You’ve Got a New Lead! Now, What Do You Do?

Your marketing strategy has finally worked! Organic and paid leads are finally coming in. But now what? What is the next step to ensure that a new lead will go down the sales funnel and turn into a sale?

In this episode of the Keeping it Real podcast we sat down with Greg Harrelson to talk about what you should do as an agent. Keep these tips in mind so you’ll know how to take action and convert those leads into paying clients!

Definition of a contact

 

New Perspectives: The Right Ratio for Your KPI

Before everything, let’s discuss your key performance indicators or KPIs. Most agents refer to the contact-to-close ratio, which frequently shows low numbers. That’s why we want to introduce a better KPI to help shift your focus: capture to contact. 

This way, you can focus on increasing your number of conversations versus closings. You’ll be in touch with more people you can convert instead of contacting a few leads and converting even fewer.

Those who generate do not have to tolerate.

 

Reaching Out to Your Leads

Now that you have leads, it’s time to contact them using a method called double dialing or calling them twice. This changes their way of thinking and prompts them to answer you on the second call. However, if that doesn’t work, you can activate a workflow on the Real Geeks customer relations management (CRM) platform. That way, you’ll have as many touch points with the lead as you need to close the sale.

 

Make sure you’re in control of the platform or autoresponder and not the other way around. Your leads will be more willing to engage with you if there’s a recognizable human element to these communication efforts.

 

There’s No Dead Lead

As a real estate agent, you’ll want to abandon the phrasing “dead lead.” They might be inactive, or maybe they’ve simply “ghosted” you, but they’re probably still looking to buy a property — just not with you. You need to activate a workflow that will reengage them or contact them manually so they can have a one-on-one conversation with you.

 

Nurture the Lead, No Matter What Phase They’re In

You may encounter leads that are not ready to buy or leads that are just thinking of buying. Many agents abandon these leads in pursuit of those more likely to convert immediately. However, it’s essential to keep the three phases of a buyer in mind: dreaming, exploring, and buying.

 

If somehow a buyer calls you and is ready to buy, remember that they’ve probably talked to other agents who abandoned them early in the game, thinking that the buyer was still in the dreaming or exploratory phase. So be patient, nurture those leads, and take advantage of technology like the Real Geeks CRM to ensure that you manage them efficiently.

 

Realistic KPIs You Can Target

For a contact-to-closing ratio, 16% – 18% is good enough for the average real estate agent, but it’s low compared to the potential of a capture-to-contact ratio. For that, you can focus on getting at least 30% before aspiring for 60% – 70%. That’s an almost 300% increase in contacts, with no additional expenses!

 

Contact Real Geeks!

 

Ready to learn more about our real estate CRM? Contact us today and tell us how we can help! You can also watch this podcast episode on YouTube for a more in-depth discussion of the concepts above.

Published on Jun 29, 2022 under , ,

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Real Leads by Real Geeks is a highly efficient and effective marketing solution for generating, capturing and managing home buyer/seller leads.

One of the best lead generation and management systems available. A fully integrated custom IDX and marketing solution to drive traffic, capture leads, manage-cultivate them and close more transactions.

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Coaching Dirk Zeller Real Estate Lead Generation

How to Increase Lead Conversion By Stretching Out the First Call with Dirk Zeller

How to Increase Lead Conversion by Stretching Out the First Call

Lead conversion is one of the most important aspects of running a successful business. After all, without leads, you wouldn't have any customers! 

The first call is often the most important part of the lead conversion process; it's your chance to make a good impression and turn a prospect into a paying customer. So, how can you increase lead conversion by stretching out the first call?

Focus on confirming the appointment and frame all additional questions.

 

Client vs Customer

 

Roleplaying

 

The Brush Off

Before we move on to the tips, let's address one common response when talking to a lead for the first time: the brush-off. You know, when they say things like "I'm not interested" or "I don't have time for this."

These responses are totally normal! In fact, research shows that 60% of customers say ‘no’ four times before they say ‘yes’ to a purchase. The key is to not take it personally and to keep pushing forward. Remember, you only need that one ‘yes’ to make a sale.

Typical Objections

There are a few objections you'll likely encounter when talking to a lead for the first time. These include:

  • I don't have time
  • This isn't a good time
  • I'm not interested
  • I need to think about it

The best way to deal with these objections is to acknowledge them and then move on. For example, you might say something like:

"I completely understand that you're busy! Can we schedule a time for a brief call later this week?"

By acknowledging their objection, you're diffusing the situation and opening up the possibility for further conversation.

Objection: They committed to another agent:

 

Objectives of the Brush off Prospect

As real estate professionals, we know that the first call is important. It's our chance to make a good impression and start building a relationship with the lead. However, oftentimes we get brush-offs and objections from potential customers.

Leads might give you the brush-off for two main reasons: disengagement and discouragement.

When a lead is disengaged, they aren't interested in what you're saying and they want to end the conversation. They simply want to get you off the phone so they can go about their day.

Leads may also try to discourage you as an agent and to make you believe that they're not interested in working with you to prevent you from calling them back.

Brush off Objections

When you're talking to a lead, it's important to sound confident and helpful. Below are the common objections of leads who try to brush you off:

  • “I'm just looking / not ready for a Realtor … "
  • “Working with another agent … "
  • “I'm busy and can't talk … "
  • “I just like to look on my own … "
  • “I'm not ready for a real estate agent … "
  • “I'm not really looking to buy … "
  • “I'm just curious … "
  • “I'm looking for a friend … "

The goal is to sound helpful without being pushy. You want to come across as an expert in your field who can help them solve their problem.

Overcome the Objections of the Brush Off Lead

When you're attempting to overcome the brush-off, it's important to sound confident and instructional without being bossy. You want to come across as an expert in your field who can help them solve their problem. See some examples below:

  • "Please tell me … "
  • "Share with me … "
  • "Give me an idea … "
  • "Please explain how … "

This may sound small, but it can make a big difference in the way you're lead perceives you.

The first call is important because it's our chance to make a good impression and start building a relationship with our leads. However, we often get brush-offs and objections from potential customers.

There are a few reasons why leads might give you the brush-off; they may be disengaged, trying to discourage you, or they might not be ready to work with an agent yet.

That's why it's important to learn how to stretch out the first call. By stretching out the first call, you increase lead conversion by giving yourself more time to build rapport and trust with the lead, increasing the chances that they'll work with you down the line.

Coaching Keeping It Real

Keeping It Real: The Resources To Equip Your Real Estate Team for Success with Sascha Chatman

Keeping It Real: The Resources To Equip Your Real Estate Team for Success

 

 

In this episode of Keeping it Real, Sascha Chatman and  Frank Klesitz, CEO of Vyral Marketing, break down how you can equip your real estate team for success.

Learn more about the resources needed to manage your own team of real estate agents. Of course, a capable workforce is one thing for generating leads and obtaining success in the real estate world. However, having the right resources available is one of the critical factors needed to equip your real estate team for success.

Recruiting Presentation 

 
 
 
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Transforming Your Success into Their Success

 
 
 
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Creating a Schedule

 
 
 
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Buying this Year vs Next Year

 
 
 
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Discovery Phase

The discovery phase is meant to determine whether or not the agents being recruited are the right fit for their real estate team while providing the necessary details for the agents to know what their team is about. Sascha first discusses their team goals and strategies to ensure agents know exactly what they're walking into. He also discusses other matters, such as expectations from the agents themselves and their commissions.

The discovery phase may be one of the most important parts of knowing how to equip your real estate team for success. In order to succeed, you need to have a reliable workforce on your side that shares the same goals and is willing to cooperate with the rest of the team to move forward. Having a compatible and efficient team is one of the best resources you can have in real estate, as it can significantly affect your business' productivity.

Ad Educated Buyer is Easier to Work with!

 
 
 
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Agent Utility Belt

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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This is the highlight of the entire video. Sascha compares his utility belt of resources to Batman's belt of tools and trinkets. This belt essentially exists to store all resources and keep them within reach. Don't get the wrong idea, though. It's not an actual belt. Instead, it is usually a cloud or a compilation of all your valuable resources, such as videos, links, and other agent tools. Having a utility belt that is curated specifically for your team and your needs could help increase the productivity of your workflow because you won't have to scavenge for resources when you need them.

Not only does it make you more productive within your workplace, but it also gives off the sense that you are reliable and organized. When clients ask for something, you will easily have it within reach. 

Clients understandably have many questions before closing the deal, so one of the best ways to answer them is to grab a resource from your utility belt. For example, you're talking to a client about title insurance. Instead of answering their questions yourself, you could take an informative video from your utility belt and ask them to watch it. This makes it easier to understand and relate to.

Having a utility belt is a great way to equip your real estate team for success. It also comes in useful during business transactions. All in all, it's one of the best resources that a real estate team can have.

Having the right resources is essential in equipping your real estate team for success. Create an agent utility belt that caters to your team by signing up for the Real Geeks platform today. We provide valuable resources that you and your team can use to achieve the best possible outcome in every situation. Get started with us today!

Coaching SEO Keeping It Real Real Estate Lead Generation IDX

The Power of SEO and Area Pages w/ Bob McCranie

 

 

The Power of SEO and Area Pages With Bob McCranie

 The-Power-of-SEO-and-Area-Pages-w-Bob-McCranie

Do you want more lead traffic to your website? In this latest episode of Keeping It Real, we explore the latest SEO best practices with Bob McCranie. Bob is the Broker Associate & Team Owner at Texas Pride Realty Group - HomeSmart Stars and an expert on utilizing SEO best practices and Area pages in his strategies.

Join host Frank Klesitz, CEO of Vyral Marketing, in breaking down the strategies and best practices behind a robust, high-conversion online presence in today's evolving digital landscape.

Bob on Why Real Geeks:

 
 
 
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Bob on Organic VS Paid Advertising:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

If you need some help optimizing your site, tips on how to turn up the volume on your current lead flow, insight into different strategies that have provided wins for agents across various markets, -- Check out Bob's Area Page lead generation strategy!

Bob on Optimizing Your Real Geek's IDX Website:

 
 
 
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Bob on Attitude & SEO:

 
 
 
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Bob on virtual companies & online work:

 
 
 
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Top 3 Ways to Generate Lead Traffic & Boost Your Sale Funnels' Visibility in Your Market

Bob, a Brokerage Associate & Team Owner at Texas Pride Realty Group - HomeSmart Stars, shares the techniques and strategies he deploys to increase overall visibility to prospective clients in his market. 

According to Bob, he deploys three unique strategies to get leads. These strategies roughly refer to attraction marketing, SEO & optimizing his website based on popular search engine optimization guidelines, and demographic farming/cultivating his existing audience. 

Let's dive more into these strategies and find out how Bob executes them to get as many leads as possible.

Bob on Attraction Marketing:

 
 
 
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Attraction Marketing

Attraction marketing, also called event marketing, is Bob's number one strategy. This strategy is based on the idea is that you don't have to run Ads all the time or cold calls but have people gravitate towards you because of who you are in the community. In the case of Bob, he's a well-known Broker Associate with long years in the industry. Newer agents can begin working on their community visibility by hosting events. 

Bob on the fun of event marketing:

 
 
 
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You can draw people to you by hosting events, posting about them on social media, and generally being a social connector. It doesn't have to be a real estate event, but any event that serves as a lure to connect with people.

Bob on marketing his events:

 
 
 
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Some of the events you can host include:

  • Kite Flying, BBQs, & Outdoor Events
  • Theater Events, Movie Nights, DriveIns, Concert in the Parks, etc. 
  • Recycling Events, Food Drives, Community Service Events, etc.

Bob on building collaborative events:

 
 
 
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Starting successful community events takes consistency and patience. Make a schedule and stick to it when promoting your events. You can put up physical signs around your area. Put up flyers at your local coffee shops and gyms, and utilize social media ads. These have proven very effective no matter which markets you are located in. 

Bob on using creative postcards for marketing:

 
 
 
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Putting in a constant effort will build attendance over time, and before you know it, you will have collected a community of regulars at your events that can also serve as a potential client base. Networking greatly helps get leads, even if not by a massive count at first.

Your Website

Bob on the importance of having your own IDX website: 

 
 
 
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Bob on making IDX websites work for you:

 
 
 
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The second and perhaps most important is internet marketing, specifically SEO. Your primary medium is your Reel Geeks website, which helps you draw in more organic leads. You still run Google ads, which brings you steady business.

However, you must have a website to lead your potential leads and provide them with the information they need.

Of course, just having a website is not enough – you need area pages. Bob stresses the importance of area pages and being specific about where you want your leads to go. He combines social media and SEO, focusing locally on his pages.

No one looks for real estate in the main city. People always look for the suburb or neighborhood they are looking into.

You create business pages for each suburb of the city you're covering. Each page must have a call to action that takes the reader to the actual area page on your website. It has to lead to the direct page for the city or suburb, not the homepage. It helps to pre-fine all searches as much as possible, directing leads where they want and giving them satisfaction.

 

Bob's Take on Ads & Real Leads

 
 
 
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How Bob Determines His Area Pages

 
 
 
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Building a Backlink Strategy

 
 
 
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Backlinks & Area Pages

 

 
 
 
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Demographic Farming

Bob's last strategy has to do with demographic farming, which is about cultivating or nurturing your lists.

Using Funny Postcards in Demographic Farming:

 
 
 
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In this example, he developed his holiday list using postcards sent creatively and in good fun. For instance, he would send a holiday postcard in June or Valentine's Card with a humorous caption. Of the many postcards he sent, the most creative and successful is the tagline, "No, I don't want to buy your house." Bob doesn't want to buy your house, but he can sell it at a 30 to 40% better price than others in the market. The idea is to keep it fun, so people will look at the cards or mail and know what Bob has to offer.

Per Bob's experience, the strategies that can help you bring in leads are – attraction marketing/events marketing, SEO and area pages, and demographic farming. Add them to your process, and you can turn up your current lead flow to the highest volume.

 

Keeping It Real Real Estate Lead Generation

Top 10 Real Estate Objections Answered w/ Jeff Glover

This week’s Keeping it Real features Jeff Glover of Jeff Glover & Associates, giving his answers to the top 10 real estate objections.

Jeff Glover started his Real Estate career at the young age of 19. With a strong focus on learning how to sell, prospect, and present, Jeff quickly became the top agent in his office.

After selling 30 homes in his first year in the business, he was sought out by the largest Coldwell Banker firm in Michigan to manage one of their offices.

Jeff started what is known today as Jeff Glover & Associates, and in 2009, he took his team to Keller Williams. That team is now composed of over 25 agents selling over 1,000 homes per year.

Not only are they the number one real estate team in Michigan, but they've also been recognized locally as "The Coolest Place to Work", a huge point of pride for Jeff, as culture and camaraderie among the team and the administrative staff is priority number one.

Jeff also runs GloverU - a coaching group with free resources such as The Glover Gazzette, a quarterly publication produced by Jeff and his Glover U coaches, and the GloverU Inner Circle Facebook group.

Jeff is on the ground every day with his team and knows the fears of buyers and sellers going into the spring of 2022 as has prepared his latest answers to the top 10 real estate objections.

 

 

Objection #1: Why do we need to pay agents in his hot market?

 
 
 
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“The reality is most consumers right now are hiring us not to sell their homes … but to get it to a closing table … 2/3 of all real estate agent-assisted transactions do not make it to the closing table at the same price and terms as originally negotiated. ” [Jeff Glover].

“That means then, There's more than a 66% chance that you’ll have to renegotiate your purchase agreement, re-negotiate some of the terms with some of your buyers, and that’s where we come in.” [Jeff Glover].

Something that you can highlight throughout each of these objections is what you bring to the table as a negotiator.

Yes, your clients will have to pay you out a commission, but you can get them more money in their pockets at the end of the day.

Almost any objection can be countered by highlighting your strengths as a negotiator and your ability to solve any problems or roadblocks that your clients might come across and not know how to navigate themselves.

Objection #2: Why should I use you and not someone with more years of experience?

 
 
 
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An objection many younger real estate professionals might face is a client looking to choose someone with more years of experience in the industry.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and although years of experience might not be your strength, highlighting your knowledge of digital marketing and how you can create a personalized solution that results in more money in your clients' pockets and bringing strong negotiation skills will open some minds.

Objection #3: I wanna sell but where to move? Where do I go?

 
 
 
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This objection will look different depending on which market you are in. Present a timing analysis to your clients. A timing analysis essentially takes into account the time it currently takes a seller to get their house on the market, get it sold, get their money, and move.

A timing analysis will help your client time the market to get the best price, and avoid running out of time and jeopardizing their plans. This will again allow you to highlight the value of having an experienced negotiator to bring the client’s deal to a closing table and maintain the desired timeline.

Objection #4: Improvements to be made

"Handle the objection, close, pivot if they don't allow you to have the close. Handle objection, close, pivot if they don't allow you to have to close." [Jeff Glover].

 
 
 
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Never handle an objection without closing for the next level. Whether it be booking a follow-up meeting, a follow-up phone call, or signing a contract, never handle an objection without tying a loose end.

There is always an opportunity to close from something. Handle the objection, and if they don't let you close that means changing the discussion towards solutions.

"When all else fails I wanna get in front of someone, especially in a listing scarce market!" [Jeff Glover].

 
 
 
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Another great way to answer objections is by creating a value-add. Jeff’s example of a value-add that he deploys is creating a landing page (improvemyshelter.com) where prospective clients can book a virtual property evaluation/walkthrough.

 

You can create many simple value-add landing pages where you can place prospective clients into your pipeline who might not be ready to sell just yet or need to make some improvements to their homes.

Better yet, be the one to consult these clients on what additions to their home yield the most value through a landing page consultation of your very own.

This not only places more prospective clients into your pipeline but provides an opportunity to add value and become an authoritative figure in your client’s home selling or home buying process.

Objection #5: I want to hire family or someone I know

Clients wanting to go with a family friend or family member is a common objection but often not the best match. It’s been said it's better to not mix business and pleasure and when it comes to real estate it's often best to go with a neutral party.

Helping your client see this is best done by hitting on the previously mentioned: “2/3 of all real estate agent-assisted transactions do not make it to the closing table at the same price and terms as originally negotiated. ” [Jeff Glover].

Objection #6: I just need a buyer.

 
 
 
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“You want a diverse group to role play with. Do this by getting to events and role play with people not like you! ” [Jeff Glover].

 
 
 
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Objection #7: Zillow Says

 
 
 
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The Zillow Objection - this one is very common, always check on Zillow before you meet with prospective clients and know what the prospective client’s information on Zillow says.

Consumers respect and trust Zillow so it’s going to be your job to get out in front of them. Check not just Zillow but ALL home evaluation sites before meeting with your client.

Never bash Zillow or any home evaluation site that your clients bring forth, as bashing these resources only makes you look unprofessional.

Instead, come prepared with all the home evaluation stats to your meeting and hit on the point that although these sites might have an estimate on what a home is worth, these sites have not seen the inside of the home or been around the property, and often that is where much of the discrepancies are found.

Objection #8: Will you reduce your commission?

 
 
 
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“No. But I will get you more money through driving more traffic. Traffic is leverage … leverage is all about getting someone to pay a significant amount over the value … with propper traffic and negotiation strategy I can net you 10k,15k, 20k more ” [Jeff Glover].

Saying no takes confidence, and it might take you years of practice and roll playing to build the confidence to say no but being able to do so is what makes you a pro.

Whenever you are handing down an objection of your own always come back with something you can do so it’s not tense or awkward and your able to keep the conversation moving.

Objection #9: But other agents will take less!

 
 
 
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Similar to the objection above, whenever you are handing down an objection of your own always come back with something you can do.

Always start with a statement of agreement or acknowledge how the client feels. 

Objection #10: Buyer-side Objections - We don't wanna compete with multiple offers.

Always start with a statement of agreement or acknowledge how the client feels again with "I can see why you feel that way" and touch on contingencies, bidding wars, and other current events that have clients worried.

Close with what you can do, touch on the advantages of the current situation like locking in a lower interest rate, etc.

Jeff noted this is a great time to bring out any value adds like before -- He uses a Buying Power checklist that anyone can receive by texting the word: "BUYER" to 55444.

This value add is similar to what Jeff uses in his buyer consultations and places new buyer leads into his pipeline for down the road. 

Powerful, simple & easy-to-use, sign up for Real Geeks today.

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