Become a Real Estate Prospecting Powerhouse | Ideas to Help You Build Strong Client Relationships

If you’re in real estate, you know that prospecting and lead generation are the keys to your professional success. But how do you network, make new connections, keep up with current clients and manage your business all at the same time in today’s increasingly mobile, technology-oriented world?

At Hallmark Business Connections, we’ve come up with some pretty great ways to help you connect with clients and strengthen existing relationships—all while having time to expand your business and reach out to new contacts.

The Scoop on Real Estate Prospecting

Prospecting ideas for realtors used to be all about cold calling and delivering the hard sell, but today’s consumers aren’t in the market for pushy or overbearing salespeople. Instead, they’re looking for professionals who are willing to make connections, take the time to foster relationships and help them build a plan that involves more than just the immediate timeline.

Consumers who are in the market for real estate today want to work with pros who listen and get to know their needs before they begin delivering solutions. And on the flip side, clients who are looking to sell want their agents to instill confidence in their listing prowess, not necessarily going for top dollar, but instead wisely looking at factors like length of listing time, closing costs and needed repairs before settling on a list price.

When it comes down to it, communication is key. Not only is it important to connect with real estate prospects and get them interested in doing business with you, it’s also essential to stay in contact and continue building those relationships so that you are the one they turn to whenever they have repeat real estate needs.

Real Estate Prospecting Tips and Ideas

Ready for some real estate prospecting ideas that will surprise clients and help you stand apart from the competition? Often, some of the best ideas are a mix of the tried and true alongside cutting-edge inspiration, so look for great ways to pair the two. Check out some of the ways we’ve paired key lead-generating tools, like circle prospecting to reach out to friends and neighbors of existing clients, with outside-the-box thinking to help you build connections that stand the test of time:

Stay in contact with post cards and greeting cards. It’s important to set up a regular schedule to reach out to your contacts and let them know that you enjoyed working with them and that you’re there for them when they need your services again. Real estate prospecting postcards are an easy and economical way to connect with many people and send a personalized message any time of year. It’s a great idea to maintain a database of important dates, like client birthdays and anniversaries, so you can send greeting cards on special days to let them know you’re thinking of them. Hallmark Business Connections has a wide variety of Business Birthday Cards and Anniversary Cards you can stock up on to ensure everyone on your contact list hears from you throughout the year.

When you stay in contact with clients and build strong relationships, those clients are likely to recommend you to friends, neighbors and business contacts of their own, allowing you to expand your circle of professional contacts.

43% of home buyers in 2024 used a real estate agent who was recommended to them by a friend or acquaintance, outlining the importance of maintaining good relationships with both current and past clients.

Get social. If you’re already social-media savvy, good for you! If not, it’s time to make friends with online tech. It comes as no surprise in our modern world that 92% of realtors use Facebook, while 68% opt for Instagram and 52% interact on LinkedIn. Why? They’ve discovered the value of engaging social networks to help them increase their reach across platforms. Instead of just talking to one person, social media allows incremental growth as followers like, share and interact with posts.

So go ahead, get out there, get social and watch as your online network grows into a tangible source of leads for your real estate business!

Share your gratitude. Be sure to thank clients, especially longstanding contacts and those who have made a big impact to your real estate business. A great way to leave a memorable impression is to send a gift of appreciation after closing. At Hallmark Business Connections, we make it easy to send professional, impactful gifts like fresh cut floral bouquets or decadent gourmet chocolates by Christopher Elbow. Or keep clients on track all year long with magnetic calendars that are both handy and serve as a reminder that you’re there to help whenever clients need you.

Get creative with gifting and find ways to stand apart from the crowd by selecting superior gifts that remind your clients how much they mean to you.

Call them out—personally. When you make it personal, your clients will remember. It’s smart to invest in technology like the newest Personal Fonts by Hallmark, a digital font that mimics the nuances and flow of your own handwriting to deliver greeting cards with a personal touch—to one or hundreds of clients. It saves time and money, and it’s a marketing win because over time, delivering sincere Hallmark touchpoints can result in a 16% increase in customer retention.

Additionally, when you order cards from Hallmark Business Connections, we’ll help you ensure your message is just right for every sending situation, and our very own writers will help you along the way.

Invite the neighbors. Whether you have active listings in the neighborhood or you’re partnering with another realtor to build your contact lists, be sure to schedule open houses whenever possible. While some think open houses are there only to show and sell the one house in question, that’s not the case—and you should host an open house with networking (and future clients) in mind. After all, you never know who might visit and what types of properties they might be looking for.

Always be on the lookout for ways to make open houses memorable for everyone visiting. Want a few ways to jazz things up? Try one of these:

Invest in an outdoor movie screen you can use at multiple locations or events.

Plan a fun scavenger hunt for prizes.

Partner with a local business to provide snacks or staging décor.

Have a barbeque or an ice cream social.

Raffle off a fun piece of home décor or tickets to a local event.

Try using QR codes. They’re easy to create and are a great way to help you gather and organize data you want to keep for later, like clients’ contact information, birthdays and real estate needs. You can get creative with your open house sign-in sheets by creating a QR code for guests to use when they arrive. Or add a unique QR code to your personalized Hallmark greetings.

After your open house, you can add client information into your CRM and use the data you’ve collected to help you build and strengthen relationships.

No matter which tips and tricks you decide to try, all of them have one thing in common—strengthening relationships. When you focus on fostering relationships, you’ll increase the chances of turning one-time customers into life-long clients. And you’ll likely earn their trust and the recommendations they pass along to friends and loved ones. A little TLC from you goes a long way when it comes to real estate prospecting and the success that comes with building solid business relationships.

Want more great lead nurturing and customer outreach ideas? Read Lead Nurturing Best Practices to Connect You With Clients and Win Business.