Tools You Can Use to Market to Real Estate Agents

Marketing to real estate agents can be a significant source of referrals and business growth for loan officers. In this post, we will explore the tools and tactics to effectively market to real estate agent partners. We will delve into two distinct categories of tools and tactics: traditional marketing and innovative, data-driven marketing. By leveraging these tools, you can create a well-rounded approach to enhance your relationships with real estate agents and boost your business.

When it comes to marketing to real estate agents, there are two primary categories of tools and tactics to consider:

Traditional Marketing Tools and Tactics

Traditional methods rely heavily on event attendance and networking. Loan officers will also make “blind” phone calls to agents in an attempt to forge new partnerships. But without reliable data and insights into agent performance and production, this tactic can lead to awkward conversations and are typically unproductive. While these traditional methods can sometimes be effective, they are generally less efficient and more time-consuming.

Innovative, Data-Driven Marketing Tools and Tactics

Data-driven marketing, on the other hand, offers a more efficient and effective approach to market to agent partners. It involves accessing accurate, up-to-date performance data on real estate agents to inform your outreach strategy and messaging. This outreach can take the form of digital channels, phone calls, or in-person networking. A data-driven approach enables you to create a sustainable, reliable, scalable, and efficient marketing strategy.

To get started, it’s crucial to determine the value your current group of agents is providing and whether you can gain more business from them. You should also assess the potential value of expanding your network with new agents. Determine the value new partnerships might bring by leveraging valuable data and insights found in platforms like MMI. Identifying the agents you should focus on and optimizing your time investment with them is critical.

Traditional Real Estate Agent Marketing Tools

Traditional tactics like conferences and events continue to offer an effective way to market to real estate agents and grow your network.

Traditional methods can still be valuable in growing your network and establishing relationships with real estate agents. Here are some traditional marketing tools and tactics you can employ:

Attend Industry Events, Webinars and Continuing Education Classes

Participating in events, webinars, and continuing education classes can help you connect with agents in your area. Look for events organized by associations like the National Association of Realtors or Realtor.com. Take advantage of these opportunities to familiarize yourself with local agents and the type of content they are interested in. Engage when you can to help elevate your presence. At the same time you want to demonstrate your knowledge and proficiency in the subject matter and major players.

Host Your Own Events and Webinars

Consider hosting your own events and webinars tailored to the current interests and needs of real estate agents. These events can serve as platforms for building relationships and showcasing your expertise. Research local and national events to understand hot-button topics. Then identify other professionals – including agents – to invite to participate in these in-person events and webinars. For live events, make sure to include time before and after the event for networking. This way you can reconnect with agents you know, and meet new potential partners. You’ll be doing the local business community a service at the same time.

One-on-One Meetings with Individual Agents

Meeting with agents individually allows you to personalize your approach and strengthen your connections. It’s an opportunity to discuss how you can mutually benefit from an expanded or new partnership. Setting up a coffee meeting or an aside meeting at an upcoming industry event can be good icebreakers. They also serve as ways to secure valuable personal, one-on-one facetime.

Innovative Data-Driven Real Estate Agent Marketing Tools

Look for a mortgage data solution that allows you to view agent rankings within specific geographic areas.

Data-driven marketing offers a more precise and efficient approach to reach and engage real estate agents. With these methods, you avoid the dreaded cold call “selling” approach. 

You can utilize in-depth, up-to-the minute information from an agent data platform to help drive your communications. With it, you’ll be able to deliver more precise messaging to existing and potential partners. Make sure you connect your data platform to other important systems like your CRM and marketing platform. Here are some innovative tools and tactics you can utilize.

Agent Data Platform Insights

Utilizing a real estate agent data platform like MMI provides you with accurate, up-to-date insights into agent performance. This data empowers you to tailor your communication and messaging for more effective outreach. It’s also crucial for measuring the value of your agent network. For an idea of the types of agent data platforms available, check out a software review website like G2. With it you can begin to compare and contrast benefits, features and functions. You’ll start to discern what type of platform would work best for you. Our article on measuring the value of your agent network is a good place to broaden your knowledge on these agent KPIs.

CRMs and Marketing Campaigns

Integrating your data platform with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system like Bonzo allows for better targeting, personalization, and more accurate timing and messaging. Compare and contrast different  CRMs that integrate with the real estate agent marketing tools to suit your needs. To understand the landscape and CRMs available on the market, visit websites like Capterrra. Once there you can read ratings and reviews to begin to determine what might work best for you.

Social Media with Targeting and Engagement Metrics

Utilizing social media for your professional needs can be a very effective way to target real estate agents and market yourself and your business. You can use LinkedIn to connect with agents and also demonstrate your business acumen. Look to do this through posts on your timeline and also by joining and participating in specific LinkedIn Groups.

Building a local Facebook Group or deploying an Instagram strategy can help broaden your reach and engage real estate agents. Again, social media can be a valuable addition to your marketing strategy because it allows for precise targeting. And it also provides valuable engagement metrics to assess the effectiveness of your efforts.

AI Tools

AI tools like ChatGPT can assist in crafting compelling messaging and copy, while tools like Jasper can even help generate visually appealing images for your outreach to agents. If you haven’t started using or experimenting with these, we suggest you start to dip your toe into this collective pool of tools. They are easy to use and while they require the right prompts from you, they can be very helpful in delivering helpful assets to you quickly. You’ll often have to review and edit what is delivered to you, but again, these can be valuable tools that help you save time. Start to research the different types of AI tools available to use – often for free. You’ll soon uncover what each has to offer as it relates to generative features and functionality. 

Jumpstart Your Use of Tools to Market to Agent Partners

Take action to market to real estate agents in traditional and newer, more innovative ways.

Now that you’re familiar with the tools and tactics available, it’s time to jumpstart your efforts to market to real estate agent partners. You’ll want to prioritize your approach based on level of effort, resources and budgets. Once in play you’ll want to regularly evaluate and measure effectiveness. Here’s a step-by-step approach to identify strategies that make most sense for your business.

Review Current Tools and Tactics

Take inventory of your current marketing strategies and understand what you have and don’t have – and what is working well or not working. Then review the tools and tactics we’ve discussed in this post to help identify the new systems and channels to research and ultimately look to deploy.

Create a Calendar of Events

Research and plan your participation in upcoming events, webinars and continuing education opportunities in your local area and nationally – both in-person and online. As you look to events or webinars you could host yourself, start to outline topics of interest, potential speakers and participants, and locations and dates for them.

Research and Demo Agent Data Platforms and CRMs

Explore different agent data platforms and CRMs using some of the sites we mentioned like G2 and Capterra, and then research the tool websites to being comparing their features and benefits. Your next step would be to request demos from the tool providers to help assess their suitability for your needs.

Create and Deploy a Plan to Market to Real Estate Agents

Develop a comprehensive marketing plan that incorporates both the traditional and data-driven marketing tools and tactics you currently have. And start to build a plan that would incorporate new elements and channels. As you execute your plan be sure to measure the effectiveness of each tool that you’ve incorporated.

In conclusion, marketing to real estate agent partners is a strategic endeavor that requires a well-thought-out approach and the use of appropriate tools. By combining traditional marketing methods with innovative, data-driven tactics, you can establish and nurture strong relationships with real estate agents. This culminates in driving business growth and industry succcess.

For more ideas on tools you can use to market to partners, our webinar on developing a great marketing strategy to reach agents provides some key insights into how to evolve your plan. You can also request a demo of MMI to gain a deeper understanding of how its data guidance system can boost your marketing efforts.