If you Google “best agents in Beverly Hills”, you might start to notice a pattern. One name comes up more than the rest, and that name is Jade Mills.
Jade is one of our clients, and she’s made a name for herself as one of the best real estate agents in Los Angeles. She’s ranked the #1 luxury real estate agent worldwide for Coldwell Banker and is the go-to agent for A-list celebrities when they want to buy or sell their homes.
She’s often featured in national media and has been in business for three decades. And in three decades, one can imagine how much the landscape of real estate has changed since Jade started her business, but her drive to stay on top of those changes has surely paid off for her career.
In fact, we know that at least $40 million of the $3 billion in sales she’s closed has come straight from just one lead who found her online.
How Jade Mills closed $40 million from one internet lead
It all started when a tech executive from Silicon Valley began his home search one night. Like 44% of buyers, he started his search online.
A quick Google search for “best agents in Beverly Hills” and “Beverly Hills real estate agent” brought him straight to none other than our client, Jade Mills.
It was 11 o’clock at night, but the client decided to reach out anyway, expecting an answer in the next few days. To his surprise, Jade answered him within five minutes.
A few weeks later, they met up when he was in town. He told Jade that he was looking to spend $10 million on a property.
But, here’s the twist: he ended up falling in love with a property priced at $40 million, a cool $30 million more than he initially said he wanted to spend.
Can you guess the ending? If you guessed that Jade closed on the $40 million property, you’re right.
Why this particular story challenges popular beliefs about luxury real estate
In the past, luxury real estate was largely transacted among private, professional networks. While that’s still the case for many, even luxury real estate is steadily migrating onto online platforms.
Often, agents believe that affluent buyers are too discerning to search for agents or properties online. And though it’s true that this particular market does lend itself to more discretion than other markets of buyers, the reality is that the internet is simply the most convenient way for anyone to begin their search for a real estate agent.
Never underestimate the power of SEO
A lot of work can go into a solid SEO strategy, but Jade’s story is exactly why it’s worth the investment. Being at the top of search engines for several search terms in an area is a guaranteed way to get more leads than agents who solely rely on paid ads, social media, or word of mouth.
Optimizing your website for search engines requires playing the long game, so the sooner you deliberately go after search terms that you want to rank at the top of search engines for, the sooner you’re going to get the payoff. You won’t get leads overnight like you might with paid traffic, but SEO is undeniably crucial for long-term success.
Nurture, nurture, nurture
What if Jade had not gotten back to her client so quickly? Would he have already moved onto the next best agent?
That depends on how interested Jade’s client was before she followed up, and it’s always safe to assume that clients need that quick follow up to solidify their interest. Remember that you’re not meeting online leads face to face, and the time it takes to follow up with them and nurture their interest is still part of the first impression that you’re making.
When you get back to leads who express their initial interest with urgency, it shows them that you care about their business and sets the tone for what they can expect if they work with you.
If you’re hungry enough to grow your business to Jade’s level, then consider that sometimes it
takes a follow up at odd hours. When an agent who makes $40 million sales is still answering her calls and emails at 11 o’clock at night, it’s a good cue to take for your own business. Obviously, you can set your own personal boundaries, but the point is that speed is key when it comes to keeping leads interested and ready to work with you (especially when they’re planning on spending millions).
The difference between organic leads and paid leads
Organic leads might not be your most steady stream of leads, but they’re often going to become higher quality leads. Rather than you searching for them, they’re already searching for you, which means you’ve already conquered the first hurdle of lead capture. Leads who find you organically tend to be farther along in their buying journey, so they’ve already gone from problem aware (“I want to relocate”) to solution aware (“I need to find a good real estate agent in this particular city to help me relocate”).
Facebook ads can give you immediate exposure to your market, but remember that they may or may not have come looking for you on their own. These leads may need a little more of a push than someone who finds you through specific search times, which is why SEO can give you a greater, long-term return on your investment.
How can you improve your SEO strategy?
Essentially, SEO has evolved from simply focusing on keywords to a more holistic approach that favors user experience. Pages that get ranked the highest are the ones that load quickly, have valuable long-form content that keeps people on the page for more than a few seconds, and don’t overlook details like mobile optimization and tools in place to protect users’ information.
