In real estate, there’s nothing more important than connecting with the right prospects who are ready to engage with you on property transactions. But today, the younger generation is entering the real estate market of Malaysia and technology is transforming the way agents and customers interact. As a result, you may need to refine your methods for effective lead generation for real estate in 2024.
In this article, we’ll discuss effective lead generation strategies for real estate agents in Malaysia you may want to adopt in 2024. Most are simple tips many agents overlook or never thought about. Here are six important areas you want to focus for lead generation:
Digital marketing with local focus
Digital marketing plays a great role in connecting your brand and services to your audiences. You can reach a vast and diverse audience through various online platforms, including social media, search engines, email, and websites. At the same time, you want to keep your marketing localised so you don’t cast your net too wide and face issues with qualifying leads.
Digital marketing also allows you to engage with your prospects in real time and create a more personalised and interactive experience. It’s cost-effective and offers a wide range of tools and strategies for all budgets.
As a real estate professional in Malaysia, you should focus on implementing local digital marketing strategies.
Local SEO strategy
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) refers to applying a set of practices to optimise your websites and listings so they rank higher in search engines. Higher rankings mean better visibility and a greater chance of connecting with more leads.
As you’ll be dealing with local prospects and trying to sell them properties in specific locations, your major focus should be on local SEO. A big part of this is including local keywords, such as location name and local topics that are trending and relevant to real estate.
Apart from keywords, there are other factors that help you improve your visibility. They include your site structure, content quality, mobile-friendliness, page speed, and user experience.
To improve the visibility of your website and services on search engines, you may also want to add keywords in Malay as they are also used heavily in places like Google search. Some examples of keywords may include “Property tax rate in Kuala Lumpur,” “Average house cost in Bangsar,” “Kuala Lumpur condos”,”Penang property for sale,” or the Malay equivalent of these keywords.
Keep in mind that some keywords can be highly competitive. Therefore, instead of just using the keywords in your services and listings, try creating content that offers value and helps your potential customers with general real estate issues. This helps you establish yourself as an expert in the field, attracting quality leads.
Here’s an important SEO tip:
To boost the visibility of properties that you’re looking to sell or rent, focus on optimising your listings on property portals rather than your business website. This is because your listings on property portals are more likely to rank higher on search engines than those on your business website, as property portals have a higher Domain Rating and are visited by thousands of people every day. Google’s algorithm favours websites with higher visitors and engagement.
Optimise your listings on property portals for SEO by including relevant keywords that potential buyers or renters are likely to search for, such as the property’s location, type, and key features (e.g., “Luxury condominium for rent in Kuala Lumpur” or “3 BHK apartment for sale in Johor Bahru”). Also, update your listings regularly to keep them fresh and relevant, as search engines favour content that is frequently updated.
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is another great tool to enhance your local SEO. A Google Business Profile boosts the visibility of your essential information such as business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and areas served in local searches. Additionally, with this tool, you can also showcase client reviews, share updates, post photos, and respond to inquiries. This increased visibility can drive more traffic to your listings and also help you establish trust with local homebuyers and sellers.
Content Marketing
Content marketing usually goes hand in hand with SEO as it involves creating content that appeals to your target audience. While doing so, you should also optimise your content with keywords and other SEO elements to ensure it is visible to your audience.
Content marketing includes creating and distributing blog posts, videos, and similar types of content on different platforms. Ideally, a good real estate content marketing strategy addresses local real estate concerns, such as property law changes, local market trends, area insights, or buying guides.
Content marketing is a long-term strategy, and you may not generate leads immediately or even for several weeks. However, it’s much more sustainable and efficient for your business in the long run. Your content will keep promoting your brand and generating leads for free, as long as it’s online.
Social media
Over 30 million Malaysians are active on social media, making it a great platform to generate real estate leads. You can generate leads from social media both organically and through paid promotions.
If you’re looking to grow your reach organically, keep in mind that almost all major social media algorithms favour consistency. The more consistent you are with publishing your posts, the more likely you’ll be noticed by a broader audience. Also, different social media platforms cater to different types of audiences. For instance, Facebook is more popular among older generations, while Millennials and Gen Z are more active on TikTok and Instagram.
Create a page for your business on social media and engage with the local audience by creating and posting useful content regularly. Add local keywords and relevant hashtags to your posts to improve their visibility. For faster results, consider running lead generation ads. Most major social media platforms offer lead generation ad options.
Property portals
Property portals provide a convenient way for real estate consumers to browse properties, compare prices, and contact agents directly. You can generate highly targeted quality leads for your real estate business from these portals.
All major property portals in Malaysia allow you to create your agent profile and publish your listings for free. You can also run paid promotions to generate leads faster. iProperty, PropertyGuru, Mudah.my, StarProperty, EdgeProp, PropSocial, etc are some of the major property portals based in Malaysia.
Here are some useful tips to make the most out of your property portal listings:
Optimise your listings: Use high-quality photos, detailed descriptions, and accurate pricing to make your listings stand out. Also, add local keywords and highlight key features and unique selling points in titles and descriptions to attract potential buyers. For instance, “Luxury apartments for sale in Johor Bahru with stunning sea views,” sounds much more attractive than “Luxury apartments for sale in Johor Bahru.”
Regular updates: Keep your listings up-to-date with the latest information and availability status. Regularly refreshing your content improves its visibility in search results.
Engage with enquiries: Respond quickly to inquiries and provide comprehensive answers to build trust. Prompt communication can significantly improve your chances of converting leads.
Additionally, all property portals allow you to run paid promotions like featured listings, banner ads, lead generation tools, etc. They may even have packages for real estate agents.
Viral marketing
Viral marketing is a new marketing technique that involves creating and sharing content that has the possibility of spreading extensively among larger audiences. It could be in the form of short videos, blogs, or short posts and shared across different social media platforms.
You can create viral content for real estate in different ways. Here are some:
- Influencer partnerships: Partnering with local influencers can help your content reach a wider and more engaged audience as you can leverage their follower base. Local real estate bloggers and influencers with a significant following in Malaysia can provide a direct line to potential buyers, investors, and renters, especially to younger clients and first-time buyers. .
- Influencer-style content: Influencers understand their audience and create content that resonates with them. Such content has the greater possibility of being shared more widely. If you’re not partnering with influencers, try creating similar content. This could include property tours highlighting key features and benefits of the properties you’re selling, content that educates potential buyers about market trends, buying tips, and investment strategies.
- Short-form video content: TikTok is super popular among the younger generation of Malaysians. As a result, many realtors are on TikTok creating short, engaging clips with enough information of properties for sale or rent. Try creating highly engaging, easy to consume, and shareable videos for TikTok and Reels on Instagram and Facebook. Remember, consistency is key. It takes time to build an audience on TikTok or any other social media platform. Follow a strategy and show up daily.
Local community events
Offline events can help you build your brand presence, connect with potential clients, and generate leads locally. Engage with the community through events, festivals, and educational initiatives and establish yourself as a trusted and visible figure in the local market.
- Local events: Local community events, festivals, and charitable activities can be helpful in boosting your visibility as a real estate agent. You can sponsor a local charity run, set up a booth at a community fair, or volunteer at a neighbourhood clean-up event to build a relationship with the local community. Event sponsorship is another way to display your brand, distribute promotional materials, and engage with event attendees directly.
- Seminars and workshops for homeowners or homebuyers: Host or attend local seminars and workshops to provide value to potential clients while also generating leads. Consider organising workshops on topics such as property investment, buying a first home, or navigating the local property market. These sessions can be held in community centres, local libraries, or even virtually.
- Cultural festivals: Malaysia’s rich cultural diversity offers numerous opportunities to engage with local communities during major festivals like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali, and others. Offer special property deals, host festive open houses, or participate in local celebrations during these times to connect with potential clients in a culturally meaningful way.
Groups & communities on WhatsApp or Facebook
WhatsApp has evolved beyond just a messaging app in Malaysia. Many people prefer this platform for personalised interactions and community engagement. This makes WhatsApp a powerful tool for real estate agents looking to connect with potential clients, share property listings, and build relationships in a more direct setting. Similarly, Facebook groups also provide valuable avenues for engaging with targeted audiences in the real estate sector. Leveraging these platforms effectively can greatly enhance your lead generation efforts.
Provide tailored advice and property options that meet the specific needs of members to maximise the benefits of participating in WhatsApp and Facebook groups. You can offer guidance on navigating the property buying process, share tips on investment strategies, or recommend properties that suit different budgets and preferences. Personalisation is key. Take the time to understand the concerns and goals of your audience segments, and provide relevant solutions.
Expat groups
Expats form a significant segment of the Malaysian real estate market, particularly in major cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Johor Bahru. To effectively tap into this market, you can join and engage with expat groups and communities, offering solutions that meet the unique needs of expatriates. You can also target expats through content marketing by creating expat-focused content.
Expats often face unique challenges when relocating to Malaysia. This includes navigating the property market, understanding local regulations, and finding suitable housing. Specialised services such as relocation assistance, property management, and expat-friendly property listings can set you apart as a go-to resource for expatriates.
Also, consider building relationships with organisations that cater to expats. Network with international schools, expatriate clubs, and online forums to connect directly with expat families and professionals.
How to streamline your sales process to improve conversion rate
There are many ways to generate real estate leads in Malaysia. The challenge is to generate high-quality leads and then convert into customers. Real estate is a highly competitive industry, and therefore, the conversion rate is comparatively lower. Your leads will likely engage with many of your competitors before deciding who they buy from. If you want to stay at the top of their minds, you need to be fast and consistent.
To improve your chances of converting leads into customers, you should have a highly streamlined sales process that allows you to engage with your leads seamlessly. Some of the most important elements of your sales process include immediate outreach, timely follow-ups, and personalised communication. To be able to do that, you should:
- Be able to instantly import new leads from the source to your phone where you can contact them.,
- Have a central location to track all your leads.
- Have a solid follow-up schedule and reminder.
You can either do everything manually or have a tool in place to handle your leads and create a smooth sales process. The issue with manual processes is that you will lag behind from the very beginning. For instance, you may need to visit your lead sources multiple times a day just to check if there are any new leads. If you come across one, you’ll be importing it manually into your spreadsheet. This alone is enough to lose your leads since you won’t be able to reach out to them within 15 minutes, which is the recommended timeframe for contacting new leads. Now, imagine you’re generating leads from multiple sources.
A CRM like Privyr can automatically import new leads from all your lead sources to your phone, alerting you in real time so you can immediately contact leads when they’re still hot and improve the chances of converting them. You’ll have a central place to store all your leads data. More importantly, you will have an efficient lead qualifying and follow-up schedule so you can focus on nurturing leads who are more likely to convert.
How to use Privyr to maximise real estate sales
Privyr is a mobile-first CRM popular among real estate agents. The tool easily integrates with all major lead sources like property portals, social media platforms, Google, websites, and gives you instant alerts for new leads on your phone. It also works seamlessly with popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, helping you connect with new leads using auto-personalised messages within seconds.
Privyr can be your perfect tool to improve the chances of converting real estate leads. Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Privyr to streamline your sales process:
Step 1. Create your account and download the app
Go to www.privyr.com and create your account by clicking Sign Up. Then, install Privyr app on your mobile device. Privyr is available on App Store and Google Play Store for iOS and Android devices. You can also use Privy on the desktop, if you prefer.
Step 2. Connect your lead sources
In your Privyr app, tap on Account and select Integrations.
Under the Lead Sources tab, select your lead source and tap on Configure/connect. This will redirect you to the lead source’s app or website. Click on Continue. This will integrate Privyr with your lead source. Repeat the same process for other lead sources.
Keep in mind that the process of integrating with lead sources may be different based on the platform. Just select the source you want to integrate and follow the instructions on how to do so.
Once you’ve integrated Privyr with your lead sources, you’ll start receiving instant alerts when you capture new leads! Privyr makes it extremely easy to run your entire sales process from your phone (or laptop).
- You’ll have a central location to access, manage, and contact all your leads.
- You’ll receive real-time mobile alerts for new leads generated from your lead sources.
- You can instantly access your leads details and contact them with auto-personalised messages on all communication channels including WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, and iMessage without needing to type, copy-and-paste, or save contact details to the phonebook yourself.
- The app will automatically schedule follow-up reminders for each lead.
- If needed, you can automatically distribute leads to your team members based on different criteria.
Conclusion
Generating real estate leads in Malaysia may not be as difficult as you think. You have many different methods and platforms to capture high-quality leads organically and through paid methods. Be active on all platforms where you can connect with your target audience meaningfully by posting useful content consistently. Post consistently on social media platforms and publish content regularly on your website. However, keep in mind that generating leads alone does not guarantee success — the next step is more challenging.
Use a CRM to connect with your leads in a much more efficient way and significantly improve your chances of converting them. If you’re looking for a tool that allows you to handle your sales process on the go, look no further than Privyr. It’s a really powerful mobile-first CRM, and it’s incredibly easy to use. Try Privyr for free.
