• Work your current & past clients
• Work your sphere
• Network, network, network
• Volunteer
• Call time
• Open Houses
• And finally, blog, blog, blog!

Work your sphere... that is not all that expensive. Door knock. Open houses for other agents with listings.

Be community involved. There's so much you can do in your town that will get you out there and you won't be able to stop people from sending you business, bringing you business, or asking for you to help them. It's sweat equity, but it pays.

Volunteer...  At schools, community programs... Anywhere that puts you in front of people.  One of my first closings resulted from a conversation I struck up while volunteering in the copy room at my daughter's elementary school.   

What I have always done...Write handwritten notes to my sphere. Once per quarter.

First of all, I don't believe in EVER buying leads. That IS a waste of money.  I'm not sure what you consider a lot of money, but you can work a farm area, either through direct mail (which costs money) or door knocking.  I wouldn't do door knocking these days but it is free except your time.  I'd work my sphere, network,  do open houses.   You might also get some ideas from reading the entries in the Marketing Winners, Losers, & the Future Challenge that Jeff Dowler is hosting. 

The #1 way to get leads is a combination of referrals and from meeting people. Communicate who you are and what you do. I talk to everyone. I also listen to everyone. Next, take car eof your clients, if you leave them happy, they will refer everyone and anyone to you

What Debe Maxwell, CRS said, plus facebook lead gen ads.  They can go across FB and instagram and can be run fairly cheaply.

Meet, greet, shake hands, get involved more as a volunteer.... costs nothing buttime.  ANd if you are not busy, you have time!

Go back to your KW lead gen training, it works well and doesnt cost anything.

Get involved in some volunteer work to demonstrate you give back!

The first thing that I would do is to find out which of your agents are INTERESTED in a real estate career and which ones are COMMITTED to a real estate career. "Interested" licensees are wasting your time. 

In the technology age, where buyers and sellers are using the Internet to find homes and agents, it is very difficult to get to these customers without spending a lot of money. 

My suggestion is for your office to require new or low producing agents to join a team or be mentored. The team leader pays the advertising and provides the leads and the agent learns, works leads and gives up at least half their commission to the team leader. Agent and Brokers need to realize that there are no shortcuts in this business. Learing the business is going a cost a new agent either upfront through advertising OR on the backend through their commission split. Stop trying to cheat the system.

If you must give them ideas of "living cheatply" have them get down to the basics of door knocking, open houses, ect ... Either that or invest money in yourself by advertising.... if an agent cannot or will not do either of those then make them join a team or let the burn out in the black hole of real estate oblivion. 

methods that require no money are old school methods and online methods.... old school would be networking, cold calling, knocking on doors and being visible.... online methods that cost nothing or very little would be blogging on Google+, websites, realbird and other sites that are very low cost....

Considering about 1% of agents do real video marketing and that is esssentially free on Youtube I would recommend that. If they do Facebook then become the community expert not a saelsperson.

Lise Howe Face-to-face networking has a high ROI with little if any cost.

1. Good

2. Cheap

3. Fast.

The reality is you can pick two and the consequence is what is left behind.

A. I would suggest you choose 1 & 2 and the cost will be, "it won't be fast." Blog your heart out and stuff those mail boxes. You are in a race with your saving account.

B. Let's go with the other option, 2&3, Cheap and fast at the cost of good. "FREE' is the magic ingredient for cheap and fast.  For this strategy, best outcomes result in having a multiple approaches or a nurture / squeeze process.  This should be automated using auto-responders otherwise you will spend lots of time chasing vapors. What I have found works well is not requiring the telephone number during the subscription process. That way, when you are alerted a number has been entered, you KNOW this is a motivated response. Your engagement cost in time and effort goes WAY down.

While you await the alterts, you know you are building a great list that will serve you well in future efforts.

Free foreclosure list.

Free money for down-payment

Free Room by Room Analysis

Free $10 gift card to (collaborative partner) to first 10 responders.

And my favorite, physically get in the way of moving people with a message they can't resist. 

This question is one that suggests a more important and deeply seated issue. That issue is the agents suffers from IDWDT syndrome.  They are destined to fail.

"I Don't Wanna Do That," blinds agents to what needs to be done. Until their vision is restored, they are simply spending time and money.  The agent needs to be dragged by the nape of the neck into the sunshine and compelled to face their fear. When the fear is overcome, the emerging agent will be a force in the marketplace.

Prospect - phone!

Many still do not use a CRM !!!

Master your CRM system and set it to diligently market to your past clients and sphere.

Lise Howe - I have been doing it successfully for so many years! Work by Referrals, thanks to Buffini & Company. 

Honestly, walking my dog is the best thing. Then throw in the know anyone that wants to move. No one ever believes I'm a realtor with a dog lol.

You have some great comments here. I really have nothing to add. It costs money to run a business. Real estate is not a kool-aid stand - yet many agents seem to drink from it.  I mean no disrespect. I just feel a business needs money to run ... attempting to run a business without sufficient funds is not a formula for success.  Good luck with your panel discussion. 

Look at Craigslist for owner landlords and reach out to them to see if they are considering selling or if they need help buying a new property.

Use public records to find owners who have lived in a home for more than 7 years, reach out with some system, dropping off a generic market report on the area with a form possibly offering a personalized CMA for their home.

Pounding pavement and door-knocking never failed. People do

Those face to face contacts are very effective. Expand your networking efforts.

When was the last time you had breakfast with a successful local builder?

I will look for the answers.

Blogging, adding content to the web site, contact past clients and network!  

What Debe Maxwell said and Steven Nickens added.

I like Debe's answer.

I would call people, and talk to people and introduce myself where ever I can

Networking and volunteer groups are cheap and easy ways to do some good in your community and also expand your network and get some great PR.

Mine your database and become closer with your current clients.

handrwitten notes!

 SOI

Lisa,

You have great suggestions.  A