Most agents have a long list of old leads. At any given time, at least some of these leads will be interested in buying or selling a home, which makes your database a constant source of opportunities. One Success member we spoke to recently got some new business from a lead that’s been on his list for almost ten years!
But it’s not enough to keep old leads on a newsletter list and hope they turn to you in the coming years. You should proactively reengage with them from time to time, renewing their familiarity and trust. Ask if they’re still trying to solve the problem that first brought them to you, and offer new services to help, like a custom home search or regular property updates.
Some notes on the re-engagement process…
- Expect unsubscribes. Especially if you have a large list of old leads, you may see a significant number of unsubscribes in response to re-engagement. This is actually a good thing. Modern email systems like Gmail now monitor user response across recipients. If large numbers of people ignore your messages, it can hurt your future deliverability. A smaller, more engaged email list is also easier to manage for future follow-up.
- Work in small batches. Fast, efficient response is essential. Blasting a large list with a potentially attractive offer can create more replies than you’re able to handle quickly. Use your CRM filters to create segments based on the original lead source, and then subdivide these by length of time since last contact. By working with these smaller segments, you can also speak more specifically to your audience about their needs.
- Further to that, always repeat to older leads how they got on your list. They will likely have forgotten you. If you remind them of the problem they were looking to solve, they will be more likely to respond, or unsubscribe themselves.
- Remember to speak to their original problem — yet another reason to work with smaller segments where you know the original lead source. If you’re blasting a generic message, you’ll get far less response.
- Keep messages short and personal, and ask open-ended questions to encourage response. (Examples: “Are you interested in knowing what homes in your area are currently selling for?” “Are you interested in a more detailed report of what your home may be worth in today’s market?”)
Our EngageCRM makes filtering your leads by age and original source easy. You can also add older leads to a custom re-engagement Action Plan, which will efficiently nudge them to respond, ready to talk. And with our new StayInContact messenger add-on, you’ll get real-time notification of replies, and be able to manage conversations more efficiently.
Our team of digital marketing experts has 23+ years of experience designing effective follow-up strategies, plus technology you can leverage to get more conversations with less effort. To learn more, click the green button below to get started with a free marketing assessment.
