New agents who ignore their contact list early risk falling behind fast, while those who build a database gain a steady flow of leads, listings, and opportunities that compound over time. Here’s how to get it right and set yourself up for success.
Often deemed the "lifeblood" of real estate, building a database has always been a key fundamental for agents, not only to turn contacts into sales but also to accelerate visibility, lead generation, and market competitiveness.
And it becomes even more critical at the beginning of a real estate career.
According to DiJones Real Estate agent Tamara Lawless, databases have been essential for new agents, as they replace the experience, reputation, and referrals that established property professionals already have.
“Having a database is key because if you don’t have any in your particular area, it’s really difficult to be able to not only find potential leads, but also market yourself effectively,” Lawless told Real Estate Business (REB).
She said that for newcomers, databases helped create structure and focus in a particular area.
“Instead of trying to ‘find business everywhere,’ you concentrate on a defined area, learn it deeply, and build familiarity faster than competitors.”
Similarly, early in a career, when inbound leads and repeat clients were limited, she said that a database becomes the core engine for generating consistent conversations, listings, and buyer activity.
Additionally, Lawless said databases served as both a contact list and a system for tracking relationships, timing, and intent, ensuring that agents remained “top of mind” when opportunities arose, rather than relying on chance or waiting for referrals.
“Real estate is heavily timing-based, and a database ensures you’re still in the conversation when someone’s circumstances change.”
Over time, Lawless said databases become a long-term asset, where listings, buyers, neighbours and referrals all feed back into the system, with early effort compounding into future deals.
“In practical terms, the agents who build databases early are the ones who transition from chasing business to having business come to them.”
How to build a database from scratch?
Having started her real estate career just over two years ago in a new area, Lawless said that building her database early was key to her rapid growth.
“Where I am in French Forrest and the surrounding areas, we didn’t have a lot of data at all for this area. I sort of came in at a very standing start, and I am still building it now.”
While it seems easy, Lawless said that building a database requires time, persistence and strategy.
As she started with essentially no database in her target region, Lawless had to manually build one from the ground up using a mix of data platforms, geographic farming, and direct door-to-door engagement.
She said that to build her database from the ground up, she targeted a specific, tightly defined area and methodically worked through it, property by property, using platforms like Cotality and Pricefinder to identify which homes had data and where gaps existed.
She then filled those gaps through direct, on-the-ground prospecting, door knocking, calling where possible, and introducing herself to residents.
“I start out with 500 properties or a little patch of a particular suburb that you want to literally be able to walk down the street and go, I know who lives there and whether its owner occupied or rental,”
“Knowing that back to front, I think, is really important.”
Similarly, Lawless said she used her listings and open homes as a key touchpoint by personally inviting nearby neighbours, starting conversations about their properties and the local market, and building trust.
“And that’s why that whole door knocking is essential, I know it sounds really rudimentary and back to basics, but I’ve only door knocked not to just get data, but also to introduce myself.”
From there, she converted those interactions into contacts by collecting details, following up after inspections, and maintaining ongoing communication with market updates, gradually turning a cold patch into an active, relationship-driven database.
She said that whether through social network, letterbox, newsletter or phone call, each interaction needed to be insight-led.
She said that agents should share meaningful updates on the market and the local community, helping people understand what it means for their area or property.
“You need to engage your database with communication that is relevant and consistent, but not so frequent that it becomes intrusive or ignored.”
“You also need to be mindful not to overdo it”
She also noted that the goal of a database wasn’t only data collection, but meaningful interaction that keeps agents top of mind when life circumstances change.
“There are constant different touch points that then help you keep top of mind if they do decide to make a move.”
How can networks help?
While new agents will ultimately have to build their database, Lawless said they should leverage their networks’ resources to get started.
At DiJones, Lawless said that data is shared across the network, allowing agents to draw from a collective pool rather than just their own lists, with proptech tools helping them filter active buyers by suburb, recent activity and budget.
“For example, in this area, the migration patterns are that probably about 80 per cent of our buyers are coming from the upper North Shore and the lower North Shore.
“If I have a new listing, I check the database and contact other buyers who have an interest in the area while updating our database to stay up to date.”
She said that as each interaction is added back into the system, the database builds a clearer picture of buyer intent over time rather than just storing static contacts.
“This allows agents across the network to quickly identify and present a ready pool of qualified buyers to vendors, often without needing additional marketing spend,” she concluded.
Interested in becoming a real estate agent? Join REB’s New Agent Academy.
One of the industry’s key education and networking events, it connects early-career agents with some of Australia’s top performers, offering real-world insights to help fast-track your success.
Whether you’re breaking into the industry, building momentum in your first few years, or looking to sharpen your edge in a competitive market, the academy is designed to give you the tools to get ahead.
To secure your free tickets to the REB New Agent Academy, click here.
The REB New Agent Academy will be held in Brisbane on 28 May, Melbourne on 5 June, and Sydney on 12 June.
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