Get inspired: property canvassing ideas for top practitioners

Property canvassing is an essential aspect of any real estate practitioner’s job and involves actively reaching out to potential clients and presenting them with potential investment opportunities. By engaging with potential sellers and buyers, you can establish a connection that can lead to successful transactions.

Top practitioners often come up with effective canvassing ideas to increase their chances of success. This involves highlighting listings or services and giving potential clients the lowdown on what's out there, what it costs, and what might be the perfect fit for them.

Why is canvassing important in real estate?

Because it allows property practitioners to actively contact prospective buyers and sellers in their target area, it is a great way to gain more contacts and promote properties and services. It also can build trust in the community and help practitioners become known as local experts in the area that can be turned to for real estate assistance. 

However, there are obstacles that real estate agents face while canvassing, such as finding responsive leads, not having enough time to visit each home, and dealing with rejection. It can be challenging to generate attention, establish a rapport in a short amount of time, and understand trends in the local market. Here are some ideas to overcome this and enhance your canvassing efforts:

Conduct thorough research

Part of this process involves learning about the neighbourhood's demographics, the houses on the market, and what people find most attractive about the region. Doing your homework will allow you to better target them with your message and strategy. You can turn to companies like Lightstone to gain accurate information, valuations, and market intelligence on properties in South Africa.

Engage in active listening and be persuasive

During your interactions with buyers and sellers, it is crucial to engage in active listening. Pay attention to their concerns, questions, and feedback. Also, use facts, statistics, and compelling arguments to make your case. Try to avoid using jargon or complex language that may confuse or alienate your audience.

Be strategic with your approach 

Target certain locations or buildings that are relevant to your clientele rather than distributing your marketing materials randomly around the community. Being precise is important. The secret to print ads' success is their ability to target specific people. Get your materials in front of people where they live and customise your strategy to target a certain neighbourhood or kind of home.

Be respectful and considerate

When canvassing, it is important to be sensitive to your potential client’s time and personal space. Avoid being pushy or overly aggressive. Instead, you should focus on building trust and engaging with buyers and sellers on their terms.

Collect feedback and data

While canvassing, it can be helpful to collect feedback about your interactions with buyers and sellers. This feedback can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your message and campaign strategy. Having conversations with those who were contacted can help, but you can also include online feedback surveys linked to a QR code on marketing materials.

Follow up with clients

Never stop moving past that initial contact. Keep in touch with potential clients and demonstrate interest in what they have to say. You can build trust and word-of-mouth advertising for your company by maintaining regular contact by phone, email, or a personalised newsletter. When you establish yourself as a trustworthy source and provide valuable information and resources, you can develop connections that last.

Use personalised marketing materials

Marketing materials that include personalised components are more likely to attract potential customers' attention. Personalise your brochures, postcards, or letters by sharing information about yourself, your love for the area, and testimonials from neighbours. Adding a personal touch like this can help you stand out from the crowd.

Make sure you’re online 

Use platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to present yourself, share your expertise in your field, and connect with potential clients. Talk to your audience by responding to comments, sharing interesting items or articles, and giving them helpful advice. Interactions like these are the lifeblood of making a successful canvassing initiative.

Network at every opportunity

Becoming a familiar face can make canvassing much easier. If possible, do community roadshows, become part of community forums, or speak at local seminars and conferences to demonstrate your expertise. The more coverage you have, the more clients will be interested in your services.

Streamline your canvassing efforts

Canvassing can draw on valuable time that can be better invested in nurturing leads or completing day-to-day tasks. Thankfully, there’s a digital solution on the market that takes the stress away from the process. As a Prop Data client, you can leverage Lightstone's game-changing 'propensity to sell' engine, by signing up for the Canvassing Module. It allows you to seamlessly send insightful, beautifully branded neighbourhood and property reports to the right seller prospects at exactly the right time.