A Real Estate Lead Follow-Up Schedule for the First 30 Days

Why a schedule beats memory

Many agents follow up once or twice and then let it slide. A schedule turns follow-up into a task list. Your CRM can remind you so you do not rely on memory.

The goal is not more messages. The goal is a real conversation. Each contact should give the person something: an answer, a link, a question or a clear next step.

The 30-day plan

• Day 0 (within minutes): call. If no answer, leave a short voicemail and send a text if you have consent to text. Send a short email with your name and number.
• Day 1: call at a different time of day than yesterday. Text if no answer.
• Day 2: email with one useful thing, such as a link to the listing they asked about or a short answer to their question.
• Day 4: call. If you reach them, set the next step before you hang up.
• Day 7: text with a simple question, such as "Still looking in Frisco, or did plans change?"
• Day 10: call and send a short email with two or three similar listings or a neighborhood fact.
• Day 14: text or email asking if they want to keep getting updates, and what price range to watch.
• Day 21: call once more. If there is still no reply, send a friendly "last check" message.
• Day 30: move them to a slower monthly touch if they did not say no and the rules for that channel still allow it, and put them on your watch list.

Rules that keep you out of trouble

• Stop when asked. If someone says stop, do not contact them that way again and note it in your CRM.
• Know the call and text rules. The national Do Not Call Registry and federal and state texting rules can apply to sales calls and texts. Ask your broker how your brokerage handles them before you start.
• Do not guess at personal details. Only use what the person told you.
• Keep it human. Copy and paste is fine. Sending five identical texts is not.

Make each contact worth reading

Ask one question at a time. Tie each message to something they said. Use their name. Keep texts to two sentences.

If they go quiet, try a different channel before you assume they lost interest. Some people answer texts and ignore calls.

Track it

Write down each attempt and each result. After a month you can see how many contacts it takes you to reach people, and which channel works best. That data is worth more than any script.

Print the tracker

Log every contact with the printable 30-day follow-up tracker.

Pick the track by what happened on the first contact (original)

The 30 day plan above is built for a lead you have not reached. If you did reach the person, use a different pace. The paces below are starting points we wrote for this guide. They are not a proven formula.

Check the rules at each stage

Rules matter more as time passes, so build checks into the calendar. This is a plain summary and not legal advice. Ask your broker for a written policy, and ask an attorney about legal questions.

• An informal 2006 FTC staff opinion suggests an inquiry made to a lead generator may not count as an inquiry to you. Ask your broker before you rely on a web form alone.
• Texas also sets call hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday under section 301.051, with exceptions such as calls a consumer asked for.

Original template: what to write in your CRM after every touch

A good note takes 30 seconds and saves you from guessing a week later.

• Source and the person's exact words in the inquiry.
• Date, time and channel of each attempt.
• Result: reached, voicemail, no answer or wrong number.
• What they said about timing, price range, area and who else is involved.
• Consent: which channels they agreed to and when.
• Next step with a date.

A bank of reasons to reach out

If you cannot name a reason, wait. Each touch should give the person something. Here are reasons that are specific and honest, drawn from what the person told you.

• The price changed on a home they asked about.
• A new listing matches the area and range they named.
• There is an open house this weekend near what they liked.
• They asked a question you could not answer on the first call and now can.
• A showing time opened up for a home on their list.
• You noticed a listing status change, such as pending or back on the market.

When to stop, pause or hand off

Knowing when to stop protects the person and you. Use these as a checklist.

• They ask you to stop: stop that channel, record it, and do not argue.
• Wrong number: remove it and note it.
• They say they already work with an agent: thank them, and ask your broker how to handle it. Agreements and TREC rules can limit contact.
• They are outside your area or range: tell them kindly. In Texas, a license holder generally can be paid only through the sponsoring broker, so ask your broker before arranging any referral.
• Six months with no reply (an original suggestion): send one message asking whether to close the file, then pause outreach.

Check before you rely on this

This guide reflects the sources named below, read in early October 2026. Fees, rules, forms and market numbers change, and some details here may already be out of date.

Confirm anything that affects your money, your license or a contract with the source itself, such as TREC, the National Association of Realtors, your local association or your sponsoring broker. If something looks different from what you find, trust the source and let us know. This guide is general information for licensed agents and people becoming agents. It is not legal, tax or financial advice.