July 4 weekend tends to be a peak moment for busy season in real estate. Though the holiday weekend itself isn’t as bustling because so many families are on vacation, the following week sees a huge spike in activity and marks a noteworthy halfway point in busy season. Typically, inventory peaks at the end of June and beginning of July, though continues to stay relatively strong through winter.
We’re currently in the midst of a highly competitive seller’s market, with many agents still focused on generating leads now. There is still plenty of time left in summer to find high-intent buyers and sellers who will keep you busy in the months to come.
Here are the top three ways you can attract leads before summer is over so you don’t miss a beat — or a commission check — this fall.
1. Start running Google’s Local Services Ads
We could devote an entire article to the benefits of our Concierge program (and we have!), but here we want to focus on the best way that Concierge generates high-intent leads for real estate agents: Google’s Local Services Ads.
In the middle of summer, you aren’t looking for leads that need to be nurtured for 6-12 months. You’re looking for high-intent leads, and Google’s Local Service Ads deliver direct, live phone call leads that fit the bill.
Our analysts found that 50% of leads are highly qualified, and 1 out of every 10 is a seller lead. And the leads that aren’t qualified? You won’t pay a dime for them — we’ll screen them and add that budget back to your ad campaign, so you can keep generating quality leads.
These ads work because they are prominently displayed at the very top of Google’s search results page, even above both organic and paid results — perfect because consumers who are using Google to search for real estate agents or listings are already signaling they are higher intent than casual window shoppers.
Besides their placement, there are two things that make Local Services Ads attractive to consumers. First, there is a frictionless click-to-call feature so high-intent buyers and sellers can contact the agent of their choice in a single tap. Second, Google offers advertisers the opportunity to apply for a Google Screened badge. This badge signals to consumers that the agent has been vetted and approved by Google. It helps boost consumer confidence in the agent and leads to more live phone calls for you, the agent.
These ads are still relatively new to Google, and they are actually only available to a limited number of professions at this time. Agents who run Local Services Ads now are getting in on the ground floor, which will give them an advantage over competitors who are slower to react. Concierge can help agents get up and running more quickly, including guiding them through the vetting process to obtain the Google Screened badge. If you’re ready for live phone calls from high-intent leads, get in touch with a Concierge team member today.
2. Optimize your social media ads
If you are not actively advertising on Facebook and Instagram, it’s time to start. If you are, keep going! No matter which bucket you fall into, use these two top tips to quickly optimize your summer ads for lead generation:
- Be strategic in who you target by creating a custom audience for your digital ads. Your custom audience list could be your sphere, recently acquired leads, warm prospects, or any other group you want to consistently get in front of. All you do is upload the list of users you want to target and if they have an account on Facebook or Instagram, the platforms will show them your ad. You just need email addresses or phone numbers to get started, and this ensures you’re spending your ad dollars on higher-intent leads who should be further along in your nurturing cycle.
- Include a lead magnet in your ad. You have to give people a convincing reason to submit their contact information. Otherwise, you’re just running a brand awareness ad. That’s fine, but if you want leads before summer ends, you need to make some adjustments. Offer buyers and sellers something worthwhile in exchange for their email address or phone number. For example, it could be a guide for buying/selling in today’s market, a free consultation or home valuation, or registration to your educational webinar (more on that later).
3. Lead educational webinars for buyers and sellers
If you can commit the time to organize and conduct a couple webinars this summer, then you will likely see a positive return on investment. A webinar is a great opportunity for potential prospects to hear how knowledgeable you are about the local real estate market, which builds trust and will make them more inclined to want to work with you. A majority of the content should focus on educating viewers about the topic you’re presenting. At the end, you’ll slip in a light sales pitch about how you are the best local agent to work with and the ways you make the buying and/or selling experience easier for your clients.
Setting up a webinar isn’t complex, but there are a few steps in the process:
- To start, first think of an interesting topic to present on that you know well and will appeal to your specific target audience. Maybe it’s, “Hidden expenses first-time homebuyers always miss” or “Top challenges empty nesters face when selling in [city].”
- Then, promote your webinar through your typical marketing channels, including in your Facebook and Instagram ads.
- After your presentation ends, send an email to all attendees offering a free consultation for a limited time. By setting an expiration date for the offer, you’ll create a sense of urgency and influence them to act ASAP.
- For those who signed up but didn’t attend, include in your email a link to the webinar recording so they have the opportunity to benefit from the information, as well as the same limited-time offer for a free consultation.
