They say in real estate that it’s all about location, location, location. They’re wrong; it’s all about leads, leads, leads. The money is in your bank of leads — when you’re out of leads, you’re out of business. Here are six ways you might not have thought of to generate real estate leads.

Referrals

There’s nothing more powerful than word of mouth. Ask your current and recent clients if they know anybody else who’s on the hunt for their new home or thinking about selling their old one. Either way, ask them if they’d reach out to their friends and introduce you to them. Make sure you follow up promptly on all the referrals you receive.

Wholesale Leads

Wholesale real estate lead generation is a great way to build your body of leads. You want to look for distressed properties you can hook up with cash buyers in the market to renovate and flip the houses. Your contact list of cash buyers can keep your wallet flush, even during market slumps.

Networking

Build a network of business professionals who offer complementary services to your own. If someone is buying a new home, they may need a personal banker, a title officer, a loan officer, and a mortgage broker, who you could recommend. All of them could also send business your way. Think outside the box, too. Curb appeal is huge in real estate, so knowing a landscaper who could warm up a client’s yard could help them sell their old house more easily.

Housewarming Parties

Throw a housewarming party for your clients once they’ve settled into their new homes. You can offer catering, appetizers, an open bar, or loads of flowers. When you drop in to mingle, you’ll meet their friends and neighbors, any of whom might be in the market for a real estate agent or know someone else who is. Even if that doesn’t reap rewards immediately, everyone will remember the real estate agent who threw the party.

Niche Down

There’s marketing saying: if you try to sell to everybody, you’re selling to nobody. You don’t need to be everybody’s real estate agent. Also, You can establish yourself as the go-to agent for historic homes, mid-century modern, or first-time home buyers. You can learn how to get wholesale real estate leads and become the king or queen of the local wholesale market.

Educational Events

Once a month, partner with a local restaurant to host educational events for first-time homebuyers. The restaurant gains new diners, and you garner new leads. Keep in touch with the people who attend your events to answer any questions they might have about the home-buying process. Some of them will undoubtedly ask you to be their real estate agent. Whether you’re looking for a list of first-time home buyers, pre-foreclosure leads with phone numbers, or business referral partners, there are many ways to market your real estate business. Even if you only try one or two, you should be on your way to a long-term successful career as a real estate agent.