"Real Estate Leads" the Way to Better Real Estate Sales

A real estate lead is information collected about someone who is potentially interested in buying or selling property in the real estate market, or interested in having the value of a property assessed. When collecting information about a lead, from any source, it is important to record key contact information of the persons interested such as name, e-mail address, phone number, and an available mailing address. This information is important in order to establish contact with potential buyers and sellers so as to let them know what services you are able to offer in any property transactions they hope to make.

Leads can be collected from a variety of sources, most of which can produce either a specific type of lead, or multiple types of leads. Three of these main types of leads are: Home buyer leads, Home seller leads, and Home value leads. Home buyer leads are, fittingly enough, leads containing information about someone interested in purchasing a home, whereas home seller leads and home value leads are named, similarly, because of the information they contain about potential home sellers and potential value assessments. While all of these leads are very different, multiple types can be gathered through some common channels. Leads can be found through literally dozens of sources. Contacting landlords, using indirect marketing (including flyers, mass post-cards in a specific region, placing ads, etc.), “farming” specific areas, attending local Real Estate Investment Association (REIA) meetings, and even searching through courthouse documents and obituaries has been said to produce good leads. The easiest way, however, is often to try and find leads online, as it is reported that more than 90% of home buyers use the internet as a resource. Online, websites that connect you directly to potential buyers and sellers are often a good source of information, and some companies even collect and sell huge lists of potential leads to anyone willing to pay for them!

Lead collecting is one of the first, and often one of the most important parts of any successful business in real estate. It has often been said that lead generation is not a science, but rather, it is more a test of arduous work and perseverance. And while it is obvious to see how farming large numbers of leads is important for finding potential buyers and sellers, it is always important to remember that leads themselves do not produce success, which will only come through a successful follow-up of your leads.