I have three text messages that will help you engage in more conversations.
You know following up with your leads is critical. But are you following up—just to follow up?
A lot of people know how I feel about checking in with consumers and saying, “Oh, I’m here to check-in. Are you ready to buy a home yet?” That is lazy follow-up.
So I’m giving you three tactical text messages to follow up with leads. These messages are meant to start real estate conversations—and that’s something we all need to have more of. If you’re not quite at text group status yet, you could also send these messages as emails.
You’re going to hear a lot of great influences in these messages—like Phil Jones with tactical data—to help consumers make informed decisions. So, let’s dive in.
Before You Start Texting
Here’s the key with all of these: before you text, get these people onto a phone call where you can properly qualify them, whether they’re buyers or sellers.
Because going back and forth over text—trying to get all the information you need with the goal of setting a face-to-face appointment—is going to be tedious.
The goal of the text is not to qualify a lead—it’s to create a reaction and a response so you can engage in a conversation. Because as you know, conversations create appointments. That’s exactly how you want to use these three messages.
Once you are ready to start texting, make sure you’re using smart tags in your CRM. Smart tags allow you to put in [visitor name], and it puts in the prospect’s first name. Or you can put in [time of day], and it says afternoon, evening, or morning or day of the week or whatever. That way it looks a little more personalized.
That’s your bonus hack for this episode.
Text message #1
Here’s the first text message:
“Hey, there, [visitor name]. Before you make up your mind about your housing plans this year, the good news is that our team is seeing opportunities in the marketplace. The current rate climate has caused the highest number of homes to become available all year and less competition amongst home buyers. Would you be open-minded to setting up a quick call to strategize around your real estate goals?”
Of course, sign all these text messages with your name. There’s no guarantee they saved your number to their contact list.
In this message, we tell consumers there are opportunities in the market because there absolutely are. Inventory is at its highest number so far this year. And all of this has created the ability for people to get the house that they want.
So that speaks to them, and we’re taking all the pressure out of it with some Phil Jones magic words.
Text message #2
Number two:
“Good [time of day], [visitor first name]! Just out of curiosity, have you been following the housing inventory trends over the past couple of weeks? The good news is that available inventory has risen for the first time from July to August in seven years. This means there are more options out there to find the home you want. I’m not sure if this will be for you, but would you be open-minded to a quick call to discuss what more housing options could mean for your real estate plans?”
Again, you’re talking about how inventory went up for the first time from July to August in seven years, which is a value-based point. And it’s all about their needs—all about the consumer—with a sprinkling of the Phil Jones magic words.
Text message #3
Here’s number three:
“Hey, [visitor name], happy [day of the week]! Just out of curiosity, are you still considering a real estate decision in 2023? Most people are not aware that the supply of homes is growing and interest rates have stabilized. Knowing this, when would be a good time to connect about your real estate goals and needs?”
It’s a similar text to what we’ve been using before but with different language. The point is all of these are asking, “Can I set up a time to talk to you?” And you’re giving information that a lot of people aren’t aware of.
Now, obviously, once you send the text—and I’d be sending them in bulk—send them during the day when you’re likely to get a response. Then, for anyone who responds, look to schedule phone calls. Book a time with them to continue the conversation.
“Hey Nick, that’s great. Thanks for getting back to me. How’s tomorrow at 11:00 am for a quick conversation?”
That kind of follow-up is going to be much more impactful because you’ve created an appointment for a conversation, and they already know you’re looking to talk about them transacting in real estate.
Use these three text messages. When you use this consistently, and you follow up with phone calls, that’s where the magic happens.
What if they don’t respond?
Call them anyway. Here’s the script to use when you call them:
“Nick. Hey, it’s Tom Toole here, following up with you as promised. Did you see the message I sent over to you a couple days ago about what’s happening in the market?”
You give an opening, you ask a question, and they’re going to say yes or no. If they say no, explain it again. If they say yes…
“Hey, great! So tell me a little bit more about what your plans are now that you know all this information.”
You’ve heard all these scripts before. You’ve just got to use them and have consistent conversations every single day and every single week. That’s how you win the month, win the year, and set more appointments.
It’s easy to do all this. It’s also easy not to do it. And you’ve got to make a decision based on what your business goals are.
