The Key to Converting Online Leads into Clients: Crafting Effective Follow-Up Communications

Brenna BecraftJuly 26, 202312 mins read

Real estate agents rely heavily on online lead generation to grow their businesses. While Lead Gen services like PropertyPulse.AI make it easy to capture new seller leads, following up effectively is just as critical for converting those leads into clients.

How you communicate with your online leads can make or break whether they become actual customers. It takes strategic messaging to stand out from other agents competing for their business.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore proven techniques for engaging your leads through text and email outreach. You’ll discover:

The core principles of crafting messages that get responses
Creative examples for subject lines, emails, and texts
Tips to personalize and provide value to leads
How to motivate your prospects to take action
Best practices specifically for PropertyPulse.AI users

Follow these recommendations, and you’ll be well on turning your online leads into closed deals. Let’s get started!

The Fundamentals: Key Principles for Engaging Leads

When reaching out to new leads, there are core principles you should follow in your messaging to boost engagement:

With platforms like Listing3D.com in play, online leads have become an integral part of a real estate agent’s arsenal. But to stand out among a sea of competitors, your messaging strategy requires finesse and specificity.

Get Their Attention

Today, we’re bombarded with hundreds of emails and texts daily. Your message needs to stand out. Use intriguing subject lines and opening sentences that spark interest. Asking questions and using their name also grabs attention.

Provide Value

Don’t make it all about you. Offer useful info tailored to their needs so they see you as a trusted resource. Share market updates, new listings matching their criteria, area guides, etc.

Inspire Action

Ultimately, you want leads to respond and move forward with you. Tell them clearly what you want them to do – call, email, schedule a meeting, etc. Give them easy next steps.

Keep it Concise

Respect their time. Get to the point quickly in emails and keep texts short. Use paragraph breaks and bullets to make emails scannable.

Personalize Outreach

Generic outreach is easy to ignore. Personalize by using their name, home search criteria, property they viewed, etc. This shows you care.

Match the Medium

Emails are best for providing info. Reserve texts for quick check-ins and requests. Adjust tone accordingly.

These core strategies form the foundation of engaging messaging. Now let’s explore specific examples you can use in emails, texts, and subject lines.

Crafting Captivating Subject Lines

Every interaction should resonate with the potential buyer or seller, urging them to not just respond, but to engage and trust.

Engage, Don’t Just Inform

Craft Head-Turning Subject Lines:

Questions Grounded in Realty:** “Did you see this beachfront beauty in [City]?
Instill Urgency: Act fast! Your dream home in [Neighborhood] won’t last long.
Highlight Unique Perks: “Get a sneak peek at off-market gems in [City].
Pique Interest: Found a home that’s right up your alley.
Personal Touch Always Wins: A hand-picked list for you, [First Name].

Your subject line can make or break whether an email gets opened. To pique curiosity, incorporate these strategies:

Ask a question
- E.g. “Have you seen the home price changes in [City]?”
Make it urgent
- E.g. “3 homes you inquired about will be gone this weekend”
Mention benefits
- E.g. “Access to new off-market listings in [Neighborhood]”
Create intrigue
- E.g. “This house seems perfect for you…”
Use brackets to indicate personalization
- E.g. “Thinking of you, [First Name]”
Try a call to action
- E.g. “Click here to see new listings”

Keep subjects clear and compelling. Let’s look at examples for full email and text outreach.

Crafting Emails that Convert Leads into Clients

Email is ideal for providing valuable info to leads. To drive responses, make sure every email:

Grabs attention upfront
Provides useful content
Includes a specific CTA
Uses a warm, helpful tone

Here are email templates that incorporate these elements:

Welcome Email Template

Subject: Let’s get started on your [City] home search!

Hi [First Name],

Welcome! I’m so glad we’re now connected to help you find your perfect home.

Buying a home can feel overwhelming, but please know I’m here as your guide through every step of the process. My goal is to make this journey as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Please look over the [City] buyer’s guide I’ve attached that reviews key steps, documents you’ll need, financial preparations, and more. This will help you know what to expect.

Let’s schedule a quick call to discuss your search. Just reply with 2-3 dates/times that work for you and I’ll confirm a time!

I look forward to speaking soon,

[Your Name]

Market Update Email Template

Subject: Spring market update for [City]

Hi [First Name],

I hope you’re having a great start to spring! I wanted to provide an update on our local real estate market.

Highlights:

Home prices in [City] have increased [X]% year-over-year. Inventory is low with [X] months of supply.
Median sales price is now [Price] and average days on market is [X] days.
[Popular neighborhood] remains the most sought-after location with [X] new listings last month.

Please let me know if you’d like any additional data on pricing, inventory, days on market, etc. for specific areas you’re interested in. I’m happy to pull a custom report!

Give me a call at [your phone] anytime to discuss how these trends impact your home search. I’m here to help!

[Your Name]

Just Listed Email Template

Subject: I think this new listing may be perfect for you…

Hi [First Name],

I hope you’re doing great! A new listing just hit the market that immediately made me think of you and your home search criteria.

[Insert property details like beds/baths, sq. footage, neighborhood, list price, features, etc. Make it sound attractive.]

Attached is the full listing information. This home seems to check off much of what you’re looking for!

Let me know if you’d like to schedule a showing. I’m confident this one will go fast in our current market, so acting quickly is key.

I look forward to your thoughts!

[Your Name]
[Your phone number]

These are just a few examples of emails that provide value and encourage engagement. Now let’s look at templates for text messages.

Crafting Texts that Get Responses

Texts are ideal for short, casual check-ins. Save longer info for emails. Here are best practices for lead follow-up texts:

Keep it under 150 characters
Use a conversational tone with proper grammar
Get right to the point
Only request one simple action
Use their name and personalize when possible
Add value by sharing useful info
Ask questions to spur a response

Studies have shown that leads are 90% more likely to respond to texts than emails. Keep them engaging:

“Hey [First Name], spotted a 3BHK in [Neighborhood] that’s just listed. Fancy a look?”
“Had a chat with a seller in [Area] and thought of you instantly. Call when free?”

Template Examples:

Hey [First Name]! Just checking in on your home search. Let me know if you need any help or have questions. Have a great day! -[Your Name]
Hi [First Name]! I know you were interested in homes in [Neighborhood]. There are two great new listings that just came on the market there we should look at. When works for a showing? -[Your Name]
Hello [First Name]! I hope your week is going well. I have an exciting market update for [City] to share. When is a good time for me to call you about it? Looking forward to catching up! – [Your Name]

These quick connections show you care and make it easy for leads to respond.

For both emails and texts, experiment to see which message styles and offers spark the most responses. Now let’s look at personalization strategies.

Personalize Outreach for Higher Response Rates

General outreach is easy to ignore. Personalized messages demonstrate you’re paying attention to each lead’s specific needs.

Here are personalized details you can include:

Their first name
Details of the home they inquired about or viewed online
Their preferred neighborhood/city
Price range or beds/baths they want
Interests mentioned like schools, amenities, etc.
Their timeframe for buying/selling

Personalization Options with PropertyPulse.AI

PropertyPulse.AI makes personalization easy by tracking leads’ behavior like listings viewed, searches saved, emails opened, etc.

Here are ways to leverage PropertyPulse.AI’s data for personalization:

Send an email when a lead views a listing multiple times, inserting the address and details. Ask if they want a showing.
If they opened a drip email about mortgage rates, mention, “I see you opened my email about rates…” and offer to connect them with lenders.
Note listings they’ve saved and ask if they want more info on those homes.
If they haven’t opened recent property alerts, text them a link to those listings.
For buyers with expired listings alerts, reach out to update their search criteria if they’re still looking.

Personalized outreach like this demonstrates you’re actively monitoring their activity and needs. Now let’s discuss motivating leads to take action.

Encouraging Action with Your CTAs

Your calls-to-action are key for moving leads along in the buying/selling process. Some CTA best practices:

Place CTAs prominently at the beginning or end of messages
Use clear action verbs like “call”, “email”, “schedule”, etc.
Limit to one or two clear CTAs per message
Keep them low-pressure and flexible

Sample CTAs:

“Let me know a good time for us to connect on the phone regarding your search.”
“If any of these homes catch your eye, just say the word and I can set up a showing!”
“Reply with 2-3 dates/times you’re free this week and I’ll confirm a time to chat.”
“Reach out anytime with questions or if you need any help!”

Effective CTAs encourage action without being pushy. Follow up consistently, but avoid high pressure.

Optimizing Workflows for Ongoing Lead Engagement

While individual messages are vital, effective workflows for ongoing follow up are also crucial. Set up systems to continually nurture leads.

Workflows to Consider:

Welcome Email Sequence – Send a series of 3-5 emails spaced 3-5 days apart to build rapport, share info, and offer help.
Instant Nurturing when They Visit Listings – Set up automated emails to send info immediately after they view listings.
Off-Market Listings Alerts – Proactively showcase new off-market listings regularly.
Open House Invitations – Invite leads to relevant open houses based on their search criteria.
Monthly Market Update Emails – Share the latest market stats and trends consistently.
Automatic Reviews Requests – Improve your online reputation by asking happy clients for reviews.
Upgrade Emails/Texts Over Time – Send more valuable info like market reports, area guides, new listings, etc. to warm leads.
Target Based on Lead Stage – Send focused info/offers based on where they are in the buying/selling process.

Workflows like these nurture leads for the long-term by providing ongoing value. Follow these email/text best practices, while customizing messaging for your unique market and brand voice.

The Power of Strategic Messaging: Wrap Up and Next Steps

In the digital age, online leads are invaluable to growing your real estate business. But capturing those leads is only step one.

To convert leads into clients, mastering follow-up messaging is equally crucial. This allows you to:

Make meaningful connections
Demonstrate your expertise
Build trust and credibility
Provide ongoing value
Guide leads seamlessly through the buying/selling journey

We covered proven techniques like grab-and-go email/text templates, personalization strategies, calls to action, and workflows to nurture leads over time.

Next steps:

Craft a library of email and text templates you can customize for leads
Set up workflows for proactive lead follow up
Continuously test new message styles and offers
Track response rates to double down on what works

Perfecting the CTA – Urgency & Clarity

The best CTAs spark immediate action:

“Fancy a chat about [Property]? Here’s my calendar link.”
“Eager to view [Listing]? Let’s schedule ASAP before it’s snapped up!”
“Got questions? Book a 15-minute slot, and I’ll clear them all up.”

The Evolutionary Approach

It’s vital not just to send messages but to measure their impact. Which subject lines have the highest open rates? Are texts yielding better results than emails for a particular lead category? A successful real estate agent evolves based on feedback and results.

Don’t Forget the Traditional Charms

While the digital realm offers convenience, never underestimate the power of a personal phone call, a handwritten note, or leveraging social media platforms to create connections.

Why Does This All Matter?

In an industry where trust is paramount, personal, tailored communications aren’t just best practices—they’re essentials. As agents in the digital age, our challenges aren’t just about finding leads but nurturing them with precision, empathy, and expertise.

With these steps, you can maximize conversions from online leads and grow your real estate business. Standing out amid all the digital noise starts with strategic messaging.

To recap, the key is crafting communications that get responses. By mastering this crucial skill, you’ll provide amazing experiences that turn leads into raving fans. Implement these tactics, and you’ll be well ahead of the curve.

Real estate agents can face difficulties in a low inventory market, but there are strategies they can employ to succeed. It’s important to stay up-to-date on the market, prioritize listings, work with buyers, build relationships with other agents, be innovative with financing options and use cutting-edge technologies to stand out during the listing presentation, and focus on cultivating long-term relationships with clients. By implementing these tactics, agents can thrive even in challenging market conditions. Overwhelmed and looking for some help? Listing3D has got you covered. Schedule a demo with us.

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