10 Ways To Get Winter Real Estate Leads This Season

It may be known as “the slow season” for real estate agents, but there are probably just as many ways to generate leads in winter as in summer. And, it’s the absolute best time of year to reach out to those in your sphere.

While the results may not lead to instant gratification, you’ll be stuffing that pipeline with future business.

Hey, spring isn’t that far off. In the meantime, here are some ways to nab those winter real estate leads.

Get artsy

Create a map of your city or farm area. Make it colorful and use “pins” to note the homes with the the best holiday light displays. Use Google Maps to make it even easier.

Post your map on your blog, share on social media and blast it out via email. Then, snail mail it to everyone in your sphere.

Show some home state pride

Create a holiday gift list of items made in your state. We saw one a few years ago in the real estate-oriented newspaper that Anchorage, Alaska’s Unity Home Group puts out.

It included mentions of local chocolatiers who craft uniquely Alaskan delights from local sources, such as Alaskan berries or Alaskan birch sap, as well as where to buy locally-crafted beer, art and even clothing made by Native Alaskan women.

Every state has their home-grown goodies, so boast about yours. As usual, include lots of yummy photos and share the list, far and wide to attract the biggest possible share of winter real estate leads.

Stand out from the crowd of other agents

Skip the smarmy Christmas card or email and send Happy New Year greetings to your sphere. While other agents’ Christmas cards are buried in a stack of others, your card arrives after the holiday and will get far more attention.

Customize an amazing assortment of New Year’s cards (use a photo of the team, your logo. . .anything you like) at Minted.com or SimplytoImpress.com. The budget-minded agent can create their own cool Happy New Year postcards at Vistaprint.com.

Or check out how Amazon can help you deliver some holiday cheer on a budget.

Help for the self-employed

Ask your tax guy or gal to guest post on your blog, creating a tax guide for the self-employed winter real estate leads in your sphere.

Quarterlies are due January 15, 2020 and your tax professional may just seize the opportunity to generate his or her own winter leads.

Spread the cheer

Although it’s getting a bit late to plan a big holiday client event, this one can be set up quickly and on a shoestring.

Ask your photographer to help out with this one (yeah, you’ll probably have to pay) or hire one. Then, invite those in your CRM to your office for a family photo shoot (thanks to Nancy Robbers at Zillow for this brilliant idea).

Consider serving hot cider or cocoa, cookies and maybe even inviting Santa.

The way to their hearts

It’s through their stomachs, most likely and if you cook up a batch of these bad boys you’ll be on the expressway to their hearts. Nestled into festive tissue paper, placed in a box, it’s an inexpensive yet luxurious holiday gift. Yes, it seems a bit extravagant so narrow down the list of recipients to only those most likely to refer clients to you in 2020.

Hand-deliver for the greatest impact.

No time to cook? Buy festive holiday cookies and package them the same way. They’ll never know you didn’t spend hours baking them.

Party like it’s 2020

What’s going on in your neck of the woods for New Year’s Eve? Families are anxious to learn about where to celebrate with kids in tow and adults will appreciate a rundown of which clubs are throwing the best shindigs. Either way, its a great way to generate some traffic from those winter real estate leads.

Feature a different one each week on your blog (and social media) until New Year’s Eve.

Resolve

Create a list of home maintenance New Year’s resolutions for those in your sphere. Make it into an infographic to create even more engagement.

Call it in

Past real estate clients offer an amazing resource for new business, in the form of referrals. But, guess what?

They don’t know you need referrals if you don’t ask for them. Wait about a week after New Year’s Day and start a referral-generation plan. Call past clients and ask if they know anyone who is thinking of buying or selling.

Even if they don’t, your phone call puts you right back at the top of their mind should they learn of someone who is thinking of buying or selling in the near future.

For the farmers in the audience

Every month I receive a market update for my neighborhood from a local real estate team. Yes, I open it; yes, I read it. Who doesn’t want to know what’s happening with their home’s value?

Go a step beyond merely listing all the homes that have sold during 2019 and create a narrative about what you predict for 2020.

Post it to your blog, social media and send a hard copy via snail mail to your farm.

Take advantage of these 150 FREE lead gen sources and keep your sales pipeline flowing all winter long

 

Need more leads in your sales funnel? In this video, Chris explains why your winter marketing requires a different approach: