When people are looking for a home to buy on the Internet, they are doing so because they want information NOW! If you receive an emailed lead, getting in touch with them within five minutes of the request significantly increases your chances of working with them; it also shows the client that you are at the top of your game. If the lead has provided a phone number, call them! A phone call is always more personable than an email response. If they do not answer, leave them a message.
If your competitor calls while you email and the client picks up the phone, guess what? You just lost that customer. Once again, it is about building a relationship through trust. If you are responsive to their needs, they know that they can rely upon you. This is your first chance to impress them and let them know that they are important to you.
It is a fact that homebuyer’s that use the web most often select the first agent that shows a genuine interest in their needs.
Most homebuyer’s will visit and submit requests for information on multiple sites, so the fastest Realtor wins. Organic leads are like organic vegetables – they deteriorate rapidly! In fact, Internet leads start to “age” after just five minutes. Your lead can become downright cold within 30 minutes, and waiting until the next day reduces your chances of converting the lead into a customer. It is essential that an agent has the capability to be instantly notified of new leads so that they can respond within the five minute window. If an agent is not able to do this, any efforts at generating leads are diminished.
We regularly hear excuses from agents regarding why they were unable to contact a lead immediately. Don’t have the information that they are requesting? Call them anyway to tell them personally that you will get it to them. Remember the goal- form a relationship. You must go from being “an agent” to “THEIR AGENT”. Once this is accomplished you don’t need to worry about them contacting other agents since in their mind they already have one. What if you get a lead while you are already with a client? If you are with a customer when you are “interrupted” with a lead, it only takes a few seconds to tell your lead that you will call them back with the information they want as soon as you finish with your current appointment.
Make the contact and make them yours, don’t make the contact and don’t be surprised when they won’t even return your call. The bottom line is this: if you are not immediately responding to your Internet leads, you’re missing out on 90% or more of the success.