Real Estate Lead Generation: How to Generate More Leads in 2025

Lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers or clients to your business. For real estate, having a solid lead gen strategy is crucial. Without a steady stream of interested prospects, your business isn’t going to stay afloat for long.

While lead generation used to focus on newspaper ads or billboards, today’s tactics look more like personalized ads or AI-driven marketing strategies — all used to build trust while drawing in would-be homebuyers and motivated sellers.

In this article, we’re breaking down the most effective real estate lead generation ideas for you to use in 2025.

Leverage Technology for Lead Generation

Technology is a powerful tool for boosting real estate lead generation. By leveraging virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and CRM platforms like iHomeFinder, you can attract and convert more qualified prospects.

Strategic use of technology helps you build strong relationships with clients, attorneys, and the community—leading to long-term success.

Here are some top tactics and strategies to try this year.

IDX-Powered Search

iHomeFinder Max is an IDX-powered search platform that helps you find, nurture, and convert prospects. Designed for real estate agents and teams, iHomeFinder lets you import leads from 30+ third-party services. Once you’ve done that, you can:

• Showcase listings through IDX-powered search
• Draw on activity-based insights to prioritize high-intent leads
• Send automated follow-up emails and texts

And ultimately, you’ll close more deals as you use iHomeFinder’s features to stick close to your prospects’ side through each step of the process. This platform leverages advanced lead generation technology, including dynamic search features, home valuations, and AI-powered communication tools, to optimize your lead generation efforts.

Start by integrating iHomeFinder into your existing website.

AI Chatbots for Instant Lead Engagement

AI chatbots can provide 24/7 customer support, taking the burden off your (human) team in helping efficiently generate and qualify new leads. Try integrating a chatbot on your website to engage and convert website visitors. 

You can also set up your chatbot to ask a series of questions that will determine whether a visitor is a qualified lead or just a “window shopper” passing by. Use questions like these as your starting point:

• Are you looking to buy a home?
• When do you want to buy?
• Where do you want to buy?
• What type of property do you want to purchase?
• What’s your budget range?
• Have you been pre-approved?

Your bot can also provide multiple-choice answers for each of these questions. The answers that a website visitor selects will help the bot automatically decide whether they’re a qualified lead (based on predetermined criteria that you’ve set). 

Virtual Reality (VR) Tours

Virtual reality creates immersive property experiences, allowing potential buyers to explore listings remotely. This is particularly helpful for people who might be moving to a new state or a different area and don’t want to deal with the time, money, and effort required to travel back and forth viewing homes. You can also host online VR events, like a virtual open house, to attract tech-savvy clients. 

Enhance Your Online Presence to Attract Real Estate Leads

When people are ready to buy a home, many of them turn to the Internet first. That means you need to make sure you’re easy to find online — and, when people find you, that your online presence makes you look trustworthy and professional. SEO and social media are two of the best ways to improve your visibility on the web.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization is the process of helping search engines (like Google) understand your website’s content and send more targeted visitors your way. For example, if someone in your town searches for “real estate agent near me,” you want your website to show up at the top of the search results. A good SEO strategy is the way to do that.

Additionally, SEO can help generate real estate leads by attracting potential clients through optimized content.

As a real estate agent, you’ll want to focus heavily on optimizing for location-based keywords. Use Google Keyword Planner to identify keywords that your potential buyers use in their research, and incorporate those keywords into your site.

Another tip: Create a Google Business Profile to further prove your credibility and increase your chances of appearing in local search results.

Social Media Engagement

According to the National Association of Realtors, social media is the top tech tool that provides realtors with quality leads (providing 52% of leads, with customer relationship management tools providing 31% and MLS sites coming in at 28%). If you want to increase your real estate lead generation, it’s crucial to have a presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

 

Post consistently on each platform (several times a week) and promptly respond to any comments or messages you receive. Share high-quality visuals, offering your audience informative content that demonstrates your authority or posting success stories that proves you’re good at your job. 

Use Content Marketing and Lead Generation Strategies for Real Estate Growth

Following content marketing best practices is another valuable way to increase your online visibility, cement your authority in the real estate space, and ultimately convert leads into clients. Typically, content marketing resources are longform — think, an in-depth ebook instead of a quick social media caption. (If creating these materials sounds intimidating, consider outsourcing to a qualified freelance writer.)

Email Marketing Campaigns

Cultivating an email list of leads and regularly sending them emails can help move them along the funnel to become buyers. Send content such as personalized property updates, educational email newsletters, and market insights to help nurture these leads.

 

An additional benefit of email is the ability to segment your overall email list. Segmentation is simply the process of taking your primary email list and breaking it down into smaller categories — such as people who want to buy a house vs. a condo, or people in different generations — so you can send each group content that’s targeted specifically to them. You can also automate follow-up emails to maintain engagement. 

Blog Posts and Free Resources

Create a blog on your website and update it regularly with blog posts that provide valuable information to potential clients. For instance, depending on your exact target audience, you might share articles on topics such as:

• How to know when you’re ready to buy your first home
• Tips for getting your house ready to sell
• What to look for in an open house
• The difference in being pre-qualified and pre-approved 
• Neighborhood market report for your area

You can also create a free resource, such as an ebook or webinar, and offer it to website visitors in exchange for their email address. This is called a lead magnet. 

Content marketing strategies like these establish your authority and attract leads who are seeking an expert real estate agent. 

Build and Maintain Your Reputation

As you probably already know, trust is a major element of real estate. Buying or selling a house is a big life decision. People need to know they can trust you to handle it. And this is where reputation management comes in: You need to build a good reputation online and maintain that reputation long-term so potential leads will be more inclined to trust you. Here are a few ways to do so.

Review Marketing

Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google and Facebook to highlight your lead quality. Then showcase the best testimonials on your website and social media channels. 

Prospects are going to be looking at these reviews, so high ratings enhance your credibility. To illustrate the point, 83% of clients avoid agents with a rating below four stars. (If you get a bad review, leave a public reply that’s kind and professional, offering to privately rectify the issue if possible.)

Referral Programs

A real estate referral program is a highly effective method of encouraging existing clients to refer new leads. Offer an incentive, such as a gift card to a local restaurant, for each client who refers somebody who becomes a client, too. This is an excellent way of leveraging word-of-mouth to expand your client base.

Paid Advertising

Paid ads can help reach specific demographics to improve your reputation online. Try setting up a Google Ads campaign focused on local property seekers. You can set an ad to target people who are located within a specific radius of your service area.

Hosting Educational Events

Educational events are a great way to position yourself as a knowledgeable resource about the industry and to attract serious buyers. Consider hosting a virtual event, such as a once-a-month webinar or workshop, to educate potential clients about market trends and investment opportunities. (This also gives you a “library” of content that you can later repurpose for your blog or social media posts.)

Networking and Partnerships

Form partnerships with local businesses to expand your reach, gain referrals, and further improve your credibility and reputation in the community. For instance, you might try teaming up with mortgage brokers or home inspectors for joint marketing efforts. 

Analyzing and Adapting Strategies

Finally, make sure you’re leveraging data and analytics to help measure the effectiveness of your real estate lead generation strategies. Regularly review performance metrics (such as engagement, number of leads, conversion rate, etc.) to help refine and adapt your approach.

 

Quick Review: Benefits of Lead Generation for Real Estate Agents Effective lead generation offers numerous advantages for real estate agents. It’s the key to unlocking success in your real estate business. Let’s recap some of the most important benefits: ➡️ Increased sales and revenue: By consistently attracting and converting high-quality leads, real estate agents can significantly boost their sales and revenue. ➡️ Improved visibility and reputation in the real estate industry: A strong lead generation strategy enhances your online presence, making your brand more visible and reputable in the market. ➡️ Enhanced customer relationships and loyalty: Building and nurturing relationships with leads fosters trust and loyalty, leading to repeat business and referrals. ➡️  Better market insights and understanding of customer needs: Engaging with leads provides valuable insights into market trends and customer preferences, helping you tailor your services to meet their needs. ➡️ Competitive advantage in the market: Effective lead generation sets you apart from competitors, positioning you as a go-to real estate professional in your area.

Enhance Your Lead Gen Efforts with iHomeFinder

Lead generation services are crucial to keep your real estate business alive. By focusing on tactics like content marketing, reputation management, and incorporating technology-driven tools like iHomeFinder, you can enhance your lead gen efforts and thrive in the current market landscape. 

Want to learn more about how iHomeFinder can help with real estate lead generation? 

We’d love to walk you through how iHomeFinder Max helps agents close more deals. Schedule a 15-minute demo today.