An increasing number of home loan prospects – about 25% – find their lender online, according to Zillow Group’s Consumer Housing Trends Report 2021. This means LOs must be adept at transforming leads from initial contacts to satisfied customers. Zillow recommends several tactics for optimum success.
Let take a closer look:
• Act fast. Once a prospect reaches out, every second counts! Zillow notes that responding within five minutes can dramatically increase your chances of success. Recent research indicates that the odds of qualifying an online lead decreases by 400% if contacted 10 minutes after initial contact vs. five minutes.
• Consider texting. Zillow advises that if you can’t connect with a contact by phone immediately, try texting. Chances are good that the individual will still be online and/or near their phone. According to recent research, 89% of consumers prefer to communicate with a business via text.
• Persistence pays off. After an unsuccessful contact, Zillow suggests calling a couple of hours later. Zillow has found that businesses find the most success by reaching out to prospects six to eight times within the first few weeks after the initial request.
For additional details, check out Zillow’s Best Practices for Online Lead Conversion.