Want more listings in 2026? Try these
In our current real estate market the property owners have become cautious, capital is still a bit expensive, and every broker that calls claims to “have buyers” so prospecting has shifted from a numbers game to a precision art form. The brokers that will win listings in 2026 aren’t relying on just the old-school cold calls alone—they’re combining data, positioning, and personalized outreach to earn trust faster and demonstrate value earlier.
I put together the seven prospecting tactics that are consistently generating new listings in today’s market across all asset classes.
Intelligent Target Lists Built With Real-Time Data
The top producing brokers have stopped calling every owner in a ZIP code. Instead they are focusing on the owners who are most likely to sell. They do this by analyzing:
Loan maturity dates
Recapitalization windows
Upcoming prepayment penalty drops
Property-level distress indicators
Partnership disputes (via public filings)
When you reach out right as the pressure or motivation peaks, owners actually are more open to talking.
This works better because you’re not guessing who’s ready—you’re identifying them.
This will take a little more homework, but your closing rate will be much higher, making your ROI much higher.
Personalized 3-Touch Outreach Sequences
Generic emails are becoming less and less effective. The top brokers are shifting to three-touch sequences built around an owner’s specific situation:
Touch 1: Insight-based email or call referencing data you found;
Touch 2: A short video message explaining what you’re seeing in their submarket;
Touch 3: A value piece—comps, cap rate shift analysis, or a rent trend snapshot
You will find that owners respond more frequently, and are more open to brokers who already understand their market and asset.
Delivering Mini-Market Updates (Value) Before Asking for a Meeting
Instead of calling asking for time, top brokers are giving something useful first—like a 1-page micro-market snapshot.
Here are a few examples:
“Here are the last three transactions within a mile of your property.”
“Your neighbor just signed two new tenants—thought you’d want to know.”
“Vacancies in your submarket fell 40 bps since Q4.”
If you demonstrate your expertise before making a pitch it will completely change the way a potential client perceives you. Don’t forget to add a “call-to-action” such as: If you’d like more details on the transactions, please feel free to reach out to me.
Become the “Landlord’s Broker” on Social Media
The top brokers in 2026 will be posting on social media but their goal will not be to go viral, there goal is to get in front of new clients. They will get noticed by posting short, hyper-specific local insights:
Here are a few examples:
30-second submarket updates
“What this week’s rate move means for owners”
Deal breakdowns showing how they solved problems
This will help position you as a resource for the exact owners you want.
I cringe when I hear an agent say my clients are not online, they may not have been a few years ago but now many are researching you online to gauge expertise and the amount of business you do in their market, even before they meet with you, and usually before they hire you. Remember- Consistency builds credibility.
Leveraging Warm Introductions Through Friends, Lenders, PMs & CPAs
Your existing sphere of influence and vendors just may be the most underutilized listing generator.
Lenders, property managers, attorneys, and CPAs who you most likely already are working with know who is refinancing, selling, disputing partners, or struggling with operations long before the general market, your friends, family, people from your house of worship, college and even high school most likely know someone looking at real estate right now.
Top brokers nurture these relationships with:
Quarterly lunch-and-learns
Co-branded email updates
Sharing deal intel that benefits the partner
Email reminders so these connections remember that you are in the real estate business Warm introductions close at 3–5x the rate of cold outreach so it is definitely worth your time.
Offering an Off Market or Discreet Valuation Option
Not every owner wants to openly test the market, especially in a volatile cycle.
Some brokers are winning listings by offering:
No-commitment silent listings (not something I recommend)
Private buyer pool testing
Confidential price discovery
Off-market sell-side representation
Owners in 2026 want flexibility without pressure, while I do not highly recommend some of these they have worked for some brokers.
Positioning Yourself With a Signature Research Angle
Some top performing brokers have a signature data/branding angle they’re known for:
“The adaptive reuse specialist”
“The distressed debt-to-equity transition expert”
“The submarket demand analyst”
This differentiates you instantly and makes owners come to you when their issue matches your expertise but you have to be careful as once you are branded as this you will most likely generate most of your revenue from doing this one thing so be sure your market can support your efforts.
You will find that the brokers dominating listings in 2026 aren’t the loudest—they’re the most relevant and add value to their offerings. They’re using data to efficiently time outreach, personalization to establish trust, and specialized insights to differentiate themselves in a crowded market.
Prospecting in 2026 isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what brings the most value to their market.
