My goal with this article is to change the way you think about lead generation. Back in the "old days," purchasing real estate leads was a popular strategy. And while a lot of agents still use this approach to real estate lead generation, it is by far NOT the most effective way to go about it.

Think about it for a moment. When you purchase real estate leads, you are basically buying the names and phone numbers of people who (A) don't know you, (B) haven't asked to be contacted by you, and (C) could very well have an agent by the time you contact them.

In other words, you will be cold-calling strangers, in an age when cold calls are dying out. This is not the best way to approach real estate lead generation. When I listed a home on the MLS a few years back, I was annoyed at the number of real estate folks who contacted me each day. "Do you have an agent? Need help selling your home? Can I come over and give you a CMA?" It struck me as both desperate and annoying. There is a better approach to real estate lead generation!