While paying for advertising (both physical and digital) can be an efficient strategy to increase traffic and leads, it can also be costly.

However, making your business known in your neighborhood does not necessarily have to be expensive. If you're ready to make some changes to your schedule, you might be able to generate more leads organically while also improving your reputation as a local expert.

Let's look at 5 unique (and free) ways to get real estate leads in your area.

Establish Office Hours At A Local Coffee Shop (Coffee House Consultant)

One of your primary obligations as a real estate agent is to spend numerous hours completing tedious paperwork tasks in the confines of your office or home.

To get through all of that tedium, you presumably consume copious amounts of coffee, tea, or other caffeinated beverages.

In fact, I'm willing to guess that you're either enjoying your morning coffee or wishing you were at your favorite coffee shop right now as you read this.

Let me ask you a question now. How many people come in and out of your favorite coffee shop each hour? 30? 50? 100?

If you know you'll be completing menial paperwork on your laptop for hours on end, why not spend an hour or two each week working from your favorite coffee shop?

By doing so, you will not only be able to complete the task at hand, but you will also be able to raise awareness for your real estate company and produce more real estate leads.

You can accomplish this by following the steps below.

• Choose a day and time - Look at your schedule and choose a day and time when you can spend a couple of hours at a coffee shop of your choice. Choose a time that is not just convenient for your hectic schedule, but also for the population and/or area that you are serving. And if it happens to be a busy time at the coffee shop, all the better.
• Notify everyone - Once you've agreed on your "coffee shop office hours," notify everyone in your sphere of influence. Advertise on your social media and community pages that you will be providing free real estate assistance at your favorite coffee shop at that time. Finally, edit your social media status to reflect that you are now in your coffee shop office, ready to provide free real estate advice to anyone who approaches you.
• Boost your post - For a few dollars, you can boost any of your posts so that it reaches hundreds (or even thousands) of people in any particular area and demographics that you choose.
• Make yourself noticeable - When you arrive at your coffee shop, sit in a location where you will be easily identified. Put a modest stack of your business cards on the table, and if you have apparel with your real estate logo, wear it as well. You can also go to your local print shop and get a laptop sleeve/sticker printed that promotes your real estate services. It may say, for example, "Ask me anything about real estate." That way, anyone in the coffee shop will be more likely to contact you for real estate guidance.

Of course, you may not have a large number of people asking you for real estate guidance right soon. Even if it takes a few weeks to get your first real estate leads, it will cost you next to nothing and will not interfere with your daily activities.

When you do meet someone, chances are they're ready to be converted into a client.

Interview Customers At Local Businesses You Visit

Even as real estate technology advances, the old adage holds true: "Real estate is local." That is why it is critical to establish yourself as the go-to hyperlocal real estate expert in your neighborhood.

Establishing and developing ties with local businesses is an excellent approach to accomplish this.

Make a list of local companies that you frequent or want to support, and then contact the proprietors. Tell them you'd like to write an article or make a video about the company and plan to broadcast it on your blog and social media platforms.

You can turn the piece into a business evaluation or an interview. If the owner(s) agree to an interview, ask them about their time in the neighborhood, what it's like to serve the community, why they decided to open the business, and so on.

In this interview, Randell Stringer of Realty Barrie does an excellent job of involving a local business.

If the owners are short on time, you may videotape the interview and afterward transcribe it into a text post.

Then, distribute your content to your circle of influence. Take a bunch of images and provide a link to the company's website.

Make sure you follow the company and its owner on social media. They will be notified when your article is published, and they will also be able to view your new articles and real estate blog entries.

By adding value to these local business owners and continuing to support them, you will establish yourself as a cornerstone of your community and encourage them to use or suggest your services to their sphere of influence.

Join Community Groups Based On Your Interests

Do you have a passion that you enjoy doing outside of your busy real estate career? Why not join a community group in your area, both online (for example, Facebook) and offline, centered on that hobby? These communities will not only help you further develop your passion, but you will also have the ability to make new friends and obtain new real estate leads.

These clubs will allow you to develop genuine relationships with people in your neighborhood through common hobbies and interests, as well as expand your sphere of influence. When you join these organizations, make sure to leave the real estate "salesmanship" at the door and simply interact with individuals in a genuine way. The main reason you should join these clubs is because you are genuinely interested in the hobby. Any benefit to your real estate business should occur naturally when you meet new people and talk more about your day job as a real estate agent.

Support Local Charities To Give Back

Unless you only work with international clients, you need community support to keep your real estate firm running. That awareness alone has inspired many real estate professionals to give back to their community as a way of expressing their gratitude.

Supporting local organizations is a terrific way to do so. Supporting a local charity gives you the satisfaction of building your community while also assisting someone less fortunate than yourself. And when the neighborhood gets to know your charitable side, they begin to perceive you as a person rather than just a profit-driven real estate salesman.

To select the best charity(ies) to support, do the following:

• Find your passion - Look for charities that support causes that you ACTUALLY care about, rather than ones that you believe others want you to care about. Begin developing ties with the charity's members and look for new methods to support them.
• Find methods to contribute in your daily life - Think of unique methods to support your charity of choice, whether it's offering your time, assisting with contributions, participating in and supporting their events, or leveraging your contacts to get excellent prices for their activities.
• Share your experiences - By blogging about it, publishing updates on social media, or filming films of the activities, you may help the charity get attention in your town.

Of all, just because you're donating to a local charity doesn't mean you have to devote all of your time to it. Maintain simplicity and don't take on more obligations than you can handle. Even small monthly contributions are much appreciated.

Your involvement in humanitarian activities will broaden your area of influence and may result in additional real estate leads.

Give Your Community Free Real Estate Advice

Most real estate agents enjoy discussing how they are distinct from other real estate agents in their area. They have more experience, local knowledge, or a big volume of sales.

Of course, anyone can make these statements, but not everyone is ready to back them up with evidence.

So, if you're eager to demonstrate your knowledge, you can volunteer to give free real estate advice.

And there are numerous ways to accomplish this. It might be from your YouTube channel, a live conference, a Facebook live broadcast, a radio show, a podcast, or something else.

If you're stuck for ideas, pay attention to the types of queries your clients ask. If one of them has a question, there's a high possibility that many others in your community do as well.

You can also consider collaborating with local professionals (such as mortgage brokers) to create excellent content that will help both of your spheres of influence grow.

You may also attempt addressing queries in real time if you already have a large social media presence.

Finally, your blog could be a wonderful approach to demonstrate your real estate knowledge. Create useful real estate articles and local guides for your town and promote them on your social media platforms.

Conclusion

One of the primary objectives of a real estate agent is to become an active member of the community. By going above and above to establish yourself as a charitable and contributing member of the community, you will make it much simpler for the community to recognize you as the go-to real estate expert.

And if you plan your time well, you'll be able to achieve all of these things without going too far out of your way or devoting too much time.