Persistence and Follow-Up

Many leads that come to agents through the Internet are from people who are just beginning the process of buying a home or selling their property, Metz says. While those individuals may be months or even a year or two away from making a move, he advocates sticking with them because they will eventually take action. They are still in the stage where they are looking for basic information about cost, location and what amenities a community offers. Metz uses several methods to keep up with these potential clients.

“The key is in nurturing. What I do is, I have a lot of different ways to stay in touch that I can mix,” he says. “Those are things like newsletters, emails and converting them into friends on Facebook. What I would recommend to anybody is to take those leads and put them into some kind of marketing plan where you’re staying in constant contact with those people, because they will become buyers and sellers eventually.”

Bey-Little has a core sphere of about 50 people who help her generate leads. She reaches out to this network of family, friends and past and present clients through monthly direct mailings. Keeping in touch with those individuals keeps her foremost in their minds for when they encounter someone who is looking to buy or sell a property. She reciprocates by sending information to her network that she thinks can be helpful.

Bey-Little encourages agents to use the MLS services provided by Midwest Real Estate Data, particularly Realist, for direct marketing efforts. Realist is included in MRED’s board fees and gives agents an easy way to develop their lead sources or foster clients. Agents can also take advantage of a free social media app provided through MRED, as well as a branded app that they can share with clients through email, social media and text messaging. Realtors can use the app’s settings to track their clients’ favorites and generate leads. A free lead capture form is available for sharing in several formats, including blogs, websites, social media and email.

“For the people that I mail to every month, I like to send things of value,” Bey-Little says. “Something of value might be what’s going on in the marketplace or something that’s happening in Chicago, or a list of things to do. I like to follow up with them, whether it’s email, a phone call or text depending on how they like to communicate, just to follow up to see if they have any questions.” CA