Search results for: “credibility”

  • 7 Tips To Master Local SEO for Real Estate Investors | Skyrocket To The Top of Search Engine Results

    7 Tips To Master Local SEO for Real Estate Investors | Skyrocket To The Top of Search Engine Results

    Competition in the real estate market will always be fierce. But what if you could attract a steady stream of qualified leads without the constant hustle? The answer lies in local SEO for real estate.

    Imagine this: a potential seller in your market searches for an investor specializing in fixer-upper properties. Through the power of local SEO, your website appears at the top of their search results, showcasing your expertise in local market trends and flipping potential. This is the magic of a well-optimized local SEO for real estate strategy – attracting motivated sellers and generating deals on autopilot.

    This guide is designed for real estate investors like you. By following our 7 simple tips to master local SEO for real estate, you’ll be well on your way to ranking higher in local search results, attracting high-quality leads, and ultimately skyrocketing your real estate business.

    The Power of Local SEO for Real Estate Investors: Attract Local Leads & Dominate Your Market

    Local SEO focuses on optimizing your online presence to rank higher in search results for local searches related to real estate investing in your target market. With a strong local SEO strategy, your website could be the first they see, positioning you as the go-to expert.

    The benefits of local SEO for real estate investors are undeniable:

    • Attract a Steady Stream of Local Leads: By ranking higher for relevant searches, you’ll naturally attract motivated sellers in your area, saving you time and resources on lead generation.
    • Target High-Quality Leads: Local SEO prioritizes location, ensuring you connect with sellers searching for someone to buy their house quickly.
    • Boost Brand Awareness and Credibility: High local search rankings project an image of authority and expertise, making you the trusted choice for local sellers.
    • Cost-Effective Marketing Strategy: Compared to traditional advertising, local SEO offers a long-term, sustainable approach to lead generation without breaking the bank. This is what we call Evergreen Marketing.

    By mastering local SEO for real estate, you’re not just optimizing your website – you’re setting yourself up as a dominant player in your local market, attracting a constant flow of qualified leads ready to do business.

    7 Simple Tips to Master Local SEO for Real Estate and Skyrocket Your Lead Generation

    Now that you understand the power of local SEO for real estate let’s dive into practical steps to implement it. Here are 7 easy-to-follow tips for mastering local SEO for real estate and attracting qualified leads in your target market:

    Tip 1: Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business Profile

    Think of your Google My Business (GMB) profile as your online storefront for local searches. Claiming and optimizing your GMB profile is crucial for local SEO for real estate. Here’s what to do:

    • Claim your GMB profile: Search for “Google My Business” and follow the steps to claim your business listing.
    • Optimize your profile: Fill out all information accurately, including your business address, phone number, website URL, and service categories relevant to real estate investors (e.g., “cash home buyer,” “ real estate investor”).
    • Add high-quality photos: Showcase your professionalism with clear images of yourself, your team (if applicable), and properties you’ve invested in.
    • Encourage customer reviews: Positive reviews build trust and improve your local search ranking. Provide exceptional service and politely request satisfied clients to leave a review on your GMB profile.

    Tip 2: Target Relevant Local Keywords

    The key to attracting local leads lies in using the right SEO keywords. Conduct keyword research to identify search terms potential sellers in your area use. Here’s the trick:

    • Focus on local intent: Instead of just “real estate investor,” target long-tail keywords with location qualifiers, like “ cash home buyer” or “ investor for distressed properties.”
    • Use keyword research tools: Free and paid tools like Carrot’s SEO Keyword Bible or SEMrush can help you uncover high-volume, low-competition keywords relevant to your target market. You can use our Keyword Explorer Tool if you are a Carrot member.

    Tip 3: Create High-Quality, Local Content

    Content is king, and local SEO is no exception. Establish yourself as a local expert by creating informative content that caters to your target audience’s needs. Here are some ideas:

    • Blog posts: Create informative blog posts on topics like “ real estate market trends,” “ home buying guide for sellers,” or “[type of property] investment strategies in .” Here are 101 blog post topics to get you started.
    • Local case studies: Showcase your expertise by sharing success stories of past deals you’ve closed.
    • Local real estate guides: Create downloadable guides offering valuable insights into the local market, attracting leads, and establishing your authority.

    Tip 4: Build Local Citations

    Citations are essentially online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across various directories and websites. Building strong local citations is a key element of local SEO for real estate. Here’s how to get started:

    • Claim listings on local directories: Search for relevant online directories in your city/region and claim your business listings, ensuring your NAP information is consistent across all platforms.
    • Partner with local businesses: Network with other local businesses and explore opportunities for guest blogging or backlinks on their websites.
    • Industry associations: Join relevant real estate investor associations and get listed on their online directories.

    Tip 5: Encourage Positive Online Reviews

    Positive online reviews are gold for local SEO for real estate. They build trust with potential sellers and signal expertise to search engines. Here are some ways to encourage reviews:

    • Provide exceptional service: Happy clients are more likely to leave positive reviews.
    • Request reviews politely: After a successful transaction, ask your client to leave a review on Google My Business and other platforms. Provide direct links to make it easy for them.
    • Respond to all reviews: Thank happy customers for their positive feedback and address any negative reviews professionally.

    Tip 6: Engage with Local Online Communities

    Don’t underestimate the power of local online communities. Actively participating in relevant online forums, Facebook groups, and platforms like Nextdoor can boost brand awareness and establish you as a local expert. Here’s how:

    • Join local real estate investor groups: Share your knowledge, answer questions, and build relationships with other investors and potential clients in your area.
    • Engage in discussions: Provide valuable insights on local market trends and demonstrate your expertise in a casual setting.
    • Offer free consultations: Showcase your expertise by offering free consultations to potential sellers through online communities, building trust and generating leads.

    Tip 7: Track Your Results and Adapt

    Local SEO for real estate is an ongoing process. It’s crucial to monitor your progress and adapt your strategy accordingly. Here’s what to track:

    Get Started Now To Master Local SEO On Your Real Estate Investing Website

    As an investor working within today’s web environment, your best strategy to gain the attention of prospective clients in your market is to use local SEO.

    The Carrot platform is built to make it crazy easy to leverage local SEO and outrank your competition. So, take a demo of Carrot and see if it’s a fit.

  • EP 230: 7 Quick Video Marketing Hacks + Free List of 19 Content Ideas for Investors w/ Josh Culler

    EP 230: 7 Quick Video Marketing Hacks + Free List of 19 Content Ideas for Investors w/ Josh Culler

    7 Quick Video Marketing Hacks + Free List of 19 Content Ideas for Investors w/ Josh Culler

    You can’t complain about leads not coming in if you’re not doing video. You have to get out there, get out from underneath that fear, and conquer it.

    – Josh Culler

    7 Quick Video Marketing Hacks + Free List of 19 Content Ideas for Investors w/ Josh Culler

    Josh Culler is a marketing pro who leverages video to help real estate investors connect with their target market. As an expert in video content marketing, he has developed several hacks to get the job done easier and with finesse.

    Don’t let a fear of getting in front of the camera stop you from using video. Josh will share with you his tips to show you exactly how to get out from underneath those fears so you can best connect with your audience. 

    Read the Full Show Notes Below…


    I am super excited to sit down with Josh. I’ve seen his videos and I’m beyond impressed by what he is able to do for investors. People who never thought they’d be making videos for their business, are now front and center, cranking out high-quality content like you wouldn’t believe.

    We had a great in-studio talk where I was able to pull out these 7 quick video marketing hacks to help real estate investors reach more people while building credibility and authority.

    #1. Answer Questions

    As an investor, you likely hear questions from homeowners all of the time. Your content can answer questions about your product, service, or industry. 

    • Why should I sell directly?
    • What’s the difference between you and an agent?
    • How long will it take?

    Answering these questions makes for great content. These are things people are wondering and you are building credibility and authority by being the person who has the answers. The content will be loaded with keywords and naturally primed for optimization. 

    #2. Film Case Studies

    Think back to your last few deals and tell the story of what happened. How did the situation unfold? How were you able to help the homeowner?

    Use varied stories that highlight specific situations such as an inheritance, foreclosure avoidance, or someone selling a run-down home. Tell a story with your video and your audience will be hooked. 

    #3. Film Your Process

    While what you do may seem very simple, homeowners may not know what to expect. Film yourself visiting a property or running comps. Show people who you are, what you’re doing, and how everything works. 

    Even something that seems very elementary to you, maybe something your potential customer was wondering about but was too afraid to ask.

    #4. Do Not Over Complicate Things

    Josh has found that when it comes to video marketing, people either get too into it or they don’t commit enough. They will buy a $300 mic, a green screen, and edit their videos much more than they should.

    Or… they don’t do it because they feel it will be too much work. They aren’t consistent, and they fail to capture moments that could really help them connect with their audience. 

    #5. Post Everywhere

    Once you have your video, get that thing up everywhere! Use our video transcription tool to turn your video into a keyword-rich blog post. Not only do you want it on your Carrot site, but you should have it highlighted on your youtube channel, shared to Facebook, Instagram, and anywhere else you are active.

    One important thing to remember is to post your videos natively. Don’t share a Youtube link on Facebook, upload the video directly instead. While the platforms may be similar – they are not friends. Another thing people don’t usually capitalize on is Google my Business and Apple Maps.

    These are places people go to when looking for businesses. Instead of having the pictures associated with your business be from other people, take control, and upload content of your own.

    You can add some pictures of your office, deals you’ve done, and clients you’ve worked with. Add in your videos as well to quickly connect with people who are searching you out. 

    #6. Keep It Real 

    In order to create content that will really connect with your audience, you need to remain genuine. Don’t have someone on Fiver film your video, do it yourself. Have the video be the same person who goes out to meet people and view houses. You’ll also want to be very clear on why you are doing what you are doing.

    Financial goals are fine but aren’t always specific enough to motivate you to produce quality content. Josh, for example, not only wants to create a good life for his family, but he also wants to be able 100 missionaries!

    This is a huge goal and it works for him. Your goal may look entirely different, and that’s ok! 

    #7. Be Consistent

    Video content is evergreen. If you do a video series on how to handle an inherited home, once it helps you close one deal, it has paid for itself. By creating informative content on a consistent basis, you will create a library of information that will bring the leads to you.

    With clear and intentional content, you will be the local authority before you know it. You’ll be able to turn your Carrot site into an authority hub, setting yourself apart from the other investors in your area. 

    Josh and his team provide a tremendous service to real estate investors. They can help you take your raw content, turn it into a professionally edited video, and get it back to you in 48 hours or less. Right now, you can use the code “CARROT” at cullermedia.com to receive 25% off Josh’s services! Check it out and get some video added to your Carrot site today! 

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    We want to hear your thoughts on the podcast! Drop them in the comments section below or hit us up on Facebook or Instagram!

  • EP 229: Tired of Tire Kickers? Get This Agent’s Step-by-Step Strategy for Consistent, High Quality Leads w/ Tom Townsend

    EP 229: Tired of Tire Kickers? Get This Agent’s Step-by-Step Strategy for Consistent, High Quality Leads w/ Tom Townsend

    Tired of Tire Kickers? Get This Agent’s Step-by-Step Strategy for Consistent, High Quality Leads.

    The pandemic is pushing the need to get online and understand technology like never before.

    – Tom Townsend

    Tired of Tire Kickers? Get This Agent’s Step-by-Step Strategy for Consistent, High Quality Leads w/ Tom Townsend

    Tom is a seasoned real estate agent w/ Keller Williams, who was burnt out on cold calling and struggling to compete with the big guys when it came to SEO. By shifting his strategy, and maxing out his AgentCarrot site, he is completely confident about the next 12 months.

    Today, we’re looking at what messaging is working best, how Tom is using his Carrot site to convert more leads, and we will even make some tweaks to his site right here on the podcast to make his site perform even better.

    Read the Full Show Notes Below…


    A month or two ago, my team hit me up and said “You need to check out Tom Townsend.” I was blown away when I saw the data for his site and how he was implementing our training into his business.

    Tom hasn’t been with us for a long time. In fact, he has only been a Carrot member for a few months. But in that short amount of time, he is already holding the top 1 and 2 spots for many keywords he is creating content around. 

    Where He Started

    Tom has been in the real estate business since 2002. He began as an investor, flipping properties and holding a few here and there. He then took his real estate skills a step further by becoming a certified appraiser.

    He was always heavy on the phones, chasing down leads, and setting up meetings. A few years ago, Tom and his team began utilizing Facebook Ads, but they weren’t directing them to any particular landing page or call to action. 

    They built a website via Wix, but it lacked flexibility and the ability to grow as the business did. The team moved the website to another platform, but it was cumbersome and time-consuming and wasn’t manageable while they were busy running on the hamster wheel. 

    The Lightbulb Moment

    The pandemic has forced people to improve their online presence or get online if they weren’t already. For Tom and his team, it has allowed them to spend time creating evergreen content that will get them off of the hamster wheel. They are building their brand as the local authority and having the leads search them out instead of the other way around. 

    COVID has made a lot of people analyze what they are doing and what is important. For Tom, it was time. He wanted more time to do the things he loves, while still building momentum and credibility within the community.

    The evergreen content Tom is creating is providing consistency and predictability, giving him the freedom he is after. 

    His Strategy Today and Why It Works

    Many of the 100+ leads Tom has received in the past few months have been through paid PPC campaigns. This is exactly how we recommend agents and investors get the ball rolling.

    In fact, Tom and his team have followed our advice and recommendations to a tee, thus bringing in more and more leads, creating more conversions, and closing more deals. 

    • First, they utilized our 30-Day Authority Building Challenge.
    • Next, they began creating content, with an emphasis on VideoPosts and our VideoPosts transcription service.
    • They have utilized our Advanced Marketer Articles, which only require a minute or two of personalization before posting.
    • They have modified their Facebook and Google advertising, directing people back to their website… err authority portal.
    • Tom and his team have spent time niching down their content to become the local experts. 
    • They use our Campaign Tracking Links tool to track all of their advertising – even links printed on mailers they are sending out. 

    The Campaign Tracking Links have become one of Tom’s most important tools. It gives him a clear and centralized place to see what’s working, what’s not working, and where he can improve. 

    The Power of Testimonials

    Many people will seek out testimonials just because they think they have to. They don’t spend time optimizing them or using them to fight objections. My advice is to seek out 5 very specific testimonials that will fight objections and be relatable to the ideal client you are seeking out. 

    For example, if you are an agent, use a testimonial from someone who was friends with another agent, but chose you instead because of your experience. Or, you can find an FSBO client you were able to help by getting them more than they would have on their own.

    Many people will try to avoid working with an agent in order to save money. A testimonial letting them know they will likely get more money when all is said and done is a testimonial that will actually help you to convert. 

    Because of COVID, so many agents and investors are working from a home office. They’re not out and about attending open houses and networking events.

    Here at Carrot, we have seen many people using this time to amp up their websites. To change them from glorified business cards, and instead, turning them to authority hubs.

    Go to Carrot.com to see what we are doing to help agents ramp up even more as we close out the year strong. 

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    We want to hear your thoughts on the podcast! Drop them in the comments section below or hit us up on Facebook or Instagram!

  • Instagram for Real Estate Agents [Step-By-Step Guide]

    Instagram for Real Estate Agents [Step-By-Step Guide]

    Instagram for real estate agents is a proven content marketing platform. It has one billion active monthly users!

    The platform, which is owned by Facebook, has become a mainstream social media giant with a focus on visual content — from fashion and food to scenery and even real estate.

    So it’s understandable if, as a real estate agent, you’re considering joining the fray.

    Our Agent members have success on Instagram.

    Most don’t run any ads on the platform but they regularly post content. And not only has that content garnered them thousands of followers… but they also regularly generate leads through Instagram.

    Pretty cool, huh?

    But if you’re a total beginner and know next to nothing about Instagram, don’t worry.

    We’re going to teach you everything a real estate agent needs to know about creating and optimizing their Instagram account.

    So let’s get started.

    Unlock Your Instagram Marketing Knowledge

    Learn everything that Real Estate Agents need to know to get started with Instagram marketing.

    Do Real Estate Agents Need Instagram?

    Do Real Estate Agents Need an Instagram Account?

    This is probably your first question.

    Do you need an Instagram account?

    The simple answer is no; you don’t.

    There are many different ways to generate leads for your business — you can send direct mail, run Facebook ads, work on your real estate website’s SEO, and network with other local professionals.

    Instagram is not a necessary part of your marketing strategy.

    Having said that, Instagram can effectively build brand awareness and generate leads. Just because it’s not necessary doesn’t mean you should ignore it.

    Especially if you enjoy engaging with people on social media… then Instagram is certainly a good idea for your business.

    I mean, most of us spend several hours scrolling through social media daily, anyway.

    Why not use that time to create content and grow your real estate Instagram business page?

    Instagram Stats

    Instagram Stats For Real Estate

    Okay — so I’ve claimed that Instagram can help you grow your real estate business, and I’ve even provided you with an example (The Farr Group) of real estate agents doing just that.

    But here’s some more statistical evidence…

    • 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business.
    • Only 14% of realtors are on Instagram, but 83% of all homebuyers reported wanting to see more pictures of properties online.
    • One-third of the most viewed Instagram stories are from businesses.
    • Instagram’s potential advertising reach is 850 million users.

    In other words… not only is Instagram a great marketing platform for businesses… it’s great for real estate agents.

    More specifically, it’s ideal for posting pictures of homes you’ve listed for sale, and it’s great for sharing your buying and selling expertise with your audience.

    If you’re still not convinced, that’s okay.

    The only real way to figure out if Instagram can help you grow your real estate business is to try it and see what happens.

    So let’s talk about that.

    How to Create Your Instagram for Real Estate Account

    The first step is to create an Instagram real estate account for your business.

    As with most social media platforms, this is pretty easy.

    Just go here and enter your information to sign up (you can just log in with Facebook if that’s easier).

    How to Create Your Real Estate Focussed Instagram Account

    It’s worth noting, however, that Instagram is far easier to use on mobile devices than on laptops or desktops.

    You’ll want to get the app on your phone. That’s where you’ll share content, engage with comments, and even update your account.

    Here’s a link to the iPhone Instagram app.

    Also, you’ll want to transform your Instagram account into a business account.

    Here are instructions on how to do that straight from Facebook itself

    1. “Go to your profile and tap the menu icon on the top right corner.
    2. Tap Settings.
    3. Tap Account.
    4. Tap Switch to Business Account.
    5. We recommend that you connect your business account to a Facebook page associated with your business. This will make it easier to use all of the features available for businesses. Only one Facebook Page can be connected to your Instagram account.
    6. Add details, like your business category and contact information.
    7. Tap Done.”

    There are a few advantages to switching from a personal to a business account.

    With a business account, you can access analytics about your followers and their engagement with your content.

    You also gain the ability to promote your Instagram posts as advertisements and add links to your Instagram stories.

    Additionally, when I asked Krista Farr whether real estate agents should have a personal or business account on Instagram, she said, “Only have a business account.”

    She explained that this provides you with more flexibility, and people who love your content won’t have the choice between following your account or your business account — in which case they would almost always opt to follow your account.

    Instead, your audience is forced to follow your business account, which… is good for business.

    Once you’ve created your account, you’ll need to add a profile picture and a bio (which should include a link to your website).

    Instagram real estate profile

    This doesn’t need to be super fancy — prioritize clarity over cleverness.

    Your profile picture can be your company’s logo, and your bio should describe what you do and where you do it.

    If you can create a little bit of credibility here, then do it!

    (In The Farr Group’s bio, it mentions that they’re in the top 1% of Spokane realtors, for example)

    Add your website link — you can shorten it over here — and viola!

    You’re up and running.

    Unlock Your Instagram Marketing Knowledge

    Learn everything that Real Estate Agents need to know to get started with Instagram marketing.

    Turning Instagram Into a Real Estate Lead Generation Machine

    Having an Instagram account is one thing.

    And if that were the end goal, this would be a short article.

    But it’s not.

    The real goal of marketing your business on Instagram is to build authority and generate leads.

    So how do you make that happen?

    The obvious way is to create great content, create it consistently, and grow your Instagram following.

    And we’re going to talk about all of that here shortly.

    But that is not the starting place.

    Because let me ask you this.

    What happens when someone loves your content on Instagram so much that they want to learn more about your business and maybe even hire you as a real estate agent?

    (That’s the goal, after all)

    Where do they go?

    What do they do?

    Most importantly, how easy is it for them to become a lead?

    The easier it is, the more leads you’re going to generate.

    Take The Farr Group as an example. When you click on the link in their Instagram account, it takes you to their current, most desirable house listing.

    instagram real estate listings

    Why?

    Because that’s precisely where they want you!

    People who are motivated enough to click on that link in their profile want to help them dream about what it’d be like to purchase a new home with them.

    And what better way to do that than by sending them to your most popular house listing?

    Even more brilliantly, the “Call Us” CTA sits right at the top of the page, and the Property Search section on the right allows people to browse listings easily.

    No wonder The Farr Group generates so many leads through Instagram!

    The best part is that all of those features are baked right into our websites, which are built to convert visitors into leads right out of the box.

    You can get your high-converting realtor website risk-free for 30 days by clicking here!

    One thing’s for sure…

    Even if your Instagram account is driving traffic to your website… that won’t do any good if your website isn’t set up to generate leads.

    So this is your starting point.

    Now we can talk about the specifics of growing your Instagram following.

    How Often Should Real Estate Agents Post On Instagram?

    How Often To Post On Social Media: 2020 Success Guide

    This is one of the first questions people ask when they’re starting to market on a new social media platform.

    How often do you need to create content on Instagram to be effective?

    The honest answer to that question is the same as for every site: the more content you create, the better.

    It’s very hard (if not impossible) to create too much content.

    The algorithms on social media platforms that decide which content to show users is built to not overwhelm your audience with your content… so there’s almost no chance of annoying your followers.

    But if you create too little content, there’s a very real risk of your followers not seeing the content you create.

    So the rule of thumb: more is better.

    Still, I know you don’t want to spend all your free time creating content for Instagram. So what’s the minimum amount of content you should post to be effective?

    Well, major brands post an average of 1.5 times daily on Instagram.

    So one to three times per day is a good goal.

    If you can do more, do more.

    If that sounds like too much, start smaller and build.

    Now, you’re probably wondering what the heck you should actually post about… that’s what we’re talking about next.

    10 Real Estate Instagram Content Ideas

    Not sure what to share on your Instagram account?

    Or maybe you’ve run out of ideas?

    Here are 10 content ideas for real estate agents to share on Instagram.

    Enjoy!

    1. House Listings

    instagram house listings

    When creating content on Instagram, this is probably your lowest-hanging fruit.

    Sharing your new house listings with your followers is quick and easy… and it’s probably one of the best ways actually to generate leads.

    2. Expert Advice

    You know more about real estate than the vast majority of your followers.

    So why not share some of your expertise with them?

    They’ll appreciate it, and it’ll help establish you as an expert in your field (and thus the person to go to when someone needs to buy or sell a home!).

    P.S. Don’t be afraid to make your expert advice fun and personable like the example above.

    3. “Sold!” Updates

    Maybe it sounds counterintuitive — why would you want to tell people about a home that’s already sold?

    Isn’t the goal, after all, to promote homes that haven’t sold yet?

    Well, yes…

    And as we talked about in the first point, you should do that.

    But you also should share about when you’ve sold a house — don’t pass up the opportunity to prove to people that you’re an effective real estate agent that knows how to sell people’s homes for top-dollar.

    That goes a long way toward building trust and authority for your business in the eyes of your followers.

    4. Event Announcements

    Announcing and promoting local events is another great content idea for real estate agents.

    You can promote local meetups, upcoming events in your city, or even your open houses.

    There’s always something going on, which means there’s always something to talk about… and something to post about.

    And you’ll get bonus points if you’re going actually to attend the event that you’re promoting… that way, your followers can meet you in person!

    5. Creative Pictures

    There are no two ways about it — Instagram users love creative pictures.

    Sometimes, this will mean posting stylish photos of a home you’ve listed or sharing photos of your recent family vacation.

    If it’s a unique and cool photo, your audience will love it.

    6. Behind-The-Scenes Content

    People don’t just want to see the external results your business is producing; they also want to see how you do it.

    Sharing behind-the-scenes content — posts of you and your team working on buying and selling homes — is a great way to show your audience how hardworking you are for your clients.

    It’s also a great way to humanize you and make you more approachable, which helps get the phone ringing.

    7. Local Business Promotions

    As a realtor, you’re deeply connected to the inner workings of local markets. It’s appropriate — even expected — then for you to show support for other local businesses.

    Aaron and Krista give away $100 gift cards to their favorite local restaurants.

    That way, they’re helping local businesses and their audience simultaneously.

    8. Testimonials/Case Studies

    When you use your customer testimonials on Instagram, they can provide a social proof boost and give your visitors and followers a solid reason to trust your real estate business.

    9. Real Life Stuff

    Your Instagram audience doesn’t just want to see things about your work… they want to get to know you as a person.

    Fortunately, that’s also good for business — most people choose a real estate agent based on who they feel connected with.

    So post some pictures of your recent vacation, or when you were in engaging in a hobby like hiking or golf, or after you just came out of the movie theater.

    It’s not immediately obvious, but if you share your life with your audience, they’ll be more likely to work with you in the future… because they feel connected to you.

    10. Market Data

    You’re an expert at real estate.

    Most people aren’t.

    So why not share some of your knowledge of the current market with your audience and break it down so they can understand?

    At the very least, it’ll build your authority. And at best, good market conditions might convince people to sell their homes with you!

    Unlock Your Instagram Marketing Knowledge

    Learn everything that Real Estate Agents need to know to get started with Instagram marketing.

    Do Real Estate Agents Need To Pay For Ads On Instagram?

    This is a really important question.

    Only posting organic content to a business on Facebook is a surefire way to never grow your following. That’s because Facebook’s algorithm makes it mind-blowingly difficult to reach your audience (even those following you) unless you pay for it.

    Is the same true for Instagram?

    Nope.

    Even though Facebook and Instagram are owned by the same people, their algorithms are vastly different.

    Where it’s difficult to reach your audience on Facebook, it’s seamless on Instagram.

    One study found that brands “see a median engagement rate of 0.09% per Facebook post, in comparison to a 1.60% median engagement rate per post on Instagram.”

    Post and engagement counts for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

    Instagram is much kinder to businesses than Facebook is.

    So do you need to pay for Instagram ads?

    Well, the answer is no. Even Aaron and Krista, who get hundreds of likes and comments on their content, don’t run any ads.

    But they swear that Instagram is generating tons of leads for their business — that’s why they keep doing it.

    There’s certainly nothing wrong with running ads on Instagram.

    It might be worth at least a test or two.

    You create and manage your Instagram ads right inside of Facebook’s ad manager. Here’s a guide on how to do it.

    4 Best Practices For Creating Real Estate Agent Content On Instagram

    To get as much engagement as possible from the content you post on Instagram, here are some simple best practices to keep in mind.

    1. Instagram Hashtags for Real Estate

    Real estate hashtags are the not-so-secret sauce to growing your Instagram following.

    Users can (and do) search hashtags that they’re interested in. Instagram then shows them the content with that hashtag.

    So hashtags serve two purposes.

    First, they organize your content so that Instagram knows when and where to show your posts. Second, and more importantly, they catch the eyes of people looking for that specific hashtag.

    You’ll notice that Shemeika Fox put quite a few relevant hashtags at the bottom of every Instagram post.

    This makes content more searchable.

    The max amount of hashtags that you can put on a post is 30 (and 10 for Instagram stories), and we recommend using all of those slots.

    However, you shouldn’t copy and paste the same hashtags into your post every time, as that signals to Instagram that you’re being a bit spammy.

    This can be a little tedious, but the results are worth it. If you need help, here’s an Instagram hashtag generator that could help.

    2. Be Consistent

    How often should you post on Instagram? | Rashidawan

    As with all social media platforms, consistency is critical on Instagram.

    If you post a lot of content in one week but none for the next month, your audience will quickly forget about you.

    So you’ve not only got to be consistent, but you’ve got to be consistent for the long-term.

    The longer that you’re consistent about posting content, the bigger following you’re going to build — in some ways, it is that simple.

    Create a schedule that has you posting at least a few times a week (ideally once per day) and then stick to it for years rather than weeks or months.

    3. Create Visual Consistency

    Instagram is a highly visual platform. That is, people do a lot more looking than reading.

    And one of the keys to growing on Instagram is to become quickly recognizable. Without people even looking at your profile picture, they should be able to identify your content because of the style, the colors, and other elements.

    If you browse around top Instagram accounts, you’ll notice that all of their posts have similar styles — it’s almost like they’re all using the same filter.

    That’s intentional.

    Doing so helps create a sense of consistency for your audiences so they know what to expect.

    And people like when they feel like they know what to expect from you — they like it even more when you fulfill those expectations day-in and day-out.

    So use the same logos, the same colors, the same fonts, and the same filters on your posts.

    4. Focus On Your Specific Market

    As a realtor, it’s not all that important to generate leads from all over the U.S. Really; you just want to attract people in your market.

    That gives you an advantage- an angle that nationwide Instagram pages can’t play off of.

    By posting about things specific to your market, local businesses, state parks, and even the weather, you can appeal to people differently and more meaningfully.

    Plus, people want to hire someone who’s an expert in the area, anyways… so why not show them that you are?

    Are You Ready To Generate Real Estate Agent Leads On Instagram?

    Hopefully, by now, you feel that you can approach Instagram with confidence.

    It’s a relatively simple platform to get the hang of but a difficult one to master. And this beginner guide has given you everything you need to get started, grow your following, and even turn those followers into leads for your real estate business.

    But enough from us.

    What has your experience with Instagram been?

    Are you using it to grow your real estate business?

    Or do you have additional questions about how to make that happen?

    Let us know in the comments!

  • EP 223: Real Estate Partnerships – How We Closed 70+ Deals Together and Have Never Met in Person, All Part-Time! w/ Keith Sant & Norberto Ponce

    EP 223: Real Estate Partnerships – How We Closed 70+ Deals Together and Have Never Met in Person, All Part-Time! w/ Keith Sant & Norberto Ponce

    We Closed 70+ Deals and Have Never Met in Person, All Part Time! w/ Keith Sant & Norberto Ponce

    Happiness isn’t really reaching your goal, it is the pursuit of the goal. You have to find the joy.

    – Norberto Ponce

    Real Estate Partnerships: 70+ Deals w/out Meeting in Person, All Part-TIme! w/ Keith Sant & Norberto Ponce

    When the right real estate partnerships are formed, the sky is the limit. Meeting someone, clicking with them, and sharing common goals with someone can take you to places you never thought possible.

    Working with the right partner can help you become a better version of yourself. This is true for Keith and Norberto who have never met in person, yet have positively influenced each other both in life and in business. Here’s how they do it… 

    Read the Full Show Notes Below…


    For so many real estate entrepreneurs out there, myself included, we tend to try to do everything on our own. It can be tough to compromise, especially if you have spent sleepless nights growing your business and working on your vision.

    However, we are all human and we have our own strengths and weaknesses. When you find the right real estate partnerships, they will compliment what you have already done, helping you master the areas in which you lack. 

    Less Volume, Less Time, More Money

    In the case of Norberto and Keith, Norberto is the one getting out there and talking to people, while Keith is making more of the magic happen behind the scenes. He handles the marketing, Carrot website, and Facebook advertising for real estate, while Norberto is talking to as many people as he can.

    Keith lives in Washington and Norberto in Texas. They have never met face to face, but have been able to form a partnership that perfectly compliments each person’s unique abilities. 

    When you find the right partner, you’ll be able to save time, money, and having to learn things the hard way. Their experiences, opinion, and feedback will help you to make smarter and more profitable decisions.

    You will be able to get more accomplished in less time while having more doors open to you both figuratively and literally.

    Today, instead of just flipping houses, Keith and Norberto are investing in quads, apartment buildings, development land, and mobile home parks. While they may be doing fewer deals in recent months then they had in the past, the deals they are doing are big ones. 

    Remembering Why You Do It

    When Keith first started in this business, he was working 16 hour days. While this taught him a lot, he realized that it wasn’t how he wanted to spend his time.

    By partnering with Norberto and taking on different types of deals, Keith is now able to work part-time, spending the rest of his time with his fiancee and doing the things he loves.

    His late nights and sheer persistence have paid off for him in major ways. 

    Norberto is not involved in real estate full-time either. In fact, is is a police office on South Padre Island. Putting on the uniform makes him feel like a super-hero.

    It brings him satisfaction and fullfillment that isn’t found in other lines of work. That said, real estate has allowed him to provide for his family and live life on his terms. He has a few non-negotiables.

    No work on Sunday and the mornings are dedicated to working out with his family. Keeping family first and remembering why he is doing it has made him happier and more successful than ever. 

    Bonus Ninja Tips

    Make It Official

    Norberto had a great tip I wanted to share with you and that is to reach out to people using official looking envelopes. Norberto will use a Fedex envelope to drop a letter on someone’s porch regarding their property.

    Most people will open a FedEx sitting at their door, whereas a regular letter can get looked over pretty easily. 

    Build Credibility

    Testimonials can be huge when it comes to building credibility. Don’t just get a few and stop. Every time you have a successful transaction and a happy client, ask them for a review.

    You can lead them to the BBB, Google, Facebook, or all of the above. You can even offer an incentive such as a Starbucks card for an honest review of your services. 

    Before and after photos are another way to build credibility. Don’t be afraid to give out the address so people can drive by and see what you have done for themselves. When people see that it is real, they will know that you are real too. 

    Build Relationships

    Talk to as many people as you can and let them know what you do and how you can help.

    Talk to pizza delivery drivers, the UPS man, and people who see a lot of houses during their average day.

    You can leverage these relationships and offer a referral fee for houses they tell you about that meet your criteria. 

    The partnership formed between Keith and Norberto is ideal. They are both dedicated to what they do, while also being able to remember what is really important in life.

    They have ford a dynamic partnership that is crushing it on all levels and I can’t wait to see them here at CarrotCamp, where they will finally meet face to face, in just a few weeks. 

    Follow Our Guests: 

    Mentioned In This Episode

    We want to hear your thoughts on the podcast! Drop them in the comments section below or hit us up on Facebook or Instagram!

  • How To Get Real Estate Clients [14 Effective Strategies]

    How To Get Real Estate Clients [14 Effective Strategies]

    How To Get Real Estate Clients [14 Strategies]

    So, how to get real estate clients? If you’re asking this question, you’ve come to the right place.

    At Carrot, we work with thousands of agents and investors — pros and newbies — who are working to grow their businesses.

    And here’s the good news: there is a clear path to growing your business.

    In fact, doing so is really just a matter of following some tried-and-proven methods…

    …things that other agents have done with great success.

    And from our experience, the below 14 strategies are effective… pretty much every single time.

    Here they are!

    How To Get Real Estate Clients | 14 Tried-and-true Strategies

    1. Get a High Converting Website

    Your website is the most important part of your online marketing efforts.

    And without a website that actually converts traffic into leads, you’re probably going to struggle.

    To be fair, many real estate agents focus on offline marketing tactics… and they do well for themselves.

    In fact, we’re going to discuss some of the most effective offline marketing strategies in this article.

    But here’s the thing: online marketing is still the best way to find clients and grow your business in today’s world.

    Just consider some of this cold hard data…

    The Real Estate Digital Marketing: A Complete Guide

    But before you start driving traffic to your website, you need to optimize your website to actually convert that traffic.

    That way, the phone is ringing and you’re collecting clients left and right.

    Well, that’s what we specialize in at Carrot.

    We’ve created (and tested) real estate agent website templates that convert like crazy. Here’s a little preview of what they look like…

    real estate agent websites

    There are a few things we do that most websites don’t.

    And these differences are critical.

    First, we put your phone number in the upper right corner, so that visitors are encouraged to pick up the phone and call.

    Second, we shamlessly prompt people to give you their contact information whenever they click on the “Search Properties” button…

    high converting real estate website forms

    That way, even if they don’t call you, you can follow up with them.

    We even provide text message notifications so that you get immediately notified when your website receives a new lead.

    That’s just a quick overview of why Carrot websites convert better than any other websites in the industry.

    (We have a ton of other included features to help your business grow!)

    If you want to try us out risk-free for 30 days, go here to start building your high-converting website!

    2. Optimize Your Website For Search Engines

    Search engine optimization — commonly known as SEO — is one of the best ways to collect leads and find clients over the long term.

    You probably won’t find clients overnight using this strategy.

    But after weeks, months, and years, SEO is one common factor of real estate businesses that stand the test of time.

    Why?

    To explain what we mean, you first have to understand how SEO works…

    92% of all home buyers use the internet at some point in their home search. And the websites that they find help to determine the house that they buy and, more importantly, the realtor that they work with.

    This is also true of home sellers when they type things like “realtors in my city” into Google when looking for a real estate agent to work with.

    real estate agent website SEO

    The goal of SEO is to get these people — your target market — to find your website.

    Because if they find your website, then they might call you and they might become a client.

    In fact, most of our members claim that SEO leads are far higher quality than leads they get from paid advertisements.

    The best part is that once you’re ranking on page one for a high-value keyword phrase, you’ll start generating leads on autopilot, without any additional marketing.

    And websites that make it to page one usually stay there for quite a while.

    Which is why SEO is such a great long-term marketing strategy.

    So… how do you optimize your website to rank in Google?

    You can check out our full guide over here.

    But the basics are…

    1. Research and find high-value keyword phrases.
    2. Create content to rank for those phrases.
    3. Track your results.

    Our Carrot sites are built to help you tackle this process.

    We provide all of our AgentCarrot members with monthly optimized content for their blog, tools for tracking rankings, and more.

    Click the link to learn more.

    3. Real Estate Facebook Ads

    Facebook ads are great because you can turn them on to generate leads and find clients whenever you want… but turn them off when you already have plenty of work coming in.

    Our most successful members use SEO for their longterm lead generation, but paid advertisements and mailers (which we’ll talk about next) for faster results.

    Especially if you’re just getting started, Facebook ads are a great way to find clients.

    Even simple advertisements of your listings, like the below example, can do really well…

    Real Estate Facebook Advertising

    4. Send Mailers

    Direct mail is one of the most powerful client-finding tools for real estate agents.

    It feels more personal than email, you can send a lot of it at once, and if you do it correctly, it’ll almost always get the phone ringing.

    But naturally, you don’t want to waste money.

    And direct mail can certainly be a little expensive.

    So how can you ensure that your mailers are going to get responses before you send them?

    Here’s some advice…

    Know Who You’re Targeting — What are the demographics of your mailing list? Are you sending to homeowner who might be interested in selling? Or are you sending to renters who might be interested in buying? Your mailers should speak directly to the people you’re targeting.

    how to format direct mail for real estate

    Make It Personal — When people choose a real estate agent, it’s primarily an emotional decision. That is, they have to like the person that they’re going to work with. And making your mailers a little more personal with photos can go a long way toward helping them make a favorable decision.

    how for format mail for real estate

    Be Friendly — Most people will choose to work with you because they like you and they trust you. And creating direct mail that feels friendly is a great way to build credibility and increase your response rate. This can be as simple as sending “Merry Christmas!” mailers during the holidays.

    friendly real estate direct mail

    Send Enough Mailers — Direct mail is mostly a numbers game. So long as your mail is friendly and appealing to your recipients, getting a response is simply a matter of sending enough mail. According to most stats, the average response rate for real estate direct mail is between 2% and 4%. So you should be sending several hundred mailers at a time.

    Learn more about how to send effective real estate direct mail.

    5. Social Media Marketing for Real Estate Agents

    There’s no question: social media is a very powerful marketing platform for darn-near every industry… your real estate business is no exception.

    How quickly you find new clients through social media will largely depend on how much of a following you already have and how much people in the community trust you.

    So if you’re new to social media, don’t expect overnight success.

    Building trust on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms isn’t something that should be sporadic — it works best if you create a content schedule and then stick to it… posting at least a few times per weepk.

    The Farr Group — a husband-and-wife owned real estate company — is great at using Instagram to build brand awareness and even generate leads.

    social media marketing for real estate

    And when we spoke with Aaron and Krista Farr, one interesting things that they mentioned was how engagement on social media only means so much when it comes to actual lead generation.

    They said they’ve met a lot of people who knew them from social media or who even became clients because of their Instagram profile, but who never actually commented on or “liked” their content.

    In other words, your content is probably reaching more people than you think.

    Don’t take your engagement metrics at face value.

    Be consistent, follow the process, and you might be surprised at how social media helps you to grow a thriving business.

    Check out our full interview with Aaron and Krista over here!

    6. Find FSBO Sellers On Craigslist

    It might not be the first method you choose for finding new clients, but looking through for-sale-by-owner listings on Craigslist — especially ones that have been around for a while — can be a helpful strategy.

    Just go to Craigslist and click on “real estate for sale”.

    craigslist for real estate leads

    Then, you can filter the listings as for sale by owner…

    for sale by owner listings on craigslist

    Browse through the listings and look for indications that the seller is having trouble closing on the home — a long time has passed since it was originally listed, for example, or the sellers sound desperate in their description.

    These might not make the best clients in the world… and some people will probably get mad at you for calling them and offering your services.

    But you might just stumble across someone who’s glad you called.

    And it’s the victories you have to fight for that are often the sweetest, anyways.

    So why not give it a shot? You’ve got nothing to lose!

    7. Network, Network, Network

    When it comes to finding your first clients, building trust in your community, and growing your business organically, there’s nothing quite as powerful as networking.

    And we’re talking about networking with other business owners, local politicians, and anyone else with sway in the community.

    The fact is, everyone needs a home to live in… so there’s really no one who you shouldn’t network with.

    Everyone probably knows someone who wants to buy or sell a home in the near future and so networking is always a benefit to your business.

    Real estate is one of those industries where just getting to know people can grow your business.

    And the more people you get to know — more importantly, the more people who get to know you — the more clients you’re going to get through friendly referrals.

    So go to business meetups, attend community celebrations, and join in on charitable events.

    Meetup.com is a great place to find local groups of people with different interests.

    With enough time, you’ll become an icon of the community and people will start to automatically think of you when they think of buying or selling a home.

    And that’s exactly what you want.

    8. Door Knocking

    It’s not the prettiest or flashiest (or even the most time effective) way to find clients for your real estate business, but door knocking can certainly help!

    Here’s something to keep in mind: when you’re just getting started as a real estate agent, you’ll have to work harder to find clients.

    You’re just starting to build trust and become an icon in the community… but that takes time.

    And a simple stroll through the neighborhood where you knock on a few doors and introduce yourself can go a long way toward building meaningful relationships.

    It can even help you generate leads and referrals.

    You might be surprised at how willing people are to help when you ask nicely.

    This is something you can even do on your daily walk around the neighborhood — just commit to knocking on 5 new doors every day and see what happens!

    Two FREE Real Estate Scripts for Door Knocking

    Script 1

    Hey!

    Sorry to bother you. My name is [name] and I just had a quick question. Do you know of anyone who is thinking of selling their home in the area?

    I’m new to the area and I’m just trying to get my real estate business off the ground, so I’m looking for some folks who need help selling their home or buying their next home.


    [Wait for response]

    That sounds great. I really appreciate the help… just thought I’d knock on a few doors as I’m going for my evening stroll.

    Here’s my business card, by the way.

    Feel free to contact me at any time if you or someone you know wants help with a real estate transaction.

    Have a great day!

    Script 2

    Hey there,

    My name is [name] and I’m a new real estate agent in the area. Are you or someone you know trying to buy or sell a home?

    I’m just trying to get my real estate business off the ground.

    [Wait for response]

    Great! I appreciate your help.

    Here’s my business card — feel free to contact me anytime to chat about all things real estate.

    Have a great day!

    9. Brochures & Posters

    How many people visit your local coffee shop every single day?

    What about your local bakery or your local gym?

    In many communities (especially smaller ones), local businesses want to support other local businesses.

    And one great way to leverage that fact is by getting to know local business owners and asking them if you can put up a poster in their window or lay some free brochures on their counter.

    Many of them will be more than happy to help.

    As for what your poster or brochure should look like, just think of it as a compelling piece of direct mail — people you’ve never met before are going to see it and, in an instant, they’re going to decide whether to call you or not.

    So put your best foot forward.

    Here’s a great example…

    Real Estate Agent Poster Template - PSD | Publisher | Illustrator ...

    10. Get Some Local Press

    You might not know it, but your local newspapers, magazines, and other media outlets are constantly looking for interesting stories to tell.

    How about they tell a story about your new business?

    Just give the editors a call and tell them about what you have going on — if you have a particularly interesting angle, then be sure to mention that as well.

    Alternatively, you could pitch a letter-to-the-editor article that updates people on the local real estate market, further establishing your expertise.

    Here’s a general idea of what you might say (via email or phone call)…

    Hey there!

    My name is Mike and I just started my real estate business in the area.

    This is a big undertaking for me but I’m very excited about it.

    If you’re up for it, I’d love to talk with you about what it takes to start a new business in the community and how amazing our city really is — maybe we could even include some other local businesses owners in the project?

    Maybe I’m wrong… but it seems like we could create a great article on that topic!

    Let me know if this catches your interest :)

    Mike

    You might be suprised at how people respond!

    Shemeika Fox, one of our awesome members, actually flips the script. Instead of seeking out press, she creates the press. She interviews local business owners, publishes their stories on her website and asks them to share it on social media.

    This generates additional traffic to her website and builds her local authority — not a bad idea!

    getting local press for real estate agents

    11. YouTube for Real Estate Agents

    In terms of marketing, real estate is highly visual.

    People want to see the homes that you’re trying to sell, they want to get to know you as a person, and they want to learn about how you can help them.

    YouTube is a wonderful platform for accomplishing those goals.

    You can easily upload house-showing videos…

    557 Marksbury Road Pickering Open House Video Tour

    And you can upload educational videos…

    5 Tips To Sell A House Fast For Top Dollar  | Roseburg Oregon Real Estate

    Posting content like this will help you build credibility and generate leads for your business.

    But how do you get people to see your content once it’s live?

    The first step is to share your video on all of your social channels and email it out to your subscribers — take advantage of the audience you already have.

    Then you might also consider trying to get your video ranking in YouTube for a high-value keyword phrase.

    And if you’re a Carrot member, then you can transcribe your video with a single click using our VideoPost feature, turning it into a long-form blog post that can also rank in Google.

    VideoPost Real Estate Blog Content

    12. Drip Marketing

    Whenever you collect leads, you should put those people on an email list.

    This allows you to contact those leads all at once in a semi-personal manner. Over time, your email list will become one of your most valuable assets.

    Because the more that you provide those people with free value, the more that they’re going to trust you and the more likely it is that they’ll reach out to when they’re trying to buy or sell a home.

    For your email marketing, you can use a tool like Mailchimp or Active Campaign.

    But what should you email your leads?

    Well, the first thing you’ll want to do is set-up an automatic 5- to 7-email drip sequence that sends to everyone after they subscribe.

    This sequence should build your credibility and work to drive them toward taking the action you want them to take.

    How to Create Drip Email Campaigns — 9 Examples Included | by Mór ...

    But it doesn’t need to be super complicated.

    Here’s an idea for topics you can focus on with each email…

    • Day 1 – Get To Know Eachother — Tell the new lead about yourself and ask them to do the same by replying to your email and telling them a little bit about why they joined your email list.
    • Day 2 – Testimonial/Case Study — Talk about a past experience where you helped a buyer or seller to accomplish their goals. Use this to build credibility.
    • Day 3 – Why Are You a Realtor? — Tell people why you decided to become a realtor in the first place. This gives them an idea of who you are and what makes you tick, which helps them to build a meaningful relationship with you.
    • Day 4 – Free Value — Provide some sort of free value for the lead. Teach them something new or point them toward a blog post that you recently wrote or a video that you recently recorded.
    • Day 5 – Ask — Tell them you’re going to start emailing them just once a week, but that if they ever want to sell their home or buy a new home, you’re ready to roll.

    Setting this drip sequence up will do a lot for making the most of the leads that you’re already generating.

    Plus, once it’s set up, you don’t need to think about it again for a while because it’ll run on autopilot.

    13. Open Houses

    If you’re looking for homebuyers, then running open houses is certainly a great way to find leads.

    Just make sure to announce your upcoming open house to as many people in the community as possible.

    The more people who know about it, the better turnout you’re going to have.

    But here’s the other opportunity that many real estate agents don’t think about… all of the people who come to your open house are also probably thinking of selling their home. This is a great chance to not just get to know people in the community and generate buyer leads, but also to find some sellers you can work with.

    Don’t be pushy, of course.

    But do collect contact information, hand out business cards, and gently converse with anyone who attends.

    14. Get Real Estate Referrals

    Especially when you’re starting out, referrals are one of the quickest and easiest ways to find clients.

    If you’re still trying to find your very first client, then reach out to friends and family and ask them for referrals.

    If you have a few happy clients under your belt, reach out and ask them for referrals.

    You will probably be surprised at how many people are willing to help you out.

    Just take a look at the stats…

    Real Estate Agents: Ready To Find Your First Clients?

    You now have everything you need to find your first clients… and to find clients well into the future.

    These strategies are simple, straight-forward, and relatively easy to execute. But they are also very effective.

    It might take time for you to build momentum and grow your business to where you want it, but stay the course, trust the process, and keep going.

    The real estate agents who win are the ones who keep going even when the going gets tough.

    The above 14 strategies work for other agents and they’ll work for you, too.

    Let us know how it goes!

  • Why You Need a Facebook Page to Find Motivated Sellers + How to Create One

    Why You Need a Facebook Page to Find Motivated Sellers + How to Create One

    Why create a Facebook Page To Find Motivated Sellers

    Video Transcription

    Hey, JT with Silver Street Marketing here. I’m going to discuss why it’s important to have an active Facebook page to find motivated sellers.

    We’re going to be going over a couple of reasons of why that’s going to help your business, and how it’s going to be able to benefit you in finding more leads, as well as help give you a little bit more of a different, social proof aspect and kind of add to the identity of your business.

    Why You Need a Facebook Page to Find Motivated Sellers

    Reason 1: Obviously one of the first reasons that people think of why it’s important to have a Facebook page is the ability that it has to drive traffic to your website, it’s an extra point of conversion so another place that people can find you.

    The goal of digital marketing is to take up as much of the screen as possible. So if you can be on Facebook searches, when people Google search you and they can find a Facebook business profile on Google even, that’s just going to add one more, one more little key, one more little piece to taking up that entire page.

    That’s going to give you the opportunity to drive more traffic, get in front of more eyeballs and ultimately raise more impressions and get more people reaching out to you. It’s all about taking up as much digital real estate as possible.

    Facebook gives you a platform in itself that is very extensive and can be found in multiple different pieces and can help add to that idea of just taking up more digital real estate space.

    Reason 2: A second reason why it’s smart to have a Facebook page is because of social proof.

    This is a place where you can really show people who are following you, why it’s important to sell their house to you for cash, or why it works, or tell them a little bit about who you’ve worked with in the past, or how you’re able to help somebody and the solutions that you offer.

    It’s really easy to do that because it’s such a content-based platform. And because people are searching you out actively, you’re going to have people that you don’t even know, follow you or anything like that, coming back and checking your page.

    They’re checking to see what you’re doing. They are interested. And this gives them the opportunity to be able to become a conversion, to be able to become somebody that you help, somebody that is your next client.

    To be able to add that to your business is really a big deal because social proof is really the reason why people fill out a form. The reason why they give you a call is because they have found the proof by somebody else that reaching out to you is not a mistake. That it’s a good thing and that it will help them. So adding that social proof by adding a Facebook page really will help grow your business.

    Reason 3: A third reason why it’s important to have a Facebook page is the habit of getting into content creation.

    When we talk about social proof, this kind of goes hand in hand. In order to get more social proof, which you can do on multiple different platforms, having it on Facebook really helps you get into the habit of producing content.

    Producing content will help get more impressions and more eyeballs, but it’ll also help you understand your potential clients more, by giving them value and finding things that will give value to them.

    Your Facebook page can really get you in the habit of that. You’ll see reactions and you’ll see how people are reacting to what you’re posting. Maybe it’s really good reactions; maybe it’s negative reactions. How do you present that differently to make sure that it is positive or stay as positive so that you can later engage with the audience when they’re maybe a little bit more ready? Content allows you to drip on those people and stay relevant in front of them.

    Reason 4: The next reason kind of follows that same method of thinking, that content will help raise that those impressions and it’ll help give you more social proof, but what it will also do is the Facebook page will give you and your business a true identity in the space.

    People are able to connect with you on a different level, whether your business name is Rick Buys Houses, or We Sell Houses Fast Memphis, it doesn’t matter. By having all this content on your page, what you’re doing is you’re creating a brand personality and identity, and that’s what people want to connect with.

    They don’t want to just connect with companies and businesses because companies and businesses are related to making money, right?

    A person is related to service and to helping you, by producing that right brand identity and that right image through your content. This is done through your Facebook page.It’s going to give you an upper hand when it comes down to people deciding which company they want to work with.

    When there’s an identity that they can relate with, that’s where most likely they’re going to go. They relate with what your business stands for because you’ve put that into an image.

    You’ve put that into something almost tangible for them, almost a relationship for them. Creating that brand identity through your Facebook page is really important. We can do that by showing people into our own beliefs, into our way of thinking into our benefits, because we say, “We are people trying to help you. We’re not a business trying to make money.”

    That’s something that a Facebook page naturally can do as well because it’s so based on having an identity.

    Reason 5: A lot of people come forward and say, “Hey, I want to drive more traffic to my website.” Your Facebook page is necessary in order to run Facebook ads which is one of the best ways to get traffic and driving people to your website.

    It’s very important that you have a Facebook page in place before you do that because a Facebook page that’s already more established is going to perform better because it already has audiences that are engaging with it.

    The algorithm already has some data that’s in the background that it can work off of. So having a Facebook page for longer, is going to season your account and help you be more successful.

    Ultimately when it comes down to a Facebook page, you need to be consistent with it.

    You are going to see results come in all ways, shapes and forms, but definitely the way that we talked about in this post, as long as you consistently give your page some attention, commenting back to people who are commenting to you, answering any questions that are coming through the messenger, treating it as if you are a person behind that logo, because that’s what’s going to get people to keep flocking towards you and you’re going to attract more people instead of having to put so much time and effort into purely just try to find them.

    There’s a lot of things that Facebook can do for you and I hope you guys can take this and go on and make your page.

    If you need help creating your page, continue to read this post. Below, we dive into how to create your Facebook page to find more motivated sellers.

    How to Create a Facebook Business Page for a Real Estate Investor

    How To Build A Facebook Page For Your Home Buying Business

    Video Transcription

    In this section, we are going to be going over how to create a Facebook business page to cultivate more motivated sellers and give you a little bit of a hub to build some brand awareness on Facebook and get started on your Facebook journey.

    If you have never created a Facebook page before, it’s very simple. Just log into your Facebook and you’re going to come up here to the top and you’re just going to hit, create. It’s going to pop up and a little section here that says, page.

    Facebook Page to Find Motivated Sellers

    And we can just click away. It will load up and you’re going to find under business, get started and we’re going to name our page. I’m going to name it JT Homebuyers.

    Now, we’re going to do our category. I like to just type in real estate and just do the broad real estate right here. Obviously, there are other options you can pick from, but generally, I just do this one.

    We have the option to put in your address and a phone number, it just depends on what you want. So that is up to you.

    For this example, I’ll go ahead and add the address.

    That brings us to a page where we need to now upload a profile picture and get everything working for the new page.

    For this example, I’m going to upload a picture of myself and my wife. I recommend to either upload a picture of you, or you can upload a picture of your logo, as long as it’s going to fit in there. But people oftentimes like to respond to personal looking pages.

    So sometimes I’ll do a picture of the actual owner of the company or an acquisitions manager, or sometimes I’ll do a picture of the logo itself.

    Now we need a cover photo. I made this cover photo using Canva. I’ll show you how in a moment, but Facebook also offers a free appointment booking tool that people can book appointments through your page.

    You can take advantage of this, or you can build a Calendly scheduling link that you can put in as well. Just be sure to have those connected to your posts or your app. I’m going to go ahead and skip this just for the time being, but you can always go back to using this stuff as well.

    Back to the cover photo, I created on Canva. It’s very simple. There are general templates you can already use, but this is where you start.

    Now that we have our profile picture up and ready to edit. You can update and edit it, change it, crop, and do numerous other changes to make it look nice and pretty.

    The next thing we want to do is add a button. Generally, I will recommend to people they either do a call or a learn more button.

    If you decide to do a “contact you”, you can see more options such as, send message, or contact us, call now. I’m just going to use www.silverstreetmarketing.com, click save, and then we’re going to hit finish.

    Now somebody clicks on that button, they will be taken to my website. Or, if you did a call us, it would just call you immediately from either their cell phone or if they have some sort of service hooked up to their tablet or computer.

    Now it’s time to add more to our “about us” section. Generally for this, I’ll use the same picture as my cover photo, or I’ll create a new one entirely just for it.

    I’m going to name it, we buy houses with cash in any condition. This is going to show in the bottom right hand corner of our actual page.

    Then we write an article.

    One thing to do is go to your website and actually copy and paste your information from there. Or, you can write this freehand, whatever you’d like. I’m just going to go ahead and write freehand for just the example.

    I’ll use, “We buy houses all across Utah with cash. No matter the condition or situation, we can provide a custom solution for you.” with a quick call to action, “Get your cash offer at www.silverstreetmarketing.com.”

    Then I’m going to keep talking about what I offer. So, “Cash solution can be a good fit for you if you need to sell quickly, are behind on payments or taxes.”

    You can keep going on and talk about why your offer is a good offer for them.

    Once we finish that, we’ll just go ahead and hit publish, and we’ll show you kind of where this is going to pop up so that people will actually be able to click and read it.

    The more information that you can give on this page, the more likely you have a chance of having somebody actually reach out to you because they feel comfortable. They feel like they’ve got what they needed from understanding you and the social proof and going forward from there.

    You’ll have additional options to add too. I would definitely say, enter your website. What this does is gives multiple points of conversion. You can enter an email or, add more about us, whatever you’d like.

    Going to come back to the homepage we want to go into the page information and make sure that we’ve got everything set up correctly and have enough information in there so that when people come across our site, again, they have more information that they can get their social proof from.

    Next, we can add a description, “We buy houses with cash.” Go on and describe your business a little bit. Add your phone number and email. I always like to add operations. I don’t just do always open. I feel like people come across that and they kind of think that’s a little weird.

    So I’ll actually put times for every day, like 8:00 to 5:00 or 7:00 to 7:00, and I’ll leave Sunday off or whatever I want to do. I’ll leave the price range off. Then the privacy policy. I go to my website and grab the content from the privacy page, and add it.

    Adding People to Your Page

    Going forward, if you ever want to add somebody to your page, you can come down here into page roles. And what you can do is you actually find them on Facebook and add them to the page.

    You can type them in right here and then you can assign them to the page. I really like using a business manager. I think it’s a little bit easier to manage all this and to be able to do it and add an agency to the page without having to make them an admin.

    The way that you do that is you just go to business.facebook.com and you hit sign up and it will link through your Facebook account and link your page to your business manager, where you can share your page with other people without having to add them manually and without having to give them so much access. You can choose what they’re going to see and what they’re going to do and send them actual invites. So that’s a little bit easier.

    Automated Messaging

    Next, there is an option to set up basic automated messaging. You can add the messaging in the advanced messaging tabs, where you can actually set up different messaging parameters for when people are sending messages to you.

    This is where you would connect your ManyChat or other Facebook chat software. You can also request different features.

    Hop into the “other messaging” tab where you’re going to be able to set it some basic messages and settings for the messages. If you were to want to show a greeting, you just go ahead and turn this on, and then you can type in what it’s going to say.

    For example, the generic version is, “Hi, first name and last name. Thanks for getting in touch with us on Messenger. Please send us any questions you may have.”

    Some other things that you can do are add Messenger to your website and set up automated responses.

    You can set up little tabs that they can select that say, like, “Learn more about our business.” And they can press it, and then you’ll tell them more about your business with an automated bot.

    I would suggest if you’re going to do stuff like that, ManyChat is a really good platform to get used to and to add that it’s a little bit easier to build on their platform. Another thing that you can always do is take the link for your Messenger and share that if you have people who want to reach out to you.

    Just copy and paste it and people can click on it and message you from there without having to go to your page and then go through messaging. They can just click on that little link.

    From here on out, you’ve got your Instagram that you can connect. You can obviously connect WhatsApp. You’ve got different platforms that these can kind of go together with.

    Then, if you have any messages coming in, you can access all that up under “inbox.” You can also manage any of the posts that you’re posting just by going over here to the more and going to publishing tools.

    It will bring up past posts. You can go into the Creator Studio and make different posts as well. It’s a little bit more seamless, a little bit easier to schedule posts for the future.

    I’d suggest grabbing all of your Carrot blog posts that you’re getting or the SEO that you’re doing, and come into Creator Studio and start creating these. And say, “Hey, I want these scheduled out.”

    You can do this on the homepage too, but I just find it a little bit nicer to use the Creator Studio. It seems to flow a little bit easier. You can upload multiple videos at once, you can upload multiple pictures at once and assign those out to different posts.

    So it’s really simple.

    How to Create Posts

    Start by clicking “create posts.”

    This is where you would paste your Carrot information. Next, you can click the schedule, backdate, and saved draft. If you schedule, you’re scheduling for the future. If you backdate, you’ll backdate up until the day that you created the Facebook page. So for this example, we created it today, we can’t backdate anything.

    If you had created a Facebook page a year ago, you could backdate all your posts, so you can put a bunch of posts in the past to give you an essence that you’ve been around, been posting on the page longer. Or you have a little bit more social proof for people to go back in this scroll line with.

    Just in case, I want to show you again, if you don’t want to use this Creator Studio, you can just go back to the main page and post this right here in the beginning.

    If you’re posting on your own Facebook page, use write post. In the end, it will give you the option to schedule your post.

    If you guys have any questions about how to set this up, we’d love to help you and make sure that everything’s working well and that you’re on a great path to get success from Facebook.

    Be sure to check out our other videos about how to set up ads, what ads we’ve been using, what KPIs we use, and how we’re getting more leads for our clients by using Facebook.

  • EP 220: How to Master Your Real Estate Follow-Up with Gary Boomershine & Robert Syfert of RealEstateInvestor.com

    EP 220: How to Master Your Real Estate Follow-Up with Gary Boomershine & Robert Syfert of RealEstateInvestor.com

    How to Master Your Follow-Up with Gary Boomershine & Robert Syfert of RealEstateInvestor.com

    What you are doing today will be the results you see in 4 or 5 months.

    – Gary Boomershine

    How to Master Your Real Estate Follow-Up with Gary Boomershine & Robert Syfert of RealEstateInvestor.com

    As they say, the fortune is in the follow-up. Gary Boomershine and Robert Syfert have mastered it. From flipping properties, offering turnkey rentals, and creating some of the most robust software, these guys have done it all.

    Today we will learn about their scripts, sequences, and how creating great habits have improved every aspect of their lives. If you are struggling to convert the leads you’re bringing in, this episode of the Carrotcast is for you! 

    Read the Full Show Notes Below…


    I’ve known Gary and Robert for several years and I have seen their businesses grow and evolve. They have now partnered up to create a wealth of solutions for investors and agents using their incredible software programs.

    For our Carrot members, they will integrate their software into your site without any fees. So what is the focus of their software?

    Follow-up.

    And here is why it is so important… 

    Per Robert, If a phone lead comes in and you don’t follow up within the first 15 minutes, you are 400% less likely to close that deal. They have moved on. The time is even less with online leads. If you haven’t responded within 5 minutes, they are likely on another website, likely speaking with someone else. 

    The Art of Following Through

    What if Michael Jordan quit? What if Bill Gates became discouraged by all of the people saying no, that he just gave up? So many people fail to follow through when they are so close to getting the gold.

    For investors, the follow-through comes in the follow-up. You can’t reach out to a person one or two times and expect a sale. Many people you speak to won’t be ready to sell the first time you talk to them. In fact, most sales occur after the 6th contact or later. 

    Persistence Without Annoyance

    Gary and Robert use a very specific follow-up sequence. They do what works for them, but you will need to set up a follow-up sequence that works for your business and personality. Above all else, it is important to be genuine. 

    Their system involves three key touchpoints to start. 

    They will reach out using all three methods for the first couple days, then sow down a bit. If there is no response, they follow up with direct mail. Everything is massively sequenced and set-up in advance. This is the only way to be consistent which is the most important part of the process.

    Remember, there’s a 90% chance you won’t close the deal on the first call. Following up is the only way you are going to close the deals you want. And keep in mind, it costs ten times more to generate the lead than all of your follow-up combined. 

    Shaking The Skeletons

    Robert and Gary use an overseas call center to manage and screen leads. At first, they didn’t think it was possible. But once they found the right people who were sharp, professional, and determined, there was no stopping them.

    Many business owner feel a call center will turn into an objection from potential sellers. If they hear a foreign accent, they will question the credibility of the company. However, they’ve come up with the perfect solution.

    If someone questions where one of their representatives is located, the rep will say: “Yes, I am in the Philippines. I was hired to help with calls so that we could pay you the most money possible for your property. How am I doing? Is there anything I could be doing better or do you have feedback for my boss?” 

    Once these words are spoken, the potential seller is disarmed. By openly stating who they are and why they are calling, they are building trust and making the call more personal. Once the rep has qualified the lead, they are then transferred to a team member in the US to close the deal.

    These are two different roles that require two different teams. So anything you want to hide about your business, any skeletons in the closet, get them out there and make those skeletons dance. 

    Creating Habits To Improve Accountability

    Just like staying consistent in your follow-up, it is important to stay consistent in all aspects of your life and business. We often talk about staying disciplined and creating good habits and just recently, Gary completed a challenge called 75 Hard.

    This challenge helped him not only develop good habits but to also dive into psychological patterns he didn’t even realize he had. It isn’t about working out, it is about creating discipline and ending your excuses. The challenge goes like this: 

    For 75 days in a row you must: 

    • Work out twice a day for 45 minutes. One of those sessions needs to be outside. Even if you live in Florida like Gary and it’s raining. 
    • Drink one gallon of water every day. 
    • Read 10 pages of a personal development book. 
    • Get on a diet program – any program, and stick with it, no cheat meals. 
    • No alcohol whatsoever. 
    • Take an accountability picture every single day whether you feel like it or not. 

    If you miss any aspect of the challenge, you have to start over. Gary learned that even though he thought he was so focused on growth, he really wasn’t. He made excuses and put things off. Doing this challenge has helped him look within and change those habits. 

    Doing something like this can be difficult without the right support. Getting a coach can be a great way to do it. There are coaches out there that can help you with business, fitness, and personal matters.

    Look around until you find the right one. To gain the support of those around you, don’t tell them what you want. Instead, lead by example. As my coach says… Be the lighthouse, not the tug boat.

    Follow Our Guests: 

    Mentioned In This Episode

    We want to hear your thoughts on the podcast! Drop them in the comments section below or hit us up on Facebook or Instagram!

  • 19 Lead Generation Tools for Real Estate Agents [Your Guide for 2023]

    19 Lead Generation Tools for Real Estate Agents [Your Guide for 2023]

    20+ Lead Generation Tools for Real Estate Agents

    Most real estate agents can’t afford to miss out on leads and deals. They don’t know it but having the proper lead generation tools for real estate agents is the holy grail of their business growth.

    You probably became a real estate agent because you’re a bit of a “people person”… because you’re great at sales and know how to talk to clients.

    But if there aren’t leads to convert into clients, your business can’t grow.

    No matter how good you are at sales — no matter how convincing, charismatic, or persuasive — none of that matters if you’re not consistently generating leads for your business.

    Consistent, high-quality, and high-volume real estate lead generation is the secret to dominating your market and building the business of your entrepreneurial dreams.

    More leads mean more closings, which means a more successful business.

    Of course, that’s easier said than done.

    So how do you get leads in real estate consistently?

    19 Lead Generation Tools for Real Estate Agents

    Here are 19 of the best lead generation tools for real estate agents to help!

    1. Carrot Website

    Many real estate agents start out by joining a larger real estate group or franchise. Their face gets added to the company website, and they receive a particular share of the leads.

    But it doesn’t take long to realize that if you want to grow your own business, you’re going to need your own website.

    Unfortunately, most agents think their website only exists to represent their business — as a sort of digital business card.

    The most successful agents, though, know that isn’t true.

    Your website is probably your company’s biggest lead-gen asset.

    There are two ways that you can use your website to predictably generate high-quality leads for your business.

    The first is paid traffic. Running ads on Facebook or Google is a great way to drive traffic to your website. But here’s the thing: that paid traffic isn’t worth a lick if your website doesn’t consistently convert that traffic into leads for your business.

    (In fact, driving traffic to a low-converting website is expensive and usually a waste of money)

    And our Carrot websites are built to convert and drive leads right out of the box therefore, can be one of the most productive lead generation tools for real estate agents.

    We start with a compelling homepage header, which transitions into two separate CTAs for buyers and sellers. And we always include the agent’s phone number in the upper right corner for people who want to take action right away.

    Take a look: the entire format is crafted to make taking action as easy as possible for visitors.

    The trick to building a high-converting website is to give visitors exactly what they want, as quickly as possible… and to build trust along the way.

    That’s exactly what Carrot sites do.

    But that’s not all they do.

    While paid ads are a great way to drive traffic to your website, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is just as powerful. SEO is working to rank in search engines (like Google and Bing) for keyword phrases that your target market types into Google. That way, those people click on your website and become leads.

    And SEO leads are usually even higher quality and more consistent than paid leads.

    SEO is a bit complicated but can be one of the best long-term lead generation tools for real estate agents.

    This is why our Carrot sites make search engine ranking as simple as possible. Check out some of our best lead-generation features in the second point.

    2. Carrot Features

    AgentCarrot Features

    Our Carrot sites convert better than any other websites in the industry.

    We’ve generated more than 2 million leads for our members with conversion rates between 10% and 20% (most real estate websites convert at 2%)!

    That means more leads and more closings for your business.

    And you can sign up for Carrot risk-free for 30 days over here.

    But what else do you get by signing up?

    Here are some of our coolest real estate lead generation tools

    • Carrot Lead Manager — When you get a Carrot site and start generating leads, you need a way to keep track of those leads and organize them all. That’s why all Carrot members have access to our Lead Manager, where you can view mission-critical information, categorize prospects, and see how many leads you’ve got in the pipeline.
    Carrot's lead manager
    • Campaign Tracking Links — When you run advertisements or post on social media, it’s nice to know how much traffic that content is driving to your website. With our Campaign Tracking Links, you can create a custom link with a single click, and we’ll track clicks and conversions from that link. This is super easy and a great way to test the effectiveness of your advertisements.
    • Visual Editor — All AgentCarrot sites are built to convert right out of the box. But you can still customize the site however you like, adding your logo, brand colors, and images and changing the copy to fit your business. Our visual editor makes this process super easy. It’s the best of both worlds: lead generation and website customization.
    Carrot's real estate website visual editor
    • SEO Ranking Tracker — Want to know how your SEO rankings are performing? Just tell us what keyword phrases you want us to track for you, and we’ll give you regular updates on how your website is performing. That way, you can celebrate once you break through to page 1!
    Carrot SEO rank tracking
    • VideoPost — One of the most challenging parts of getting your website ranking in search engines is consistently creating content or blog posts. Because the more content your website has, the more keyword phrases you’ll be able to rank for. And with VideoPost, you can record a quick video and then, with just a few clicks, transcribe that into a long-form blog post that can rank on Google. SEO doesn’t get easier than that!
    Carrot videopost tool
    • Carrot SEO Tool — There are a lot of rules to creating a new page or post for SEO. You should include the target keyword phrase a very specific number of times, you should have a certain amount of links, and you should use a certain number of images… all depending on the length of your content. It’s hard to remember everything, which is why we give all of our members’ access to our Carrot SEO Tool, which acts as an SEO checklist every time you create a new page or post. Just keep at it until the light turns green, and then you’re good to go!
    Carrot SEO tool
    • Carrot IDX — IDX is useful because it allows real estate agents to automatically upload MLS listings to their websites. This saves a lot of time. And Carrot IDX allows you to upload listings and then customize those listings however you like.
    Real-estate-agent-website-idx

    Check Out Our FREE AgentCarrot Demo Now!

    3. Silver Street Marketing

    Running Google and Facebook ads is much more complex than it probably sounds… especially if you’ve never done it before.

    If you have tried your hand at paid ads, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

    You choose the targeting and craft the copy as carefully as possible, then hit launch with your fingers crossed.

    But those ads end up far less effective than had hoped.

    The truth is, it can take years to learn how to craft high-converting advertisements.

    This is why we highly recommend delegating that part of your business to the marketing experts over at Silver Street Marketing if you have the budget for it.

    They will manage every aspect of your PPC and Facebook marketing strategy so you can focus on closing clients and growing your business.

    4. Citation Building Service

    If you want to start building your SEO and website rankings to drive traffic passively to your website, then citations are a great place to start.

    What are citations?

    Well, first, you have to understand backlinks. Backlinks are the term used when another website links to your website, and they’re a critical indication to Google that your website is trustworthy. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more that Google will trust your website (which means better rankings).

    And citations are a type of backlink that’s easy to get.

    You just go to sites like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc., and list your business information. Doing this on 40 or more sites will typically give you an SEO advantage over your competitors.

    But it can take a while.

    With our Citation Building Service, we’ll go build 40 citations for you so you can keep your attention on more important business matters.

    5. Ballpoint Marketing

    Direct mail is one of the most common lead generation tools for real estate agents.

    Any real estate agents in your market who are trying to grow their business are probably sending direct mail.

    That’s for good reason — direct mail is a great way to build brand awareness and generate leads.

    The problem is, everyone is doing it.

    Which makes it difficult to craft mailers that stand out from your competitor’s mailers. Because of that, many mailers end up in the trash before even getting looked at.

    But Ballpoint Marketing is solving that.

    They offer robot-written mailers that look hand-written (the ink even smudges and indents the paper).

    And these mailers get an exceptional response rate.

    It creates a personal touch that feels authentic and is difficult for people to ignore.

    Why not give it a try?

    6. Mailchimp

    lead generation tools for real estate agents email campaigns

    Your email list should be the backbone of your marketing strategy.

    By consistently growing your email list and interacting with those prospects on a weekly basis, you expand your reach, build brand awareness, and nurture leads.

    It’s like this: your ads and SEO leads to your website, which leads to your email list, which leads to follow-up and eventually closing clients.

    It might not always be a straight line, but that’s the general flow.

    And perhaps the easiest tool for building your email list is Mailchimp, which won’t cost you a dime until you’ve reached more than 1,000 subscribers.

    Plus, Carrot easily integrates with your Mailchimp account!

    7. DocuSign

    docusign

    The real estate business includes a lot of reviewing and signing documents.

    Fortunately, DocuSign allows you to upload, edit, and send documents for review and even digital signing.

    Carrot members love to use DocuSign for contract signing because it’s so much easier and faster than trying to coordinate in-person meetings.

    You might also consider HelloSign, which is a similar service.

    8. Canva

    canva

    Marketing requires a lot of design work.

    Whether you’re creating a logo, designing your website, or posting on social media, graphics are an important element.

    They draw the eye better than text and consistent colors, fonts, and graphics create a sense of continuity, making your brand easier to identify.

    But being able to design graphics is an uncommon skill for real estate agents.

    Well, Canva is changing that.

    With Canva, even real estate agents with no past design skills can create eye-catching graphics. And it’s free to try out.

    Our member love using Canva to spice up their social media posts and create grahpics for their website.

    9. Realvolve

    realvolve

    The bigger that your business gets, the more cluttered internal processes becomes.

    It’s a natural part of hte process. Promising leads slide under the radar and important tasks don’t get finished… all because your business is growing.

    Remember the old saying: what go you here won’t get you there.

    And when your business gets to new heights, you’ll probably find that you need software to help organize and coordinate your leads, workflows, and other internal processes.

    Many of members love using Realvolve for that. You can schedule a demo on their homepage to check it out for yourself.

    10. HARO

    What if you could easily get your business and website mentioned on local publications?

    With HARO — which stands for “Help a Reporter Out” — you can.

    And the benefits are twofold. First, local and even nationwide publications will mention you as an expert at real estate. This will grant you credibility and even give you the chance to put a trust-building bar like this on your website…

    Just add the logos of the places that you’ve been mentioned and voila! You’ll build immediate trust with your website visitors.

    The second benefit is in regards to search engine optimization, which drives traffic to your website when people type certain keywords into Google.

    One of the biggest factors of SEO is how many reputable backlinks your website has — a backlink is when another website links to your website.

    And when other sites quote you as an expert, they’ll almost always link to your website.

    Win, win.

    So how does HARO work, and how do you get leads in real estate from their services?

    Well, you can sign up for free as an expert source for journalists. Then every day, you’ll receive an email with potential articles you can contribute to. Just follow the intstructions and you’ll start getting mentioned in no time.

    HARO is most effective when you consistently and quickly respond to prompts over a long period of time.

    Even dedicating 10 minutes per day to can help to win HARO backlinks, improve your domain authority, and enhance your brand’s visibility.

    11. Craigslist

    Craigslist? How do you get real estate leads on Craigslist?

    Craigslist probably isn’t the first site you think of when you’re working to generate leads for your real estate business.

    But it can certainly help… especially if you’re trying to generate leads in a new market for the first time.

    You can look under the housing category for people who’ve listed as for-sale-by-owner and send them a message like the following…

    Hey,

    I saw your house listing and I was wondering how much interest you’ve got in your home?

    I know the market can be a little tough right now and I’m a new real estate agent in the area who’s looking for people I can help.

    Would you have time for a five-minute chat about the home and how we might be able to work together?

    Mike

    Or something similar… (adjust it to fit your style!)

    Similarly, you can message people who are looking to purchase a home with something like this…

    Hey,

    I saw that you’re looking to buy a home… is this your first home?

    I’m a real estate agent in the area and I’d be interested in learning more about what kind of home you’re looking to purchase.

    Would you have time for a five-minute chat?

    Mike

    Once your business is off the ground, this probably isn’t a strategy you’re going to keep using… but it can definitely help to get things moving.

    12. Aircall

    Answering the phone is one of the biggest, most unexpected challenges of growing your real estate agent business.

    If you don’t answer the phone when it rings, then your chances of losing the lead skyrocket. At the same time, you obviously can’t spend all your time on the phone… between negotiating contracts, house showings, and client meetings, you’re busy enough.

    So what do you do?

    Well, one thing you can do is hire a salesperson to answer the phone for you and make follow-up appointments.

    Once they’re trained, you can use a service like Aircall to create multiple phone numbers, ensure that the phone gets answered when it rings, record conversations, and even assign different leads to different salespeople.

    You probably don’t need this service when you’re just getting started, but it’s something you might want to consider when your team grows and the phone won’t stop ringing (’cause that’s a good thing, after all).

    13. CRM

    warm market sales follow up stats - Tanya Aliza | Business Success ...

    Following up with leads is an extremely important part of running a real estate business.

    Not just so that you can do more closings, but so that you make the most of each lead.

    The fact is, most closings happen during the follow up… people don’t decide to work with you after the first call or even the second call… but after the 5th call.

    And while that might sound discouraging, it really just requires a little restructuring to be able to follow up consistently and effortlessly.

    Really, it takes an effective CRM.

    A CRM helps you organize your contacts, your leads, and your touch-points with them. You can keep track of how many times you’ve contacted each lead, when you contacted them, and tons of other person-specific details that make having a CRM one of the best real estate lead generation tools out there.

    The first choice for most of our member is Realvolve.

    Check it out!

    14. YouTube

    10 Youtube Statistics That You Need to Know [Updated May]

    Like other social media sites, YouTube is a great platform for growing your real estate audience, building brand awareness, and even generating leads.

    But you know what really sets YouTube apart from other platforms?

    Video.

    More than any other media type, people love video content. It’s easier to consume and more entertaining than written content.

    In fact, 54% of people want to see more video content from brands and businesses that they follow.

    10 Video Marketing Statistics for 2020 [May 2020]

    And by creating consistent video content on YouTube, you can establish yourself as a real estate expert in your market and encourage people to reach out to you when buying or selling a home.

    But what kind of content should you create?

    For inspiration, check out the Farr Group’s YouTube channel. They create videos about their listings, their business purpose, and they even offer educational advice.

    Building your YouTube channel isn’t going to change your business or your life overnight, but it can make a big impact over the long-term.

    The main key to building a following on any platform like this is to be consistent with your content creation schedule (publish at least once per week).

    The more often that people see your videos, the more that they’ll view you as a real estate expert.

    But YouTube isn’t just great for generating attention organically… you can also run YouTube ads.

    And one of the greatest parts about YouTube ads is that your competitors are probably not using the platform at all (they’re probably just running Facebook ads). Additionally, you can target people based on location.

    Which means that you can create a “YouTube commercial” that only targets people in your market.

    Why not give it a try and see how it impacts your lead generation?

    15. IDX

    IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange and it’s the tool real estate agents use to bring listings from the MLS to their own website.

    This is really important for a few reasons.

    First of all, if people see house listing that they like on your website… they’re going to call you and maybe work with you.

    (Especially if you have a high-converting Carrot site!)

    If they see that same listing on Zillow instead… then who knows who they’re going to call for help? It’s just a roll of the dice.

    And second, putting listings directly on your website gives you an excuse to drive people to your website, building brand awareness and generating leads.

    Every you add a new listing, you can post on social media and email your list about it… just like the Farr Group does.

    Having IDX on your real estate website allows you to build a real estate business disassociated from big corporations and their listings.

    That way, people will call you when they find a house that they like.

    16. Facebook

    Facebook is one of the most popular places for real estate agents to do their online advertising… and for good reason.

    It’s an extremely powerful platform with billions of people and remarkable targeting.

    With just a few clicks, you can create an advertisement that targets first-time homebuyers, people interested in selling their home, or pretty much any other demographic that you can dream up.

    And not only are Facebook’s advertising options versatile, but it’s also relatively inexpensive, costing between $1 and $3 per click.

    Facebook Stats Every Marketer Should Know in 2020 | Sprout Social

    Of course, before you run Facebook ads, you’ll want to make sure that your website is ready to convert that paid traffic.

    Carrot sites are built to convert, but you’ll still want to make some minor customizations.

    The best way to find out whether your site is converting as you want it to is to do a test run.

    Use this calculator to determine what your budget should be in order to get a single closing, set that money aside, and run some advertisements.

    If you’re getting closings while staying within your budget, then you have a winning system. If not, then tweak your ads and/or your site until you’re in the green.

    It might take some time to get profitable with your Facebook ads, but stick with it and, eventually, you’ll figure it out.

    17. Instagram

    You might be suprised at just how effective Instagram can be for growing your business and doing more closings.

    At first, it seems like just another social media platform that’s easy to get distracted by, but it’s more than that.

    Since Instagram is so visual and so full of images, it’s a great place to show your listings and to encourage buyers to buy and sellers to sell… through you.

    In fact, that’s exactly what Krista and Aaron of the Farr Group have done.

    Their organic Instagram posts are so booming that they don’t even use Facebook or Google ads for their business.

    (Here’s their Instagram account so you can look for yourself)

    As you can see below, their Instagram posts aren’t all that complicated, but they are quite effective lead generation tools for real estate.

    They share new house listings, cool photos, and buying and selling advice.

    And it’s working really well.

    When I asked them about this, they even mentioned that some of their posts don’t get a ton of engagement, but then people will mention those posts as the reason that they reached out.

    So your social media posts build brand awareness and might be having a bigger impact than you think.

    And Instagram is a great place to get started.

    18. 99designs

    We already talked about Canva, which is a great place to go design your own graphics.

    But since you’re a real estate agent — and not a graphic designer — it might be safe to say that… well, you just don’t want to design your own graphics.

    In that case, 99designs is a great website for hiring a high-quality designer.

    Your first option is just to post a job, check applications and reviews, and then hire someone who you think fits the bill.

    But another great option is to “host a contest”, which allows multiple designers to compete for the job. Each designer creates a graphic for the project, you review them, and then choose which one you like the most.

    Pretty cool, huh?

    That means you can see the designers work before you pay for it.

    19. Planoly

    Social media is an extremely powerful tool for building brand awareness and marketing your business.

    Unfortunately, it can easily turn into a time-sucking machine.

    Posting turns into scrolling and scrolling turns into wasted time.

    Why not avoid social media altogether — but still get all of the business benefits — by using a tool like Planoly to schedule your social media posts on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

    This ensures that you won’t get distracted by social media when you’re trying to work.

    And plus, it also allows you to create and schedule all of your posts at one time, so you don’t have to return to social media throughout the week.

    Good for your business… good for your productivity.

    Which of these lead generation tools for real estate agents is right for your business?

    Hopefully, you now know of several lead-gen tools that you’ve never considered using before.

    And more hopefully, you’ll give some of them a try.

    Which ones do you think will be the most helpful for your business? Which ones are you going to use right away?

    Which ones are you still considering? And which one do you think is the best lead generation tool for real estate?

    Let us know in the comments!