Someone telling you there are free ways to get real estate leads either isn’t honest or hasn’t thought it through yet.

Why?

When we dive deeper into what “free” means, we can see it’s not as straightforward as it might seem at first glance.

 

Time Investment

The most significant cost in so-called “free” methods is your time. 

Whether you’re engaging on social media, writing blog posts, or networking, it’s all time-consuming. 

And in real estate, but also in other industries, time is definitely money.

It’s the only ressource you can’t get back.

 

Skill Development

To effectively use the methods I will discuss soon, you often need a certain level of skill or knowledge. 

Let’s take writing compelling content or understanding social media algorithms for instance. That’s not inherently easy. 

You might need to invest time and perhaps money in learning these skills.

 

Long-Term Strategy

So called “free” methods often take longer to show results. 

They’re more about building relationships and establishing a presence over time. 

In contrast, paid advertising can offer more immediate results.

 

Indirect Costs

Even if you’re not paying for advertising, there might be indirect costs.

For example, hosting an open house might not cost you in ad dollars, but there are expenses related to staging, refreshments, and time spent.

So considering all the above, I will give you a short overview of how you can get “free” real estate leads. 

Let’s use a more precise term…

I will give you an overview of how you can get real estate leads that cost you indirectly, not directly.

 

“Free” Real Estate Leads via Outbound Marketing (Digital & Offline)

 

 

“Free” Real Estate Leads via Inbound Marketing (Digital & Offline) 

  • Content marketing on social media (posting on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.)

  • Content marketing (publishing blog articles, videos, downloadable whitepapers, free giveaways, etc.).

  • Answering questions on social media, forums, Quora, Reddit, etc.

  • On-page SEO

  • Webinars (with strategic partners)

  • Guest-posting (yet, not Google’s favorite anymore)

  • Organizing a housewarming party

 

 

 “Free” Real Estate Leads via Database Marketing

  • Email marketing and nurturing campaigns (e.g., past clients)

  • Sphere of influence marketing

 

 

“Free” Real Estate Leads via Referral Marketing


This article has been reviewed by our editorial team. It has been approved for publication in accordance with our editorial policy.


Tobias Schnellbacher