The One Mistake Holding Most Estate Agents Back in 2025

Leads are slowing down. Referrals are drying up. And listing on the same portal as everyone else? That isn’t cutting it anymore.

If you’ve felt the shift, you’re not alone.

In today’s fast-changing market, top-performing agents aren’t abandoning portals, they’re simply no longer putting all their eggs in one basket. They’re building smarter, more resilient lead pipelines designed to thrive no matter what the market throws at them.

The Harsh Truth No One Talks About

Most real estate agents are just one platform decision away from a bad month - or worse, a dry quarter.

In 2025, the biggest risk to your pipeline isn’t only the market. It’s relying on a single, oversaturated, overpriced lead source.

Sound familiar?

• You’re paying more to compete for fewer, colder leads.
• Your listing is buried under dozens of others in the same suburb.
• You’re stuck in a pay-to-play spiral with no clear ROI visibility.

This is exactly what happens when you give all your listing power to one or two mega-portals. In today’s environment, that’s not just inefficient - it’s dangerous.

The Market Has Changed. Has Your Strategy?

South Africa’s property market is facing three simultaneous pressures:

• Interest rate fluctuations: Buyers are hesitant, and deals are taking longer to close.
• Inflation and rising costs: Agents and agencies are under pressure to trim spend.
• Global buyer interest is increasing: The weak rand means big opportunities for foreign investors.

But here’s what the top 5% of agents know:

These shifts aren’t threats, they’re signals. And they favour those who adapt fast.

The Platform Trap: Stop Competing in a Rigged Race

If you’re only listing on a single major portal, you’re playing the same game as everyone else, with less visibility, at a higher cost.

• Their pricing models are bloated.
• Their traffic is massive, but not necessarily targeted.
• And their platform is their priority, not your conversions.

To borrow from Alex Hormozi:

The only thing worse than no leads is paying for leads that don’t close.

Disrupt or Get Disrupted

Gary Vee calls it pattern recognition: "Spot the shift. Move early. Win big."

Jason Oppenheim would say: "Exposure = leverage. Leverage gets deals closed."

Next-gen agents and agencies are:

• Tracking actual ROI per platform, not just impressions
• Testing multiple lead sources to identify hidden performance gems
• Prioritising platforms that offer value beyond just listings - like global reach, strategic support, and true visibility

If that’s not how you’re operating, you’re not scaling - you’re stuck.

Introducing the Diversified Lead Funnel

Forward-thinking agencies know that building a lead funnel, not just listing, is critical. A diversified funnel spreads your risk and gives you access to more serious buyers, allowing for more consistent growth.

The 3-Tier Diversified Funnel

✅ Tier 1: Major local portals: great for broad exposure
✅ Tier 2: Independent/niche portals (like ImmoAfrica.net): more targeted, better ROI
✅ Tier 3: International portals (like ImmoAfrika.de, JamesEdition): connect with serious foreign buyers

This funnel approach spreads risk, increases lead diversity, and boosts ROI on every rand spent.

Why Diversification Works

Many agents hesitate to move away from what feels safe. But local data shows the shift is already underway:

• 57.7% of South African agents are expanding across digital channels to reach broader audiences.
• 41.5% are using data to optimise listing performance and allocate budget more effectively.

As industry expert Jan Grove put it:

One great lead from one portal is worth more than 100 poor leads from another.

New competition rules and digital tools are making it easier (and more cost-effective) to list across different portals, hedge against market shifts, and reach new audiences, including international buyers actively looking for South African properties.

Simple Actions You Can Take Today

• Audit your current lead mix: Identify which channels actually deliver qualified leads consistently.
• Expand strategically: Add independent and niche portals to your mix, and explore international exposure for global buyer segments.
• Measure ROI regularly: Track lead quality and conversions, not just volume or clicks.
• Refine quarterly: Reassess your strategy every quarter to stay ahead of the market.

See also: Lead Sources: Are You Giving Them the Attention They Deserve?

Free Download

Get our "2025 Lead Diversification Checklist" to help you identify gaps and start planning smarter, more resilient lead strategies.

✅ Download Now

Ready to Future-Proof Your Lead Strategy?

Top-performing agencies are already diversifying their lead sources and positioning themselves for long-term success. By partnering with ImmoAfrica, your agency can:

• Gain direct access to qualified, serious buyers across South Africa and internationally
• Reduce dependence on any single platform or marketing channel
• Strengthen your brand authority and visibility in a competitive market

ImmoAfrica is designed to support agencies at a strategic level, empowering your teams to reach more buyers without sacrificing quality or ROI.

✅ Book a Session to Explore Agency Partnership Opportunities with ImmoAfrica CEO, Josh Eberle.

Final Word

If the past 12 months have taught us anything, it’s this:

What used to work, won’t carry you forward. What you try now, will.

Lead diversification isn’t a marketing trick, it’s a business survival strategy. The agents and agencies who move first will be the ones closing deals while others are still refreshing dashboards.

Let’s make sure you’re in that group.