Real estate lead follow up texts: reply in minutes, then keep the conversation going

Updated October 22, 2026 · App names checked against vendor documentation; vendors rename things, so search the step picker for the key word if a name differs.

Why speed matters more than the perfect script

Online leads come in at all hours: a listing inquiry on a portal, a home-value request from your website, a message from a social ad. Many of those people contacted more than one agent. If your first reply arrives the next morning, someone else has probably already answered their question and booked the tour.

You can't answer every inquiry in five minutes while you're at a showing or a closing. An automation can. It sends a short, personal-sounding first text right away, logs the lead, and alerts you so you take over the conversation when you're free.

The follow-up sequence (new online lead)

1. Minute 0-5: an automatic first text that references the property or request and asks one easy question.
2. Same day: if they replied, you take it from there personally. If not, a short email with the listing details or similar homes.
3. Day 2: a second text with something useful (a showing slot, a price detail, a similar listing).
4. Day 5: a low-pressure check-in that makes it easy to say "not now".
5. Day 14 onward: move quiet leads to an occasional email update, not more texts.

Stop the automated steps the moment the person replies. A human conversation always beats the next scheduled message.

Copy-paste texts

Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] with [Brokerage]. Thanks for asking about [Street Address]. It's still available. Would you like to see it this week, or do you have questions about it first? Reply STOP to opt out.

Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] with [Brokerage]. Got your home value request for [Street Address]. I'll pull recent sales nearby today. Are you thinking of selling soon or just curious about the number? Reply STOP to opt out.

Hi [First Name], [Your Name] again. I have openings to show [Street Address] on [day] at [time] or [time]. Want me to hold one? If the timing's off, I can send similar homes instead.

Hi [First Name], no pressure at all. Are you still looking in [Area], or should I check back in a few months?

Totally fine, most people start there. Want me to send new listings that match what you liked? Just tell me your price range and must-haves.

How to automate the first reply

Most portal and website leads reach you as an email or a CRM record, so that's your trigger. The text goes out through a texting provider (Twilio, or your CRM's built-in texting if it has one).

• If your CRM already texts: many real estate CRMs have built-in lead auto-responders and action plans. Check that first; you may only need to write better messages.
• Zapier: trigger on New Email Matching Search in Gmail (for example, the subject line your portal uses for new leads), extract name, phone and property with Formatter or an AI step, then send an SMS through Twilio and add a row to a Google Sheet or your CRM.
• Make: a Gmail Watch Emails module, a text parser or OpenAI module to pull out the fields, then Twilio Create a Message.
• n8n: a Gmail trigger, an AI or Code node to parse the email, a Twilio node to send, and a Google Sheets node to log it.

For the AI step, ask the model to return the lead's first name, phone number, property address and lead type as fields, and to leave a field blank rather than guess. The full pattern, including an AI-drafted first email, is in our AI lead follow-up guide.

Read the lead notification email below. Return JSON with: first_name, phone (digits only, US format), email, property_address, lead_type (one of: listing_inquiry, home_value, general), message (the lead's own words). If a field isn't in the email, return an empty string. Do not guess.

EMAIL:
{{email_body}}

Don't miss calls either

Plenty of leads call the number on your sign or listing instead of filling out a form. If you can't pick up, a missed call text back catches them the same way, and it's worth reading the rules for missed-call texts before you switch it on.

Texting rules for agents

• Reply to people who contacted you. Don't text purchased lists, expired listings or FSBO numbers you found online without consent; that's where most real estate texting complaints come from.
• Name yourself and your brokerage, and include opt-out wording in the first text.
• Honor opt-outs everywhere. Under the FCC's consent-revocation rule people can opt out by any reasonable means, and you have 10 business days to stop.
• Register your sending number for A2P 10DLC through your texting provider.
• Follow your brokerage's and state's advertising rules on how you identify yourself. This isn't legal advice.

After the first conversation

Once a lead turns into a client, the same tools can handle the admin: appointment reminders for showings, a client onboarding checklist after a listing agreement is signed, and a Google review request after closing.

Frequently asked questions