How do you manage the contact list of your real estate clients?

While having a real estate contact list is a must, size does not necessarily mean effectiveness. A lot of good deals can be captured with a small list, and a huge list may be just that – huge with nothing of substance on there. While new clients are always welcome, it’s important to nurture the residential names and addresses you already have, too.

It’s no secret that great real estate leads are usually word of mouth, but they come in many forms:

• Individuals are “just looking” to see what’s on the market.
• First-time homebuyers who need nudging throughout the process.
• Referrals who know the ropes, have the money, and are ready to buy.

These are just a few contacts you may encounter along the way. Let’s not forget the administrative parts of your client lists. Following up, emailing, making calls, and knowing the preferences of each client can be overwhelming. If you aren’t careful, you’ll quickly get sucked into the danger zone.

While you aren’t built to be in two or three places at a time, neglecting to take care of your list will always have you on edge. As a realtor, once you learn how to navigate and organize your list, your moves will become more strategic. These 6 tips help get things together.

Segment

Segmenting your contact list is a must. That’s the only way you’ll be able to know who to contact or call and when. Create a Google doc, Excel spreadsheet, or use a CRM that will categorize each client into groups you’ve pre-set to handle the nurturing process.

When you’re engaging clients based on their preferences and needs, you start building trust. Your list can be segmented in any way that feels comfortable to you. Many real estate agents have their lists segmented in categories like residential areas, type of home loan, and any other things that can keep them engaged.

You won’t have to pour through tons of written lists and can still reach your audience with the click of a button.

Get the right information

While you’re gathering information about your prospective clients, make sure your forms have all the fields you need to develop a comprehensive profile. This includes residential phone numbers, names and addresses, and anything else that can help you provide targeted information just for them.

Get as granular and as detailed as you need to. It’s customary to ask what type of home they are looking for, their income stats, whether they want to live in a certain school district, and other pertinent information that can be parsed at the click of a button.

Use a single contact form

While it may seem like it makes sense to have different types of contact forms, when you’re gathering data, you want to stick to the basics.

Your form should be comprehensive enough to capture all the information by making some or all the fields required. This is a good time for clients to take the time and answer all the questions. This ensures you know what to look for and a little bit more information than if you just asked. This creates consistency and uniformity in your calling lists.

You may have your form in multiple places, but they can all point back to the main form for continuity.

Build relationships

Your master contact list should be made up of people who you have vetted and are building a relationship with. Real estate doesn’t work without authentic connections. A good client/realtor relationship occurs when you, as a realtor, get it right.

Write down what the client has said and then refer back to see what the client’s pain points are – do they have to have a certain number of rooms? Do they have to live in the city or in a rural area?

Inputting this data into a system can save a lot of time. This way, you’ll know exactly what to say in a follow-up.

Evaluate your data

Having data for real estate is one of the most effective ways to understand your audience. Who do you communicate with the most? Which clients have the potential to purchase a home? Who has the largest purchasing budget?

These questions can help you filter your phone listings and other items to complete. You’ll also know who and when to follow up on certain clients.

Automate

Automate as much as you can – you’ll thank us later. Automation helps you put the follow-up and nurturing process on autopilot, saving time that would have otherwise taken up too much of your day. Once the lead is in the system, different leads have different anticipated outcomes.

For instance, following up after 24 hours, then if they have decided to wait, an email every month or bi-monthly. A good CRM can help expedite this process.

With digital driving everything we do, it only makes sense to have your contact list ready to break things down. Having the right tech stack will keep you organized and ready to move forward.

While implementing these processes may take a while to get your questionnaire together, and then evaluate the data, but it’s worth its weight in gold.