Portal enquiry follow-up that turns a click into an inspection

What the buyer actually wants

Most portal enquiries are short. A ticked box, a line like "Is this still available?" or "What's the price guide?". It's tempting to answer only the literal question. That misses what the buyer is really doing, which is deciding whether to spend a Saturday on this home.

Behind almost every enquiry are three questions:

1. Can I still buy it? Is it available, under offer, or going to auction?
2. Can I afford it? What is the price guide, and is it real?
3. How do I see it? When is the next inspection, and can I look properly before I drive there?

A good reply answers all three, even if the buyer only asked one. "Yes, still available" with nothing else forces a second message. Every extra round trip is a chance for the buyer to move on to the next listing.

Answer fast: what the research says

The most cited study on this is not from real estate, but it is useful. In 2011, Harvard Business Review published "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads". The researchers sent a web enquiry to 2,241 US companies. As reported by SmartCompany:

• 37% responded within an hour.
• 23% never responded.
• Among firms that replied within 30 days, the average response time was 42 hours.

A separate analysis of 1.25 million sales leads in the same article found that firms contacting a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify it as firms that waited even an hour longer.

Treat those numbers with care. They are US figures, they are from 2011, and they cover businesses in general. The lesson still holds for property: a buyer browsing portals has other homes open in other tabs. The first useful reply sets the tone. We go deeper on this in speed to lead for real estate.

Practical ways to reply faster

• Keep saved replies on your phone for the five most common questions.
• Have a teammate cover enquiries during auctions and appointments.
• Use an instant first reply after hours that still contains real information, not just "we'll be in touch".

A reply that moves the buyer forward

Every first reply should include these five things, in this order:

1. Status. Available, under offer, or auction on a set date.
2. Price information. The price guide, or in Victoria, a link to the Property Price Statement.
3. Next inspection. The next open time, plus an offer of a private inspection.
4. The full tour. Floor plan, photos, video or 3D tour, so they can check the layout before they come.
5. One question. Something easy to answer, like "Are you hoping to see it this Saturday?"

Keep it short. Use their name. Don't attach a brochure with ten pages when one link will do.

Some agencies automate the first step. With Tap Vortex, for example, portal enquiries forwarded by the agency get an instant reply with the buyer's own tour link. The agent then follows up personally with the context of what the buyer looked at.

When to call and when to text

There is no single right answer. Use the buyer's signals.

If you call and get voicemail, leave a short message and send the written reply straight after. The buyer can then act without calling you back.

Templates you can copy

1. "Is this still available?"

Hi [Name], yes, [address] is still available. The price guide is [guide]. Next open is [day, time], or I can show you through privately. Here's the full tour with the floor plan: [link]. Are you hoping to see it this week?

2. Price guide request

Hi [Name], thanks for asking. The price guide for [address] is [guide]. [In Victoria: The Property Price Statement, with comparable sales, is here: [link].] Open this [day] at [time]. Happy to talk through recent sales nearby if that helps.

3. Inspection times

Hi [Name], we're open [day, time] and [day, time]. If those don't suit, reply with a time and I'll try to fit you in. Here's the tour so you can check the layout first: [link].

4. Under offer

Hi [Name], [address] is currently under offer. I'll let you know straight away if that changes. Meanwhile, I have [similar property] coming up. Would you like the details?

5. After hours (instant reply)

Hi [Name], thanks for your enquiry on [address]. It's available, the price guide is [guide] and the next open is [day, time]. Full tour and floor plan: [link]. I'll call you in the morning. Reply STOP if you'd rather I didn't.

6. Follow-up when there's no reply

Hi [Name], just a quick one. We've added a private inspection slot on [day, time] for [address]. Want me to hold it for you?

After the open home, switch to your open home follow-up process.

Route REA and Domain enquiries so nothing is missed

Portal enquiries go to the email address on the agent or listing. If that inbox is busy, or the agent is away, leads sit unread. The fix is to send every enquiry to a second address as well, usually your CRM's lead address.

realestate.com.au

A CRM help article from Rex Software describes the steps in REA's Agent Admin:

1. Log in to Agent Admin and go to Manage Profiles, then Edit Profiles.
2. Edit the agent's contact email.
3. Enter the agent's normal address, a comma and a space, then the CRM lead address.
4. Save, then force a re-feed of the agent's listings so the change takes effect.

Putting the normal address first means REA reports still reach the agent's inbox. Some CRMs also connect to REA directly. One CoreLogic help article describes adding a lead integration in Ignite under Manage, then Data and Integrations, which needs Manage Agency permissions. Check your own CRM's instructions.

Domain

Domain's help centre says enquiries can go to up to three agents selected as contacts. You can also add up to three comma-separated addresses in the Other Email field. In Domain Agent Admin, it sits on the Inspections, Contacts tab, below Contacts. Domain notes most CRMs support this field, and if you list through a CRM you should set it there.

CRM lead parsing

Once enquiries reach your CRM's lead address, the CRM reads the portal email and creates or updates the contact. It links them to the listing and can trigger your first reply. To keep it reliable:

• Send yourself a test enquiry on a live listing after any change.
• Check the CRM matched the right listing and contact.
• Re-test whenever an agent joins or leaves, or you change CRM.
• Keep every enquiry, including "just looking" buyers, in your buyer database.

Portal buyer insights: what REA and Domain say they show

Both major portals offer some insight into who is enquiring. Availability depends on your subscription, so check with your account manager.

REA Lead Enrichment

When Elite Agent reported its launch in May 2021, REA described Lead Enrichment as a feature in its Ignite app. It estimates where a buyer is in their property search, how engaged they are with particular properties, and how engaged they are with the agent's listing. At launch it was available to agencies on the Premiere All 60 contract. Packages have changed since, so confirm current access with REA.

Domain behaviour ranks

Domain's help centre says Domain Skylight shows buyer and seller behaviour ranks on email enquiries. Domain predicts likely buyers and sellers from activity such as shortlisting properties, making enquiries and engaging with selling advice. Ranks are percentile scores against other Domain users, and Domain says they are a guide only. Skylight also shows whether the enquirer is local, based on the postcode they give.

Domain's Homepass help notes that no rank appears if the person used a different email address on Domain. People with too little activity are also left out.

What to measure each week

• Time to first reply, by agent and by hour of day.
• Enquiries with no reply after 24 hours. This should be zero.
• Enquiry to inspection rate for each listing.
• Which questions come up most. If everyone asks about parking, put it in the listing.

Share the useful parts with your vendor in the weekly vendor report. To see where your buyers drop off between enquiry and inspection, run the buyer drop-off check.