Find Out Why Autumn Marks the Best Time For Real Estate Lead Generation Opportunities!

When you set your mind on self-promotion – your very own community can often help you with your efforts for direct marketing, as long as you can offer a legitimately valuable service in return. In our previous blogs, we have always focused on the value exchange that has to take place in order to assert your professional authority and relay trust to your prospective clients. This means that you have to know how to present the right services to the right people at the right time. Choosing a perfect marketing opportunity online and offline is an art, and InCom is here to give you a few seasonal suggestions!

The past week, for example, has been awfully exciting with all of the back-to-school events, promotions, and sales. What’s even better: it marked the upcoming fall as a perfect time to become more influential within your community!

There are several reasons why the first few weeks of the back-to-school time has an exceptional probability of boosting your home sales:

1. It’s all about relocation in the vicinity of schools

   With many families wanting to relocate and live closer to schools, being a part of your local school communities can give you two things:
   1. ​Access to new prospective clients
      Granted that closing a real estate deal can take a whole year, building a trusting relationship within your community will also take time, but it can also translate into actual repeat business down the road. So why representing schools is a great idea, you ask? Families with kids that are just moving in to the area - is reason number one. While certain seasons are better for family relocation, you would always be there to offer services to already ripe customers. Reason number two - is your capability of offering real estate expertise as a trusted and familiar real estate advisor to parents who would be more prone to trust someone that’s backed by the whole community.
   2. Advertising space
      Why not print ads in the school newsletters that are sent home to the parents? Reiterate your message, keep the ad engaging, or write an enticing column related to your industry!

2. Join committees or become a presenter at local community centers

   Just like schools, community centers are a marketing haven and should become your priority for promotional advertisement. There are various programs and events that bring existing and new community members together in the celebration of the new school year and, as a result - group sign-ups for different adult and children classes from music to sports!

   1. ​Provide your prospective clients with enticing information pamphlets that you can create and print directly from the back-office of your website with InCom
   2. Participate in various events and smaller shows with your own booth
   3. Leave promotional materials at information centres

3. Further involvement and marketing opportunities

   Beyond the back-to-school event, autumn is actually full of wonderful occasions that bring the community together. Labour day long weekend, Halloween, and, of course, thanksgiving. With so many opportunities it is important to appeal to families or take part in organization of these family-friendly community events.

So how does a real estate agent gain that trust within local communities?

For busy professionals, time is often of the essence. So we are here to assure you that there are plenty of ways to immerse yourself in your community with minimal physical involvement.

1. Ask local schools and community centres to keep your business cards and/or information pamphlets at the office or school information center.
2. Inquire if your information can be printed in the school/community centre brochures, newsletters, and/or newspapers. This is often possible for a nominal fee. Additionally, you can request to write a short seasonal column with regards to real estate opportunities and local events, to provide further value to your community while strengthening your profile as an industry insider. 
3. If you have kids that go to school – intermingle with parents at various events, such as sports and parent-teacher conferences. And remember to always have plenty of business cards ready!
4. City and community information centers are great for keeping your business cards and information packages for their visitors. From city information centers to community centers that keep bulletin board you have the opportunity to advertise yourself and your services, in many cases absolutely for free.
5. Actively involve yourself in community events: get your information out through community newsletters and newspapers, or advertise yourself on community websites with links leading directly to your site! That way, you will always have the opportunity to present yourself to the local public throughout the seasonal events or through third party websites. Either method often brings folks from outside of your community for family-friendly events and your ads may help them find your information quicker.

While marketing is migrating heavily towards the online world, good old face-to-face opportunities that help you advertise your services should not be dismissed. It is especially applicable when opportunities present themselves and make it easy for you to take part in fun community binding events. So take charge and open up new prospects, because your clients are ripe for the picking!