What are the best real estate marketing tactics for high response rates?
Everyone from regular home sellers to San Diego real estate investors want more leads. So what are the best ways to generate more real estate leads?
How Real Estate Pros are Generating High Volume Leads
While technology has become more integrated with every aspect of real estate, including marketing, many of the methods being used are those that have withstood the test of time. Some of these marketing tactics and channels include:
- Direct mail
- Social media
- Bandit signs
- Yard signs
- The MLS
- Billboards
- Radio
- Print advertising
- Classified ads (on and offline)
- Cold calling
- Press 1 campaigns
- Bulk SMS
- PPC
- SEO
Generating high response rates is really about what you say and the presentation of individual strategies. However, it is also important to time each campaign accordingly. The time in which you release a campaign is just as important as what you do.
Even a terrible late night infomercial can have wild success if it is timed right. A very well placed billboard can be effective if in the perfect place. A Facebook competition can generate a lot of likes. Well packaged direct mail and even print classifieds with big promises can yield far more leads and inbound calls than most individual real estate investors and agents can handle. It’s all about the copy and pitch. But – as the wisest marketers know – the most important factor is making sure you are asking the right questions.
Is Higher Response Rates Really Want You Need?
Those real estate marketers that most frequently ask how to increase response rates are often really asking another question entirely: how do I increase my ROI? Others could very well be asking another question: how do I get more leads? When it comes down to it, people really want to know how to generate more money.
In reality, higher response rates alone don’t necessarily translate into more real leads, or even more money. In fact, they can detract from what you are trying to do if you don’t manage them correctly. Expert marketers can boost response rates with ease. Even 50% response rates on direct mail, and 100% click-through rates on email have been possible.
However, getting 800 inbound calls in a couple of days from a mailer instead of 400 isn’t of much value if they aren’t closable leads. If they can’t be converted, they are just extra work, and a drain on labor, time, energy and budget. That can be seriously counterproductive. So what’s better than higher response rates?
Achieving Higher Real Estate Marketing Conversion Rates
Many would argue that increased conversions are more valuable. If you are already generating leads, wouldn’t it just be great if more of them became contracts, and actual dollars?
Higher marketing conversion rates can improve ROI, increase dollars generated per hour, and mean higher revenues. Or put simply; work less and make more.
In contrast to the above, some higher converting options might mean door knocking, purchasing real estate leads, and in-person networking. Of course, conversion rates can be improved on many of the above. Targeting is one of the best ways to accomplish this. Better targeting with SEO and Pay-Per-Click can easily, effectively, and quite predictably boost conversions.
Getting More Leads for Less
A lot of investors want to get more leads for less money, and with less effort. Generating more referrals and repeat business can be a great way to do so. Of course you have to start somewhere, and you’ll always wanting to be adding new connections and referral sources to ensure consistency and growth, but these leads and contacts can offer the highest response rates, conversions, ROI, and profit margins.
Still, in addition to providing great service and an excellent experience, there is a constant need for branding, follow up, and relationship building. Be sure to use real estate marketing tactics that have proven response rates and your business will thank you.
