Best Ways To Get Clients in Real Estate
Are you wondering how to acquire clients in real estate? Here are some of the most effective ways to get clients in the real estate industry.
In today's competitive real estate market, success is not just about having your license and waiting for the phone to ring. The most successful real estate agents understand that client acquisition is both an art and a science that requires hard work and consistency.
Clients are crucial in real estate, and your success depends on your ability to effectively use marketing and communication strategies to attract and convert leads. Clients will not always come to you, so it is important to be proactive.
Whether you are a newly licensed agent looking to build your client base from the ground up or a seasoned professional seeking to expand your reach in the Raleigh market, mastering multiple client acquisition strategies is essential to sustaining and growing your business.
With the region's steady population growth, thriving job market, and diverse neighborhoods, agents who position themselves effectively can build thriving, sustainable businesses. The agents who thrive are those who don't rely on a single lead source but instead develop a comprehensive, multi-channel approach to attracting clients.
With 89% of home buyers purchasing a home through a real estate agent, it is essential to learn how to obtain new clients, whether you are a new or seasoned agent. This guide outlines ten proven strategies that successful Raleigh realtors use to consistently generate quality leads and convert them into loyal clients.
Here are the best ways to get clients in real estate.
1. Social Media Marketing
Social media has transformed from a nice-to-have into an absolute necessity for real estate professionals. However, posting random property photos is not enough. You need a strategic approach that builds your personal brand while providing genuine value to your audience.
Social media increases visibility and connects buyers and sellers, leading to quicker sales. To effectively find buyers for a home on social media, it's imperative to use relevant hashtags, invest in social media advertisements, and create captivating video content.
Utilize social media to showcase your current listings, services, and success stories. Consider embracing pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on platforms such as Facebook and Google to target users based on their searches and demographics. Pay only when someone clicks on your ad.
Consistency beats perfection. Post three to five times weekly on your primary platform rather than sporadically across all platforms. Use scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to maintain consistency even during busy periods.
Platform-Specific Strategies:
Showcase properties through high-quality photos, Reels featuring neighborhood tours, and stories highlighting open houses. Use local hashtags and neighborhood-specific tags to increase discoverability.
Create a business page and join local community groups where you can offer advice without being overly salesy. Share market updates, community events, and client testimonials. Facebook's older demographic often includes serious buyers and sellers.
Position yourself as a real estate professional by sharing industry insights, market analysis, and your expertise in the Raleigh market. This platform is particularly effective for attracting relocating professionals.
TikTok
TikTok is rapidly becoming a powerful tool for reaching first-time homebuyers. Create entertaining, educational content about the buying process, home tours, and Raleigh living.
2. Get Involved in the Community
Real estate is fundamentally a local business, and the agents who position themselves as community insiders rather than just salespeople gain a significant competitive advantage. Community involvement builds trust, increases visibility, and creates natural networking opportunities that can't be replicated through advertising alone.
Engaging in local events, contributing gift baskets, or offering prizes to local businesses effectively increases your visibility. The more individuals you engage with, the larger your reputation and client base will become.
Networking has always been crucial to a successful real estate business, so it should always be a top priority for agents. Tailor your networking efforts to your personality to help people understand who you are as a person. This way, they will remember you when they are ready to buy or sell.
Attracting clients involves establishing genuine connections and effectively communicating your value. When people see you at the farmers market every Saturday or coaching little league, you become a trusted community member first and a realtor second. That trust translates into referrals and client relationships that last for decades.
3. Implement Strategic SEO Practices
When someone searches "homes for sale in Raleigh" or "best neighborhoods in Wake County," you want to appear at the top of those results. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of making your online presence more visible to search engines, and it's one of the most cost-effective long-term marketing strategies available.
When home buyers and sellers seek a real estate agent, they turn to Google to find the best candidate. Failing to optimize your website and content for specific search results will lead to missed client opportunities.
Partner with a web developer or use platforms like WordPress with SEO plugins to ensure your site has proper structure, fast loading times, and clean code. Local backlinks from other local businesses, news sites, or community organizations can significantly boost your search rankings.
4. Build a Professional Website
Having your own website is crucial for real estate agents, as it has been shown to contribute to 69% of sales. If you are not online, you are missing out on potential web traffic, given that 51% of home buyers use the Internet to find properties.
Your website is your digital storefront, and in many cases, it is a potential client's first impression of your business. You need a professional, well-designed website that builds credibility and converts visitors into leads.
A professional website costs between $2,000-$10,000, depending on features, but it works for you 24/7, generating leads while you sleep. It's one of the most important investments you'll make in your business.
Essential Website Elements:
IDX Integration
Allow visitors to search the MLS directly on your site with up-to-date listings, high-quality photos, and detailed property information.
Clear Calls-to-Action
Every page should guide visitors toward scheduling a consultation, signing up for listing alerts, or requesting a home valuation.
About Page
Tell your story authentically. Include professional photos, your background, why you love the Raleigh area, and what makes your approach unique. People work with agents they feel they know and trust.
Neighborhood Pages
Create detailed pages for different Raleigh neighborhoods, subdivisions, and towns you serve. Include schools, amenities, average home prices, and lifestyle information.
Testimonials and Success Stories
Social proof is powerful. Feature reviews, case studies, and video testimonials from satisfied clients.
Lead Capture
Offer valuable resources (market reports, buyer guides, seller checklists) in exchange for email addresses to build your contact list.
Fast Loading Speed
A site that takes more than three seconds to load will lose visitors. Optimize images, use good hosting, and minimize unnecessary plugins.
5. Specialize In a Profitable Niche
Trying to be everything to everyone often results in being memorable to no one. The most successful agents identify a specific niche and become the go-to expert in that area. Specialization allows you to focus your marketing efforts, develop deeper expertise, and command higher fees.
There are numerous real estate agents in your local area, each catering to different niches such as luxury properties, farms, or rentals. Once you select your niche and position yourself as the local expert in that area, you will quickly become the go-to person for clients in that region.
Potential niches include first-time homebuyers, luxury properties, military relocations, investment properties, new construction, empty nesters downsizing, and geographic specialization.
When you specialize, your marketing becomes more targeted and cost-effective. Your expertise becomes your unique selling proposition, and word-of-mouth referrals increase because people know exactly what you do and who you serve.
6. Host Engaging Open Houses
While some agents view open houses as outdated, they remain one of the most effective ways to meet potential clients face-to-face. The key is approaching them strategically rather than simply unlocking the door and waiting.
Open houses have been a successful marketing strategy for agents for decades. If you do not have a client who wants to host an open house, consider helping other realtors by hosting open houses for them. This can benefit both you and your fellow realtors by expanding your network and growing your business.
Virtual open houses are also growing in popularity. Live-stream tours on Facebook or Instagram, allowing people to ask questions in real-time. These recordings can continue generating leads long after the event ends.
7. Real Estate Leads
While organic lead generation is important, purchasing leads can help fill your pipeline, especially when you are building your business. The key is knowing which lead sources provide quality prospects worth the investment.
The easiest way to obtain real estate leads is to purchase them from a lead generation company. These companies advertise on your behalf to attract customers interested in either selling or buying, and then they provide you with the information for potential clients so you can reach out.
Although it is not free, this is a legitimate strategy that can help your business. It's a great way to generate income and gain valuable client experience, especially as a new agent. It takes time to build systems and learn how you want to work with clients.
Purchasing leads is only worthwhile if you have a systematic follow-up process. The agent who responds fastest and most persistently typically wins. Implement a CRM system to track all leads, automate initial responses, and create follow-up sequences. Most purchased leads require 5-12 touchpoints before converting, so persistence is critical.
8. Market and Promote Your Services
Consistent, multi-channel marketing keeps your name in front of potential clients and ensures that when they're ready to buy or sell, you're the agent they think of first.
Effective Marketing Channels:
Direct Mail
Real estate flyers and postcards are essential tools for guaranteeing that your target audience sees your marketing. Use direct mail to introduce yourself, promote your event, or specifically target buyer and seller leads.
Signs
Real estate signs can draw attention to listings, businesses, and services, offering one of the most affordable ways to reach local leads and build recognition. Your signs are 24/7 advertising.
Online Advertising
Online advertising provides detailed targeting options to help you reach a specific audience and maximize conversions. Real estate Google ads (PPC ads) are great for targeting active buyers and sellers on search engines, as well as on other social media platforms.
Text Messages
Text message marketing boasts a 98% open rate, almost guaranteeing that your message reaches your audience. Short real estate texts help generate leads more efficiently than other methods.
9. Build a Referral Generating System
Referrals are the gold standard in real estate lead generation. They close at higher rates, have shorter sales cycles, and cost virtually nothing to acquire. Yet most agents approach referrals passively, hoping satisfied clients will remember to recommend them. Successful agents build systematic processes to generate consistent referrals.
Referrals are not limited to friends and family; they can also come from professionals in the real estate industry, including appraisers, contractors, inspectors, and mortgage brokers. Establishing a robust referral program is crucial for client acquisition.
You should actively encourage satisfied clients to refer their friends and family to expand your client base through word of mouth. Additionally, offering incentives such as gift cards or discounts can be an effective motivator.
10. Prioritize Long-Term Client Relationships
The most successful agents understand that closing a transaction is not the end of the relationship, but the beginning. Clients who buy or sell with you today might do so again in 7-10 years, and in the meantime, they are potentially your best referral sources.
Building lasting relationships creates a compound effect that becomes your most valuable business asset. Agents should regularly follow up with clients even after transactions are completed.
Stay in touch regularly by sending handwritten notes on closing anniversaries, birthday cards, holiday greetings, and "just checking in" messages. Host client events such as annual barbecues or holiday parties and remind them why they enjoyed working with you.
Methodology
Data was sourced from the National Association of Realtors to determine the best ways to get clients in real estate.
FAQs
How do you get clients when starting in real estate?
To increase your client base in real estate, focus on contacting people in your personal network, meeting new people, establishing a strong professional online presence, optimizing your customer relationship management system, defining your strategies, and hosting events to promote yourself.
How do you grow your real estate client list?
A few ways to expand your client list include purchasing real estate leads, engaging with your community, requesting referrals, creating a website, sharing on social media, cold calling, and specializing in a niche.
How do you stand out in real estate?
Real estate is a competitive market, so it is important to stand out. Crucial steps include enhancing the client experience, maintaining professionalism, finding your specialty, building an online presence, investing in branding, and networking.
Best Ways To Get Clients in Real Estate - Final Thoughts
Building a thriving real estate business in Raleigh's competitive market requires more than just having your license and hoping for the best. The ten strategies outlined in this guide provide the framework for sustainable success.
When you combine the immediate results of paid advertising with the long-term benefits of community involvement and referrals, you create a resilient business model that produces results regardless of market conditions.
The difference between agents who built thriving careers and those who struggled is the willingness to implement proven strategies consistently, learn from results, and continuously improve.
The Raleigh market is full of opportunities for agents willing to put in the work. Start implementing these strategies today, stay consistent with your efforts, and watch as your client base grows, your reputation strengthens, and your business flourishes.
