Social Media

Baird & Warner Broker Carrie Bey-Little, who has been a broker since 2001, gets her best leads from social media and referrals. When she started out, she practiced showing homes to her friends, and within three months, had generated two deals. She also built relationships at her church and her employer at the time, and even put up fliers in laundromats that resulted in three deals. Past and present clients often become a source of new leads for her, but she also attracts new business by maintaining a visible presence in the community. She recently picked up a lead – which turned into a listing – through her daughter’s involvement with her high school’s music program. Incorporating this personal network and direct mailings with her social media pages has become her preferred means of finding new clients.

Bey-Little started using Facebook as soon as the social networking site became available to the general public in 2006, and has generally been an early adopter of new technology. Despite this proclivity for new online portals, she still generates a lot of business through the direct mailings that she started sending out soon after entering the business.

Agents who are looking to generate more leads through direct mail might want to try MailChimp’s free e-blast tool, Bey-Little says. The service lets users set up automated messages for their clients and can customize the service to regulate how frequently emails reach particular individuals. Agents can keep their lead generation sources organized by uploading spreadsheets and using a click-through tool to track results, such as whether their messages are being opened. Bey-Little recommends BizTexter for agents who like to work leads via text messaging. The app allows users to send 1,000 free text messages, giving agents ample opportunity to test it out for notifying clients of new listings, open houses and other upcoming events.

“I really think that direct mail is the way to go, and integrating it with the current technologies makes it easier,” Bey-Little says. “Most buyers are googling us anyway. They’re going to find your social media, and if you’re adding it to your direct mail, then they already have a place to go to find you.”

Like Metz, Bey-Little advises agents to get to know a particular area well or develop a niche in order to cut down on ineffective leads. By becoming an expert in a particular area, brokers can help their clients make the right decision and find happiness in their new home. 

“Become an expert, not just at who you’re going to work with, but knowing the cities you work in,” she says. “If you’re jumping out into a new area, make sure that you follow up and ask those questions.”

In addition to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, Bey-Little uses a multiple listing service tool called Infosparks that makes it easy to share statistics with followers. She says that consistently sharing market stats has helped her gain more followers than would follow her on Facebook for everyday information.

“I stay on social media,” she says. “Since I’ve been using it, it’s really helped me in getting leads. I use social media every day, whether it’s personal or business, and I try to stay in front of people’s faces.”