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How Much Time Should Real Estate Agents Spend on Lead Generation?

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Education & Training with Internet Marketing Specialist Designation

How much time should real estate agents spend on lead generation every day? 

Real Estate Time ManagementThis is one of the most common questions that we get at the Internet Marketing Specialist Designation. 

When real estate agents get efficient at time management by blocking out times of their day for lead generation, they have more opportunities to get out there showing houses!  Here is our take on how much time should be spent in each of the key real estate lead generation categories each day.

This content was offered as part of the IMSD class Best Real Estate Marketing Sources , where we discuss how much each of these lead generation sources are going to cost, how crowded the space is, and other factors to consider when choosing a marketing mix.

Advertising – 15 Minutes
These are your yard signs, flyers, business cards, and other print advertising.  Once the initial setup is complete on these items, the time you spend placing orders and making small modifications is minimal.

Pay Per Click Advertising – 15 Minutes
Managing your PPC campaigns can be as addictive as online gambling.  Fight that urge to over-manage this category.  Get in to Facebook Ads or Google AdWords, check your analytics to make sure your ads are running as planned and your budget hasn’t suddenly exploded, then get out!

Blogging – 15 Minutes
Write one blog post a day to create a reliable stream of internet leads for years to come.  You’re not Ernest Hemingway, don’t overthink your writing.  Just follow good SEO blogging principles and make sure you’ve got the right keyword phrases selected.  Many agents will sit down once a week and write out 5-6 blogs just to get this finished.

Social Media is a Privilege, Not a RightSocial Media – 30 Minutes
Allocate three ten-minute sessions per day to engage on Facebook and Twitter.  Anything more than that means you’re just monkeying around!  Post a comment and post a tweet in the first two minutes, then focus your time on engaging with others.  Don’t try to squeeze this all into one daily session… you need to be constantly dripping into their news feed or Twitter stream throughout the day.  Watch Nick Cameron's video Social Media is a Privelege, Not a Right to learn how to be remarkable through social media.

Craigslist – 45 Minutes
Head to your computer three times every day for a 15-minute round of posting real estate ads on Craigslist.   Get to the point where you can just copy/paste the text using a regular content schedule on the site for a stream of free leads.  Your ads will disappear extremely quickly on Craigslist, so make sure you’re catching people during their lunch break or when they’re having that glass of wine after the kids go to bed.

Sphere – 1 Hour
You’ve done all of the work above to build up a stable of contacts in your market, so don’t let them lose sight of you.  Spend one hour a day placing calls, visiting people, sending emails, mailing cards or gifts, and direct messaging on Facebook.  Here is a 4-minute video by Ben Kinney on managing your sphere.

So there it is, three hours per day of lead generation to get your business moving forward.  That leaves you the entire afternoon to get out there and show properties.

If you want to watch the original 16-minute video that was the source content for this blog post click below.

Comments(62)

Rob Arnold
Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL
Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

Excellent breakdown.  Some do take longer than others.  I also spend a fair amount of time working on SEO.  Getting my posts and website, etc. up on the search engines.  I tend to focus on doing it all in 1 or 2 days of the week instead of so many hours every day. 

Jun 04, 2012 09:08 AM
Frank Iglesias
Working With Houses, LLC - Atlanta Real Estate Investments - Lawrenceville, GA
Atlanta, GA Real Estate Investor

Nice read.  consistent marketing is everything indeed!

Jun 04, 2012 01:22 PM
Kevin Ward
YesMasters.com - Los Angeles, CA
Founder of YESMASTERS.com

Wow...this is way different that what I learned from Mike Ferry!  Oh wait...it's not the 1900's anymore!  Hello new world!  Lots to learn.  

My only caution for real estate newbies...no matter how many leads you generate on-line or off-line....you ultimately have to know the skills of what to say and how to say it to convert leads into clients and how to help them make the decisions that will lead to successful transactions and raving fans. 

Thanks for the awesome article, Ben Kinney!

Jun 04, 2012 02:23 PM
Peter Preston-Thomas
Real Ottawa - Kanata, ON

I'm glad you included the one hour at least on the sphere and included phone calls and mailings.  They're more direct and eventually you will have to actually talk to a prospect.

I fully agree with the 3 hours.  One very good consulting book I have indicates you should be working with or for clients 70% of the time with the other 30% spent on marketing and overhead.  Assuming a 10 hour workday, that's just right.  Just don't forget the opportunistic marketing every hour you're awake - anytime you go to a store, are in a social situation or have any similar opportunity. 

A couple of important things:

  • Track where every single lead and client comes from so you can tell which of your marketing techniques are most effective, and then focus on there.
  • Don't give up on a given marketing technique too soon.  By nature, some techniques take longer than others to yield results and nearly every technique will take longer than you think.  Many people give up shortly before the technique would start to yield results.
Jun 04, 2012 03:09 PM
Gene Riemenschneider
Home Point Real Estate - Brentwood, CA
Turning Houses into Homes

I did not see blogging or web site development time in there.  Those are the things that are eating me up time wise.

Jun 04, 2012 03:10 PM
Bob Miller
Keller Williams Cornerstone Realty - Ocala, FL
The Ocala Dream Team

Hi Ben, I think what I like best about this post is the fact that many, not one source be used for prospecting.

Jun 04, 2012 08:07 PM
Tony Barker
Premiere Home Realty - Tony Barker 832-867-0835 - Houston, TX

Provocative post!  I must disagree, respectfully.  I consider the source being a marketing group.  I recommend tapping into the ten sources as needed and as mastered. FBSO, internet, open house, just listed, just solds, home ads, expired calls, sign calls, farming calls, AND network (sphere).  How long?  Until you have three listing appointments, and five buyer meetings scheduled.  Then service what you have.  In order, closings, file tracking, title open, servicing listings, set up listings and showing tours, lead conversion and finally, yes, lead generation.  Exception, training daily for the first four years then: weekly forever.

Thanks Tony Barker, Broker

 

Jun 05, 2012 02:29 AM
IMSD Designation
Internet Marketing Specialist Designation - Kirkland, WA

Thank you everyone for your comments. It doesn't matter if you agree with what we have shown here as long as you have a lead generation system that works for you. This one works. We have proven it and modified it again and again and have results from it again and again. We are here to share.

Jun 05, 2012 02:36 AM
Brad Baylor
ERA Coup Agency - Milton, PA

Thanks for the great ideas!

Jun 05, 2012 03:18 AM
Anonymous
Anonymous

I like the idea of writting down 5 blogs in one day and post daily good idea, thanks for your tips.

Jun 05, 2012 05:30 AM
#52
Justin Dibbs
Fairway Independent Mortgage - Ashburn, VA
Mortgage Advisor

Interesting break out for the various marketing activities.  Thanks for sharing.

Jun 05, 2012 05:50 AM
Justin Dibbs
Fairway Independent Mortgage - Ashburn, VA
Mortgage Advisor

I would say that with all the agents posting 300+ CL posts a day, 15 minute posting sessions won't get it done unless you post an add every minute, lol.

Jun 05, 2012 06:00 AM
Donna Quinlan
Keller Williams Realty - Newburyport, MA
Keller Williams Realtor & Career Consultant

I like your guidlines. Craigslist has been working somewhat for me. I learning to be more consistent. It is a challenge for me to write and post so quickly, but I am working on it. Thanks for the post!

Jun 06, 2012 08:03 PM
Kevin Sembrat
Diversified RCS Inc; http://www.ManhattanPropertiesGroup.com - Manhattan, NY

Hi Ben,

Great post! I watched the full video and subscribed!

Kevin

Jun 07, 2012 01:40 AM
Jairo Arreola #SOLDBYVETERAN
PRG Real Estate - San Jose, CA
VA Home Loan Specialist - SF Bay Area

Good Break down of times...I had already seen the original video, but I still managed to watch it again- I need to set up more ads on craigslist!! I have about 25 running right now, but being that my market is in LA, they get pushed down very quickly!

Jun 14, 2012 03:26 PM
Joey Fenwick
Self-Employed, 1st Time & move up buyers,FHA, VA conventiona - Phoenix, AZ
Fenwick Team FHA, VA & Jumbo Loans, Phoenix, Scott

There are people out there who can and will manage your social media for you on a daily basis. Yes, it will cost, but it is reasonable depending on what your time is worth. Google it and names will come up.

Jun 20, 2012 05:41 AM
IMSD Designation
Internet Marketing Specialist Designation - Kirkland, WA

We strongly recommend against having another person manage your personal social media profiles.  A Facebook Fan Page is fine to have somebody else's voice, but social media is all about creating a personal connection.

Jun 20, 2012 06:22 AM
Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

I spend so many hours a day on lead generation, we do this constantly.

Nov 05, 2012 09:59 PM
Matt Robinson
Professional Investors Guild - Pensacola, FL
www.professionalinvestorsguild.com

Every spare minute would be my answer to your title question...but your answer is good too. :-)  I agree with most of it except 15 minutes on a blog post.  I can't remember the last time I spent less than 45 minutes to an hour on a blog post.  Perhaps people are faster writers than me, or perhaps just sloppier (not a perfectionist).  Either way, your post is a great list of lead generation tools we should ALL be using.  Thanks!

Jun 24, 2013 02:48 AM
Charles Stallions
Charles Stallions Real Estate Services - Pensacola, FL
850-476-4494 - Pensacola, Pace or Gulf Breeze, Fl.

I spend 3 hours a day just of FSBO and Expireds maybe I am over worked LOL

Sep 29, 2013 11:25 AM