BLOG, blog, blog and blog some more:) 

It all depends on which way you want to work- 

do you want to call hundreds of leads on the phone to find the 2 that will do business with you 

or do you want to set up your blogging to resonate with your ideal avatar by which you will get 2 people to call you ready to do business with you?

Tony Whiteside my suggestion is that you never depend on anyone or any company to provide your leads.  Filling your pipeline yourself is the most important aspect of your business.

Tony Whiteside Networking and beating the bushes. Start with your SOI (Sphere of Influence).

Develop your own system.  Don't rely on your company or third party vendors.

why do you want to pay a service to make your phone ring....you're on ActiveRain.... make sure you're a Rainmaker status and learn to blog online....your phone will ring....attend every webinar that Bob Stewart offers here on AR.... then you won't need to rely on any service or program to make your phone ring.... you can do it yourself on many different sites....

When starting out, do not be hesitant to pass out your cards, introduce yourself, wear your name badge and promote, promote, promote. Paying for leads is like playing a slot machine. In the end, you will lose all your money.

Real Estate Agents are hunter/gatherers.  We must go out and find food if we want to eat.  Sometimes a lead comes from the office or a paid source but these are bonuses.  Who you know, where you go, what you do to generate conversations will keep you well fed. 

Spending money is easy, but those leads don't have the same reason to be loyal, trust you, give you the benefit of the doubt when you are late or aren't sure of an answer when you are new.  

Hit the street.  Talk to people.  Join groups (Business Network International was a great place for me).  I've found that paying for leads is money thrown away.  Also, take business no one else wants (after carefully vetting the buyer/seller qualifications).  I sold some real dumps, but those people came back to me because I worked hard. 

Good evening Tony,

The most important thing is: Do what works for you.  Some agents make great money buying leads.  Some agents will never buy leads but they generate their own leads through a website.  Blogging works well for some agents, if you're willing to invest the required time.  Working by referral is another option.  I even talked with one top producer, years ago, who used billboards! 

You've got some excellent advice in this thread.  ActiveRain is a wonderful source for all kinds of learning.  If you decide blogging is the right way for you to approach your market, then you should get the RainMaker account so the general public can see what you post.

I get my best leads from my past and present clients, it pays to pick up the phone and dial for referrals.

Also Blogging can get you some fantastic leads, check out Bob Stewart 's blogging bootcamp for the formula for success.

Tony, For us it's been blogging and pointing to our Wordpress site and IDX pages.  I don't like being reliant on my brokerage or another company when we can build our own business.  If you can find a niche it works even better.

My sign with a sold rider on it!

I am an organic gal ... through and through.  I do not believe in buying leads ... I believe in generating my own. Content and blogging on my WordPress sites and of course here in the Rain.  It is your business ... treat it like one. 

Ditto to what Susan and Michael said. Learn how to create you own leads and you'll never have to rely on somebody else to create them for you.

Before you threw open the doors to the Tony Whiteside real estate business you completed some form of a business plan. In this plan you defined your business in regards to the type, price point and location of the real estate that would represent your ideal business.

You also compiled a list of resources (lists) available to you.

Those two will  illuminate what you will need to do. If you have neither a list or a plan, you must confess you are practicing or going to practice 'accidental' real estate. In that case, it is a race between finding something that works and running out of money.

In the first scenario, create something to talk about and start knocking on the doors of the houses in the community that represents the market you want to help.

What can you create to talk about?

1. Any observable activity nearby. The new construction is going to be a day care. YOu just happen to have the number to call for early enrollment.
2. A market in a minute  trends report for that community. Make sure you have community active, sold and pending. You will discover a lot of false information is thought to be true. Take care whose baby you call ugly.
3. Owner controlled evaluation. "What's your home worth?" Offer them the CIS Score so they can value the components of the house with your market adjustments based on the trend reports.
4. An event. Ugliest dog or cat contest at the park. Drawing for wrap harness or cool refreshment.
5. Introduce a new business. This means creating a value added relationship with a new business owner who can not give you enough free stuff for you to use. This has legs and is worthy of creating an exclusive with the vendor. Imagine what you can do with a yogart shop.

The best way, as all the examples show, for a new agent to get into business is doing what ever they must to do the G&G.

That is were the gold is, doing the grip and grin. 

and having something the other values.

For me it was trial and error until I found what worked for me. Do not pay for leads, learn to market yourself and generate your own leads. Company leads may or may not be right for you but it is easy to become complacent and wait for the leads to be given to you. Use the resources on AR and upgrade to Rainmaker if you aren't already...well worth the cost.

Tony, do not pay a middleman. Blog and blog and blog some more keeping SEO in mind and emphasize your strengths. If you are a veteran make sure everyone knows it.

I admit I have not read through the answers but the very best way to get leads, hands-down, 100% best lead generator there is . . .

Listings!

The best way is to generate your own.  Blogging is a good way to start.  Consumers do read the posts, particularly if they are informative, showing your knowledge.  Blogging will keep you in front of the consumer, so when it comes time when they are in need of real estate assistance, you will be on the top of their minds.

Work your sphere of influence, get involved in some community things that lets you network with your neighbors or people living in a neighborhood you want to work, sit open houses if that works in your market, do not pay for leads unless you have exhausted all the other avenues.

I used all my money to market myself and I got leads from that for years and years after.   Last year I got a lead from a special ad I ran 11 years ago.  My client had taken the ad out and saved t on his refridgerator.

My company will feed the new agents leads to get them started. This can be bad or good because some become dependent and never learn to generate their own.

the most important lead generator is a listing. i would do what it takes to get listings. good listings, but none the less listing. if i broke even on a deal i would do it to be able to generate other leads. to be able to get there, i would hold as many opens for other agents as i could. 7 days a week if i could. but thats me

Lots of great advice already given and I think Localism posts are important, wearing your name badge, maybe joining clubs such as Kiwanis, Lions etc.. anything to get you out meeting people and networking.

if you are starting out it means you need to get visible in your community and work your data base and sphere of influence. Don't count on a company and don't pay for leads.

The old fashion way.  Prospect for buyers and sellers every day.  Call, call, call

work with your broker or team leader to split the commission on buyer leads.

When you interview for brokerage you only want to join brokerages that gives free leads and pay them after you get paid never before.

Network and touch your sphere as often as possible. I've never found a better way to generate leads, and certainly no paid program can even come close!

Great question and answers. 

You got all right answers. Best of luck. 

Prospecting.  Always being prospecting, Tony.

I wouldn't suggest paying for a particular program or service especially when first starting out.

Do not expect your company to provide you any leads let alone quality ones. 

Listings, social media.  Don't be afraid to make phone calls

How to nurture real estate leads with content marketing

Just read this blog. You should read it too.  www.realestatemarketingblog.org/how-to-nurture-real-estate-leads-with-content-marketing/ You will find it very helpful. Also do a search in the search engine Billy Gene and Gary Vaynerchuk. These two guys know Content Marketing something I need to start doing more of again myself.

most of my leads come from about 20 of my best clients as referrals.  It only takes a few busybody clients who love you to do more marketing than you could ever hope to buy with money.

I meet people for coffee (usually other buiness/service providers) several times a week at a nearby coffee shop. And then ask if there's other people I can be put in touch with.

Network and blog...and do it again...Do not pay for leads - ever unless it is a referral to another agent!

Our company does not provide leads.  They provide training and ideas for us to generate our own.  Begin with your group of friends and start networking.

Writing market reports for your Hyper Local area will help quite a bit.

Face to face contact.

parked and reading

Treat people right during the transaction and maintain the relationships afterward and leads will come.  ;)

You should start with your sphere of influence.

Just talk to people. Lots of people everyday and everywhere 

Good morning Tony. Most of my business is referrals, but my blogging efforts handle the rest. I get plenty of results.

Nope, my present company does not provide any leads, but you can try to get some help from your vendors and market together. 

Making schmooze calls to old clients and open houses. 

Tony Whiteside - hands down working by refertals - Systems from Buffini & Company .

It is best to generate your own leads.