Today’s housing market is full of uncertainties, and transactions are harder to come by than in previous years. Inventory is down, home prices remain high, and interest rates are causing many would-be consumers to hold back.

However, it’s entirely possible that your business can actually thrive during low-inventory markets. But only if you know how to get more seller leads. That’s what this article is all about, so let’s get started.

1. Aim for Motivated Seller Leads

Motivated sellers are homeowners who are ready and willing to put their house on the market. Some may want to sell, while others need to sell. In either case, motivated sellers fall into two basic categories: active and passive.

“Active” motivated seller leads are not only willing to sell, but they’ve also taken steps toward making it happen. “Passive” motivated seller leads, on the other hand, want or need to put their house on the market, but they haven’t taken any action yet.

Of course, there are dozens of reasons why. It could be that they don’t know how to begin the process, they can’t move forward because of health reasons, they’re afraid of selling at the wrong time or for the wrong price, they already tried and failed… the list could go on and on.

Learn the ten best ways to find motivated sellers!

2. Target Those Who Are Going Through Major Life Events

Yes, transaction counts are down this year. But there will always be those who need to buy or sell a home, regardless of market conditions, due to major life events. So especially this year, be sure to include lead generation strategies for pursuing the following six segments…

  • those who need to downsize (e.g., retirees, empty nesters, etc.,)
  • those who need to upgrade (e.g., those who are getting married, those whose families are growing, caretakers, etc.)
  • those who are being relocated for work-related reasons
  • distressed sellers or those who need to sell urgently (e.g., foreclosures, expired listings, those dealing with a bad neighbor situation, etc.)
  • probate sales (i.e., a situation in which a home needs to be sold to settle a deceased person’s estate)
  • divorcees

3. Reconnect With Past Clients To Find Seller Leads

Host Events

While client appreciation events aren’t exactly “new school,” holding one for potential clients is. The idea here is to expose your business to several people simultaneously, getting up close and personal with potential sellers.

Have fun and get creative with it. Host a party, charity dinner, concert, local business giveaway event… the options are endless. It could be small or large, simple or extravagant.

As long as you’re reaching out to potential seller leads in your area and getting a chance to mingle, you’re on the right track.

Ask for Referrals

It’s always a good time to get in touch with past clients. Give them a call and tell them how tight inventory is right now. Then ask if they know anyone who is thinking of selling.

It can take time to build a referral-based business, but the simple step you can implement today is to begin asking around. Here’s a short template you can use when reaching out to past clients via text or email:

Hi [client’s name],I’m so grateful we had the opportunity to work together when you [bought or sold] the house on [street name]. I hope things are well!

If you have any friends, family members, or colleagues who are considering a move, I’d be happy to help. Please feel free to pass along my contact information. Or let me know if anyone comes to mind, and I’d be happy to reach out to them directly. Thank you!

Sincerely,
[your name and contact information]

You Might Also Like: Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Referrals & Repeat Business

Learn how to get more seller leads and engage them in the right way using high-quality scripts.
Download the free “Listings Playbook” now.

4. Have a Predictable Lead Source That Supplements Your Efforts

Even experts admit—next year’s housing market is unpredictable. It’s the uncertainty and the resulting “boom and bust” cycles that make it very difficult for many agents to take control of the future of their business.

The solution is to find a low-cost way to have a high volume of buyer and seller leads delivered to you on a monthly basis. That way, you can spend less time worrying about where your leads will come from. And you can invest more time and energy on the tasks that have the greatest ROI: lead follow-up and lead-to-client conversion.

For example, with Network Boost, you can get 40+ Facebook and Instagram leads in your preferred areas every month for just $350. And the system will even automatically nurture your leads until they’re ready to connect. Learn more about Network Boost.

5. Level-Up Your Social Media Marketing

This may be among the simplest and most effective strategies for getting more real estate seller leads. Social media platforms are lead generation goldmines. They’re perfectly designed to help you generate traffic to your website, deepen existing relationships, expand your network, and quickly connect with a wide audience.

  • Plan your posts in advance – Not only will planning enable you to avoid racking your brain for the best idea as you’re also trying to work through the day’s to-do list, but it will also help you be more strategic with your social media marketing in general.
  • Be intentional about targeting real estate seller leads specifically – Create content that resonates with your target audience and encourages engagement. Use high-quality images, videos, and infographics to capture attention and spark conversations.
  • Engage, respond, and stay active – Provide value, share your expertise, educate, offer solutions, offer advice, and share recommendations. Each of your comments and replies are opportunities that have the potential to turn into direct messages, which could eventually develop into appointments.

For more details and a succinct how-to, check out the beginner’s guide to real estate social media marketing.

6. Participate in Outreach Events in Your Local Community

You could host your own events. For example…

Offer free workshops or webinars that are specifically designed to attract real estate seller leads. You could address topics like how to prepare a home to sell quickly and for the right price, understanding the local market trends, maximizing property value, or how to make the most of a bad real estate situation. And then you could spread the word by promoting your workshop or webinar through social media, local community bulletin boards, and partnerships with local businesses.

Or you could host a banquet. Banquets tend to draw a wide variety of people. Featuring a regional food favorite – like a crab or crawfish feed, for example – is often appealing. Or you could make it some sort of holiday celebration or themed party. Whatever it is, invite people from your neighborhood or farm area (and maybe even a select group of former clients, too). With a large enough group, who knows – you may find yourself chatting with a handful of real estate seller leads.

But if you’re low on cash or feel that you can’t draw the right audience to your event, consider joining a local event as a vendor. For example…

Set up a pop-up tent and bill it as a beverage station at the finish line of a popular 5K or some other running competition. Then as runners stop in, hand them a free local housing market report (branded, of course) with their free beverage. (And hey, why not brand the beverages too!)

Sponsoring a youth sports team will also get your brand in front of the right audience. Showing up at the games, perhaps providing the halftime snack, will help cement your services in their minds.

Get the Listings Playbook!

Knowing how to find listing leads is one thing. But knowing how to engage them with confidence is something else entirely. Don’t wing it. Stick to the script.

Download our free “Listings Playbook” to learn how to identify the tools already in your arsenal that you can leverage to engage, nurture, and convert leads. Plus, you’ll get a handful of scripts that you can easily customize to fit your voice and the channels you’re using to get more listings.

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