The rules behind every opener
- One short question. Around ten words. Long, pitchy texts read as spam.
- First names only. Theirs and yours. No company name in the first text.
- No link and no pitch. The only job of the first text is a reply.
- Ask about them. Their property, their roof, their plans. Not your offer.
- Test it. On one PlaceMKR campaign the original opener got a 4.2% reply rate. After testing, the winner got 15.8% on the same list.
Openers from real campaigns
These are the first texts from real client threads (names changed):
| Use | Opener |
|---|---|
| Wholesale / investor | “Hey Tommy, Victor here. Would you consider selling your property?” |
| Listing leads | “Hey Karen, this is Victor. Had a quick question about your property. Is selling something you’d consider?” |
| Mobile home parks | “Hey Dale, this is Aaron. Wanted to ask about your mobile home park. Is that something you’d consider selling?” |
Reply scripts for the replies you will get
| They say | Reply |
|---|---|
| “How’d you get this number?” | “It came from public records and third-party data providers. Happy to remove you if you’d like. Are you open to exploring your options on the property?” |
| “How much are you offering?” | Ask for what you need to price it first: “How many units are on the property, and roughly what’s the monthly income?” then “What number would feel right to you?” |
| “Yes” / “If the price is right” | “Great. Looking to sell soon, or more down the road?” then “What shape is it in? Any major repairs?” |
| “Further down the road” | Get a price anyway: “What price range were you hoping for? A rough idea works.” |
| “Stop” / “Not interested” | Remove them right away. No last pitch. |
Full thread: from opener to listing referral
Word for word, names changed. The bot kept going after “further down the road” and still got a price and a handoff.
Florida · listing referral
● Handed to the listing team
Reply rates from live campaigns
| Live client campaign | Reply rate |
|---|---|
| BBA-A · church architecture | 20.8% |
| PlaceMKR · commercial real estate (after opener testing) | 15.8% |
| Pure Realty · residential sellers | 10.8% |
| PlaceMKR · same list, original opener | 4.2% |
Reply rates on live Client Gravity campaigns, as shown on our homepage.
The opener is the single biggest lever, which is why we A/B test openers every week and retire the losers. If you run texting yourself, change one thing at a time and give each version enough sends to compare.
Plans
Text up to 25,000 people a month on real phones. AI caller calls your leads back in seconds, and the Appointment Setter books them. 24/7 account manager.
Priced on what we save you. Built to cut your payroll in half; one client saves $30K a month. Everything in Lead Gen, plus AI employees that take over repetitive roles to cut your payroll, your voice clone, AI Receptionist, AI Salesperson and a monthly call with Max.
A custom solution: Lead Gen plus a full AI workforce across your teams and locations, priced as a share of the payroll we save you.
3-month minimum, then month to month. 6-month terms save 10%. You sign the agreement before any payment.
Questions
What is the best first text for motivated sellers?
A short, personal question with no pitch, like “Hey Tommy, Victor here. Would you consider selling your property?” Keep it to about ten words, use first names and leave out links and your company name.
How do I reply when someone asks how I got their number?
Answer plainly and give them an easy way out: the number came from public records and third-party data providers, and you’re happy to remove them. Then ask if they’re open to exploring their options.
Should I put my company name in the first text?
We don’t. Openers with a first name and one question read like a person and get more replies than branded pitches.
Can Client Gravity write and test the scripts for me?
Yes. Every bot is written from scratch for your business, and we A/B test openers and replies every week.
Want this running for you?
Get on a live video call with Max right now and see a custom demo built for your business.
Not ready for video? Tell us about your business and we’ll text you →