Let’s face it, every new agent thinks they know exactly what to say to leads in text messages. Of course, when it comes to actually sending those texts—well, let’s just say I get a lot of questions about why leads are not responding to texts.
They always ask, “Why won’t these leads just talk to me?”
Luckily, getting leads to raise their hands via texts is as simple as asking the right questions. So today, I am giving you text messaging scripts from my personal text campaigns along with follow-up emails that have been tried and tested over the years by my coaching clients.
Download Beverly’s Campaign & Text Scripts
By the way, you’re going to need a good customer relationship manager (CRM) if you want to use this text messaging campaign properly. LionDesk has everything you need (and nothing you don’t) and starts at just $21 per month. So there’s no more good excuse to not have a CRM! Check out our in-depth review of LionDesk here.
New Lead Registration: My 6-Day Texting Script + Email Follow-up Campaign
The goal of a NEW lead campaign is the attempt to engage with a lead in one of three ways to discover their preferred method of communication as well as eliminating bad emails and phone numbers.
One benefit of starting with texts and email follow-up is that if you discover the phone number cannot receive text messages, you have it covered with the email. If the email is incorrect, you have the chance of connecting via text. Follow-up emails after your text also gives them a feeling that they have missed something. Never underestimate the power of FOMO.
Here’s the script:
Day 1
First Text Message (Send Immediately)
Hi {lead_first_name}, this is {agent_first_name} with {site_name}, and I am looking forward to talking with you about your home search. I will try calling as soon as I can, but in the meantime, are there any homes you were wanting take a look at? {agent_first_name} {auto_login_link}
First Follow-up Email (Send 10 Minutes After First Text)
Subject: Did you get the text?
Hello {lead_first_name},
Did you receive the text we sent about your home search? Just making sure in case it didn’t come through, it was sent to {lead_phone}. Is that the best number?
We want to be your go-to resource to assist with your real estate questions. What homes are of most interest to you and how can we help?
{agent_signature}
{auto_login_link}
If you haven’t heard from them yet, the next day is designed as another check-in and also telling them to check their spam. With email privacy settings constantly changing, we find a lot of emails going to spam and the leads never get them. Remember leads don’t want to be sold to—they just want to look and they hate that they have to register to do so.
📌 Pro Tip
Marketing emails sometimes get through to the inbox because it is not as spammy as the property alert emails
Day 2
First Follow-up Text Message (Send First Thing in the Morning)
Hey {lead_first_name}! It’s {agent_first_name} from {site_name}. Did you get the email of the homes we sent over? If not, check your spam folder, as they like to go there from time to time. We don’t want you to miss the new listings. Let us know if there are any homes you would like to see. {auto_login_link}
Second Follow-up Email (Send in the Afternoon)
Subject: Did you receive it?
Hi {lead_first_name},
Did you get the text about the new listings that may be going to spam? If you have not seen property alerts from us, you might want to check your spam. You can log in here {auto_login_link}.
Warmest regards,
{agent_signature}
{auto_login_link}
On to day 3. Notice that we are asking the same question again, but also asking if they are the right properties. This is a way to subtly ask what they are really looking for. We just need them to raise their hand to engage in the conversation. Then we have the link to the website, which is a natural click after prodding them to think about if this is really what they’re looking for.
With the third email, we are being sensitive to their busy schedule and when we are calling. The whole goal is to find out where they are in the process, and if they can give us better time to call, we can have that conversation and find out their situation.
Day 3
Third Text Message (Send Late in the Morning)
{lead_first_name}, This is {agent_first_name} with {site_name}. Just checking in to make sure you are receiving property listings via email. Are we sending you the right properties? {agent_first_name} {auto_login_link}
Third Follow-up Email (Send in the Early Afternoon)
Subject: Are weekends better?
Hello {lead_first_name},
I understand the work week can be a bit hectic with long work days and busy evenings.
I haven’t been able to connect with you yet, so I was wondering if weekends are a better time for you to chat about your future home buying plans?
Have a great day,
{agent_signature}
{auto_login_link}
Now it’s like, “OK, we have really been trying to reach you!” I really want to know your time frame, which will tell me if I don’t get a hold of you, how to rate you in the future as potential or not. And yes, mixing up the email and text a bit. Also, notice the similarity between the text to the email. We are hitting the same points in different ways.
At this point, you might also want to mix a phone call into this campaign. Remember, the goal is to get them to raise their hand. How you do it doesn’t matter.
Day 4
Email (Send Mid-morning)
Subject: A quick question about your home search…
Hello {lead_first_name},
We have been trying to reach you about your home search. How soon would you like to be in a new home?
Looking forward to connecting,
{agent_signature}
{auto_login_link}
Text (Send Late Morning)
Hi {lead_first_name}. I have been trying to reach you regarding your home search. Are there any specifics you’re looking for in a home? {agent_first_name} {site_name}
And here we are on the last day of the campaign. Yes, we skipped a day and no, we are not sending a text today. Less is more. If you hit too hard in the beginning and they unsubscribe, you just chewed off your own foot. Give them space and time. Now we are asking about their future, because more than likely a new lead is really just looking for their future plans.
Day 6
Email (Send Late Morning)
Subject: Future plans for a move?
Hello {lead_first_name},
We are still trying to reach you about your home search. When would you be ready to make a move? Even if it is sometime in the future, we want to be your resource during your housing market research time. Just let us know what your future plans are and when.
Looking forward to connecting,
{agent_first_name} {agent_last_name}
{site_name}
7 Crucial Text Messaging Tips for Agents
Of course, knowing the right questions to ask and when is important, but there is also an etiquette to text messaging that is important to follow if you want to convert. Here are seven tips to make sure your texts increase your odds of connecting.
1. A Good CRM Will Make Your Life Much, Much, Easier
Obviously, if you have a decent number of leads, campaigns like this would be impossible to send manually. You would be glued to your phone 24/7!
In order to be efficient, it is crucial to have a CRM that lets you build a blended campaign with dynamic tags (autofill of names and certain information that is set once and automatically pulls the info from the system to fill in the blanks). A good CRM also gives you the ability to structure the time and dates your texts and emails get sent. If your CRM doesn’t do texting, a good CRM will still be a lifesaver for scheduling the emails.
2. Make Sure Your Phone Is Connected to Your CRM
This is probably my most important tip that I cannot stress enough. Be sure your phone is connected to your CRM so you can respond from your phone when a lead texts. That is the whole purpose of having a campaign in the first place, right? You want the lead to respond so you can be reactive.
3. Less Is More
As I said earlier: “Less is more.” Future text communication will be more successful and you will have fewer people unsubscribing. This is just my opinion—I see SO many unanswered texts it makes my skin crawl. Think about it: You are interested in getting information about something you were looking at online, you get a text asking you a question, you answer and expect a response, and then nothing? What does that do for your credibility as a professional?
I like to have control of what is going out based on the lead’s activity in the system. It is important to have a site that is always ready for mass texting, meaning you can group 100 leads and blast out one message at the same time. And it is like a Vegas slot machine—you can just sit there and respond.
4. Don’t Send Too Many Texts at One Time
Don’t text more than 100 at a time—take it from the experience of accidentally sending a text to an entire database of thousands. Lesson learned!! And keep the message short and simple!
Let’s talk about your leads who are actively looking at properties. Try something like:
For leads that haven’t been active within the last couple of months, try:
5. Use Emojis to Help Personalize Your Texts
Sometimes, using emojis helps personalize your texts. With so much automation going out through drip campaigns and artificial intelligence, this takes the automation feel out of it for the recipient.
6. Keep Engagement to One Subject/Question at a Time
Have you ever noticed when you text a teenager they come back with one-word responses? I mean, if I’m lucky, I get the tbh or wbu. Well, sadly, many adults do the exact same thing these days. Some are actually worse because they can’t type as fast as a teenager!
So keep your messages simple whenever you can, and never try to jam too many questions or ideas into one short text. If you have longer messages, break them up into multiple, shorter texts. Here’s an example:
When would you like to purchase a new home: 1,2,3 or more than 5 years?
vs
When would you like to look at homes?
I can pull some properties, what would you like to look at?
How many bdrms/bath and at what price point?
7. Don’t Ask to Talk Right Away
Respect how the lead is responding to you. After all, they are probably texting because it is more than likely their preferred way of communicating. If you ask for a phone call too quickly, you just might get the ghost response. You need to build rapport slowly and steadily.
Act like you are going on a date with someone you haven’t met yet. Be gentle and respectful with your conversation. And NEVER assume! Just because they are looking doesn’t mean they are ready to buy. Your goal is to find out where they are in the process in a few words, WITHOUT annoying them!
Over to You
Have any great real estate text messaging scripts or tips you swear by? Let me know in the comments!
Tell us about you so we know what to send.
