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How Often Do You Contact Real Estate Leads?

 

How Often Do You Contact Real Estate Leads?

In A Nutshell:


Smart real estate agents convert cold leads into hot prospects through tenacious follow-up, making at least seven strategically timed, varied contact attempts within the first month to dramatically increase their success rates.

 
 

Boosting Conversions Through Smart Lead Contact

Real estate agents need to contact online leads at least 7 times within the first month to maximize their chances of a productive conversation leading to conversion.

This insight comes from our Realtor in Residence at Ylopo, Barry Jenkins, who recently shared compelling data from a survey of our users.

The study showed that meaningful conversations with new leads typically don't happen until after the seventh contact attempt.

Using Data to Drive Lead Follow-Up Strategies

Barry's advice is based on solid data that gives agents a clear path to improve their lead follow-up strategies.

Barry and his team analyzed the behaviors and results of numerous real estate professionals using our platform, identifying the critical point where lead conversations tend to materialize.

This evidence-based approach takes the guesswork out of lead nurturing.

Agents can now confidently structure their follow-up schedules around this seven-touch benchmark, knowing it's backed by extensive real-world data from our users.

Smart Timing: The Cornerstone of Effective Contact

Barry emphasizes how crucial timing is in lead outreach.

He points out that many agents make the mistake of calling leads during lunch hours when prospects are less likely to answer.

This small detail can significantly impact contact success rates.

To optimize lead follow-up, agents must be strategic about their outreach timing.

This might involve tracking lead behaviors to spot responsiveness patterns and testing various call times to find the most effective windows.

Aligning contact attempts with periods when leads are most receptive can improve agents' chances of making meaningful connections.

Creating Impactful Contact Sequences

Barry stresses the importance of using various contact methods and crafting compelling messages.

He recommends a mix of communication channels, using phone calls, text messages, and voicemails to reach leads through their preferred medium.

For voicemails specifically, agents should invest time in developing well-crafted scripts that spark a lead's interest and motivate them to call back.

This could involve highlighting unique value propositions, asking thought-provoking questions, or hinting at valuable information that the lead will want to access.

Agents can create a cohesive and persuasive narrative that gradually builds trust and rapport with leads over time through careful consideration of the content and structure of each touchpoint in the follow-up sequence.

Advanced Technologies for Improving Lead Follow-Up

Looking ahead to the next five years, we expect continued advancements in technologies that help agents refine their lead follow-up efforts.

Some of the most promising areas of innovation include:

 

AI-Driven Contact Scheduling

Advanced algorithms that analyze lead behavior patterns and predict optimal contact times for each individual prospect.

Automatically adjusting contact schedules based on real-time data, these tools could help agents consistently reach leads when they're most likely to engage.

 

Personalized Omnichannel Outreach

Platforms using machine learning to create highly targeted, multi-channel contact sequences customized to each lead's unique profile and preferences.

This could involve automatically generating personalized email, text, and voicemail content and determining the most effective mix of contact methods for each lead based on their historical response patterns.

 

Smart Lead Scoring and Prioritization

Sophisticated lead scoring models that continuously assess a lead's readiness to convert based on various behavioral and demographic factors.

These tools could help agents prioritize their follow-up efforts and focus on the leads most likely to become clients soon.

Special Considerations for Lead Follow-Up in Different Niches

While the basic principles of effective lead follow-up apply across the real estate industry, there are nuances to consider when working with specific niches.

For luxury market leads, a more high-touch, personalized approach to communication may be expected.

This could require greater emphasis on customization and a more concierge-like follow-up style.

Agents in this space may need to invest more time researching each lead's unique needs and preferences and adjusting their outreach accordingly.

On the other hand, agents working with first-time homebuyers may need to focus more on education and guidance throughout the follow-up process.

These leads may require more frequent touchpoints and a greater volume of informational content to help them understand the ins and outs of the home-buying journey.

Shifting Your Mindset for Follow-Up Success

Improving lead follow-up requires a change in mindset.

Too many agents give up too soon, with Barry's data showing that most only make one or two contact attempts before moving on.

To succeed in today's competitive market, agents must commit to playing the long game with their leads.

This means embracing persistence and recognizing that conversion is often a marathon, not a sprint.

It also means reframing "rejection" as simply part of the process.

A lead's lack of response to initial outreach attempts doesn't necessarily mean they're not interested.

Agents can develop the resilience needed to pursue leads until they're ready to engage through maintaining a positive attitude and consistently delivering value.

 

Parting Thoughts

The current data-driven real estate landscape makes effective lead follow-up more crucial than ever before.

As Barry Jenkins' insights show, agents who consistently reach that seven-touch benchmark within the first month of lead contact are best positioned to win the conversion game.

However, it's not just about hitting a magic number.

True follow-up optimization requires a strategic, comprehensive approach covering timing, content, technology, and mindset.

Crafting compelling contact sequences, using cutting-edge tools, and maintaining unwavering persistence allows agents to cut through the noise and build meaningful relationships with leads that translate into long-term business growth.

 

  • BARRY:

    "I recommend contacting online leads at least seven times in the first month.

    We did a survey of all of our YLOPO users and examined that conversations normally don't occur with a new lead until after seven contact attempts have been made.

    And you know, look, I mean, a lot of this has to do with time of day.

    Leads don't answer the phone at lunch.

    Agents love to call at lunchtime.

    And so it's about calling at the right time of day.

    It's also about, you know, mixing up your messages, sending text, making phone calls, having well-crafted voicemails to get the lead to call you back.

    But yeah, I would say at least seven times.

    What we've discovered is most agents only call between one and two times.

    So they're far short of what's needed to actually have a conversation."

 

Barry Jenkins

Realtor, Speaker, Coach, Trainer, Author, and Head Realtor in Residence at Ylopo