How to get motivated seller leads by text

Why texting works for seller leads

White Barn Home Buyers in Charleston came to us because cold calling and mail were slow and expensive, and most owners never picked up. Texting changed who they were talking to: owners replied with units, income and asking prices. In week one, 6 properties went under contract. In month one, 3 deals closed for $150K in assignment fees.

Texting does two jobs at once. It starts conversations with owners who would never answer an unknown call, and it screens out everyone who isn’t interested, so your acquisitions team only calls sellers who already gave a price.

Step 1: Build the list around your buy box

Start from what you buy, not from a list someone wants to sell you. Define the property types, markets, price range and owner situations you want, then pull owners who match. Common investor lists include absentee owners, pre-foreclosure owners, inherited properties, tired landlords and owners of mobile home parks or small multifamily.

We pull every list from our own database of 100M+ contacts, only for you, and never resell it to your competitors.

Step 2: Open with one short question

The first text should read like a person asking a quick question: first name, your first name, one question, about ten words. No pitch, no link, no company name. For example: “Hey Tommy, Victor here. Would you consider selling your property?”

More openers and reply scripts are in our real estate text scripts guide.

Step 3: Qualify with four questions

1. Open to selling? The opener does this.
2. Timeline. “Looking to sell soon, or more down the road?”
3. Condition. “What shape is it in? Any major repairs?”
4. Price. “What number would feel right to you?”

Then ask for the best email to send an offer, and hand the lead to your team. Word for word from a client campaign:

Step 4: Handle the hard replies

“How’d you get my number?” is the most common pushback. A straight answer and an easy way out keeps the conversation going, and it doesn’t stop the bot from getting the price:

Step 5: Follow up, then let go

Many sellers reply once and go quiet. Our bots follow up after 1, 2, 4 and 7 days, and stop the moment someone says no. Anyone who says “not now” gets re-engaged later with new messaging when the timing is better.

What investors have closed

“Within two months of starting, we closed a $40K wholesale deal off a lead they brought us. Six months in, it’s a core part of how we find deals.”Prashant Vanka, Owner, 8homes