Despite your expertise and your passion for service, it’s tough to find quality clients for your property management business. Fortunately, if you’re looking to grow your clientele, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the 5 best way to get property management leads.
1. Purchase leads
If organic traffic isn’t attracting enough potential clients, purchasing leads can be a game-changer. Specifically, buying leads from reputable sources that offer contact information of individuals or businesses who have shown interest in your services. The costs for these vary—you pay for each lead you acquire, with rates depending on the quality and specificity of the data.
The great thing about purchasing leads is that you get a list of potential clients who are already somewhat engaged or interested in what you offer. This increases your chances of converting these leads into actual clients. Purchasing leads also offers more flexibility in targeting specific demographics and the ability to scale your outreach efforts quickly.
However, costs can add up very quickly, especially if you're buying large volumes of leads. And with so many competitors, you need to ensure your follow-up strategy is effective to engage these leads promptly.
As you can imagine, this option isn’t the best for those who just want to “set it and forget it.” There’s a bit of a learning curve with lead management and nurturing, and it requires dedication and consistency to see the best results.
But if organic traffic just isn't cutting it and you’re looking to grow your audience significantly, purchasing leads can deliver the targeted contacts you need straight to your database.
2. Network, network, network!
Don’t think that technology is the only solution to growing your business. Sometimes, tried-and-tested methods are the answer. Traditional networking is still a powerful way to generate leads, especially in this industry, and building strong relationships within the community opens doors to various opportunities.
Start attending local events, such as expos and gatherings related to real estate. If there aren’t many around you, scour online networking platforms like LinkedIn to connect with industry professionals. Online platforms are also indispensable for showcasing your expertise by allowing you to participate in discussions and share valuable content.
Collaborating with services that relate to vacation rentals, like interior designers, can also boost your lead-generation efforts. Partnering with these pros work in two ways: you can elevate your service offerings and tap into their client networks, who might need vacation rental property assistance. This also works well with real estate agents.
Consistent networking builds trust and credibility. While it might be hit-or-miss when it comes to growing your clientele, you never know when a connection will lead to a fantastic business opportunity.
3. Develop a referral program
Already have a pool of current clients or a network of agents? Don’t let your connections go to waste and instead develop a referral program. Again, by leveraging your network–and, in turn, their network–you can tap into a pool of potential customers who are more likely to trust your services based on personal recommendations.
Start by offering incentives for referrals. These can range from discounts on future services to commissions or even simple things like gift cards. The reward should be attractive enough to motivate your clients to refer your services to their friends, family, and colleagues.
Remember our tip for collaborating with real estate agents and support services? You can develop a reciprocal referral program, where they send clients who need managers for their vacation rentals your way, and you send them clients who need design consulting or advice regarding their properties. A partnership like this broadens your business’s audience and extends its reach.
4. Show off your knowledge
Demonstrating your expertise is a great way to attract property management leads. It goes without saying, but potential clients want someone who knows what they’re doing. By building an organic social or editorial presence, they will begin to see you as an authority in the industry.
You can do this in many ways. You can create high-quality content that addresses common questions and concerns related to vacation rental management and post them on your website. Or, you can be active in discussions through forums and social media platforms like Quora. If you find yourself with more time, you can even create free resources such as eBooks or host webinars.
Whichever way you choose to go about this, your efforts will complement your SEO and position yourself as a knowledgeable, and trustworthy, property manager.
5. Yes, cold calling still works
Cold calling is still a powerful tool when it comes to generating leads. By reaching out directly to potential clients, you can establish a personalized connection and demonstrate how your services can provide value.
Start by building a targeted call list. It helps if you research and qualify your leads beforehand. Then, create a call script to ensure effective communication. You can do all of this, and more, with a CRM platform like Salesforce. These platforms not only let you automate and track your calls, but they also help you monitor your engagement and other important data.
For this to be effective, your calls should always provide value to your prospects. Consider offering solutions to their pain points, sharing industry insights, or updating them about your services. Never provide low-quality pitches. Spam calls are not only annoying, but they will also damage your business’s reputation in the long run.
Regularly review and analyze your call performances so that you can see where to improve. Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest trends and craft a strong, fresh approach for your prospects. Plan your cold calling strategy well, and you’ll see an increase in leads and even retention.
Bottom line
Generating high-quality property management leads isn’t easy. It won’t be enough to pick one or two tips; to successfully grow your business, you’ll need a multi-faceted approach. This means combining all the strategies listed here to target the different aspects of lead generation. This will ensure your business reaches the widest audience possible, allowing you to attract valuable potential clients.
Generating high-quality property management leads isn’t easy. It takes more than one quick fix — it requires a thoughtful, multi-faceted approach that targets visibility, trust, and long-term client value. By combining the strategies above — from networking and referrals to cold outreach and content — you’ll expand your reach and connect with more of the right clients.
But once you’ve attracted those clients, delivering results is what sets you apart.
That’s where SummerOS comes in. While you focus on growing your pipeline, SummerOS helps you retain owners and scale smarter — with portfolio-wide performance tracking, revenue forecasting, and benchmark insights that prove your value from day one.
