How many times to call a lead? My rule is simple: call the day it comes in, then every day after that until you reach them. Nine days, nine calls. The only thing that stops the count is actually talking to them. Not a voicemail. Not a text. A conversation. Most agents quit on day two, and that's the whole edge. It takes about eight touches before most people buy from you, and almost nobody is still there on touch eight.
The short answer
Day one, inside five minutes. Then once a day for nine days, at different times, with a short voicemail and a text after each miss. If you still haven't reached them, move them into a spaced call plan for about 90 days. Any reply stops the plan and starts a real conversation.
Why persistence wins
- About 44% of agents stop after the first no. Another 22% quit after the second.
- Roughly half of sales happen after the fifth touch.
- On a typical team it takes around eight touches before someone actually buys.
Those numbers aren't about talent. They're about still being there on the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth try.
Step by step
- Day 1: call inside five minutes. No answer? A short voicemail, then the text. See the new lead call script.
- Days 2 to 9: call once a day. Rotate the time: early morning, lunch, early evening, a weekend morning. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon on weekdays are the deadest hours.
- After every voicemail, text. A one-word-answer question: "Want me to send you the ones like it?"
- Bring something new each time. A home they viewed, a new listing that fits, a price change.
- Complete each call task as you make it. One task per call. Never check off several at once to catch up.
- Reached them? Set the stage right then. The daily calls stop and the right plan takes over.
- Still nothing after nine days? Let your attempted-contact plan run: a spaced schedule over about 90 days, each call task named for what to say. A last-touch text near the end, then nurture or archive.
- Any reply stops the calls. A reply means talk to them, not keep dialing.
A spaced plan that works after day nine
Calls on roughly days 12, 17, 24, 32, 42, 54, 68 and 84, each with a different reason to call: the homes you emailed, a new listing, a market change, a question about their timeline. Then a last-touch text. Adjust it to fit your CRM.
A worked example (illustration only)
| Day | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:04 PM | Voicemail + text |
| 2 | 8:15 AM | No answer + text |
| 3 | 12:20 PM | No answer |
| 4 | 5:45 PM | No answer + text with a new listing |
| 5 | Sat 10:00 AM | Answered. Lease ends in 4 months. Stage: Warm. |
Day five. Most agents stopped on day two.
Illustration only.
How to explain it to your client
When a lead finally answers and says, "You've called a lot":
"I did. You asked about homes, and I didn't want you to miss out because we kept missing each other. I'll keep the calls down now that we've connected. Tell me the best way to reach you."
Watch-outs
- Follow calling and texting rules. Daily calls are fine for someone who asked for information, but federal and state rules and your brokerage policy govern autodialers, texts and call hours.
- Respect opt-outs instantly. STOP, "don't call," or "take me off" ends it.
- Don't leave the same voicemail nine times. Each one should bring something.
- No phone on the lead? Email for a number. Don't create call tasks you can't do.
This is training for real estate agents. Follow federal and state calling and texting laws and your brokerage policy.
Questions
Isn't calling every day too much?
For someone who just asked for information, it's service. If they ask you to stop, stop.
Do texts count toward the nine?
No. Only a conversation stops the count. Texts support the calls.
What time of day is best?
Early morning, lunch, early evening and weekend mornings. Test them all.
What happens after 90 days?
Nurture or archive, with the saved search still running. Behavior alerts tell you if they come back.
What if they answer and aren't ready?
Set the right stage and follow the nurture rhythm. Not ready isn't dead.
Brian Lee Burke is the founder of PadLeaders, a Colorado real estate broker licensed since 2003, team leader of The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC (formerly Kenna Real Estate Group) and the author of Mastering Real Estate and The Real Estate Playbook. More about Brian.