[Podcast] Refining Processes for Your Real Estate Team with Sosimo Avila
Sosimo Avila is a producing branch manager at NEO Home Loans. He's produced close to $100 million in the past year, ranking in the top 1% in the country. In this episode of Real Talk, with Realtors, hear Sosimo share how to create efficient processes for your real estate team, write SOPs, build where you want to be, prepare your business to scale, and put together a rewarding retreat for your team. This episode covers everything from systems to coffee shops. Here's a small sample of what you will hear in this episode: What does Sosimo's business look like? How do you write processes? What is process? How does writing SOPs create data points? What has Sosimo learned about being a business leader? How do you get your culture to adopt processes? What advice does Sosimo have for real estate business owners? Real talk…not Real talk: Interest-only loans Connect with Sosimo on Instagram and YouTube. Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail. Listen on: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Visit the episode homepage for show notes and more detail.

The Only Follow-Up Plan You Need for Seller Leads
Perhaps you have the right plan in place for your buyer leads, but you're struggling to engage and nurture your seller leads, or maybe you just need some fresh ideas. Either way, here's a solid plan to create more conversations and land more listings. And did I mention this plan includes eleven weeks of touches? Best Practices for Following up with Seller Leads Don't forget the tried and true best practices for following up with anyone: Apeed to lead. Respond as quickly as possible to new leads. Every minute counts. Provide value: Give them what they need before they even know they need it with helpful, relevant information. Include a variety of follow-up methods in your nurture plan: calls, emails, texts, social media, etc. And remember, once you've gotten the response, pull that lead off of your campaign and communicate based on that lead's specific communication preferences and needs. Okay, here we go! Week 1 Seller Lead Strategy This is the most intense part of the campaign, with a communication plan for each day. Since you know there is interest in their home's worth, now is the time for a full court press. Day 1: Since the leads are registering through your home valuation page, they should automatically receive their home valuation and market report upon registration, and you should receive a notification in your CRM. This lead is H.O.T. so call them ASAP. No answer? Here's a sample voicemail: Hi, this is <Your Name> with <Your Company>. You should be receiving your home value report shortly, but I am also putting together a custom report with some interesting comps from your neighborhood. I'd love to deliver this version to you and answer any questions. Then follow up with an email: Subject: Your Home Value Report for <address> Hi <prospect name>, I left you a voicemail, but figured I'd send you an email in case it's easier for you to respond this way. Thank you for your home value request on <company website>. I'm working up a custom report for you and was wondering if you had any questions I could help with in the meantime. I would love to deliver a copy to your home today if you're available. Thanks! Taking the time to deliver the report shows off your level of service and if they take you up on the meeting, it's a great way to get face-to-face, run through the report, answer any questions, and start taking the relationship to the next level. Day 2: Shoot the lead a text message. Sometimes this is the best communication method for people and they prefer to talk via text rather than over the phone. (It also eliminates the possibility of your email drowning in an overly-crowded inbox! Day 3: Try to call your prospect again, mail the customized value report to their address (with a note). Voicemail: Hi <prospect name>, this is < your name> with <company name>. Just wanted to follow up and make sure you received the home value report I delivered, and to see if you have any questions I may be able to help with. I actually have some questions for you that would help me with estimating you home's worth even better, so please give me a call or send me a quick email. Hand-written note: Hi <prospect name> Thank you so much for reaching out to learn more about your home's value. I hope you had an opportunity to look over the value estimate and report I delivered, but in case you didn't receive it, here's another copy for you to look through. Please let me know if I can answer any questions. All the best, <your name> <company name> *include a business card too! Day 4: Set your prospect up to receive automatic updates (e-Alerts) on similar listings and market activity. Day 5: Email some similar active listings: Subject: Check out these comparable listings Hi <prospect name>, Here are some homes that are for sale that are similar to your own. Feel free to check out <company website> for more information and properties! Day 6: Send an email with your customized value report attached. Subject: Your customized report Hi <prospect name>, I hope you enjoyed your valuation report. While they can be helpful in getting a better idea of your home's worth, they are generated from third party data, so I made a few tweaks based on my knowledge of market activity in your area. I dropped this by your home, but thought it might be helpful to have a digital version as well. I'd love to discuss any questions or issues you may have! Day 7: Make a phone call and follow up with a brief text. Voicemail: Hi <prospect name>, this is <your name>. I just wanted to follow up and make sure you your were satisfied with the requested property report and value range of your home. I know the range may seem a bit broad, but we can adjust and narrow that down if I could get you to answer a few questions for me about your home. Even if you're just curious about the market, I'd be happy to provide any advice that might be helpful. Feel free to call me any time or shoot me an email. Thanks and have a great day! 10-Week Drip Campaign for Seller Leads If you still don't have a response after your week-long effort, it's time to approach your lead with the "low and slow" method. This next phase involves an email drip campaign that delivers one message per week for the next 10 weeks. Week 2 Seller Lead Strategy This email is just checking back in and trying to gain some information around the prospect's timeline and intentions. Subject: Is your home worth more than you think? Hi <prospect name>, I wanted to check in with you about your home valuation report and see what you thought about the provided price range. Too high or too low? I know it's a broad estimate, but things like past remodels and updates could impact the value nicely. Are you considering selling or simply interested in your home's current value? I'd be happy to help either way. All the best, <your name> Week 3 Seller Lead Strategy This next touch is taking a new tack to trying to get a response: asking a very specific question. (If you are right, or wrong, in assuming they may be relocating, you have a high chance of getting a reply!) Subject: Are you relocating? Hi, Since you were curious about the current value of your home, I was wondering if you may be planning to move or relocate. Is this the case for you? If you're planning to move somewhere nearby or relocating further away, I'd be happy to help. Nearby: Just tell me which neighborhoods you're interested in and I'll make sure you receive the freshest listing information and a market report so you can get a good feel for pricing in that market. Relocating: I'm happy to tap into my network to connect you with a trustworthy agent to help you look for homes in your desired area. Just let me know what's most helpful! Week 4 Seller Lead Strategy Here's a check in on the e-Alerts they're receiving and if they are the right type of parameters. If they're enjoying the alerts then they might tell you as much, and if they're a little off, this is the chance for them to let you know. Subject: Staying on top of the market Hi, I hope you've been enjoying learning a bit more about the market activity around your home and receiving similar properties that have been listed. I can make these alerts even more customized if you'd like to limit the search for only homes in your neighborhood, with the same square footage, etc. Also, if you're moving, it's never too early to research the market you'd like to move to! Let me know what you're looking for in your next home and I'll send you some homes to check out! Week 5 Seller Lead Strategy Remember, to be of value for your clients, it's your job to share your expertise. That means taking the market information and translating it into terms they can understand, and relating it to their own situation. Or, as Steve Harney would say, "connecting the dots." Subject: The right time to sell? Hi, Our area is enjoying a market where home values are on the rise. When homes are priced correctly and marketed effectively, there are frequently multiple offers for a property within a few days of listing. Here's a helpful link to see current stats for your zip code <insert link>. Most of my clients find this really useful! Let me know if you have any questions, I am happy to help! Week 6 Seller Lead Strategy Make another call! Check in and ask things like "What's your timeline?" "What did you think of the home value range?" etc. Subject: Your home is worth how much?! Hi, To get top dollar for your home, we'll want to determine what a buyer will pay in the current market. Determining the market value of your home is complex and you should use a local expert to help you determine that price. Some key factors include: Location Lot size Square footage Special enhancements and features of your home If you are a little ways out from selling, we can work together now on a few minor and inexpensive changes so you can draw in higher offers when you decide to put it on the market. Call me on my cell <insert number> so we can find a time to discuss. Or send me your number and I'll call you. Week 7 Seller Lead Strategy Now is a great time to make sure your listing presentation game is strong. Offer an explanation of what you can do to market their home and show how many buyer leads you have at the ready! Subject: A marketing plan for <insert address> Hi, What's the difference between listings and marketing your home? Listing is just getting it on the market, but marketing is what is done to drawing buyers in and getting top dollar for your home. That's where I come in! As a successful listing agent in the area, creating a strategic marketing plan with the homeowner before we list has been crucial to getting my sellers the best price for their home. Let's set up a time where we can discuss a marketing strategy for your home. Before we meet, feel free to send over any thoughts you have: 1. Who do you think will be the perfect buyer of your home? (A large family, a couple downsizing,etc.)2. What are your favorite features of your home? Why? Looking forward to hearing from you! Week 8 Seller Lead Strategy If you're creating fresh content for your website, blog, or social media accounts (and you should be!), share something that might be useful to a potential seller. Want a little treat? Here is some tweetable advice you can share with seller leads. Subject: Top 5 Ways to Boost Your Curb Appeal Hi, Did you know that doing just a few simple, inexpensive things to your home before you put it on the market can increase your home selling potential up to 10%? Here's a link to my blog post, "The top 5 ways to improve your home's first impression." My past client found this very helpful when we were selling their home and I hope you will too. Let me know if you'd like to chat about the selling process! Thanks, and looking forward to hearing from you! Week 9 Seller Lead Strategy It may be worth offering some giveaway to pique the interest of the potential seller. The below email details the opportunity for a staging consult, but you could also offer a free appraisal as well. Subject: Free home staging Hey, I just wanted to drop you a quick note about a special offer for a free home staging consultation with my favorite local home stager (they help make your house look pretty when we show your property). These guys are awesome and this is a service I highly recommend. The deal is good for the rest of this month. Let me know if you're interested! Week 10 Seller Lead Strategy Testimonial time! Demonstrate the success you've had in a similar area selling homes, or showcase what similar homes you have sold. Now is a great time to pull in testimonials from past clients and brag a little bit (humbly of course!) about any big wins with multiple offers, time to sale, etc. Subject: Sold: 3 homes just like yours Hi, Just wanted to let you know that these homes, similar to your own, were all sold in under one month (and one even went above asking price!). Here are some things my clients have to say: *Insert testimonial* *Insert testimonial* I would love to be able to offer you the same experience they all enjoyed. Would you have some time today to chat about this market and what your timeline is like? I look forward to hearing from you! Week 11 Seller Lead Strategy If you still haven't had any bites after all these touches, it's a good idea to make sure they haven't been put off by anything, and put the ball back in their court. Subject: Did I drop the ball? Hi <prospect name> I have yet to hear back from you, so I want to make sure I didn't drop the ball. When you initially reached out to me you were interested in the value of your home. Are you just looking to refinance or do you want to potentially sell sometime down the road? I don't want to bug you, so here's how you can contact me: <insert name><insert phone number><insert email> I would love to help you with any of your real estate questions or needs. Warm regards, <your name> Nurturing Non-Responsive Seller Leads Continue sending your seller leads automatic e-Alerts and market updates to stay top of mind and keep adding value. Even if they are a ways out from selling their home, or unresponsive, it's certainly worth keeping them involved in your digital marketing efforts. That way, when the time does come when they're ready for help, you'll be the person they turn to. With the right technology, and automated processes, nurturing seller leads can be a breeze. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

Follow-Up Is Still the #1 Reason Agents Lose Business
Deploying a strategic follow-up plan is similar to starting to go to the gym. In both of these cases, success and results are produced with consistency. One day may not bring about instant results, but one year certainly will usher in amazing wins. When it comes to refining and streamlining the way that real estate businesses engage with their spheres, many agents avoid follow-up because it's not the most fun task to do. It's likely that an agent will prioritize interacting with active clients over warming the colder leads in their sales funnel. This is one of the reasons why follow-up is still the No. 1 reason why agents lose out on business. To convert more leads and build better relationships with your clients, you have to be diligent, motivated, and consistent with your follow-up. Follow-up boosts lead conversion Follow-up is what separates the agents who fail from top producing agents. Agents who just want quick wins slack on their follow-up, while best-in-the-business agents who build longevity are dedicated to a scaleable, success-oriented follow-up strategy. Strong follow-up action plans are what allow you to tap into the goldmine in your database. When you warm prospects and continually follow up, you are more likely to stay top-of-mind with your leads. This allows you to retain your business opportunities throughout the entirety of your sales funnel — rather than seeing that they are far-off from their transaction, labeling them a "trash lead," and ceasing communications. To grow your business and maximize efficiency, revenue, and closed deals, you need to create a constant stream of leads that are cycling through the full sales funnel. You need to work your leads all the way through to the home run of conversion, not give up after the first inning. Pro Tip: Did you know that only 25% of leads in your CRM are ready to buy at any given time? Additionally, nurtured leads go on to make 47% larger purchases than those who buy immediately. If you're following up with the remaining 75% of leads in your database that are not conversion ready, you can create a sales cycle that continually generates transaction opportunities. If you don't follow up with the 75% of colder leads and only focus on hot leads, you're likely to hit a stall in your lead funnel once your current clients have closed. Strategic follow-up improves client experiences Do you want to create lifelong client relationships to access repeat business and referral opportunities? You need to do the legwork of keeping in touch with your sphere from first contact. Besides giving you access to more transactions to boost production, good follow-up also directly benefits your clients by improving the experience they have while working with you. Following up is like rolling out the red carpet for your clients. When you are communicating and sharing valuable information that helps them achieve their real estate goals, you are positioning yourself as a priceless asset to them. You are also showing them that you care, which is the first step to creating a meaningful relationship with your sphere. Following up shows clients that you: Have great communication practices Prioritize them and their needs Can answer questions quickly and effectively Will answer them whenever they reach out to you Will act as a strong guide when it's time to buy or sell In today's world where consumers expect Amazon-type instant gratification, transparency, and an open line of communication, strategic follow-up is becoming increasingly important for real estate professionals. 5 follow-up best practices to start growing your business According to a recent study conducted by RealTrends, these five follow-up strategies proven to generate more income are the activities that make real estate agents successful. 1. Marketing should target both potential new leads and former clients. Agents who market to both fresh leads and past clients see an average of 9% more transaction sides than agents only focused on networking with new clients. 2. Implement a systematic follow-up process for every contact. Agents who do not employ systematic follow-up average 22% fewer transaction sides than agents who have a formal workflow in place for both past clients and new leads. 3. Workflows for both former clients and new leads should use a mix of contact types, including programmatic and social media advertising. Agents who do not use programmatic and social media advertising tend to see 29% fewer transactions on average. 4. Aim for 10 or more touch points per person, per month. Making 10 or more touch points per month helps agents see 39% more transaction sides than their peers. 5. Invest time in marketing and networking to grow your database beyond the tipping point of 500 contacts. Agents with databases of over 500 contacts have an average of 25% more transaction sides. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

What Are the Best Tips for Successfully Nurturing Real Estate Leads?
Whether from your website, social media, or even yard signs, not all the leads you get will be ready to move forward right away. In addition to the time you need to prepare their listing, sellers may need to make needed repairs and renovations and properly stage their home. Buyers might still need to get preapproval, identify their ideal neighborhood or, in times like these, adjust their expectations and budgets to find the right home for them. None of this can happen overnight. In fact, it can take a long time. According to some industry experts, real estate leads can incubate from anywhere to six to 24 months. It's important to think of leads like seeds: if you plant them regularly and nurture them with care, you'll have a steady stream of sales down the road. But what are the best ways to nurture real estate leads? Regular, reliable, relevant touchpoints A touchpoint is any interaction you have with your leads. Once they reach out to you by phone, email, or through your website (the first touchpoint), follow-up touchpoints are important to keep leads warm. Three factors are key: Regularity We are, by nature, a little forgetful. To be memorable, you actually need to remind your leads you're there. By following up regularly—but unobtrusively, such as by email—your name and brand will stay top of mind, so your leads won't end up working with someone else after you've put in all the work to cultivate them. Reliability Homebuyers and sellers usually have a lot of questions about the process. After all, it's one of the biggest steps and transactions most people undertake in their lives. They must trust you as a professional, and that you're providing reliable information. Brand your communications consistently, use proper spelling and grammar, and share useful facts and data. Relevance We're bombarded with information all day long. If your touchpoints don't speak to your leads' unique concerns and interests or aren't relevant to where they are in the sales cycle, they'll quickly tune out. To avoid this, provide the information your leads can really use: For Sellers: Staging tips, neighborhood reports, recent sales comps, and more. For Buyers: Preapproval and lending information, recommended properties, tips for picking a good inspector, or checklists to bring to showings. Tailored nurture campaigns Speaking of relevance, your leads should be plugged into tailored campaigns that account for much more than just whether they're a buyer or seller. Are they a first-time buyer, and therefore need more support? Are they a seasoned property investor or home flipper that needs a little less handholding? These two different profiles should not be receiving the same information, and your lead nurture strategy and tools need to provide the flexibility to speak to both. Customizable content Out-of-the-box content sometimes just won't cut it. A library of lead nurture content is important and can save you lots of time, but it won't reach its full potential if you can't customize it. No one wants to receive canned, impersonal emails, so make sure your communications have the human touch. At a minimum, you need to be able to address your leads by name and send content that is specific to their area and budget. The more customization, the better. Personalization tokens are an easy way to do this, and you need the ability to write and add your own messages to your campaigns. Smart automation You're busy! Manually tracking and completing these tasks could be a full-time job, but we understand that busy brokers and agents have a lot of other things to worry about. This is where smart automation comes in. Smart automation allows you to put lead nurturing on autopilot, so you intervene only when you can add value, like answering a specific question, hopping on the phone, or scheduling a meeting. Less tedium, more transactions! Tracking Finally, you need to be able to track your leads effectively. How many have you received? How many have been actioned? How many are in a specific campaign? How many have gone cold? With the right tracking tools, you can sort leads by where they are (or aren't) in your lead nurture workflow and act accordingly. Constellation1 CRM provides robust and granular lead nurture capabilities. Learn more here. To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog.

Is Your Real Estate Lead Follow-Up Persistent... or Annoying?
Florida broker Beth Atalay offers advice on best real estate lead follow-up practices that will prevent leads from getting annoyed with you. Here's Beth: Most of us receive phone calls, emails, text messages and even Facebook messages asking for our business. I don't know about you, but the companies I receive solicitation calls and messages from are typically not large companies like Apple, Microsoft or Bloomingdale's. The ones that consistently call are the ones I do not want to do business with, and truth be told, their constant phone calls are very annoying. To remedy the situation, I block their calls and send their emails to my spam. For the past few weeks, I'd been receiving calls from one company on a daily basis. Finally, today, I asked the person who was calling if he enjoyed annoying people. I understand that he's following orders and has to meet his quota — but I also understand that you should follow basic rules of common sense in how often you reach out. So is it okay to follow up? Absolutely! In fact, it is expected that we do so, but the method of delivery makes all the difference. While there's nothing wrong with being persistent, it is very easy to cross the line and begin to annoy people we're trying to get business from. To avoid this common pitfall, here are some tips I use when it comes to following up the "right way." Tip 1: Being Persistent Doesn't Mean Every Day If you show up in my email, on my phone, in my LinkedIn inbox and on my Facebook page every day asking for business, you're not getting a dime from me — because you are annoying! We all have busy schedules, and it's normal to prioritize our tasks. When you contact a lead, don't worry if you don't get an immediate response. Give them time to catch up and if you haven't heard from them within 3-5 days, then you can follow up. Tip 2: Ask If You Should Stop Contacting Them Politely ask unresponsive leads if they'd like you to stop contacting them. If they say yes, be sure to leave the ball in their court so they know how to reach out to you if there's ever a change. They will appreciate you for asking. Tip 3: Try Different Methods of Reaching Out Some people simply don't read emails, they prefer phone calls. Others don't like the phone and prefer face-to-face contact. Ask leads which method of communication they prefer, and be sure to cater your outreach to suit their wants and needs. Tip 4: Be Different Than Others There are hundreds of other agents who can reach out to the same lead you're trying to engage and claim to be the best of the best. Be different and showcase why leads should work with you in your follow-up communications. Our time is valuable and we don't appreciate those who waste it, so be conscious of your leads' time when you follow up with them. Be persistent in a good way, but don't be annoying! To learn more about Beth Atalay, visit her website at www.wheretoliveinorlando.com. To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.

You're Losing Lead Conversions Because of These Mistakes
Agents often complain about lead quality, but in reality, they're the ones missing out on conversion opportunities because of simple mistakes. To help you overcome the myth of "trash" leads, gaining a better understanding of online leads -- and how to best work them -- can help you boost your conversion rates and supercharge your business. Let's review three of the biggest, and most common, mistakes that agents are making that cause them to lose lead conversions. #1. Not Reaching Out at the Right Time To lock in the chance to do business with a prospect, it's all about making the right moves at the right time. One of the most common mistakes that agents make when working their leads is missing the right timing. Specifically, by not reaching out at the opportune moment — when the lead is actually browsing transaction resources and is interested in speaking with an agent. While reaching out too soon is considered warming colder leads, reaching out too late can be considered losing business. Optimizing your lead response time can help agents convert more online leads into transaction opportunities. Doing so will allow you to meet customer expectations even before they've agreed to hire you as an agent. According to NAR's 2021 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report: 90% of all buyers said that responsiveness was the most important agent skill and quality. 89% of all buyers said communication was the most important agent skill and quality. When choosing an agent to work with, today's clients want someone who can prove to them that they're going to maintain strong communications throughout the transaction. From first contact to closing, following up on time is critical for rolling out the red carpet for your leads. Pro Tip: According to Zillow and MIT, responding instantly to inquiries from online leads can increase conversion rates by up to 391%. #2. Not Leveraging Personalized, Prescriptive Outreach Another common mistake that agents make is sending out general messaging to keep in touch with their leads. While this does technically count as reaching out and getting in your leads' inboxes, it's far less effective than if you were sending out personalized content. Remember, you always want to provide your leads with real value that's relevant to their sales position, needs, and questions. When you send out dry copywriting and general resources, you're missing out on the chance to build trust and show the lead that you're a service-driven, solution-oriented agent. Pro Tip: Make it easy to personalize your outreach by organizing your CRM contacts into separate groups. For example, you can separate your CRM into categories, such as buyer leads, seller leads, past seller clients, and past buyer clients. Doing so will allow you to leverage bulk actions that save time and improve the quality — and conversion potential — of your outreach. Another way to help your CRM facilitate customized outreach is to tag your clients with important personal facts that you've learned about them. For example, you can tag quick conversation points like "loves to golf" or "is planning on getting married" to help you stay current with your sphere. When sending out an email, you can quickly reference their CRM contact and include a custom message based on your notes. Incorporating a one-line opener like, "How's it been out on the green?" or "How are the wedding plans going?" can transform low-quality content into an engaging, personalized outreach. #3. Not Following Up at All The biggest mistake that agents make when dealing with online leads is not following up at all. According to NAR, 90% of real estate agents will give up on a lead after the first four touches — despite the fact that 70% of the time, that lead will go on to buy a home within a year, just with a different agent. Another study reported that 80% of prospects are labeled bad leads, yet they still go on to purchase a home within 24 months. Following up is critical for staying top of mind with prospects and warming cold leads until they're ready to convert. Remember, only 25% of your CRM leads are ready to buy at any given time and the leads that are nurtured go on to make 47% larger purchases than those that buy immediately. In other words, not following up is like defaulting on transaction opportunities. Instead of trying to manage lead follow-up on your own, outsourcing the task to a best-in-class software that covers lead generation and outreach can help you access the opportunities hidden in your CRM. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

Lead Conversion for Real Estate Leads Not Answering Their Phones
Imagine it is the middle of the day, you are on your lunch break, scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed and suddenly you get a call from an "Unknown Caller." What do you do? Do you pick it up? Or do you let it go to voicemail? If you said you would let your call from an Unknown Caller go straight to voicemail, then you understand the mindset of the average real estate lead. Most people will not answer a phone call from a number they don't recognize. You are likely to still let it go straight to voicemail, even if it is from a person you know. Here are some fun facts: 80% of all calls go to voicemail. 90% of first-time voicemails are never returned.(source: RingLead) If you are the type of agent that makes phone numbers required on your website's lead capture form, what should you do to make sure your lead answers the phone? This is a method you can use. Feel free to alter it to match your personality or style. After you call your leads, we recommend having a CRM with email and/or social media nurturing software to maintain the engagement of your leads, regardless if you can talk to them or not. Here are five lead conversion steps for unresponsive real estate leads: 1. On Your First Call, Don't Leave a Voicemail It is unlikely that your real estate lead will pick up the phone. Some people will be prone to google the number that just called them. This may help your cause if you have your phone number displayed on your site. Don't sweat it if they don't pick up, move on to the next step. 2. 5-10 Minutes Later, Call Your Lead and Leave a Voicemail If they see the same number calling them a second time, there is a higher chance that they will answer. It is not guaranteed they will answer. If they don't, you will want to leave a voicemail. 3. Call Each Lead Once a Day for the Next 2 Days, Leave Voicemails You should not automatically disqualify the lead, if they did not answer the phone on the first day you tried to contact them. Working online leads can be tedious and will require persistence. It is important that you continue calling them just to check in, even if you already spoke with them. 4. Call Each Lead Once a Week for the Following 3 Weeks Continue checking in on your lead. If you have talked to your lead already, this is a great way to show them you appreciate them and want to provide good service. Call just to check in. If they have still been unresponsive, then don't worry about it! They are likely still doing their research and are not ready to talk to you yet. Continue contacting these leads, as responsiveness is a highly admired quality in a real estate agent. Show these leads that you have not forgotten about them, and that you will be there for when they are ready to open up. 5. Call Each Lead Once a Month for the Next 3 Months After the first month, start contacting leads on a monthly basis. Home buyers can take a few months to incubate into a transaction. Give them some space as they are likely still researching. Remind them of the resources available on your website, and let them know you can answer any questions they have. Buying a house is expensive, and homebuyers will want to do all their research on homes in the area before making any commitments. They will also want to do research on you as an agent. Don't dismiss these leads due to being unresponsive. If you stop calling them, they will go to one of your competitors instead. When calling leads, you are applying for a job with somebody you have never met. Therefore, be assertive and sensitive to their needs. To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.

Lead Generation Means Nothing (If You Don't Have a Lead Engagement Strategy)
Agents are obsessed with lead generation, but that's only half of the battle. When you get leads into your CRM, the next -- and potentially most important -- phase of the conversion process begins: lead engagement and follow-up. Generating leads is a costly investment, so make sure that you actually have an effective lead engagement strategy in place in order to convert those leads. Lead Engagement and Follow Up Are THIS Important: 90% of real estate agents will give up on a lead after the first four touches, despite the fact that 70% of the time that lead will go on to buy a home within the year — just with a different agent. (NAR) 80% of prospects are deemed "bad leads" by sales teams, and yet, these buyers still go on to purchase homes within 24 months. (NAR) Responding instantly to inquiries can increase lead conversion rates by up to 391%. (Zillow & MIT) #ProTip: Consumer demands focus on instant gratification, service, and communication. The most successful real estate businesses are those that not only meet consumer expectations but exceed them by anticipating needs. Seamless engagement experiences are critical for lead conversion. Agents are challenged with assuring that: Your leads are contacted and qualified quickly, 24/7. Your brand is accurately represented Your leads get white-glove customer service You're not glued to your desk so you have time to work with your current clients and expand your brand 3 Ways to Extract Value From Your Lead Generation by Driving Conversion Let's be honest, sometimes all of the responsibilities of lead generation and follow-up can be incredibly time-consuming for agents. And, the more successful your lead generation strategies are, the more responsibility agents have to respond, engage, and qualify leads. Since we don't have all of the time in the world, agents need to establish "rinse and repeat" processes that warm up leads until they're ready to convert. Agents that want to maximize the value of their lead generation efforts can improve their follow up and engagement models with these three strategies: #1. Lead Qualification Plan To work your leads, you have to know where they are and what they need. Lead qualification is a process that determines where a lead currently is within the sales funnel. Are they buyers looking to purchase a home immediately, or is it a shopper that's just dipping their toes? Is a seller looking to start listing their home, or are they still thinking about whether or not they want to sell? Lead qualification plans gather information from the lead to build a client profile that analyzes their potential for, and ability to, convert into a tangible deal for your real estate business. Lead qualification plans are important because they: Let agents know what the lead's needs are so they can provide valuable information Informs agents on the best angle to use when reaching out Tells agents how much time they should be investing in the lead Prioritizes your lead funnel based on how cold or hot leads are #ProTip: Plug what you learn during lead qualification into the lead's CRM contact so you're remembering all of the vital information that can give you an edge down the line. #2. Nurture Plans Once you determine where a lead is on the sales funnel, or how far they are from converting, agents need a nurture plan to help nudge leads towards their transactions. Using the information gathered during lead qualification, agents need to continually maintain contact with the lead — keeping your services top of mind. The main goal of nurturing leads should be to: Show a lead your value as an agent Help leads overcome potential obstacles and challenges related to buying/selling Build trust Empower leads to take the next steps, moving them forward on the sales funnel A strong nurture plan will share content with the lead, send them updates on new opportunities in their target market, and help them begin planning for their transaction. #ProTip: The best lead outreach and engagement provides customized information that is relevant to the lead. Leveraging bulk email actions can be a time-saving way to provide leads with seamless service. #3. Lead Concierge Services Lead concierge services, like Success Assurance from BoomTown, is a solution to lead follow-up and engagement that fills your pipeline and drives conversion. It solves for speed-to-lead without the agent having to stay glued to the desk all day. You'll be able to spend time working for your active clients while Success Assurance secures opportunities for business down the road. Remember: It's important to "play the long game." To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

How to Qualify Leads the Easy Way
Many times, new business owners start with a clear idea of what they want to offer the world -- and it's something that excites and uplifts them. As they think about the details, however, doubt creeps in -- and it shows itself the same way across all industries. "I can't turn away business," they start to think. "I have to appeal to everybody!" No matter how many books you read or business coaches you hear from, it can feel counterintuitive to be told to "niche down." Deciding on a small segment of the total customer base to focus on may seem like a scary commitment, one in which you're not sure the other side will "love you back." Yet, focusing your strategy allows you to do the same with your marketing, advertising, and other types of communication. And it's precisely that laser-focus that appeals to people. Because you get specific, they recognize you understand their problems. That draws them to you! This is especially crucial in real estate. In your first year as a real estate professional, you might feel like you're doing a little bit of everything. After all, there's so much to learn! Soon, you start to develop a better sense of which customers fit you best. Ideal customers should be easy and fun to work with so you can add value to their lives! On the other end of the scale, some customers will drain your energy and may leave you miserable. It's crucial to get those encounters out of the way in the first year — because your business is not "for everyone." It's for the right people with the right budget at the right time. Those are qualified leads, the ones more likely than anyone else to become customers, and they grow your business. Sad, but true: Unqualified leads don't add to your bottom line, no matter how many you get! How to Qualify Your Leads the Easy Way Ideally, you would be able to qualify your leads by collecting just a little bit more information each time you encounter them. You might get some details when they sign up for your email list, a few more when they register for an open house, and a little bit more when they schedule a call. By spacing out your "asks" naturally in encounters like these, you can learn a lot! And an all-in-one real estate solution makes it much easier. That's because your CRM can capture and analyze details any human would easily overlook. Making connections between all the thousands or even millions of data points available, an AI-driven app helps you turn "information" into "insight." Still, it's a wise idea to have a qualification framework in mind. A qualification framework is a system of expected data points you collect about each prospective customer. Prospects that give answers within a desirable range are well-qualified leads. Those whose answers are outside the norm may be poorly qualified or not qualified at all. In real estate, people are often trained to maintain every relationship they can — "you never know who'll become a customer!" With a qualification framework, you might still get caught by surprise now and again, but you will be able to develop informed expectations about every prospect in your funnel. When you know, you can focus your attention on leads most likely to be your future customers. Plus, you can do something that might otherwise feel unthinkable: Let go of unqualified leads! Referring them to someone who can meet their needs better does a service to them, you, and a colleague of your choice – and with a steady stream of truly qualified opportunities, it'll always feel good. A Simple Real Estate Lead Qualification Framework The BANT framework originates in business-to-business sales and adapts very well to real estate. For each prospect, ask these questions: Budget Does the prospect have a budget that matches the type of properties in the local area you typically deal with? If not, can you help by providing facts about mortgage qualification or new homebuyer programs? Authority Is the prospect "in charge" of the buying decision? If working with a couple, both should be consulted on everything. If a large family is moving, everyone's preferences and needs should be taken into account. Necessity Does the prospect "need" to move now? If not, what would increase the sense of urgency? If so, what roadblocks are standing in the way — succinctly, why hasn't the person taken action? How can you help? Timing Is the prospect planning to move now, next week, next month, next year? Get a sense of projected timing and any contingencies. Entice long-term "waiters" who are well-qualified onto your email list. Discover how digital marketing automation can help you qualify leads faster and better. RE Technology readers can try DeltaNET 6 free for 30 days. To view the original article, visit the Delta Media Group blog.

How to Follow Up with Inbound Leads
The truth about lead generation is that there's no instant way to know which leads will turn into clients. Some will be eager to work with an agent, others won't be quite ready to buy or sell, and some won't even reply when you reach out. Not knowing who will fall into each category means that agents have to follow up with every lead. On top of that, it's important to nurture relationships over time, so you're top of mind when the window shoppers are ready to start their real estate journey in earnest. But the key to starting that relationship off on the right foot and saving yourself time is following up with all your leads quickly. Establishing a semi-automated follow-up workflow will help you reply to and nurture leads in an efficient manner so that the process won't be a time drain, especially for the leads that, unfortunately, go nowhere. Follow this four-part formula to create your own follow-up workflow for inbound leads. Respond ASAP with a personalized message In this digital age, consumers want instant gratification. When they send an email or submit their information on a lead form, they expect a fast reply. Responding within minutes of getting the lead—not hours or days—will improve your chances of connecting with them live. Wait too long and you've more than likely lost that lead, either to a competitor or cold feet, especially if too much time has passed between their initial inquiry and the time you reply to them. That's why it's important to reach out as soon as possible. If you or an assistant can't be available to field inquiries throughout the day, then set up a digital workflow. Integrate your lead submissions with your CRM so that an initial email or text is triggered as soon as a new lead arrives. CRMs make it easy to personalize automated messages. Just be sure to collect a first name in the lead submission form so you can insert it into your follow-up messages. No one wants to feel like they are part of an impersonal, automated workflow, and adding a first name is a simple, effective personal touch. Meet leads where they are It would be nice to be able to immediately call every lead as soon as they came in, but that's impractical for a busy agent. Let automated text and email communications lead your follow-up workflow, and then set aside time in your schedule each day to call priority contacts. Getting inbound leads on the phone gives you the opportunity to further qualify them and drive the conversation to schedule a meeting. Of course, connecting on the phone isn't always possible, so ensure your semi-automated workflow includes further follow-up communications with a mix of contact types, such as text, email, and phone. This gives leads the opportunity to reply to you through their preferred method. Make sure leads see your digital ads During the follow-up process, you can improve your brand awareness with leads and build trust just through advertisements. When they see your Just Listed or Just Sold ad every day as they scroll Facebook or Instagram, they'll see persuasive signals that reinforce you're a successful real estate agent. To do this, just add their phone number and/or email address to your custom audience list on the digital platforms you advertise on, such as Facebook, Google and Instagram. Your ads will run in the background, but your name will stay top of mind for your new leads. Transition stalled leads to nurture communications There's a delicate balance that real estate agents need to maintain with leads. You don't want to come across as pushy or annoying, but you also need to gather enough information to know where the lead is at in their buying or selling journey. When leads become unresponsive or difficult to connect with, it's time to transition them to a fully automated workflow. Let your email nurture campaigns—such as regular e-newsletters and market updates—and digital ads do the heavy lifting to keep you top of mind and nudge stalled leads toward reaching back out. Depending on the level of communication you already had, you may decide to include an occasional text or check-in call. Qualifying and nurturing leads is a full-time job in itself. If you don't have the bandwidth or desire to manage this part of your business, Homesnap Concierge can help. Explore the ways Homesnap Concierge can help you generate more high-quality leads. To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.

Friday Freebie: Lead Conversion Masterclass
There are a lot of "how to" articles out there on how to convert more real estate leads, and they all offer some variation of "respond quickly, be persistent." That's all well and good, but we're sure you've heard that advice so much that you're bored by it (we are too). So in this week's Friday Freebie, we're going to point you to lead conversion instruction that's actually helpful—and not the same ol' song and dance that you've heard a million times already. Even better? It's a full-on, six-class series taught by two real estate experts. Free Masterclass on Lead Conversion, courtesy of Ylopo You've probably heard a lot of lead conversion expertise that's focused on processes. While process is important, it's nothing without the human element that actually forges a connection with a lead. Ylopo's free masterclass focuses on just that—lead conversion as a carefully mastered interpersonal skill. The masterclass can be completed online, all at your own pace, and consists of six lessons: Mindset Reframe the Conversation Digging Deeper Challenge Their Thinking Mirroring and Matching Putting It All Together The lessons are led by Barry Jenkins, a real estate agent who ranks in top 10 of Real Trends Top 1000 Agents, and Robby Tefethren, a top real estate coach and trainer. Sign up for this FREE lead conversion masterclass now and learn how to win more clients!

Lost Sales Leads: Common Problems and How to Correct Them
In the digital age of real estate sales, the process of successfully converting prospects to leads and closed business has become a fine art. No matter how refined a process becomes, losing a lead is inevitable. This article aims to discuss some common problems that may lead to sales loss and how you can correct them. We'll be doing a deep dive into the world of real estate lead generation best practices and how to help ensure a lead is not lost after you generate it. Although we'll dive in specifically to boosting conversion within the real estate industry here, the concepts explored in this article can be used for sales leads in any industry. Lack of Presence on Social Media Think about your favorite brands. Regardless of industry, you'll notice that some of the best brands have clear, concise, and dedicated social media strategies. According to Hootsuite, there are approximately 3.2 billion (42%) social media users across the globe; clients today expect a sophisticated social media presence. If your online presence is unprofessional or weak, it certainly won't build credibility with buyers, and you may even lose the lead before you have a chance to introduce yourself. Having a social media presence is excellent, but unless you're able to come up with a precise and measurable plan of action, there's a strong likelihood of getting lost in the noise. We suggest real estate agents follow these five best practices to grow your social media presence and keep your business organized: Identify the social channels you want a presence on (master a few as opposed to delving into many) Develop a social media calendar to organize your social strategy Follow the 4:1:1 rule, depending on the platform Add your social media channels to all marketing material (online and offline) Encourage your clients to interact with you on social to build a powerful, core audience Respond to all sales inquiries through social promptly Calls-to-Action That Lead to Nothing We're seeing a lot of real estate agents take their business online with stunning websites. However, even the most beautiful websites can have a low conversion rate if the calls-to-action (CTA) are not working as they're supposed to. Whether you're an accomplished Realtor or someone new to the field, it's essential to capture all potential prospects into sales leads. Here are some common CTAs that we see advertised through real estate marketing websites and collateral: Contact Us Call Button Free Home Evaluation Free List of Homes Under $$$,$$$ One of the toughest aspects of real estate marketing is getting a customer to become aware of your brand and to visit your website. That's why it's important to optimize to ensure that you are converting as many visitors into sales leads as possible. One way to turn a potential sale off is to have CTAs that don't lead anywhere. For example, your "Contact Us" button leads to a 401 error, your "Free List of Homes Under $$$,$$$" offering yields nothing. Empty offers and CTAs such as these are sure to sour any prospect, so ensure that you have your bases covered by testing your website often to ensure it's functioning as needed. Go through your online presence (website, emails, etc.) with a fine-toothed comb and intentionally look for problems – you may save yourself a lead! Not Implementing Face-to-Face Interactions Although we're living in an age consumed by digital media, face-to-face interactions are still crucial to closing a sales lead. There's nothing better when it comes to rapport building than face-to-face interaction. It provides an added sense of personalization and allows agents to understand their clients and their needs on a personal level. According to the Harvard Business Review, face-to-face requests are 34 times more successful than ones sent via email. Ignoring Customer Expectations There's an old saying that is as true as any in the world of real estate sales, "Underpromise and overdeliver." Signing a client on to work with you is just the beginning of what one hopes is a long-term business relationship. You've proven to them that you're capable of delivering results, now it's time to achieve them. But what happens when you have promised them the world and set them up with unrealistic expectations? In most cases, it will yield negative sentiment on the client's behalf, and they'll share that negative experience with their inner circle as well—you don't want that. The best way to avoid this experience is to sit down with your client and have an open discussion with them in regards to their expectations. Not only does communication help create a more productive workplace, but it also helps build more sustainable client-Realtor relationships. If you feel as though they're unreasonable, be open, and communicate that before proceeding. It's important to get the lay of the land when working with a client to ensure that they're satisfied with your service and retain you as their agent for life. Not Networking Networking is a critical part of a real estate sales leads generation strategy. You can be the most efficient, results-oriented agent in the nation, but if you're not putting yourself out there and speaking with other agents and clients, you're doing yourself a disservice. Sales leads can be generated anywhere, and at any time, so it's necessary to keep the following points in mind: Always have a business card on you; you never know when a lead will present itself. Build a network of tradespeople who you refer contracting leads to, and in return, they will refer real estate leads back to you. Do not make all conversations about you and your business; read the room and if the conversation doesn't warrant bringing up your job, don't. Building relationships is more important than dominating the conversation. Give your clients a holiday gift. It's an opportunity to get in front of them at the end of the year and get an update on their needs without being too sale-oriented. Not Updating Your CRM CRMs have been a game-changer for the real estate industry. By utilizing a CRM, you're able to effectively manage the entire client journey from prospecting to post-sales all in one centralized dashboard. Now, more than ever, businesses need a solid CRM to run successfully (especially in real estate). It gives you a look at what lead generating tools are most useful, the biggest reasons that you're losing sales leads, and best of all, it houses all prospect and client information in one area to keep you organized and focused on what you do best, closing deals. If you haven't done so already, check out this list of the best real estate CRMs. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

How to Get Cold Leads to Fall Back in Love with You
The real estate market is booming, but if you find yourself still looking to fill some slots on your dance card, it may be time to dust off your old address book and drum yourself up some Valentine's Day business. Find out how to attract the attention of buyers in your market and get them ready to commit to working with you.

Lead Nurture Basics for Real Estate Agents
Is your real estate business set up for longterm success or do you hop from transaction to transaction, seeking clients who are ready to buy or sell immediately? Buyers and sellers who are ready to act now are great, but they're just the bottom of a well thought-out lead funnel. Many of the leads you'll receive may be three months, six months, or even a year or two away from transacting. But if you plan to still be in real estate when their time comes, those leads are still incredibly valuable.

The Time Is Now to Supercharge Your Database
The perfect stay-at-home marketing activity Imagine what the future would look like if you could stop cold calling, door knocking or chasing after FSBOs indefinitely--or at least cut way down on those activities? Ditching the more distasteful aspects of your real estate lead generation routine may be possible if you vow, right now, to get serious about your CRM database. Warm calls are so much more pleasant and knocking on doors where people are happy to see you beats the alternative. Make building better relationships with people you already know the center of your current stay-at-home activities. How's your sphere of influence? Agents who have been in the business for more than a minute tell horror stories about friends and even family members who "forgot" that they were in real estate and listed their homes with another agent. In fact, NAR statistics say, "The typical real estate agent earned 13 percent of their business from repeat clients and 17 percent from referrals from past clients and customers." Look at those numbers – they're pathetic, aren't they? Especially when NAR surveys say that nearly 90 percent of real estate consumers say they would use their agent again in the future. Past clients know you and, hopefully, they like and trust you. Shouldn't agents be getting more than 17 percent of their business from referrals from them? We get it. Agents have a ton of irons in the fire during the typical work week and keeping in contact with their SOI typically ends up as a low priority. What would happen, though, if you moved it up on the list? Made those warm contacts (instead of contacting strangers) a priority? You'll end up top-of-mind with your sphere when someone mentions buying or selling a home. Step 1 to get your real estate business on the referral track Organize your database. Yeah, it doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun, but it's necessary to keep you on track. And there is no better time to do this than right now, while you're at home. If you already have an organizational method, you're one step ahead. If not, let's create a simple one. Start by grouping your contacts. There are many ways to group them, so choose labels that make sense to you. Some suggestions include: Hot leads (people you don't know yet) Cold leads (again, people you don't know) Sphere (or "family," "friends" "ladies I play tennis with" "past clients") Vendors Feel free to create subgroups, if it will help you to stay organized. Some of these may include: Immediate family members Extended family Closest friends Acquaintances Neighbors People you met through your kids Thanks to the folks at TopProTraining.com for some of those ideas. Check out their list for more. Kim Hughes at KimHughes.com suggests that the next step in setting up your database to help you succeed should be to go through all of the leads, checking the information you have on them and adding anything that comes to mind. At a minimum, Hughes says you should have the contact's full name and the name of immediate family members. Naturally, you won't have family member info for some contacts, such as leads. Then, take some time to pick up the phone and start calling people. Start with folks you know, like past clients, relatives, and friends. Let them know they're in your thoughts and you're checking in to see if you can help them with anything. While on the phone, tell them you're updating your database and want to ensure you have their correct contact information: Verify that their addresses, both snail and email, are current. Best phone number to contact them. Birthdate is an important one (folks LOVE getting birthday greetings). The birthdate might be a tough one to ask, but tell them you like to reach out to people on their birthdays. You don't need a year, so that may make the question "Hey, when is your birthday?" a bit easier to ask. Get ideas for these conversations at TheRealEstateTrainer.com. Listen carefully to their end of the conversation for any tidbits you can add to their spot in your database. Then schedule a follow-up call, or a reminder to send a card, depending on what they've told you. This is a project that, although it needs to get done sooner rather than later, can be done in chunks. Hughes brilliantly recommends starting the organization process with your past clients. But do schedule those time chunks and vow to stick by the schedule. Before you know it, you'll have an organized, clean database, making your real estate lead generation a much more enjoyable and rewarding process. Do you have current listings to promote? Create "virtual" open house postcards for your current listings using the Just Listed Series and promote them through social media, on your website, and through mailings. To view the original article, visit the ProspectsPLUS! blog.

Why Lead Follow-up Is So Important
Real estate agents today are so engrossed in obtaining the "next new lead" they pay enormous amounts of money for cold leads directed to them. It doesn't even matter if those same leads are being directed at 10 other agents, they still pay. Because just maybe this time... I have seen multiple studies that boil it down to, on average, a closed real estate lead costs about $3-12K. This means that while the cost of any single lead could be closer to $30- $120, an agent might need to go through (spend time on) about 100 leads to get the one to close. And truthfully, we should be less concerned about the $3-12K and more concerned about the 99 people you spent time on that did not use you. THAT is the real loss in buying leads. The time wasted.

Friday Freebie: Don't Ghost Your Leads - Try RealContact's Lead Concierge!
Few things are more frightening than an empty pipeline. But if you neglect or don't quickly respond to incoming leads, an empty pipeline is exactly what you'll get. You may be busy, but that doesn't mean you should ghost on your leads. This Halloween season, bring your pipeline back to life with a free trial of RealContact's lead concierge service. Read on to learn more! Free 14-day trial, courtesy of RealContact If you've ever been slow to respond to new leads, or you just let existing ones go cold, RealContact has a solution. The company offers a "lead concierge" service that responds to all your real estate leads within 90 seconds, any time of day or night. RealContact qualifies your leads, too, so that you save time by only working transaction-ready leads. And what about those leads that are not quite ready to buy or sell just yet? RealContact automatically nurtures them for a full year, so that when they're ready to transact, they come to you. Here's how it works: You receive a new lead! Your RealContact Concierge reaches out within 90 seconds to engage and qualify your new lead. If the lead is ready, your Concierge will set up an appointment. You'll get an instant notification from the mobile app, and can watch the conversation happening in real-time. Take over at any point by texting or calling your lead directly through the app. All RealContact Lead Concierges are trained in lead engagement and appointment setting. But if you'd like to tailor their conversations to better fit your business, you can create custom scripts and campaigns that capture your brand's message. RealContact's trial is free for 14 days or 25 leads, whichever comes first. And there's no reason to be too spooked to give it a try—this free trial requires no credit card to sign up, so there's no risk to you. Want to see how better lead engagement can grow your business? Start your free trial today!

7 Ways to Compete With iBuyers
Change is coming. There is a new way for homeowners to sell a home: iBuyer programs. Homeowners can get an instant cash offer over the internet for their house. While this sounds great, it is not without its downsides for both the seller and potentially your business as a real estate agent. iBuyer programs are currently only offered by a select few companies in limited markets, but they are growing quickly and could be coming to your market soon.

Nurturing Leads with Your IDX Website
So you've launched your IDX website with all kinds of property search options, featured listings, community pages and more. Now the leads should start coming, right? Unfortunately, it's not that easy, but an IDX website that also has a content strategy will help you attract and convert more leads.

Facebook Messenger Bots: How to Automate Conversations to Qualify Leads and Stay Top of Mind
One of the most important lessons you can internalize about growing your business in the digital age is that you have to "meet your customers where they are." That used to be simple: postcards in their mail, emails in their inbox, calls to their phones. But if you've been solely relying on traditional communication methods like these, then you've likely noticed a decline in interactions. It's just harder to get in touch with people that way these days. So if you want to keep your business strong, then you need to find another channel. And boy, do we have just the channel for you!

4 Ways You Can Reach New Leads Faster
It's 2019 and buyers and sellers expect instant access to the information and services they're looking for. Your best chance of converting your leads is to reach them in the first five-minute window after they call or fill out a request form. There are a lot of ways you can respond to new leads more quickly. Find some ideas below.

How to Create the Very Best Generic Autoreply Emails
If you think automatic generic response emails can't increase sales, think again! Considering every sale begins with a lead, it's amazing how many companies let leads slip right through their fingers. Let's face it: Lead generation is hard...and/or expensive. If you're doing lead gen by yourself, it can eat up your whole day--and the next--ad infinitum. If you're buying your leads, they can be both pricey and worthless. If your company is supplying you with leads--even if you don't have to put out the cost upfront--understand those leads are costing you big time on the backend of the transaction in salary or commission reduction. So, if leads are so difficult to come by, wouldn't it make sense to do everything you can to convert those leads once you get them into sales?

Got a CRM? If So, You Need a F.O.R.D.
Leads turn into Prospects turn into Clients turn into Closings turn into Commissions Sounds so simple when you look at sales with the above formula, but we all know it's really not that simple! Many things have to happen from the time you get that lead until you finally get the commission. I believe it's not contact relationship management, but rather relationship marketing.

Why the Top Agents Leverage Success Metrics in a Shifting Market
3 key metrics you should be tracking There's been a lot of buzz lately about the shifting market, and you've likely been hearing steps and strategies to help you be prepared for what may come in your local market. Whether it just shifts slightly to a more balanced, normalized market, or there's a noticeable lull in home sales, the name of the game is being fully prepared at any time with a solid business model, that's evergreen and "shockproof," so that your profitability doesn't suffer. One tactic that will help solidify your profitability (no matter the market), is clearly tracking and measuring success metrics.

Getting New Business from Old Clients
We spend so much time talking about the importance of repeat business and referral business, but the reality is that MOST agents have still not come up with the right way to keep in touch naturally over the long-term. The result? Will your clients hire you the next time you buy or sell your home? Are you sure? After closing, 70 percent of sellers say they would "definitely" use their agent again — but only 25 percent of repeat buyers and sellers actually do. We aren't here to lecture you. Creating one client for life relationship is tricky enough, and aiming to keep in close touch with every client you've ever had is nearly impossible. Still, there are a few low key ways to ensure that you don't break a bond that could end up paying off — both in business and in friendship — after you walk away from the closing table. Below are four tactics you can employ to create more long-term, business-boosting client relationships. 1. Rank your clients You ask for reviews and testimonials after you close, but do you ever bother to ask yourself how much YOU liked working with a client? If you want to focus on creating "clients for life," then the first step is to wean out the clients who you've loved to work with. Not only will you be excited to keep in touch with them over the years, these people are also more likely to recommend other like-minded friends and family members to you in the future. Consider adding a "Client Rapport" ranking to your CRM. After each closing, rank the client from 1-5. Anyone who scores at a 4 or 5 should be who you focus on as you create your "Client for Life" relationships. 2. Offer special treatment You can continue to send the same refrigerator magnet to every person in your sphere but think about upping the ante for the "4 and 5-ranked" contacts in your database. Consider hosting a VIP wine and cheese event for past clients who love to mix and mingle, send young families a coupon to the local Six Flags, offer up a gift certificate to your past buyer's new favorite neighborhood restaurant on the one-year anniversary of their home purchase. By showing you care about them, remember their interests and are willing to spend money or time on them after the sale, you'll be reinforcing a bond that can continue to grow even as you move further and further away from their initial transaction. 3. Watch for social cues and keep in touch with personal outreach Many (and maybe even most) clients hire you as they are on the cusp of major life changes. Whether they are prepping to expand their family, downsizing after the kids move away or simply shifting to a neighborhood that better suits their long-term needs, the reason for their move can act as the primary way you keep in touch for the first few years after the sale. Comment on their baby announcement on Facebook (or better yet, drop by with a branded swaddle blanket or onesie after they have settled into parenthood). Call to ask how their kids are enjoying the teachers in their new school. If you see that a coffee shop has opened up in their new condo building, ask if they would like to meet up for a cup of joe, then ask how they're settling into their new neighborhood. As the years go by and you get to know more about them than just their reason for moving, you can settle into a more natural conversation groove. But for the first few months or years after you work with them, don't worry about focusing on the "safest" conversation topic around — their reason for moving (and hiring you) and how that decision is working out. 4. Give them an easy way to review and refer you Many agents are afraid to ask for referrals directly because it can feel awkward and aggressive if not done in the right way. And while most have a way to generate testimonials or reviews, a lot of the platforms that promise to "syndicate" these reviews are clunky; they require an ironclad login and clients may feel turned off having to sign up for a site they never plan to use again. In the age of cybersecurity threats, not many people want to open up new accounts that require their email and other contact information. When it comes to asking for reviews and referrals, it can be helpful for agents to ask for client feedback that: Doesn't require a login Can be syndicated across the web Can be used to generate a review, testimonial or one-to-one referral Is sent on behalf of the agent, but doesn't come directly from the agent's email address Agents who need such a service can peek at Reach150, a client feedback and referral management system that automates your requests for referrals and reviews and can turn your positive testimonials into marketing content. To view the original article, visit the SmartZip blog.

Converting Prospects Through Conversation, Not a Script
As an agent, do you have a reliable strategy and system for engaging with and converting potential clients? Whether a prospect walks into an open house, comes by way of an online ad, or through a chance encounter at a local coffee shop, having a framework in place to guide the conversation and assess their needs from the get-go will prove invaluable down the road.

Why Responsiveness Is the Most Important Quality in a Real Estate Agent
There are numerous surveys and studies that show that the majority of buyers work with the first agent they speak to. That means all you have to do to get more clients is be more responsive. California Association of REALTORS' R.E.A.C.T. report shared several insights into the importance of being responsive to your current, past, and future clients. Find out how you can go beyond answering the phone when it rings and immediately calling incoming email leads to connect with more leads and close more deals.

How to Follow up with Online Leads
Once you have digital marketing campaigns in place and start receiving notification of fresh leads, the ball is in your court to nurture these relationships. In order to effectively nurture your online leads, be sure to follow these steps:

5 Ways to Generate Higher Quality Real Estate Leads
"Hello, may I please speak to Seymour Butz?" Let's be frank about lead quality. At the end of the day, it's important for agents to remember that just because a lead isn't ready to buy right now, or even if they say "No," this does not mean that they are a dead-end or "trash" lead. Leads take time. Especially cold, online leads. So keep in mind if you've already taken steps to improve lead quality, and you're still complaining about lead quality issues – it may be an agent problem, and not a lead problem. However! There are some simple ways to assure that you're avoiding the true trash leads (ex: fake or out-of-service numbers, or fake names like Seymour Butz or Mickey Mouse), and also funneling leads into your pipeline strategically for higher conversions. Let's take a look at a few ways to get started. 1. Verify Your Leads Is there anything worse than spending an hour of your day cold-calling, only to sift through a handful of fake names, and then dial 20 out-of-service numbers? You can't force a lead to input accurate information, which is why it's beneficial to have some sort of lead verification process. Otherwise, you're the one spending hours sifting through a mystery list, when you could (and should!) be spending that time working with real leads. So, what are some options for verifying leads? Hire an assistant or Inside Sales Agent: While this doesn't fully alleviate the problem (because you are still paying someone to spend the time nixing trash leads) it at least allows agents to focus their energy on what they do best – working their hot leads and closing more deals. Partner with a CRM that verifies leads for you: BoomTown's system verifies leads who register on your site, by validating a phone number (mobile/landline/VOIP) and cross-checking to see if the name matches the data source. So when you're ready to reach out, you know you have verified information that will lead to real conversations. Use a lead generation service that provides verified leads: If you are paying for one (or several) lead generation services, make sure your dollar is going as far as possible. Shop different services, read reviews, and avoid using services who don't verify leads. 2. Qualify Your Leads When a lead registers on your site, what are they prompted to answer? More than likely they're only answering: First Name, Last Name, Email. Consider this: What if you asked just a few more questions to start qualifying your lead right out of the gate? For example: What is their timeline for purchase? Or, have they been pre-approved for a mortgage? Pre-qualifying a lead means that agents are getting more than just, "Ann – 843-555-2989." They're getting insights right off the bat to get a higher quality conversation going. Putting a qualification system in place will vary depending on the technology that you're using. If you've used a third party service to build your website, reach out to them and ask if it's possible to add more questions upfront when a lead registers. 3. Start Texting The "quality" of a lead can be dependent on when they're contacted. If you contact a lead within the first few minutes, they're more likely to want to talk to you. They're still in "home-search" mode, and they're likely still by their computer or phone. If you wait three hours, or even a day... chances are higher that they're focused on something else, or they may have already spoken to another agent. A great way to boost response rates is with texting. It's a quick and easy way to make contact, and leads feel a little more at ease. A 2018 Ellie May Study showed that texting is on the rise as a preferred method of communication from consumers. You can quickly shoot an introduction text to a new lead, like this one: Hi Andrew, this is Joanna with Cobblestone Real Estate Group. I'd like to email you a few listings. Any specific neighborhoods you'd like to browse? 4. Improve Your Content Marketing Real estate is a very personal business. Purchasing a home is a big decision, and not one that clients are willing to trust with just anyone. This is why the best real estate professionals have a brand that is client-forward and customer-service focused. One way to set yourself apart from the rest is to put strategic thought behind your content marketing. What are you sharing on social media and in your advertisements? What information is on your website? For example: if a lead lands on your website from a Facebook ad and all they see is a list of properties, they'll probably either (A) move on, or (B) enter their email and then move on, without giving your brand much thought. Consider adding your photo or a team photo to your homepage. Having a clear and visible mission statement or value proposition helps as well to differentiate your business. Check out The Bob Lucido Team's homepage for a great example. We see home as more than a house. So we approach real estate as more than a transaction. Whether you're ready to move in to your first home or move on to the next one, Bob Lucido Team is there with you at every important moment along the way. Delivering the ultimate real estate experience has driven us to be the #1 team with the largest real estate company in the world. It's how we sell a home every 4 hours, and how we've been able to sell over 35,000 homes over the past four decades. 5. Be Patient and Strategic. (And do the work.) Oftentimes with real estate, it's just about being in the right place at the right time. The way to maximize your chances of that is to have a rock solid follow-up plan. Aside from the real trash leads (fake numbers and dead ends), there is a wealth of "cold" leads that may seem impossible to convert. But the truth is — they're not. These are leads that have the potential of converting two weeks, two months, or even two years down the road. With a long-game nurture plan in place, you can capitalize on those opportunities year after year. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

Over-Qualifying of Website Visitors Can Cut Your Leads
There should be little or no argument that the primary purpose of a real estate website is lead generation. No matter which niche markets you serve or what customer types you prefer, the website must generate real estate leads, or it's just a billboard to look at on the way past it.

7 Thank-You Notes You Should Be Sending Your Real Estate Leads
Sending a thank-you note is a small gesture that makes a big impact. So much so that 22 percent of employers are less likely to hire someone if they don't send a thank-you note after an interview. That's pretty compelling! So how can you use this trick to generate more business in real estate? Here are seven opportunities for sending a thank-you note that could lead to landing a new client.

6 Tips for Nurturing Leads in Real Estate
Think of all your real estate leads as a garden (stay with us here!): Some grow fast, some take a little bit more time, but you want them all to thrive. That's why lead nurturing is so important. It's the action you take after someone connects with you via referral or advertising so you're top of mind with prospective clients. Some leads take just days to nurture, while others might take months to develop into a client. But it's worth it to try to nurture them all, even if that looks different depending on how you reached them and how ready they are to move forward. Our tips for getting started:

How to Use Your Real Estate Blog for Lead Nurturing
Lead nurturing--consistent and targeted communications that move your leads further down the customer journey--is a necessary part of any successful marketing campaign. A study by Forrester has shown that marketers see an average 20 percent increase in sales opportunities from nurtured vs non-nurtured leads, meaning if you aren't doing lead nurturing now, you should be. One of the best resources a real estate agent has to nurture their leads is their blog—it's the perfect place to publish your real estate knowledge that targets every phase of the customer journey. We'll walk you through developing targeted blog content, distributing it to your leads, and how to start marketing automation for a strong lead nurturing campaign.

4 Online Lead Conversion Tricks We Can Learn from Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs risk it all for the sake of advancing and growing their businesses and ultimately making their dreams come true. For those who venture into the real estate business, utilizing online platforms to gain leads is crucial and something that every successful entrepreneur has mastered. Let's take a look at four online lead conversion tricks we can learn from entrepreneurs.

4 Old School Lead Conversion Tips that Still Work in a Digital World
The way people make purchasing decisions is continuing to evolve, so it's vital that agents continue to re-evaluate their sales strategies. The key is to find the perfect balance between persuasion but not being overbearing or too "salesy." Let's take a look at four old school lead conversion tips that still work in a digital world.

How to Stay Organized and Convert the Leads You Have
You've been in real estate for a while—working hard to reach your clients and connect with them again and again. Big or small, converting leads is the name of the game in real estate. Gaining new leads is one of the best things you can do, but you need to convert the leads you get into paying customers. Keeping track of all of your lead data and turning it into real, actionable steps is where we come in. Continue on to get real estate-specific tips on staying organized and converting your leads.

Creating Auto-Responders that Drive Engagement
The Problem: You know what you want to say, and when you want to say it--but you just don't have the time to actually say it! Seriously, who has the time to follow-up immediately with every single newsletter sign-up or market report request when you are out in the field day in and day out? The Solution: Auto-responders! What is an auto-responder, you ask? Essentially, they are personalized email (or text) messages that are triggered by specific actions that your leads and prospects take with your website, landing page, online forms, or another email. Auto-responders are a great way to immediately reach and maintain the attention of a lead, continuing to build relationships even when you can't be at the computer. ​Creating auto-responders doesn't have to be overwhelming. Here are some ideas for auto-responders you can easily implement for lead nurturing. What are you waiting for?

10 Real Estate Lead Conversion Emails You'll Want to Send in 2018
You've probably noticed this by now (it is almost 2018, after all), but much of real estate has gone digital. It's no secret that 80 percent of home buyers conduct internet research when considering homes to buy, and 89 percent use the internet to find real estate agents. Millennials will be the largest group of homebuyers (at 34 percent and growing) for 2018 and beyond—and they are a generation who value a tech-savvy agent. These days, documents can be signed virtually, homes can be viewed by video (and, in some cases, through virtual reality), and Realtors are expected to be online where their buyers are. So where should you begin with your real estate lead conversion? Online, of course. I believe you need to start with a strong email marketing strategy. In this digital age, the formal, impersonal letters no longer do the trick. The fastest way to modernize your outreach is to implement anticipated, relevant, timely, personalized email campaigns. To help, here are 10 real estate email templates that will bring your communication into the digital age, for digital buyers. (We've also added character to the subject lines for maximum open and click-through rates!)

What Are Bad Real Estate Leads?
Just what are BAD real estate leads? Ask a number of real estate professionals this question about their website leads and you'll get a number of answers, often with words like "tire-kickers, procrastinators, unqualified, not ready, or others." Think of real estate leads like they are bananas. Buy a bunch, sit them on the window ledge, and then wait a week or so. The chances are that you're not going to get excited about eating those dark brown mushy things. Most importantly, real estate leads have a shelf life just like some fruits and vegetables. They can and will go bad, but that's not because they are BAD leads. It's because you let them go bad.

5 Step System to Convert Online Buyer Leads into Clients
Most real estate agents understand that to create a pipeline for future business, they need to continuously bring in new leads. However, engaging and converting leads is not a "one size fits all" process. In this post, we focus on the simple five-step system we use at Goodlife Realty to effectively follow up with our online buyer leads to build trust and credibility—in hopes of turning them into eventual buyer clients. By the end of this post you will: Know how online and offline leads differ Understand the psychology of an online lead Access templates to create your own follow-up sequence to nurture and convert online leads

Real Estate Lead Conversion: 6 Tips for Getting More Appointments
As a real estate agent, there are two paths you can take to grow your business: As a marketing professional, you can increase lead spend or change the source to generate more leads.  A pile of leads is not a goldmine, however, until you convert your leads to appointments. As a sales professional, you can grow your business by improving conversions or by leveraging your existing sphere of influence.

Leave a Message After the 'Beep' and Other Tips to Convert More Sales
Every agent works referrals and most dabble in geographic farming, but after the first few tries, few take advantage of cold calling. Although it can feel like an exercise in futility if you don't do it right, unsolicited calls during dinner are a big tradition in American industry. Why? Because when done right, they work. Here are five tips to help you see why cold calling doesn't work and how to turn it around.

5 Ways to Lose a Lead Real Quick
Forgive us if we sound like a broken record here, but in order to reiterate our point – leads are the lifeblood of any business and should be given the same level of attention as you would any other client. If a prospect was recommended to you, found you online or heard about you by way of word of mouth, the clock has started for you to make them feel comfortable in helping them with this major transition in their life. You might think that mishandling a new lead is a short term problem, but if it's consistent, putting a Band-aid on it will only make the same issues persist down the road – damaging your reputation and your business referrals. Ask the 2016 Atlanta Falcons about losing a lead – it's not fun. (Too soon?)

How to Engage Millennial Homebuyers
It's a sad but true fact that there's a generational wealth gap in this country. Because of this, we see fewer millennials in the home buying market than we'd hoped for. "The absence of millennial homebuyers is a big story for the economy, because housing sales and construction are big drivers of jobs," claims Jeff Reeves in USA TODAY. "But it's also an equally big story for the personal finances of millennials, who are missing out on the real estate wealth that bolstered the balance sheets of previous generations," he concludes. Homebuying statistics bear this out, finding that millennials make up only 35 percent of buyers, which is down from 40 percent in the mid-2000s. So, how do you reach this reluctant and somewhat broke generation? And why should you want to?

4 Unique Scripts that Close the Deal with a Promising Real Estate Lead
You've sent the follow-up texts and the nurture emails, you've beat around the bush as much as possible. At some point, you have to know if a lead is worth pursuing any further... so, what's your go-to script for sealing the deal? If you don't have a strong closing line, don't fret! Review four possible options below to see which one best matches your style. Practice saying the lines a few times until they come out naturally. Then, let 'er rip!

A Tale of Two Follow-up Plans: Travis Robertson's aggressive, two-week system (Part 1)
When it comes to lead follow-up, there's no such thing as diminishing returns. Eighty percent of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact... yet only 52 percent of salespeople follow up even ONE time with their prospects, and only 10 percent make more than three total contacts. (Source: Chris Smith, Curaytor) Are you ready to get more persistent as you pursue the sale, but aren't sure exactly how to follow up multiple times without coming off as a huge pest? This week and next, we'll outline follow-up plans from two lead conversion experts with vastly different approaches: Travis Robertson, an international real estate coach out of Newport Beach, California, recommends an aggressive two-week program. Read Travis' plan below. Rachel Adams Lee, the CEO and Founder of Rachel Adams Real Estate Group in Roseville, California, has a six-day, six-step system she and her team swear by. She's closing 14 percent of her Realtor.com leads. Wowzers. Come back next week for Rachel's plan! Travis Robertson's two-week conversion program

Decoding The Conversion Code for Real Estate Agents
The sales funnel, the sales pipeline, or whatever else the kids may be calling it these days—we all know there's a process to getting a lead to actually become a client. But have you mastered it that process? Turns out there's a bit more to it than placing an ad and letting your phone ring off the hook with all those prospective leads. Chris Smith has mastered this process and turned it into a bestselling book, to boot. Chris Smith is one of the founders of Curaytor – a marketing and sales coaching company – and he has also worked with several very successful startups and business people. He knows what he's talking about here, and The Conversion Code is proof of that. That's why we're breaking down his processes for real estate professionals looking to perfect their sales process and improve the experience of each and every lead that comes into their system. From their first glimpse at your website, to their final decision as they choose YOU as their real estate agent, we'll walk you through using The Conversion Code for yourself.

Is Voicemail Dead? When to Leave a Message, When to Cut and Run
Spam callers are ubiquitous and we've all had the unfortunate experience of answering a call that we wished we'd have ignored. So can you blame your leads for screening your calls before they've gotten to know you? If you're struggling to make contact after you receive an inbound lead with a phone number, consider the below tactics to help you break through the screening process. Tactic #1: The double and triple dial

Can you send engaging, automatic lead responses without sounding like a robot?
When you think of automated text response, do you think of a thoughtful start to a relationship? Or do you think of a stark, robotic message? Or, even worse, do you associate automated text alerts with spam and phishing scams? Many companies and tech systems are integrating automated text response into their features — but they're not doing a great job of hiding the fact that the system is automatically generated. The result? A choppy, impersonal customer experience that leaves a lot to be desired. Because while the Robot is a great move for wedding dance floors, it's a terrible follow-up and customer engagement tactic.

Have Lots of Real Estate Leads? Don't Piss Them Off
So you've set up your real estate farm area and have been sending out farming postcards on a very consistent basis. You've set up your Facebook campaigns and your ad retargeting campaigns to target homeowners in your farm area and those that have visited your ads and pages. You've also been working your past client and sphere database, working to get more referral business. Congratulations! You are on your way. With all those pieces in place, you're accumulating lots of leads that need follow up. How you follow up is critical, however. You need to be very careful. Cultivating leads is kind of like online dating. You have to make sure you are speaking to your leads' needs. If you do not do this and you end up sending them tons of unrelated content they deem unnecessary, they are going to get angry and they are simply going to "swipe left" and move onto the next agent.