Overview
In today’s competitive real estate market, agents are often told that cold calling, door knocking, and running expensive ads are the only ways to generate listings. But what if there was a simpler, more effective strategy? This case study explores how I, Chaston J. Miles, closed three listings—all For Sale By Owner (FSBO)—using nothing more than a 31-second YouTube video.
The results? I generated 37 leads, closed 3 listings, and earned over $20,000 in revenue—all without spending a dime on ads, knocking on a single door, or picking up the phone for cold calls.
If you’re an agent looking for an innovative way to attract motivated sellers and close more deals, read on.
The Challenge
Traditional real estate lead generation strategies—cold calling, door knocking, mailers—are time-consuming, outdated, and, for many agents, uncomfortable. I wanted to find a way to generate motivated seller leads:
Without cold outreach: I wanted sellers to come to me instead of me chasing them.
Without running ads: Many agents don’t have the budget to spend on ads, and I wanted a process that was free and scalable.
Without a massive audience: At the time, I had fewer than 250 YouTube subscribers, proving that you don’t need a big following to make this work.
The Solution
The solution I implemented focused on creating a short, strategic video that spoke directly to a niche audience of motivated sellers—For Sale By Owners (FSBOs). I developed a repeatable, 5-step system that any agent can use to achieve similar results.
Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience (The “Who”)
The foundation of this strategy starts with a clear understanding of your ideal client. In my case, I focused on FSBOs.
Problem: FSBOs want to sell their home without hiring an agent to save money.
Solution: Offer valuable resources to help them sell their home while subtly demonstrating why working with you may be a better option.
Goal: Attract FSBOs who are struggling to sell on their own and convert them into listing clients.
Step 2: Craft a Valuable Offer
Instead of pitching my services directly, I created a value-packed offer tailored to FSBOs’ needs. The offer provided actionable steps they could take to sell their home on their own—exactly what they wanted.
Here’s how I crafted my offer:
Specific: Help FSBOs sell their home without hiring an agent.
Relevant: Addressed their core goal of saving money by not paying commission fees.
Scalable: Designed the offer as a downloadable PDF to deliver the same value to multiple leads efficiently.
This approach allowed me to build trust by solving their immediate problem while leaving the door open for future conversations.
Step 3: Create and Post a Short, Impactful Video
I recorded a simple 31-second YouTube video targeting FSBOs. Here’s the basic framework:
Call out the audience: I addressed FSBOs directly, letting them know I understood their needs.
Present the offer: I briefly explained what I could provide to help them sell their home.
Include a call-to-action (CTA): I directed viewers to click a link to access the free resource I created.
This video wasn’t professionally produced or heavily edited—it was straightforward and authentic. The focus was on providing value, not being flashy.
Step 4: Qualify Leads with a Survey
Once viewers clicked the link, they were directed to a simple Google Form (or you could use a free tool like Wufoo). This form asked basic qualifying questions, including:
“How quickly are you looking to sell your home?”
“Have you tried to sell your home before?”
This helped filter out unmotivated leads while collecting contact information like email addresses and phone numbers from serious sellers.
Step 5: Provide Value with a DDP (Digestible Downloadable Product)
After completing the form, qualified leads received my value-packed PDF guide tailored to FSBOs.
The guide included:
Steps to prepare their home for sale.
Tips for marketing their property.
Common pitfalls to avoid.
Subtle ways an agent (me) could add value without directly pitching my services.
By focusing on helping them achieve their goal—selling their home—I positioned myself as a trusted expert they would feel comfortable reaching out to for help.
Step 6: Follow Up with Email Campaigns
Over the next 30 days, I sent a series of follow-up emails to keep the conversation going and provide additional value.
Here’s an example of the email sequence:
Email 1: Delivered the PDF guide.
Email 2: Shared a legal document template (like a disclosure form) they could use to sell their home.
Email 3: Explained advanced techniques I use to market homes.
Email 4: Invited them to follow me on social media for more tips.
Email 5: Offered to promote their listing for free by sharing it with my database.
This approach continued to build trust while keeping me top-of-mind.
The Results
Leads Generated: The 31-second YouTube video generated 37 views and 39 clicks to my link, resulting in 30 qualified leads.
Listings Closed: Out of those leads, 3 turned into listings that sold, generating over $20,000 in gross commission income (GCI).
Time Investment: The entire process—from creating the video to closing the deals—took less than 4 hours of active work.
Why This Works
This strategy is effective because it:
Builds trust: By offering real value up front, you position yourself as a helpful expert.
Attracts motivated leads: FSBOs who are actively trying to sell are already motivated—they just need guidance.
Leverages automation: The process works even when you’re not actively involved, saving you time and effort.
Requires minimal investment: I didn’t spend money on ads, and my YouTube video didn’t require a large audience to succeed.
Lessons for Real Estate Agents
This system can work for any agent looking to attract listings. Whether you’re targeting FSBOs, expired listings, or another niche, the principles remain the same:
Identify a clear audience.
Offer something valuable.
Use free traffic methods (like social media).
Automate follow-ups.
Build trust and relationships before asking for the business.
This simple yet powerful strategy transformed a single 31-second video into three closed listings and over $20,000 in revenue. If you’re tired of cold calling, door knocking, or running expensive ads, this approach could be the solution you’ve been looking for.
By focusing on providing value, leveraging social media, and automating your lead generation process, you can attract motivated sellers and close more deals without the stress of traditional methods.
The best part? You don’t need a big audience, a large budget, or years of experience to make this work. All you need is the willingness to take action and implement these steps.
So, what’s stopping you from creating your next lead-generating video? Your next listing could be just 31 seconds away.
