Agents: Lead With Perception

Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate here: The real estate industry doesn’t have a lead generation problem. The industry has a lead conversion problem. You can generate leads all day, delivering hundreds of paid and unpaid leads to your inbox, but we know from statistical studies that the effort required to convert those leads into sales is just not happening.

So, instead of posting in Facebook groups about how much we dislike specific portals, let’s raise the professionalism of the conversation and talk about how we, the agents, can not only make a difference, but also make some more money.

Speed to Lead – We live in a world of Uber, Amazon Now and instant gratification. Your lead expects to click a button on a website and speak to an agent. If you want to be that agent, you have less than two minutes to respond. So, first and foremost, answer your phone. If you can’t talk, set up a text autoresponder, either on your phone or through your CRM, if it has that functionality.

Stick-to-it-ive-ness – Statistics show that most sales are made somewhere between the eighth and 12th contact, but most salespeople don’t try to make contact more than three times. And, for the record, the number of agents following up three times might as well not even exist. The result is a lot of frustrated agents saying their leads are worthless—and a lot of frustrated leads wondering why they can’t get a call from an agent. The solution to this problem comes from your CRM. Set up a very simple follow-up action plan using multiple platforms. Starting with email, send one message every day for 10 days offering something of value. Mix in some calls and texts, and your chances of getting a prospect on the phone go up exponentially.

The Fallacy of the Immediate – One of the common misbeliefs of lead generation is that just because someone clicks on a button requesting more information about a property, it means that they’re looking to make a buying decision right that second. After your initial contact action plan, put that lead on a regular follow-up plan for the next 18-24 months.

None of this is rocket science. Once you’ve got it set up and running, it simply takes discipline to follow through on the plan. Do that and you’ll become a leader amongst leads, and by virtue of that, a leader in your market.

Chance Brown is the broker/owner of Realty ONE Group Lone Star in Houston, Texas, and a coach with Workman Success Systems. He was recently named REALTOR® of the Year by the Houston Association of REALTORS®. He is a graduate of the Texas Realtors® Leadership Program, a recipient of the NRG 20 Under 40 Rising Stars in Real Estate award, Fort Bend County Business Journal’s 20 Under 40 Executives, and has earned the At Home With Diversity, Accredited Buyer’s Representative, Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager, Certified Residential Specialist, e-Pro, Green, Seller Representative Specialist, and Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource designations. His brokerage has been named the No. 1 Best Place to Work in Houston for two straight years by the Houston Business Journal and has landed in the top five in the Houston Chronicle’s Top Workplace awards. Contact him at Chance@WorkmanSuccessSystems.com. For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.