10 Secrets of Generating Quality Buyer Leads [2024]

If we were to ask you how you generated buyer leads 10 years back, cold calling or newspaper listings is what your answer will probably be.

But with more than 650 million active internet users in India, can the traditional marketing methods fetch quality leads?

The advent of new-age technologies and super affordable mobile phones has made home searching easier for customers. Plus, with tons of online tools, you can now reach the right audience at the right time! Once you know which technique works the best for you, you will be able to craft the right real estate digital marketing plan. So to get your real estate business rolling, here are our 10 go-to-marketing strategies.

1. Video Marketing

According to a study conducted by Microsoft, the average attention span of an individual is 8 seconds. A lot of users will hence prefer watching videos instead of reading long posts or articles. Plus, with multiple content sharing tools emerging on social media platforms, media consumption habits are evolving. Facebook and Instagram live streams, Instagram Reels, and IGTV videos are some of the examples. So to get more buyer leads, you should share content in different video formats. Here are some ways of promoting your company through videos:

• Offer virtual property tours
• Highlight the USP of the property
• Answer homebuyer queries in less than 60 seconds 
• Enumerate your services through IGTV Videos
• Share client experience through testimonials 
• Live stream property events on Facebook or Instagram
• Conduct webinars

2. Facebook Ads

With more than 2.7 billion active users, Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms for businesses to connect with the audience. Keeping aside its popularity amongst all generations, Facebook’s detailed level of targeting makes it a perfect platform for capturing buyer leads.

But how do you go about it? Target the “right audience.” 

Apart from identifying the area where you want to sell your properties, Facebook also allows you to target an audience based on their ownership status. For example, if you are renting out a 2 BHK apartment near an IT hub, you can target home renters. Furthermore, through Facebook real estate ads, you can zoom in on residential profiles i.e new movers or those who are likely to move. Based on that, you can share the properties you want to sell.

3. Q&A with Homebuyers

When you search for a particular topic, you will often find a Quora question and answer on the very first page of the Google search. But why is it so?

Quora is a platform where you can ask or answer multiple questions. Being a Q&A platform, it’s evident that a lot of users will have questions related to home buying, real estate, or other such topics. So as an agent, you can share meaningful insights with a large audience pool on the platform. And the best part is, it’s FREE!

Look for real estate queries that are generic or area-specific and start answering the questions tactfully. Not only will answering queries help in real estate branding but it will also push traffic to your main website. 

4. Pinterest

You must be familiar with Google, Bing, and Yahoo. These are search engines where you can look for whatever you want. For example, you typed “how to generate buyer leads” and you saw multiple articles, including ours. For some of your queries, you must have also seen videos or images at the top. So these search engines put the best answer in front of you when you are looking for something.

Now, what if we tell you that there exists a “visual search engine” where only pictures pop-up for every query?

Pinterest is an image-sharing website/app that allows you to interact with users through images. Since your audiences are homebuyers, you can post multiple property or neighborhood pictures to attract the right set of audience.

There’s a myth surrounding Pinterest that only arts, fashion, and crafts centric companies gain traction through it. However, it is also one of the best lead generating sources for real estate companies.

How to make your real estate company PINTERESTing?

Start by creating niche-specific boards (categories) and post content in them. But remember, the content should be evergreen. For example, if you create a board titled “Listings in Noida,” its relevance will eventually fade when the properties are sold out. However, if you create pins that attract a wide pool of audience, such as “5 things to do in Noida,” then you can keep the board interesting. You can eventually replace the sold out property with a new listing. 

5. Harness the Potential of Google Ads

Promoting listings through Google Ads is another way of garnering buyer leads. Before understanding how these ads work, let us understand the components through the image below.  

• Keywords are certain terms that the buyers are looking for. They can be short like “2 BHK in Pune” or long-tail (i.e. has 3 or more words) like “2 BHK apartments on Yamuna Expressway.” In Google Ads, you bid on phrases or keywords which are your niche-specific.

• Text Ads: You add some text in your ads to offer some information about the property to the user. These ads and their texts are then displayed on the top or at the bottom of Google search results.

The Text Ads has 3 parts: headline text, a display URL, and description text. Since the character limits of text ads are less, you need to mention specific details that can generate interest in a reader’s mind.

Pro-tip: Try to bid on long-tail keywords. This is because long-tail keywords address user queries, are very detailed, and have higher conversion rates. For example, commercial plots in South Extension, luxury homes in Greater Kailash, how to buy homes in South Delhi, etc.

6. Newsletters

After generating leads, it’s time for you to convert them to clients. And what’s better than sending regular Newsletters? Newsletters are an excellent way of demonstrating niche expertise and staying on top of the mind of your clients. Since these users can be existing clientele or prospective customers, you have to slip in information without forcing them to purchase something. Visually appealing templates, interesting call-to-actions (CTAs), short subject lines, and promotional offers can help convert buyer leads to prospective customers. 

The most important thing is to make your newsletters attractive and useful. I would suggest sharing the true expertise acquired in the course of practice, not just the promotional fluff. Put forward simple and practical advice that your readers can follow.

Emphasize client success stories so that they can demonstrate the advantages of your products. In order to let consumers know what to do, whether that be downloading a resource, scheduling a free consultation, or making a purchase, make sure your call-to-action is obvious. But always remember to offer helpful guidance instead of pushing products. Establish credibility and trust before focusing on sales.

7. Social Media Engagement

Obtaining quality buyer leads from social media is not a distant dream anymore. According to a report published by Statista, 50% of India’s population had access to social media in 2020. In fact, social media penetration is poised to reach 67% of the total population by 2025! 

However, only posting content will not be fruitful. You need to interact with the readers in multiple ways. For example, if a user commented with a query, then reply back with a solution. Understand the market dynamics by creating polls or surveys. Hold live sessions to offer a virtual tour of the property. Join Facebook groups to share industry insights.

Memes, infographics on market statistics, or the “Coming Soon” series also generates interest. You can use these real estate marketing tactics to bring more traction to your website. Given below are some themes related to which you can post content on social media.

• Infographics and memes
• Property images and virtual tours
• Client testimonials
• Business statistics
• Market statistics and informative posts
• Blog posts on different topics
• How-to-guides. For example: How to sell property fast?

8. Real Estate Blogs

If you run a real estate company in a particular state or a city, then you must be familiar with the common queries which homebuyers have. The questions can range from neighbourhood details and market statistics to location advantages and real estate laws. Posting blogs on such topics will show your industry expertise, will educate readers, and will attract buyer leads. Here are some tips which will help you generate valuable content for your blogs in a timely manner:

• Create a monthly content calendar in advance to avoid any confusion. It will also help you formulate a plan for important events well in advance. 

• Create in-depth content and post on a regular basis. Try to answer a homebuyers query in a structured and comprehensive manner. 

• Publish content related to your area of expertise. For example, if your domain is commercial real estate, then cover topics like co-working spaces, market trends, REITs and InvITs, commercial property investment tips, etc. 

• Deliver a mix of evergreen (long-term and static) and tropical content (current issues). For example, if new amendments are made to the RERA act, it will be considered as a tropical content. However, if you are posting information about how an area developed over the years, it will be counted in the evergreen category. 

• Make your real estate blog visually appealing by using high-quality photos, graphics, and videos whenever relevant.
  
• Breaking up the text with visuals keeps readers engaged and interested.
  
• Use keywords, descriptions, and alt-text wisely to help your blog rank higher on search engines like Google; this brings more eyes to your content.
  
• Get readers to participate by asking thought-provoking questions or prompting them to share their own stories and opinions in the comments section.
  
• An active comments area shows your blog has an invested community.
  
• Promote each new blog post across multiple channels share on social media, include in email newsletters, and post links in online real estate forums you’re a part of.
  
• Actively promoting your content directs more of your target audience to discover and read your informative posts.
  
• With eye-catching visuals, SEO optimization, engagement opportunities, and smart promotion, your real estate blog will attract quality leads.

9. Examine the Performance

To check how well your real estate posts for social media, paid campaigns, or free techniques are performing, you need to examine some metrics. Click-through-rates (CTR), applause/amplification rates, clicks and impressions, conversion rates, etc are some of the metrics you can measure. Do note, these metrics will vary based on the marketing tool you are using.

Consider factors beyond the metrics you are currently monitoring to improve your real estate marketing. Additionally, keep your plan’s larger picture in mind. The number of visitors that become leads, such as those who subscribe to an email list or fill out a contact form is known as the Visitor-To-Lead Conversion Rate or VLCR.

This specific indicator pertains to the real estate industry, where lead generation is a critical success component in marketing campaigns. In the real estate sector, the standard variable length of time on a website (VLCR) is 2.2%. This indicates that out of 100 visitors, only 2.2% will convert to a lead.

10. Referral Game

In conjunction with digital real estate marketing, a solid referral game will play a pivotal role in the growth of your real estate business and in generating buyer leads. Your friends and family, past clients, or professional networks are some of the best referral sources. Share market insights or valuable information with your past customers, kickstart email marketing campaigns and create interesting posts on social media. This will keep your existing clientele engaged and they are surely going to refer you to other homebuyers.  

However, don’t just wait around hoping for referrals; be proactive! Implement a structured referral program to incentivize people to spread the word about your services. Offer rewards like gift cards, discounts on fees, or other tangible perks when someone sends a new client your way. You can also run periodic referral contests and giveaways to really get people motivated.

Let your network know upfront that you appreciate referrals and have an enticing program in place. The key is to make it easy and worthwhile for people to continually refer business to you. With an active digital presence coupled with committed referral efforts, you’ll generate a steady stream of high-quality buyer leads.

Leads are the backbone of the real estate industry. However, to acquire these buyer leads, you have to be in front of people who are interested in purchasing properties. Be active on social media and share super-engaging content on different platforms. Only by implementing a mix of online and offline marketing strategies will you be able to attract and convert prospects into clients!