The Problem: Why Most Real Estate Marketing Makes People Cringe
If you’re a real estate agent in Brisbane, you know the drill. You’re told to knock on doors, drop thousands of glossy flyers into letterboxes in Coorparoo or Ascot, and cold call people during their dinner.
Most of this is a total waste of money. Even worse, it makes people actively dislike you.
I’ve worked with plenty of local business owners who are sick of the 'churn and burn' style of marketing. They want more listings, they want more buyers, but they don't want to be that agent. You know the one—the one whose face is on every bus stop but who nobody actually trusts.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to grow your agency by being the person people actually want to call. We’re going to compare the 'old way' of doing things with a much more effective, professional approach that actually puts money in your bank account.
The Traditional Way vs. The Professional Way
Most marketing 'gurus' will tell you that real estate is a numbers game. They say if you annoy 1,000 people, one of them might sell their house with you.
That’s rubbish. It’s an expensive, exhausting way to run a business.
The 'Spammy' Old Way
Letterbox drops: Thousands of dollars spent on printing and delivery, only for 99% of them to go straight into the recycling bin. Cold calling: Spending your evenings getting hung up on by frustrated homeowners. Generic Facebook ads: 'Thinking of selling? Call me!' ads that everyone scrolls past. Focus: It’s all about you, your face, and your 'Number 1 Agent' awards.The 'Professional' New Way
Helpful content: Giving people information they actually want (like what’s really happening with house prices in Chermside). Building a database: Collecting names and numbers of people who actually want to hear from you. Targeted digital presence: Showing up on Google when people are actually looking for an agent. Focus: It’s all about the homeowner and how you can make their life easier.Why Being Helpful is Your Secret Weapon
I’ve seen this work for dozens of Brisbane businesses. When you stop trying to 'sell' and start trying to 'help', people naturally gravitate towards you.
Think about it. If you’re a homeowner in Paddington and you’re thinking about selling in six months, who are you going to call? The guy who shoved a 'Sold' flyer in your gate every week, or the agent who sent you a helpful guide on how to add $50k to your home value with a $5k renovation?
It’s a no-brainer.
Step 1: Fix Your Digital Shopfront (Your Website)
Most real estate websites are terrible. They’re slow, they’re hard to use on a phone, and they’re covered in jargon.
Your website needs to do one thing: get people to contact you.
Here is what actually matters for your website: 1. It works on phones: Most people will look at your site while they’re sitting on the couch or waiting for a coffee. If it doesn’t look good on a phone, they’re gone. 2. Google likes it: If someone searches 'best real estate agent in Indooroopilly', you want to be there. This isn't about 'algorithms'; it's about having the right information on your page so Google knows you're a local expert. 3. Your site loads fast: People are impatient. If your site takes more than two seconds to load, you’ve lost the lead. 4. Clear contact info: Your phone number should be at the top of every page. Don't make people hunt for it.
Step 2: Stop Chasing, Start Attracting (Referrals)
In any professional service, the best leads come from people who already know, like, and trust you. This is just as true for a real estate agent as it is for a lawyer or a consultant.
Instead of cold calling strangers, you should be focusing on your existing network. I often tell my clients that learning how to get high-value referrals is the single most important thing they can do for their long-term growth.
If you’ve sold a house for someone and they had a great experience, don't just send them a bottle of cheap sparkling wine and disappear. Stay in touch. Send them a market update once a quarter. Be the person they think of when their mate mentions they’re thinking of moving.
Step 3: Social Media That Doesn't Suck
Most agents use Facebook and Instagram as a digital billboard. 'Just Listed!', 'Just Sold!', 'Look at me at this auction!'.
Boring.
If you want to actually make money from social media, you need to show the 'behind the scenes' of your business. Show the hard work you put into a styling a home. Share a video of a local cafe you love in your patch. Talk about the common mistakes you see sellers making in the current Brisbane market.
When you show your personality and your expertise, you stop being a 'salesperson' and start being a local authority.
Step 4: Why Most Marketing Fails
I see agents make the same mistakes over and over. They spend a fortune on a big 'brand awareness' campaign but have no way to track if it's actually bringing in listings.
They fall into the same traps that many other industries do. For example, if you look at why most recruitment marketing fails, it’s usually because they are talking about themselves rather than solving the client's problem. Real estate is exactly the same.
If your marketing is all about how great you are, you’re going to struggle. If your marketing is about how you can get the best price for the homeowner with the least amount of stress, you’ll have more work than you can handle.
The Cost: What Should You Actually Spend?
Let’s talk turkey. Marketing isn't free, but it shouldn't be a black hole for your cash either.
Website: You can get a decent, high-performing site for a few thousand dollars. Don't spend $20k on a custom build you don't need. Google Ads: If you want leads now, Google is the way to go. You can start with $500 - $1,000 a month and see results quickly. Content/Social Media: This costs your time, or a few hundred dollars a month if you hire someone to help you with photos and videos.
What’s a waste of money? In my opinion, for most local agents, big expensive billboards and generic radio ads are a waste. They might make you feel famous, but they rarely result in a direct 'phone call to listing' pipeline that you can measure.
How Long Until You See Results?
Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Google Ads: You can see phone calls within the first week. Website improvements: Usually takes 3-6 months for Google to really start rewarding you with more visitors. Referral building: This is a 6-12 month play, but it’s the most profitable thing you’ll ever do.
Your Action Plan
If you’re ready to grow your agency without being 'spammy', here is what I’d do first:
1. Audit your website: Open it on your phone. Is it easy to use? Is your phone number easy to find? 2. Talk to your past clients: Call five people you sold homes for last year. Ask them how they’re doing. Don't ask for a listing, just check in. 3. Stop the junk mail: Take the money you were spending on flyers and put it into a targeted Google campaign for your specific suburbs.
Look, I get it. You’re busy. You’ve got open homes, building inspections, and negotiations to handle. But if you don't fix your marketing, you'll always be on that treadmill of chasing the next lead.
At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane business owners get more phone calls and more sales without the fluff. We don't care about 'likes' or 'engagement'—we care about your bottom line.
If you want to have a straight-talk chat about how to get more listings, contact us today.