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Getting leads is one thing, but getting a response from those leads? That’s a whole different ball game — and it’s where most agents struggle.
Sometimes, that lack of response is due to inconsistency from the agent. They’re busy; they don’t touch base quickly enough, and the customer moves on to another broker in lightning-fast time. Fortunately, that’s an easy fix.
How do you address low response rates when that’s not the case? It usually comes down to three critical errors:
1. You don’t understand today’s buyer mindset.
Today’s homebuyers aren’t like those of decades past. They’re busy and impatient, and they want immediate responses without long conversations.
That means a few things. First, you need to respond fast — like, within-five-minutes fast. They also expect that response to be personalized, not scripted or delivered via chatbot or robocall. Finally, they want the conversation to be on their terms. They want to talk only when they’re ready (and it’s convenient for them), and they don’t like to be pushed.
2. You’re calling instead of texting.
Always, always, always text a lead before calling them — plain and simple. Today’s buyers think of their time as a commitment — and they’re just not ready to make that commitment until they know more about you.
With that said, real estate is still a relationship business, and meeting in person (or at least on the phone) will be critical at some point. Just don’t push for it right off the bat.
Use texting as a way to qualify the client (remember BANTAR?). Start slow, and eventually set that phone or face-to-face appointment. Treat it like a blind date — get to know each other, and work up to that next step in the relationship gradually.
3. You’re asking for too much, too early.
Once you start that text conversation, ask the lead qualifying questions — but don’t go too deep.
You want questions they can answer with a few taps on their phone, not ones that require lengthy paragraphs or tons of detail. Asking these types of questions will just reduce your response rates even further.
You also want to avoid any questions that are too complicated. Asking them if they’re preapproved for a mortgage might seem smart, but what if they don’t know what that means? You’re opening a whole other can of worms right from the get-go.
Here are a few examples of questions to avoid in that initial qualifying phase:
• “What’s your dream home like?” This just takes too much thought and response time. Keep it simple.
• “How may I help you?” Again, you’re too open-ended here. They also might not know how you can help them — especially if they’re first-time buyers.
• “Can you come to my office for a consult?” Remember that buyers want to qualify you just as much as you want to qualify them. Work up to the big ask, and don’t expect them to commit to you right away. You have to earn their trust and respect first.
Your best bet is to stick to very simple, easy questions, such as, “How many bedrooms are you looking for?” or “Are you currently renting, or do you own a home?” These only require fast, one-word answers, and they’re a great way to get the conversation rolling.
Other Ways To Help Your Case
Make sure you personalize the texts you send to leads — especially if you’re fast in responding. Robotexts and chatbots are all too common these days, and a super-fast, templated response just screams of these impersonal marketing ploys.
To make sure they know you’re you, personalize the text, add emojis and maybe even lead with “Yes, I’m a real person” to drive it home. Once the client knows they’re communicating with a real-life person, your chances of a response skyrockets.