Why are prospective buyers seeking the services of other real estate agents?
Because they haven't yet worked with you.
They're inundated with real estate agents that all promise the same results or give themselves the same platitudes.
So how do you differentiate yourself?
By giving your future client (your target audience) something useful. Something that establishes your authority, and makes you the obvious choice.
The good news?
This is exactly what your lead magnet is designed to do.
What's a lead magnet?
A lead magnet is an important piece of any good real estate marketing plan—a valuable piece of a content (think blog posts or other marketing content like market reports) that you offer your website visitors in exchange for their email address or other contact details.
Lead magnets come in a variety of forms like eBooks, guides, webinars, playbooks.
They're gated content that require exclusive access granted once potential clients input their contact details into contact fields.
Regardless of what form they take, the bottom line is the same: A lead magnet answers a question. It solves a problem. It's packed with your unique insight and it's granted in exchange for contact information.
The goal of a lead magnet is to create an irresistible offer that builds trust with your target audience.
How do lead magnets work?
Lead magnets are among the most powerful marketing tools you can deploy if they're set up correctly and a great resource for real estate professionals to build a collection of local contact details.
You can leverage organic traffic from your social media channels or, accelerate your conversions with a PPC campaign designed for leads.
Lead magnets often increase your conversion rate as visitors become email subscribers, thus reducing your cost per lead.
To maximize their potential and increase your conversion rate, an effective lead magnet needs these three components:
- Real estate websites should have a landing page with clear, concise messaging.
- Your prospect should know exactly what your offer is within seconds of landing on this page.
- Describe your offer and how to get it.
- A sign-up form with only the bare minimum: First name and email address.
- An offer that's exactly what your prospect is looking for: for instance a piece of content that is relevant to your niche audience—perhaps a seller guide for potential home sellers, a white paper on a complex issue, or even access to specific video content.
What kind of offers do your potential customers want?
Let's take a look at the top five real estate lead magnet ideas that can help you grow your email list.
An Up-To-Date, Local Market Analysis
Knowledge is power.
Take your prospects into a deep dive of the current state of the real estate industry or your local market and provide your expert commentary on what key drivers are impacting prices and sales.
Here's why a market report is an invaluable lead magnet:
- Buyers are likely to already have a specific neighborhood in mind and need more than just general info. They're clamoring for valuable content and meaningful insights on what to expect. They want to feel confident about buying a home when they find the right one.
- Sellers are just as eager for specific information on their neighborhood. Let them know which homes around them sold recently and for how much perhaps by providing them access to video content on the subject.
Use relevant data to educate your target customer on your local market.
If you're looking for a great example in relevant content, check out Curaytor client Dan Wurtele's in-depth market report.
Buyer’s Guide
Some prospects prefer a guide rather than a market analysis.
By removing uncertainty about what action to take, you're empowering a buyer to take action.
Many buyers especially first-time home buyers can feel lost amidst a sea of information on what's needed to buy a home.
Sure, they can slowly piece it together, but they'd much rather access everything they need to know in one place.
These guides can be downloaded as a PDF file, giving the subscriber the feeling of owning the exact information they're looking for.
Another huge benefit to offering a guide is the trust you'll build with your prospect.
You establish authority by providing the answers they need. So when they turn to someone for real estate services, you're the one that comes to mind as the one they already trust.
Seller’s Guide
What your prospects are primarily looking for you to include in sellers guides are advantages that they didn't know about in order to get the best price.
Include tips for how to stage their home and what they need to do to prepare for selling.
The end result is the same as the buyer's guide: It gives you the opportunity to build trust and position yourself as an expert in the industry.
List of Homes Under a Certain Price or Foreclosed Properties
Since everyone has a budget, these types of lead magnets will always be in high demand.
Which one you offer really depends on knowing your specific audience and market.
For example, a list of homes under a certain price might be a great option for focusing on families or first-time buyers, often in suburban areas.
That's because people looking for these types of properties typically aren't looking for a high-maintenance home they're just looking for the best home within their budget.
A list of foreclosed homes, however, can garner a very different audience.
These are usually people looking for short sales or other deals as an investment, where they can scoop up a home at a lower price that may need some work. These subscribers aren't intimidated by a place with great potential.
Free Home Evaluation
Last, but certainly not least, is a different type of lead magnet altogether: a service.
This subscriber is either actively thinking about selling, or is ready to sell.
They're curious about what their property is truly worth. All they need is someone to help them get going.
That's why taking the initiative to catch them with a free offer while they're primed to sell can pay off big.
Bottom Line
Incredible things can happen for your real estate business when your messaging lands in someone's email. Great lead magnets make that happen. But to make sure your lead magnet will generate leads as it should on your real estate website, it needs to give your potential leads what they're looking for.
