Top 10 Ways to Get Listings in Real Estate in 2022

First-time real estate agents face numerous challenges before their first big break. One such problem is getting more real estate listings.  

The challenge goes beyond just getting leads. Deciding on the appropriate property listings for better commissions and security is equally vital. Which works best for you? The buyer's or seller's listings? 

Generally, the buyer's listings only work if the agent has an agreement with the would-be buyer. In reality, that doesn't happen very often, so getting a commission may be rare. 

On the other hand, a seller's listing guarantees commissions in most cases. As such, it's advisable to prioritize seller listings as a young real estate agent. 

The process may take a little trial-and-error and feeling around in the dark, but we have you covered. The following outlines ten quick and easy ways to get listings in real estate and start generating more property leads.

1. Steadily Build Your Network

In the real estate business, profitability comes down to the network of people you have as an agent. An excellent network means that you have a dynamic clientele that keeps growing as each individual shares your work with other people they know. However, these connections take time and effort to build. 

So, where to begin? It might seem overwhelming for new real estate agents to learn how to get listings in real estate for the first time. However, it's best to start with a few people and work your way up. 

Your contact list is an excellent place to begin. Reach out to friends and acquaintances in your phonebook. And ask your friends to refer you to others in their network. The goal is to reach out to as many people as you can. Also, it might be a good idea to meet some contacts in person to build trust and open communication.

2. Harness the power of local SEO

If a prospect searches for your business on Google and only finds a bunch of reviews, it might hurt your chances of getting listings. Of course, more number of positive reviews, the better it is for your business. So, make sure to invest time in getting genuine reviews. Reach out to clients and request them to review you on Google.Apart from that, it would be best to keep your local GMB (Google My Business) profile updated with the right information, latest photos and videos, and scheduling posts on GMB regularly.

But that’s not all there is to the process. Real estate agents who’ve gotten ahead of the competition apply specific SEO techniques to generate more leads for their real estate business. Ask real estate companies like Casmon Capital Group, The Short Term Shop, O'Reilly Property Group, and more about the benefits of engaging SEO services to land exclusive listings. They’ve worked with Ardor SEO to consistently generate leads and scale their real estate business.

3. Get on With a Real Estate Team

The saying, "Two heads are better than one," applies to learning how to get real estate listings as a new agent. As much as individual efforts can get you some connections, combined efforts grant you more exposure, range, and options. An excellent decision for a new real estate agent is to join a real estate agency and gain some experience.

You could start as a broker assistant or a junior agent and work your way up. Experienced real estate agents are quick to tell you that one of the few ways to make it to the top is by climbing the real estate ladder. This is mostly true, as many seasoned real estate agents started out on a junior team.

Whatever your USP, you must ensure competent customer service skills to foster long-term relationships with clients and leads. Likewise, hustle hard and think outside the box–this is critical to a successful career as an agent. 

4. Give Out Just Sold Postcards

Say you recently sold your first house as a real estate agent: what’s next? It's crucial to get more real estate listings to boost your credibility. However, the secret is in the detail–your deals with past clients could pave the way for a listing or two.

An excellent way to ensure you get quick listings is by giving out "Just Sold" postcards to buyers with whom you've recently worked. That allows you to maintain contact and be on hand whenever they need an agent again. Some seasonal clients may prefer the same agent that sold them a property when they want to sell. 

"Just Sold" postcards enable you to get seller and buyer leads at once since you remain on hand to sell the property you bought for someone. You could combine the strategy with drip marketing campaigns for some of the quickest results in the real estate business. 

Overall, giving out "Just Sold" cards means you have to relate to property owners on a more personal level: it helps to know details such as their city of residence and their long-term plans for selling their property. 

5. Subscribe to Exclusive Real Estate Listing Packages

The convention for most real estate agents seeking new listings is to wait around for them. However, you could take the more brilliant route by pitching yourself to homeowners directly. Exclusive listing packages are an excellent way to begin. 

Essentially a "cheat sheet" for rookies learning how to get listings in real estate in their junior years, these packages provide you with a certain number of listings on a monthly subscription basis. They also grant you access to the programs from market leaders in your city. 

Furthermore, it's common knowledge that seller's listings have more commissions and are more guaranteed. Naturally, agents seek this listing type more, making it scarce as a result. Buying seller's listings can be expensive for a newbie agent but worth it overall if you can afford it. You should look out for lead generation platforms that can offer it at an affordable rate like IDX Broker.

6. Don't Leave Out Your Elevator Pitch

You've got to work on your elevator pitch to improve your chances. Beyond speaking to clients and at relevant functions, elevator pitches are a way to "get yourself out there" and gather recognition as soon as possible. 

It's essential to remember that an elevator pitch may not get you quick results since you're in a relatively competitive climate filled with potential sellers and buyers’ agents. The best way to get real estate listings is to keep trying until the right person notices you. You get much closer to a steady listing source this way. 

Furthermore, it's best to focus on a particular real estate category for a more compelling pitch. Condo resales or new developments? Rentals or Multi-family? Choose the avenue you wish to major in, and your elevator pitch becomes more powerful. You may need some help along the line, and you can approach experienced personnel in the field for more insights. 

7. Make Case Studies from Previous Sales 

Property sales are often in a sequence where the unique features in the previous deals get carried over to the next. That means whatever the agent did to seal the first deal could help them do the same with the next one. 

However, you can't tell what works without proper quantification. Therefore, you need to make case studies from past clients and previous sales deals. This allows you to see things from a vantage point and take note of critical pitfalls and unforeseen circumstances you could avoid when it's time to get on a new listing. 

For instance, experienced real estate agents would point out that it's much better to stick with the market value instead of the price the buyer or seller anticipates. It saves you more time and money, and it's one of the many things case studies can help to point out. 

8. Leverage the Legacy Influences You Have

It's noble to try to carve a niche for yourself in the real estate industry all by yourself. However, if you've got any legacy influences around, you might want to use that to get ahead of the curve. 

Do you have an uncle who sold properties in the past? A parent who was once an agent? You could leverage their influence to get more listings quicker than anyone else. 

Even if you only "know someone that knows someone that knows someone else'', give it a shot. Sometimes, these legacy contacts do some hard work for you: they may provide you with the experience and referrals you wouldn’t have otherwise sought for yourself.  

Top real estate professionals who started with legacy influences will tell you that property buyers feel more comfortable working with someone who had a predecessor in the same field. For instance, if you've got a relative who helped someone sell a home, that person would likely feel comfortable having you list their next property for sale. 

9. Consider Your Rental Customers

The next tip works particularly well if you're already a real estate agent working at rentals. Often, you don't need to look any further than your rental customers if you're looking to get quicker property sales listings. 

For one thing, more renters have excellent credit than you can imagine. Some may even have cash at hand when they seek to renew their rentals. However, it's essential to work out how outright homeownership would be a more economical choice for your customers in the long term. 

It becomes more straightforward if you already have property suggestions close to your location. All it then takes is to convince the right rental customer to buy a home and give you the buyer's listings.

10. Leverage Social Media

We'd like to add that social media is generally a crucial ingredient to most real estate strategies out there. Exploiting its potential can enable you to reach more prospects with relatively few resources. 

If you are looking for leads who are interested in selling their property, Facebook Ads could be a good idea. Try to guage the seller intent to understand what stage of the selling process they are in. At the initial stage, sellers might be interested to know their homes’ worth or they might need a bit more hand holding at the later stages. Using targeted ads on Facebook can help you get good quality leads who wants to sell their homes. 

After you advertise to homeowners on Facebook, reaching out through other platforms shouldn’t be challenging. However, you must provide them with excellent service as that might help you get more referrals.

And even if a lead doesn’t turn into a client, there are always ways to nurture leads and position yourself as a local expert so that they become future clients. 

11. Bonus - Pitch to Open House Visitors

Organizing an open house shows off the property and its elements to an interested audience. In reality, it's unlikely that an agent makes a successful sale at an open house immediately. Visitors usually come for inspiration rather than with the intent to purchase. 

However, the cause is not all lost, as you can pick up cues to getting some quick listings from open house visits. Generally, visitors who come to an open house are already considering moving homes. That means they're likely to sell their previous house to complete the move. You can convince them to list the property with you.

It helps to use ice breakers to lead into your pitch: a website that showcases your marketing skills, seller's tips, and guide could be ideal for the situation. You could use other strategies like drip marketing campaigns that offer customers listing opportunities off the market. Also, promising market reports can make for a deal any prospect would appreciate.

Parting Shot

For new agents, getting listings is crucial to staying in business and making a career in the real estate industry. However, the playing field has changed, thanks to the sheer population of buyers and sellers we have today, meaning there's more competition, and lucrative seller listings are becoming harder to find. 

Do you need a quick fix on seller leads? You could try out any of the 11 ways we described in the article. When you combine them, you’ll get a better sense of direction and be more prepared for listings as they come. 

Engage Ardor SEO to help you generate consistent leads through your website even when you are sleeping!