Eighteen text messages for the moments that decide whether a lead becomes a client: the first reply, the missed call, the day they go quiet, the showing, and the one after closing. Copy them, change the names, and keep them somewhere you can send from in under a minute. Every one asks a single question, because a text that asks three gets no reply.
Real estate lead follow up scripts: the first reply
The first text does one job: prove a person saw the message and start a conversation. It should not sell, list credentials, or ask for a call. Ask one thing about them.
1. New lead texted you
"Hi [Name], this is [Agent] with [Brokerage]. Thanks for reaching out about [address or area]. Are you looking to buy soon, or just getting a feel for what's out there?"
2. New lead from your website or a sign call
"Hi [Name], [Agent] here, you asked about [property]. It's still available. Would it help if we sent you a few similar ones in the same price range?"
3. Referral from a past client
"Hi [Name], [Referrer] mentioned you might be thinking about a move. No pressure at all. What part of town are you looking at?"
4. Open house sign-in
"Hi [Name], thanks for stopping by [address] today. Quick question: was it the house you liked, or the neighbourhood?"
Missed call text back: the script most agents skip
A missed call that gets a voicemail greeting is usually gone. Most people don't leave one; they call the next agent. A text within a minute of the missed call turns a dead call into a live thread. It works while you're on the other line.
5. You missed their call
"Hi, this is [Agent]. Sorry we missed your call, we're with a client right now. What can we help with? Happy to text or call you back within the hour."
6. They called about a listing
"Hi, [Agent] here. We saw your call about [address]. Would you like to see it this week, or would some details by text help first?"
7. Unknown number, no message
"Hi, this is [Agent] with [Brokerage]. We missed a call from this number. Was it about a home? Happy to help by text."
This is the exact job Apanto's missed-call text-back does automatically, in your words, within 60 seconds. If you'd rather do it by hand, the important part is speed, not wording. Here is how missed call text back works, start to finish.
Real estate follow up text message: when they go quiet
Two follow-ups, not ten. Each one says something new. "Just checking in" is why people stop replying.
8. Day 2, no reply
"Hi [Name], one that might fit: [address], [beds]/[baths], listed at [price]. Want the link?"
9. Day 4, still quiet
"Hi [Name], totally fine if the timing's off. If you'd like, we can send you what comes up in [area] as it hits the market, and stay out of your way otherwise. Yes or no works."
10. Long-term nurture (every 3 to 4 weeks)
"Hi [Name], [Agent] here. Two homes came up in [area] under [price] this week. Still worth sending these over?"
11. Closing the loop
"Hi [Name], we'll stop here so we're not cluttering your phone. If anything changes, this number reaches us directly. Good luck with the search."
Text message templates for real estate agents: showings and offers
12. Booking a showing
"Great. We can do [address] Thursday at 5:30 or Saturday at 11. Which works?"
13. Confirming the day before
"Hi [Name], confirming [address] tomorrow at [time]. We'll meet you at the front door. Reply if anything's changed."
14. After the showing
"Thanks for today. On a scale of 'no' to 'let's write it up', where did [address] land?"
15. Under contract, update
"Quick update: inspection is booked for [day] at [time]. Nothing needed from you yet. We'll text when the report's in."
Seller and past-client texts
16. Seller lead, first reply
"Hi [Name], [Agent] here. Thanks for asking about your home on [street]. Are you thinking of selling this year, or wondering what it might be worth first?"
17. After closing
"Congratulations again, [Name]. It was a pleasure. If you ever need a contractor, a plumber or a second opinion on anything house-related, this number still works."
18. Six months later
"Hi [Name], [Agent] here. Hope the house is treating you well. Anything you'd have done differently in the move? We're always trying to make it easier for the next family."
The rules under every script
- Text people who contacted you. A reply to someone who called, texted, filled a form, or signed in at an open house is normal business communication. Buying a list and texting it is a different thing entirely, and it's the fastest way to lose your number.
- Give a way out. In the first message of any ongoing thread, or when a lead has gone quiet, add a line such as "Reply STOP to opt out." If someone says stop, in any words, stop.
- Say who you are. First name, brokerage, and why you're texting, in the first message. An unsigned "Hey, still looking?" reads as spam.
- One question per text. Every script above asks exactly one thing. That is the whole reason they get replies.
- Never negotiate, value a home, or advise on terms or financing by text. Those conversations are your licence. Take them to a call.
- Fair housing applies to texts. Describe homes, not the people who live nearby. No "great schools" as a stand-in for anything, no comments on safety or who lives where.
Where Apanto fits
The scripts work. The problem is sending them inside a minute at 9:14pm, or while you're standing in someone else's kitchen. Apanto handles the first minute: a new lead texts or calls your number and gets a reply in under 60 seconds, in your voice, asking about area and timeline, day, night, weekend, mid-showing. It keeps the thread warm and hands it to you.
You approve every message before it sends, until you've read enough of them to trust it on its own. One text from your phone stops it. It never negotiates, never puts a value on a property, never advises on terms or financing, and never claims to be a person. Those go to you.
Solo agents pay $149/mo, or $89 on the founding rate locked for 12 months, with 30 days to change your mind. Brokerages are $99 per agent, three-seat minimum. Full pricing.
If you want the reasoning behind the one-minute standard, it's here: speed to lead in real estate. And if you're weighing texting software against hiring someone for the job: what an ISA is and what one costs.
Questions agents ask
How long should a real estate follow-up text be?
Two or three sentences. One piece of new information and one question. If it needs a paragraph, it needs a call.
How many times should I text a lead who doesn't reply?
Two follow-ups in the first week, then one every three or four weeks with something new, then a closing-the-loop message. Ten texts in five days ends the relationship; you're better off sending fewer messages that each say something.
Do I need to include "Reply STOP" in every text?
Not in every message of a live back-and-forth, but yes in the first message of a thread you started and in any message to someone who has gone quiet. When a lead says stop in any words, you stop. Your brokerage may have its own rule; follow the stricter one.
Can I use these scripts with an automated texting tool?
Yes, and that's how most agents end up sending them on time. The tool needs to send only to people who contacted you first, carry an opt-out, and let you see and approve what goes out. Apanto is built around those three rules.
Should the first reply be a text or a call?
A text. It gets read in a showing, in a car, in a meeting, and it doesn't put the lead on the spot. The text earns the call; the call earns the client.
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