Landlord lead generation has never been more important for estate & lettings agents than in 2021. Long gone are the days where there were simply a handful of high street stores to choose from. Not only are agents now faced with an increasingly crowded digital market to compete within; there are also a multitude of physical branches, dominated primarily by the biggest brands. There’s no doubt about it: with competition at an all-time high; agents need to have a clear strategy in place to succeed in the current climate. Attracting landlords and increasing leads in 2021 is no easy task. But as one of the UK’s most trusted and successful agencies in the UK; we are happy to share with you 4 of our top tips…
Landlord lead generation tip #1 – Familiarise yourself with SEO
Google remains the first port of call for seeking information in 2021. Get yourself familiar with the search terms that you need to rank for – and ensure that your entire website content is SEO-optimised for these, so that you stand the best chance of being found for whatever it is that you want to be found for. People don’t always type things in to Google the way that you might expect. So, bear that in mind. There are programmes such as MOZ, which allow you to gather information on search behaviour, which you can use to your benefit.
Organic SEO is incredibly effective when done correctly. But it’s worth looking into technical SEO too. To be deemed credible in Googles eyes; you also need links from other websites (the bigger the better – and related to your sector wherever possible). If your website has no inbound links, then this is a real issue that needs to be addressed. You can get some link building ideas here.
Hire an SEO writer to start producing regular, high-quality blog posts. Make sure that the content is genuinely useful and answers questions that people need answers to (or provides them with topical news pieces that are likely to interest them). SEO isn’t a quick fix by any means; and the broader the search-terms: the more difficult you will find to rank highly for. If you make it on to page 1 of Google for the search term ‘estate agent UK’ for example, then you’ve done a great job!
Slowly and over time; however, a regular stream of well-written, engaging and genuinely useful content, coupled with ongoing link building strategies, will do your website visibility and online presence the world of good.
Landlord lead generation tip #2 – Utilise social media
Speaking of online presence, if you’re not using social media to your best advantage then you are seriously missing out. Make sure your branding is consistent (both linguistically and image-wise), post regularly (3 times a week is a good amount) – and give people a reason to follow you! No-one wants to hear you going on about how brilliant you are all the time (but of course you need to sell your services as well). Try to get the balance right. Give your followers things that they need/want. Entertain them. Educate them. Engage with them. Whatever it is that your audience wants; give it to them for nothing. This will make them like you – and therefore increase the likelihood of them using your services. Building a loyal following takes time and daily work. Think about it; and stick at it.
You also have the advantage of the inbuilt analytics on all the main social platforms that will help you see which posts perform the best, when your audience is most active, the demographics they are made up of – and much more. Use the free information available to you to improve your strategy. Use paid ads too (and experiment with messaging/imagery etc).
Landlord lead generation tip #3 – Network
Despite the digital age we live in; one of the best ways to generate business remains talking to people. Face to face. In the same room. Attend any trade shows or events you can and utilise any chance you get to make actual contact with a real human being.
Landlord lead generation tip #4 – Have a USP that truly stands out
It’s blindingly obvious that you need a unique selling point to stand out in today’s market. This could be something that you offer, a particular style of communication that people relate to, outstanding customer service – or polished branding that gives you a clear identity and keeps you at the top of people’s minds. Do your research and decide what’s right for you. So many agents just don’t have a clear USP.
In our case, we established a clear reputation as being one of the most trusted agents in the UK. We were also lucky enough to be chosen as the first agent to pilot the Advanced Rent Option, which literally revolutionised our business. We now offer all our landlords the option of receiving their rent a year in advance. This has been so successful that we have started sharing our success with other agents. We only offer ARO on a limited basis (to approximately 1% of agents and aim to help independents). Successful applicants can advertise and deliver their landlords a years’ worth of rent in advance, funded by ARO. If you would like to apply, you are more than welcome. If you don’t have a clear USP – you will with ARO.
Here to help you make the right choices
We currently let and manage over 2500 properties on behalf of landlords and we arrange millions of pounds of property sales every week through both our Home sales department and our Property Investment Service. We are extremely proud of the success we have achieved – and are always looking to help share our success with others.
