Your Prospects Are Rounded Up – Now What?

Now that you have those names and email addresses, the money is flowing right? Hardly. You've merely converted some suspects into prospects. And a prospect isn't going to hand you money. You don't get paid unless these names and email addresses end up next to you at the closing table.

The one thing the Internet has done with amazing efficiency is to allow the real estate buyer or seller to spend as much time as they want in research and shopping without ever once talking to a real estate professional. The buyer process in finding a home has moved from a few weeks, most in the presence of a real estate agent, to many months online. Sellers also have a number of comprehensive resources online to gather information about the selling process and find out what homes in their neighborhood are selling for.

Even if they like and continue to use your website and IDX search function, you're still just a website that works for them. You're no more valuable than any other real estate website, and you're still competing with the Zillows and Trulias of the world. The most important function in your lead generation plan is now in play. You must follow up and build a relationship to get them to your closing table.

Drip email, or scheduled emails is the most effective way to start a discussion, but you need to do it right so that you don't alienate the prospect. First, develop an email campaign that's tightly woven around information of value to the niche. Don't send "make your kitchen smell good" emails to first time home buyers. Don't send residentially oriented emails to investors or commercial prospects. If you captured your prospects with focused reports, the forms would have grouped your prospects for you.