The Marketing Tactics Top Real Estate Agents Use to Stay Busy Year-Round

Ever wonder why some real estate agents are always busy while others flounder in slow months? It’s neither luck nor, simply, the marketplace. It’s continued marketing that keeps consistent pipelines.

Top agents treat marketing as a system instead of a task when they’re not busy. Here’s what keeps them busy year-round.

Creating a Local Presence That Creates Repeat Recognition

The most frequently busy agents are found all over town—time and time again. Not just once or twice, but intermittently so they become synonymous with the profession.

This means showing up at little league games, sponsoring soccer teams, attending PTA meetings, being active in the community center, neighborhood associations, at school and the community centers. This isn’t glamorous marketing, but it works because real estate is hyper-local.

People sell their homes and purchase new ones where they live. They don’t travel to find a real estate agent in another state or town; they trust the person they see around the neighborhood, who sponsors the little league team. They feel a connection and, thus, familiarity when they see someone repeatedly.

It’s not one-time showing up for an event. That does nothing. It’s being there over months and years that positions agents as go-to professionals when someone needs help.

Following Up Consistently

Top agents know they can obtain referrals from past clients, but they work it instead of leaving it up to chance. They have systems in place for EVERYONE they’ve ever bought or sold a home for to reach back out.

This could be monthly e-blast newsletters with information about the markets in which past clients still reside. An annual outreach for past sellers of home value assessments. Holiday cards. Home anniversary notes. Quarterly check-ins about maintenance.

It doesn’t matter how often or which approach is taken—what’s critical is that the top agent is at the front of mind so when someone’s conversation comes up regarding real estate, their name pops into their heads.

Most people know multiple friends and family who will buy or sell in a given year. As long as the agent checks in with past clients, they’ll likely be able to connect them for referrals.

And top agents ASK for referrals—as long as it’s not in a pushy way, it’s more about making it clear that they’re taking on more clients now.

Targeted Digital Marketing

Past client lists and accessibility are critical, but digital marketing allows agents to capture those most currently in need. This is where search ads, social ads and sponsored online listings come into play.

Search ads target those searching “homes for sale in [insert location]” or “real estate agents near me”—people searching with intent. These are not cheap clicks to obtain; however, they’re clicks from people who are truly looking.

Social ads allow agents to target specific audiences and neighborhoods—think 30-40 year olds looking to be first-time home buyers or homeowners ready to downsize. Facebook and Instagram is capable of this targeting. Neighborhood-based ads can be sent out to attune to homeowners likely ready to sell.

Agents use any means necessary for notification-based marketing—push notification ads on mobile and desktop devices alert potential clients when homes become available or prices adjust in real-time.

Video content shared on social platforms helps promote personality and expertise for a variety of market updates, buyer tips, tours of homes available on open houses, community highlights—informative videos that present the agent’s face and expertise without overwhelming followers with too many posts.

Consistent Content Creation That Positions Them as Experts

Successful agents create consistent content that both supports their market expertise as needed while helping them.

This means blog posts about market analysis at levels from buyers to sellers—research and tips about buying or selling in locations they’re representing, whether those are communities they’re familiar with based on access to information or their niches.

This content helps boost SEO so prospective clients searching for local-based real estate information can stumble across this agent. This content can be shared. And this content can be sent out in newsletters so it’s valuable to existing connections.

The agent need not be a professional writer; sometimes straightforward facts and practical weekly advice works best. It’s all about consistency—not perfection—of visibility.

Geographic Farming Neighborhoods

Many top agents find neighborhoods they like and FARM them intensely rather than cover an entire city/region. They become THE agent by making an effort to become well-known through concentrated efforts.

This means direct mail—NOT once—but continuously—sent to everyone in specific neighborhoods highlighting what home’s sold for in that area with a personal flair to make data-driven discussions as minor as possible when appealing to neighborhood sensibilities.

Just-listed and just-sold postcards showing activity through similar means. Events scheduled in neighborhoods and open houses held specifically for the market.

Saturation works best here so when someone thinks about selling in that neighborhood they’ve received this agent’s marketing multiple times over. When the talk of real estate comes up between friends and family, this agent’s name comes up because everyone has seen the campaign efforts before.

Such geographic farming takes time—12-18 months before the returns become helpful—but over time this leads to consistent listings if the agent becomes intensely knowledgeable in one specific area.

Client Incentivizing Events

While open houses serve a dual purpose—in showing homes as well as giving opportunities for conversations—top agents use these as opportunities as introductions to socialization.

Every visitor who comes through is either an active buyer for this property; however, they might want something else—or may want to sell down the line.

Some agents hold buyer seminars or seller workshops to strategize approach while making them feel comfortable with their experience helpful to future endeavors.

Community events—neighborhood block parties, fundraising initiatives, client appreciation events—keep top agents relevant within their sphere since it’s much easier to create face-to-face connections than rely on digital interactions alone.

Connecting Other Professionals

Top agents build connections with lenders, home inspectors, contractors, attorneys and other professionals necessary in a home-buying process who work with clients buying and selling homes.

These connections yield referrals both ways; a lender works with someone who’s pre-approved but still hasn’t found an agent yet—boom!

An attorney whose helping with an estate where there’s a home to be sold suggests a trusted agent—BAM! These naturally convert better than cold leads.

But this relies on actual networking instead of collections of business cards—even going so far as referring when appropriate so there’s professional reciprocity involved—and becoming a go-to trusted colleague.

Consistency Through Slow Periods

This is how busy agents maintain their success—because instead of slowing down their marketing efforts during slower times, they keep going because they’re not looking at short-term gains.

When slow markets occur or seasonal slumps occurs come quiet times where weak agents stop paying attention (and therefore, paying) so they can keep costs low. Top agents either maintain their efforts or increase them because what small fee invested now will yield exponential results several weeks to months down the line. They’re playing the long game.

They also shift strategies based on what’s occurring; in a sellers’ market they’ll focus more on buyers since competition is higher while buyer’s markets will focus more on listings since there will be more options; regardless, no opportunity should go wasted by more marketing time not being spent.

The System That Keeps Busy

All of this requires systematization. Top agents don’t think about marketing when they have time—they have systems that run no matter what they’re doing daily/weekly/monthly/yearly.

Past client followup is automatic and systemized. Local presence is created weeks/months ahead of time and set into motion on autopilot. Content creation comes on a specific timeline rendered automatically so time isn’t mismanaged for best results.

There’s no feast-and-famine cycle because even while deals are closing currently there are pipelines supporting potentially bigger businesses already underway for top agents keeping business successful year-round.

Why It Doesn’t Matter What Market Conditions Exist

Agents want to blame slow times on market conditions; however, busy agents prove that good marketing transcends any effort put forth regardless of limited or booming expectations—even still—there are always people looking to buy or sell; the question is whether they’re calling THIS agent or someone else.

Agents who employ systematic year-round don’t care if there’s a shift; they’ve done enough marketing that when one opportunity stops others jump at the bit—this is what keeps them busy year-round regardless of conditions.