Your Leads Don’t Suck, but your Long-Game Nurture Plan Might

Ah, instant gratification. 2-day free shipping, push a button and your cab arrives, binge-watch your favorite shows whenever you choose. We humans are hardwired to enjoy the quick win and the low hanging fruit. But it doesn’t have to be so difficult to work on your long game. At least as far as your lead nurturing goes.

Technology has hacked most of the inconveniences in delays in our lives, and now it can help you nurture those buyers and sellers who are far out in the process too. Here’s exactly how to leverage a smart CRM and automated marketing to make sure your hard-won leads, no matter how cold or “bad” or seemingly years out in the process, are on the happy path to conversion and their happily ever after.

Create a Real Estate Lead Management Plan

Some internet leads are hot, some are lukewarm, but many are cold. Some even call them dead leads. But, with so many success stories of so-called “dead leads” being revived and closed with the right communication process, your business depends on nurturing these as well as those that are engaged and ready. Of course these are two very different situations that require very different approaches. You need to make sure you have a plan in place to ensure each type of lead is serviced appropriately.

This plan needs to cover:

• Who is in charge of the initial response
• Where do hot leads go
• Where do nurture leads go
• How are leads successfully nurtured to close

Route Real Estate Leads for Fast Follow-up

It’s impossible for an agent to respond to every single lead that comes in the “door” (nor does it make sense to) so you need to vet each lead appropriately to save time and keep the process moving. The key here is to make sure each lead reaches the right person for their specific situation, so you have an efficient process that plays to your team’s strengths.

Automating this process can be a huge win for productivity. Set rules in your system to automatically have online leads sent to the right person. This means that once a lead registers on your site, seller are automatically sent to the listing agent. Buyers looking in XYZ neighborhood are instantly piped to your in-house XYZ expert, and no one on your team is wasting time, nor does any leads slip through the cracks.

Maintain Your Database

The right drip campaigns can do wonders for leads that are far out in the buying or selling process. Databases can be overwhelming, however, and it’s easy to let them slide while focusing on more immediate business. If you dedicate some time to work your own database however, you can target specific groups of leads very effectively.

New to the world of email marketing? Then you may be unfamiliar with the importance of segmenting your email lists. It’s a big deal. According to DMA, 77% of email marketing ROI came from segmented, targeted, and triggered campaigns. The good news is, with the right tools it can be crazy simple to slice and dice your database effectively, and run innovative and effective campaigns.

In the BoomTown CRM, it’s simple to organize your database into more manageable groups by bucketing leads in similar situations together. You can create custom categories and tags for easy sorting and use triggers to start campaigns based on a lead’s actions. The ability to segment your database into these specific groups makes it simple to know exactly how to market to different pockets of interest within your database, and makes the entire process easy and effective.

Now that you have an action plan and a manageable database…it’s nurture time!

Automated Marketing Campaigns for Cold Leads

50% of leads aren’t ready to buy at the time of first touch, so lead nurturing — especially through email — is the smartest way to convert them

Time is money, people, so rather than “babysit” all these colder leads, use technology to stay in touch.

BoomTown’s CRM offers advanced email marketing capabilities with automated nurturing campaigns and predictive triggers. Clients even enjoy a sharing library where they can contribute and adopt plans for different types of lead scenarios. These automated email campaigns are ranked by an algorithm measuring both reply and spam rates, so it’s easy to gauge success and what will deliver the best responses.

Need some help getting started? Here’s a sample email campaign to send to buyer leads who are far our in the process. Once a lead registers, of course the first contact attempt should be made by phone, but here is a subsequent email campaign to keep sending them valuable information, stay top-of-mind, and do it all automatically. (AutoMAGICally?)

Email #1: The Introduction Email

Hi [Name]
Thank you for registering on our site! I’ve set you up on some e-Alerts, so you’ll know the minute a house you might like hits the market, or if there’s any price changes on homes of interest.

This can be a big process, so please check out our blog for some articles about neighborhoods in Charleston, the current state of the market, and helpful tips for moving.
Looking forward to helping you!

[Agent Name]

Email #2: The Re-Introduction Email

Subject: New Homes in Your Price Range Are Here!
Hi [Name],
I wanted to send along a few updates to keep you in the know. Searching for a home is a big undertaking, but no matter where you are in the browsing or buying process we’re here to help.

I’ll make sure to send along market updates and new listings within your preferences.
If you would like to customize those preferences further, head on over to the site:
CTA: Further Customize Your Home Search
Don’t hesitate to reach out!
[Agent Name]

Email #2: The Listings Email

Subject: Time for Some Online Window Shopping?
Hi [Name],
Our team at Cobblestone wanted to send along a few of the latest listings in your price range and favorite area.
[Property Image/Link]
[Property Image/Link]
[Property Image/Link]
If these aren’t what you are eventually looking to buy, please let us know. Sometimes it’s hard to nail down exactly what you want, but we want to make that process easier for you. Feel free to give me a call at [your number here], or further customize your search with our tools on the site:
CTA: Customize Your Home Search
Talk to you soon,
[Agent Name]

Email #3: Market Update Email

Subject: The state of the real estate market right now
Hi [Name],
Prices may be rising, but there is ample opportunity to find the right property when you are ready. After years as a real estate agent, I’ve learned how to navigate the market in order to achieve the best outcome for your investment.
Take a look at what has been going on in your market as of late:
[Utilize Local MLS Data and Canva to compile a pie chart or
a graph to Display Recent Market Activity]
If you need to change up your home search due to the market changes, let us know. Chances are we can help you adjust your online browsing to fit where the market will be headed. Give us a call at [your number here], or shoot me an email.
Best,
[Agent Name]

Email #4: The Buyer’s Guide

Subject: Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
Hi [Name],
It never hurts to be prepared for when the time comes to buy a house. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked with a client who is waiting to buy and then finds the perfect property in the meantime.
Don’t get caught off guard without checking everything off of our buyer’s checklist first! This will help you to financially prepare for when the time comes to put in an offer.
CTA: Download Your Buyer’s Guide Here!
As always, I am here if you need me! My number is [your number here].
[Agent Name]

Email #6: The Temperature Check Email

Subject: How Much Does Your Dream Home Cost Right Now?
Hi [Name],
If you want me to start sending more or less of these listings just let me know! I’ll make sure to check-in every once and awhile to make sure you are only receiving what you want to browse through.
Be on the lookout for our next market update as it will shed more light on the seasonal market changes. For now, here are the listings we’ve seen that may fit your preferences:
[Property Image/Link]
[Property Image/Link]
[Property Image/Link]
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything! My number is [your number here].
[Agent Name]

With a campaign like this, you can easily space these emails to your personal preference and adjust to your lead’s preferences too. We suggest making contact at least twice a month, and at a higher cadence once they’ve first registered. If these leads are saying they won’t buy for another year or so, keep this in mind with your email sends. You want to avoid bombarding them right out of the gate.

Here are some more ideas for long-term nurture campaigns:

• Seasonal market changes and how this will affect buying/prices every year.
• What to expect in the next year for interest rates, home prices, etc.
• Honesty with the outlook of the market. If the market isn’t looking so good in their area of interest, suggest another neighborhood or part of town that may be better.
• Pertinent content beyond a buying guide. This type of content can speak to your specific value-add and goes a long way in preparing future buyers.

After nearly a decade tracking what works, we’ve found the fundamentals for success are plans with short, to the point emails that incorporate BoomTown’s enhanced template text options like “time of day” and “day of the week”. Plans that span across a longer period of time, touching base once every few weeks, also performing well with leads who are far out in the sales process. Once you have these plans in place and functioning, the waiting game will be played and won for you!

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