There is a way for small local real estate companies to be chosen over major ones
There is a way for small local real estate companies to be chosen over major ones
"A small company like ours can't win if we do the same things as the big players, right?"
I hear this quite often lately when meeting with the presidents of many real estate companies.
It is true that you cannot win on advertising budget. You cannot win on portal site listing slots or brand recognition either.
But to be honest, there are definitely areas where you can win.
Moreover, those are areas that major companies find difficult to touch. Structurally, small local companies actually have the advantage.
The key is "narrowing down."
Today, from the perspective of someone who has supported a total of about 200 companies, I will talk about the mindset and concrete measures for a community-based real estate company to be chosen before a major one.
Three common causes for companies seeing a decline in inquiries
First, why are inquiries not growing?
The cause is usually one of these three things. It is not that your measures are insufficient.
First: You are not differentiated from other companies.
Your website says things like "community-based support" and "attentive consultation."
But your local competitors are writing exactly the same things.
If you only use abstract words, customers can only compare you based on price and location. You cannot even get onto the playing field for comparison.
Second: Your target and area are vague.
If you act without deciding "who" you want to attract and "in which area," your advertising budget and effort will be scattered.
Those considering selling, those considering renting, and those looking for investment properties—the words that resonate with these three groups and the media they look at are completely different.
Third: You are not using online and offline channels effectively.
If you rely only on flyers or only on social media, you will only reach one segment of your audience.
There are people who act now and people who will act eventually. You need to reach out to both.
Customers who act now: Get inquiries through Google Maps optimization, portals, and listing ads
Customers who will act eventually: Build awareness and trust through social media, local information blogs, and flyers
If you increase your initiatives while leaving these three things neglected, you will not see results. Conversely, just fixing these will change your response rates.
Change abstract words into numbers and proper nouns
I will make the discussion about differentiation a bit more concrete.
Words like "community-based" and "attentive service" do not convey anything even if you write them. That is because everyone writes them.
What gets through are concrete rules that include numbers and proper nouns.
For example, things like this.
We will coordinate the schedule within 24 hours of a viewing request
A licensed real estate notary has verified all properties on-site
We handle ◯ properties per month within a 10-minute walk from ◯◯ Station
These kinds of concrete operational rules are far more effective than abstract appeals.
And this is easier for a company that is more agile than a large corporation to promote. This is the first path to victory.
Capture searches that big players cannot pick up by using local names
The other path to victory is search.
You cannot beat the major portals with broad keywords like "◯◯ City Rental." This is a fact.
But more specific searches are different.
◯◯ City used condo market price
◯◯ Station rental school district
XX Town detached house sale
Keywords like this, which combine an area name with search intent.
Major portals deal with the whole country, so they cannot fully address such niche searches individually.
That is why even local companies can aim for the top rankings.
The method is simple.
Continuously publish articles that include the area name. Content summarizing local living information (school districts, supermarkets, safety) around the properties is also effective.
One tip: rather than increasing the perfection of a single article, accumulating the number of articles by station or town/block unit within your service area is more suitable for companies competing in a narrow trade area.
In fact, there are companies that have escaped portal dependency using this method and now receive stable appraisal requests via their own websites.
The first thing you should do is definitely Google Maps
I have mentioned various things, but the first thing you should do is clear.
It is Google Business Profile, in other words, maintaining your Google Maps listing.
The reason is cost-effectiveness. You can start for 0 yen, and it reaches people who are looking right now directly.
Many people looking for properties check nearby real estate companies on Google Maps before portals.
There are only three things to do.
Accurately register basic information such as business hours and types of properties handled (sales, rentals, investment).
Enhance photos of the exterior, interior, and staff to reduce anxiety before visiting.
Continue posting about once a week, including the area name and the strengths of the properties you handle.
Real estate is a product with a long consideration period.
That is why customers search for the company name many times and compare reviews and photos.
Whether they feel that 'this is a reliable company' each time. This accumulates and leads to inquiries.
Reviews don't increase just through 'staff enthusiasm'
Reviews are effective when paired with Google Maps.
For small and medium-sized real estate companies that struggle to differentiate themselves by price or location, the effect of showcasing staff service quality through reviews is significant.
In the case of a renovation contractor in Suginami Ward, they overhauled their map presence, company website, and social media in an integrated way, which increased inquiries to 10 per month.
The reason for this was that construction examples and staff responsiveness accumulated as reviews, which eliminated anxiety before visiting the store.
The same can be said for real estate companies. Make the polite service provided after viewings and consultations visible in the form of reviews.
However, this is where many companies stumble.
If you leave review requests up to the staff on the ground, they won't increase.
The frequency and content of the requests vary from person to person, and they get pushed to the back burner on busy days.
This is not a problem of staff awareness, but a problem of lacking a system.
Therefore, decide on the timing and wording of the requests in advance. After closing, after handover, after a viewing. Decide where, who, and what to say when asking. This is the first step toward systemization.
Use LINE for follow-ups. It has an overwhelmingly lower barrier than phone calls
Another thing that local companies can easily adopt is an official LINE account.
Following up via phone or visits has a high psychological barrier. It causes prospective customers to distance themselves.
With LINE, they can reply easily. There is a trend of increasing consultations, especially from people in their 20s and 30s.
How to use it is simple.
Send follow-ups after viewings via LINE
Regularly distribute information on new properties to prevent customer churn
Generally, LINE tends to have a higher open rate than email. Even mass messages are more likely to be read.
The strength lies in being able to maintain contact with customers who aren't ready to decide yet without breaking the connection.
Where to start, by budget
Listing all your strategies at once leads to confusion, so let's organize them by budget.
The most important thing is not to mix things you can do for $0 with things that require investment.
If you start them all at once, you won't be able to verify which one worked, and in the end, none of them will be done properly.
$0 / Starting today: Optimize your Google Business Profile, request reviews, and set up an official LINE account
Low budget ($100–$300/month): Flyer distribution, social media management, and a local information blog
Full-scale investment ($500+/month): Search ads, video production, and cross-industry collaborations
The order is from top to bottom.
First, build a foundation with $0 strategies. Next, nurture repeat customers via LINE. Increase future fans through social media. Only after achieving that should you invest in advertising.
If you are unsure, start with Google Maps optimization and review management. The combination of these two is the most reproducible customer acquisition path.
Before you begin, please check these 5 things
Finally, here is a checklist for you.
Have you narrowed down your service area and target audience to one?
Have you already started the $0 strategies (map optimization and review requests)?
Are you combining at least one online and one offline strategy?
Are you able to measure effectiveness by separating inquiry paths for each strategy?
Have you already decided on a time to review your progress in 3 months?
If you answer 'no' to 3 or more, please start by organizing your current situation before adding new strategies.
The fourth point, effectiveness measurement, is particularly easy to overlook.
If you use the same phone number and form for flyers, social media, and your company website, you won't know which one is actually working.
Separate traffic sources for each QR code and add a 'How did you hear about us?' field to your inquiry form. Setting up these mechanisms from the start makes a world of difference in your later decision-making.
Summary: Companies that narrow their focus are stronger in their local area
Let's summarize the key points.
The reasons for stagnant response rates are threefold: lack of differentiation, poor target setting, and ineffective use of online/offline channels
Instead of just saying 'locally focused,' present yourself concretely using numbers and specific names
Capture the granular searches including area names that the big companies miss
The first thing to do is optimize Google Maps. You can reach customers ready to buy right now for zero cost
Reviews won't increase just by trying hard. Create a system by deciding on the timing and the wording
Lower the barrier for follow-up by using LINE
Expand your investments starting with zero-cost measures
You don't have to do everything at once.
First, narrow your target area down to the municipal level. Then, tidy up your Google Maps information and photos.
Just these two things alone will start to change how you are perceived in the region.
There is no need to compete on the same playing field as the big companies. Narrow your focus and become the most specific company in that area. This is the surest path for a small company to be chosen first.
Finally: When it comes to Google lead generation for real estate, choose based on track record
Lastly, please let me talk a little bit about our company.
Asantech has recently been receiving many consultations from real estate companies, and we are helping them improve their Google lead generation.
We work with companies of all sizes, from small, locally-focused firms to large companies with over 10 locations in the Kanto region.
In some cases, we have a track record of inquiries from websites increasing rapidly after just one month of measures.
Our strength lies in reproducible Google MEO support.
As we discussed today, the key to winning as a community-based company is 'how much you narrow your focus.' And the optimal way to narrow that focus changes depending on what kind of competitors are around you.
That is precisely why template-based measures do not produce results.
At our company, after analyzing how you are currently perceived and who your local competitors are, we will provide specific priorities, such as 'for this region, let's target this area first.'
If you don't want to fail at Google lead generation for real estate, please feel free to consult with us. We will provide a proposal based on consulting that takes into account the local competitive situation of each individual company.
It is perfectly fine to start just by organizing your current situation. Please feel free to reach out.
If you would like to consult specifically about review strategies or MEO measures, please feel free to contact Asantech Inc.
With our extensive track record in supporting Google lead generation for real estate companies, we will propose measures that fit your actual operations.
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