Strategies For Effective Lead-To-Lease Follow-Ups

what constitutes as a follow up on lead to lease

In the real estate industry, lead follow-up is a critical component that necessitates a well-defined strategy. It involves consistent and timely communication with potential clients, providing them with valuable information and a personalised experience. Lead follow-up aims to nurture relationships and guide prospects through their unique buyer's journey, ultimately influencing their decision to sign a lease. This process can be enhanced through various methods, including digital engagement, interactive tools, multi-channel approaches, and tailored messaging. Understanding the preferences and needs of prospects is essential to effective lead follow-up, ensuring that each interaction adds value and progresses the leasing process.

Characteristics Values
Number of communications 12-18 communications
Type of communication Phone calls, emails, website visits, digital ads, handwritten letters
Timeliness Within the first 5 minutes, within 1 hour, every 2-3 days, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, 10 days
Personalisation Interactive floor plans, walkthrough videos, rent calculators, community-fit assessments, personalised emails
Multi-channel approach LinkedIn, phone, email
Customer relationship management (CRM) Use of CRM system to track and maintain detailed records of interactions with prospects
Data and analytics Use of analytics tools such as Google Analytics to track success

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The importance of a follow-up strategy

The leasing landscape has shifted towards an online approach, with an influx of young, digitally-savvy renters. This shift has made it imperative for businesses to be adept at generating leads digitally and nurturing those leads to cater to modern renters' needs. A crucial aspect of this nurturing process is a well-defined follow-up strategy.

A follow-up strategy is essential as it allows you to stay in constant contact with potential residents, guiding them through their unique decision-making process. This strategy should involve a combination of website visits, emails, phone calls, and remarketing campaigns. It is important to note that each prospect is on their own path, and a successful follow-up plan will cater to their individual needs and preferences.

The speed of your follow-up is critical. Research suggests that following up within the first five minutes significantly increases your chances of converting a lead. Additionally, a timely response demonstrates thoughtfulness and professionalism. An effective strategy involves a multi-channel approach, utilising LinkedIn, email, and phone calls. This allows prospects to become familiar with you and your company, making them more receptive to future communications.

It is also important to provide value in your follow-ups. This can be in the form of local market knowledge, networks they can join, or skills they can utilise as buyers or sellers. Each message should include a clear call to action, prompting the prospect to take the next step, whether that's scheduling a consultation or simply getting back in touch.

To ensure a successful follow-up strategy, it is crucial to track your success and make adjustments as needed. This involves defining key performance indicators (KPIs), such as conversion rates and response rates, and utilising a customer relationship management (CRM) system to maintain detailed records of interactions with prospects. By integrating analytic tools like Google Analytics, you can gain valuable insights to refine and improve your approach.

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Using a multi-channel approach

A multi-channel approach to lead generation involves using multiple platforms and communication channels to reach and engage with potential leads and customers. This strategy aims to increase the chances of capturing leads by widening the net and catering to diverse customer segments and behaviours.

To implement a multi-channel approach, you can follow these steps:

  • Understand your target audience: Conduct extensive customer research to identify your potential leads, their preferences, and their preferred communication channels. Develop detailed buyer personas that include factors such as industry roles, company size, challenges, and purchasing behaviour. This information will guide your targeted messaging and strategic outreach.
  • Diverse channels: Utilize a variety of communication channels such as email, LinkedIn, social media, SMS, and even physical stores or industry events. By spreading your efforts across multiple channels, you increase the likelihood of catching your leads at the right moment and accommodating their preferred methods of communication.
  • Consistent messaging: Maintain a unified message across all platforms. Each touchpoint should reinforce your brand and offer clarity without confusing your potential leads. Ensure that your branding and messaging are consistent from channel to channel.
  • Timely follow-ups: Plan and execute timely follow-ups to keep your campaign relevant and top-of-mind. For example, if you sent an email two days ago, follow up with a LinkedIn message referring to that email. Avoid sending too many messages in a short period, as it may overwhelm your leads.
  • Automation: Employ automation tools such as HubSpot or Mailchimp to streamline repetitive tasks such as sending follow-up emails, scheduling posts, and managing complex tasks. This frees up time for your team to focus on the customer experience and relationship building.
  • Testing and refining: Continuously test and refine your approach to optimize your strategy. Conduct A/B testing on subject lines, messages, and post timings to gather insights and fine-tune your approach. Stay current with industry trends and be proactive in embracing new tools and tactics to ensure your strategy remains effective.

By implementing these steps, you can effectively utilize a multi-channel approach to enhance your lead generation efforts and improve your overall outreach.

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Timely responses

To ensure timely responses, it is recommended to use a combination of communication channels, such as phone calls, emails, and LinkedIn. Phone calls are the most immediate and personal method, allowing for real-time conversations and addressing any questions or concerns. Emails, on the other hand, are less intrusive and give leads time to respond at their convenience. Sending a connection request on LinkedIn before following up via email and phone call can increase the chances of prospects opening your email and remembering you.

It is also important to maintain consistent communication throughout the leasing journey. A potential resident may require 12-18 touchpoints before making a decision. Emails with strong subject lines, informative content, and engaging calls to action can be part of this process. Additionally, automated remarketing campaigns can help follow up with leads, targeting those who have already shown interest in your website or community.

To streamline the follow-up process and ensure timely responses, consider using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This allows for centralized information, tracking of important dates like lease expirations, and maintaining detailed records of interactions with prospects. For example, setting reminders to proactively reach out to clients before their lease expires demonstrates thoughtfulness and professionalism.

Ultimately, the key to timely responses is speed and consistency. By combining different communication channels and utilizing technology, you can increase your chances of converting leads into leases.

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Tailored communication

When it comes to following up on leads in the leasing process, tailored communication is key. It's important to understand that each potential resident is on their own path, with unique desires, fears, and timelines. Therefore, your follow-up strategy should aim to provide a personalized experience that addresses their specific needs and concerns. Here are some ways to achieve this:

Know Your Customer

Understanding your customer's journey and communication preferences is essential. Recognize that signing a lease is a significant financial and emotional decision, and your customers may have different concerns and questions along the way. By using tools like CRM systems, you can keep detailed records of interactions, preferred communication channels, property preferences, and the stage they are at in the leasing process. This allows you to send tailored messages that demonstrate empathy and understanding.

Multi-Channel Approach

While email communication is widely used and allows leads to respond at their convenience, combining it with other channels can be more effective. Consider using phone calls, LinkedIn connections, and even handwritten letters to add a personal touch and create memorable interactions. For instance, you can send a connection request on LinkedIn, follow up with an email, and then make a phone call. This multi-channel approach increases the chances of engagement and helps build a relationship.

Timely Responses

Speed is critical in the leasing follow-up process. Responding to rental inquiries within the first few minutes or hours significantly increases your chances of converting a lead. Set reminders for important dates and tasks, such as lease expiration dates, to proactively reach out and demonstrate your professionalism. Remember, the goal is to move the potential resident to the next step of their journey, so timely responses are essential to keeping them engaged.

Interactive Tools and Videos

Interactive online tools, such as rent calculators and community-fit assessments, not only help prospects in their decision-making process but also provide valuable data for you. By keeping prospects engaged on your website, you can collect more information about their preferences and behaviour. Additionally, utilizing videos in your follow-up emails, such as walkthroughs of the property, can make your communication more compelling and help your customers visualize themselves in their new home.

Value Proposition and Call-to-Action

Every follow-up communication should provide value to the potential resident. This could be in the form of local market knowledge, information about the property, or links to interactive tools. Include a clear call-to-action (CTA) in your messages, prompting them to schedule a consultation, view a property, or simply get in touch. This helps guide them to the next step of their leasing journey and keeps the process moving forward.

By implementing these strategies, you can create a tailored communication approach that meets the unique needs of each potential resident. Remember to track the success of your follow-up strategies using analytic tools and continually revisit and optimize your approach based on data and feedback.

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Nurturing leads

Firstly, it is important to recognise the value of your website as a marketing tool. Interactive tools such as a rent calculator or a community-fit assessment can help to engage potential renters and qualify leads. 3D floor plan models can also be used to keep prospects on your website for longer, increasing the amount of data you can collect on them.

Secondly, a multi-channel approach is often more effective than relying on a single channel of communication. For example, you could send a connection request on LinkedIn, followed by an email, and then make a phone call. This allows prospects to become familiar with your name and associate it with your company, making them more likely to open your email.

Thirdly, it is important to respond quickly to leads who are in the market to rent now. An AI leasing assistant can help with this, increasing the chances of catching the consumer while they’re still engaged.

Fourthly, it is important to provide valuable information. For example, you could send comprehensive brochures and property overviews based on the info you have on the property and the preferences of the lead. This demonstrates empathy and understanding of their circumstances.

Finally, it is important to continually revisit and evaluate your nurturing strategy. You must have accurate data regarding how successful it is and what elements need to be re-evaluated.

Frequently asked questions

It is important to have a strong follow-up plan, with speed being a key factor. A multi-channel approach is often the best way to follow up on leads, using a combination of phone calls, emails, and LinkedIn messages.

Emails should include a strong subject line, informative text, and an engaging call to action. It is also important to respond in a timely manner and to include helpful content, such as links to floor plans and other relevant pages on your website.

Using a CRM tool can help you to make your follow-ups more personal. This allows you to make important notes on your leads' accounts, such as their preferred property type and communication channel, which can then be included in your follow-up messages.

It is recommended to follow up within the first five minutes of receiving an inquiry. You can then continue to follow up every 2-3 days. If you are not getting any feedback after 10 days, you may need to re-evaluate your approach.

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