Real Estate Leads: 24 FREE Lead Gen Ideas for 2023

Originally Featured On The Follow Up Boss Blog

Ask your average Realtor what the best source of free leads is and you’ll probably hear one of two replies:

1. Cold calling
2. Door knocking

But let’s be real. In this day and age, those aren’t the only methods to choose from. (And honestly, they may not even work as well as they once did.)

We asked leading agents and real estate coaches for their most reliable, most overlooked, and craziest ideas for free lead generation with only one condition: That they worked.

Here are 20+ tried and tested ideas for generating free leads that actually result in revenue.

Table of Contents

• How to Get Real Estate Leads at No Upfront Cost
• Where to Get Real Estate Leads Post-2020
• The Most Reliable Sources of Free Leads
• The Most Overlooked Sources of Buyer Leads
• Craziest Sources of Free Real Estate Leads (Buyer or Seller)

How to Get Real Estate Leads at No Upfront Cost (Checklist)

Here’s a complete checklist of free lead gen ideas broken down by must-haves and nice-to-haves. How many of these are you already using? Which ones would be the easiest to integrate with your current lead management system?

The Must-Haves

• Past clients
• SOI
• Referrals
• Reviews
• FSBOs
• Partner with a lender and attorney
• Open House
• Use landing pages + Drip email sequence

The Nice-to-Haves

• Phone duty
• Video content
• Virtual tours and open houses
• Volunteer, speak at, or attend free community events
• FRBOs
• Moving companies
• Marriage announcements
• Start a blog
• Contribute to articles, podcasts and publications
• Connect on social media
• Answer questions on Quora
• Door knocking
• Cold calling
• Zoom housewarming party

Where to Get Real Estate Leads Post-2020

#1. Phone Duty – Great for Warm Buyer Leads

Sometimes old school is the best school.

Eric Bramlett, owner of Bramlett Residential knows a thing or two about using old-school methods in a new age. After trying out a Client Concierge and live call transfers with less than impressive results, one of his senior agents suggested they try good old-fashioned phone duty. 

Eric had his doubts. “I’d never considered it because it seemed old school. I know that agents hate traditional phone duty because they have to sit in the office and answer the phone. One reason agents become agents is so that they’re not chained to a desk,” he explains. 

But, the results were undeniable.

“We found that people that call in want to talk with an agent right now. They don’t want to talk to a receptionist, or a Client Concierge, they want to talk with a knowledgeable agent.”

“Since we’re immediately satisfying that need, we saw our conversions go through the roof. We were converting around 1/3 receptionist call-ins in the past. We’re now converting almost 100% of the qualified inbound calls. It’s been a massive success,” says Eric. 

With an outcome like that, it’s not surprising Eric is building a system around this tried-and-tested lead gen tactic.

“We set up a virtual phone duty that our agents sign up for. We have simple rules like ‘don’t schedule an appointment’ and ‘pull over to talk if the call you take is a lead.’ We record all of the calls to identify opportunities for improvement,” he says.

#2. Video Content – Best Way to Consistently Generate Free Leads 

Video is quickly becoming a winning formula for real estate marketing.

Christian Ross, Managing Broker at Engel & Völkers, has been a huge advocate for video content for a long time now. 

In 2009, she shot a video titled Why You Should Move to Atlanta that introduced her to a host of international clients who have each bought two to five properties from her over the years.

“I know everyone is saying it, but creating videos has given me huge ROI. I am intently focused on video production. The videos I created over five and ten years ago still pay dividends and they have over 70,000 views.”

And Christian knows exactly how to leverage and repurpose that content for maximum results.

“I have already filmed over twenty videos with my videographer for me to put in my Follow Up Boss drip campaigns, channel, and throughout the client process. I am also filming Coffee with Christian with local businesses and interesting people,” she explains. 

So, what’s her secret formula for creating irresistible video content? 

“Everyone should have a YouTube channel and create playlists that focus on the community, sellers and buyers and quick tips. I create both professional and iPhone videos.” 

Christian acknowledges that not everyone is comfortable with staring into the camera, but the way she sees it, we’ve already spent most of 2020 living through an uncomfortable reality. 

Her mindset: “We have to get comfortable being uncomfortable, right?”

#3. Video Housewarming Parties – An Instant Source of Free Warm Leads

Dale Archdekin is a leading real estate coach and the founder of Smart Inside Sales. Basically, he’s the guy top producers go to when they need to 10X their lead conversions. 

And like any genuine thought leader, you can always count on Dale for the latest cutting-edge lead gen tactics. Here’s Dale on how some of his coaching clients got creative during the pandemic.

“For clients concerned about having anyone in their home and maintaining social distancing protocols, their agent can plan and host a video‘housewarming party’ on Zoom. This obviously works well for those clients who are not as tech savvy or aren’t already regularly using video conferencing.”

A housewarming party you can attend in your pajamas? Who could say no to that?

“It’s a great way for the agent to bring additional value to their client and meet the client’s potential referrals for additional business,” Dale explains.

Dale was kind enough to share his running list of lead gen ideas that only work as a result of the 2020 paradigm shift:

• Branded face masks and hand sanitizer
• Connector of community support resources: who has senior shopping hours, who has opened a pop up food bank, what restaurants are delivering meals to high risk people, etc.
• Volunteering!
• Community good-will political debate station
• Virtual video open houses (marketed on social media)
• Concierge video home tours (marketed on social media)
• Hosting a socially distanced, mask-on, Halloween party for kids in your sphere.

It’s amazing how creative you can get when faced with a new challenge. Of course, there are also those classic, reliable sources of real estate leads you should always be working into your strategy.

#4. Smile, Dial, Email – Timeless Lead Gen for Unprecedented Times

“When Covid first hit I started calling and spoke to more people than I ever could have imagined because most everyone was at home at lockdown,” explains serial entrepreneur and Kelowna-based agent Brandon Grass.

“A lot of people were not listing their homes right away but eventually were going to do something. I have had the best month in my four year real estate career so far in October. And 2021 is going to be an absolutely massive year for me.”

We had to know: What’s Brandon’s secret sauce?

“No secret sauce, just consistently smiling and dialing. My goal comes from Tim Heyl in Austin Texas to get 5 nurtures a day minimum and to keep building my weekly email. I have closed 10 transactions 30% of my business from my weekly email this year.”

10 transactions from an email newsletter? There’s literally no reason not to do this.

The Most Reliable Sources of Free Leads

#5. Referrals – Best Way to Get Quality Leads, Totally Free

According to the NAR, 64% of sellers found their agent through a referral from a friend, neighbor, or relative—or used an agent they had worked with before to buy or sell a home.

We asked Bernice Ross, CEO of BrokerageUP!, and Inman top 25 real estate coach what the #1 most reliable source of free leads for her clients is, and sure enough, referrals were at the top of her list.

Here’s what Bernice had to say about it:

“Referrals cost you nothing—all you have to do is stay connected with the people you know and make sure that you’re top of mind when they or someone they know decide to transact.”

What could be easier (or cheaper!) than that, right?

Donna Stott of Your Coaching Matters agrees, adding “Repeat and no fee referrals are always the most profitable and reliable. All our clients generate 50-85% of their business from this source.”

#6. The Neighbors’ Sphere of Influence – A Completely Original Source for Trusted Referrals 

Everyone talks about taking advantage of your sphere of influence, but have you ever considered reverse engineering the sphere of influence of a neighborhood to get new listings? 

Well, our pal Jared, coach and founder of Jared James Enterprises has got that process completely nailed down. Here’s how he does it:

“When your buyer looks at a property in a neighborhood but doesn’t buy the property, statistically a new listing is going to come up in that neighborhood in the next 30 days and you’ve got what the potential seller wants…buyers.”

According to Jared, this is when you should send out a letter to the neighborhood and call the neighbors with the same message/dialogue.

Hi (neighbor),

My name is (Agent Name) and I work with (Brokerage Name) and I just wanted to let you know that I showed your neighbor’s property over at (Address) the other day. 

Unfortunately it wasn’t a perfect match for them but as I’m sure you are not surprised, they absolutely loved the neighborhood! 

What they are looking for is (describe just about every house in the neighborhood). 

Can you do me a favor? If you or anyone you know is even considering selling, could you please let me know right away? I may be able to sell your house without it ever even hitting the market.” 

Brilliant, right? Jared encourages his real estate students to use the same template when they have a buyer looking for a house.

“The student records a video that lets their audience know what the buyer is looking for but with a specific ask – reach out if the audience or anyone they know is considering selling, because they may be able to sell their house without it ever hitting the market,” Jared explains. 

“Then we have the student promote that video to the target town/city so that everyone sees it and reaches out to them if they are thinking of selling or if they know anyone that is.” 

#7. Reviews – The New Word of Mouth for Real Estate Leads

Targeting millennials or younger buyers? Reviews are the way to go. According to Consumerist, almost 70% of consumers check online reviews before making a purchase and real estate experts like Justin Seeby of The Seeby Group have experienced the power of reviews firsthand.

The Seeby Group’s review strategy resulted in 100 transactions in 2016, and countless free leads. But just like everything else, it’s all about your level of commitment. Here’s Justin on how and why reviews work for them.

“Millennials make up a third of the buying population. A millennial goes to 8 to 12 different sites before they pick up the phone and talk to an agent. What do they do when they get to 8 to 12 of those sites? They read the reviews.”

“I watch people coming to my site in the analytics—they log in, and then they go to the review page and read every one of my agents’ reviews before they even pick up the phone and call. We start by educating agents that this is something that has to be forefront of their minds. The conversation on getting reviews starts on day one when you meet the client,” he says.

If you’re targeting millennial buyers, or if you just want to set up a truly future-proof system for generating free leads, check out our timeless 2017 interview with Justin and his former partner Ryan Graham of Community & Council Realty.

#8. Blogging – Best Way to Attract Quality Leads

“One of the best decisions I ever made in my real estate career was to start a real estate blog,” says Bill Gassett of RE/MAX Executive Realty.

Blogging is one of those free lead gen unicorns—when you’re blogging the leads seem to magically drop from the sky. But free doesn’t mean easy. It all comes down to intention and commitment.

Here’s Bill on how and why he started his blog, Maximum Real Estate Exposure.

“Maximum Real Estate Exposure was designed to provide a wealth of knowledge to buyers and sellers to help make sound business decisions. Buyers and sellers love working with knowledgeable real estate agents. By having a recognizable blog you are able to readily show off your expertise to those who are buying or selling a home. Over the years my blog has brought a substantial amount of yearly business. In fact it is one of my top lead generators.”

A blog as a top lead generator? Believe it.

But as Bill himself will tell you, “Real Estate blogging is certainly not for everyone.”

“Like anything else, it takes time and dedication. It is not a magic bullet that will bring significant amounts of business unless you put in the effort. This means you need to have exceptionally good content combined with a strong grasp of both search engine optimization, as well as solid social media promotion. Without proper digital marketing your blog will be lost in the shuffle,” says Bill.

Alternatively, you could try a tool like Keeping Current Matters or CityBlast that automatically publishes blog and email content, creates downloadable guides and posts personalized updates on your social media accounts for a set monthly fee.

Another option is to hire a real estate VA with marketing or blogging experience or look for an affordable content writer and marketer on sites like Fiverr and Upwork. You’ll still need to set aside time to generate relevant content ideas, proofread and promote the work but a great freelancer can significantly cut down on the time you spend researching and writing, making it way easier to stick to a consistent publishing schedule.

Last but definitely not least, if you’re determined to make a go of blogging, make sure you set up a drip campaign to capture and nurture any leads that come in via the blog.

#9. Niche Sites – An Awesomely Organic Source for Ready-to-Convert Real Estate Leads

Thanks to various changes in Google’s search algorithm, building a niche website is now another surefire approach to rank higher on search engines than non-targeted sites. Best of all, it’s completely organic through and through.

Ryan Rodenbeck, broker and owner of Spyglass Realty, is one real estate pro that’s all for  transitioning from a general site to a niche site for lead generation. Here’s Ryan on using a niche site as a local guide:

“I bought the movetoaustin.org domain a couple of years ago. However, we started working on our organic channels last year. So, I hired a full-time content writer to write for Spyglass Realty, and as we started to gain enough traction and generate leads and a robust pipeline to Follow Up Boss, I decided to make the domain her side project.”

By creating a local guide on all things Austin, Ryan’s little “side project” started attracting some seriously motivated leads.

“For our Spyglass Realty SEO leads, we’re getting about 10-15 leads monthly. That’s not much but they are much more likely to convert.”

For anyone looking to move or relocate to Austin, Ryan’s new micro-site is a crucial resource.

“I’m working on getting organic leads by targeting topics like ‘rent vs.buy Austin’, ‘Master Planned Communities’, and ‘Reasons to Move to Austin.’ These are terms we rank for on the Spyglass website. We’ll then retarget to landing pages that have property listings or other information about choosing a Realtor.”

Between his epic knack for choosing the right marketing and systems, and his steadfast dedication to team culture, Ryan now has 20 agents doing $4.2 million each.

#10. Thank You Card – Most Beautifully Simple Source of Free Leads

The thing you might not know about Brandon Grass is that he’s a cold-calling machine.

With only two-and-a-half years of real estate experience, he’s already called over 25,000 leads—resulting in 80 listings appointments in 6 months.

His secret?

Back up cold outreach with one of the warmest and most personal forms of marketing out there: the Thank You Card.

“You know, as a new agent you’re blindsided by a million other things. You just need to talk to a lot of people and get over the fear of cold calling. I’ve had over 25,000 calls so far this year and only one guy told me where to go, and not a very nice way. You move on. Because you also get so many people that love that you called and genuinely want or need something. My biggest listing this year came from a cold cold I made on January 23rd. She initially said, ‘No, we’re not interested.’ I went by and dropped off a simple thank you card and that changed everything.”

In the age of automated everything, Brandon’s all about keeping the personal touch. And at $1 per card, the ROI on this lead source can’t be beat.

“I just write a handwritten thank you card like, ‘Hey Jill, great talking to you. Thank you so much for your time. I look forward to the opportunity to work with you.’ And then I put my business card in there and seal it up,” says Brandon.

Easy peasy.

#11. Craigslist – Great for Free Diamond-in-the-rough Leads

David Albanese, Broker/Owner of Albanese Realty has a policy: Never take a lead for granted.

He treats every lead like a qualified lead—and that includes leads from Craigslist.

“My most reliable source of free leads has been another source that most agents or people sometimes no longer feel is relevant or also frowned upon or thought of not to be the savviest… Craigslist. We have consistently been posting on Craigslist for several years and receive countless leads every week from this source that is thought of as undesirable.”

But Craigslist can be quite the can of worms and it’s important to know what to look out for.

(If you’re just getting started sourcing free leads from Craigslist, Tyler Zey, Chief Technology Officer, Easy Agent Pro has a complete guide on how to do Craiglist lead generation right.)

Free Real Estate Leads: Most Overlooked Sources of Buyer Leads

#12. Open Houses – Golden Opportunity to Get Buyer Leads

Real estate’s grandaddy of lead conversion Mitch Ribak is a total open house pro. We asked Mitch why agents tend to overlook open houses as a source of free leads.

Here’s his reply:

“I think mainly because most agents have been programmed to think that it’s a waste of time. Like all marketing, if they do one and don’t get much out of it, they generally fall into that bucket. To me, it’s the easiest and least expensive way to get people in front of you. However, you need to have a system like everything else to make it profitable.”

Systems = profits? We couldn’t agree more.

Here’s Mitch’s  best tip for bringing in free leads via open houses.

“I don’t advertise my open houses. I prefer to use lots of signs. This way if someone walks into my open house and they would like to look at property, I just close the door. You need to make sure you have every possible cross street covered with an open house sign. The more signs the better.  We did a test on this last time because my agents didn’t believe me. We had 9 people come to our open house that day and 8 were from the signs,” he says.

In his first year in business, Mitch closed 36 sales—and 28 of those sales came from open houses. 

“I never stopped doing them even when I was selling 80 homes a year.  It was the best and most ‘right now’ lead generation for me. My agents that follow my systems for open houses do great…but then they get busy and they forget how they got their business,” says Mitch.

But what if you can’t meet for an in-person open house?

“We’ve sold houses with digital open houses and virtual tours,” says Barry Jenkins, Team Owner and CEO at the Virginia Beach-based Friends In Real Estate Team. Barry and his team use Calendly to actually capture the lead info, then plug them into their CRM for focused follow up.

#13. Website Community Pages – Perfect Source of Free Buyer and Relocating Leads

There’s a little known content marketing tip that only the best of real estate marketers typically take advantage of: Community Pages.

Bill Gassett has been using local community real estate pages consistently to become one of the go-to Realtors in his area and bring in approximately 6 to 10 clients per year. “More often than not, any buyer looking to move into a new area is going to do some fairly extensive research. By setting up community pages on your website YOU become the local go to expert,” he says.

Here’s what makes a great community page according to Bill:

“Community pages are filled with information buyers would love to know about. Things like the quality of the schools, area attractions such as lakes and parks. Where  people do their shopping, etc. They can be filled with an endless amount of information. The best community pages are crazy detailed! Here is an example of a community page for Framingham Massachusetts. Notice how there is information on the local real estate market along with all of the best features of why someone would want to live in Framingham or for that matter buy a home here.”

These kinds of pages should be optimized so they come up in search for things like “Realtors Framingham Massachusetts” and “Top Real Estate agents Framingham”. Consumers who are searching in Google with terms like these may be looking to hire an agent immediately!

#14. Quora – Most Untapped Source of Leads

Real estate pros like Canadian broker Bryan Jaskolka know the power of an untapped online community like Quora.

As one of the top respondents for all things real estate, he’s getting his name, face and web link in front of thousands of online buyers every day.

With over 200 million monthly unique visitors, Quora’s Q&A entries regularly show up on Google’s page 1, and some are re-published by major sites like Forbes and Inc.

Plus, it’s completely free.

All you need is an email address and you’re in. Start by looking for questions that have been asked repeatedly. If a question has been asked more than once, chances are the answers (both on Quora and Google) aren’t that great.‍

Best Ways to Get Real Estate Seller Leads at No Upfront Cost

#15. Wear a Name Badge – Easiest Way to Get Free Leads

Ever take every cushion off your couch hunting for your glasses, only to realize they’re right on top of your head?

Sometimes the most obvious things are hidden in plain sight.

Both Donna Stott and Bernice Ross agree: The simple name badge is one of those things.

Here’s a great tip and real-world story from Bernice:

“An often overlooked way to generate leads is to wear your name badge or company wear such as a hat or polo shirt. When people ask, ‘Oh, you’re in real estate—how’s the market?’ Be prepared with a concise answer about how much inventory is on the market, how much prices are increasing or declining, and offer to send them a free report on their property. Agents can use a Realtors Property Resource (RPR) to gather this data quickly and of course, you need their contact information to send them the report. One woman who worked for Coldwell Banker got a CB t-shirt for her dog—people constantly stopped to talk about real estate with her.”

Name badges have long been used by maintenance service companies to establish a connection with the client and develop trust. So, why not real estate?

#16. For Sale By Owners (FSBOs) – Excellent Lead Source for Agents with the Right Approach

There are those who shake their fists at FSBOs and there are those who go out and convert them into free sources of multiple millions in revenue.

You can guess which group top Inman real estate coach and the other half of Your Coaching Matters, Mike Stott belongs to. Mike points to FSBOs as one of the best and most reliable sources of free leads out there. “Literally millions in commissions!” can be made according to Mike.

The trick as usual is to start the conversation by listening and offering value. Remember, there is a good chance this seller has been burned by an agent before, and that’s why they’re attempting to go it alone.

Start the conversation by asking why they’re selling. Take time to listen, get to know their motivations and build a personal connection. Offer advice or insight on the market wherever relevant. Once you feel like you’ve truly heard them and offered them some genuinely helpful info, ask if they want any help finding a buyer.

They might turn you down flat the first time. That’s ok. Ask if you can check back in on them in a few weeks then add them to your CRM for simple, friendly follow up. Sometimes it can take a few quiet weeks (or months) in the market before they come around to the idea of working with you.

#17. Ask Questions – Most Powerful Way to Get Free Listings

Leveraging for rent by owners and FSBOs, calling expireds and nurturing your SOI are all classic (and classically overlooked!) ways to bring in tons of free leads.

But sometimes what matters most isn’t which lead source you choose, but how you choose to approach those leads.

According to real estate coach Mike Stott, the best way to bring in more free leads is to simply ask questions:

“Ask questions – How can I help your business? What does your perfect client look like?” he explains.

“Focus on providing service and coming from a spirit of contribution – the leads will come.”

Craziest Sources of Free Real Estate Leads (Buyer or Seller)

#18. Swap Meets and Flea Markets – Unexpectedly Awesome Way to Get Leads Face-to-Face

As we mentioned, Broker/Owner David Albanese isn’t afraid to take free leads where he can find them. That includes local swap meets and flea markets.

David points out, “The craziest ideas for lead generation are sometimes the least wanted or the most frowned upon or things that people might think don’t work. We do frequent swap meets and flea markets. It totally works even though many agents feel it’s an undesirable type of method.”

David also brings in free leads via Zillow FSBO, calling expired listings, and of course, Craigslist, but there’s something to be said for getting out there and networking with real people.

Remember, when it comes to free lead gen, it doesn’t matter what’s popular. All that matters is that it works for your unique real estate business.

#19. Social Media Humblebrag – Great Way to Get Real Estate Leads Who Already Like You

You didn’t think we were going to leave social media off the list, did you?

Depending on how you approach it, social media can either be a major time drain or a brilliant way of nurturing your connections. 

Salt Lake City Realtor® and Founder of Search Salt Lake Dustin Brohm is an ace at working social media for free leads (yes, even Snapchat).

Here’s his awesome advice for using your social media to nurture your SOI without feeling salesy or sleazy:

“Your sphere of influence is still an extremely overlooked source of business. The key is to not bombard your network with boring, worthless “asks” for business. Instead, you should simply be reminding your network that you’re a real estate agent, and that you’re a local expert. Posting on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat is a great way to do that, as long as you’re providing something of value to your network (education, humor, etc), along with the occasionalhumblebrag if you receive an award, or some recognition for something. I’m talking maybe once a month, or less. But if done tactfully, those humblebrags help your network see that you’re good at what you do.”

You heard it from the pro. Relax and have fun on social media. It can lead to some great free leads.

#20. Instagram – Easiest Source for Warm Organic Leads

John Selby, Team Leader at the San Diego-based The Selby Group uses Instagram as one of his most unique (and effective!) lead gen sources.

“It’s all organic,” says John. He doesn’t spend a dime on fancy ads or targeting.

“Our posts are more lifestyle posts and less about sales. We want people to follow us because they like our post then reach out to us for help because they like our brand and how we do things. It’s been working well.”

And that’s exactly what happens.

Leads come in from the teams posts and stories. From there, they follow up via DM to connect and convert. It’s easy, organic and extremely cost-effective.

#21. Cheeky Marketing – Funniest Way to Get Free Real Estate Leads

Every so often, it pays to go a little rogue with your marketing.

Here’s a great story from coach Bernice Ross:

“The most innovative idea I ever heard came from Frances Flynn Thorsen. She had a house that was zoned for commercial use that  was located in an area where there were a lot of attorneys. She created a marketing piece that looked as if the attorney she was sending it to was being served in a lawsuit. The strategy generated leads and she sold the property.”

Sometimes it pays to think outside the box (or, zone in this case) and do what you’ve got to do to grab the attention of your local market. Don’t be afraid to get creative.

#22. Knock on Doors – Most Classic Way to Get Real Estate Leads

The level of “craziness” of this free lead gen idea is debatable.

Some die-hards in Facebook groups will claim this is the best way to get free leads, but you have to wonder, do they actually get out there and do it?

According to coach Donna Stott, they should.

Here’s her tip:

“Knock on doors in a neighborhood where you have a qualified buyer that wants to buy and say ‘Quick question: do you want to sell your house? My buyer wants to buy here. Not sure? Talk to the Family and call me tomorrow.’ Yes. It worked.”

Sometimes you just never get, until you ask. While it may seem old school, knocking on doors is still a proven way to get free leads. If you’ve got the guts, go for it.

#23. Give Back – Most Fulfilling Way to Get Buyer and Seller Leads

“If you focus on service like we do, the volume’s gonna come,” says Ron Howard, who closed 470+ transactions with zero hard-sell tactics.

The broker/owner of Baltimore-based Ron Howard & Associates reached the #1 spot in his market simply by connecting with the community.

“Serving the community and throwing great social events creates an amazing amount of people that want to reciprocate by working with you,” says Ron.

Granted, not all agents and teams will be able to throw the kind of epic events Ron and his team do, but the fundamentals can be applied to any real estate business of any size.

All of Ron’s agents must be involved in at least one non-profit. Ron himself has been on the board of five. Rather than passing out business cards, the agents on Ron’s team build their spheres through acts of charity and service.

“You’re meeting people in your community who want to do good. It’s not really service to transaction, it’s service to relationship. We want to build a network that people actually want to be a part of,” he explains.

#24. Become a Community Catalyst – Crazy Simple Way to Get a Long-lasting Source of Leads

Gary Ashton is the Owner and CEO of the #1 RE/MAX Team in the world .

He’s also the guy that people like big name bankers, pro sports coaches and members of The Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Soccer Club go to for advice on the best local schools, restaurants and of course, real estate.

So, yeah. When it comes to luxury real estate, Gary knows his stuff.

But he didn’t get there overnight. Gary’s massive success in luxury real estate came from his commitment to becoming THE go-to expert in his community.

“As real estate develops, knowledge is what makes agents more valuable to buyers. Buyers don’t want to spend time learning. As an agent, you’re the catalyst—the connector between the buyer and their new community. It’s your job to open that door and make it as easy as possible for them to walk through it.”

A Quick Cautionary Tale about Sleazy Lead Gen

You’ve now got a ton of great ideas for generating free real estate leads. But wait!

Before you run off, we want to give you one last piece of advice. When done right, free lead gen can bring in a ton of revenue for your real estate business, but if you go into it with the wrong intention, it can backfire horribly.

Here’s a story from Broker/Owner Dustin Brohm about a free lead gen idea that totally bombed:

(Go ahead, lean in.) 

“I’m about to tell you about a terrible idea for lead gen. TERRIBLE!

No, I did not do this personally, but know someone who did.

Don’t do this: Go to a friend’s wedding, and “sponsor” the gift bags for guests… and put your damn business cards, branded pens, and other absurd, unimpressive swag in the gift bags! Do not put out signs around the gift bag table promoting you and your business.

Why not? Well, how would you like it if you went to a wedding and were bombarded with advertisements from some random business? You’re hijacking your friend’s wedding in an effort to get more business. But what you’re really doing is pissing people off and ensuring that they’d never hire you in a million years. How tacky and inappropriate. Hell, next time maybe you should sponsor the punch bowl at a funeral!”

Yikes.

Leads can get pricey and real estate is a high pressure business, but the moral of this story is to ALWAYS check the situation and environment before attempting to grab leads. 

Leads might not cost money, but you’d better be giving something meaningful and valuable in return– and prospecting ethically!

It’s a point coach Donna Stott emphasizes to all her agents: “The most reliable source [of free leads] for our clients is giving great service and then implementing a great Database/CRM Plan with regular contact in a variety of ways.”

According to Donna, it all starts with great service.

Be open, but stay consistent.

At the end of the day, if you try to cold call every lead and attend every local bake sale, you’ll only end up spreading yourself thin.

No matter how crazy or uncommon, focus on the free lead gen activities that can be easily integrated into your current lead management system. 

Hey, have you tried Follow Up Boss?

We make real estate lead conversion and sales follow up more efficient and automated resulting in our clients making more sales and having the capacity to grow their business in a calm and organized way. Follow Up Boss enables agents to deliver an incredible customer experience, at the speed and volume that today’s real estate businesses require.

Special Free Trial Offer for Lab Coat Agents!

Free trial includes:

•Unlimited texting, calling, emails
•Integrated calendar and appointments
•40+ integrations (Zillow, etc)
•Website activity tracking
•Team accountability & marketing reports
•iPhone and Android apps for on-the-go

Learn More Here