Stand Out When Reaching Out

“Never wait to follow up. Follow up now. It’s one of my little tricks to get attention. No one follows up faster than I do. And when you want to set up that follow-up meeting, propose dates that work for you. Don’t just ask if they’re free—take control of the destiny of your working relationship!”

—Ryan Serhant, Sell It Like Serhant

What is the biggest complaint people have about real estate agents? Would it surprise you to learn it is a lack of communication? This is ironic because agents spend most of their time doing exactly that—communicating! This chapter explains how you can use technology to communicate more effectively. Your ability to reach people quickly with the specific information they need increases your chances of connecting with them and becoming their agent. Your real estate CRM is a powerful tool that helps you organize and automate your communication in ways you couldn’t otherwise.

Phone Call Skills

Phone calls are often the easiest way to communicate spontaneously. If you can get someone to answer, you have their full attention. However, phone calls come with challenges. Not everyone can answer when you call, and if they don’t, you have to leave a message for them to listen to later. They might call back, but there’s no guarantee you’ll be available then. Voice calls can be inefficient if the person on the other end doesn’t answer right away. The most important thing you can do to improve this situation is to answer your phone when someone calls.

This may seem simple, but many agents screen their calls. That’s a mistake because it wastes your time listening to voicemails and playing telephone tag. A prompt answer captures a lead when their interest is highest, showing your availability and professionalism. To make this habit easier, promote your mobile number above any other numbers you have. Ideally, it should be the only number on your marketing materials. When someone tries to reach you and gets a voicemail, they might leave messages at your other numbers, creating inefficiency and delaying your ability to serve clients directly. Using a single, primary number also prevents a full voicemail box, which can block clients from leaving messages. Remember to delete all voicemails after listening to them to avoid this issue.

Bag of Money Secret: When the phone rings, answer it. Just imagine that the person on the other end of the phone is a cash buyer who wants to buy a home today.

Once you have answered, your professionalism is on display. Do not just say “Hello.” Your mobile phone is now your business phone, so identify yourself in your greeting and ask the caller how you can help. Before making a call or answering the phone, be aware of background noise, such as a TV or barking dogs. Provide your undivided attention to the person on the other end of the line. It is well worth the cost to purchase a high-quality Bluetooth headset or earbuds with active noise-cancelling properties. The chances are high that you will be in a loud environment when someone calls, since you are often outside the office. Noise-cancelling headsets or earbuds can reduce background noise by as much as 90%.

Even though a caller can’t see you, they can literally hear your smile. When you smile, the shape of your mouth alters the acoustic qualities of your voice, making it sound brighter and warmer. Studies dating back to the 1980s have confirmed that callers can hear your smile, and that it can trigger “emotional contagion,” a term coined by researchers Dr. Elaine Hatfield and Dr. John Cacioppo in the early 1990s. Their research showed that humans subconsciously mimic the vocal tones of those they interact with, which, in turn, causes them to “catch” the matching emotion. A warm, positive tone on your end will therefore inspire a more positive emotional response from the person on the other line. Your professionalism on the phone directly reflects the value of your service; if you sound distracted or casual, clients may question your seriousness.

Projecting a professional image also involves subtle trust signals. As an agent deeply involved in the local community, you should convey that you understand local happenings and have been part of the community for quite some time. One way to do that is to use a phone number with an area code that matches the local region. This demonstrates that you are part of the community, not just a transient.

In the past, an 800 number was useful for people who wanted to avoid per-minute charges for out-of-state calls. However, times have changed. An 800 number probably won’t save your prospects money, so it’s likely not worth the extra cost.

Even with the best intentions, you’ll inevitably miss some calls. When this happens, respond as quickly as possible. When asking for someone’s phone number, try to get their mobile number. Mobile phones are more likely to be answered than landlines, helping you reach prospects faster and boosting your response rates. If you leave a message, you’re also more likely to get a quicker response than with landlines. Additionally, mobile phones can receive SMS texts and voicemails, making them more useful than landlines.

The Ping After Ring Secret: If your call goes to voicemail, immediately follow it up with a short, personalized text message. Text messages have a high open rate, guaranteeing they will see it. Mention that you just called, why you called, and invite them to reply by text or calling back.

Finally, your real estate CRM offers click-to-dial functionality to make your outbound calls more efficient. There are a few ways these dialers work. The simplest method is for the CRM to send a text message to your mobile phone with your name and the number to call. You then tap the number on your mobile device to dial it. The main benefit of this method is that you use your mobile phone to make calls. By turning a manual task into a streamlined process, this feature helps you dedicate focused time to proactive outreach.

You can even queue multiple text messages, enabling you to make several follow-up calls in sequence. By combining the habit of answering your phone with the efficiency of a CRM dialer, you turn calls from a potential time drain into a consistent, income-generating activity.

A second type of click-to-dial functionality uses a dedicated phone number provided by your CRM. With this setup, you still click to dial, but your CRM calls your mobile phone. When you answer, you’re connected to the person you’re calling. This creates a three-way call: you and the person you’re calling are two parties, and your CRM acts as the third party connecting the call. When you click-to-dial this way, the phone number and caller ID the recipient sees are the ones registered in your CRM.

Millennial Minute Secret: Don’t forget to take advantage of the text message chat functionality of your CRM. Many people screen their calls, or can’t answer because they are at work. Around 75% of millennials prefer texting over calling, with that figure rising to 80% among Gen Z. Around 25% of this age group avoid answering the phone altogether¹.

In most cases, you’ll want to use your mobile number as your business number, so this second option is less common.

Several types of dialers automate calling a list of contacts. An autodialer, also known as a power dialer, makes multiple calls in sequence. A predictive dialer, sometimes called a multi-dialer, starts one call while another is still connecting.

With increased automation, regulatory requirements have risen considerably². When cold-calling FSBOs or Expireds, the only legally permitted option is the click-to-dial feature. Some agents have attempted to use more advanced options and have ended up in court³. Therefore, it is generally not advisable to go beyond click-to-dial functionality. You will not find these features in a reputable CRM, as they are designed for high-volume call centers and pose significant legal risk for a real estate agent. Stick to click-to-dial.

The click-to-dial feature significantly boosts your productivity and is a valuable tool. It is especially useful when making outgoing calls from your daily call list. You can click-to-dial, speak with your prospect, leave a voicemail, add notes to your CRM, and schedule a follow-up call—all within a few minutes.

Text Messaging

Almost all potential homebuyers and sellers carry a mobile phone, so if you text them, they are likely to read your message within a few minutes. People tend to read and respond to texts more than to any other form of communication. This is supported by mobile marketing research: the average email open rate is 30%⁴, while the SMS open rate is 98%⁵. If you get a response, it will likely come quickly and be a reply text, so be prepared.

During business hours, text messages often go through, while personal voice calls may be restricted in some workplaces. Most voice calls will likely go directly to voicemail. With texts, you can expect most to be read within a few minutes. You might also feel more comfortable sending texts during extended hours, such as in the evening, rather than making a voice call. This approach prevents telephone tag, as the recipient can read and reply to your message when they have time. Voice calls also work well with texts, since you can use texting to coordinate a call and reduce voicemails.

Keep in mind that many people sleep with their phones nearby. Avoid sending text messages during their usual sleeping hours or when someone might be at church or engaged in activities where the sound of a mobile phone’s beep and buzz is disruptive.

The Timely Touch Secret: At your first contact with the client ask them how they prefer to be reached: phone, email, or text and at what times. Logging this in your CRM shows respect for their schedule and increases the likelihood your outreach is welcomed.

Your initial text message should be personal, direct, and framed as a question. A statement can be ignored, but a question engages the brain’s natural need for closure⁶. Including the recipient’s name and a specific detail makes it personal, while ending with a direct question makes it actionable. For example: “Jack, that 12 Main Street property is still available, but interest is high. Are you still interested? – Sam @ RE/MAX.” This structure makes it psychologically difficult for the recipient to leave the loop open, dramatically increasing your chances of a reply.

Text messages should not be used to deliver large amounts of information. Keep your messages short and to the point. The main goal of any text is to get the prospect on the phone. Unlike emails, you shouldn’t include a signature at the end of each message; instead, include your name and company in the initial message.

Your text message must be specific and directly address the prospect’s needs. If someone asks about a particular property, provide the exact address. If someone asks you a question, answer it directly. Avoid sending generic solicitation texts, as recipients quickly recognize them as spam.

You can also send MMS text messages, which are multimedia messages. These messages can include photos or links. That’s a great way to generate interest and awareness. If someone asks about one of your listings, send your reply along with a glamour shot of that home.

While you could use your mobile phone for text message prospecting, I do not recommend it. Instead, I recommend using your real estate CRM for your text message outreach. There are several reasons I advise this.

First, you’ll be more efficient composing text messages on a computer than on your phone. You’ll find it easier to reference information in your real estate CRM, allowing you to craft a message that directly addresses each prospect’s specific needs. Your CRM will include the full message thread, your notes, and any additional information about the lead source and last contact date. You are legally required to include instructions on how someone can opt out of your text messages, and your real estate CRM can handle this automatically.

Your real estate CRM will also be able to track whether your text message was successfully delivered or if there was an issue, such as the phone being turned off or no longer in service. I also recommend noting conversations you have started but haven’t received a reply to. Your goal is to get that reply, which is why I suggest always phrasing the initial text message as a question.

There is a key difference between email and texting in how spam complaints are managed. The recipient of your text messages can block your phone number directly on their device, which will also notify their carrier. Because there are only three major phone carriers in the United States—Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile—spam complaints are more centralized than with email, and the carriers are much more likely to blacklist you than an email service would be. This means that if someone reports an unwanted text message to their carrier, the impact could be significant. Just one complaint is enough to blacklist your mobile number from sending texts to that carrier.

Usually, this is a temporary block lasting 24 or 48 hours. However, repeat offenders are permanently blacklisted. Therefore, I suggest sending prospecting messages through your real estate CRM. That way, you can let your SMS phone number cool down by pausing texts for a few days if you get blacklisted.

A tiny URL is a shortened version of a long URL, created by services like TinyURL.com. Spam filters used by phone carriers will flag messages that include public URL shorteners as spam⁷. This is because tiny URLs can hide the original link, making malicious links harder to spot. For this reason, I recommend using full, unaltered URLs in your text messages if you include links. Any link you share should be in its own message, with no extra text before or after the URL. This keeps the link clickable and helps spam filters review it without confusion. Also, make sure all links use HTTPS. The “s” in https stands for “secure,” which adds proof that you’re legitimate. The spam filters built into SMS are strong and actively look for suspicious messages.

You can send multiple text messages in just a few minutes using your real estate CRM. However, be careful not to send too many messages too quickly. Why? Because you can expect responses, and they will typically come within a few minutes. When responses arrive, reply quickly. You will achieve much better results if you block out a full hour and send 10-20 messages at the start. Do your work within your real estate CRM during that hour. That way, you can respond promptly when you get a reply. The last thing you want to do is get a warm lead and then let it go cold by not acting on it immediately. If someone sends you a text message and you reply within a minute or two, you’re almost certain the recipient will read your reply. If you wait 8 hours, your chances of being read will be much lower.

Sending Emails

Email is effective for maintaining contact, but it’s a poor choice for initial introductions because unsolicited messages are often flagged as spam. Remember, email delivery isn’t guaranteed. Many spam filters stand between you and your recipient. Even if an email is delivered, the recipient might not open it. Most people receive many emails daily, and many end up in the spam folder or are deleted without a glance. Therefore, always collect a prospect’s mobile phone number first. A phone number is more valuable than an email address, especially for initial contact.

The Sweet Role Secret: Avoid sending bulk emails to role-based email addresses. A role-based email address is one associated with a job function, department, or group within an organization, rather than an individual. It typically starts with a common word that describes the purpose or role, such as info@, support@, sales@. Replace these emails with a named person when you can. If you cannot, keep the address for transactional replies only. Spam filters and mail providers dislike it when bulk emails are sent to role-based email addresses.

To ensure your emails land in the inbox, you need to understand what spam filters look for. Spam is unsolicited email sent in bulk, and about half of all emails sent are considered spam⁸. Spam filters are highly effective at detecting and blocking unwanted messages. The last thing you want is for an important email—such as an offer or an inspection report—to end up in someone’s spam folder.

Filters are more likely to accept emails from people the recipient already knows. The best way to maximize deliverability is to exchange an email with someone. Send them a message and have them reply immediately. This trains the spam filter to recognize your emails as not spam. You should also ask your recipient to add you to their address book, which also increases the chances that your email won’t go to spam. The easiest way is to exchange emails while you’re talking on the phone.

Love Letter Secret: For higher open and reply rates, send simple emails with limited use of fancy layout. The most effective include a simple letterhead, some styled text, and your signature. These personal emails are less likely to be flagged as spam and can increase reply rates by over 20% and clicks by up to 51%, a finding supported by extensive marketing research⁹. Complex multi-column newsletter formatted content looks canned and impersonal and tends to get a far lower response rate.

Spam filters closely monitor one-sided email exchanges, tracking which messages are opened and responded to. If you send a series of emails that go unread or unanswered, spam filters interpret that as low engagement and are more likely to send all future emails from you straight to the spam folder. Your real estate CRM tracks email engagement to help you improve the deliverability of your messages. Email engagement, also called open rate, is the percentage of emails you send that are opened and read. Your CRM tracks this by embedding an invisible image in each email. When the email is opened, the image is displayed, and the email status in your CRM updates from “Sent” to “Sent+Read”.

Filters also look for signs that the sender doesn’t know the recipient, such as a generic salutation like “dear neighbor.” If they detect body text that appears to be a scam, a get-rich-quick scheme, or a business pitch, they flag it. Check your spam folder to see examples of messages that filters aim to block.

I suggest using a separate email account for your business communications rather than your personal account. This will help you appear more professional and prevent important emails from getting lost among personal messages.

If you need a new email account, Gmail is an excellent choice for its powerful spam filter, ample storage, and free access. Your broker might also provide a business email address, which is another good option. Once you are more established, consider registering your own domain name, such as SallySellsSarasota.com. You can then use that domain to create a website and send emails from a custom address like Sally@SallySellsSarasota.com. For email hosting, Google offers Google Workspace, which provides the same features as Gmail with your own domain name¹⁰.

When choosing your email address, consider how it sounds when spoken over the phone. Since you’ll share it often during calls, choose one that’s easy to pronounce and hard to misspell. The longer the email address, the more likely it is to be misspelled, so avoid using a very long address.

If you eventually hire an assistant, I recommend using a role-based email address with a general term like “info” rather than a specific person’s name. For example, your assistant’s email could be info@SallySellsSarasota.com. That way, the address stays the same if you change assistants or hire a new one.

The Caps for Clarity Secret: Format your email address in CamelCase, capitalizing the first letter of each word (e.g., SamSmith@gmail.com) to make it easier to read and remember. While it doesn’t affect delivery, it improves perception, reduces typos, and increases the likelihood prospects will contact you successfully.

When communicating with bank officers and lawyers, remember that their email servers likely have robust spam filters. These professionals handle sensitive information and want to avoid emails that could compromise their systems. Therefore, I advise against sending promotional material to bank officers or attorneys.

If you need to send a file attachment, start with a heads-up email to let recipients know it’s coming. Then send a second email with the attachment. Emails with file attachments are often blocked by spam filters when filters are set to their strictest settings.

If you’re sending a simple document like a flyer, consider converting it to an image and embedding it directly in your email. This lets the recipient view the content immediately without downloading anything.

Treat your vendors and tradespeople as professional partners, not marketing targets. Good tradespeople are busy and don’t have time to read marketing materials, including your newsletter. The last thing you want is to irritate a trusted vendor and have them mark your emails as spam. Then, when you need them, you won’t be able to reach them.

Your real estate CRM makes sending bulk emails easy. Bulk email is the process of sending the same message to multiple recipients. To do this, you first create a category for the people you want to email. Next, you create a mail form, sometimes called a template, that contains your message. The template uses mail merge variables, such as %Salutation%, which are filled in with unique content from each contact’s record. This feature is powerful because it ensures each email you send is personalized with the recipient’s name. Mail merge variables can also include a unique property address or details about a specific listing, making your communication feel personal and relevant.

Your real estate CRM can also send a series of time-release drip emails. Unlike bulk emails, each email in a drip sequence is sent to one recipient at a time. Instead of sending all the emails at once, they are spaced out over time. The sequence is automatic and helps you stay in touch with someone. Each person in a drip sequence has their own schedule. So, if you met someone a week ago, they might receive the second drip email today, while someone you just met today might get their first drip email today. Drip emails also use mail merge variables, so each email contains personalized information, such as the recipient’s name and the address of the property they might be interested in selling.

Drip sequences are most effective for nurturing new prospects. Suppose you meet someone interested in buying a vacation property. After discussing their needs, they tell you they are not quite ready to purchase because they need to review the tax implications and consult with family members. You could offer to send information about the advantages of owning a vacation property through a drip sequence tailored to that purpose. Your real estate CRM letter library includes many drip sequences, each customized for specific situations. The more targeted your drip sequence, the less likely recipients will find the emails unwanted.

Avoid sending generic prospecting drip sequences; instead, send targeted ones tailored to each prospect’s needs. Generic content can feel overly salesy. A drip sequence sent to a single person can be narrowly focused on that individual’s interests and needs. Your drip emails and printed letters aim to provide information and educate, not to bother the prospect. A buyer’s needs differ from a seller’s. Someone purchasing their first home will have different objections than someone downsizing. By customizing a pre-made drip sequence, you can further refine the content to make it even more personal. The ideal frequency for each drip depends on your assessment of your prospect’s timeframe. For some, you might space the emails weekly; for others, you might extend the intervals. The effectiveness of a drip sequence tends to decline after 4 or 5 emails, especially when spaced a week apart or more. If you send too many emails or space them too closely, people get tired and will opt out or mark your emails as spam.

Your CRM will automatically add an unsubscribe link to your emails, along with a physical mailing address for you, the sender. This is required to comply with federal regulations. Your real estate CRM will also track when an email address is no longer valid (HardBounce), when someone has complained (Complaint), or when someone has opted out of your emails (OptOut). For bulk emails, these addresses will be automatically excluded, so you don’t have to worry about sending emails to people who have opted out or complained.

This is for your safety: sending an email to someone who has opted out or complained will harm your email reputation and reduce your deliverability. If your reputation is poor, your other emails may end up in the spam folder or be rejected altogether.

A complaint occurs when someone selects the Spam or Junk folder in their mailbox or files a complaint with their email provider, such as AOL, Yahoo, Outlook, or Gmail. If you send more emails to someone who has complained, the mail server treats this as very rude behavior and views it negatively.

Similarly, sending emails to a hard-bounced email address can be seen as spammy and robotic, since a human wouldn’t do that, and the consequences are just as serious. Email providers share these insights with other providers through feedback loops¹¹, allowing reports of reckless behavior to spread across email servers. A bad reputation is like a wanted poster, and the last thing you want is for email servers to prejudge all your messages.

You can also track who opens your emails and when, helping you evaluate the success of your email campaigns.

I advise against sending drip emails to someone you know well. For people you know well, send an occasional eCard or make a phone call instead.

Not everyone is ready to buy or sell immediately, so send real estate drip campaigns only to prospects who are actively interested. A drip sequence doesn’t replace the value of a phone call, an SMS message, or a drive-by visit. Think of email as a supportive tool, not a primary one. Email is a passive medium, whereas phone calls and SMS are active. You’re more likely to receive feedback from a phone call or text message than from an email.

Ultimately, writing emails that get read is about providing useful information, not just blasting out mass messages. You will get the best results by using a targeted drip sequence after your call with your prospect. This strategic approach ensures your communications are welcomed, read, and acted on, turning your database into a steady source of business.

Proven Printed Letters

Your real estate CRM includes a content library of pre-made letters that can be part of a timed drip series or used as standalone letters or emails. Your CRM lets you send the original letters as they are, but I recommend customizing them to fit your specific needs. Using pre-made content saves you time and helps you produce higher-quality results.

The letter library may also be available in multiple languages, including Spanish. Because about one in seven U.S. residents speaks Spanish at home, bilingual letters are a practical tool for many markets.

You should consider your letter library useful for both print and email. That way, you can use the same letters for as many people as possible, saving time and keeping your communication consistent across channels. Most prospects in your database will have incomplete contact information. For example, one person might have an email address, while another might have only a phone number and a mailing address.

Template Treasury Secret: Use your CRMs content library to save hours of work. Your CRM comes with a pre-built library containing templates for eCards, flyers, letters, and email campaigns for every situation. Always look to the library before writing or designing something from scratch, it will save you time and look more professional.

Mail merge is the process of transforming a mail form into a personalized letter. The mail form contains the text of your letter, along with mail merge variables. These are parts of the letter that change for each recipient. The most common mail merge variable is %Salutation%, which is set to the recipient’s name. Other variables include %Signature%, which contains your contact information.

Each real estate CRM will have different mail merge variables. For simple letters, you’ll only need a few mail merge variables. However, you might require more complex ones if you’re requesting feedback for a showing—for example, including a photo of the property and its address. You might also want to include the date and time of the showing. Each of these would be mail merge variables filled in before the email is sent.

The tone of your letter depends on how well you know the recipient and their age. While traditional letters usually begin with ‘Dear,’ it is often omitted in modern communications.

The Ugly Envelope Effect Secret: To make your letters look more personal and less like junk mail, handwrite the address and return mailing address. To add to the personal look, you can use a commemorative or seasonal stamp. This adds a special touch that makes people less likely to simply throw it away.

I recommend using the pronoun “we” instead of “I” when discussing your services, as it suggests you’re part of a larger organization, such as your brokerage. I also suggest using the individual pronoun “I” for anything that involves personal attention you will provide. For example, at the end of your letter, you might say, “If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to give me a call.” Why? Because people want to believe there’s someone in charge who cares.

While it is tempting to create flashy letters with lots of graphics and fancy tables, I advise against it. A simple layout is easier to read on a smartphone. Also, when you send a clear, straightforward letter, you give the impression that you are writing from the heart. The more elaborate your letter, the less personal it seems and the more it looks like a generic form letter.

Should I use a P.S. in my letters? Yes! Studies have shown that many people skip directly to the P.S. before reading the main body of a letter. Most people are scanning rather than reading, and since a P.S. is the last part of an email or printed letter, it tends to feel more urgent.

Borino Boomerang Secret: When prospecting using printed letters, send a short introductory letter. A week later, send the exact same letter, but this time crumpled up with a handwritten note on it like, “Don’t throw this away! Let’s get your home sold.” The homeowner will think you rescued it from their trash, a bold move that grabs their attention and makes you unforgettable.

Sending a printed letter through the postal service remains a traditional form of communication that still holds value in this digital age. For certain types of outreach, such as FSBO, probate, and expired prospecting, it is the preferred method. This is not only because you might not have a valid email address or phone number for these leads, but also because a letter offers a professional, non-intrusive way to introduce yourself to a prospect who is not expecting your contact. Additionally, receiving a letter in the mail has a more formal, official feel, which can be beneficial when making a strong first impression as a real estate professional.

Your real estate CRM includes time-release drip sequences you can print and send to these types of prospecting leads. Typically, this is a series of printed letters spaced about a week apart over several weeks. The letters are personalized with the recipient’s name and property address, and can also include other mail merge details specific to the property, such as a photo of the property and the asking price. Once the drip letter sequence is assigned to a prospect, the letters are queued for printing. Each week, you print that week’s letters and mailing labels. You then stuff the envelopes and mail them out. As an alternative to printing mailing labels, your real estate CRM can also print the address directly on the envelopes, including the return address in the upper-left corner.

When mailing a letter through the postal service, consider using a first-class stamp instead of a bulk mail stamp. This looks more personal, increasing the likelihood that your letter will be opened. Another advantage of a first-class stamp is that the letter will be returned if the recipient no longer lives at that address. The return address on your envelope also signals what’s inside. People often look at the return address and throw the letter away if they think it looks like junk. For this reason, you might want to avoid including your company name or even your full name on the envelope’s return address.

Your real estate CRM can print your envelope or mailing label for a polished look. However, you might prefer handwriting the envelope address. Why? Research from the General Envelope Association shows that handwritten envelopes are opened 72% more often than typed-and-printed ones. This might seem counterintuitive because handwritten addresses look less professional. But in this case, that’s a good thing, as it makes the envelope look more like a personal letter.

Flyers

Your real estate CRM includes a flyer library you can use to create flyers for each of your listings. You can also use it to design invitations for open houses. These flyers can be printed or sent as images via email or text message. Using the built-in flyer templates in your CRM lets you quickly fill in the details, saving you a lot of time.

Some agents still like to include flyers in the flyer box on the yard sign outside. But many agents have shifted to using an electronic flyer, which can be accessed by texting a 3-digit call capture code to a special phone number posted on the yard sign. The advantage of this approach is that you no longer need to spend money on printed flyers or refill the flyer box. It also automatically captures the phone number and caller ID for anyone who inquires. When someone grabs a flyer from the flyer box, you only get a lead if the buyer calls you. With call capture, you capture all inquiries.

Priceless Paper Secret: When you make flyers for your listing, remove the house price. Hiding the price gives you two benefits: One, if the house’s price gets reduced you won’t need to replace the flyers. Two, it forces price-curious buyers to call your call capture number which turns an inquiry into a captured lead.

When hosting an open house, a flyer is a standard takeaway for prospective buyers to remember the home. Therefore, a printed flyer is valuable.

Sending eCards

Your real estate CRM includes a library of eCards. These animated email templates can be sent to contacts in your database for various occasions. You might send an eCard to wish friends and family a happy Halloween or a birthday eCard to someone on their special day. eCards offer several benefits. The most obvious is that they convey the sentiment expressed in the eCard.

A more subtle benefit is that when you send your eCard, you verify whether the email address you have for someone is still valid. The phenomenon of contact information becoming invalid over time is called list decay¹². Expect about 20% of the email addresses in your database to become inaccurate each year as people change email providers. By sending periodic eCards, your real estate CRM alerts you to which email addresses are no longer valid. When you receive that notification, reach out to the person by another method, such as a call or text, and ask for their current email address. A HardBounce may be a temporary error, such as when someone’s email account is full. However, even in that case, it strongly indicates that, while they haven’t completely abandoned their email address, they have moved on to another as their main address.

Bungled Birthday Secret: Sending an automated birthday eCard misses out on a more personal touch. Use your CRM’s birthday reminders to make a phone call instead, which is more effective. This is especially true for a “Top100” contact.

I recommend using eCards in moderation. While eCards can be fun, they can also become repetitive. For example, if you send one for Halloween, another for Thanksgiving, one for Christmas, and one for New Year’s, by the time Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday arrives, even your own mother might unsubscribe. Sending one or two eCards a year to people provides the best benefits while lowering the risk of someone unsubscribing.

Call Capture

To ensure you don’t miss any leads, your real estate CRM might include a call capture feature. This is a dedicated phone number linked to your CRM. When someone calls or texts that number, they receive information about your listing by entering a three-digit code that matches your listing.

The most common way to use this is to include a sign rider on your yard signs, which looks something like this:

24-HOUR RECORDED HOME INFO:

Text “999” to (970) 235-9114

or Call (970) 235-9114 Enter Code 999

The phone number and code above are live, so give them a try to see how call capture works.

Call capture lets people access listing information at any time, day or night. Studies show that agents who use an automated hotline or text-for-info service receive more inquiries than those who display only a regular phone number¹³. Why? Buyers feel more comfortable calling at odd hours, when you may be asleep. An automated hotline also helps overcome concerns about talking to a pushy real estate agent, waiting on hold, or leaving a voicemail. Instead, they simply text a 3-digit code to receive the information within a few seconds.

When someone calls your automated hotline number, their phone number and caller ID are recorded, and a new prospect is automatically added to your CRM. You receive email and text message notifications so you can respond quickly. If you prefer, you can also let the prospect connect with you directly, which will ring your mobile phone and connect them to you live.

You are also informed of which property they have inquired about. If they leave a text or voice message, it is included as well, and a transcription of any voice message is attached to the notes section of the prospect record.

This method is far more effective than using paper flyers in a flyer box outside the property. When someone takes a paper flyer, you might never hear from them. With call capture, every inquiry is automatically added to your CRM.

Your call capture phone number can also be used for open houses and targeted marketing campaigns. For instance, you could create a unique code for a Spanish-language campaign about a listing, information on qualifying for a home loan, or a special seminar you’re hosting. Because each code is tracked, you can see which campaigns are effective and which aren’t.

The main advantage of using call capture is how easy it is for both you and the people inquiring about your listings.

Endnotes

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