Top of Funnel Lead Generation Strategies for Real Estate: Attract More Buyers and Build Your Pipeline
When thinking about your marketing strategies and how to get more clients, you need to think about how to get your brand out there. Making your name synonymous with being the local expert is key for the top of funnel (TOFU) clients.
If you’ve never heard of TOFU before (or MOFU (middle of the funnel) or BOFU (bottom of the funnel), it’s okay - we are here to explain it all. TOFU is the starting point of the marketing funnel. It’s where you create awareness and begin to nurture interest.
You’re probably thinking about your marketing strategy in relation to a home buyer’s journey. Let’s revisit some basic real estate marketing principles: The first step in a purchasing decision is is recognizing a need or identifying a problem. You’ve seen this firsthand—clients outgrowing their homes, relocating for work, or looking to invest. This marks the start of their buying journey. While they may not yet know exactly what they want, they begin gathering information and exploring their options—and that’s where you come in.
Now, ask yourself: How did they find you specifically? And why did they trust the information you provided?
When you are focused on the TOFU clients, you are ensuring that potential clients are introduced to your brand early in their buyer journey, but in a way that is not pushy. The real goal here is to increase awareness and position yourself as the local real estate expert in your market. We are here to help you explore effective TOFU techniques, and hence - a strong pipeline.
TOFU Content Marketing for Real Estate
Let’s talk about content marketing. It’s a pretty powerful tool to establish your authority and attract potential clients for the top of your funnel. You can establish your brand through a variety of channels but we are going to cover the big ones: social media, blogs, and videos.
Social Media Marketing Content for Real Estate
Let’s start with the obvious one: social media. With social media, you need to know where your clients are. You may need to branch out to other platforms like Instagram or TikTok to reach younger buyers and sellers. And while there are so many options available for social media, you don’t need a presence on every single one. The content you share can be brief, but it needs to be engaging. You should ask for engagement with your content by asking your audience to like, share or comment on your content. You should also mix it up with the type of content you post. For example, you can post popular listings, FAQs for first time home buyers, neighborhood guides, home-buying tips for investors, or a video of yourself talking about market trends.
Also, consider giving away some information in exchange for lead information. Your page can include valuable content or “lead magnets” by offering to email out content like downloadable guides, checklists for first-time buyers, or an e-book on property investment to prospects in exchange for their contact details. Providing something of value can fill your top of the funnel with qualified leads and by providing valuable information, you can create trust and interest before a potential buyer is ready to make a decision.
Blogging Brings Your Customer into Your Marketing Funnel
Another great way to produce content is through a blog. Your blog topics can vary and cover a wide range of topics like "Top Neighborhoods for Families" or "How to Get Started with Real Estate Investing." Blogs can be a great tool for real estate agents because you can use them to position yourself as a knowledgeable resource and do it all through your own voice. You can answer common questions and establish trust with potential clients while letting your personality shine through your writing. Placing lead capture forms on your blog will help you collect basic info from those visiting your site. Forms that ask questions about the type of property, budget, and preferred neighborhood can help you qualify leads without that initial phone interview.
Engaging Video Content for Real Estate Agents
People love visual content. Video content often performs better than written content on social media. It’s more engaging and it is the best way to truly showcase your unique personality. For real estate agents, you can post a home tour, but you can also do a neighborhood tour. You could post videos about what life is like in a particular neighborhood. These lifestyle-oriented videos (e.g., "A Day in [Neighborhood]") give prospects a feel for what it's like to live in the areas they’re interested in.
Engaging social media content, well-structured blog posts, and informative videos can all help prospective buyers discover your brand organically. The key is to focus on creating content that speaks to the buyer’s needs at this early stage, positioning yourself as a knowledgeable resource rather than making a hard sell.
Social Proof and TOFU Marketing
Anyone can say that they are the best. What makes it believable is social proof. In your social channels, you need to find ways to convince others that you’re the real deal. The best way to do that is through client testimonials and success stories. In real estate, social proof is essential since buying or selling a home is a big decision that often requires a fair amount of research on the client’s end. It’s key that you build a reputation where people feel they can trust you.
If you have access to any positive ratings or reviews about you as an agent, share them! High ratings could be from Google or Yelp or anywhere that provides credible information. Remember that these potential clients are in the awareness stage and they are looking for a reputable agent. You need to make sure that you are emphasizing that you are that agent and that you are doing it often.
Engaging with Local Communities
You need to be your area’s local expert. You need to be actively engaged with your local community in order to have a significant edge in lead generation. First, build connections with local residents. Look for community activities that you can participate in like a local festival or organize one yourself, like a neighborhood clean-up. You could also sponsor a charity event or volunteer your time to work with one. Building connections with your local community is going to position you as a well connected agent but also an approachable one.
Another helpful strategy is to partner with local businesses. Reach out to local coffee shops, book stores, cafes, etc. and look for opportunities to collaborate with them to broaden your reach. For instance, you might leave your business cards at a local cafe in exchange for featuring them in a social media post. The cafe could also become your go-to meeting spot when engaging with new clients and learning about their needs.
You could also bring in business by hosting a local forum that people can participate in and where you can showcase your market knowledge. Keep in mind that a forum could be a webinar. Webinars on topics like “Buying Your First Home,” or “How to Prepare Your Home for Sale” are great for educating potential clients. Also, these webinars allow you to capture leads by requiring registration. In essence, by featuring local businesses in your content or collaborating with them for events, you can further establish your presence as a trusted community partner. When you have built a presence in the community, locals will think of you first when considering buying or selling.
Technology Helps Real Estate Agents Scale Their Marketing & Get More Deals
Find ways to make your community presence a priority. You can use technology to help organize your day and automate as much as you can. You can also follow pages/sites that provide helpful tools like this one to help you manage your time. For any agent using a tool like IRIS or another similar tool, these platforms can free up time typically spent on administrative tasks, allowing you to engage more in the field.
Bottom line: real estate agents who are visible and active in their communities are more likely to generate leads, as potential buyers and sellers prefer agents who understand the area and have strong local ties.
Being effective with TOFU will turn early connections into closings
All of these strategies are here for one purpose: to build your brand. Yes, you want your name out there, but remember you are more than just your name. You want people to associate you with being the local expert. For first time home buyers, this can be a stressful and scary process. If you can come across as the agent that understands this and is there as their guide, you’ll win them over into your pipeline. These TOFU strategies (social media, blogs, video, and leveraging social proof) are the foundation to creating that authentic presence that resonates with homebuyers at the start of their journey. Participating in community events and collaborating with local businesses just underscores that foundation and it makes your name resonate with people who aren’t ready to buy, but are looking for someone to trust. In real estate, success is all about making those early connections that bring clients back when they’re ready to move forward.