It’s always exciting to receive an online real estate lead! You feel a surge of energy as you envision finding a house for the lead or helping them sell an existing home. With a few changes to your lead follow-up routine, you’ll be rewarded with more conversions in less time. Let’s take a look at a variety of ways to follow up with your leads, make a positive impression, and grow your sales funnel.

Making a positive impression on your real estate leads is a top priority if you want to convert them into clients.  How are you doing with lead follow-up?  Let's dive in and start applying these must-haves to convert your leads and increase your bottom line.

• Respond Quickly
• Personalize
• Your Presence
• Your Brand

1. Quick Reaction Time

You’ve heard that quick and consistent lead follow-up improves your chances of getting a lead into your sales funnel. So why am I repeated this?  IT’S VERY IMPORTANT. Are you calling your leads within 5 minutes of receiving them? If not, the lead may be on their way to connecting with another agent (lack of patience these days!).  Capture the attention of your online leads with these quick follow-up options (some unexpected!).

• Call or text the online lead immediately
• Route leads to a (virtual) assistant who can follow up for you
• Use your CRM program to automatically send an email or text each time you receive a lead.  Consider the following:
  
  • “I look forward to helping you on your journey to buy or sell a home!  I’ll be in touch soon!  In the meantime, check out this short video: [link]. Talk to you soon! [your name]” 
• Email alerts.  On your phone, consider associating a unique sound to your lead alert emails so you know when you receive a lead (support@reazo.com).  
  • Example Gmail option on Android: https://tinyurl.com/ez42uwj4

Create a follow-up response that addresses the needs of the lead vs. focusing on your qualifications (that comes later).

2. Personalized Email/Text/Phone

Sending generic responses to internet leads isn’t going to create a lasting impression or improve your bottom line so, whenever possible, personalize your follow-up.  Personalize your responses when calling, emailing, or texting your online leads.  If you receive a lead looking for a list of homes, lead with that information and they will be more likely to engage with you.  

Avoid a generic “about me” response:  Remember, focus on the lead.  Hone in on what the lead needs and avoid leading with your background and qualifications.  You can share more about yourself after you get to know the lead.

“Hi! My name is _____ with XYZ Realty.  I have been a real estate agent in the _____ area for nearly 15 years.  I am excited to help you find or sell a home!”

Personal response: FOCUS ON THE LEAD.  Get the lead talking by responding with a personal response then listen and learn.  What is it they're looking for?  

“Hi [lead’s name]!  This is ______ with XYZ Realty.  I see you’re looking for a list of homes in the _______ area. [Mention something specific about the area like ‘Homes in that area have the most beautiful views of the lake’]. Please share a little bit about yourself and the type of home you’re looking to buy.”

Sending generic responses to internet leads isn’t going to create a lasting impression or improve your bottom line.

3. Online Presence

Real estate leads are more tech savvy than ever and will search for your website, social media channels, blog, etc., to learn more about you.  If they can’t find you online or find very little about you, they’re likely to move on to a real estate agent who has a dominant online presence.

Are online real estate leads finding your website?  Check your Google Analytics for free to learn more about how many visitors are finding your website.

The online lead may have found you on a popular home listing site and then clicked on a link to your website. Great!  Then the lead might read a couple of your blog articles and click on the social media links you provided.  Now the lead is fully engrossed in your online presence and isn’t thinking about any other agent.  You’ll be remembered by this lead!

4. Branding

Whether you’ve been in the real estate industry for 3 months or 30 years, your branding must be cohesive and consistent.  Everything from the colors you use in your branding, to the fonts and logos, even your headshot, should be consistent across all of your marketing (online and printed material).  You want leads to immediately recognize your brand no matter where they see it.

TIP:  Keep your branding up-to-date.  If you’re using a headshot from 10+ years ago, it’s time to update it.  If your website is old and bogged down with outdated content, it’s time for a fresh, updated look.  An updated website is a great way to make a positive impression on your leads.

When your branding is cohesive, the next time your online lead receives a link to one of your blog articles, a text, or an email, they will recognize your marketing style and feel a greater connection with your brand. When your leads are ready to buy or sell a home, you and your brand will be top-of-mind.

Conclusion

If you want stronger engagement from your online leads, try our real estate lead follow-up tips.  Be quick to follow up with your leads, personalize your messaging, and stay consistent with your branding.  Consistency and perseverance will help you establish a solid presence with your leads and boost your sales funnel. Did you just receive a lead alert?  Get to it!

Want to learn more about how to nurture your real estate leads?  Download our comprehensive lead nurturing guide then bookmark it for future reference.