By Sash Joveski and Andrew, Fearless Agents at Realest.com
Before you pay for leads, use these five free conversation starters: a home search link with your name on it, town guides for people moving here, shareable articles instead of only listings, a past-client anniversary call, and holding someone else’s open house. Each one starts a real talk without buying a lead.
Every few weeks an agent tells me they’re out of leads. They’ve called their sphere. They’ve posted on Facebook. Now they’re pricing a lead service. I get it. Paying can feel faster. But a lot of good conversation starters are already sitting in front of you. Luke 16:10 says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Take care of the free, simple stuff first. Then decide if you still need to buy more.
1. A home search link with your name on it
When a friend says they might move next year, most agents send a screenshot of one listing. That ends the chat. Send a real search link instead.
At Realest.com you can send a search for the towns, price range and bedrooms they mentioned. They get new listings as they hit the market. You get a reason to check in that isn’t “just following up.”
Try it with five people who’ve mentioned moving in the last year. Nothing fancy. You’re making it easy for them to keep looking with you. When they’re ready, you’re the agent they already know.
2. Town guides for people who aren’t from here
Relocation buyers have a pile of questions before they ever ask about a house. What are the schools like? How long is the drive to work? Which towns feel quieter?
The Lake County town guides on Realest.net answer a lot of that in plain language. When someone mentions a cousin or a coworker moving to the area, send the guide for the town they’re curious about. Don’t add a sales line. A week later, ask what they thought.
You’ve become the person who knows the area. That’s who people call.
3. Articles you can share instead of only listings
Most agents post listings and “just sold” graphics. Those are fine. They mostly reach people who are already shopping. A good article reaches the people who aren’t shopping yet.
RealEstateUSA.com publishes market stories and how-to pieces you can share on your page or drop into a follow-up note. Pick one a week. Write a sentence or two about why it matters in your town. That’s a post that helps people. It keeps your name in front of them without asking for anything.
4. Your past clients’ one-year anniversary call
This one costs a calendar reminder and a few minutes. On the one-year anniversary of a closing, call. Ask how the house is treating them. Ask if the furnace held up. Ask if anyone they know is thinking about a move.
Most agents disappear after closing and then wonder why their past clients used someone else. One real phone call a year is enough to stay their agent. If they aren’t ready to talk, leave a short kind voicemail and note the date for next year.
5. Hold an open house for another listing agent
Listing agents often have more open house slots than they can cover. Ask agents in your office if you can hold one of theirs. You’ll meet neighbors curious about their own home’s value, buyers who aren’t working with anyone, and people who are just starting to think about it.
Bring the search links and town guides from points one and two. When someone says “we’re just looking,” you have something useful to hand them, not a pitch. Our post on hosting an open house that brings in buyers walks through how to run the day well.
5 Free Lead Sources Agents Skip
Home search link
Send a Realest.com search with your name on it.
Town guides
Share a Realest.net guide with relocation buyers.
Share articles
Post RealEstateUSA.com stories, not only listings.
Anniversary call
Call past clients one year after closing.
Hold their open house
Cover a listing agent’s open house in your office.
Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. Luke 16:10
Why these five work
None of these is a trick. Each one starts with helping someone before you ask them for anything. People can tell when you’re serving them and when you’re chasing them.
If you’re tired of paying for leads that don’t answer the phone, try two of these this month. Then write down what happened. For the follow-up after someone replies, our guide on following up without being pushy keeps the tone calm.
New agents at Realest.com get mentors, ride-alongs and one-on-one time with Sash and Andrew plus live coaching, so you don’t have to figure lead gen alone. Inside Fearless Training, our Module 5: Lead Generation Basics lesson covers how to build a pipeline without guessing. Join Fearless Training for more lessons like this.
Frequently asked questions
What free lead sources should new real estate agents try first?
Start with a home search link you can send under your name, town guides for relocation buyers, shareable articles, a past-client anniversary call, and holding an open house for another agent in your office.
How do I send a home search link with my name on it?
Build a search on Realest.com for the towns, price range and bedrooms they mentioned, then send that link so new listings reach them and you have a natural reason to check in.
What should I say on a past-client anniversary call?
Ask how the house is treating them, mention one practical detail like the furnace or first winter, then ask if anyone they know is thinking about a move. Keep it short and kind.
Why hold an open house for another listing agent?
You meet neighbors, unrepresented buyers and early shoppers without needing your own listing. Bring search links and town guides so “just looking” visitors leave with something useful.
Should I buy leads before trying free lead sources?
No. Use the free conversation starters first. If you still need more volume after you are consistent with them, then decide whether a paid source fits your plan.
Be fearless. Sash, Realest.com
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