5 Easy Ways to Get MORE Listings This Fall

You need listings, everyone does. But are you looking in the right places? Or just the usual places? Try thinking outside the box and consider some, or all, of these amazing ways to find more listings this fall:

1. Ask for a referral

Call people you've already worked with, maybe even someone you've recently sold a home to. These folks can be part of your sphere of influence, but that's not always the case, right? However, a former client for whom you did a fantastic job is almost your best-case scenario for referral business. Even if you aren't going to try and sell them a new property, ask if they'd be willing to stand up for you as a reference to get that baked-in trust you need with any prospective new client.

2. Give the FSBO market a try

Selling your home on our own can start out as a great idea (and a way to avoid at least half of the commission a professional real estate agent would see from the sale). But that pie-in-the-sky plan can often turn sour, especially given the multitude of nuance surrounding staging, showings, negotiations, contracting, inspections, and more.

A FSBO property that's been on the market for a minute (especially in these crazy times) might do well to listen to your pitch on why it just makes sense – financial and otherwise – to recognize they made a valiant attempt, but that it's time for the professional to take over. Create real estate postcard campaigns or just go door to door. Let them hear your voice, sympathize with them about the world of FSBO, and ask if you can meet to evaluate where they are, and what professional next steps would be warranted.

3. Regularly host a non-real estate-related gathering

Not everything you do has to revolve around getting listings and selling homes. But…it does. It's your job. And the only way you're going to be successful is the constant nurturing of your leads and spheres of influence. Sometimes the beauty of the present is how it's wrapped. Gather your spheres of influence for informal gatherings, at a location that has NOTHING to do with your job, and let them network among themselves, and with you. Causal relationship building is the by-product of casual relationship building. Your sphere of influence will begin to draw on inter-relationships that have nothing to do with you or your business. But when the time comes to suggest an agent for a sale or because one of their friends is looking to buy, that connection may ultimately benefit you enough to get a contact, if not the listing, itself.

4. Open house contacts

There are two sides to an open house: somebody trying to sell their property, and someone interested in buying. Someone popping into an open house might not just be a nosy neighbor. They might be someone interested in understanding more about a specific property or a specific neighborhood. And before they can buy a new home, they will likely have to sell their existing home. Never let the chance to grab contact information (even if it's only a social media username) pass you by. If you're going to do that, though, you must follow-up quickly – same day is not out of the question – and thank them for dropping by and introduce the idea of you working for them to both sell their existing and find their next home!

5. Capitalize on inherited properties

If I asked you to tell me how many homes are inherited every year in the US, would you be anywhere close to 1.1 MILLION? There's actually a large and wonderful niche for these types of properties that you can represent. Somebody dies, they leave their house to someone who doesn't want it (or can't afford the upkeep, or just wants the money and not the hassle, or they're selling it out from under their siblings…maybe not that one). As a real estate agent, it's prime pickings, and hopefully could represent a quick sale. Get that listing and remember this niche!

Give your business a boost this fall! As the leaves turn brown and hit the ground, do whatever you can to ensure the top of your sales funnel remains full. Take advantage of the best ideas to grow your book, find great clients, and fulfill your real estate dreams!