What's in Your Lead Generation Wallet?

Throughout the country, we hear so much about the market, and everyday we see more and more casualties in the real estate profession mainly because these individuals have not been successful in finding or generating leads.  For those who survive, the future will be a very exciting place to be.

So what IS in your lead generation wallet?  How are you reinventing yourself in this market?  No matter how long you have been in business, business is not the way business used to be ... and it never will be again.   Real estate professionals used to be the "gatekeeper" to real estate info - you had to go through the agent in order to get the information.  That is definitely not the case in today's market.  The consumer is now saying "NO WAY!  I want control, I want to filter it myself, and I want it now!  For those who have been in the business for awhile, you may feel like you are no longer needed.  Nothing could be farther from the truth - it's just that the rules have changed.  Your value is not in just letting the consumer know what homes are available - they can get that information at 3am in the morning - and they don't need you to be there!

Now, more than ever, we as professionals need to rethink how are generating leads.  Having a website is no longer enough - what happens inside your website will make all the difference.  In a world where iTunes, Tivo and YouTube are taking over, it is very clear that the consumer is absolutely demanding that they be in control.

So how do you generate leads with all of this new information?

•·         Blogging:  You are reading a blog, and so are millions of other people.  Visit blogs, read articles and books on the topic, and get on board.

•·         Rethink your marketing:  Your printed/offline marketing can still be great IF AND ONLY IF it drives the consumer to your website and then tracks them.  Watch what major advertisers and businesses are doing - more and more they are saying "If you want the rest of the story, or if you want some special reward, you have to go to our website."  Once there, the odds of them getting into a relationship with you are greatly enhanced.

•·         Refarming:  Geographical farming has been the foundation for many top agents.  There is still value in it, but if you are just starting farming now, you may find that the benefits won't come for many months.  To speed that process  up, consider niche or hot spot farming - target areas where homes/properties ARE already selling, share that news with others in the neighborhood/niche area, and encourage them to take advantage of a market that may be kind to them.

•·         Be the expert:  become an expert on the market in your city, area, and the individual subdivisions on which you are focusing and share that information. 

•·         Multimedia tools:  Consider adding some of the new multimedia tools to your toolbox.  Upload videos to YouTube, make sure you on FaceBook, have a Flip video to easily provide video tours for prospective buyers, do virtual tours of homes, and even do personal tours of a city or subdivision.  You may even want to post videos sharing what is happening in your market and direct people to your site.

•·         Update your website:  This is the time you need to make sure that your website is truly a lead generating AND lead capturing tool.  Talk with other successful professionals to see what they are using, do searches of top agent websites in areas all throughout the country, and then determine how you are going to create your new and improved look.  Then tell the world about it!

•·         Learn new skills:  Whether it is short sales, foreclosures, or creative (but legal) types of financing, become an expert in these areas.  Sellers and buyers need that type of expertise more than ever!

This truly is just the tip of the iceberg.  There are so many ways to rethink how you are generating leads.  Of course,  nothing replaces talking with people and putting yourself where people area.  Do this, and you will probably find that there truly is something really great in your wallet!