Lead Incubation Secrets

Much like a fine wine shouldn’t be consumed before its time, many Internet leads simply can’t be rushed.

For unlike the potential client who comes into your office or calls you on the phone, looking to start the home-buying or -selling process, an Internet customer may not want to buy for another year, or may have just thought about listing his own home after seeing a bigger, newer one listed at a great price online.

To handle that diverse range of interests, Christina Deal says her firm uses a system that categorizes prospects as incubating leads (those that won’t be ready for another six to 12 months), active leads (3 to 6 months) and urgent leads (0 to 3 months).

For all of the leads, she says the firm uses a combination of phone calls and personalized email messages designed to keep the agent’s name in front of the buyer or seller on a regular basis. She says even those leads that don’t respond are retained in the database for seven months, while the rest will continue to receive drip email campaigns and related information. “We just heard from someone who didn’t qualify for a loan back in March of 2008, but who continued to get our drip email campaign and is now ready to try again,” says Deal, “so you never know.”