As a leading real estate educator and coach, specializing in FREE METHODS of lead generation, a question I'm getting a lot these days is, "Rob, what's the fastest way to generate leads in real estate ?" This is an important question because as times change, lead generation methods evolve. One thing that has not changed, however, is the importance of building meaningful relationships. That will never go out of style. The agents that are consistently closing deals every month, that have a fully stocked pipeline of short, medium, and long term clients, are the agents that have the most meaningful relationships, and that make an effort to quickly develop rapport with new prospects. So, I'm going to give you my top 3 methods on the best ways to generate potential leads and potential clients in real estate, for free(don't buy leads), along with case studies that prove their efficacy. When you master the principles outlined in this article, you will have an abundance of leads, regardless of your level of experience. Before we get started, keep this overall concept in mind: people work with those they know, like, and trust. Therefore, the goal is to get as many people to know you, like you, and trust you as possible. Keeping that in mind, let's get started!

1. COMMUNITY GROUPS AND REAL ESTATE LEADS

I classify a "community group" as a non-real estate related group, in which you have the opportunity to meet and be around people on a consistent basis. Some examples of community groups are:

• Gym
• Church (Bible studies and small groups are additional communities within the Church)
• Sports Team (yours, or one that your kid is on, and you see other parents at events)
• Workout Class (yoga, jujitsu, pilates, etc.)

Any group where you have the opportunity to see people consistently could be classified as a community group. If you aren't part of one, I strongly encourage you to join one or more as quickly as possible. 

There are a lot of fantastic benefits of generating leads in real estate through community groups, here are the top 5. 

1. Easy to implement. Whether you're already part of one or need to join one, simply implement the techniques you're learning in this article.
2. Plenty of opportunities to establish meaningful relationships and rapport. 
3. Over time you can establish yourself as the go-to agent in that group.
4. Generate massive amounts of referrals with time, and consistency, and make a focused effort to build relationships. 
5. Opportunities to pass more business to your affiliated business referral partners and property owners, increasing your chances of getting referrals in the future.

Best way to generate leads in real estate

Now that you have an understanding of community groups, follow these guidelines to succeed with this method:

• Show up consistently. If there are scheduled meetings, attend them every time. Go to the gym around the same time. For workout classes or Church services, go to the same scheduled class or service. This is important in order to start establishing, and maintaining, relationships with the people in the group. If you don't attend consistently, you won't see those people enough to establish a relationship. People can't know, like, and trust you if they don't see you on a regular basis. 
• Schedule 1-1's with a minimum of 1 person per week from each community group. A 1-1 is simply a one hour get-together, in which you learn more about each other, hang out and develop your relationship. It could be a coffee, a drink, a meal, or similar. The most important thing is to schedule the 1-1 and keep them as a consistent part of your business plan. The more you do, the more people will know, like, and trust you, and the more likely they are to refer you. 
• Initiate conversations, don't be hesitant to introduce yourself. If you're a "people person" this should be easy to do. If you're naturally introverted, this may take some getting used to but realize it is essential to take the initiative to establish contact with people in the group.
• Form relationships with key players in the group. Key players are those who are well connected to the group. Gym = owner or trainers. Church = Pastor. Kid's sports team = Coach.
• Make sure everyone knows what you do. You don't need to be pushy, often times this will happen naturally and be a steady stream. An easy method is to ask someone, "So what do you do for work?" They'll tell you, and naturally, they'll ask you in return. 
• Ask this question occasionally to everyone in the group: "Who do you know looking to buy a home, sell a house, or invest in real estate I can call today?" As an agent, you must ask for what you want, and let people know you want their referrals. It's not being pushy to ask this question once in a while. Don't assume they're going to refer you just because they know you're an agent, you need to ask for it, whether it's past clients or new buyer leads.

Case Study - When I moved to Austin, Texas in 2019, I didn't know anyone. No sphere, no previous clients in the area, I was starting from scratch. I immediately went to work maximizing community groups, specifically, my gym. It took some time, but within 6 months the referrals started rolling in. In the summer of 2020, I had 5 closings in a 6 week period, all from the gym. Keep in mind these were not all the closings I had in that 6 week period, just closings from this one referral source. They were:

• 5 deals, including 4 listings and one purchase.
• Total sales volume: $1,948,500
• Total GCI: $58,455
• Total cost for the leads: $0

To this day, the gym remains one of my primary community groups and referral sources. 

2. BUSINESS NETWORKING GROUPS FOR A REAL ESTATE AGENT

There are a lot of fantastic benefits of generating leads in real estate through business networking groups, and most of them are identical to the benefits of community groups listed above. There are also some additional perks:

1. Make great connections with local business owners to build your affiliated business referral base. As an agent, you want a network of fantastic referrals for things like lenders, insurance, home inspectors, contractors, and more. My clients love how connected I am, and that I can always offer a great referral for them to interview. 
2. Great practice for public speaking and being outgoing. Typically at these events, there's a chance for each business owner to share their business with the group. If you have trouble public speaking, this is a fantastic opportunity to improve in that area. 
3. You can learn a lot about running your business from other business owners. 

The principles of generating leads in a business networking group are almost identical to community groups. Finding groups that meet consistently and always showing up, making sure everyone knows what you do, and developing relationships, are all key points in maximizing business networking groups to generate leads in real estate. There are two additions to emphasize here, so pay close attention:

• 1-1's and open houses- I've already stated the importance of this, but in business networking groups this is a non-negotiable item. Many agents view networking events as the main opportunity, but it isn't. You don't go to the networking events to get business, you go to the networking events to schedule 1-1's, and that is where you will earn the business. You can't develop a meaningful relationship with a few minutes of conversation and a business card. 1-1's build the relationship, that's where you'll build trust and referrals. 
• Give, give, give referrals! It is human nature to reciprocate. When you join a business networking group your goal should be to give as many referrals as you can to those business owners. Over time they will grow a deep appreciation for you, and will be extra motivated to refer you in return. 

Case Study - I am a world record holding business networker, holding the record for the fastest BNI launch in history. In December 2020 I launched my BNI chapter, and within the first year, here were my stats:

• Referrals Given: 264
• Revenue Generated For Chapter Members From My Referrals: $190,718
• Referrals I Received: 42
• Total GCI: $130,904
• Total cost of leads: $0

I focused on being the highest referral giver in the chapter and building relationships via 1-1's. As a result, my business networking group is a fantastic source of business and relationships. 

3. BUSINESS CARDS FOR ALL REAL ESTATE AGENTS

This is ridiculously easy to do, but most real estate agents don't, you just need business cards, preferably really good looking ones. To implement this method, simply give your business card to someone you see throughout the day, and ask them the question: "Who do you know looking to buy a home, sell a house, or invest in real estate I can call today?" I'll usually implement this question to the person behind the register at the coffee shop, grocery store, online at the airport, a neighbor I haven't met yet, or anyone I have a casual conversation with. Here are some implementation tips:

• Have a polite conversation with someone you see throughout the day. 
• Don't talk about real estate until the end, unless it comes up naturally in conversation. 
• At the end of the conversation, say, "Hey, can I give you my card?" Then explain you're in real estate, and ask them the question.

Case Study - I once asked this question to a guy behind the register at a new coffee shop that popped up in town. He said that the next day he was going to head to the bank to talk about getting a loan for his first home. I referred him to my go-to lender to interview and scheduled the buyer appointment. During the buyer appointment, it came up in conversation that his mom had a house to sell as well. I helped the young man and his wife buy their first home and helped mom sell her house. The results were:

• 2 Deals, a listing, and a purchase.
• Total Sales Volume: $646,000
• Total GCI: $19,380
• Total cost for leads: $0

ONE IMPORTANT NOTE: make sure in addition to focusing on lead generation, you're focusing just as hard on mastering lead conversion as a real estate professional. All the leads in the world won't make a difference in your business if you don't know how to convert them after you generate leads. Here are two resources for you to master both free methods of lead generation and lead conversion:

FREE MASTERMIND: Every Tuesday Rob Stein runs a free mastermind, you can get the details and register at zoomwithrob.com. 

ONLINE ACADEMY: Check out Rob Stein's online academy, Earth to Orbit, at earthtoorbittraining.com, to learn proven and repeatable methods that have allowed hundreds of agents across the country to build their business and income.

When you master these methods, it is impossible to fail with lead generation. Whether you're using social media accounts or a real estate lead generator program.