The fundamentals of real estate lead follow up are still the same, even though technology has changed over the years.
With the dawn of the age of social networking, a new portal of lead generation has emerged. These changing times has also made it more challenging, in many ways, to follow up with your sales prospects. But there are a few things you can to do to help. Here are 7 key rules for real estate lead follow up that will improve your conversion rates, improve your skills, and ultimately increase your income.
1. Always try to book an appointment.
In lead follow-up, your goal should always be to book an appointment. After all, the worst thing that they can say is you ask is “no.” Once you have booked the appointment, the best place for a meeting is your office. If that is turned down for some reason that a local coffee shop is a good spot or somewhere in a neutral setting. Some might believe that their home or a property that they are interested in is the best spot. But it is our opinion that a neutral environment gives you more control during the meeting.
2. Try numerous communication methods before disqualifying a lead.
Many people in the real estate field prefer the telephone to reach customers. But what if you have tried calling someone several times, you need to try something else. Email is always a good option, but then again you are likely competing with dozens of other emails for their attention. Do you have their mobile phone number? If so, consider text messaging as another way to communicate with your leads.
3. It’s OK to say “no.”
People do not like being talked into something that they didn’t really want. That’s why when talking to a lead, let them know up front that’s it’s OK to say “no.” Your call scripts should have this written in, to give them the ability to say “no” early in the conversation. This builds a bridge that enables them to convey their true objectives and goals, lowers resistance, and enhances trust. Plus, then your feelings won’t be hurt if the customer does say “no.” After all, it is better to know early that they are not interested then after you spent months of trying to nurture a relationship with them.
Blitz empowers you with the tools you need to nurture relationships and improve sales performance for your real estate business! Schedule a free demo with us, and we’ll show you how we can help you automate your sales and marketing follow up to increase efficiency at your company!
4. Determine the value of the lead.
A low probability prospect is worse than no prospect at all. Don’t waste too much time and effort on leads like these. Pause for a moment to consider if you have a real estate follow up opportunity with someone with a higher probably. Are there any leads in your sales funnel like this that could benefit from lead nurturing? If so, this is where you should be spending your time, energy, and resources.
5. Discover if the lead truly needs your services.
With the modern age of digital technology, there are a lot of people that have expressed interest in your real estate services. But are they more than just passively interested? Does the lead have a demonstrated interest and a proven need? Is there a gap between their desire and their ability to proceed? Can they afford to take action? If not, then you are better off moving onto the next lead in your pipeline.
6. Group leads by commitment level and time frame.
Many people stumble at this step. But finding ways to categorize your leads makes follow up easier. Create a group named “A” leads that contains those individuals who will likely do something in 30 days or less. Group “B” can be leads who will take action in about 30 to 90 days. Group “C” can be leads who won’t likely take action until more than 90 days. Now, grouping by commitment level can be a little trickier. “Low” can be those with a very slim possibility of them wanting to do business with you. “Medium” are those with likelihood of around 50% that you will be able to work with them. “High” are those that you would bet your bottom dollar that you would get a chance to work with in the near future. Tracking these groups will help you to determine the health of your business and which real estate follow up opportunities you should focus on next. Remember to also have a plan for following up that combines their commitment level and time frame to truly maximize your time and effort.
7. Disqualify inappropriate leads.
During lead follow up, use that time to determine if they are someone that you need to invest your time and energy. For example, if someone has been contacted multiple times over the course of many weeks, months, or even years, there’s a point where you need to disqualify them and move on to someone else. This will allow you to invest your time, resources, and energy in a prospect that is a better fit and wants to hear from you.
Blitz wants to help your business grow. Increasing your sales is our mission.Contact us today to schedule a free demo and we will share how Blitz’s automated sales and marketing follow up system can help your organization increase sales performance!
As with any industry, leads are the lifeblood of your organization. To ensure that you are maximizing your opportunity to reach your next great customer, we suggest following these 7 rules for real estate follow up. Once you do, let us know how it goes.
Are these any rules for real estate follow up with leads that we didn’t include? If there is one that we missed we want to know! Share your feedback and tips in the comments below!