Real estate lead conversion is a tricky game. With an average conversion rate of just 2.4%, capturing consumers in the RE industry can be difficult for up-and-coming agencies.

On the back of social lead generation and a mass shift to a TikTok-based targeting market, realtors are quickly becoming acquainted with filming promotional videos, engaging with prospective buyers in the DMs, and creating content regularly to draw in leads.

However, as the future of property listing evolves, are realtors neglecting their website conversions?

78% of real estate searches still begin on search engines, but users are finding it more difficult than ever before to convert on page. 

One of the biggest reasons visitors leave without converting? Weak or poorly optimized lead capture forms. In fact, the average conversion rate for realtor forms is just 0.6%.

To turn website traffic into actual buyers and sellers, realtors need to master the art of building forms that not only collect emails but also spark action.

Let’s take a closer look at website-based lead generation as we teach you how to build a lead capture form that actually converts.

What is a Lead Capture Page?

On a real estate website, a lead capture page offers prospective buyers something in return for their email address or other personal information.

This could be automatic property alerts, a viewing, or an information pack about the property they’re interested in.

Unlike any other page on the website, a lead capture page has one specific goal: to attract leads to a magnet and exchange their information for something of value.

Website-based lead capture is typically achieved through the use of a form. This is the easiest way to collect basic information from website visitors, such as their email, zip code, or phone number.

However, persuading site visitors to fill out that form is a whole different challenge. Lead capture forms must grab the user’s attention in seconds and include quality CTAs that encourage action.

(Image Source: MailChimp)

A good lead capture form is short and well-targeted to the prospective buyer/renter. 

The best lead capture forms don’t end on submission. They are accompanied by post-submission emails that aim to retarget leads who fall out of the funnel.

As a real estate agency, strategically placing lead capture forms on your website could significantly increase your chances of scoring conversions. A whopping 66% of users who begin filling in a form complete it, so the goal here is to make them want to interact with yours.

How to Build a Lead Capture Form That Actually Converts?

Building a powerful lead capture form requires time and effort. However, with the right strategies in place, you’ll be collecting conversions in no time.

Here are five steps to follow when building a form for your real estate website.

1. Find the Right Length for Your Form

Whether you’re attracting buyers or sellers, there’s no doubt that one of the most crucial factors to take into account when building a lead capture form is its length.

The key here is to know when to opt for a short-form style or a longer lead capture form.

Short forms often work best when aiming to capture large volumes of leads at once. This could be used for converting emails for property alerts or gathering prospects in the early research stage. Short forms typically consist of only 2-5 fields and often require no more than a name and some contact details.

(Image Source: Realtor)

As you can see here in this form from Realtor, in order to learn more about the property listing, renters must simply input a few details to receive more information.

However, if you’re hoping to capture serious buyers and sellers, a longer form approach may be the answer. These types of forms convert fewer visitors, but are great at filtering out lunchtime browsers from action-ready prospects.

Longer forms are compiled of 3-5 fields and ask for details such as location preference, buying timeline, or pre-approval status. 

However, be careful when adding more than five fields. A recent study by HubSpot found that conversion rates drop by up to 50% when forms require more than five fields, so balance is key.

If you’re struggling to condense your form, consider using a progressive form template. 

(Image Source: FormBold)

These are multi-step forms that include a progress bar. This way, users are not overwhelmed with multiple fields at once and can track their progress while inputting information.

2. Grab Attention with the Right Hook

The most successful lead capture forms hook viewers immediately. Your form should tell buyers/sellers/renters why exchanging their information is worth the reward you’re offering.

Highlight value straight away with headlines like “Get Instant Property Alerts for Homes in [City]” or “Find Out What Your Home is Worth — Free Report”.

Your headline is the first thing a lead sees, so make it punchy and benefit-driven for the best results.

3. Be Strategic About Placement

While it may not seem that important, the placement of your online form makes all the difference to your conversion rate. Real estate agents often miss out on the best leads simply because their forms aren’t where users interact.

Depending on your page design, you can insert a lead capture form in various places. The most common is above the fold on landing pages. This means that your visitors don’t need to scroll to find it.

Also, consider how your prospects will utilize your website. For example, the NYC-based real estate agency Batra attaches its form to the bottom of each listing, naturally encouraging interested viewers to take action after reading about the listing.

(Image Source: Batra)

However, if you want to ensure that your form is seen on every page, try including it in a pop-up or a chatbot conversation to drive more engagement.

The key here is to use a real estate website builder that allows you to test each of these form placements on different web templates. Depending on your target audience, specific placements may be more effective than others.

4. Get Creative With Your Fields

Try to get creative when creating your fields. Rather than simply listing ‘name, email, phone number’ and so on, try to make your form more engaging.

Think about including images, widgets, interactive buttons, and more. The more visually appealing, the better.

Studies show that consumers react more positively to pointing and clicking as opposed to typing in information. The easier your form is to fill out, the more likely consumers will engage.

Take this great example from Zillow, for instance:

(Image Source: Zillow)

Their ‘Request a tour’ pop-up form is composed of several engaging elements, including a visual representation of the property in question, a sliding date widget, and a drop-down time feature. This format makes it easy to interact with the form on both desktop and mobile devices.

5. Optimize Buttons and Follow-Up

When finishing up your form, don’t forget to optimize your buttons. Be sure to swap the generic “Submit” for real estate-focused calls-to-action like:

• “Send Me Alerts”

• “Find My Dream Home”

• “Get My Home Value”

This encourages visitors to make that all-important last click and convert into a customer.

However, the fun doesn’t stop there. Once they hit the submit button, they expect their value-added benefit in return. 

Don’t make your lead wait for the next newsletter or a new property update; send an instant follow-up email with either a property alert confirmation or a resource (like a free market report).

According to experts at MarketingSherpa, post-form follow-up messages can boost engagement by up to 40%.

Ready to Build Your Own Form?

Now that we’ve taught you how to build a winning form for your real estate website, it’s time to have a go yourself.

Just remember to get creative with your presentation, trial different lengths and placements, and don’t forget to follow up. Scoring a lead is one thing. Keeping them is another.