- Turn a listing into a launch. One listing becomes six campaigns.
- Turn a buyer's search into a seller conversation. One buyer opens a seller conversation.
- Turn a conversation into a referral. One text brings a referral.
- Turn a news event into an appointment. One headline starts a dozen conversations.
The market feels frozen. Buyers are waiting. Deals are falling apart.
I get it. I've created and sourced 2,500 real estate marketing campaigns, and here's what I've learned: every setback feels bigger when your pipeline is small.
You have three deals going. One falls apart, and suddenly the whole month feels gone. But when you have thirty conversations going, it's just one of thirty.
So how do you get to thirty?
Not with some clever, magic hack. With marketing.
"More of it. A lot more."
And you don't have to start from scratch. Nothing in your business is a one-time event. The listing you just took, the buyer you're showing homes to, the people you talk to every week, even this morning's headline: each one is the start of your next opportunity, if you know how to turn it.
Here are four ways to do it.
1. Turn a Listing Into a Launch
Most agents market a listing twice: "Just listed" and "Just sold." But every stage of a listing is a reason to reach out. Here's a campaign for each one.
I've seen hundreds of listing presentations. Almost all of them looked like they were made in Microsoft Paint.
But here's what most agents miss. Your listing presentation isn't really about you. It's the first piece of marketing the seller ever sees from you.
So they do the math. If this is how you present yourself, it's how you'll present their home.
A 106-page deck doesn't fix that. Nobody reads it. What wins is the opposite: beautiful, simple, easy to understand. Helpful. To the point.
That's why we built a free tool that creates everything you need for the appointment: the presentation, the CMA and the marketing materials. You walk in with a plan that already looks like the listing they want.
Win the listing before you walk in the door.
This is rarely talked about in the real estate marketing world, but one of the best ways to attract high-quality seller leads is by doing high-quality marketing of your current listings.
Before the home goes on the market, this is the first email you should send.
It's a simple way to add incredible value to both potential buyers and your seller.
You won the listing. Most agents go quiet now until the sign goes up.
But momentum is everything.
Before the appointment, you sent the neighborhood a quick pre-listing teaser email to spark some curiosity. Now you double down. But only with the people who opened it. They've already raised their hand. So you fan the flame.
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"I was wrong" flips the script and pulls them back in. The body raises the stakes: the home is even better than you said, and now there's a date. Then one small ask that gets you their cell number.
That's the whole trick. You're making them feel like insiders, and you're building the runway for launch day.
Remember that text you offered in the last email? This is what they're waiting for.
"Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd." — P.T. Barnum
Most agents push a listing to Zillow and hope for the best.
But the best launches don't start on launch day. Think about a movie. By opening night, you've seen the trailer, the poster and the countdown. You already want a ticket.
Treat your listing the same way:
- Coming soon.
- Early access.
- Exclusivity ends in 24 hours.
Build a simple page for the home: one great photo, a countdown to launch day and one button to text you for early access. See an example coming-soon page →
Send the page to everyone who said yes to the text, then to the neighborhood. Now people are talking before the home ever hits the market.
Here's the part most agents miss. The buzz isn't just for buyers.
Your seller gets more attention, more showings and better offers. And every homeowner watching sees how you launch a home and thinks, "I want that for mine."
A coming-soon page doesn't just sell this listing. It auditions you for the next one.
Most agents don't do this. You will.
Dear [Street Name] Neighbors,
I wanted to reach out personally because something exciting is happening right here in our neighborhood. [Homeowner's Name] has trusted me to sell their home at [Property Address], and — if I had to guess — it won't be on the market for long.
Before the official open house, I'd love for you to get a first look. We're hosting an exclusive neighbors-only showing on [Day, Date] from [Time] to [Time].
And just so you know — this is the only chance to see it before the public. If anything, it's a great excuse to swing by and say hi.
Looking forward to seeing you,
P.S. Our marketing plan pulls out all the stops — professional photos, videos, social media, the works. If you know someone who's been struggling to find "the one," bring them along on [Day]. They'll thank you later. And if you have questions, just call or text me at [Your Phone Number].
Nicole Odom reached out to me to help her revamp her Neighbors Only Open House letter.
The formula we used is simple:
- Direct and clear opening
- Urgency
- Encouraged her neighbors to bring a friend/family member
- Added a subtext that "I'm good at my job"
Whenever you're creating a marketing campaign, it's vital that you understand the emotion you're trying to elicit and the action you want to trigger.
You should 1000% use this for your next listing.
Most agents send a just-listed postcard to find a buyer. But the people getting the card usually aren't looking.
Their friends might be. Their sister. The coworker who keeps asking about the neighborhood.
So write the card for the people who know the buyer.
"7 reasons to love..." makes people curious, and the numbered list is easy to scan. You don't have to oversell a great home. You just have to get it noticed.
Then the back does the real work:
"If someone comes to mind who you think would love this home, have them call or text me directly."
Sound familiar? It's the same move as the referral text in play #3. You're not asking them to buy. You're asking who they know.
Your next buyer may not have started looking yet. But someone on your mailing list already knows who they are.
Most "just sold" postcards end up in the pile on the kitchen counter. They brag about the sale. But they don't say anything to the neighbor holding the card.
Then Scott Steadman shared this one in our Mastermind group. It was so good we turned it into a template.
It works because it does three things, in order:
- It names the market. "In a market where buyers are backing out, others are stalling, and some homes are taking [#] days to sell..."
- It shows proof. What happened with this sale, and how you made it happen.
- It gives one clear next step. "Text EQUITY to [your number] and I'll prepare a free home value report."
That's how a postcard starts a conversation. And conversations are what lead to listings.
2. Turn a Buyer's Search Into a Seller Conversation
Right now, you're probably working with buyers who are ready to move. But they can't find the right home.
So use that buyer as your reason to talk to sellers. I call it the Magic Buyer email.
That's it. Very short, very direct.
Here's why it works:
Send it to homeowners in the areas and price ranges your buyers want. Then follow up one-to-one with everyone who opens it.
3. Turn a Conversation Into a Referral
Most agents ask their sphere the same question: "Are you looking?" The answer is almost always no. So the conversation ends there.
But your database isn't just a list of contacts. It's a referral engine waiting to be turned on. You just have to ask a better question.
Here's the text I call the Infinite Referral Script:
Why it works
First, it assumes good intent. You're sharing something valuable, not asking for a favor.
Second, it flips the question from "Are you looking?" to "Who do you know?" That shift alone makes people feel helpful instead of sold to.
You're not asking your sphere to buy. You're asking them to be the connector, the one who knows someone.
Send this to your sphere this week, and watch how quickly referrals start coming in.
4. Turn a News Event Into an Appointment
Every month, new market numbers come out. Most agents scroll right past them. But to your database, those numbers are news. And news is a reason to reach out.
Here's a carousel we built from this fall's numbers: 7 Reasons Selling Your Home This Fall Could Make Sense. Each slide takes one fresh stat and turns it into a reason to move.
Same facts, five frames, built to get taps.
The "guess first" frame does the heavy lifting. A question makes people stop and tap.
The last slide asks one small question. No "call me today." Just seven reasons and an easy yes.
Where the Appointment Comes From
Everyone who DMs, replies, answers the question or shares is raising their hand. Follow up one-to-one that same day:
Next month, swap in whatever's new.
"The numbers change. The play doesn't."
Give Yourself More Ways to Win
I saw the news this morning: real estate is in a deep freeze. Maybe it is. But you can't control the headline. You can control how many chances you give yourself.
None of these four plays needs a hot market. They just need you to show up more often than everyone else.
No listing to work with right now? That's where we come in. Start your free trial at ListingLeads.com →
Go win anyway.