Realtors are the underused, overlooked, and poorly-marketed-to resource for any business owner or independent contractor looking to reach more clients.

People miss opportunities because they don’t recognize them when they’re right in front of them.” – Marshall Goldsmith

A successful, full-time Realtor may assist anywhere from 15 to 100+ clients per year. In order to do that, there is a general rule of thumb that states they must have a conversation with 40 people for every one who will successfully become a client. That is a huge opportunity.

Already, it is perfectly common to market directly to realtors to do more business with them or the homeowners they serve. However, the popular tactics are often dated, tacky, or have too low performance outcomes for the time and money suck required of them.

As a Realtor who falls into that 15 to 100+ yearly client category, I believe I have seen every popular method under the sun. I have been on countless "coffee meetings", received enough tacky letters to paper my walls, and my spam box is choking to death on cold emails. Enough is enough.

How to Market Directly to Realtors

First, understand these 3 things:

  1. Successful Realtors spend the majority of their time seeking out new clients for themselves. They do not have time to help you find your own clients.
  2. Realtors, like everyone else, are constantly being peppered with cold calls, cold emails, and mailers.
  3. The fact that you want to do business with them means absolutely nothing to anyone but you.

Now that we are clear on those three fundamentals, let's review some actual marketing and outreach ideas for you to implement in your business plan.

Open Houses

A busy Realtor may sit as many as 6 open houses per weekend. Turnout will vary widely with market conditions, but if you average 10 guests per event, that's 60 potential clients you're missing out on every weekend.

Hosting a successful open house is more labor-intensive than you might assume. A Realtor needs to pre-market, then find good locations for the signs, put them all out (which often involves lugging them across busy roads), prep materials, memorize the property information, memorize the nearby competition, make sure the house is viewing-ready, slap on a happy face and get ready to be as friendly and helpful as possible to a bunch of strangers.

Now you're looking to target one stressed-out Realtor and a bunch of potential home buyers who are only here to look at the house and then get the hell out. So, what should you do? Make it easy.

And make it easy for yourself, too. Save time and do some research when strategizing over which agents or open houses to target. Consider these things:

  • Focus on new listings. Properties that just hit the market or recently had a significant price drop often bring in more traffic. Use filters on sites like Zillow or Realtor.com to find these properties.
  • Don’t chase only top producers. Highly successful agents already have established vendors. Mid-level and newer agents are often more open to partnerships and grateful for the help.
  • Show up at brokerages. A quick drop-in with a friendly introduction, business card, or sample material helps create touch points outside of emails or calling.

Open House Drop By

I was recently very impressed by a home inspector who used this method. Ahead of time, he had prepared a small gift. It included information about himself and his company, a few snacks, and a nice pen – easy, simple stuff. He attended the open house I was currently running, which was busy, and I was a little frazzled by assisting so many guests.

"Hi, my name is John Doe from Home Inspector Company. I see it's busy here, so I won't take up any of your time. I just wanted to drop this off for you. Have a great day, and please call me if I can assist you at all."

That was it. He handed me the gift bag, turned around, and left. It was memorable, helpful, and easy. And most importantly for him, it impressed on me that he would likely be someone who would continue to be helpful and easy to work with. Spend some time curating the gift you bring. It doesn't need to be expensive, just helpful

Ask to Join Open Houses Ahead of Time. Make offers, Not Suggestions.

It's very common for those in Real Estate adjacent fields to attend open houses. Mortgage brokers may set up a spot to advise attendees who are not pre-qualified, and title company representatives may do the same to promote their services.

This coupling does not need to be limited to those in the real estate sphere, and I think this is a hugely underutilized marketing approach for many other small businesses.

  • Local boutique owners. Bring a curated rack or table of giftable items and offer Realtors an exclusive discount for future closing gifts.
  • Caterers, bakeries, or coffee shops. Provide light bites or signature drinks at the open house. Realtors love showing a well-stocked spread, and you get exposure to homeowners and buyers.
  • Landscapers or garden centers. Stage the porch or patio with seasonal planters, flowers, or outdoor décor — and leave behind a card with “everything you see here is available locally.” Then leave 1 item as a gift to the homeowner.
  • Artists or photographers. Display a few pieces in the home and hand out postcards or prints. Realtors are always looking for unique staging touches.
  • Wellness professionals. A massage therapist, yoga instructor, or nutritionist could raffle off a free session or provide branded wellness kits.
  • Cleaning or organizing services. Offer a free “prep checklist” for homeowners thinking of selling, with your branding on it, and showcase before-and-after photos.
  • Pet businesses. If the neighborhood is pet-friendly, bring branded water bowls, treats, or info on local pet care services. Or consider offering your services to Realtors with clients who have pets. Finding a way to get pets out of the home for open houses and showings is a very common issue.

When reaching out to a Realtor to coordinate something like this, keep these things in mind:

  • Ask early. Don’t wait until a few days before the open house. Realtors are juggling schedules, marketing, and clients. Give them plenty of time to say yes.
  • Offer value, not vague ideas. Come with a concrete plan (“I can bring refreshments and a giveaway basket,” or “I’ll provide a free home maintenance checklist to hand out”), rather than asking, “What can I do?”
  • Keep it professional. Open houses are business environments. Have a clean display, branded materials, and a clear way to capture interest (sign-up sheets, QR codes, brochures).
  • Respect their clients. You’re there to complement the Realtor’s work, not compete. Keep your pitch light and service-oriented, and remember the focus is selling the home.
  • Follow up. Thank the Realtor afterward, and if you gathered any leads, share how you’ll handle them (without stepping on toes). This makes you a partner worth inviting again.

Utilize Social Media For Warm Opens

Most Realtors are using social media as a significant component of their own marketing. If you're a business owner, then most likely, so are you. Use your page to promote theirs.

  • Share their listings. A quick repost or story share gets more eyes on the property and shows support.
  • Tag and mention them. When you collaborate at an open house or event, tag the Realtor to expand both of your reach.
  • Highlight their wins. Congratulate them on closings or milestones — it builds goodwill and visibility.

Now, when you want to reach out to them for a more in-depth partnership, they'll already be warm to you.

Brainstorm How to Make Them Look Good To Their Clients

What do I mean by this? Let's consider a few examples...

  • Write a review on their Google Business Page. Never pretend to be a client, but there is nothing wrong with a review that says, "Jane Doe is extremely professional and a pleasure to work with."
  • Locksmiths: Offer Realtors a discount for re-keying services they can gift at closing.
  • Cleaning companies. Provide a “move-in ready” package Realtors can gift to buyers, or a pre-listing clean for sellers.
  • Landscapers. Partner on seasonal curb appeal boosts — a quick mow, fresh mulch, or flower planters that make the Realtor’s listing photos pop.
  • Home organizers. Create a mini “unpack day” service Realtors can include in their client care package.
  • Photographers or artists. Offer framed prints of the new home or custom house portraits that Realtors can give as keepsakes.
  • Local bakeries or cafes. Put together gift certificates or small baskets that Realtors can easily hand off as closing-day thank-yous. Or, offer a discount to cater a housewarming party...(see ideas to target Homeowners later in this article).

Keep these offerings simple, clean, and respectfully branded. By creating a smooth, easy rhythm, you could build up an entire marketing channel where Realtors are calling out of habit for every closing.

Use Realtor Partnerships as an Inroad

By now, you should've already positioned yourself as the “easy, helpful” partner for Realtors, so ask them to recommend you to their clients at closing. Provide a note to include with the closing gift. The warm referral is worth ten cold calls.

How To Market Directly to Homeowners

  • Check the MLS or Zillow for recent closings. Send new homeowners a simple, useful piece — like a “first-year home maintenance checklist” or a local guide to contractors, landscapers, and cleaners. Skip the fridge magnets; give them something they’ll actually use.
    • Luxury Homes: High-end homes often throw high-end housewarming parties. Offer your catering, cleaning, valet, or pet sitting–but re-branded as a luxury service.
  • Level up your mailers. If you’re going to spend money to be in someone’s mailbox, don’t waste it. Invest in clean design and professional printing. Too many mailers scream “cheap and mass-produced,” which homeowners notice. Hire a designer if you need to — it’s worth it.
  • Use property records. Town assessor sites are public. Target homes that haven’t sold in 10+ years — those homeowners are more likely to need updates, renovations, or even pre-sale prep.
  • Target “coming soon” or expired listings. These are people who have either already been thinking about moving or who need help making the house market-ready. Perfect opportunities for contractors, organizers, stagers, or cleaners.
  • Neighborhood drop-bys. After you finish a job nearby, leave behind a one-page “We just worked on Maine Street — here’s what we did” flyer. If that client wrote you a review, include it.

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