In most cases, a Realtor's online leads (people who contact you through the internet) aren’t ready to buy or sell a house yet – they are in the research stage. How can you keep yourself foremost in their mind so they will use your services when the time is right? Kathy Pilon, Broker/Owner of Realty Executives Cold Lake in Cold Lake, Alberta, nurtures these leads. “I have campaigns set up within my site so that clients receive immediate and regular follow-up. In addition, each Realtor that receives the lead follows up more personally. They each use their own system and letters as they like. Web leads do take a lot longer and so they need to be incubated.”
Most Realtors find online leads a burden and ignore them as potential leads expect an immediate response. But considering that online homebuyers are likely to eventually use a Realtor, ignoring online leads can be a costly mistake. Kari Calder, a Realtor with Century 21 Conexus Realty in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, tries to respond promptly. “When it comes to online leads, I respond as soon as possible with an introductory email that isn’t pushy, just lets them know I am here; lots of times that works! People just like to know they get noticed. I acknowledge them and then leave the ball in their court.” If immediate responses to online leads are a priority for you, consider using a web-based service that converts your online inquiries to phone messages.
Responding to Online Leads
When someone takes the time and effort to send you an inquiry, a personal response by an actual person is what they expect. Your initial response, like a first impression, will likely determine whether you work together in the future. It is essential to build a relationship with the potential client and the promptness and quality of your reply is key. For local leads, consider a phone call before they are snagged by another Realtor. Calder gives online leads a great deal of attention, “As we all know, the web is often a place where con artists and criminals prey, so when I do get someone who signs up on my website I almost always reply unless I get the sense that they may be a scam artist from Nigeria or other countries; I have had many of those. Generally, if the inquiry is one that I deem to be a good lead, I respond ASAP with an introductory email.”
Pilon shares how they handle leads in her office, “Our office administrator gives out the leads to the person who is on duty that day. We are careful to make sure that the same name is not given to several Realtors and because of that the leads don’t go to the Realtor until the next day. Many of our leads do come back to our site again and again.” Pilon has had tremendous success since opening her office five years ago and attributes this to, “My web page, the amount of leads that we receive, and how we follow up with them. It really kick-started my business!”
E-mail Auto-Responders
Should you use an auto-responder for your email inquiries? People either love or hate them and they never replace a personal reply. Calder points out the pros and cons, “They serve their purpose when you go on holidays, but for everyday use I don’t believe we need to bog down each other’s emails by auto response. But on the same token, it is always nice to know the email you sent didn’t get lost in cyberspace as that happens a lot! Would I use one? Not normally as I get too many emails in a day and some of them are spam which, when you have an auto email, it validates your email address and then they put you on their list.”
Internet Lead Companies
Should you subscribe to an Internet lead company? Like auto-responders, people either love or hate Internet lead companies. Those who despise them claim they are “a waste of time and money.” Others say they used an online lead program to double or triple their business. Ultimately you have to decide whether it is advantageous to subscribe to this service or use your marketing dollars for more traditional venues.
Estimates range between 70 and 90% as to the number of home buyers and sellers who start their search online. Regardless of the exact figure, the majority of people use the Internet to look at properties and successful Realtors tap into this market.
Turn Online Leads into Revenue-Generating Clients
- Offer a product such as an eBook, an informative article, or a checklist when web page visitors share their personal information.
- Make sure your lead form or “Contact Us” page is easy for users to find from your home page.
- Revise your “Contact Us” form if its effectiveness can be improved. (The more info you ask for, the less likely people are to give it to you.)
- Include a link to your website on all contact information.
- Keep your website full of fresh, new content. Avoid the use of music, pop-ups, and multimedia introductions which can drive users away before they’ve perused your site.
- Become an online presence.
When done right, mining online leads can become a lucrative part of your business. Pilon shares an observation, “The interesting thing about web leads is that they may take awhile to turn into actual clients but when they do touch base, they respond like we have been in touch personally and regularly, almost like they know us.”
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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