For most people, the idea “exclusive” real estate lead is myth. If you are selling a house and enlist your property to an agency, bidding will take place and of course there will be a winning bidder. But as a seller, if you think you cannot work with the winning bidder, you are not obliged whatsoever to stick with the lead and may re-list your property again to the agency.

“Exclusive” would mean customers who actually ask for the information and would exclusively go only to you. The word “exclusive” claimed by most agencies is only an excuse to give high prices to their leads.

There are four things you have to check in your search for leads.

- They are self qualified because they are the ones who requested for the information. Therefore, they are interested in buying or selling a property.

- If you have a list of leads, contact them immediately.

- Remember online consumers act on what they need or want immediately. They log into the Internet and request for information almost instantly and scout for more if they are not satisfied.

- One lead, one agent – this would mean exclusive but no obligation tied up to you as a seller or buyer.

If you are done with your checking, try to keep your choices for leads high through different tactics.

- Go shopping and pick your market of one community with maybe 100 homes and businesses and be their only contact in terms of product or services.

- List all the people you know, maybe about a hundred. Send them brief descriptions about your product, letters, updates and information regularly at intervals. Ask them good referrals.

- If you are going to do some calling (cold calling) be sure you have your target market, know your objectives, have a script on hand or study them and it is important to be prepared for rejections.

- Go door-to-door. It is time consuming but it has its own benefits.

- Take advantage of your beauty or barber salon sessions and participate in the chitchat. You know how conversation covers a lot of topics. Be on the guard.

- Always have your business cards with you and make it a habit to give away a good number each day.

- Newspapers are good sources of leads. Try to read on and you will see prospective leads like those promoted, upcoming weddings, baby showers, new babies and others.

- Make a habit to get everybody’s email, even your acquaintances.

- Mass mailing of letters or direct marketing.

- Seminars are good opportunities for generating leads. Participants are tuned in to information loading mode.