Exclusive Intel: How Top Agents Get Listings in Any Market

Brenna BecraftOctober 16, 202313 mins read

With inventory low and interest rates rising in 2023, finding and converting seller leads is more essential than ever for real estate agents. This comprehensive playbook reveals 18 proven and current market-tailored strategies to effectively generate more listings this year.

Introduction

With mortgage rates having almost doubled over the past year, home sales have slowed across the country. Many sellers are waiting out the downturn. This makes generating seller leads more critical than ever.

This playbook reveals 18 strategies tailored to today’s market conditions to effectively get more real estate seller listings. It provides both high-level overviews and detailed implementation steps you can apply for results.

Whether you are new to the industry or a seasoned veteran, these proven approaches will expand your pipeline of motivated sellers. Let’s dive in.

Inventory Sourcing Strategies

Low housing inventory has plagued the market for years. But even in down markets, hidden pockets of sellers exist. Here are three underutilized approaches to tap into seller inventory:

1. Work Expired Listings

Overview: When listings expire because a home failed to sell in the allotted time, those homeowners become primed for immediate action. Strike while the iron is hot by providing these motivated sellers targeted solutions to get their home sold quickly.

How-To Steps:

Use services like PropertyPulse.Ai to obtain expired listing contact information at scale. Their Power Dialer tool even provides proven scripts.
Make first contact within 2 weeks of expiration when they are most receptive.
Show them you can price more competitively and market more creatively than the previous agent. Provide a detailed comparative market analysis highlighting these strategies.
Address why it may not have sold before – overpricing, bad photography, ineffective outreach channels for target demographics. Provide solutions.
Leverage automation tools like CRM workflows, email drip campaigns, and AI assistants to maintain persistent but non-aggressive nurturing until they are ready to re-list.

2. Convert For-Sale-By-Owners

Overview: Homeowners who opt to sell their home themselves (FSBOs) demonstrate a strong motivation to sell. Although many eventually turn to agents, you have a chance to build rapport early as the expert resource.

How-To Steps:

Search FSBO listing sites like FSBO.com and Craigslist to identify local sellers.
Make initial contact offering your knowledge. Provide neighborhood comps or help objectively assess their home’s value.
Establish yourself as the go-to agent consultant before they give up and officially engage your services. Regular, helpful check-ins using CRM automation maintain top of mind presence.
Once they get serious about selling, provide a listing presentation focused on all your marketing and negotiating capabilities they lack on their own.

3. Leverage Investor Referrals

Overview: Active real estate investors and flippers represent a steady source of referral leads as they constantly look to sell renovated properties. However, you need to lay the groundwork by networking locally.

How-To Steps:

Join forums like BiggerPockets to find and connect with rehabbers and flippers in your area.
Offer to partner on deals – help them find fixer-upper opportunities by sending off-market listings; provide comparative analyses.
Build strong relationships with regular check-ins on current projects and referrals. A CRM tracks interactions for personalized nudges.
Earn their referrals by consistently getting great prices on their flips. Verify with data on sold prices and days on market.
Stay top of mind by inviting investors to your educational seminars and networking events.

Digital Lead Generation Tactics

The internet offers limitless potential for generating seller leads digitally. Here are proven strategies to maximize your online lead conversion:

4. Create Hyperlocal Real Estate Content

Overview: Informative, localized content like market updates, neighborhood guides, and tips on navigating the sales process attracts potential sellers from search engines. But high-quality content requires heavy time investments.

How-To Steps:

Install Google Analytics on your website to identify visitor interests and optimize pages accordingly. What questions are seller prospects searching?
Work hyperlocal angles like recent comparables into content to cater to your farm neighborhoods.
Consider services like Parkbench or LionDesk that offer done-for-you real estate articles optimized for SEO. This provides fresh content regularly without constant content creation.
Promote new content through email lists, social media, and email signatures to maximize engagement.
Add opt-in lead gen forms on site offering free selling guides or consultations to capture visitor info even if not ready to sell yet.

5. Buy PPC Ads Targeting Sellers

Overview: Pay-per-click (PPC) ads placed through platforms like Facebook and Google can deliver highly targeted, motivated seller leads directly to your site. But proper setup and constant optimization is complex and time consuming.

How-To Steps:

If lacking experience, consider outsourced services like Market Leader or Offrs to manage PPC campaigns end-to-end – from targeting and creative to lead routing and optimization.
Target keywords and demographics related to those preparing to sell like “how to sell your home” or homeowners 55+. Tailor messaging to their stage in the process.
Drive traffic to a landing page offering a downloadable “Home Seller’s Guide” or “Find Out What Your Home Is Worth” lead gen forms to capture information.
Integrate campaigns with your CRM to track lead source, assign follow-ups, and gauge ROI on advertising spend.

6. Leverage Predictive Analytics

Overview: AI-powered predictive analytics tools can identify the most promising seller prospects based on advanced property and consumer data analytics. This allows for highly targeted prospecting.

How-To Steps:

Research predictive analytics services like Offrs, Propertypulse, or Revaluate that combine public data, MLS records, and algo-based modeling to deliver the highest probability seller leads.
Focus outreach efforts on the leads they identify as you have higher conversion odds. Use provided lead profiles to personalize messaging.
For hands-on users, tools like Propertypulse allow you to adjust the predictive criteria to filter leads for your particular niche or market. Other tools fully outsource the process.
Continually feed lead outcome data back into the systems to improve accuracy of the algorithms over time.

Customer Service and Nurturing

Your reputation hinges on the experience you deliver. Consistent and responsive support converts more leads. Here are three ways to boost customer service:

7. Automate More Responsive Follow-Ups

Overview: In an on-demand world, quick communication is expected. Systems that auto-respond ensure leads don’t slip through the cracks even when you’re unavailable.

How-To Steps:

Use CRM tools like LionDesk to create automated workflows assigning tasks and follow-ups based on lead source and profile attributes.
Build sequences that send a series of timed email or text drips to nurture leads. Mix educational content with personalized messages.
Integrate an AI assistant like Clara into your CRM to respond to common questions instantly, gather info, schedule meetings, and update records 24/7.

8. Create Client Concierge Services

Overview: Going above and beyond with specialized gifts or services helps strengthen client relationships and improve satisfaction. This pays off in repeat and referral business.

How-To Steps:

Segment top clients in your CRM and assign a relationship manager for personalized touchpoints.
Provide referral rewards like gift cards to their favorite local businesses.
Offer concierge services that suit their needs – childcare recommendations for busy parents or restaurant bookings in their new neighborhood.
Automate birthday/anniversary cards and exclusive client event invites through the CRM.
Have your assistant manage concierge logistics based on client profiles and special occasions in your CRM calendar.

9. Actively Seek Client Feedback

Overview: Learning how you can improve through honest client feedback should be an ongoing priority. This provides insights that numbers like revenue can’t reveal.

How-To Steps:

Immediately after closing, email a 2-3 question client satisfaction survey. Ask for a review while the experience is fresh.
Schedule quarterly calls or coffees with past clients to more deeply understand pain points and areas for improvement.
Monitor online reviews and respond promptly to concerns. Follow up to resolve issues.
Share positive feedback internally and with your network to build goodwill and referrals.

Proactive Prospecting Techniques

You can’t rely solely on inbound leads. Proactive promotion across channels fills the sales pipeline. Use these proven outreach tactics:

10. Specialize in Target Farm Areas

Overview: Focusing your prospecting on select neighborhoods or property types establishes you as the expert locally versus spreading efforts thinly across wide geographies.

How-To Steps:

Analyze past sales data to identify 2-3 highly specific farm neighborhoods or property types based on volume and average price point.
Brand and market yourself as the authoritative seller agent for those areas through site content, social media bios, printed pieces, etc.
Hold local open houses, knock on doors, attend events, and network to expand visibility. Outreach through hyper-targeted digital ads.
Let an AI assistant like Propertypulse recommend the highest potential sellers based on predictive algorithms calibrated for the target farm area specifications.

11. Implement AI-Powered Personalized Outreach

Overview: Individualized outreach cuts through the noise but manual customization is not scalable. AI tools complete the personalization automatically.

How-To Steps:

Services like Bond or Impression generate and mail physical personalized cards at scale based on leads in your CRM.
For example, customize printed literature with “As your area expert, I can sell your home for top dollar.”
Use an AI copywriter like Jasper.ai to dynamically customize email outreach templates at scale while optimizing messaging for lead attributes and behaviors.
Integrate an AI assistant to instantly respond to prospect outreach 24/7 and qualify leads based on programmed criteria.

12. Host Events as Lead Magnets

Overview: Well-promoted events attract both existing clients to strengthen relationships and new prospects by positioning you as an industry expert.

How-To Steps:

Hold quarterly seminars on topics like the home selling process, pricing strategies, or market trends.
Co-host or sponsor a charity event which doubles as a networking opportunity.
Organize open houses for recent listings. Use Facebook ads with clickable calendars to maximize sign ups.
Send handwritten invites to past clients and your sphere of influence to encourage attendance and referrals.
Have signup sheets at entry to collect lead info. Follow up within 24 hours to maximize conversion odds.
Provide useful content like home value reports or neighborhood guides as takeaways.

Building Referral Networks

Referrals should comprise a large share of seller leads. Nurturing your sphere of influence and community presence facilitates more referrals.

13. Maintain Past Client Relationships

Overview: Satisfied clients who rave about you during and after the transaction are your best source of repeat and referral business long-term.

How-To Steps:

Segment past clients in your CRM and assign automated quarterly touchpoints like market update emails and “How can I help?” check-ins.
Send handwritten birthday/holiday cards using a service like Bond to make scalable. Include gift cards to drive reciprocity.
Provide exclusive invites to client appreciation events like wine tastings or golf outings.
Prompt for reviews on Google/Zillow during the process, at closing, and in quarterly surveys to build credibility.

14. Build Connections with Local Businesses

Overview: Getting to know well-connected local business owners pays dividends as their customers ask them for recommendations when moving.

How-To Steps:

Start by focusing on businesses already in your sphere like your gym, dry cleaners, accountant, etc.
Offer to provide “extras” that make their lives easier – watch their store while they run errands or provide neighborhood insights to new customers.
Request to feature local businesses in your content and social media channels to showcase their services.
Attend networking events for the Chamber of Commerce and similar organizations. Follow up regularly with new business connections.
Track interactions with local business owners in your CRM and set reminders for periodic check-ins to grow the relationship.

15. Join Relevant Community Groups

Overview: Participating in groups like local nonprofits and clubs expands your sphere of influence. Giving back also builds goodwill.

How-To Steps:

Research relevant groups on Meetup.com like young professionals clubs or charity fundraiser committees.
Attend association meetings for commercial real estate brokers and investors to build mutually beneficial relationships.
Leverage volunteer opportunities to establish community connections – coach a kids sports team, help at the food bank, participate in outreach events.
Avoid overly promoting yourself and focus on genuine networking and giving back.
Customize your CRM contact records with group affiliations and interests to personalize ongoing nurturing.

Sales Tools and Technologies

The right technology provides efficiency and automation to nurture leads better. Here are key solutions to integrate:

16. Adopt an All-in-One CRM

Overview: A CRM centralizes your contacts, deals, tasks, and pipelines to optimize lead management, freeing you to focus on selling.

How-To Steps:

Choose an end-to-end platform like LionDesk over piecemeal solutions to minimize complexity.
Import your existing databases and integrate with email, phone, calendar, and marketing systems for complete visibility.
Build your sales process into the CRM stages to automatically progress deals through workflow automation.
Use campaign tracking to measure lead source effectiveness. Activity logging provides accountability.

17. Implement Marketing Automation

Overview: Automated email sequences nurture prospects with consistent messaging while requiring minimal ongoing effort.

How-To Steps:

Use tools like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or your CRM’s built-in functions to set up drip campaigns targeting specific segments.
Kick off sequences automatically based on behaviors tracked in your CRM – like site visits to content pages or clicks on PPC ads.
Tailor content to profile attributes provided by predictive analytics tools – focused on renovated homes for investors or aging in place for retirees.
A/B test email subject lines, content formats (text vs. video), andoptimal send times to optimize open and click-through rates.

18. Manage Social Media using Unified Platforms

Overview: Centralized social media platforms multiply your reach and engagement through easy post scheduling, listening tools, and integrated analytics.

How-To Steps:

Use all-in-one providers like Hootsuite or Sprout Social to manage and grow your presence efficiently across networks like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more.
Schedule relevant content like local market updates to post automatically on a regular basis. This provides fresh material consistently.
Use social listening tools to join conversations and engage followers to establish thought leadership.
Enable lead capture forms to gather contact info seamlessly from your social channels.

Key Takeaways

Inventory is tighter than ever, requiring agents to master both traditional lead sourcing strategies and emerging technologies to gain an advantage. As demonstrated through detailed tactics in this guide, agents should:

Tap non-MLS inventory sources like expired listings
Combine digital marketing with targeted offline prospecting
Focus heavily on customer service and automation to convert leads
Build local community connections to strengthen referrals

There is no silver bullet – excelling across all facets of the sales process is key to getting more real estate seller leads. What strategies from this guide will you focus on first? What other tactics have helped you effectively generate listings? Please share your insights below.

Exclusive Access to PropertyPulse Pro:

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