How to Create a Real Estate Elevator Pitch (+ Free Download)
Real estate agents need an elevator pitch to be prepared for networking, casual conversations, and client interactions. Your 30- to 60-second real estate elevator pitch should cover your expertise and strengths, propose an effective solution to a real estate problem, and target a specific audience. Download our free PowerPoint training to learn what to include and how to organize and execute a successful elevator pitch that showcases your professionalism and generates real estate leads for your business.
Creating and perfecting your real estate agent elevator pitch doesn’t have to be a solo struggle. Your brokerage may offer training specific to how to craft a successful elevator pitch and provide opportunities to practice your pitch in front of other agents before using it to generate leads. If not, download our free PowerPoint training deck and training video and use them to develop your elevator pitch and build your brand.
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💡 Quick tip:
To convert prospects into clients and generate referrals, real estate agents require CRM software that automates drip lead nurturing and email marketing campaigns with listing advertisements. For robust email tracking, notifications, and marketing automation, check out HubSpot.
1. List Information to Share in Your Real Estate Elevator Pitch
Before you start organizing your elevator pitch, list all the information you would like to share. This information should highlight your expertise, demonstrate your value, and leverage the power of your brokerage. Although not all of these items will make it into your real estate agent elevator pitch, include everything while brainstorming so you can narrow it down to the best options and create variations for different scenarios, and download our real estate elevator pitch questions to incorporate your answers.
We will review the questions you should ask yourself to formulate your elevator pitch, but as an exercise, download the questions we’ve compiled below to go through after reading this article:
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick tip:
To convert prospects into clients and generate referrals, real estate agents require CRM software that automates drip lead nurturing and email marketing campaigns with listing advertisements. For robust email tracking, notifications, and marketing automation, check out HubSpot.
Show off Your Style & Expertise as an Agent
Making a personal connection based on your skills and your unique style of working with people is essential if you want to get clients in real estate. Injecting your personality and style into your pitch is crucial to express who you are and why you do what you do. Whether your character is bubbly, shy, talkative, or easy-going, let it shine by conveying how it adds to your overall real estate persona.
Answer the following questions to determine your agent style and expertise so you can incorporate the answers into your real estate sales pitch:
- What personal skills do you possess that assist your clients?
- What is your communication style?
- What is your ultimate goal as a real estate professional?
- What is your real estate niche, and how do you cater to that niche?
- How many properties have you sold or helped purchase in the past year?
Demonstrate Your Value as a Real Estate Professional
In conjunction with your style and expertise, tell potential clients what value you add as a real estate agent. Some people have preconceived notions of real estate agents as money-hungry, dishonest, or too pushy. To negate these notions, explain your value and how it pertains to the individual you speak with. Speak about your unique value proposition and why this client should choose you as their representative.
Consider the following questions to discover your selling points:
- What qualities assist your clients most (e.g., responsiveness, negotiations)?
- What do you do for your clients that sets you apart from other agents?
- How do you prepare and educate real estate clients for a sales transaction?
- What awards do you possess, and how do they increase value to your clients?
- What specialized knowledge do you have of the real estate market?
Detail Your Brokerage Connections
Leverage the power of your brokerage. Especially if you are a new agent, it is vital to lean on your brokerage or real estate team to demonstrate your expertise and compensate for any perceived lack of experience. Talk about the extensive resources of your brokerage to enhance and complement your style and value.
Here are a few questions to answer to understand how your brokerage can contribute to your real estate pitch:
- Are you part of a team? If so, how many people are on your team, and what is your role?
- How many properties has your brokerage sold or helped purchase in the past year?
- What marketing and advertising strategies does your brokerage leverage, and how do they benefit clients?
- Does your brokerage have a specific niche they concentrate on, and how is that beneficial?
- Does your brokerage use platforms (e.g., lead generation, listing sites, marketing, and advertising outsourcing) that are advantageous to clients?
Discuss Why You Are a Real Estate Agent
This will be a short mention within your real estate elevator speech, but it sometimes can be the most impactful to persuade a client to work with you. Show your passion for your job and why you are a real estate professional, separate from the financial benefit.
Think about the following questions to discover your “why”:
- Why are you a real estate agent?
- What do you like about being a real estate agent?
- What led you to become a real estate agent?
- How is the role of a real estate agent a perfect fit for your personality and life?
- What makes you smile most as a real estate agent?
Pro tip: While answering any of these questions, write down client stories that come to mind. This will help you understand how your unique skills have assisted other clients with their real estate transactions. Anecdotes and stories can be added to your pitch or used when potential clients ask questions based on your elevator pitch.
2. Identify Your Target Audience & Real Estate Niche
If you use the same speech regardless of the scenario, it won’t feel genuine, nor will it generate the leads you are looking to attract. Consider the audience you wish to reach when constructing a general elevator pitch for a real estate agent or niche-specific variations. Depending on the target audience, use different real estate language and jargon to appeal to a particular clientele.
In addition, think about your niche audience and write down what your client will want to know and learn about to complete a sales transaction. Include real estate terms and action items your niche client should know and incorporate them into your elevator pitch.
For example, if you are attending a networking event with experienced real estate investors, your language will be different than at a seminar for first-time homebuyers. Investors want to hear about net operating income, cash flow, equity, debt-to-income ratio, and other topics that apply directly to their interests. On the other hand, first-time homebuyers need basic information in plain language about pre-approvals, appraisals, mortgage contingencies, and other terms applicable to their transaction and experience level.
Start with your general elevator pitch and adjust it to fit the networking event and your target audience. Include language specific to your niche client to guarantee it will be appropriate for the situation. Remember that you may need to improvise on the fly if you attend an event with multiple client types. By practicing your generic speech, you will more easily be able to adapt it to fit a specific audience.
3. Organize Your Real Estate Elevator Pitch
Next, based on your answers to the questions above, organize your elevator pitch in a way that creates engagement and curiosity and leaves room to continue the conversation. Seventy-three percent of homebuyers interviewed only one real estate agent during their home search, so putting together a well-constructed pitch is essential.
Always begin with an introduction using your full name, a smile, and a firm handshake (if appropriate) to start the conversation. Keep in mind that since COVID, people may not want to shake hands, so read the comfortability of the situation and offer a fist bump, wave, or nod if applicable.
Use your answers to the questions above to organize your elevator pitch according to the following questions:
What Real Estate Problem Needs to Be Solved?
Your opening line should address a specific real estate problem you can solve for the potential client in front of you. It should be appropriate to the event you are attending and the individual you are addressing. This problem could be for any real estate niche, like first-time homebuyers, sellers, home flippers, and real estate investors.
The opening line can be formed as a question or statement but should address the issue head-on. For instance, if your niche or event focuses on first-time homebuyers, start with the following:
“It’s difficult for first-time homebuyers to navigate and purchase in a seller’s market because of bidding wars, the low number of days on the market, and higher-than-normal market prices.”
“Are you finding it a challenge to see a home you like in person before it goes off the market?”
The statement and question above both mention issues first-time homebuyers experience in a seller’s market, like a short time frame, more expensive homes, and less purchasing power. Notice that it mentions these issues in simple and easily digestible terms without using real estate jargon or acronyms. The first-time homebuyer will quickly relate to these problems and want to learn more about how to overcome these obstacles.
What Tactics Do I Use to Solve the Real Estate Problem?
Showcase your expertise, resources, and success by outlining your approach to solving the problem your potential client is experiencing. By answering this question, you are introducing a solution to draw potential clients to learn more about and use your services. Speak about your ultimate goal as a real estate professional, what your niche is, how you cater to that niche, and the number of clients you’ve assisted with this same problem.
“We specialize in working with first-time homebuyers in this situation by educating them on the sales process, having responsive communication, and using database tools to get access to off-market listings.”
“We have worked with over 400 first-time homebuyers to overcome obstacles seen in a seller’s market by following a strategic plan of client education, consistent communication, and technological database tools.”
There are several tactics in the examples above, like education, communication, and technology, that you propose to use to solve the problem of being a first-time homebuyer. You are introducing these solutions so you can elaborate on them in the next part of your elevator pitch.
What Is My Process for Solving the Problem?
Now that you’ve given a basic overview of your tactics to solve the problem, revisit your answers relative to your value proposition to explain how you solve the problem. Describe the qualities you have as a professional and how you apply them in your role as a real estate agent. Reference your brokerage and team to support your methods further.
“Homebuying details cannot be overlooked, so I meet with my clients to review each step of the sales process and answer questions. I will also demonstrate our off-market database to show my clients how we find quality listings that meet their search criteria.”
“Our brokerage works as a team to create custom searches through our database to guarantee you are viewing the most up-to-date market information. You will receive consistent email updates with new listings, price changes, and recently sold homes so you can understand the current market trends.”
As you can see, if you mention educating your clients as a solution, elaborate by explaining that you like to meet in person or virtually to review the entire sales process with examples, documentation, and paperwork. If you mention that you use marketing tools as part of your solution, describe how you show your clients examples of past marketing materials to highlight the features of their property.
Why Do I Want to Solve the Problem?
This is the portion of the elevator pitch where you add information about what drives you and why you’re interested in solving the posed problem for your clients. Let your potential clients know you have a passion for real estate and where that passion comes from. You can include anecdotes or stories to support why you want to solve this client’s problem.
Here are a few thoughts you can use in your elevator pitch:
“As a former teacher, I choose to work with first-time homebuyers to educate them on the homebuying process. It’s important to me to give my clients confidence in their decision-making throughout the transaction.”
“My brokerage has a collaborative environment that inspires me to work with my clients as a real estate team. I also love learning about the current market trends and imparting that knowledge to my clients, so they feel confident when buying a home.
People like to hear that you enjoy and have enthusiasm for your job as a real estate agent because it helps establish trust. It will also encourage commonality between you and the potential client. Explain why you choose to specialize in supporting a specific niche of clientele. Did you have a real estate experience that prompted you to become an agent yourself? Share that with your potential client in your elevator pitch.
Call to Action: What Do I Want to Happen Next?
Don’t end your elevator pitch there. Bring the conversation back to the prospect using a call to action (CTA) so they can voice their concerns, add to the conversation, or ask questions. A CTA is an instruction to your audience to prompt a response, which can be a statement or question. The goal of the CTA in your elevator pitch is to continue the discussion and encourage them to use your services.
“Tell me about your homebuying journey.”
“What are your thoughts about the current market?”
4. Practice, Practice, Practice
Once you’ve constructed your elevator pitch, refine and practice it until it’s perfect and comes naturally to you. While you should memorize your elevator pitch, you should remain flexible enough to adapt it based on your audience when needed. Print out your pitch so you can carry it with you and re-read it frequently. After you’ve got it memorized, put yourself to the test.
We are our own harshest critics, so use that to your advantage. First, record yourself using your phone so that you can listen to your pitch. While you’re listening, on your printout, highlight the portions of your pitch where you hear yourself stumble so you can perfect specific parts or adjust those that aren’t quite right.
Next, use your phone to video yourself reciting your real estate elevator pitch. Your facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language during the pitch need to be natural and convey the right message. They should be welcoming and encouraging—and should make the audience feel comfortable.
Watch the video above to guarantee you are conveying your message genuinely and naturally, both verbally and physically. Repeat and practice the entire process as often as needed until the elevator pitch is where you want it to be. Practice your elevator pitch with friends and colleagues and ask for honest feedback to guarantee you’re ready to go.
The purpose of your elevator speech is real estate lead generation. Once you put your elevator pitch into action, you’ll collect contact information from potential clients left and right. Make sure you always carry business cards with you and have them ready to distribute to anyone you speak with, and also have a means for collecting contact information even when people don’t have business cards to give you.
Business card templates from ProspectsPLUS!
If you don’t have business cards or your cards need a refresh, design them with a service like ProspectsPLUS! or Canva. Include all your contact information and a custom logo to make your card stand out from the competition. Check out these 28 Real Estate Business Cards We Love for business card inspiration.
Collect business cards from everyone you speak with to be proactive with communication, and organize these contacts using client relationship management (CRM) software. CRM software stores, organizes, and automates communication with leads to convert them into clients.
Set up your CRM to automatically send drip lead nurturing and email marketing campaigns with listing advertisements and more to turn prospects into clients and generate referrals. Real estate CRMs like Pipedrive, Top Producer, and HubSpot are all incredibly impactful tools for a successful real estate business. Read more about them here:
Real Estate Elevator Pitch Examples
Are you curious about what is a good elevator pitch for real estate and how to make a real estate elevator pitch? Check out the buyer and seller real estate sales pitch examples we provided below:
What to Avoid in Your Real Estate Elevator Pitch
There are several elements to avoid in your real estate elevator pitch, like talking too fast and using unnecessary information. Many of these will be eliminated after practicing your pitch, but take a moment to review them before putting your pitch into action:
- Do not start with “I’m a real estate agent”: This may be your first instinct at a networking event, but starting with this phrase does not encourage further conversation.
- Don’t talk too fast: When you are nervous or have memorized a speech, it is natural to speed through the conversation, but this can deter potential clients from having an understandable discussion.
- Don’t use “um” or “like”: Speak confidently and practice your elevator pitch to avoid any unnecessary mumbling or stumbling.
- Eliminate repetitive or unnecessary information: Although you want to connect your thoughts, review the wording of your pitch so as not to repeat yourself, and don’t waste your 30 to 60 seconds by including self-explanatory or irrelevant information.
- Don’t exceed 60 seconds: It’s called an “elevator pitch” because it should be deliverable in about the same time as you’d be on an elevator with the other party. While the average length of an elevator ride may vary, the point is to keep it short and memorable. Say your elevator pitch, have an informative conversation, exchange contact information, and then continue circulating to maximize lead generation opportunities at networking events.
- Monotone language and movement: People will choose you as their agent for your skill—but also for your personality. Move naturally and show off who you are.
Bottom Line
Real estate agents must be able to answer the question “what do you do?” naturally and with conviction to inspire confidence in their value as real estate professionals. A well-executed real estate elevator pitch encourages continued conversation and generates leads for your real estate business. Showcasing your skills, interests, and value as a real estate agent will come in handy during casual discussions and networking events.
