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How to Generate 50 Leads in 30 Days Using Craigslist

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Services for Real Estate Pros with Equator.com

How to Generate 50 Leads in 30 Days Using Craigslist

Craigslist: Do you love it or hate it? Many real estate agents have found great success in generating both buyer and listing leads on the site, while many others find the process tedious, frustrating, and not worth the effort. In fact, many agents believe in a few common misconceptions about generating business on Craigslist. Have any of these misconceptions crossed your mind?

  • Craigslist leads are bad leads. Consumers on Craigslist are only looking for bargains and cheap homes.
  • Posting to Craigslist is too time consuming.
  • There’s too much competition—I’ll never stand out.


Put these myths on the shelf for a few moments and discover some tools, tips, and best practices for generating business on Craigslist that will make these thoughts obsolete.

Free Webinar to ActiveRain Members

Saturday, April 27th, 9AM PST / 12PM EST





What you will learn:

  • Best practices of Craigslist
  • What to avoid when using Craigslist
  • Must have tools needed to dominate Craigslist
  • Your 4 week plan to dominate Craigslist
  • And much more!

Here are three amazing tips we're covering in the call 

Join us for the full hour so we can share everything with you.

  1. Use attention grabbing headlines - Consumers on Craigslist are in browsing mode. Write interesting, specific headlines and keep the description concise.
  2. Always link back to your website - Today's consumers don't want to pick up the phone and call you based on an ad they've seen online. They want to have an online conversation first. Make it easy for them to take the next steps.
  3. You don't have to have listings to generate leads on Craigslist. Too many people think 'I don't have my own listings to market on Craigslist.' We'll show you a few ways that you can still generate leads on Craigslist even if you don't have your own listings. 

 

Register today!

Posted by

--
Jack Markham

VP Real Estate Strategy

Equator.com

  

Show All Comments
Jack Markham
Equator.com - Seattle, WA

@Kevin - That's awesome!  Keep up the great work!

@Amanda & Jared - Craigslist can be a great supplement into your business if done the right way.  I will go over certain concepts and strategies that have worked for a ton of agents.  I hope you can join!

Apr 24, 2013 11:31 PM
Charlie Dresen
The Group, Inc - Steamboat Springs, CO
Steamboat Springs, CO e-Pro

Hmmmm... Guess I have to add Craigslist to the "got to think about it" list. Thanks.

Apr 24, 2013 11:55 PM
Jack Markham
Equator.com - Seattle, WA

@Charlie - I hope to see you on the Webinar.  It really will be great content!

Apr 25, 2013 12:15 AM
Brett Cairns
Comox Valley Homes - Comox Valley, BC

Locallly, craigslist is a waste of time. Suppose it depends on the area.

Apr 25, 2013 01:10 AM
Jack Markham
Equator.com - Seattle, WA

@Brett - I have several agents in that market that do quite well with Craigslist.

Apr 25, 2013 01:23 AM
The Temple Team
THE TEMPLE TEAM - Mooresville, NC
Specializing in Lake Norman/Charlotte/Charleston

I will not be able to attend this webinar live as I will be traveling home from vacation that day ... Will it be repeated or can I watch a replay?  

 

Judy Lawson

Social Image Director for The Temple Team

 

Apr 25, 2013 01:47 AM
Lori Spohn
Eugene, OR

Hi, I like the suggestion to make sure to put your website on your Craigslist ad. Good thinking. I will try it and thanks for inspiring others to use it more.

I have great success with Open House Postings on Craigslist.

 

Lori Spohn Team

Eugene, Oregon

Apr 25, 2013 07:35 AM
Jack Markham
Equator.com - Seattle, WA

@Lori - Make sure you attend!  We are going to cover a ton of Craigslist strategies that will boost your lead generation!

Apr 25, 2013 08:04 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

I have subscribed to Market Leader for 2 years and have been writing ads on Craigslist all that time.  

My beef is not with the actual website or the IDX system.  My regulars LOVE IT!

The problem is with the lead capture system. 

I get about 1 lead a day and most are lookie loos!  Very few give a phone number that is good. and 20% don't give a good email.  

WHY?  The user from Craigslist is forced to sign up after 2 or max of 3 attempts to view properties.  Most people feel taken!

I have always said - If you have a problem come up with a solution.  My solution is to allow the administrator to come up with the number of attempts to check property. It could be set for a hard capture or medium or soft capture. Maybe, only certain screens trigger the lead capture sign up.  

Also - make it so that it requires an email back to the user to complete the registration.  This way, at least the email is always going to be good. 

Market Leader has stated that they have done thousands of studies and their way works best.  Pretty arrogant thinking!  I may have to go to a different lead capture system to get what I want.  

 

Apr 25, 2013 08:11 AM
Nakia Brooks
BKG - Brokerage Atlanta - Braselton, GA
#wearedifferent
Jack, Since talking with you, working with AR and my ML Pro account - We utilize a VA and have actively 500 ads a time. We are working several hundred leads a month using your method!!! Most of them are buyer leads, however, we do get the occasional seller lead. I am signing up to learn more as with my VA so that we are most productive with her time. Thanks for all the help you have provided so far! Nakia
Apr 25, 2013 08:16 AM
Jack Markham
Equator.com - Seattle, WA

@Sheri - In order to really flourish with Craigslist or any online leads you MUST understand today's consumer!  This will be a great webinar for you to attend because I am going to spend time talking about the consumer and what the right approach is with online consumers.

@Nakia - I love hearing the success stories!!!!!

Apr 25, 2013 08:25 AM
Jacinda Shedd
Jack of Administrative Trades - Columbus, GA

Hey Jack!  I just signed up for the webinar too!  Anytime I can learn something new and expand my skills and services, I am up for it!!  I look forward to something that sounds like I can apply to my business as well as the agents I serve.

Thanks!

Jacinda Shedd

Apr 25, 2013 10:12 AM
Frank Nolan
Nolan Realty Team / Pacific home Brokers - Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA
Jump and the net will appear
Being that I found my beautiful wife of 6 years and then our dream home on Craigslist, I am a staunch supporter. However like any marketing platform you have to sift through the chaff to find the gems. Unfortunately I can not make the webinar as I have to take my 5 year old son (product of CL meeting) to basketball practice at 9 am. Are you recording the webinar?
Apr 25, 2013 11:05 AM
Andrew Martin
REMAX Accord - San Ramon, CA

Craigslist is being spammed so much in my area now that it's a waste to post anything there. Thanks to people like yourselves that teach people to Spam the shit out of it, but with attention grabbing headlines, it's become nothing but fake headlines leading to links of lists of homes and lists of foreclosures etc. etc.

Please stop the spamming of craigslist. It was supposed to be used if you truely had something to buy or sell. Not to advertise someone else's listing, or a as a come-on to subscribe to a list.

Enough already.

Apr 25, 2013 12:48 PM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA
Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Jack, I tried to register using my Samsung Note - it just will not accept the required fields....Anyways, registering now and making sure not to miss it!

Apr 25, 2013 04:14 PM
Jack Markham
Equator.com - Seattle, WA

@Jacinda - Look forward to seeing you on the webinar Saturday morning!

@Frank - Sorry you won't be able to attend the webinar since Craigslist sounds like it's for sure in your wheelhouse! :)

@Praful - Glad you're able to make another of my webinars!

@Andrew - Craigslist is an opportunity for agents to generate leads and provide relevant content to online consumers that are in that gather mode.  Agents that use Craigslist as a business strategy are really providing a service to those consumers that are looking for content and allowing them to remain behind the wall of the internet at the same time.  I teach this technique to help agents get connected to consumers that don't know them so that they can provide a value proposition into their business.

Apr 25, 2013 11:27 PM
Lazaro Suarez
Specialized Real Estate Services - Kenner, LA
Jack, I missed your presentation for Craigslist. Is there,by any chance it was recorded so I can still view it?
Apr 27, 2013 09:20 AM
Andrew Martin
REMAX Accord - San Ramon, CA

then please teach people to use the "services" section of Craigslist and not the "for sale" section. If you have nothing for sale, then you are spamming. I'm shocked that you consider spamming a valid business strategy. You and others are ruining Craiglist every day you teach this spamming technique. I would turn you in to Craiglist as a spammer, but they are so busy that nothing usually becomes of it.

 

Apr 28, 2013 01:50 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

WOW! I MUST understand today's on-line consumer!  HA!  Don't you think that is a little arrogant to assume I don't understand today's on line consumer?  

I have spent two years writing 100's of craiglist ads attending Market Leader webinars on methods to improve SEO and lead capture but because Market Leader thinks that their way is the only way, nobody wants to listen to the client. I am a TWO YEAR customer with a Market Leader website. -->www.esedonahomes4sale.com

Please read post #12 AGAIN!  Each area has a different market of consumers. The hard lead capture that ML provides does not work in my area.  I need to offer a more customized approach which MARKET LEADER will not provide because they know best!  

Shouldn't a company listen to what a concerned customer is saying about your product? 

Listen to yourself in post #19.  Consumers want to stay behind the wall of the internet.  Most don't want to provide any info when starting a search. It's like going to a car lot and having a salesman right on your heals.  They start out looking and feel that their privacy is being compromised. 

OFFER A CUSTOMIZED LEAD CAPTURE SYSTEM with a EMAIL CONFIRMATION process. 

Don't try to sell a salesperson!

Apr 30, 2013 11:42 PM
Lanre-"THE REAL ESTATE FARMER" Folayan
Samson Properties - Bowie, MD
I don't make promises.I deliver results.SOLD HOMES

Sheri Sperry -What you just said is the reason why I gave up on Market Leader in 2012 and Craigslist this year. Many real estate agents now are saying Facebook Ads is the new Craigslist. Pepole are using Listings to Leads to generate buyer and seller leads on Facebook. I even wrote a blog about it today.

Nov 14, 2014 10:12 AM
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