How to generate long-term growth – not just leads

Editor’s note: Since 2006, the Swanepoel Trends Report has provided in-depth research and analysis to help executives understand the forces shaping residential real estate. This exclusive series of extracts highlights each trend presented in the 2025 report, published in November 2024.

Unleash the power of demand generation: Successful businesses know how to balance strategy and tactics to achieve their goals. For real estate professionals who rely on a steady stream of clients, this means investing in systems and processes to build demand over time, in addition to the more immediate approach of paying for individual leads .

The following excerpt, from T3 Sixty’s 2025 Trends Report, explains how to implement and scale a demand generation strategy.

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Demand generation and lead generation

Demand generation and lead generation are complementary business generation strategies. Historically, more attention has been paid to the more immediate and targeted lead generation approach. Yet demand generation, done correctly, will make lead generation more effective, as a portion of the audience benefiting from lead generation activities will have already encountered the brand through its high-value content work.

Initial implementation

The initial implementation of a demand generation strategy includes launching initial campaigns, optimizing SEO and organic search, and piloting lead nurturing campaigns.

An initial campaign generally includes:

• Content Marketing: Start distributing content on the intended channels. Focus on creating value and building trust with the audience.

• Email Marketing: Implement email marketing campaigns to nurture leads and keep audiences engaged with the brand.

• Social Media Management: Actively manage social media presence, using it to engage with audience segments, share content, and build community.

To optimize SEO and organic search, conduct in-depth keyword research to understand what the target audience is looking for and optimize content accordingly. Also pay attention to on-page SEO; ensuring that the website and its content are optimized for search engines to improve visibility and attract organic traffic.

When piloting lead nurturing campaigns, it helps to set up automated workflows to nurture leads through personalized email sequences, targeted content, and timely follow-ups. Use A/B testing on different campaign elements, such as subject lines, content formats, and CTAs, to determine what works best.

Scaling and Optimization

After creating, distributing, and testing initial demand generation campaigns, use the data to effectively evolve and optimize.

Apply insights gained in the first few months to refine targeting and segmentation strategies, delivering more personalized experiences to audience groups. When scaling, use data to refine the lead scoring system to ensure the highest quality leads are prioritized for follow-up. Ensure marketing efforts align with sales objectives, improving overall lead conversion rates.

When expanding content efforts, it helps to diversify content types. Introducing new content formats, such as webinars, podcasts and interactive tools, promotes long-term audience engagement.

Brokerages may also wish to explore opportunities for guest blogging and partnerships with industry influencers to expand their reach and credibility.

Evaluation and continuous improvement

Demand generation is not a fixed business development approach. This is a long-term strategy; so, evaluate performance consistently. Conducting a thorough review of demand generation strategy performance over the past year, quarter, or month can identify successes and areas for improvement.

Once data analysis has determined which strategies and tactics performed best and which areas fell short of expectations, make adjustments as necessary. This could involve refining the content approach, reallocating budget, or exploring new channels.

At the same time, encourage the marketing team to experiment with new ideas and adopt innovative approaches in the industry. Plan for the future by identifying emerging trends and opportunities that could impact strategy.

As part of continuous improvement, invest in ongoing training and development of teams to ensure they remain engaged and equipped to execute future demand generation efforts.

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Read the full chapter to access the step-by-step demand generation playbook. Digital and print copies of the Swanepoel Trends Report 2025 are available for purchase from T3 Trends.

Note: T3 Sixty and Real Estate News share a founder, Stefan Swanepoel.