How Top Agents Convert Web Leads into Monthly Closed Deals

By Marcus Vanzant

Marcus Vanzant is a second-generation real estate broker and founder of Marcus & Company Realty in Bradenton, FL.

How do top real estate agents convert web leads into closed deals? For us, it’s about mastering the web lead funnel, which we excel at. With over 15 years of experience in real estate, this process has given us more leads and consistently close deals. In fact, we run the largest Zillow Flex team in our area, and we have high production.

To do what we do, you must first understand the sales funnel and its processes. I’ll give you a high-level overview of how this process works so you can nurture leads effectively and convert them into paying clients.

What is a sales funnel? Every sales process follows a funnel representing the journey potential customers go through before making a purchase. Everyone goes through this, whether it’s someone just starting to think about buying or selling a home or someone ready to make a move. The sales funnel is divided into three sections: top, middle, and bottom. Each section of the funnel works differently, and knowing how each works can help you maximize your profits.

The top of the funnel is all about awareness. These leads are people who are just becoming aware of the area or your services. Typically, these are people considering real estate, finding an agent, retiring in a few years, or considering moving to the area. However, they haven’t quite decided what to do just yet but are just becoming aware of their options.

As an agent, you’ll be working with these types of leads for a long time, and this is where most agents fail, as well, because they don’t invest the time needed to nurture that database as it requires. They lack the systems, websites, and all the things that are required, and they don’t make enough phone calls. As a result, many leads go completely wasted.

You need a lot of leads at the top of the funnel to make the process work. Not everyone will move forward, and that’s okay. But if you don’t nurture them early on, you’re cutting off your chances of success before they even begin.

The middle of the funnel focuses on nurturing relationships. I consider this stage to last around three months, though some consider it anywhere from roughly six months to a year. However, three months onward is a good benchmark because a lot can happen then.

At this point, you’re nurturing your relationship with your leads through phone calls and conversations, trying to build trust so that when they finally decide, they choose you. These leads might come from places like Realtor.com or your website. They’re closer to making a decision but still not quite there yet.

Many agents lose leads here because they aren’t following up enough. These prospects will slip through the cracks if you’re inconsistent with your communication.

The bottom of the funnel is the sales process. In this stage, the sales process lasts less than 90 days because bottom-of-the-funnel leads are ready to act. Maybe they’ve found the perfect property on Zillow and are pre-approved for a mortgage, or they’re ready to list their home because you’ve given them the ideal list price.

These leads are hot, and they’re looking for someone to trust to guide them through the process. You need a high level of sales experience and expertise to convert these leads, and that’s why it’s so important to build that relationship earlier. If you’ve done your job right, they’ll choose you when it’s time to make a move.

To succeed with the sales funnel, you need many people entering at the top. Fewer will move to the middle, and even fewer will reach the bottom. Many people mistakenly believe that leads come only from specific sources like Facebook or pay-per-click ads, but all leads start at the top of the funnel, regardless of their source. Closing deals successfully all depends on how well you nurture your leads.

Real estate is a numbers game, and if you want to do well in the industry, make sure to generate leads from different sources. You’ll need hundreds or even thousands at the top to close one or more at the bottom each month.

Some agents and systems excel at guiding leads down the funnel until they’re ready to take action. It’s important to understand the sales funnel and the necessary follow-ups, like calls, emails, and texts, to effectively generate leads and close deals. Keep in mind that while you can reach out to many people, not everyone is actively looking to buy or sell, and they may become weary of your calls.

For more real estate insights and strategies, contact me at (941) 404-8676 or success@marcusandcompanyrealty.com. I’d love to connect with you.