Ted Adler
on

I founded Union Street Media in 1999 from my dorm room at Middlebury College. We are now a 30+ person growing web development shop in Burlington, VT. Our clients are in a broad range of industries with a particular focus on websites for realtors. Outside of the working world, I am a Board Member of Vermont Public Radio, Spectrum Youth Services, the Vermont Business Roundtable and the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation. I was the Vermont Chapter President of the Middlebury College Alumni Association from 2001 through January 2007, and on the Executive Board of the MCAA during that time as well.

How to Capture More Sales Through Better Lead Engagement

Every real estate agent wants to boost their sales numbers. The problem is this: too many agents stick to outdated strategies for nurturing leads, and their sales numbers take a hit in the process. So how can you capture more sales through better lead engagement? We’ve spent the last few years tinkering with lead generation strategies, and we came up with a proven list of ways to nurture your leads into successful sales.

Tips and Tricks

1) Find a good CRM.

Better lead management always starts with a good CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool. Look for a CRM that is equipped with lead tracking and analytics features. These features allow you to trace every lead’s behavior on your site, including which listings a lead has viewed or favorited. This information arms you with valuable knowledge to use when interacting with your leads. If you know which types of listings your leads are looking for, you can focus your energy on working toward a common goal: a successful sale.

2) Use email marketing to your advantage.

Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools that a real estate agent can use to nurture leads. Email lets you follow up with warm leads in an unprecedented way through drip campaigns and bulk messages. You can create triggers around certain events that a lead takes through the home buying journey and send them personalized emails based on those triggers. For instance, if a lead creates an account on your website, you can send them a welcome email that introduces them to your company and points out valuable resources on your site.

3) Implement a remarketing strategy into your approach.

Remarketing strategies let you track a lead that begins their search on your site but doesn’t convert. When a lead leaves your site without contacting you or setting up an account, your ad will appear on other sites that they visit. These ads act as reminders for leads about your company and encourage them to come back to your site. Remarketing ads also generate stronger engagement from your leads since the ads create an association between your company and your lead’s real estate needs.

4) Connect on social media.

One of the best ways to engage your leads is to connect with them on social media. After all, social media was created for online interaction between extended networks of people. Invite your warm leads to follow you on social media – whether it’s Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or another platform. These invitations or CTAs can be included on business cards, email signatures, email campaigns, or another point of contact. A word of caution: some agents may use their personal accounts to “friend” their leads on Facebook, but we generally discourage this strategy. Unless you’re already close friends with your lead, this action could come across as overly aggressive. Instead, invite them to follow your company social media page. Fill your social media pages with valuable information (like blog posts or case studies) to give your leads an extra push to interact with you on these platforms.

5) Offer valuable resources on your website.

Much of successful lead engagement stems from encouraging your leads to revisit your website. How do you get leads to come back to your site? Offer value. Value can come in many forms: ebooks, webinars, and blog posts on local real estate are good starters. The more you demonstrate your expertise in the local market, the more likely your leads will return to your site, engage with your company, and work toward a closed sale.

6) Establish an organized workflow to immediately and consistently engage with leads.

If you want to convert more leads into sales, then pay attention to your workflow. How much of your day do you schedule for lead follow-up? Some agents accidentally let leads slip through the cracks because they get distracted by email alerts, office interruptions, or phone calls. Block out small pieces of your day to personally address incoming leads. Turn off the phone, post a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door, and silence email alerts. These blocks of time will allow you to focus on the centerpiece of your business: your clients. With today’s technology, most people expect to hear from a company within minutes. Salesforce reports that companies who respond to leads immediately and consistently see a 340% increase in sales.  Respond to your clients with focused and concise messages that provide value and directly answer their inquiries. Bottom line: think speed.

How do you engage your leads? How do you deal with hesitant leads? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.