Best practice lead management: what great estate agents do differently

Most estate agents think they manage their leads well. But when you take a closer look at how the best-performing agencies operate, it is clear that great lead management looks very different from the norm.

It goes beyond answering enquiries. It is about extracting maximum value from every opportunity, improving customer service, and building a repeatable process that scales across your team.

In this article, we break down what best practice looks like at every stage of the lead management process.

Capturing every enquiry in one place

Great agents know that the first step to managing leads well is to capture them centrally. That means bringing together:

• Portal leads from Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket and others
• Website enquiries for viewings, valuations and branch contact
• Leads from live chat or instant valuation tools
• Enquiries from PPC landing pages or social media campaigns

Relying on individual inboxes or even printed notes creates risk, as leads get lost, duplicated or forgotten. Best-in-class agencies use a dedicated lead management system to capture all leads in one place, ready to be qualified and handled properly.

Providing immediate, professional responses

First impressions count. Leading agents send instant, branded email responses confirming receipt of the enquiry. This reassures the customer that their enquiry has been received and sets a professional tone.

The best responses:

• Include the agent’s logo and branding
• Reference the property or service the customer enquired about
• Set expectations on next steps
• Invite the customer to provide additional information to help the agent prepare

This simple automated step creates a sense of professionalism that many agents overlook.

Qualifying leads automatically and consistently

Top agents do not waste time asking the same basic questions over the phone. They use automated surveys sent by email or SMS to gather key information up front, such as:

• Customer’s availability for a viewing or valuation
• Whether they have a property to sell or let
• Budget, finance or chain status
• Any specific requirements

This saves time for both the customer and the agent. It also ensures that the team starts every conversation with more context, making the follow-up call more professional and productive.

Prioritising the most valuable opportunities

Not all leads are equal. Great agents know how to prioritise their follow-up based on lead quality.

This often includes:

• Handling valuation leads first
• Extracting hidden vendor or landlord opportunities from viewing enquiries
• Using lead scoring to sort leads by value and urgency

For example, a viewing enquiry from someone who also has a house to sell is far more valuable than one from a first-time buyer with no related transaction. Best-in-class agents make sure they spot and prioritise these hidden opportunities every time.

Responding at the right time with the right preparation

Speed matters, but so does preparation. The best agents follow up:

• Promptly, typically within 15–45 minutes
• After reviewing the customer’s information
• With personalised context, referencing the enquiry details

Calling too fast can feel robotic or catch the customer off guard. Great agents use that short window to prepare properly, review the property in question, and start the call on a professional footing.

Managing team workflows and accountability

High-performing agencies do not leave lead follow-up to chance. They have:

• Clear allocation of responsibility, so every lead is owned by someone
• Service level agreements (SLAs) for response times
• Real-time visibility of open leads, so nothing gets lost or forgotten
• Reporting tools to monitor team performance across offices and individuals

This creates a culture of accountability where no lead is left behind.

Closing the loop and improving data quality

Great lead management does not stop at the first phone call. Top agents make sure every lead:

• Is followed up until it reaches a clear outcome
• Is properly closed into the CRM with full notes and data
• Feeds into management reports on lead source performance and conversion

This improves data quality, future marketing potential, and the visibility managers have on their team’s performance.

Using insights to drive continuous improvement

The very best agencies use reporting and insights to:

• Measure response times across teams and branches
• Track conversion rates from enquiry to viewing or valuation
• Compare the performance of different lead sources
• Identify training opportunities for staff
• Benchmark team and individual performance

By reviewing these insights regularly, they spot opportunities to improve and stay ahead of the competition.

Why this matters more than ever

The digital shift has increased lead volumes but raised customer expectations. Agencies that respond faster, qualify better, and manage more consistently will win more business.

Great lead management helps agencies:

• Win more valuations and instructions
• Improve customer satisfaction and brand reputation
• Make better use of their marketing spend
• Run a more efficient and profitable operation

Final thought

If you want to move from “good enough” to industry-leading lead management, the practices outlined here provide the blueprint. It starts with recognising where you are today and being open to improving how your team works.

If you are ready to take the next step, solutions like Homeflow Lead Manager are designed to help you implement these best practices with ease.

‍