Converting a 16-month-old lead

This email from an Agent CEO is proof that there's really no such thing as a bad lead, or a lead that takes too long to convert. If you're persistent and patient, and have the right tools, you can make it happen!


Dear Mark,

Just a note to let you know about our latest listing, which is a 16 month old HouseValues lead.

When the lead came in, the "requestor" asked that no contact be made with her mother who
stilled lived in the house. Looked like mom would be moving to a care facility and the family
would be selling her home. Well, we did as she asked and actually was able to establish a
nice rapport with this daughter but when it came to list, another daughter chose "a friend" to
list them.

We were disappointed but "on to the next one" was our thought...we kept the daughter on a drip campaign and even sent a blast e-mail to our database about her listing hoping we might have a buyer for it.

Well, 90 days passed, the house had been significantly overpriced and didn't sell. The "requestor" e-mailed us again for an updated cma and we were delighted--it was like hearing from an old friend! 2 weeks later, she has power of attorney and we listed the home at our price - $70K under their initial list price.


So, what do we know...
1. people/clients/customers/consumers are often just beginning to think about the process when they come into the system and need info
2. a quick response to them is critical and if you can reach them by phone--you're ahead of the game.
3. being consistent and persistent pays off--even if we hadn't listed her home, we're sure we would have received referrals from her just from the service we provide

We look at our database and with having many, many leads that are that old or more, we look forward with great anticipation to a windfall of business this year!

Two new montras for the new year: Abundance Abounds! and Keep Moving Forward!

Take care,
Cher and Rhonda