11.06.17
APTO: Where do the best leads come from? 5 brokers weigh in.
By Irena Ashcraft
Where do you find great leads? Recently, we asked brokers about their go-to strategies for drumming up new business. Some confirmed that tried-and-true methods—like picking up the phone—worked best for them. And some surprised us with fresh ideas we hadn’t considered before.
Here’s what we discovered:
Picking up the phone is still the best place to start
If it works—keep doing it. There’s a reason successful brokers are always making phone calls: it’s what keeps bringing in new business.
“When I’m looking to draw new business, the first thing I do is hit the phones,” says Aaron Sklar, a broker at Kiser Group. “As soon as I compile a list and create my own database, I make a strong effort to make sure everyone in my database not only knows who I am, but most importantly, what I do. Ultimately, my goal is to meet as many parties and get in front of as many potential clients as possible. In my opinion, once I’ve sold myself and my process on the phone and am able to get in front of the client, the rest is all downhill.”
To make sure you’re consistently prospecting enough—and to pick up a few tips that can help—check out our earlier post on the topic.
Make outreach easy with Apto Prospect & Nurture
A good network is worth its weight in connections
Other brokers told us that it’s not just about building a bigger call list: it’s about nurturing a better network. And that’s an ongoing job, whether it means being more active in your local community or sharing what you do with the people you already know.
“Good leads come from being active in the business community and talking with people,” says Derek Hermsen of Union Street Corporate Real Estate, LLC. “The larger your network, the more points of knowledge that you can acquire.”
Michael D’Agostino, Director at Kiser Group, sums it up: “The best way of getting referrals is from simply talking about your business and what you do in your daily life. Undeniably, telling your friends and colleagues what you do should bring deals to you.”
Referrals can make your business grow exponentially
A lot of the time, your best source of new business is old business. Not only are happy repeat clients extremely valuable, but their endorsement is golden when it comes to picking up new business.
“I’ve found that as I’ve gained traction in brokerage, a larger percentage of my clients have been referred to me from past clients,” says Kiser Group’s Noah Birk. “Whether I’m representing a seller or a buyer, I view every assignment as an opportunity to show the client how I can bring value to their transaction. Apartment building owners in Chicago are a tight-knit group of people. If you put their needs first and treat them with integrity, they tend to share your name with their peers.”
Want a guaranteed way to get more referrals? First, do a great job for the clients you already have. But after that, make sure you actually ask for a referral! That’s a step most people miss, so don’t skip it: our strategies can help you generate more referralsin no time.
Great marketing should lead right back to you
We loved what Kevin Vandenboss of Vandenboss Commercial told us about the importance of great marketing. He explains:
“Over the years I have stumbled on a method of getting new leads that’s great at finding both buyers and sellers. I go above and beyond with marketing every listing I get. I send mailers to a list of businesses or investors that would potentially have an interest in my listing and follow up those mailers with phone calls.”
“This does two things,” he says. “For one, it helps me find buyers, but it’s also a great way to find sellers. Many of the people I try selling a property to have a property to sell themselves, and they like the fact that I put so much effort into marketing my listings. This puts me in a great position to win the listing.”
Inspired to take your marketing to a higher level? We recommend downloading our two ebooks: the Ultimate Guide to Marketing Your Listings and the Ultimate Guide to Marketing Your Brokerage (And Yourself).
