Marnie Beauchamp: Unconventional strategies for nurturing your pipeline

One of the biggest challenges as an agent is effectively managing your sales or property management pipeline.

It is essential for overcoming the roller coaster of peaks and troughs when it comes to listing property. 

Being able to maintain consistent contact and keep your pipeline engaged and informed, dramatically increases your conversion rate and your listing flow. 

Traditional methods of lead and pipeline nurturing often involve routine follow-up calls, emails and texts – a lot of which is now done with AI or outsourced, third party call centres.

There is no doubt that this is time efficient, but impersonal, and very much the same as all the other agents are doing. 

So why not do things differently? 

Be the purple cow everyone notices and is talking about. 

People are looking for connection, someone who truly stands out, provides useful, entertaining and interesting information and who has the ability to communicate without being pushy or needy.

The key is to seek and embrace out-of-the-box strategies to connect with clients on a deeper level and build meaningful relationships.

Here are just some of the ideas and techniques you may want to consider implementing into your nurturing plan.

Leveraging personalised video messaging 

Incorporating personalised video messages into the lead nurturing process can significantly enhance engagement and build rapport and connection with past and future clients.

Instead of the usual generic emails and texts, sending short customised videos and sometimes (when appropriate according to the situation) addressing the client by name, will have so much more impact. 

There are so many ways that you can utilise this, so think outside the square.

But here are some examples to get you started:

• market updates – make them entertaining, specific to their situation and let your personality shine 
• advising of new sales in their area 
• advising of new listings in their area 
• open home invitations 
• auction invitations 
• auction results 
• coming soon
• hot buyer alerts 
• off market opportunities 
• replying to enquiries.

This adds a personal touch that resonates more.

Some of those you can do in bulk, but others you should address to them directly and therefore do individual videos. 

Virtual property tours and events 

Now that virtual tours have become a thing, hosting virtual property tours as a pre-market event is an incredible opportunity to gather your database together, keep them engaged in what you’re doing, create a point of difference with your vendor and stand out from the crowd. 

This will provides an immersive experience and save time calling everyone on your database to tell them about new listings.

Just send them a calendar invite with details of what it’s about. 

You can use platforms like Zoom or Google Meet or create a private Facebook group with your pipeline as members and do a Facebook Live in the group.  

This way, you can also answer questions and interact with attendees, building a sense of connection and trust by sharing pre-market information and giving them a tour through your new listing. 

Host styling and presentation events  

Host virtual or in-person workshops focused on styling, on-trend colours, property presentation tips and other creative ideas to help them sell quicker and for more money when the time comes. 

Client online webinars 

Host regular webinars on real estate strategies to help them in their property journey. 

Again, there are so many options, but here are some examples to get you started: 

• investment strategies and what to look for in a rental property
• tips on buying at auction
• the process of selling at auction and what to expect 
• benefits of buying and selling at auction 
• property presentation tips to make your home more saleable 
• renovate and flip projects, what to look for, how to not overcapitalise, what market it works best in
• valuable insights and guidance on investment opportunities, risk management, and financial planning, to help clients make informed decisions about their real estate investments. (You can bring in guests accredited in these fields to discuss and answer questions. Remember, you shouldn’t give advice on things like this last point unless suitably qualified.)

DIY home improvement workshops

Host virtual or in-person workshops focused on DIY projects.

Have some of your local trades provide tips and tutorials on everything from painting and landscaping to simple repairs.

The knowledge and skills they may need to maintain or improve their future home.

It will give your trades exposure too, promoting more referral business. 

Virtual networking mixers

Organise virtual networking mixers or happy hours for clients, local business owners, and industry professionals.

Facilitate introductions, encourage collaboration, and provide opportunities for participants to share insights, referrals, and resources, generating a supportive network of connections.

Connecting and interacting on social media

Building and nurturing your pipeline by connecting with them on social media platforms allows you to interact in a more casual and engaging environment. 

By sharing honest, real and informative content about the area, you allow your pipeline to get to know you personally.

Hosting live Q&A sessions, and facilitating discussions about real estate matters, gives agents the opportunity to establish themselves as trusted advisors and keep them engaged throughout the buying or selling journey.

This is also a good way to continue to stay in focus with past vendors and buyers so they refer business to you or who may need your services again one day. 

You can also run some social media challenges.

Create social media challenges related to your listings.

As an example, you could do a ‘sneak peek’ using an image that would make it hard to identify the property, such as a cutout section of the facade, a front door or the garden.

Then encourage your followers to participate by offering prizes to the winner who guesses where the property is located.

If it’s hard, you can keep adding more snippets of information or photos in the comments to keep them guessing and keep it fun.

This not only engages your current clients but also helps you attract new ones. 

Past client anniversary gifts 

Send a small surprise anniversary gift to your past clients.

This unexpected gesture can leave a lasting impression and increase the likelihood of them coming back to you when the time comes for them to sell.

If it’s local you can drop them off some sweet treats, a bottle of something nice, a cake or flowers as examples. 

Client video reviews

Ask your vendors and purchasers if they would mind giving you a short video review.

You can use these to send to your pipeline, post on social media and tag them (with their permission).

It’s so much more powerful and resonant than a written review. 

Community events

Host community events such as fundraisers, sponsored events, cooking classes featuring local chefs and businesses or a kids’ event in the park. 

Invite your pipeline to enjoy these events with a relaxed and informal setting, while also showcasing your commitment to the community.

Effective pipeline management requires a proactive and innovative approach to lead nurturing.

By doing things differently and not focusing on when they want to sell, what their timeline looks like, telling them again what the market is doing and losing buyers due to a lack of real engagement, you can leave a mark on people and give them genuine reasons to want to stay in touch with you. 

By nurturing relationships in this manner, you’ll stand out and ultimately drive your listing and sales success in today’s competitive market.