Emails and texts create reactions, while phone calls start real conversations.
When you combine all three, you’ll have a powerful, intentional follow-up strategy for those who are uncertain about the current market.
Despite what some say, email marketing is not dead, and texts are a great way to stay connected.
But it’s during those phone calls where you often see the close happen. That’s when you get into the details—you find out motivation, timeframe, preferences, and hot button items for consumers.
And when you do that, you’ll set more appointments.
Many agents have a lazy approach to follow-up where they call and say, “Hey, I’m checking in with you,” or “I’m following up with you,” when all they’re really asking is, “Hey, are you ready to buy/sell a home?”
That’s not what people want.
So, today, I want to discuss the follow-up process. This process includes sending an email or a text message and following up with an intentional conversation.
There are a ton of great resources out there, whether it’s BAMx in a Box or some of these other content services that can tell you what to send and how to share it. I’m going to give you some examples because every single week at our team, we drop an email, a text message, a social media post, and a video script for our agents so they know what to do.
Many people don’t know what to send or don’t know what to distribute. So here are examples of templated emails and texts we’ve put together that have gotten great results recently.
#1: Email/text on interest rates
Interest rates dropped to a 52-week low at the beginning of August. Here’s a very simple template you can use for emails or text messages to spread the word.
“Incredible news. We just hit a 52-week low when it comes to interest rates. Should I let you know if they go any lower? How would a lower monthly payment impact your real estate plans?”
You might be thinking to yourself, “Well, most consumers know about these lower rates.” But the reality is they don’t pay as much attention as you think. And it’s our job as agents, as knowledge brokers, to get the word out.
#2: Elections and the housing market
Start with a question that echoes what consumers might be thinking right now:
- Is the real estate market crashing?
- Will home prices go up or down after the election?
- Should I buy/sell now or wait until after the election?
Follow that with some data like what the folks at Keeping Current Matters provide on this subject, complete with visuals you can share to illustrate how elections past have influenced home sales, home prices, and mortgage rates.
BAMx members—be sure to check the August 30th BAMx in a Box for a social template, blog and email on how election years historically impact the housing market.
I’ve used BAMx templates in my own Instagram content. They save me a ton of time, and that’s time I can put to use by having more conversations with people.
You can implement either of the above examples using a content creation service—or craft these messages on your own and time block that into your schedule.
#3: Batch email follow up
The next step is to send out batch emails, using your CRM or your email server. Then, use analytics to see who opened the email and clicked on the links. From that list, start follow up with a phone call, using the “Did you get this” or “Did you see…” script, which is as as simple as—
“Hey, Brian, it’s Tom Toole here with RE/MAX following up with you as promised. I’m not sure if you saw, but we hit a 52-week low with interest rates earlier in the month, and I wanted to see how a lower monthly payment would impact your real estate plans over the next 6 to 12 months.”
Take the content that you sent them, and then you call them with the content. When you call them, ask them if they saw the content, using an OFQ script (an opening, a fact, and a question), and then get into a dialogue about what’s going on and what their needs are.
It’s really simple. The point is, that you can do all this when using your CRM to the highest level, seeing who’s opening, seeing who’s clicking, and coming up with value-based content.
#4: Plan out your content—and your follow up
Step one is to plan the content. Block out one hour on a Friday or a Monday to craft everything—or subscribe to a service that’s able to do it for you.
Once you have that content, distribute it and make follow-up calls based on the people who open it.
If you send it to only 200 people, call all 200. It’s really simple. If you’re sending it to your entire database, look for the openers. Look for the raving fans or the inquisitive minds that are checking out what you’re sending, and call them to follow up.
That’s where the follow up can get exciting.
This strategy is often overlooked, but it’s really simple to do. It will allow you to have value-based conversations in a time when many people are wondering what the heck is going on in the market.
