses I would highly recommend doing many lease listings for opportunities down the road. They will all come back to you!
0 Reply
Jorge Casas
Member since 2018 · 5 posts · 4 votes
7y
Open Houses are a great source of Ready Now business. The fortune is in the follow-up, as it is with any lead source.
To illustrate the importance of Follow-Up because this is huge in this business:
2% of sales are made in the first contact
3% in the second
5% in the third
10% in the fourth
80% in the fifth to twelfth.
Joshua Smith's GSD Mode program is one of the best I've seen for Open Houses and this business overall.
He also covers is expired letter mailing campaign which is good for getting listings but that can take some time to get traction with that lead source.
Another great source to build up your database and fill your pipeline with future deals is Ricky Caruth's Zero-To-Diamond program (this one is free). This is nothing but cold-calling. Many scoff at it but it's still a great source if you're going to be consistent.
Search for both on Facebook and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
3 Reply
Account Closed
OP
Investor · Princeton, NJ · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 8 votes
7y
@Jorge Casas hey Jorge! Thanks for taking time out of your thanksgiving to type up this info. Much appreciated and happy thanksgiving! Would love to stay connected!
0 Reply
Joel OwensBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
7y
In residential brokers/agents tend to have limited quality of work to life balance.
Commercial is more normal business hours. If you like investments and investors commercial can be a good fit.
Real estate is one of the hardest professions in the world to do very well at. You do not have to be good you have to be WORLD CLASS to rise to the top of the field. Everyday in your mind you have to say you will get better and learn new ways to up your level on knowledge and expertise delivering exceptional value to your clients again and again.
I am about 15 years in now and love commercial real estate. You start out with smaller deals and as experience grows work your way up the ladder. This is not a profession where you KINDA WANTA do it. You have to be ALL IN to do really well. Some people work a J-O-B for a crutch while eeking out a few sales here and there. Really cannot flourish as a real estate professional doing that.
Podcast Guest on Show #47
NNN Invest53 Reviews
Website View Page
1 Reply
Jorge Casas
Member since 2018 · 5 posts · 4 votes
7y
Originally posted by @Account Closed:
@Jorge Casas hey Jorge! Thanks for taking time out of your thanksgiving to type up this info. Much appreciated and happy thanksgiving! Would love to stay connected!
Feel free to reach out with any questions anytime!
Happy Thanksgiving
0 Reply
Eric Haynes
Real Estate Agent · Lees Summit, MO · Member since 2018 · 7 posts · 1 vote
7y
@Bashar Salah Honestly, man. There is no perfect way. Real estate is a timing thing. Everyone knows 8 realtors, but what makes YOU stick out? Don’t follow the trend like everyone else, and pass out flyers or let them hear what they want to on social media. Do this: sit on the couch, and think about what kind of realtor would you like to have. Read your audience. I wear a suit if I can tell they are more high maintenance, and sometimes I wear my Vans, and a flannel so I don’t seem intimidating to the younger crowd. I personally go hit up a happy hour, start talking to the people next to me, and pass out my card to everyone. Even the gas station attendant. Be yourself. You’ll get the leads on your own.
1 Reply
Joseph Back
Rental Property Investor · Montgomery, AL · Member since 2017 · 277 posts · 221 votes
7y
I would say to pick a specific niche and become the expert on that type of property. For example, I got my start as an investor and absolutely love talking and learning about everything investing. So naturally as I am finishing up my real estate license course I plan to start targeting investment property buyers and sellers as my first clients. For you this could be focusing on starter homes, luxury mansions, land or even specific neighborhoods and zip codes. Regardless, the key is to become the expert and stay in touch with that community. Lastly, I would highly recommend investing in some sort of contact management software that assists you in following up with prospective clients and staying in touch in general. Recently spent the money on a software that helps me with this and it has substantially changed the game for me.
0 Reply
Kyle McKnett
Real Estate Agent · West Chester, PA · Member since 2018 · 63 posts · 46 votes
7y
@Eric Haynes Being yourself is the best way. When I first got in to the business I was “mentored” by a team. I hated it. I disliked the way they treated people, I disliked how they tried to act like they knew everything, I really disliked almost everything they did. I learned some things about the business from them but the most important thing I learned is who I wanted to be and how I wanted to run my business.
0 Reply
Eric Haynes
Real Estate Agent · Lees Summit, MO · Member since 2018 · 7 posts · 1 vote
7y
@Kyle McKnett I felt the same way being on a team. I like having my own brand and being my own person. There’s nothing better!
0 Reply
Kareem C Micheli
Ketchikan, AK · Member since 2017 · 20 posts · 8 votes
7y
@Bashar Salah, No, unfortunately I have not gotten any leads with the letters, but still trying. Also started my own separate website. I live on a small island in alaska where everyone knows a real estate agent, I knew it was going to be tough going in. Got a few more neighborhoods to drive for the letters and then off to the next marketing idea.
1 Reply
Samuel O.
Real Estate Agent · Quad Cities (IA and IL) · Member since 2016 · 107 posts · 34 votes
7y
Volunteering is also a good way to find potential leads and its free.
0 Reply
Asad Shaikh
Realtor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2016 · 55 posts · 31 votes
7y
@Account Closed what are your top 3 hobbies. Not new hobbies, things you have loved for years.
I used to collect sneakers, play pick up basketball, and attend a mosque.
Guess what?
Those three sources provided 70% of my clients starting out.
0 Reply

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.