The average person encounters anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 messages daily, so it’s no surprise that people have become adept at filtering out the noise of constant marketing bombardment. This traditional form of marketing, often referred to as push or interruptive marketing, which interrupts your scrolling or tries to push a message on you as you go about your day, has historically been a mainstay in marketing plans. However, its effectiveness has dwindled over time—until the advent of search result relevance.

It can be somewhat uncanny, almost as if someone is eavesdropping on your conversations, when you start seeing ads that align with your recent searches. For example, you might be watching a YouTube video, and suddenly, an ad about weight loss strategies pops up. This targeted approach is undoubtedly more effective than, say, showing an ad for a BMW when you’re not actively shopping for a car. The old-school model aimed to get in front of everyone in the hopes of catching a few interested parties and raising brand awareness.

However, the reality is that nothing surpasses giving people precisely what they want when they want it. With the vast resources of the internet and platforms like YouTube, people tend to find what they need when the need arises.

Let’s be clear: traditional marketing methods and social media are not ineffective, but they can be expensive, time-consuming, and long-term strategies. So, what can you do today to yield immediate results without the upfront costs?

In today’s fiercely competitive real estate market, identifying people who are apt to buy in the not too distant future, and building relationships with them is the key to success. Relationships are the foundation of our industry, and coming across as overly pushy can send prospective home buyers or sellers running. As the Vice President of Business Development, I understand the challenges you encounter in growing your real estate business. That’s why I’m here to introduce you to a game-changing strategy that can transform your open house lead generation efforts. Hear me out, because it’s not your typical yard sign strategy.

Just envision all the curious visitors who attend your open house. Some are genuinely in the market to buy immediately, but statistics from the National Association of Realtors tell us that around 90% of home buyers kick off their home search online. Within that 90%, about half of those buyers might visit open houses, but only 4% initiate their home search by visiting open houses. Surprisingly, less than 2% of all homes sold nationwide were the direct result of a buyer visiting an open house unaccompanied by a REALTOR®.

So, let’s circle back to your open house. The individuals driving by or walking in are interested in something; perhaps they reside in the neighborhood and want to know their home’s potential value if they decide to sell, or maybe it’s just a leisurely pastime. Regardless, the crucial point is that they want something at that moment, so they are open to listening. Here’s how our strategy seizes the opportunity to provide people with what they want while simultaneously building relationships that expand your network and generate leads right away: passive prospecting.