If you take a moment to calculate the total of direct and indirect costs associated with generating a single online real estate lead, you may be surprised at the extent of the resources you're devoting lead generation. Now calculate the percentage of those online leads that actually become sales. If you're not converting close to 10% of generated online real estate leads into profit-making closings, you need to rethink your approach to processing online leads.
Follow these tips to maximize your lead-to-sale conversion rate:
•1. Immediate response. Respond immediately to online real estate leads. Smart phone technology allows real estate agents to respond to email, Facebook and Twitter queries immediately. Make an effort to respond to queries within 5 minutes. Responsiveness fosters positive client-realtor relationships. If the contact provides a phone number, telephone them. The sooner you begin a personal relationship with potential home buyers and home sellers, the more likely they are to choose you as their agent.
•2. Be specific. Don't waste the client's time with bland generalities. When prospective home buyers and sellers contact a realtor, they're looking for specific information and they want it now! Respond to online contacts with detailed information about the property they're interested in or the subject they're asking about. Providing links to helpful articles and checklists on your website is a fast way to answer questions and cement your reputation as a knowledgeable expert.
•3. Don't drop the ball. Be persistent. A single contact will not convert leads into real estate sales. Expert realtors say it takes 7 to 10 contacts to turn an online respondent into a client. For maximum effectiveness, use a combination of different online, phone and mail contacts to keep your name in front of potential clients. For example: tweet a website article link, text a listing link, start a Facebook conversation, email information, mail an open house invitation.
•4. Get personal. Make use of social media to build personal relationships with clients. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook contacts humanize you, encouraging a friendlier relationship.
•5. Think creatively. Think of ways to make yourself stand out from competing real estate agents. Email a video message or provide tips via Podcast.
