REAL ESTATE TIPS...Five tips to make Internet leads work better for you

Five tips to make Internet leads work better for you Lead generation is one of the most important, and often frustrating, areas of any REALTOR®’s business. Knowing whether or not the leads generated online are legitimate can be tricky. Below are five ways to get the most out of leads sent your way via online search portals: 1. Automate the lead vetting process. It's easy for a buyer to click on a property and request more information. However, knowing whether or not the buyer has been pre-qualified and is actually ready to purchase a home right away may be a different story. Some of the most successful REALTORS® are finding ways to automate this vetting process because it’s important to know who the buyer is, if they're serious, and what stage they're in (just kicking tires, actively searching, or even farther along in the process) before contacting the potential client. 2. Respond smarter, not just faster. Most online real estate portals recommend that REALTORS® contact each new lead within 10 minutes to secure the buyer as a new client. This creates a “race to the bottom” of agents calling every prospective buyer as fast as possible, and turns the REALTOR® from being proactive into being reactive. A professional’s advice and counsel is worth far more than that, so it's a good idea to find out more about the buyer before initiating contact. 3. Know when to put them on the “back burner.”Although many leads generated via online portals do not come from people who are actually ready to purchase, there is a chance they may become clients in the future. Email drip campaigns are a good way to stay top of mind with clients so they remember who to contact for their future buying and selling needs. However, it is important that the content emailed to them actually speaks to the stage they're in – home buying, home selling, renting, or current homeownership. Otherwise, the information, and the REALTOR®, may not be viewed as useful or valuable. 4. Personalization is king. Part of what separates one REALTOR® from another is the ability to listen and assess a customer's needs, especially in the beginning. When a potential buyer submits an online lead form, they expect a response specific to him or her, not just a generic auto-response stating that their message has been received. 5. Stand out from the rest of the agents they're contacting. In all likelihood, buyers who submit online lead forms wind up contacting a number of REALTORS®. Using tools to engage the buyer can help REALTORS® stand out from their competition by providing the client with a concierge-like experience, guiding them with content and resources, along with your own personal experience and recommendations. Get the most out of your online leads by knowing who your potential clients are, their readiness to purchase, and by keeping in touch and staying on track to help them with their next transaction. BECOME A CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE AGENT...CLICK LOGO TO VIEW OUR LIVE LECTURE SCHOOL