When you receive a real estate lead, what's the first thing you do? Hopefully, you call them within 5 minutes. What if you don't make contact? Don't give up until you've reached out at least 6-8x and use a dialogue that's effective, engaging, and persuasive if you want to convert real estate leads into sales. Let's look at ways to engage with your leads through voicemail, text, and email scripts.
Voicemail
Following up with real estate leads within 5 minutes will provide the greatest chance of talking to them, but what if the lead doesn't answer your call? Hang up and immediately call again. If they don't pick up the second call, leave a voicemail and make it relevant. In other words, don't just say "Hi, this is Bill. I wanted to follow up with you and answer any questions. I look forward to talking to you." No matter how fast you respond to a lead, your message might end up in the trash if you don't provide details about why you're calling. Try this instead:
"Hi, this is Bill from the XYZ team in Brookshire. Thanks for looking at my listing on 123 Main St. that I posted on Facebook. That has been a popular house! I would love to share some more information. Do you have time for a call today, or would you prefer a text?"
See the difference? You've provided specific, personalized context -- who you are, how you got their information, and why you left a message.
Texting
98% of text messages are read, making text one of the most important options to take advantage of when following up with leads. Let's say you called the lead 2x on the first day. You left a voicemail message but haven't heard from the lead. Later the same day, you need to send a text message (3rd follow-up of the day) that sounds something like this:
"Hi, this is Bill from the XYZ team in Brookshire. I wanted to follow up with my voicemail from earlier today about my listing on 123 Main St. Would you have time for a call today, or would you prefer to text?"
There's an essential part of text messaging that you might have overlooked in the past, and it probably hurt your chances of converting the lead. You have to be available when the lead texts you back. I know it could take a while to hear back from the lead, but you need to respond to the text immediately when you do. If you can't monitor your texts and respond in real-time, assign the task to an assistant or team member. Don't leave them hanging!
Email is a good option but shouldn't replace a phone call as the first step in following up with a lead. After you've tried to connect with them by phone 2-3x, follow up with an email later the same day. Design your email to reflect how they found you and avoid selling yourself (ex. "I have 20 years of experience as a real estate agent and would love to represent you") as it could scare them off.
Hi _____,
My name is Bill from the XYZ team, and I'm following up with a voicemail message I left earlier today. I wanted to thank you for downloading the newest listings in Brookshire! I'm not sure if this would be helpful, but I would love to share some information about the projected sale price of homes in these neighborhoods. Would you be interested? Please let me know.
Thank You,
Bill
Agency
Phone # / Website
Automated Follow-Up
You might be wondering about automated real estate lead follow-up. I favor using technology to follow up with leads, but it shouldn't replace the initial phone call unless it's after hours. You might consider using your CRM software or a third-party service to follow up with your leads automatically.
Just because you received a lead at 10 pm doesn't mean you should call them at 10 pm. Sending an "after hours" automated text or email message is ideal for interacting with the lead in the middle of the night. Your automated script could go something like this:
"Thank you for visiting my website and downloading '5 Steps to Buying a Home'. I would love to answer any questions you may have and share a list of our office's newest listings. I know it's late. I can reach out in the morning. What's a good time for you?"
There are a lot of positive vibes going on in this lead follow-up:
1) You responded to them immediately.
2) You let them know how you got their information.
3) You offered something of value.
4) You offered to call but let the lead decide on the time.
With this high level of service, you'll increase your odds of building a relationship with the lead and growing your sales funnel.
Conclusion
When it comes to following up with real estate leads, it's essential to do it quickly, reaching out multiple times and using the scripts outlined above. No matter how you interact with them, don't worry about rejection. In other words, if a lead doesn't respond to your inquiries, it could simply be a result of bad timing. Maybe they want to buy a home, but they've unexpectedly become a one-income household. Keep reaching out and put them into a drip email or text campaign. Grow your success by putting in the work and time to convert your real estate leads into clients. Try every real estate script follow-up option and don't give up!
Get more tips on nurturing real estate leads in our extensive guide:
