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As property listings tumble across Australia, agents are working harder than ever to secure vendors. Yet this director is making his mark by going back to lead generation basics. His advice? Ditch the gimmicks and strap in for long-term pipeline building, because there are no shortcuts in real estate.
Agents are scrambling to secure new leads as listing numbers fall across the country, creating intense competition for the opportunity to connect with vendors.
National figures highlight the challenge, with Melbourne listings down 4.8 per cent on last year, Brisbane falling 11.6 per cent, and Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart also seeing fewer new listings heading into spring.
Even as fewer homes hit the market, buyer demand is tipped to rise strongly, thanks to lower interest rates and the fast-tracked First Home Guarantee, creating conditions where competition for listings is fierce and every lead counts.
The result is a battle for market share where the winning agents will not necessarily be the loudest, but those who are consistent, visible and trusted enough to be the first call vendors make when they decide to sell.
Barry Plant Eastern Group managing director, Spiro Drossos, said there is no quick fix for success and that lasting market share comes from long-term relationships, not gimmicks.
A lesson that was recently reinforced for the industry leader after one of his agents converted a lead that he had been nurturing for 13 years.
“More than ever, agents stand out by staying relevant and transparent, constantly communicating with their database and nurturing relationships over the long term,” he said.
“That trust is what makes you the go-to agent when someone finally decides to sell, even if it takes a decade of staying in touch.”
Drossos said the most effective agents focus on a multichannel approach to stay front of mind with potential vendors, using a mix of emails, SMS, direct mail, and market or investment updates to remain genuinely useful.
“A good nurture strategy isn’t just about hammering the phone, it’s multichannel,” Drossos said. “It’s quality emails, relevant SMS updates, direct mail, even investment news. The key is tailoring everything to the client’s property and market so you’re always staying genuinely relevant.”
Social media, he added, can be powerful if used to provide useful information, but agents who rely on flashy posts risk being lost in the noise.
“Social media can be a trap if it turns into ego-to-ego messaging between agents,” he said.
“Used properly, it’s powerful for branding, showcasing expertise, building a following of buyers, and giving clients the information they really want, market updates, new legislation, practical advice.”
For agents putting in the work but not gaining traction, Drossos said the issue may be a saturated market segment or price point, and that sometimes stepping into a different area is what creates momentum.
“If you’re not gaining traction, it might be because the market you’re chasing is saturated,” he said. “Sometimes you need to step into a different price bracket or market segment to get momentum, then move up from there. Consistency is everything – double down on your farm area, leverage buyer work, and the leads will come.”
He stressed that no amount of technology can replace the basics of real estate: meeting the community, doorknocking, sponsoring schools, and keeping databases updated with genuine human contact.
“The biggest mistake I see is agents leaning too much on tech and trying to shortcut the work,” Drossos said. “Real estate’s still about knocking on doors, meeting the community, calling your farm area, sponsoring schools – those timeless fundamentals. Our customers are literally behind those front doors. The fastest way to build a pipeline is to meet them, get them into your CRM, and stay in touch.”
Measuring success, he said, should also begin with simple, practical metrics before agents add layers of technology or sophisticated marketing strategies.
“We measure success by keeping it simple. How many appraisals are we doing? How much of that data is in the CRM? And how often we’re staying in contact?” Drossos said. “Once those basics are nailed, then you layer on technology and sophistication. But the truth is, the fundamentals are what everything else is built on.”
For agents confronting fewer listings, the path forward is clear: focus on consistency, long-term relationships and trust, and the leads will arrive naturally over time, with reputation becoming the ultimate advantage when vendors are ready to sell.
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