Real Estate Lead Generation

8 Creative Ways to Get Real Estate Leads 

By Gretchen Gales Last Updated February 14, 2023 3 min read

If your sales are stale and you’re ready to try a new approach to your real estate marketing strategy, you’ll need to invest heavily in lead generation. Whether that’s through time or money, it’s highly beneficial for your real estate business. 

Looking into creative ways for real estate lead generation? Our list gives you accessible and new ideas you can implement right away. Mix and match to find the right strategy for you and start grabbing new clients! 

Why do you need lead generation in real estate?

 Lead generation for real estate is the bread and butter of finding new clients and closing sales. If you want a steady flow of clients, you need to commit to a lead generation strategy

8 Creative ways to get real estate leads

There’s no “right way” or perfect combination to generate real estate leads. It depends on your personal goals and what you’re comfortable with! Here are a eight lead generation ideas you can try out for yourself. 

1. Expired listings 

Behind every expired listing is a tired homeowner just trying to get their property sold and finally off of the market. Offer to help with their listings by giving them new life with updated photos and a story that will appeal to homebuyers. 

Want insight into listings that could expire? Follow FSBO listings that spend an extended time on the market. Offer early on to assist with any of their questions or needs. By the time the listing expires, they may want your services.

2. Offer home evaluations and real estate advice

A quick way to establish yourself as an expert is to inform homeowners how much their home may be worth, what it could sell for, and offer other real estate-related advice. After all, demonstrating you know your stuff is better than claiming you do without evidence.

Host online or in-person workshops to guide buyers and sellers through what they can expect. Take the opportunity to shine, but don’t forget to leave your business card with them when you leave. 

3. Join organizations and groups with other real estate agents

Being surrounded by people with similar goals and problems can hold you accountable and learn what’s working for other real estate agents. These groups can be in person and through social media like LinkedIn and Facebook

4. Respond quickly

It’s no secret that people expect instant results. That includes a quick response to their texts, emails, and calls. Always monitor your calls and messages and answer present and potential clients quickly. If you can’t get back to them immediately, set up an auto-response to respond to them until you can find space in your schedule. 

5. Write blogs

If you love writing, why not create a blog with useful information for your clients? You can also use a blog to talk about personal milestones or other exciting and beneficial news your clients will love to hear. If you’re into local history, you could also write content about local lore, like historic houses and other properties. 

No matter what you write, blog consistently with a steady schedule, and you can attract new followers and future home sellers who could use your expertise

6. Sponsor an event

If you have the budget and the drive, why not sponsor a local festival, community workshop, charity event, or school function? Not only will you help your community, but your business will also have great visibility, and you can meet new faces who might be looking for a new home! 

If you have the budget, you can even sponsor sections at concert venues as exclusive spaces. It may be costly, but you’ll get a lot of visibility for your business. 

7. Send personalized notes and small gifts

Thank yous, how are yous, and other thoughtful notes—especially handwritten ones—can establish a personal connection with past and present clients. If someone gave you a referral, thank them with a note and a personalized or useful gift (think gift cards to their favorite local restaurants, stores, etc.).

You can also send seasonal cards for holidays and birthdays. It reminds clients of your services during a busy time and is also a kind gesture. Throw in a mini pumpkin during the fall, a cute Easter basket in the spring, and a fun cocktail recipe for the summer! 

8. Creative advertising 

While using direct mail and social media are effective ways to market and advertise your services, it doesn’t hurt to experiment! By brainstorming creative ways to promote yourself, you’ll likely attract leads that appreciate out-of-the-box thought processes. 

Some ideas to consider:

  • Advertising on a moving truck
  • Partnering and advertising with home-centric businesses 
  • Purchase digital ads for your local newspaper or home show


While you’ll need to see what works for your business, trying a few different advertising strategies every quarter to see what is successful as a lead generation tool never hurts. 

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