Real estate agents are driven to sell homes, but to do that they need clients willing to list their properties with them. So, while an agent can be amazing at selling houses, they also need to be great at generating leads and building their client list. Without them, the home selling opportunities don't exist.

If you're having trouble overcoming the real estate lead generation hurdle, keep reading for some tips and tricks that can help get you back on track.

Prospect Every Day

Take even just 30 minutes out of every day to focus to build leads and prospect for new clients. That activity may not seem like much time or effort, but making prospecting a part of your daily routine will not only force you to make it a priority, but you'll also start to see results fast.

Target Your Prospecting

If cold-calling and door-knocking is destroying your morale, it's time to smarten up and focus on targeted client prospecting. Instead of looking for potential clients in the phone book, try giving out your business card at home shows or tuck them into related books at a local library. Rather than advertising in the local penny saver, get your ad in the Homes section of your paper. Targeted prospecting is not only more efficient, it also saves money.

Stay on Top of Follow-Ups

If you need to do a follow-up with a prospective lead, be sure to pen it into your daily calendar. Make that follow-up phone call or email a scheduled, prioritized part of your day. Consistency is the key. Stay with a disciplined program week-after-week and you begin to receive at least a trickle of inquiries.

Answer the Phones

A great way to build leads is to take on a phone shift at your brokerage or agency. By acting as receptionist for a day or an afternoon, you'll be fielding calls from potential clients who may be looking for an agent. You'll be there to answer their questions, impress them with your knowledge and sell them on your services. Just be sure to focus your primary attention on the callers' needs and avoid blunt salesmanship.

Focus on Word-of-Mouth

Just as you should spend at least 30 minutes a day on prospecting, the same can be said for networking. By getting your name and face out to lenders, mortgage brokers, real estate attorneys, developers and contractors, you're increasing the chance that they'll recommend you to a prospective client. The most effective advertisement is the endorsement of someone else in another respected position.

Get Online

Bring in leads by investing in a quality website that's updated routinely. If you can, either start a small blog or update your site each day with new listings and helpful information written by you or another expert in the field.

Also, investing in a pay-per-click search engine advertising program can be a great way to drive traffic to your site. For example, purchasing the advertising rights to "Real Estate Agent Hometown" could make your website the number one hit for anyone looking for an agent in Hometown.