Tips for First Contact Success – Relive

Speed of Response

Contact every new lead as quickly as possible. The window closes fast.

Clients are typically talking to more than one locator at the same time. The first agent to respond with a warm engaging message is usually the one they stick with. Waiting hours or a full day gives other locators the opening you need to take.

When a new lead comes in treat it as your number one priority regardless of what else is on your plate.

Your Mindset Heading Into First Contact

You are not a salesperson and you are not a robot. You are a friendly knowledgeable local expert.

The goal of your first message is not to immediately send a list of options. It is to start a real conversation. If you can get a reply you can get a deal.

Bring energy. Read the client form they filled out before you reach out so you can personalize your message. Clients can tell the difference between a generic blast and someone who actually paid attention.

Choosing Your Communication Channel

Text is the most reliable default for first contact. It lets you control the pace of the conversation and gives the client something to respond to on their own time.

If a client wants to talk on the phone get on a call immediately. Never push back on that.

A strong approach combines text and voice memos. Send the first text to acknowledge the information on their form then follow up with a short voice memo once they reply. Keep first-contact voice memos under one minute. The voice memo puts a human voice behind your name and builds rapport faster than text can.

Try different approaches when you're new and find what feels natural. Consistency matters more than which channel you pick.

Use Text Replacements

Set up text replacements on your phone for every repeating message in your process. Type a short keyword and the full text populates automatically.

This does three things for you. 1) It saves time. 2) It keeps your language consistent and professional. 3) And it protects your tone on days when you're frustrated or tired. A text replacement always sounds upbeat even when you're not.

What to save as text replacements

Your first contact text

Free service clarification

Process explanation (how it works)

Each follow-up message

Your ghosting check-in messages

Your client inquiry form link

Running the Discovery Process

Use a client inquiry form to collect information upfront. When a client reaches out you already have their details and can make your first message feel personalized immediately.

The goal of discovery is not just to gather data. It is to build a connection. Clients who feel heard and understood are far less likely to ghost.

The Client Inquiry Form

Front-load as much discovery as possible through your inquiry form. Include the following fields:

First and last name

Phone number

Email address

Move-in date

Number of bedrooms

Number of bathrooms

Preferred neighborhoods or areas

Maximum monthly rent (before utilities)

Lease type needed

Pets (if yes: breed)

Relocating from out of town or already local

Preferred tour type (in-person, virtual or both)

Any special requests or deal breakers

If a client reaches out without filling out the form

You can ask these questions directly in the text thread.

Save your form link as a text replacement on your phone so you can send it instantly.

If the conversation is already flowing it is also fine to just ask the questions via text right there.

Either way works. Match the client's momentum.

Pro Tip: Setup your new client form within Relive’s App. Follow the steps here

Keeping Discovery Conversational

A few rules of thumb:

Never send a wall of questions in one message. It feels like a form and kills momentum.

Ask two to three questions at a time and let the conversation breathe.

Respond naturally to what they share before moving to the next question.

If a client already filled out your form do not make them answer everything again.

One well-placed question is better than five average ones.

Follow-Up Questions Worth Asking

Even with a filled-out form you may still need to clarify a few things before building a list. Ask these conversationally.

Have you ever worked with a locator before?

Ask this early especially for first-time clients. If they say no use it as an opening to explain how the process works and how you get paid. This prevents ghosting later when they don't understand why you need to be listed as the referral source.

Are you planning a trip to town before your move to tour apartments in person?

Ask this when the form shows they are relocating. If yes get that date on your calendar now. You can time your list to go out right before they arrive so pricing and availability are as accurate as possible.

Do you have any questions about qualifying for an apartment?

You do not need to ask directly about income, evictions or misdemeanors during first contact. This softer approach keeps the conversation positive and still opens the door. If there is an issue the client will usually bring it up on their own.

If you prefer a more direct approach

Some agents prefer to ask qualifying questions upfront. That is a valid choice.

Just know that asking about income, evictions or misdemeanors early in the conversation can feel aggressive to some clients and set a negative tone.

If you do go direct frame it as information rather than a screening:

"Just so you know most apartments require proof of income at 3x the monthly rent. Do you think there's anything that might affect your application?"

For clients mentioning a very low budget or asking about affordable housing units it is worth asking about income earlier since eligibility can affect which properties you send.

Use What You Learn

Once you have the client's information use it to do more than pull a list. Context shapes everything.

Out-of-town clients may not know the neighborhoods at all. Include short descriptions of each area when you send the list.

Clients with pets may have breed restrictions to work around. Ask for the breed if they haven't shared it.

Clients moving in more than 60 days will not have accurate pricing available yet. Let them know upfront and offer a preliminary list to provide value now.

Clients working with another locator should understand that only one locator gets paid at the end. Set that expectation clearly and early.

Setting Expectations Early

Clear expectations prevent most ghosting before it starts.

Explain the process

For clients who have never worked with a locator break down how it works: you build the list, they pick favorites, you schedule tours, it's free. Do this early.

Explain how you get paid

Clients who don't know how you're compensated don't realize they're leaving you unpaid when they go straight to the property or work with another locator. Tell them explicitly that listing you as a referral source on the application is how you get taken care of.

Give them permission to be honest

Tell clients upfront that if anything about their search changes you're still happy to help. This removes the awkwardness of telling you their budget dropped or their move-in date shifted. It keeps communication open and prevents them from simply disappearing.

Set the next step after every message

Don't end a message with no direction. After sending a list tell the client you'll be in touch tomorrow. After a discovery call confirm what happens next. Always give them something to expect.

Your Follow-Up Strategy

Most deals happen in the follow-up. Clients are busy and distracted. Consistent outreach keeps you at the front of their mind.

People tend to work with whoever they heard from most recently. If you go quiet another locator fills that space.

How often to follow up

After making first contact follow up every two to four days. For leads who have never replied at all send follow-ups on four consecutive days while interest is still fresh.

Make each follow-up different

Do not copy and paste the same message. Every follow-up should add something new:

First follow-up: check in with urgency. Mention you have options ready.

Second follow-up: pull a property video or virtual tour that fits their criteria and share it. Lead with value.

Third follow-up: low-pressure check-in or a note about a price change.

Fourth attempt: consider a phone call. Use your judgment. If the situation feels right pick up the phone. The worst they can do is not answer.

Don't feel bad about following up

You are offering a free service. You are not selling them anything they're paying for. There is nothing to feel embarrassed about. The discomfort of following up fades. The lost commission from not doing it does not.

After four attempts with no response

Add a task in your CRM to follow up one week later and then again one month later. Leads go quiet for all kinds of reasons. Some come back. A CRM task costs you nothing and occasionally turns a cold lead into a closed deal.

When a Client Is Working With Another Locator

Ask during your first conversation whether the client is currently working with someone else.

If they're with another agent at Relive

Do not work the client. Message your colleague directly to find out where they are in the process. If the work is recent discuss splitting commission. If the lead went inactive it may be transferable to you.

If they're with an agent at another brokerage

This is your call. Weigh the time you'll invest against the risk of not getting paid. If a client is already working with three or four locators they may be playing everyone. Risk of wasted effort or being asked to match a rebate offer goes up significantly in that situation.

One approach: lead with value and let your work speak

Rather than making the other locator a topic of conversation focus on providing more value than anyone else. Send a better list faster. Be more responsive. Clients often switch to whoever is doing the best job without it ever becoming a conversation.

Protect yourself if the client seems disloyal

Send guest cards for every property you send to a client you suspect is working with multiple locators. Some properties pay based on who sent the guest card first. Cover your tracks as early as possible.

Handling Ghosting

Ghosting happens to every locator. It is not personal.

Why clients go quiet

Most clients who ghost are not doing it out of spite. Their circumstances changed. Maybe they renewed their lease. Maybe they feel embarrassed that you did work for them and they never applied. Life got busy. There are a hundred reasons and almost none of them are about you.

Your mindset

Top producers develop short-term memory about ghosted clients. Dwelling on it costs you time and momentum. Give yourself a moment to feel frustrated then let it go and move forward. This business runs on momentum. The agents who win are the ones who shake things off quickly and keep working.

If you're getting burned out

Close the laptop. Go outside. Take an afternoon if you need it. You work better rested. A break today is not lost productivity. It is an investment in how you show up tomorrow.

When a client comes back after going quiet

Be warm and polite no matter what. Say something like:

"That's awesome, glad it worked out! Best of luck!"

That client will move again eventually. How you treat them now determines whether they call you or someone else next time.

First contact is where most deals are won or lost.

Get this stage right and everything downstream gets easier.