Transforming contacts into loyal clients is both an art and a science. At the February YPN Breakfast event, three Chicago REALTORS® shared their proven strategies for nurturing leads from the first point of contact to the closing table.
Each panelist specializes in a unique lead generation tactic, and each tactic is either free or highly low-cost! For Ryan, it’s cold-calling, for Tatiana, it’s open houses, and for Vik, it’s Instagram. No matter what tactic(s) you may structure your business around, themes of consistency and elevated customer experience are at the forefront of how these REALTORS® serve their spheres.
Meet the panel here.
Nadia Glavin
YPN Advisory Board Member | Keller Williams ONEChicago
Moderator
Ryan Casper
Lead Listing Agent | eXp Realty
Panelist
Tatiana Hernandez
REALTOR® | Keller Williams Premiere Properties
Panelist
Vik Wadhwa
Managing Broker | Urban Living Properties
Panelist
The “Secret” to Cold Calling Might Not Be What You Expect
The secret? Asking open-ended questions. That’s Ryan Casper’s number one tip when you’re on the phone. This will get your potential clients talking and provide an opportunity for you to showcase your value to them.
Ryan Casper of eXp Realty emphasized the effectiveness of consistent, strategic phone prospecting. “It’s 100% a skill that anyone can learn,” Casper asserted. His disciplined approach involves daily role-playing, targeted calls to expired listings and For Sale By Owners and systematic follow-ups with his database every 90 days.
What if you’re reluctant to make calls? “Make calls for 24 hours straight, and you’ll get over any fear or hesitation.” While extreme, this underscores the importance of pushing past comfort zones to achieve breakthrough results.
So what’s one practical step you can take today? Do the math. Figure out exactly how many calls you need to make daily. Ryan divided his database (let’s say 500 people) by the number of business days in a year and the hours he had available. The result? About 15 calls a day. Suddenly, what felt overwhelming became a clear, manageable system. And just like that, your phone follow-up routine is locked in.
Why this works: It connects directly to the fear discussion and positions the math as the solution.
What’s Your Go-to Open House Intro?
Tatiana Hernandez with Keller Williams Premier Properties shared how she built a thriving business through strategic open house marketing. Her secret? Providing unique value in the first 30 seconds of interaction, starting with personal questions and then transitioning to a real estate-focused conversation. “I have great information about the house that you won’t find anywhere else,” she tells visitors, piquing their curiosity and demonstrating the kind of preparation and insight that sets agents apart.
Don’t, whatever you do, recite facts like how many bedrooms and square feet are in the listing. You’re losing valuable attention!
Hernandez’s follow-up system is equally robust. She categorizes leads with notes in the moment (which she adds to the back of her sign-up sheet following their conversations), reaches out within 24 hours and leverages tech tools to track engagement and tailor her outreach. Her biggest tip? “Don’t suffocate them. Let them be, but catch them as they’re going out.”
How to Make Your Instagram Stand Out & Connect With People
Vik Wadhwa of Urban Living Properties has mastered the art of social media lead generation, with 80% of his new business now coming from Instagram, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took 3 years of consistent posting to get his first lead through social media. Now, a decade since he started his profile, his approach focuses on curated, high-value content that showcases not just listings, but Chicago’s vibrant lifestyle.
Wadhwa’s pro tip: “Post stuff that’s different from what everybody else is doing.” He’s found success with unique neighborhood features and behind-the-scenes glimpses of luxury properties. By consistently delivering engaging content, he’s grown his following to over 70,000 and established himself as a go-to resource for high-end buyers.
Here are three tips he shared to maximize your profile performance and track leads:
- If you’re creating a video or reel, deliver an engaging hook within the first few seconds to encourage viewers to keep watching.
- In your Instagram DMs, you can “flag” messages. Wadhwa uses flags to categorize leads and then adds them to a Google sheet to track follow-ups. He emphasized the importance of transferring those leads out of your DM inbox, as the conversations will disappear in 30 days if the conversation does not continue on the platform.
- Post all of your stories for the day at once and let them run for the full 24-hour period before posting a new one. This will help push you to the top of your followers’ list of stories, yielding higher engagement.
The Common Thread: Authenticity and Value
While each REALTOR®’s approach differs, a common theme emerged: the importance of authenticity and providing genuine value. As Hernandez put it, “Don’t pressure yourself so much, and don’t believe everything you see out there.”
In an era of increasing digital noise and AI-generated content, these REALTORS® emphasized the enduring power of human connection. Whether through a well-timed phone call, a memorable open house experience or an engaging Instagram story, the key is to build trust by consistently showing up and offering something of value.
For Chicago REALTORS® looking to elevate their lead conversion game, the message is clear: choose a method that aligns with your strengths, commit to consistency and always prioritize your client’s needs. By doing so, you’ll not only close more deals but build a sustainable business based on lasting relationships.