24 Best Ways to Find Real Estate Leads for New Agents in 2024

Key takeaways

• New agents can test a mix of social media, online advertising, local events, useful content, and referrals to find prospects.
• Choose lead-generation channels based on your audience, budget, and local market, then track which ones produce relevant conversations.
• Consistent, useful participation in local communities and professional networks can support relationship-building over time.
• Paid leads and predictive signals are not guarantees; evaluate lead quality, costs, and results before increasing investment.
• Follow up respectfully, use contact information appropriately, and check applicable privacy and outreach rules.

Last updated: September 3, 2026

New agents face familiar challenges: high acquisition costs, inconsistent lead quality, and competition from agents with established pipelines. Manually cross-referencing MLS records and county filings can take time away from client work. A practical approach is to combine a few traditional tactics with newer ones and track which channels produce meaningful conversations.

You can find real estate leads by staying active on social media, running targeted PPC ads, showing up at local events, publishing useful content, applying predictive analytics, and offering video tours that give buyers a real feel for a property. A consistent personal brand and disciplined follow-up tie all of it together.

Below is a longer list of tactics, along with some practical notes on where each one tends to work best and where it falls short.

How to Generate Leads in Real Estate As A New Agent

Last year, more than 5 million homes changed hands in the U.S., which means millions of buyers and sellers were actively working with agents. Reaching even a small slice of that pool consistently is what separates agents who build a sustainable business from those who churn through cold leads.

1. Be Active Across Social Media

Social media remains one of the most affordable ways for agents to market themselves and track local market sentiment. Knowing how to find someone’s email on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook gives you a direct way to reach people who’ve shown interest in buying or selling.

LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram can support networking, and friends and family connections may help new agents build early relationships.

If you’re new to paid social, start with a small, targeted campaign rather than a broad one. This lets you test what resonates before committing more budget.

2. Share Industry Expertise on LinkedIn

LinkedIn can help agents build credibility by sharing useful insight, not just listings. A short post about a local trend or a longer piece on financing options can give prospects a sense of your expertise.

Use relevant hashtags to help people discover your content, and test different formats to see what your audience engages with.

3. Optimize Your Facebook Page

Your Facebook page can function as a mini storefront—a place to showcase listings and open houses, not just a personal profile.

If you’re looking for how to get leads in real estate for free, a well-optimized Facebook page is a reasonable starting point. Name your page and username to reflect your role and location.

Including phrases like “real estate agent” or “[your city] realtor” in your page title can improve visibility in search results, since Facebook pages often surface in Google searches too.

Add a call-to-action button so visitors can contact you through a form, email, or Messenger with fewer steps.

4. Reach Your Audience with Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels can be a relatively low-cost way to reach people who don’t already follow you, although results vary by audience and content.

Use Reels to show off active listings, tease upcoming ones, or run quick virtual walkthroughs. Instagram has 500 million people using it daily, so even modest reach on a Reel can put your listing in front of a meaningful audience. The format allows clips up to 90 seconds with filters, stickers, and captions.

You can use audio and combine multiple clips with Instagram’s editing tools; available features may change over time.

If you’re trying to figure out how to get real estate leads without heavy production costs, a short Reel gives prospects a fast, authentic look at what you do.

5. Use TikTok for Real Estate Lead Generation

TikTok has grown into a serious channel for agents, with 50 million U.S. users and growing. A meaningful share of that audience is actively house-hunting, not just scrolling for entertainment.

You don’t need polished production to get started. A short phone video—a day-in-the-life clip or a property tour, for example—can introduce your work to potential clients.

Posting consistently can help you maintain visibility, but no single posting schedule guarantees reach. Review engagement and adjust your approach over time.

6. Use the Internet to Advertise

Online advertising matters because most home buyers now start their search online — home buyers aged 23 to 56 use the Internet to search for homes in 2021. A few channels worth testing to find the best real estate leads:

• Use LinkedIn ads to connect with professional buyers.
• Create Facebook ads to reach a wide range of potential clients.
• Post Instagram ads to highlight the visual appeal of your properties.
• Set up Google ads to ensure your listings show up in search results.
• Answer questions on Quora about real estate to build credibility.
• Write for real estate blogs, whether local or national, to share your expertise.

None of these alone will fill a pipeline, but layered together they widen the best way to find real estate leads online.

7. Use PPC Advertising Campaigns

Because many buyers and sellers search online, PPC (pay-per-click) advertising can be one way to reach people looking for real estate services and direct them to your IDX website.

Some services, including Market Leader, offer ads across search engines and direct traffic to pages such as home-valuation or new-listing pages. Leads who submit their contact details have opted to share that information, but lead quality and exclusivity depend on the provider and campaign.

Before choosing a lead service, confirm what it guarantees, how leads are sourced, and whether they are exclusive. Predictable lead volume does not by itself guarantee a return on ad spend.

8. Use AI to Generate Leads With Predictive Analytics

Some predictive analytics tools use public or behavioral data to identify homeowners whose activity may indicate a greater likelihood of listing. These signals are estimates, not confirmation that someone plans to move.

Reaching a potential seller early may help you start a conversation, but predictive signals don’t guarantee that a homeowner is ready to move or wants to be contacted. Use relevant, respectful outreach and follow applicable rules.

These tools may help agents prioritize outreach, but results depend on the data, targeting, and follow-up.

9. Use a Real Estate Lead Generation Tool

Dedicated real estate lead generation tools give you more control over identifying, qualifying, and reaching prospects instead of relying purely on inbound traffic.

Swordfish AI, for example, lets realtors surface qualified leads through Bombora Intent Data, which flags people showing research behavior tied to buying or selling property.

Given that 73% of buyers go with the first agent they speak to, being fast and prepared on that first contact carries outsized weight.

10. Look at ‘For Sale by Owner’ Listings

The National Association of Realtors reports that only 3% of ‘For Sale by Owner’ (FSBO) listings sell within the owner’s desired timeline, and just 18% sell at the listed price. You’ll find these listings on sites like Craigslist.

Rather than leading with a hard pitch, offer something useful—such as a short blog post or information about representation—and invite a conversation about the owner’s specific situation.

11. Share Your Real Estate Knowledge with Local Communities on Facebook, Reddit, & Nextdoor

If you’re after the best way to find real estate leads for free, local groups on Facebook, Reddit, and Nextdoor are worth the time investment. The goal is becoming a trusted, recognizable presence, not dropping listing links.

Local groups can take time to produce leads. Sharing useful, honest advice may help build trust and, over time, lead to referrals or conversations with prospective clients.

Join relevant groups, participate in threads that matter to residents, and answer questions honestly. Over time, helpful participation can make you more recognizable when someone has a real estate question.

12. Ask Clients To Leave A Review on Facebook

Client reviews can help prospects assess an agent. After a transaction closes, you can ask clients whether they’re willing to leave an honest Facebook review.

Facebook reviews may help prospects evaluate your business for a couple of reasons:

• Because reviews are tied to personal accounts, they read as more genuine and help build trust with prospective clients.
• Your Facebook rating surfaces when people search for your business on Google.

A complete, easy-to-find profile and genuine reviews can give hesitant prospects more information when deciding whether to reach out.

13. Build Your Own Brand

A clear personal brand can help an agent stand out. A professional website that explains your services and working style helps prospects know what to expect before they call.

Even if much of your business comes from word of mouth, your website can help prospects learn about your services and read reviews from buyers and sellers.

Align your real estate SEO with your actual areas of expertise. For example, if you focus on sellers, make sure your content reflects that focus.

A strong brand extends beyond your website. Explain what you offer in your specific market, including any niche expertise, such as guiding first-time sellers.

14. Join a Slack Group

Slack communities can be another place to connect with people who share your interests or professional focus. Whether a group can generate real estate leads depends on its members and how relevant your participation is.

Look for a group related to your specialty, such as real estate investing or first-time buyers. Consistent, helpful participation can support relationship-building.

Answer questions, share knowledge, and be a useful member. This approach can build trust, though it may take time to lead to business.

15. Connect with Other Professionals and Businesses

Partnering with businesses that serve your target market without competing with you may create opportunities for mutual referrals.

A few worth building relationships with:

• Commercial lenders: Most buyers need financing, and a good lender relationship smooths a critical step in the process.
• Professional cleaners: A clean home shows better, making this an easy referral for new homeowners.
• Landscapers: Curb appeal moves properties, so this referral pays off for sellers.

These partnerships may extend your reach without direct advertising, though they take time to build and maintain.

16. Make a Lead Magnet

A lead magnet offers a useful resource in exchange for a prospect’s email address, which can help grow your contact list.

The basic mechanics:

• Make a Resource: Build something genuinely useful, like a buyer’s checklist or neighborhood guide.
• Share It: Promote it across your social channels and website.
• Get Emails: Visitors trade their email for access to the resource.

17. Make Video Testimonials for Proof

Video testimonials carry weight because they’re harder to fake than written reviews — they influence the decisions of 95% of customers according to one survey. Real clients describing real experiences tend to land better than self-promotion.

Two out of three people say they’re more likely to buy after watching a video showing how a business helped someone else.

A few tactical notes on getting these right:

• Collect Feedback Quickly: Ask right after closing, when clients are happiest and most willing to talk on camera.
• Encourage Participation: A small closing gift or a relaxed, interview-style format can improve participation rates.
• Posting on Website and Social Media: Place these strategically on your site, and share them on social where they can prompt new questions from prospects still on the fence.

18. Start a Real Estate Podcast

Podcast listenership has grown steadily — 57% of American adults reported listening in 2021, up from 55% the year prior. Listeners often tune in while commuting, cleaning, or exercising, which gives you passive attention that’s hard to get elsewhere.

Getting started doesn’t necessarily require studio gear: a smartphone and a podcast-hosting service may be enough. Check current pricing and distribution features before choosing a provider.

A few things worth building into your episodes:

• Choose Interesting Topics: Cover local market trends pulled from local news, or give concrete buying and selling advice.
• Include Calls to Action: Place a clear CTA near the start, middle, and end of each episode so listeners know what signing up gets them.
• Promote Your Podcast: Lean on guests’ existing social followings by asking them to share and tag episodes, and cross-promote with other podcasters.

With consistent effort, a podcast may become one part of a lead-generation plan rather than a one-off marketing experiment.

19. Get Referrals From Happy Clients

Referrals remain one of the most reliable lead sources in the business. 36% of buyers find their agent through a personal recommendation, and 73% would work with that same agent again.

Maintaining relationships with past clients—even with a simple check-in months after closing—can help keep you top of mind if their friends or family need a recommendation.

20. Use High-Quality Drone Photography

Aerial photography can give listings a different visual perspective. Keep imagery current: photos from the wrong season may give viewers an inaccurate impression of the property.

Refresh visuals when a listing carries across seasons, and label or replace older images so they don’t misrepresent current conditions.

360° aerial neighborhood tours can give visitors a fuller sense of the surrounding area. Their effect on search rankings isn’t guaranteed.

Highlighting key features in these tours can help visitors understand the area and may prompt questions from people exploring the neighborhood online.

21. Offer Unique Video Tours

Video tours give prospects a dynamic sense of a property that photos alone can’t convey.

A walkthrough can answer common questions upfront and help viewers decide whether they want to learn more about the property.

Adding drone footage or other distinctive elements can make a listing stand out, provided the footage is accurate and complies with applicable rules.

22. Start Conversations Anywhere

Sometimes lead generation starts with showing up where prospects already are. If you’re working a specific area, local events and gathering places can offer opportunities for conversation.

Don’t assume that home improvements or landscaping mean someone plans to sell. If a conversation arises naturally, introduce yourself respectfully and avoid making claims about a homeowner’s intentions.

If you exchange numbers, use the contact details the person provided and follow applicable consent, calling, and privacy rules.

Treat interactions as opportunities to build a genuine connection, without assuming that everyone is ready to buy or sell.

23. Organize Fun-Filled Parties in Open Houses for Sale

An open house can be more engaging when it gives visitors a reason to stay and talk. Consider whether an event format fits the property, audience, and budget.

A few ways to liven things up:

• Invite a DJ to provide lively music.
• Arrange a BBQ and establish a snack bar.
• Set up a selfie booth for entertaining photos.
• Serve a variety of local beers or wines.

An event may also attract neighbors who are curious about the market, some of whom could become future clients or referral sources.

People wander into open houses for two common reasons:

• Some are searching for a new home and need to sell their current one first.
• Others are neighbors curious about local pricing and staging trends.

Ask visitors about their plans only when it feels appropriate, and respect their privacy. Even if they aren’t ready to act, a helpful interaction may lead to a future conversation.

24. Work Expired Listings

Expired listings can be a source of potential seller leads, but competition may be high because multiple agents could contact the homeowner.

A few ways to differentiate your approach:

• Highlight Value: Figure out why the listing actually expired — overpricing, weak marketing, or bad timing — and speak directly to that problem.
• Improve Your Communication: Skip the generic cold-call script and rehearse something that actually sounds like a conversation.
• Broaden Your Outreach: Don’t rely on one channel. Mix social, email, and direct mail. Pairing follow-up email templates with a consistent cadence tends to improve response rates.

Relevant, respectful follow-up may help distinguish your approach when a homeowner considers relisting.

How to Get Leads in Real Estate Reddit

Advice shared by real estate agents on Reddit often includes several recurring themes, though individual experiences may not apply to every market.

Network and Engage in Your Community

Reddit users often mention community involvement and networking events. They also suggest looking beyond real estate gatherings—for example, home décor events, landscaping meetups, or other local events where relevant conversations may arise.

Use Digital Platforms

Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are frequently discussed as marketing channels. A mix of organic content and paid ads may be worth testing, depending on your audience and budget.

Online Lead Generation Services

Paid lead services can be costly, and prices vary by provider. Some realtors on Reddit report positive returns, but those accounts are anecdotal; evaluate costs, lead quality, and conversion results for your own business.

Pairing that data with solid inside sales strategies tends to improve conversion further.

Host Open Houses and Participate in Local Events

Open houses offer a way to meet buyers face to face, and Reddit users also emphasize community events as a way to build local visibility.

Create Engaging Content

Answering your audience’s questions through content—using platforms like YouTube and TikTok to showcase properties and share tips—can help build an audience that may eventually become clients.

Targeted Outreach

Some Reddit users still focus on using traditional door-knocking and cold calling for personal connections. If you go this route, a few cold calling tips to get a meeting can meaningfully improve your hit rate. Others rely on customized direct mail sent to specific neighborhoods.

Build Your Personal Brand

As with earlier sections, personal branding comes up again on Reddit — consistency across your social presence matters as much as any single post.

Implement Follow-Up Strategies

A structured follow-up system spanning email, phone, and direct mail is a recurring theme. Following proven email marketing strategies helps keep leads warm until they’re ready to act.

How Do Most Real Estate Agents Get Leads?

To understand how agents attract clients, consider both digital and traditional lead sources, while checking the dates and definitions behind any statistics:

• Organic search converts reasonably well online, averaging around 3.2%.
• Social media is heavily used, with roughly 90% of agents active on Facebook, and LinkedIn and Instagram also common for client outreach.
• Word of mouth remains strong — nearly 47% of buyers choose an agent based on a recommendation from friends, family, or neighbors.
• And 62% of buyers who start their search online still prefer to follow up with a phone call.

The takeaway is that agents can test more than one channel rather than relying entirely on a single source. Combining digital outreach with relationship-building gives you different ways to reach and follow up with prospects.

Finding Real Estate Lead Generation Strategy that Works for You

Not every tactic above will fit your market, budget, or personality. To narrow down your options, start with these questions:

• Market Analysis: Identify who your realistic leads actually are and where they spend time online and offline.
• Networking: Take stock of existing community connections before deciding you need to build everything from scratch.
• Budgeting: Paid ads move faster but cost more than referral-based growth. Real estate accounting software can help you track what’s actually working.
• Choosing Platforms: Pick channels based on where your specific audience actually spends time, not where everyone else is posting.
• Content Marketing: Build content that answers real questions your prospects are asking — blog posts, videos, infographics — rather than generic listing promotion.
• Personalization: Tailor outreach based on what you actually know about a lead’s preferences and stage in the process.

There is no universal formula. Review your results and adjust your mix as your market, budget, and client base change.

Streamline Lead Generation in Real Estate with Swordfish AI Now!

Swordfish AI gives real estate professionals a faster way to find and verify contact details for potential clients. With a database of more than 3.5 billion records and a built-in verification layer, it helps agents move from a name or handle to a usable contact profile quickly.

Swordfish AI’s reverse-search feature is described as returning contact information from an email address or social handle. Confirm the tool’s current capabilities, data sources, and permitted uses before relying on it.

The article describes CRM integrations and contact verification features. Check current product documentation and test the workflow to confirm compatibility and data accuracy.

The toolset is presented as a way to support initial prospect research and outreach. Its usefulness will depend on your workflow, data needs, and compliance requirements.

Key Features of Swordfish AI

A closer look at the tools that make up the platform:

• Reverse Search

With Reverse Search, entering a name, location, or email returns detailed contact data, helping you find property owners or prospects faster and open conversations sooner.

• Prospector

Prospector draws on a large B2B contact database, letting you filter by location, job title, or industry to narrow down prospective buyers, sellers, or investors.

• Chrome Extension

The Chrome extension pulls contact data directly from online profiles, including LinkedIn, giving you immediate access to details without leaving the page you’re on.

• Email Verifier

Email Verifier checks addresses before you send, which helps reduce bounce rates and keeps your email marketing campaigns from losing deliverability over time.

• File Upload

File Upload lets you refresh existing contact lists by uploading a CSV, updating emails and phone numbers so your database stays actionable instead of going stale.

• Refresh Title and Data

This tool keeps your CRM current with updated job titles and company data, useful for spotting career changes among past clients that could signal new opportunities.

• API

Custom API solutions connect into your existing software stack, including CRMs, automating enrichment so your contact data stays current without manual updates.

• Bombora Intent Data

Bombora’s intent data surfaces prospects showing active research behavior tied to buying or selling, letting you prioritize outreach toward people more likely to respond.

• CRM Integration

When you integrate CRM tools, contact details Swordfish AI surfaces flow directly into your existing workflow, keeping follow-ups timely and interactions grounded in current data.

Final Words

No single tactic on this list guarantees a full pipeline. Agents can test a mix of digital outreach, social content, local networking, and follow-up, then focus on the approaches that generate relevant conversations.

The article describes Swordfish AI as using Bombora data to surface intent signals. Treat these signals as indicators rather than proof that someone is ready to buy or sell, and verify current product details before use.

An online presence and local relationships can complement one another. Targeting may help identify potential prospects; useful content and timely, appropriate follow-up can support the relationship.

Try Swordfish Ai

FAQs

Where do realtors get most of their leads?

Referrals from friends, relatives, or neighbors remain the top source for most agents, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s a strong argument for investing in your local network early.

Does buying leads for real estate work?

Purchased leads can supplement your pipeline, but they rarely work as a standalone strategy. Agents who see the best results usually combine paid leads with strong marketing and professional photography.

How much do realtors spend on leads?

Pricing varies widely — anywhere from under $1 to over $1,000 per lead depending on the provider and exclusivity. Many lead services also charge a monthly subscription, such as roughly $250, plus a few dollars per lead on top.