The short answer
Speed to lead is how quickly you respond to a new inquiry, and in real estate many agents never respond at all. In Mike DelPrete’s 2024 secret-shopper study of 25+ U.S. brokerages, 47% of online property inquiries never got a human reply, and the average reply took more than 8 hours. The agent who answers first and keeps following up is the one most likely to win the client.
What the research shows
Real estate analyst Mike DelPrete ran more than 100 secret shops across 25+ U.S. brokerages in 2024, submitting inquiries through agent and brokerage websites.
of online property inquiries never received a reply from a person.
was the average wait for agents who did reply. The median was 39 minutes, so a fast minority hides a very slow majority.
times an agent collected an open-house visitor’s details, there was no follow-up call, email, or text at all.
Long-term relationships matter just as much. NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found 66% of sellers chose an agent they were referred to or had worked with before, and more than 9 in 10 buyers said they would use their agent again.
Why agents miss leads
- You’re busy when leads arrive. Showings, closings, and negotiations all happen at the same time inquiries come in.
- Leads come from everywhere. Portals, IDX sites, ads, signs, and open houses each land in a different inbox.
- Buyers take months. Many online leads aren’t ready for weeks or months, and without a system they quietly fall off.
- Past clients go quiet. The referral business that sellers rely on fades when agents stop staying in touch after closing.
How to fix it, step by step
- Know your real response time. Submit an inquiry on your own website and a portal listing, and time how long a reply takes.
- Reply within minutes, from every source, 24/7. Send a personal text the moment any lead registers, whatever the hour.
- Answer every listing and sign call. Have calls answered, basic property questions handled, and showings booked even while you’re with clients.
- Qualify with a few simple questions. Buying or selling, timeline, area and price range, and whether they’re working with a lender yet.
- Follow up after every open house within a day. Send a thank-you and next step to every visitor who left their details.
- Nurture long-term buyers for months. Use regular, useful check-ins so the buyer who is “just looking” calls you when they’re ready.
- Stay in touch with past clients. Schedule check-ins, review requests, and referral asks around closing anniversaries and market updates.
What it looks like when it works
Example scenario
It’s 9:15 on a Saturday night. A buyer submits an inquiry on one of your listings through a portal. Within a minute they get a personal text from your team asking whether they’d like to see it and what their timeline is.
They reply that they’re pre-approved and want to see it this weekend, so a Sunday showing goes straight onto your calendar. A second buyer who inquired the same night says they’re six months out. They move into a nurture plan with useful check-ins every few weeks.
On Monday, everyone who signed in at Sunday’s open house gets a thank-you and a next step before lunch. You didn’t chase anyone, and no lead waited until morning.
The numbers to track
- Average time to first response, by lead source
- Share of leads you actually reach
- Showings and listing appointments booked per 100 leads
- Long-term leads that become active clients
- Referrals and reviews from past clients
Do it responsibly
Automated conversations should stay on property facts, budget, and timing, and never touch neighborhood demographics or anything related to protected classes under the Fair Housing Act. Text follow-up needs documented opt-in and clear opt-out handling to meet TCPA requirements, and it’s good practice to tell people when they’re talking with an AI assistant. Some states require it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good lead response time for realtors?
Minutes, not hours. In the 2024 secret-shopper study, the average reply took over 8 hours and nearly half of inquiries were never answered, so replying within minutes puts you ahead of most agents.
Should I text or call a new real estate lead first?
Many agents send an immediate text to acknowledge the inquiry, then call. The key is that the first reply is fast and personal, and that follow-up continues if they don’t answer.
How long should I follow up with a real estate lead?
Until they buy, sell, or ask you to stop. Many online leads are months from a decision, so a steady nurture plan wins business that a single callback misses.