What you should know about lead-generation
Sure, it is the early stages of online lead-generation, but that doesn’t mean these leads are insignificant. No doubt there are those who question the value of an e-mail from a buyer or seller seeking your valuable time. However if you know where customers are coming from and know what they are looking for (someone to help them, that’s you), you know online lead-generation works. Lead-generation online is not spam.
Here’s why online leads work
I handle online lead-generation the same way I treat a walk-in, call-in, or an ad call in traditional real estate. It also is sometimes like a cheap version of a referral. All of us who practice real estate know customers in all these categories can either be a waste of time or very fruitful and lucrative. You don’t know until you handle/process them. Obviously the customer is interested in something, and it would certainly be negligent, as area specialists in sales, not to find out if they are for real.
The same applies to an online lead. With some positive differences: with an online lead, it is much simpler to see how successful your efforts are and it is easier to judge how qualified the customer is, especially with resort-living real estate. The distance factor is overcome since the customer is virtually in your office, no matter how far away they really live.
With an online lead you drive the timing
With a walk-in or call-in, there is no prep time for handling the customer’s questions. Often, we are caught by surprise or doing something of higher priority. With an online lead, we can answer an e-mail quickly, yet with the luxury of a quiet, well-thought-out response. We get to ask the questions to determine the lead buyer or seller using a format that we ourselves designed and know works. Most important, we have an address (e-mail) to continue to communicate, if we so choose. (This is not necessarily so with a call-in or walk-in). If the online customer responds, illustrates interest, asks more questions, then that lead is worth the short time it takes to respond. Remember, we aren’t talking about the immense time it takes to drive someone around neighborhood after neighborhood. If there is no response, chances are they weren’t all that serious. Easy stuff!
In resort real estate, if a lead mentions they’ve been in your community before and are going to book another trip again, you surely know that lead is worth something. Now, it is up to you, the area specialist, to drive the relationship into something more.
Play the numbers
Let’s say you get ten leads a month and one turns into something serious. The fact that you spent a few minutes filtering nine other potential customers to the trash bin to find one good lead a month is well worth a few minutes of time. And it is cheap. Consider the cost of advertising and ground floor office space when trying to achieve a walk-in or call-in lead… online lead generation isn’t even close to that cost. The online lead is also less intrusive and certainly easier to delete than a live, unexpected customer at your office or your phone.
Make friends with new technology
Remember when we all felt having our listings anywhere but in our own hands or only on the MLS would cost us our jobs? I think everyone agrees now that the more information out to potential customers the better. This is especially true with the distance factor in resort real estate. With 88% of homebuyers and sellers on the Internet, why wouldn’t an area specialist want to communicate with them?
Remember, there is the good and the bad parts of call-ins, walk-ins, and agent referrals, too. It’s time to recognize online lead-generation for what it really is: another opportunity to communicate with a potential customer. These new online leads will soon be a big part of your business. Get ready to welcome them, just like you do your other prospects!