Want more real estate closings this summer?
Events are a great way to boost lead generation, especially over the next few months of summer. The right events can help agents, investors, and businesses build stronger connections and relationships in a way regular leads can’t. Moreover – done properly – good events will create more deals and closings. Events can be big, small, private or public. Check out the list below and find those that best fit your ideal prospects:
1. Private Open Houses
Open houses that are open to the public can pick up traffic from the browsers just passing by. However, if you want to boost real conversions; why not invite highly targeted prospects to specially curated open houses. This makes prospects feel special. The property and event is designed especially for them, and can improve the perceived value of the property. Invite qualified prospects, and perhaps even use your private open house invites as a tool for better branding and list building.
2. Home Staging Seminars
Those Realtors and real estate investors marketing to FSBOs or working with other investors might find great success in offering home staging seminars. Add value and bring in experts on home staging. Maybe even partner with local interior designers or home furnishing retailers to sponsor your event, speak, and eliminate the costs.
3. Live Twitter Q&A Sessions
Give your Twitter following and activity a boost by hosting live Q&A events online. Create unique hashtags to grow viral potential. These sessions can even be used to funnel more prospects and media coverage to your other physical events. These are also powerful feedback tools for discovering what content your prospects would like to see on your blog and social media in the future. If you aren’t sure what to host a Q&A on, check your most popular Tweets, Google+, and blog posts. You can also ask your Twitter followers if all else fails.
4. Charity Fundraisers
Obviously, real estate professionals and businesses shouldn’t mix charity with marketing just for the sake of gaining more business. Prospects will see right through events that aren’t authentic. However, if you are looking for an event for your contacts to gather around and bond at; why not do some good in the process? This could be a great team building activity, even for extended strategic partners. It can facilitate your corporate giving goals, and help your favorite causes in the process. As a real estate professional or local business leader, you have a lot of influence. This is your chance to use it for good.
5. Help Improve the Community
Building on the above; how about a volunteering event rather than just fundraising? This can be as beneficial for internal team building as it is for getting to meet more members of the community. There are many opportunities in this arena. You can do anything from cleaning up a local park, providing supplies to local community resources, an educational-entertainment event, or even rehabbing houses for those in need.
6. Investor BBQs
Investors with capital are an essential part of lead generation and relationship building. This can be private money lenders, mortgage professionals, bankers, financial backers, and retail end investors. A great way to get these individuals together in the summer is with food. Why not some awesome BBQ? It’s a fun, casual, warm way to connect and find new ways to work together. For those wanting to broaden attendance, consider inviting local chefs, health coaches, tax strategists, self-directed IRA administrators, and title company reps.
7. Homebuyer Education Events
Many more individuals and families could be homeowners if they were given more information. The more home buyers and owners, the stronger the finances of the local economy. It’s also a lot easier to help more through the process if they are educated on how homebuying works, how to prepare, and how they can make the process smoother.
8. Game Night
Some people are hard to get out for business and educational events. It just isn’t appealing or motivational enough for them. However, most will take time out for fun. How about hosting the viewing of big upcoming sports games or competitions? This can be done at home, an office, co-working space, or open house. If these venues aren’t an option, you could send tickets to live local events. Get club seats for local games so attendees get a great experience and have a good environment for networking.
9. Events for Kids
This is the season when kids are out of school. That can make it more difficult for many prospects to make it to events or concentrate on business unless there is entertainment for their kids. Anything parents can take advantage of to entertain their kids during these months can be a hit. This can be a great approach for themed open houses. If the kids love it, making sales can be a slam dunk.
10. Attend Other Industry Events
If putting on your own event is just too much, then leverage the events others are hosting. Show up and network, or even send your team members.
