Get the right perspective on leads to generate more leads
The term “lead” seems to have developed a negative connotation over the years.
No consumer wants to be labeled as somebody’s “lead.”
And the thought of generating leads for some real estate agents and brokers may seem to be detestable or unprofessional.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
That’s not the way to look at leads.
One writer created a nice definition and better perspective on leads: “it’s someone who has expressed in interest in your services.”
With the right tools, such as the real estate map-based search tool SpatialMatch, offering consumers a way to provide their contact information can be accomplished without being obnoxious.
SpatialMatch is more than just an IDX that pulls in the latest MLS listings.
It’s also an enormous hyper-local database with information consumers want on everything from schools to businesses to local attractions.
The data widget can be easily added to any real estate website and instantly provides more than 100 layers of local information.
For example, say a mother wants to check out local schools.
An agent or broker can advertise on their site the fact that they have deep and detailed information on schools in the area.
And the consumer has the ability to check those schools in terms of relative distance from any property they are considering.
SpatialMatch has valuable information to offer when it comes to schools.
It provides school sizes, teacher/student ratios/ gender breakdown of students/ethnicity of student and more.
With SpatialMatch, the agent or broker has the ability to add a form for consumers to fill out.
The agent or broker can determine (and test) where they want to place that form on their site.
For example, to get access to this valuable information, the agent can require that consumers add their contact information up front.
Again, a consumer has expressed an interest in an agent’s services, in this case, their school database.
Fill out the form and that agent will grant that consumer full access to an incredible wealth of data that could determine their children’s success in academics and life in general.
That’s incredibly important.
Or perhaps the agent wants to allow a consumer full access to the school information. At the end of the consumer’s search, they can provide a contact form with a heading such as “for more information about local schools, contact ________ and we will be glad to answer all your questions.”
Again, there’s nothing wrong with this. The consumer is expressing an interest in an agent’s services.
Sure, maybe websites can be annoying when it comes to leads.
Demanding contact information for the sake of contact information can be intrusive.
But when an agent or broker offers a service, the huge SpatialMatch hyper-local database for example, then consumers for the most part understand the process and are willing to provide that information.
Generating leads can be a touchy subject.
But generating leads is also the lifeblood of any real estate operation.
The key is to use the right tools to generate those leads.
