5 Proven Ways to Generate Sales Leads

Sales leads are the lifeblood of real estate. In order to scale your business, bolster your database with fresh contacts and unique opportunities, there has to be a pipeline of new leads flowing in. However, sometimes leads can dry up for a number of reasons. Perhaps you got busy with other aspects of your business and neglected your lead generation, or the same framework that was working for you has since grown stale. No matter what caused the well to run dry, there are always new methods to try when it comes to lead generation.

Here are five effective ways to generate sales leads – and reopen the reservoir.

1. Tackle Trade Shows

Attending trade shows will always be an invaluable opportunity. It's a one-stop shop for meeting professionals from all over the industry, everyone from mortgage brokers to contractors. Building strong connections with industry professionals at these events has the potential to send a wealth of new clients your way from prospects they have in their business. Because they all fall under the realm of homeownership, the chances of you restocking your database are very high. So when they need to refer a customer to a quality real estate agent, you want to make sure you are top of mind. A few strong connections at a trade show can open the door to lots of new leads.

2. Providing Value via Content

Whether you're a guest speaker at a conference or stick to a consistent blogging schedule online, presenting knowledge in your voice to the world can be a fantastic way to draw in potential leads. When you put yourself out to the world as a well-informed voice on the real estate industry by producing content (e.g., speeches, workshops, videos, blogs, newsletters) it not only builds your reputation as an agent but also builds trust between you and your audience of potential leads. You want to grasp their attention and give them useful information in a way that coveys your trustworthiness. This reassures potential leads that you are someone they can rely on with the huge financial decision of buying or selling their home. By getting on peoples' radars through content in a helpful and positive way, you are sure to help build interest and leads.

3. Community Activism

Socially responsible brands are very popular in the marketplace and up to 91 percent of people want to hear about a company's CSR efforts through their marketing. So why should real estate be any different? There are steps you can take to make your community activism help your business. You know the community you service better than most. Find issues that you can help support to make a difference. This will show you are informed about the issues in the area and help you engage with the community which could be full of sales leads.

By holding community events to raise money and keeping everyone posted on the community work you are doing, it creates opportunities to meet potential leads and keep you in the minds of the contacts in your database in a positive way. Not to mention, by helping make the community you do business in a better place, you're adding value and authenticity to your brand.

4. Build Your Database

A real estate agent's database is their foundation for a strong network to pull repeat and referral business opportunities from. Spending time to build your database can increase your sales leads by creating valuable connections, opening lines of communications and widening your network. There are simple ways to grow your database. Adding people by reconnecting with people you've fallen out of touch with and reaching out to local businesses are just a few of many ways you can go about adding people. You should always be growing your network and database, so get out there and make some new connections!

5. Keep in Touch

Just because you gained a sea of new leads doesn't mean you just leave them sitting there. You want this list to remember you and want to do business with you—but at the same time you don't want to be sending so many messages that you become an annoyance. A great way to achieve the Holy Grail of communication is to maintain a consistent conversation with a monthly email newsletter and drip email messages.

An easy way to solve all of your lead gen problems starts and ends with a comprehensive CRM.

To view the original article, visit the IXACT Contact blog.