How to Automate Follow-Ups for Real Estate Leads (And Why You’ll Be Glad You Did)
In real estate, following up with leads is critical to converting them into clients. But let's be honest—keeping up with every single lead can be a challenge, especially when you're busy with showings, negotiations, and everything else on your plate. That’s where automation can make a huge difference, ensuring that no lead is overlooked while you focus on the core aspects of your business.
If you’re thinking about automating your follow-ups but aren’t sure where to start, you’re in the right place. I’ll guide you through the process step by step.
Why Automate Follow-Ups?
First, let’s talk about why automation is a smart move:
Efficiency: Automating follow-ups saves you valuable time each week, allowing you to focus on high-priority tasks like closing deals.
Consistency: Automation ensures your leads receive timely and consistent communication, which is key to building trust and keeping them engaged.
Scalability: As your business grows, managing leads manually becomes increasingly difficult. Automation scales with your business, handling more leads effortlessly.
Personalization: Modern automation tools allow you to personalize communication, maintaining that human touch even as you automate.
Step 1: Choose the Right CRM
The foundation of an effective follow-up system is a reliable Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool. Here’s what to look for:
Automation Features: Ensure your CRM offers features like drip campaigns, automatic reminders, and lead scoring.
Integration Capabilities: The CRM should integrate seamlessly with other tools you use, such as email marketing platforms and calendars.
Ease of Use: Choose a CRM that is user-friendly and doesn’t require extensive technical knowledge to operate.
Some popular CRMs for real estate professionals include HubSpot, Salesforce, and Follow Up Boss. Each of these options provides robust automation features tailored to the needs of real estate agents.
Step 2: Set Up Drip Campaigns
Drip campaigns are a series of automated emails sent to your leads over time. They help nurture leads by providing them with relevant information and keeping your services top of mind.
How to Create a Drip Campaign:
Segment Your Leads: Start by organizing your leads based on factors like their stage in the buying process, location, and property preferences.
Create Content: Develop a series of emails tailored to each segment. For instance, you might send introductory information to new leads and detailed property listings to those further along in the buying process.
Schedule Your Emails: Use your CRM to schedule when each email should be sent. The timing between emails can vary depending on the lead’s engagement level.
Monitor and Adjust: Regularly check the performance of your drip campaigns using your CRM’s analytics. If engagement is low, consider revising your subject lines or content.
Step 3: Automate SMS Follow-Ups
In addition to email, SMS can be an effective channel for quick and direct communication with leads, especially when a prompt response is needed.
Implementing SMS Automation:
Choose an SMS Marketing Platform: Platforms like Twilio and EZ Texting integrate with most CRMs and allow you to send automated text messages.
Craft Your Messages: Keep your messages short, relevant, and action-oriented. For example, “Hi [Name], just checking in to see if you’re still interested in the property at [Address]. Let me know if you have any questions!”
Set Triggers: Determine which actions will trigger an SMS follow-up. For instance, if a lead hasn’t responded to an email within three days, an automated SMS can be sent as a gentle reminder.
Step 4: Use Task Automation for Personal Follow-Ups
While automation handles a lot, some follow-ups require a personal touch. However, you can still use automation to ensure you never miss a step.
Automating Task Reminders:
Set Up Task Triggers: In your CRM, create triggers that automatically generate tasks based on specific lead actions. For example, if a lead clicks on a property link in your email, a task could be created for you to call them within 24 hours.
Sync with Your Calendar: Ensure your CRM syncs with your calendar so you never miss a follow-up. Tools like Calendly can be integrated to automatically schedule calls or meetings with leads.
Use Templates: Save time by creating email or SMS templates for different types of follow-ups. This lets you send personalized messages quickly without starting from scratch each time.
Step 5: Measure and Optimize
Automation isn’t something you set up once and forget. To get the best results, you need to continuously measure the effectiveness of your automated follow-ups and make adjustments as needed.
Metrics to Monitor:
Open Rates and Click-Through Rates: These metrics indicate how engaging your content is. Low rates may suggest it’s time to revise your email subject lines or messaging.
Response Rates: Track how often leads respond to your automated follow-ups. If response rates are low, consider adding more personalization or experimenting with different timing.
Conversion Rates: Ultimately, the goal of your follow-up strategy is to convert leads into clients. Keep track of how many leads move to the next stage of the funnel after receiving automated follow-ups.
Conclusion: Ready to Automate your Follow Ups Without Lifting a Finger?
Automating your follow-ups is just the beginning. Imagine scaling your business in just 90 days, with a dedicated team handling everything from lead generation to nurturing while you focus on what you do best—closing deals. At Pivota Marketing, we’ve spent over eight years perfecting the art of creating content that not only engages but converts. We bring clients a steady stream of new business with zero effort required from them.
Here’s what you can expect when you work with us:
Hot Leads in the First 30 Days: We get to work immediately with proven strategies that deliver results fast.
Capture Up to 100 Website Visitors Monthly: Even those who don’t share their contact info can be converted into leads.
Customized Nurturing Systems: Keep your sphere engaged and ensure repeat business with tailored campaigns.
More Time on Your Calendar: Focus on what you love—leave the marketing to us.
Sustainable Growth: The longer you stay with us, the more you grow—all while paying the same.
You didn’t enter this industry to work 24/7, and let's face it, creating these automations is probably the last thing you want to put on your plate. Our services are designed to help you lead your market without needing to lift a finger. Ready to see real growth? Let’s make it happen.
